THE MASS DISPLAYED. WRITTEN IN FRENCH by Mr JOHN BEDE, advocate to the Parliament of Paris, and now translated into English. Tertull. de Oration. Cap. 12. Huiusmodi non religioni, sed superstitioni deputantur, affectata & coacta, & curiosi potius quam rationalis officij, certè vel eo coexcenda quod Gentilibus adaequent. printer's device of John Lichfield and James Short, McKerrow 336: "The arms of the University of Oxford" AC: OX AT OXFORD, Printed by JOHN LICHFIELD, and JAMES SHORT, Printers to the famous University. 1619. THE PREFACE TO THE READER. SUch hath ever been the opinion of the Church of God concerning Liturgies, that the wise and provident establishers of religion in all places, have judged it impertinent to plant knowledge in the pulpit, unless they founded also devotion in the assembly, and supplied it with a due furniture of prayers and thanksgivings suitable to all occurrences that might befall. I need not search other records for confirmation and proof hereof, than those remnants of Liturgies, and ruins, rather than perfect images of primitive zeal, which antiquity hath bequeathed unto us; whereof some passing through the mists of ignorance have lost their names, and been adopted into wrong families, others sliding through the chanails of superstition, have interlarded their first materials with much slime. Amongst the former, I rank those Liturgies falsely attributed to S. Peter, Vide Mornay. l. 1. de Missa. c. 2. Rivet. critic. sacri specimen. l. 1. c. 3. Coc. censur ve●. S. james, S. Matthew, and S. Mark, amongst the later Basil's entertained by the Syrians, Chrysostom's used in Constantinople, Isodores, received in Spain, as also Ambroses' in milan, Gregory's in Rome, besides other which are recounted to have taken place in France, Germany, and other countries. Which later sort, I style not by the names of these fathers, Bel. l. 2. de Missa c. 19 §. Voi illud etiam notandum etc. as if I acknowledged them to be their natural children, since our adversaries themselves will not so far make them legitimate, but that whereas impregnable reasons may be alleged to prove those missals which ware the Apostles liveries to be the brood of an after age; these which shelter themselves under the patronage of the Fathers may probably have received either some approbation or reformation from them, though not in the same sort and fashion as time & blindness hath since deformed them. But to speak more particularly of the Roman Liturgy, of which the succeeding tract may require something to be delivered, we must understand, that it was not of one man's composing, but by sundry persons, partly augmented, partly changed, partly corrupted. Bellarmine alloweth a sufficient portion of time, even 800 years for the perfecting of this building, Bel. l. 2. de Missa c. 20. etc. 17. and raising it as high as the roof, and yet in another place he confesseth five prayers to have been added within the space of these last 500 years, which were taken out of the French Missals and inserted into the Roman: I need not rehearse in order how and by whom each part of this Liturgy took its beginning, seeing my author hath throughout his work eased me of that labour, one thing notwithstanding we may take notice of by the way, that howsoever the allowance of the Bishops of Rome might be required (so far as their proper diocese did extend) for inserting of Canons into the body of the Liturgy, yet that they were not the only authors or penners thereof, Concil. Trident. Plat. in vita Xisti 1. Greg epist. l 2. ep. 54. & lib. 9 ep. 14. (as the Tridentine Council seems to intimate) for Platina attributes the Gospel and Epistles to Hierom, the Alleluia to the Church of Jerusalem, the symbol to the Nicen Council, as likewise Gregory allows a good part to one Scholasticus, Bell. l. 2. de Mis. c. 20. neither can Bellarmine otherwise defend the antiquity of it, then by saying that many parts thereof may be found in the writings of the ancient fathers. Touching the often changes to which this Canon hath been subject, Bellarmine notes three main ones; Bell. l. 2. de Mis. c. 19 Greg. lib. 7. epist. 73. The first of Gregory the Great, who abridged the Gelasian canon as himself confesseth, saying, that he restored some things, and took other things away. This reformed canon for a long time contained itself within the narrow bounds of Saint Peter's Patrimony in Italy, Greg. decret. ad interrogat. Aug. and was not imposed upon foreign countries as a rule to which they ought to conform themselves, as may appear by the question moved by Austen the Monk unto Gregory, viz. why Masses were celebrated in one manner in France, and in another in Rome; Cassand. praefat. ad ord. But when Charles the Great was lifted up into the imperial throne by Pope Leo the third, in requital of that good service done him, he compelled not only the French (which his father Pepin had begun) but also all the Clergy subject to him, partly by threats, and partly by punishments to embrace and admit of the Gregorian office. France it seems soon yielded, and not long after Germany; But the Spaniards as they are ever obstinate in a custom once entertained, continued for many years most resolutely their ancient liturgy, Hist. gen. Hist. & Roderic. Tolet. which was termed by them the Mosorabique office, because the Christians mixed with Arabians (which in those days possessed a good part of Spain, had observed it from the time of Isodore Archbishop of Seville, and of Hildefonse Archbishop of Toledo. At the length, Gregory the 7, being Pope, Alphonsus the 6, who recovered Toledo from the Saracens, at the earnest request of the French queen, constrained his Clergy, after many debatings of the matter, to condescend to the Roman rites, yet could he not so far prevail against an inveterate custom, as wholly to extirpate it, but that at this day the Mosorabique office is used in some Churches and Chapels upon certain festivals. Neither is this done without the consent and allowance of the Pope himself, Bell. l. 2. de Mis. c. 18. who permits (as Bellarmine confesseth) not only the Moserabique Missal in Toledo, but also the Ambrosian in honour of Saint Ambrose, in Milan where he was bishop, Basils' and Chrysostom's in Rome, and other parts of Italy, in favour of the Grecians, Roccha in bibl. Vatican. p. 162. which reside there; and another supposed to be Hieromes in Dalmatia, as being of opinion, that the Roman Missal is not absolutely necessary to consecrate the Eucharist. Thus did the Gregorian Missal get ground wheresoever the Pope did intermeddle; for as touching England, howsoever Gregory gave Austen the Monk liberty to use his own judgement in establishing divine service in that Island, yet one may guess how easy a matter it was for the Roman Liturgy to find welcome entertainment there, when such a trusty servant of the Popes, and one so affected to the Roman ceremonies as was this Austen, (though withstood by the British clergy) was received by many of the kings of the land, with such applause. The second reformation noted by Bellarmine, was of Gregory the 7, De consec. dist. 5. can. In die. who lived about the year 1200, and as himself confesseth reform, or rather deformed the Church offices. For he which shall with an equal eye compare the Missals which from his time have reigned in the Church, with those which sure registers do certify us to have been used in the days of Gregory the 1, may perhaps see these later to resemble them somewhat in the outward gestures, and form of words, but to be destitute both of their simplicity, (wherein neither Masses for the dead, nor rubicks the directions for the superfluous ceremonies now used, are to be found) as also deprived of the soul and reason which they had, which was, that the people did pray with the Pastor, Greg. lib. 7. epist. 56. & l. 11. ep. 56. nor only pray together, but communicate too, as out of Gregory himself may be gathered. Nay how many things were then used to a quite contrary purpose than they were afterwards, which if my Preface might not seem to swell with bills of accusation, I could easily recount. Pag. 52. For what could that phrase imply sacrificium laudis, this sacrifice of praise, &c: but an Eucharistical sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the redemption of our souls purchased by the cross of Christ, which is now wrested by the Priest to a propitiatory sacrifice for sin, meriting a jayle-delivery out of Purgatory? To what end was that which follows, Pag. 53. Aug. de civit dei lib. 22. c. 10. memoriam venerantes, honouring the memory, &c: instituted, but to commemorate the Saints (saith Austen) as men of God which in their confessions overcame the world, and not to invocate them, which now is directed by new additions, wholly to their merits? In what sense could the Priest, Pap. 55. speaking of the oblation in the Supper, say, ut nobis corpus & sanguis fiat, that it may be made unto us the body and blood, &c: if opus operatum, (which is the only string now harped upon by the jesuits) were then thought security enough for a Christian, Pag. 57 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Arist. de Memor. & Reminisc. c. 1. Pag. 79. and no farther seal of the Spirit required to make it good? why was unde memores, wherefore being mindful, &c: placed after the consecration, if Christ were in those days thought to be locally present in the Sacrament, seeing memory is a faculty busied about things absent and not present? How could supra quae &c: respicere digneris ac accepta habere, upon which things let it please thee to look with a propitious and favourable countenance, &c: be applied to the sacrifice of Christ, seeing the Priest is no more ambitious then to procure it as good acceptation with God as the sacrifice of Abel had, Cassand. Liturg. cap 8. and Saint Basils' Liturgy refers it only to the offerings to the poor? Lastly in what congruity of speech could Gregory or any other have inserted these Phrases into the Missal, Pag. 80. &. 96. Quotquot sumpserimus, all we which shall take, &c: or Quod ore sumpsimus, that we have taken, &c: if the Priest alone had communicated in those days, whereas now the Priest forgetting himself what he is, usurps the Phrase of an Emperor or King, and saith We in the plural, as if he without more associates were in saying a private Mass in danger to make a riot. ●ius 5. praefat. Rom. breviar. reformat. Praefat. office B. Mar. Virg. The third correction of the Roman Missal mentioned by Bellarmine, is that of Pius Quintus, who finding the Roman service books so fraught with things uncertain and inconvenient (as he terms them) that almost all Primmers, yea the Latin too were stuffed full with vain errors of superstitions, he set the Tridentine Council on work, to reform both the breviary and Missal. Decret Pii 5. ad Missal. Trid. But how these new missals of the Tridentine correction were accepted of in the world, may be questioned. For to omit those parts which either had shaken off, or did never undergo the papal yoke, jerem. Patriare. constant. Resp. 1. ad Germanos c 13. Vers. a Grid. Fabritio. Posse●in. in Apparat. sacr. verb. Maronitae c. 11. 12, 13, 14, 15. all which have proper Liturgies of their own, as the Grecians which on common days use the ancient Liturgy of Chrysostome, on festivals that of Basil, the Cophtis in Egypt which use the Liturgy of Severus Patriarch of Alexandria. The Maronites in Syria, which stick to the Liturgies of Peter, james, and Sixtus, the Habassines, Armenians, Moscovians, all which have their proper and distinct offices as Geographers do relate, Thevet. Cosmog. the inhabitants within the hemisphere of Popery, though they had long before given passage to the Gregorian Liturgy, and swallowed down most of the errors, which in process of time crept into it without difficulty, yet when the Pope called their old copies into the inquisition, and would with an high Mandamus force new editions upon them, they began to start somewhat at the motion. Italy, and Germany indeed, made no resistance the Clergy of the one being a professed servant to the Pope, the other through opposition to the Protestant more pliant, the main repugnancies were in Spain and France, and those upon several grounds. The Spaniards having intermixed the use of the Gregorian office with the Mosorabique in some places, and generally almost throughout made a medley of them both, were much discontented that such showers of innovations (as they conceived them) should pour down on a sudden upon their land and wash away those steps which they had been accustomed in their blind devotion to trace. Philip therefore, the father of him that now reigneth, receiving sundry complaints of this matter from his subjects, deputed certain to consider of the business, and in the end solicited Pius 5, by Ludovicus de Torres a clerk of the Apostolical sea to mitigate somewhat that rigorous decree of the Council, Vide Decret. Pij 5. & Greg. 13. init. Missal. Trident. which forced a new Missal upon his Clergy. Which request the Pope forthwith yielded unto, dispensing, that for a great part, they should follow the use of the Church of Toledo; and this grant his successor Gregory the 13, enlarged not only with sundry additions touching the holidays, but also with an exposition, that whereas the Provinces of Spain singly were nominated in the former decree, his intent and meaning was that the benefit of this dispensation should extend also to the islands and Indies subject to the King of Spain. As for France, it renouncing the authority of the Tridentine Council as being neither lawfully summoned nor justly proceeding, but manifestly violating the liberties of the French Church, See Les libertes de l'eglise Gallicane. could never be induced to receive formally the Missal corrected by it. But how much the more resolutely the eight Parlements of the kingdom and the Sorbone school (which are the props and pillars of the French liberty) did keep this Council from being incorporated amongst the edicts of the land, by so much the more eagerly, did the Prelates solicit the Princes in the behalf of it. And at length, perceiving that they prevailed little in their suit, being resisted with no less reason than authority, they invented a new plot to effect their enterprise. B●chel. prefat. ad decret. Eccles. Gallican. For having procured Congye to call Synods in every particular diocese, they by a wile effected that in each Province by itself, which in an united assembly of the three estates they could not do. Each of these Synods was begun with this profession. Also all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred Canons, and Ecumenical Council, especially the holy Tridentine Synod I do undoubtedly receive and profess etc. In these moreover they did establish the Missal and Brevearies corrected by the Council of Trent, Bochel. lib. 1. tit. 9 as may appear by the Council of Rheims, celebrated in the year 1583. That of Burges, 1584. That of Roven, 1581. That of Bordeaux, 1582. That of Aix, 1585. Yet are not these Provincial decrees touching the Missal, of such validity, that they are field authentic farther than the Clergy out of a voluntary subscription or particular respects to their Bishop shall condescend to admit them, as is evident by a suit commenced by the Canons of the Church of the holy Trinity in Angiers, against the Bishop of the same place, for changing by his decree the Breviary used formerly in that city, and introducing the corrected Tridentine, where they procured of the Parliament of Paris an inhibition against the Bishop, Ex curiae Paris. Regestis. an. M.DCIII. whereby he was forbidden to alter any thing in the celebration of divine service, without the special authority of the King. As also may be gathered by comparing the Missal which my author followeth, with the Tridentine, wherein we may discern some differences which notwithstanding being not very material, I thought good to insert into my translation only the Tridentine, both for that it is most generally received by our adversaries; as also lest in transporting my author out of his native lists (where the Goliath he is to provoke appearing in his French habit is not alike valued as at home) I should be thought to make him encounter an enemy already slain in the censure of his spectators, or to gain the spoils where there is made no resistance. Out of that which hath been already delivered touching the beginning and progress of the Roman Liturgy, may an answer be drawn to satisfy those which conceive a dislike in our common prayer book, because they find many things the same in them both, persuading themselves that this conclusion might from thence be deduced, that our service book is nothing else but the popish Liturgy translated. An Apolog. of Brownists. p. 38. For the Missal was not (as I have show'd) brought in at once, both in respect of the parts and of the abuses annexed to them. The parts some of them are taken out of the Scriptures, and introduced by the Fathers in the purer age of the Church, others crept in with their abuses in after times. Now whatsoever is found in this Missal which we also have admitted into our Church book, being as it is now cleared from all superstition, may evidently be demonstrated, both to have his foundation in the Scriptures, and to have been used also by the primitive Church, and that within the space of 600 years after our Saviour. That a Gal. 5. 2. Tim. 4.18. Heb. 13.21. Theod. hist. l. 2 c. 24. Soz. lib. 3. c. 19 where they relate how, when at the ending of Psalms the Orthodox Christians did say, Gloria patri & filio & sp sancto, the Arians turned it thus, Gloria patri, per filium, in sp. sancto. Gloria patri & filio, Glory be to the Father, is of this condition, the Scripture phrase justifies it on the one part, and Sozomen, Theodoret, and Basil on the other. That b It is taken partly from the form of saluting amongst the jews, Ruth. 2 4. jud. 6. as Aust●n on the 132. Psal. saith religious men in his days used, Deo gratias, and S. Hierome in the li●e of Paulina, that in calling together the Virgins, she used this word Alleluia: & Bellarmine, l. 2. de Miss. c. 16. that Nuns in saluting one another in their Nunneries say Ave Maria. Partly from the 2. Tim. 4.22. as Cassander thinketh. Liturg. p. 42. Chrysost. Vbi nos c●●pimus lo●ui, cum sp●t●o●pl●bs respondet. in 1. Cor. hom. 36. Dominus vobiscum, the Lord be with you, etc. is the same, the Bible witnesseth for the first, and Chrysostome for the second. That c Luk. 2.14. Bel. de Miss. l. 2 c. 16. Innoc. l. 2. de Mist. Miss, c. 20. Gloria in excelsis: Glory to God on high, etc. is no less, we have the Angel's song at the birth of our Saviour, the Hierosolymitan Liturgy, and Innocent the third to testify. For d Coloss. 3.2. Chrysost. Quid sacis o homo, no promisisti sacerdoti qui dixit sursum corda, & dixisti habemus ad dominum? Homil. de eucharist. Aug. Quod in sacramentis fidelium. dicitur, ut sursum corda habeamus ad dominum, munus est domini, de quo munere ipsi domino Deo nostro gratias à Sacerdote, post h●nc vocem quibus hoc dicitur, admonemur & dignum & justum esse respondet. de bono persev. c. 13. Sursum corda: Let us lift up our hearts on high, etc. We have Paul, Chrysostome, and Austin. For Sanct●● sanctus etc. the Angel's hymn, the Jews canticle, a●d the Liturgies of Basil, and Chrysostome. For f 1. Cor. 11.23. Chemnit. exam. Conc. Trid. part. 2. c. 4. Qui pri die quam pateretur: The day before he suffered, etc. The Apostles own words, and Chemnitius opinion, that it was inserted into the Canon in the year 110. Lastly, for the g Es. 6.3 Theodoret attributes the beginning of this custom to Diodorus and Flavianus. lib. 2. hist. c. 24. where he saith, Hi primi in duas partes divisi coetibus psalmos accinentium, instituerunt alternis Davidicam melodiam decantare, quod Antiochiae fieri coeptum pervagatum usque, quaque est, & add fines orbis terrarum pervenit. And Basil. ad cler. Neoces. Et nunc quidem in duas partes divisialternis succinentes psallunt. To which may be joined, Corpus Domini nostri Ie●u etc. which besides the congruity which it hath with sundry phrases of the Scriptures, Phil. Mornay acknowledgeth it to have been used in Gregory the greats time. lib. 1. de Miss. c. 5. manner of singing the verses of the Psalms interchangeably we may allege the Angelical melody in Esay, and also the testimony of Theodoret and Basill. These are the principal parts which so far as I have observed. (besides the creed and the Lords Prayer, of whose antiquity there is no doubt) are found both in our English liturgy, and this Roman Missal, here examined, which being not intended by the orderers of our Service book to be a translation of the Mass book, but only inserted as prayers used by the Fathers, and derived out of holy writ, and being by reason of their paucity, as also for that they are now deprived of the * Arist. l. 2. phys. text. 11. unde collig. Forma dat nomen & esse. form of Popery, which is superstition, unsufficient to denominate, I see no reason why we e Es. 6.3. Mat. 21.9. Liturg. Basil. Chrysos. should be branded to have a Mass book translated. Nor could the reformers of our Religion be herein justly taxed, though they rejected not all things which they found practised in Popery; è mundo tollere videtur, qui usum propter abusum tollit Cic. For first they did but what Christian liberty warranted them to do, which ties us not to abrogate a good or indifferent thing for the abuse, but rather to preserve the substance, a● to pair off the corruption. Secondly, they did no 〈◊〉 but what necessity in a manner constrained them to do. For seeing it is agreed by all parties, that the Church of God is termed Catholic or universal, not in respect of place only, but of time also; & that there is no one argument more buzzed into the ears of men by the Papists, then that we profess a new and upstart Religion whereof there are no prints extant in antiquity, why should we deprive ourselves of such a medium, to prove the comformity of our discipline to that of the primitive Church, as is the form and manner of serving God in public, established amongst us, because the Papists in many of the same things are the Father's Apes. Neither doth this any way help the Papists, or may they therefore boast that their Missal is the same Liturgy as was anciently in use, because many of the words and sentences are the same, any more than he, which taking the Image of jupiter wrought by the hand of a cunning artificer, Sim. Iren. and dissolving it, makes thereof the image of a dog, can brag that in his custody he hath the excellent portraiture of jupiter, because he hath the matter or stuff of which that supposed deity was formerly composed. E. C. THE MASS DISPLAYED. CHAP. I. Of the Supper, or Communion. FORASMUCH as names are imposed on things to be signs and marks of what they are, Nomina sunt rerum notae. it will suit well to our purpose in hand, if we take our beginning from the explicating of certain terms, lest a jealousy which some might conceive from the words, should breed a controversy in things already accorded on, or sundry acceptions should lead one to an erroneous confession of that which he no ways believeth. Let us begin therefore with expounding of this word supper. Supper is the english of the latin word Coena, which as Isodore Bishop of Sevill in Spain in his book of Etymologies tells us, is so called, quasi κοινὴ common, and from thence is derived the word, Communicants. Wherefore the Communion which Christians have of the body and blood of Christ, eating of the same bread, and participating of the same cup, is most properly called by that name. Contrariwise, at these tables where there is but one only which receiveth, we cannot justly affirm that there is a Communion, but rather a true Excommunication, Can. peracta de consecrat. dist. 1. as saith Pope Calixtus in the canon Peracta, St Paul likewise in the same sense calleth it δεῖπνον a supper. Tertull. de resurrec. idem in Apologet. c. 39 Jdem ad uxor. l 2 c. 6. Thom. 1. Cor. 11. Hier. eodem cap. August. ad Januar. epist. 118. And Tertullian more than two hundred years after him said, We cannot eat the Supper of the Lord, and the Supper of Devils. Which Thomas thus interpreteth, to eat the Supper of the Lord, is to take the Sacrament of the Eucharist; and Hierome saith, the Supper is so called because our Lord at Supper did ordain that Sacrament. And St Augustine interpreteth it, the taking of the Eucharist. See the usage of this word for the space of 400 years, mark now the 400. Beda 1. Cor. 11. following which make up 800. Beda saith, that the taking of the Eucharist was the supper of the Lord. Whence it followeth that the most ancient and most proper term to express that holy action, was the word of the Supper: as also the prose of the Mass of the five wounds imports, which beginneth, Coenam cum discipulis christ celebrasti, thou hast celebrated, O Christ, the Supper with thy Disciples. CHAP. II. Of the Eucharist. EVcharist, signifieth in Greek, a thanksgiving, for if ever a sufficient subject offereth itself, to stir us up to give thanks unto God, it is then when he communicats unto us our salvation in jesus Christ, & makes us partakers of all his benefits, making him our wisdom, justice, sanctification, 1. Cor. 1. v. 30. and redemption. Now as in the word of Communion, is properly designed that which God bestoweth on us, by a part understanding the whole: so this term which in its proper and native signification, signifieth prayers and thanksgivings, proceeding from us and offered up unto God, comprehendeth notwithstanding all the action: for the thanksgiving presupposeth that the faithful have received some benefit. And the Canons of the Mass run most commonly in the plural number, Nou. 7. justin. & ibi Cuiacius. See Rhenan. Communicantes: Quod ore sumpsimus: that is to say, that which we have received into our mouth: which gives us to understand, that in the primitive Church there was no single participating of the Pastor alone, but a true communicating of all the faithful, otherwise it should never have been called a thanksgiving, if they had presupposed but one receiver: for they which receive nothing have no occasion to say God a mercy. CHAP. III. Of the Liturgy. THis term likewise is Greek, L. semper. 5. §. demonstratus. & seqq. De iure immunit. Dion de Eccles. Hierarch. Philip. 2. v. 25. and signifieth in general whatsoever belongeth to any public administration, be it sacred or profane, for Suidas interpreteth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and in this sense it is taken in the law, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to withdraw one's self from public employments: also we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, administering a public office, though the Apostle saith of the particular offices done unto him by Epaphroditus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, who ministered unto me such things as I wanted. Now when some have used this term, they have understood by it, not only the administering of the Sacraments, but also the preaching of the word, in which two things consist the office and charge of the Pastor. In the like manner doth justinian the Emperor interpret it, and Cuias also Novel. 7. justin. Nou. 7. c. 11. de Ecclesiasticis bonis & ibi Cuiac. tom 3. p. 549. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. etc. signifying that besides the reading of the holy Scriptures, the litourgy was performed, tradita populo sancta communione, by administering to the people the holy communion. Whence we ought to conclude that in the time of justinian, being 530 years after Christ, the people stood not by only as mere spectators in a theatre, but to taste as at a feast: Act. 13. and so must we understand that passage in the Acts, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, preaching the Gospel, and administering to the people the Holy Communion. From which two passages one may clearly collect that the Church in those days used not the term of the Mass, and that justinian retained this word as being used in his time. CHAP. FOUR Of the Sacrament. AFter the three Greek words, we will explain three Latin, and begin backwadrs, to the end that one may derive the one from the other. The first therefore shallbe the Sacrament, marvelous agreeable to this action. For Festus witnesseth that the ancients usurped it in actions which they performed with an oath. For when they entered Soldiers into their Roll, they exacted an oath either of every one in particular, or of the whole band in gross; this they styled a conjuration, because they swore altogether, or particularly, and these oaths they termed, military Sacraments, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Serui. 8. Aeneid. L. 8. c. de. leg. 2. § mile's de his qui notantur. l. v. de re militari. inde sacramento liberati. From hence it cometh, that Christian Soldiers which are the truly faithful, presenting themselves in Baptism to be enrolled, and at the Supper, to muster and receive press-money in the militant Church, have termed these actions Sacraments: and because it is sufficient to be once enrolled, Baptism is not to be reiterated, but in as much as Soldiers are often to muster, to make open profession, to bear the colours, and to take the bread of munition during this spiritual warfare, thereupon it is, that this Sacrament of the Supper is often to be reiterated; in which on God's behalf we are assured by the truth of his Word, by the exhibiting of his pledge, by the character of his Seal, by the efficacy of his Spirit, that he loves us in his Son, will be favourable unto us through his obedience, will exalt us in his favour through the humility of his Lamb sacrificed upon the Cross. And again on our parts, we accept that grace, we protest that we will abide constant, we swear that we will serve so good an Head, that we will love and honour such a Father, and that we will renounce sathan and his promises, the world and its delights. Now if you consider it in its matter, it willbe double, to wit in signs; and in that which they signify, which is called the matter of the Sacrament. The sign in Baptism is the water, the thing which is signified is Blood; the sign in the Supper is Bread and Wine, the thing signified is the Body and Blood; nevertheless in regard of the Sacramental union, which the sign and the thing signified have one with another, they borrow one another's name in this action; sometimes the Body is called the Bread, sometimes the Bread, the Body. For Saint Augustin saith, Aug. ep. 166. Idem cont. advers. leg. & prophet. lib. 2. c. 9 Id. de civ. dei. l. 10. c. 5. Idem in joh. tract. 26. idem n Levit. l. 3. q. 57 Amb. de iis qui mysterii init. tit. 4 c. 9 Theod. dial. con. quosdam haeret. the thing which signifieth, is used to be honoured with the name of that thing which it signifieth: and Saint Ambrose, before the benediction of those heavenly words, one kind is named, (to wit the Bread and Wine) after the consecration, the Body is signified. And Theodoret, Our Saviour hath honoured the signs & Symbols which we see, with the name of his Body and Blood, not in changing their nature, but in adjoining his grace: add that is the reason why every part of the Sacrament is opposed the one unto the other, the one corruptible, the other incorruptible; the one the figure, the other the thing; the one earth, the other Heaven; the one visible, the other invisible; the one taken by the body, the other taken by the soul; the one presented by the Pastor, the other by the Spirit of God. Maxim. schol. Dionysii. So Maximine opposeth the signs or symbols to the verity of the thing: σύμβολα τᾶυτα, καί οὐκ ἀλήθεια. Following this truth, there is no Sacrament to be found in the Mass: for before the consecration, there is no more but simple Bread and Wine; and after the consecration (according to their saying) there is no more Bread, yet notwithstanding, Cyril. l. 4. in joh. c. 19 August. tract. in joh. 59 Innocent. de sacrament. altar. c. 4. 13. & 14. the Sacraments ought to have two parts, (to wit) the sign, and the thing signified of the Bread of our Lord, and the Bread which is the Lord. CHAP. V Of Sacrifice. SAcrifice is a Latin term, and signifieth in general, Plaut. Poen. si hercle istud unquam factum est, tum me jupiter faciat semper sacrificem, neque unquam liten. to perform any holy thing, and particularly to make prayers and oblations to God, although one obtain not that which he requires: in which sense it is opposed to the Verb Lito, to appease. More specially this word hath been in use amongst the jews and Pagans, signifying to offer to God fruits, beasts, incense, bread or wine, and molam, a round loaf, from whence comes the Verb Immolo. As for the sacrifices of the Heathens, the Church both ancient and modern hath always condemned them, as being abominable before God. The jewish consisting in material things, in types and figures of that only and eternal sacrifice of our Saviour, were accomplished in that sacrifice upon the Cross, and now there remain none but sacrifices of thanksgivings and praises: of the which, David in the Psalms often speaketh. For as concerning our Lord jesus, he can not be offered up again after his passion, for then, (saith Saint Paul) must he often have suffered. Heb. 9 v. 26. Whence it followeth, that as he can suffer no more, so can he no more be offered up. Besides, to reiterate his sacrifice, is to argue it of unsufficiency, and to match it with the jewish sacrifices of which it is written, Herald 10. v. 11. etc. Every high Priest standeth daily ministering, and offering divers times the same sacrifices which can never take away sins; but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. Heb. 9 v. 25. Again, Not that he should offer himself often, as the high Priest entereth into the holy place every year, with the blood of others, etc. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself. Again, Ib. v. 12. Heb. 10. v. 14. he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Again, for by one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Finally, if jesus were often offered up, by himself or by another, than God should often make him pay the punishment of sin, (for satisfaction is a necessary effect of oblation) which is a blasphemy against his Majesty. Moreover he then ought often to shed his Blood; Heb. 9 v. 22. for without shedding of blood is no remission: the which shedding is to be understood of that which causeth death, of which speaketh the Prophet Esay, He hath powered out his Soul unto death, Es. 53. and made his Soul an offering for sin. So that the oblation and sacrifice of the Cross is sufficient to appease God, and sanctify the Elect; and moreover it neither aught nor can be reiterated. Besides if it ought to be performed again, there cannot be found in the world a sacrificer which hath the qualities required unto such a work, but only our Saviour Christ, who hath neither successor nor companion in his sacrifice; Thou art a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedeck. Again, Heb. 6.20. & 7.21. & 27.28. For the Law maketh men high Priests which have infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since the Law, maketh the son which is consecrated for evermore. Again, he is entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Heb. 9.24. Now as for these qualities specified, may they be found in our Pastors, be they who they will? holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sins, Heb. 7. v. 26. and made higher than the heavens. We may conclude therefore, that we are not only destitute of such Priests, but also that such a sacrifice is not possible, for jesus can not die any more, Heb. 9 v. 25. Heb. 10. v. 11. etc. Heb. 9 v. 12. & 28. etc. 8. v. 12. not reiterable, for jesus by one only oblation hath consecrated us for ever, not necessary, for God is appeased, and sin is destroyed. And if we read in any passages, that there were sacrifices and sacrificers after the death of Christ, we must understand that the matter of those sacrifices was not the body and blood of our Saviour. Let us hear Saint Paul, that I should be the sacrificer of jesus Christ to the Gentiles, Rom. 15. v. 16. Orig. ad Rom. c 15. l. 10. sacrificing the Gospel of God. And Origen saith, that the Greeks' speak in more magnificent terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that which the Latins render sacrificing: from whence one may gather, that to preach the Gospel is a work of sacrificing: as Gregory saith, I have offered you up to God as a beast in sacrifice: Greg. Nazian. ad plebem. Epist. ad Rom. c. 15. and Chrisostome, My sacrifice is to preach the Gospel: he saith not, to say Mass, much less to offer jesus Christ to God for the sins of the living and the dead. Now as the Pastors have one sacrifice separated from the people in that sense, so have they an other common with them in another sense, whereof the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 12. v. 1. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Again, Philip. 8.17. If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. And in another place, Heb. 13. v. 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name: Psal. 50. v. 14. Tertul. apolog. c. 30. and David, Offer or sacrifice unto God thanksgiving, & pay thy vow unto the most high. Tertullian, I offer unto God the most fat oblation that I can, even Prayer which he hath commanded. This is far from teaching that none but Priests do sacrifice under the Gospel, seeing that Prayer is a sacrifice, & that we offer even our bodies unto him, by dedicating ourselves unto the service of God. That which we cannot do availably, if first we be not reconciled to God by jesus Christ, who having made our peace, troubles not himself any more to treat of it again; but pursues the effect, and obtains a discharge for our souls that we may enter into an absolute possession of salvation. CHAP. VI Of the word Oblation. THe interpretation of this word is a commentary to those which went before, first in regard that in the Supper mention is made both of the sacrifice and of the oblation performed upon the cross, for that Supper is called (but yet by a figure) oftentimes an oblation and sacrifice. Amb. upon the Epist. to the Heb. c. 10. Heb. 13.15. And to this purpose, saith Ambrose, that which we do is a Commemoration of that sacrifice which hath been done. Secondly, because it is taken sometimes for a thanksgiving offered in sacrifice. Thirdly, because elsewhere it signifieth an offering up of ourselves unto God. In this sense, Canon. Memento domine. Sacrificium laudis, is an oblation in the Canon of the Mass, See the oblations which we make directly unto God through jesus Christ. There are other oblations which are not made unto God, but forsomuch as we make them to those to whom he hath ordained them, he esteemeth them as tendered to his own person, Philip. c. 14. v. 18, of which St Paul speaketh, terming them an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God. Concerning which likewise speaketh our Saviour in S. Matthew, Math. 25.40. and Ireneus saith, as God hath no need of that which is ours, so we had need to offer unto God something, according to that which Solomon saith, Iren. l. 4. c. 34. he that hath pity upon the poor dareth unto the Lord. Let us use this word Oblation soberly, not as the price of our redemption, but as an homage due for those goods which we possess which were purchased without us, before us, and for us, but not by us: paid for at once, and not at several reckonings, by one which was just, and not by many culpable. In this sense said Saint Cyprian to a rich but ungrateful woman, Cypr. 1. serm. de Eccles. Comest thou to the Table of the Lord without sacrifice, and yet partakest of that sacrifice which the poor offer? For we must observe that all the faithful brought to the Temple the Bread and Wine which was distributed in the Supper. And from thence are derived those abuses which nowadays do appear in offerings, Just. Martyr. Apol. 2. for now they offer them not to God for the remission of their sins, but to the Priest, where as then they were not offered to the Priest to abide with him, but to be distributed to the people: and this distribution is yet termed an offering: and we need not doubt that those three significations of the word Oblation, are no way liable to that abuse which is current nowadays. In which sense Saint Hierome reprehended the vanity which long since crept into the Church, Hierom. in Ezech. l. 1. c. 18. but especially then when the Deacons began to publish by way of boast, what any one had either offered or promised. Canon. cum omnes de consecrat. dist. 2. The Canons of the Popes themselves correct that abuse which is committed at this time with applause, ordaining that it should not be lawful for any man to offer in divine service any other thing then that which was agreeable to the ordinances of the ancient Council, to wit, Bread and Wine mingled with water. See in what sense were taken the six words above specified, three Greek, and three Latin, let's now examine the seventh, a word advouched by no good Author, but entertained through much ignorance. CHAP. VII. Of the Mass. DOctor * Cuia. ad Non. q. de bonis Eccl. tom. 3. p. 549. vetus est verbu quo & Ambrose, utitur, & alij quidam qui tamen omnes dicunt Missas agere vel facere, vel tenere, vel complere; non dicere, non canere, non audire. Saint Ambr. was Bishop of Milan, about the year 380. Funct. Chron. Cuias writing upon the seventh Novel, saith that neither S. Ambrose, nor any other of the Fathers ever used these phrases, to say Mass, to sing Mass, to hear Mass. Now if in the time of justinian himself, who lived about 530. years after Christ, they were not used, it must needs follow, that those which affirm that S. james at Jerusalem, and S. Peter at Rome sang Mass, be foully deceived. And indeed Socrates, Sozomene, and Theodoret, which wrote the Ecclesiastical history in Greek, 400 years after the nativity of our Saviour, never used this term of the Mass, but simply of a Synaxis or Synagogue. Now in as much as Christian Religion was derived from Jerusalem, passed through Greece, and from thence to Rome, if this manner of speech had been used by the faithful, it would certainly have continued for some tract of time in those parts. Epiphanius, he which made the tripartite history, that is, composed a rhapsody of three Greek Authors, as often as he translates synaxis, he expounds it Mass: but this is contrary to the true signification of the word, and besides 500 years after our Saviour. Some would derive it from the Hebrew word Maozam, which I hold to dissent more in regard of the analogy, 2 Kings 11. than the truth; being contrary to that in the 16 of Deut. or rather in the 2. of Kings, in which place Messa signifieth destruction or abandoning. The Mahometan Arabians instructed by Sergius the Monk, have retained it as being most proper to their Idolatries, joh. Leo Assi●can in his book of the description of Africa. deriving it from the word Messa three cities, where they expect their Messiah Mahomet, Their Priests they call Messen, and their Temples Messit or Meschit. Others deduce the word either from the Greek μύω, μίσω, I shut, or obscure, I teach obscurely; from whence cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Priest, and a mystery; which word is written in the forehead of the great whore of Babylon, Apocal. 17. v. 6 the mother of harlots; or else from the word μύζω, which signifieth to mutter in the teeth without being understood, or to chaw something and suck it. The third etymology is from a Latin word which is barbarous enough, Missa for Missio, which taketh its original from a fashion observed by the ancient Idolaters, as witnesseth Apuleius, whose Priests were wont to speak with a loud voice in Greek, λάοις ἄφεσις, that is, the people may departed: and in Latin, Ite missa est. Wherefore the Romans applying themselves more than any other Christian Church to jews and Idolaters, have retained many of their customs, and may well be observed in their habits, temples, altars, numbers, turns, words, shavings, holy-water, tapers, processions, poppets of wax, and a thousand other things, which shall be handled in an other place, amongst which this word likewise encroached, but in a contrary sense, for there it was a token of their separation, and here it signifieth an assembly. Moreover, after the confession of faith, the reading of the lessons, preaching and prayer, the Priest or Deacon used to say with a loud voice, Ite missa est, to the end that those which were excommunicated, or might not be admitted to receive, should withdraw themselves, and that first part of the action was called Missa catechumenorum. After which the Bread and Wine was set forth, blessed, broken, and distributed to all the assistants, and the communion being ended, See Rhen. Spiegl. Greg lib dial. 3. c. 3. they said again, Ite missa est; and this second part was called Missa fidelium, the Mass of the faithful: because none were then to be present at it but those which communicated. And from thence it comes, that some have used the Mass in the plural number, whence it appears that particular Masses, are the Masses of the excommunicated, nay rather worse, for there is not joined to them as there ought, either lecture or expounding of the holy Scriptures. Thom. 4. sent. dist. 12. q. 2. Bie● dist. 1. q. 3. lib. 1 4 Albert. magan C. 6. joh. apud Mnisingerum, etc. This congee therefore in bad Latin, hath chased away the word of assembly, with the effect of the Supper or communion, translated from a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, to a sacrifice of the real body of Christ; and finally in opere operato, is applied not only to those which are capable to examine themselves, but to those likewise which neither have nor can have any disposition to such a matter, as being dead creatures, deprived of reason or insensible. Wherefore as for the word in Hebrew, to go to Mass signifieth to go to an abandoning, or a destruction; in Greek, to mutter between the teeth, and to suck; in Latin, to separate or departed from the house of assembly; & therefore it is impertinent in Latin, unprofitable in Greek, and a bad presage in Hebrew. CHAP. VIII. though ancient form of celebrating the Supper, practised at this day in the reformed Church. BY understanding the several names of the Supper, one might well apprehend the substance of it, to wit, that it is a divine institution, proceeding from our Saviour, who in the Sacrament of a common Supper, celebrated by the Church, hath disposed of the matter, form, & end thereof. The matter is double, the one visible and corruptible, which is received with the hand, and entereth into the body by the mouth of the faithful, to wit, the Bread and Wine. The other invisible and incorruptible, to wit, the body broken, and the Blood of jesus shed upon the Cross, which is applied to the soul of the faithful, for their sanctification and redemption. As for the form, it is prescribed in the Gospel, on the pastors part to take the bread into his hands to bless it, break it, & distribute it to the people, likewise to take the Wine, to bless it, and give it to all the Church to drink thereof, which are capable of it, and to signify unto them the benefit of that Sacrament. On the part of the faithful, Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luke 22.1. Cor. 11. having examined themselves, they ought to present themselves to that holy communion, take it, eat and drink that visible element with the mourh of their body, and by faith to participate of the body & blood of our Saviour, apprehend the merit of his death, the effect of his resurrection, and the efficacy of his ascension. As for the End, it is to magnify the bounty of God, to render him thanks, to accept his accordment made in the new Testament, to receive there the pledge and assurance of a better life, to protest our fidelity to his service, from the union which we have with him, then with his mystical body the Church, receiving from him our spiritual nourishment, & so participating of that quickening bread, to wit, all his benefits, his wisdom, his justice, his sanctification & redemption. So then the union which we have with our Saviour is real, but that is as much to say as reipsa, for in regard of the verity of it, we are united unto him, and it is likewise spiritual in respect of the means whereby it is wrought, which is the spirit and faith. With this truth and this simplicity the faithful of the first ages contented themselves, and if they used the terms of sacrifice and oblation, it was not either to play the Pagans or jews, much less to crucify again our Saviour, as it hath been proved before. But as falsehood is an ape of the truth, the spirit of error hath falsified this testament, struck of her seals, turned the things bequeathed to other uses, deprived the legataries of their legacies, inserted diverse clauses to their own profit, and to be brief hath so disguised and adulterated the copies, that from thence one can no more expect aid for his salvation. Wherefore the truly faithful, do charge that instrument with falsehood, have recourse to the first draft of it in the Gospel, and take no less care of the salvation of their souls, then of the keeping of an heritage, fearing as much false doctrine as to receive false coin, & righting themselves from the confessions of the forgers themselves, do find great light for the discovery of these falsehoods. To this purpose confessed an ancient Abbot, Rupert. Tuit. l. 2. cap. 21. that the Mass was not celebrated in times passed with such apparel as it is now adays, and that it was not polished by one alone in such sort as it is now. etc. and that it is not a whit the holier for that, considering that heretofore it was consecrated only with the words of our Lord, and joining of the Lords prayer. And a Bishop of Rome saith, Greg. epist. ex reg. lib. 7. c. 63. Platin. in Xisto. the Lords prayer is said incontinently after the other prayers, because the Apostles were accustomed to consecrate the oblation of the host, in saying only the Lords prayer. Whence it appears, that the body of the Mass which is the Canon, is not at all essential unto it, and that the soul of it which is transubstantiation, was not infused into that body, until by the Council of Lateran, in the year 1205. We must therefore here resume the first paths, we must take away the hay, dirt, and straw from this building, and join ourselves to the foundation of the Apostles: doing like those which go astray & return by their own steps to find the true way. We shall find justin Martyr writing about an hundred and sixty years after the birth of Christ, and we shall note in reading him, that water was mingled with the wine about 40 years before, justin. Apolog. 2. by Pope Xistus, or Alexander. See how he describes the celebration of divine service in his time. The day (saith he) which is called Sunday, an assembly is made of all those which abide in the fields or cities, into one place, and there are read the Commentaries of the Apostles, and the writings of the Prophets, so long as the time will permit. Afterwards the reader having left off to read, he which is precedent in the assembly makes an exhortation to the people in a Sermon, admonishing them to imitate those good things; after that is finished, all do rise up together, and make our prayers unto God (he saith not to any Saint) and as we said before, that prayer being done, the bread, the wine, and the water are brought forth, and he that performeth that action, pronounceth with all his might, prayers and thanksgivings, the people there join their voices, their affections and their blessing, saying Amen. Then a distribution is made to every one, and a communication of those things which were blessed with thanksgiving. The people were not then excommunicated. I ask, let any man speak in conscience, if that form be not practised in the reformed Churches? and why will not they follow it: is it not the ambition of Prelates which hindereth them from acknowledging their fault; and avarice which retains them in a commodious error, whilst in the mean time the simple drink the folly of their conductors, great ones contributing their authority, the people their violence, & the ignorant their fury. O Lord, order proceeds from thee, thou hast the hearts of kings in thine own hands, deliver us from popular seditions. Let us think, that not the sacrament alone hath been liable to abuse, for even the tree of life, the sacrifices of Moses, the brazen Serpent which was a firgure of our Lord, and many other divine institutions have been subject to reformation, after 900, yea after 1000 years of abuse, and idolatry. And as for the supper, we see how that that hath been cashiered by the Mass, the tables of wood by the tables of stone, the Church's simplicity by jewish and heathenish superstition, although some of these things might at the first have been introduced with a good intention. hearken therefore to the advice of a good Cordelier named Ferus, speaking of the idolatry which befell in Israel. There was (saith he) a double sin in Gedeon, joh. Ferus in annot. in lib. jud. c. 8. both in that he made an Ephod contrary to the word of God, and in that he seeing the abuse of it, took it not away. Now who seethe not that the like happeneth in the Church? how many things have the Saints ordained with a good intent, which we see at this day changed, partly through abuse, partly through superstition? for example sake, the Feasts, Ceremonies, Images, Mass, Monasteries etc. None of these were instituted in that sort at the first, as now they are used etc. and yet we Gedeons' hold our pieces, they take not away the abuse, they take not away the superstition. Poor Cordelier, when thou wrotest this at Ments, hadst thou preached it at Rome, thou wouldst have hardly escaped the faggot. Now that we have represented that which was proclaimed and practised anciently, let us see what at this present is acted in the Church of Rome: and afterward, we will make a brief comparison of them both. CHAP. IX. An Index of the abuses of the Roman Mass. THe Mass in one word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is to say, a worshipping of bread, of the dead, of relics and images. In brief it is the mystery of iniquity, and an abjuration of Christ. For it is properly a public protestation to renounce the only sacrifice, and only sacrificer Christ jesus. If you would have a more ample description of it, you must know that this mystery was for a long time concealed, detaining the truth in iniquity and injustice, and contains 15 heads, which likewise have many branches. 1 The first is the invention of Roman Priests, which consists in strange tongues, in the composition of the Canon or body of the Mass, in transubstantiation which is its soul, in elevation, adoration, processions, feast of the sacrament, in prayer for the dead, in the anointing and consecrating of of the Priests fingers, and in the standing of the Angel Gabriel at the right corner of the altar. 2 The second is Paganism, which appears in the shavings of the Priests, in their abstaining from marrying, in their situating of the Temple towards the East, in burning of tapers and their smoke, in images and their consecration, and lastly in offering of dough and bread for the remission of sins. 3 The third is judaisme, which lies in their altars, Priests, and Levites, for Cardinal Baronius, and Pope Innocent the third do both agree, that they borrowed these ceremonies from jews and Pagans. 4 The fourth is Magic, which consists in uneven numbers, in prayers, signs, and words consecrating the host: also in turns and whirls, intentions and respirations of the Priest, in reciteals and repetitions of Kyrieelison, of agnus, & mea culpa,, of prayers to gain 164 years of pardon, with so many more days ordained by Gregory, Nicolas, and Leo the 10, joining 7 paternosters, and 7 Avemaria's, where we may conceive that either the day of judgement will not come yet this good while, or if it do, we may wonder what will become of all their provision of Indulgences? Magic besides is to be found in their salted water, and in the virtue of the fumes of their incense, effectual even against the devil, and lastly, in that the Priests hold, that if there be more water than wine, if the wine be nought, if the bread be not of wheat, or if it hath been steeped in any other liquor besides water that then they will not transubstantiate. 5 The fift is the corruption of the Matter, in as much as in the whole Mass there is found no sacrament: for besides that they put water into the wine contrary to the decree of a council, and abridge the people of the wine, they make of it another matter, to wit, Christ's person visible and invisible enclosed in a wafercake. 6 The sixth, is the Form changed and perverted, there being a low voice during the most part of the action, where as justinian ordained a loud: then many little wafers instead of a large loaf, consecration without a Communion, many altars in lieu of one table, blessed bread instead of the Communion, purifying wine instead of the wine to the layicke, not touching nor breaking the bread given to the people, kissing a piece of plate as it it were equipollent to the supper, and in brief, using the people worse than lepers were heretofore. 7. The seventh is, the End perverted, for the Supper is a Communion, and the Mass is an excommunication of the people, a work worked by the Priest, by declining Missa, & applying his work to whom it pleaseth him, to man, beast, wood, corn, etc. and instead of commemorating only our Saviour, the Mass is a commemoration of men, nails, cross, and the rob without seam. 8 The eighth consists in the Sacrifice of the Bread and Wine, before they be consecrated, and that for remission of sins. 9 The ninth is the reiterating of the Expiatory sacrifice and subrogation of a Priest for jesus Christ the eternal sacrificer. 10 The tenth consists in Blasphemies, by profaning the titles proper to God, and our Saviour, and applying of them to creatures in the entrances, and other pieces of the Masses of Saints. 11 The eleventh is a renouncing of the only mediator, & the employing of a piece of his death, without certain knowledge whether it be meant of him or of some other Saint, whether it be meritorious, & whether the oil of his lamp will profit us any more than it did the foolish Virgins. Can. comperimus de consecrat. list. 2. 12 The twelve consists in the Sacrileges, which are committed in the Mass, by dividing the Mystery, taking the Cup and ravishing it from the people: for so the pope calls that action. Again in the Priest elevating of himself above his sacrifice after the consecration, interceding for the consecrated host pretended to be deified, requesting of God that it may be as acceptable as the sacrifice of Abel, & of Melchizedecke applying that wholly to the Virgin Mary which appertaineth to none but God. Breaking according to their doctrine the bones of Christ, and making him to feel corruption, and be subject even to beasts, deifying of spiders, slyes, etc., 13 The thirteenth is in Forgeries, adding and diminishing the testament of our Saviour, and changing his intention to the end that they may qualify the sacrificer and his sacrifices, and also in falsifying of the canon of S. Ambrose. 14 The fourteenth head is Simony, or an imitation of Giezi & Simon Magus, in raising commodity, & trafficking for sacred things, as namely the sacrament, enterrements, marriages, prayers, pardons, confessions, & through covetousness making ambergris of poor Christians, as S. Peter foretold. ●. Pet. 2. v. 3. 15 The fifteenth head is, Horrible and abominable Idolatry, above that of the Pagans. For there is an express book for the worship of Angels & Saints, to thwart God, who expressly forbiddeth that kind of worship in the 2. chap. of the Colos. & 18. verse. Let no man beguile you of you reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. To this they have joined the adoration of the Bread and Wine, the adoration of men, of nails, of wood, of Christ's garment at Argentevil: the adoration of relics, making of images, their consecrations, & dedications, which are idolatries according to the saying of Tertullian and some Popes. Their vows, pilgrimages, Agnus Dei, blessed grains, shirts of Chartres, kiss of the altars, breviaries, confessions to the dead & bruit beasts, and a thousand other superstitions which the poor people commit, going barefoot, or creeping on their knees, and bearing candles and presents before the altar. CHAP. X. The beginning of the Mass. THe Priest being attired according to the usual manner, approacheth to the altar, and bowing his head, signeth himself with the sign of the Cross, saying. In the name of the Father and of the son and of the holy Ghost. Amen. In nomine Patris & Flij & Spiritus Sanctus. Amen. Afterwards he unfolds the corporal, which is of fine linen, or tafaty wherein the Sacrament is put, uncovers the Chalice, and at the right side of the altar pours the wine into the Chalice, saying. From the side of our Lord jesus Christ issued our blood at the time of his most blesblessed passion. De latere Domini nostri jesu Christi, exivit sanguis tempore sacratissimae passionis suae. than he puts upon the altar both the Plate and the Host, which he covers with a little corporal folded, and mingles not the water with the wine until after the oblation of the Host. The first sin which is here committed against the law of God, is, that the name of God is taken in vain, V Officium proprium sanct. & shamefully profaned, for the most part of the Mass after is said in the name and commemoration of Saints and relics, to wit, of the Nails, the Lance, the rob without seam, and joseph's breeches: Is not this a taking of God's name in vain and an interesting of him in such idolatries? The second error is general & diffuseth itself through the whole action, which is the celebrating of the Mass in an unknown tongue, contrary to the practice of the ancient Church. O●ig lib. 8. cont. Celsum. For Origen saith, The Greeks' call upon God in Greek, the Romans in Latin, and every one in his own tongue prayeth unto God and praiseth him. And to this end the Apostles had the gift of tongues, that men might understand them what they said; whereas the greater part of Priests now adays do chief labour that they may not be understood: which is a token of reprobation to a Church, where such service is celebrated. For it is written, I will speak unto this people by men of other tongues and other lips, Esa. 28.11. that they may not understand me: 1. Cor. 14.21. and S. Paul saith, tongues are a sign not unto those that believe, but unto those that believe not. It followeth in the Missal, the Priest joining his hands before his breast, and I will enter unto thy altar. Answ. Unto God which rejoiceth my youth. & introibo ad altare tuum. R. Ad Deum quilaetificat iuventutem meam. The ancient Christians had no altars 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 years after the nativity of our Saviour, Arnobius witnesseth saying, Orig count Celsi● lib. 8. p 934. & Minutius felix in Octavio p. 20 We make neither altars of wood, nor altars of stone. And Origen: I would have you conceive, that we conceal that which we serve under a shadow, and that we have neither Temples nor Altars, but that we shun their dedications. Yet nevertheless the Roman Church suffering herself to slide into jewish and Paganish superstitions, hath erected not one altar only; Hos. 8.11. but many, according to that which is written, because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin, 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 chrism, & that men should be prohibited to communicate anywhere else, b Can. novalijs. than it ordained that there should remain underneath it a piece of a dead body, c Can. placuit. c●n. sunt nov●lij de conscer. d●st. 1. Orat. ad sec. caetum. c 12. v. 4. fast. an heathenish custom, (ovid. 4. Fast.) and beside to have burning tapers and lamps there, and to turn towards the East. Most of which are contrary to the ancient custom of Christians, as witnesseth Constantine in Eusebius. No incense, no burning taper; but a pure light to clear the spirits of those which pray: and Tertullian, Tertul. & vigil. c. 3. We light not tapers in the open day as thou calumniatest us, but we employ the light to dispel the darkness, that so we may watch until break of day. The first Christians assembling themselves in the night, had need of lights, which ought not to be any pretence for the superstition which is at this day used: yet nevertheless Durand with other advocates of these inventions, Dur l 4. rubr. de muta. do feign mysteries to be in them; for they prefigure in them both the light of faith, and our Lord which consumes our rustiness. There was then one Table only, and that of wood in the middle of the Temple which served for the communion. Concerning which, saith Albert Krantzius, Albert. Krant. in metrop. lib. 1. c. 9 But after that thou hast been at the Table which is in the middle of the Temple, I have perceived a visage so joyful, etc. Furthermore, the Pastors which served at the Supper, turned not their backs to the people as nowadays they do, all which evidently argues this conclusion to be true, that the Christians for more than the space of 300 years, had neither altars nor burning tapers, much less 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 themselves as did Saint Paul, We have (saith he) an altar whereof they have no right which serve the Tabernacle, Heb. 13. v. 10. meaning by the altar, the Cross, upon which our Saviour was stretched forth. And Thomas upon that passage saith, Our altar is jesus Christ, in whom and by whom we offer up our prayers, and he is that altar of gold of which is spoken in the Apocalyp. ca 8. and Clement Alexandrinus saith, Strom. lib. 7. that we have no other altar then one holy soul: and Saint Austin saith, the altar of the faithful is their own heart. After followeth a Psalm which is recited by Antiphones, for the Priest saith one verse, and the Clerk another; it is the 42. or 43. judge me O Lord, and plead my cause. judica me Deus, Psal. 43. & discern causam, etc. This is far from the nature of this action; for whereas the Supper tendeth to crave pardon of God, to confess one's self to be a sinner, to have recourse to his mercy, to entreat him not to enter into judgement with us, imitating the poor Publican; the Priest quite contrariwise allegeth the justice of his cause, makes a comparison of his own holiness, with the sanctity of others, takes the place of the Pharisie, and applies that Psalm to such an end as it was never before applied, to wit, to call God to an account. He ought rather to say, Psal. 143. Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Besides, if all these passages were to the purpose, yet neither are they, nor ever shall they be able to sweeten the pill which they would have the ignorant to swallow with them. Let's pass on forwards. Glory be to the Father, & to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: [and the Clerk answereth] As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen. P. Our aid is in the Name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven & earth. Gloria Patri & Filio, & Spiritui sancto: Sicut erat in principio, & nunc, & semper, & in secula seculorum. Amen P. Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. R. Qui fecit coelum & terram. Hear is to be noted that in the Masses for the dead, or de tempore from the Passion Sunday unto holy Sunday exclusively, is omitted the Psalm judica me Deus, etc. That being said & answered, the Priest joins his hands, makes this confession following, bows himself, and so continues until it be answered him Misereatur. Now the confession which he makes is this. And I a guilty and unworthy Priest, do confess to Almighty God, to the blessed Virgin Mary, to S. Michael the Archangel, to S. john Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to S. N. to all the Saints, and to you brethren; that I have too much offended, by thought, word and deed, [Hear he strikes his breast] by mine own fault, by mine own fault, by my most grievous fault. Therefore I most earnestly desire the blessed Virgin Mary, S. Michael the Archangel, S. john the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter & Paul, S. N. and all the Saints, and you my brethren, to pray for me to our Lord God. Et ego reus & indignus sacerdos confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beata Mariae Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato joanni Baptistae, sanctis Apostolis Petro & Paulo, beato N. omnibus sanctis, & vobis fratres, quia peccavi nimis, cogitation, verbo & opere, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideò precor beatam Mariam semper virginem, Where is Christ? Vbi Christus. B. Michaelem Archangelum, B. joannem Baptistan, Sanctos Apostolos Petrum & Paulum, B. N. omnes sanctos, & vos fratres, orate pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum. After which they answer. God Almighty have pity on thee, and remitting thy sins, bring thee to life everlasting. To which the Priest saith Amen. Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, & dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam aeternam. Amen. Afterwards the rest of the Choir having made the same confession, changing only vobis fratres into tibi pater, and vis fratres into te pater, in the name of the people, the Priest joining his hands, absolveth them, saying, God almighty have mercy on you, and pardoning your sins, bring you unto eternal life. R. Amen. Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, & dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam aeternam. R. Amen. Then signing himself with the sign of the Cross, he saith. The almighty and merciful Lord give us pardon, absolution, and remission of all our sins. Amen. Indulgentiam, In quibusdam & inveni, Amen fratres. absolutionem, & remissionem omnium peccatorum nostrorum tribuaet nobis omnipotens & misericors Dominus. Amen. After the people's confiteor, there is found in some Authors, this form pronounced by the Priest. Amen, brethren and sisters, by the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ, by the aid and sign of the holy Cross, by the intercession of the blessed, glorious, and ever Virgin Mary, and by the merits of the blessed Apostles, and all the Saints, almighty God have mercy on you. Amen, fratres & sorores, per misericordiam domini nostri jesu Christi, per auxilium & signum sanctae crucis, per intercessionem beatae gloriosae semper Virginis Mariae, ac per merita beatorum Apostolorun, & omnium sanctorum & sanctarum misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, etc. The confession of sins to God is of two sorts, the one general, and hath been practised in all ages by the Church of God; By it is condemned the doctrine of merits & works of supererogation, for this form of confession appertains to all the Church, even to Priests themselves which acknowledge that they sin by thought, Fagius in paraph. Chald. leu. c. 16. word and deed. For so was the chief Sacrificer wont to say, We have sinned O Lord, we have done wickedly, we repent ourselves of it, etc. The other kind of confession is particular, and is performed by every Christian, either unto God, or to some other; concerning that which is made to God, Psal. 51. Dan. 9 v. 3. 1. Sam. 7.6. luke 23. we have many examples in the Psalms, and in Daniel. The other kind of particular confession is made by one Christian to an other, whether it be when one hath offended the other, or when one would be reconciled unto an other, or when one communicateth his afflictions to an other, or lastly when one asketh counsel & desireth an other to join in prayers to God with him, to implore his mercy; jam. 5.16. Aug. lib. confess 10. c. 22. and this is that of which S. james speaketh, Confess your sins one unto another: and of which S. Matthew maketh mention, Chap. 5. v. 23. As for the other kinds of confession we must say with S. Austin, What have I to do with men, who hear my confessions, as if they ought to cure my griefs. This confession, be it general or particular, is corrupted in the Mass; for as concerning the general, is it not made only to God, but also to the absent, and to the dead: and as for the living which be present, they understand it not; besides, this confession is as implicit as the faith which they preach, and contrary to their own doctrine, Works of supererogation, contrary to the confession of the Priest. which makes men believe, that Priests who here confess themselves to be sinners in thought, word and deed, do accomplish not only the commandments of God, but also do more than they ought to do, especially if they be Fucillans, Capucins, jesuits, etc. so that instead of craving pardon of God, they make him to owe them the rest. Now if those which be present understand not that which the Priest saith with a low voice, and in a strange tongue, hardly will the absent understand it. For the Pope teacheth in his Canons, Can. satend. caus. 13. q. 2. that the dead know not that which is done here below by the Priest, but only by the dead which go to Paradise. Now if those dead in their way towards Heaven, chance to pass through purgatory, or to sojourn there, the Saints above willbe something of the latest advertised of their necessities. It is true, that since this canon was made, the jesuits have devised a mirror in Paradise, in the which are represented all the actions of this world as it were in one of our perspective glasses: but there remains an Echo yet to be found out to convey the sound of men's words unto them, and a Momus to be raised up, who should open the stomach, and sound the thoughts of men, whilst their schoolmen prepare answers to that which God said to good King josias, being to take him out of this world, 2. Kings 22. 2. Chron. 6.30. Es. 63.16. Eccles. 9.6. Auricular confession. Decret. titul. 38. Can. omni● utriusque. juvenal. thou shalt not see these things, and to that of job, who speaking of the dead, saith his sons come to honour and he knoweth it not, and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. Chap. 14. As for auricular confession, brought into the Church by Innocent the third, about the year 1200, it is used now according to the saying of the Poet, Scire volunt domini secreta, atque inde timeri: to make men stand in awe of them, having dived into their secrets. And indeed here is committed first a sacrilege against our Lord, from whom they take away the office of interceding for us, and give it to any other; for he is no ways employed here, Heb. 9.15. & 12.24. 1. Tim. 2.5. 1. joh. 2.1. although he be the Mediator of the New testament, and as there is but one God (so there is but) one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ jesus, August. in Psal. 108. to which purpose Saint Austin saith, that the prayer which is not made through jesus Christ doth not only not blot out our sins, but that it is a sin itself. The second impiety, Rom. 10. v. 14. is the invocation of Saints: for first we ought not to call on him in whom we believe not: now we are not to believe in any man (be he never so holy) save only in jesus who is man and God; jer. 17. for it is written, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man. Secondly, it is proper to jesus Christ, the Angel, the great Counsellor, Apoc. 8.4. to present up unto God the invocations of the faithful, and to make ascend up before him the odour of such incense, as God reserves unto himself, which ought not to be presented unto creatures, according to that which is figured in the Law, Ezech. 30. Whosoever shall make such a perfume to receive the odour thereof, shall perish from among the people. Whence it followeth, Es. 42.8. Ps 50.15. jer. 17.5. Tert. Apol. 2. c. 30. Mart. quipingit sacros auro vel marmore vultus, Non facit ille deos; qui rogat, ille facit. 1. joh. 2. v. 1. Rom. 8. v. 25. Heb. 7. v. 25. that invocation as well as belief is due to God only: for seeing that our prayers are sacrifices, as saith Tertullian in his apology, it followeth that as we ought not to sacrifice but to God alone, we ought likewise to invocate none but him only. For well said an Heathen Poet, The Painter or Carver makes not a god, but he which prays unto him. It is an infidelity to call upon other intercessors than our Saviour, whether they be the Virgin Mary, or the Saints; for of Christ it is said, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, jesus Christ the righteous. Again, He maketh intercession for the Saints unto God, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Where he saith by him, to exclude the Saints, which have need of him themselves. And although we be taught that our Saviour maketh requests for us, yet in the Church of Rome they never say, Christ pray for us, that so they may take from him his office of being intercessor, and attribute it unto creatures. Biel lect. 80. & Bernard in Mariali. Nay they do far worse, for they not only make the Virgin Mary to intercede for us, but also make her part stakes with God, & say that we are to appeal from the Court of God's justice, Prosa Mariae praeconio. unto the Court of Mary's mercy, and from thence comes that Hymn, Rogapatrem, iube natum, iure matris impera Redemptori: that is, command thy Son by the right of a mother. This is far differing from that which we find written, joh. 2.4. Woman what have I to do with thee, when jesus spoke unto his mother in a point concerning the execution of his charge? Besides to these intercessions of Saints, they add the aid of the sign of the cross, and that to such a purpose as the primitive Church never applied it which acknowledged in it an use of signification, Bell lib. 2. de sacr. c. 29. but not of adoration, much less of producing supernatural effects, as casting out of devils, curing diseases, etc. Now we find in the Mass of the commemoration of the Cross, Per signum crucis de inimicis nostris libera nos, Deus noster. As if the merit: of our Saviour were not sufficient, without the aid of that sign; in which as in many other gestures, respirations, intentions and words, consisteth most part of that action, according to the cautels, magna latent in signis, &c: so that there is nothing so perfect in our saviours institution, which is not here pruned, amplified, corrected, and turned from its true use. The Priest bowing himself, goes on. God, thou being converted, wilt quicken us. R. And thy people shall rejoice in thee. P. Show us thy mercy O Lord. R. And give us thy health. P. Lord hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come unto thee. P. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos. R. Et plebs tua laetabitur in te. P. ostend nobis domine misericordiam tuam. R. Et salutare tuum da nobis. P. Domine exaudi orationem meam. R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat. P. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. It is not only requisite that a thing be good in itself, but it ought also to be to the purpose. See here four divers passages, which are not one whit agreeable to the present subject, neither can one tell wherefore they are extracted out of several Psalms, neither to what end it is that they say no more of any piece then a fragment. Mounting to the Altar, he saith. Take from us, O Lord we beseech thee all our iniquities, to the end that we may merit to enter unto the Holy of Holiest with pure minds, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Aufer à nobis quae sumus domine, cunctas iniquitates nostras, ut ad Sancta Sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire, per Christum dominum nostrum. Amen. In this place the Priest plays the jew, speaking of the Holy of Holiest, which was only in the Temple of the jews, and into which entered the Highpriest. After he hath bowed himself very low, and joined his hands, he saith this prayer. We beseech thee Lord by the merits of thy Saints, Hear he kisseth the Altar: whose Relics are here, & of all the Saints, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive me all my sins. Oramus te domine per merita omnium sanctorum tuorum, quorum reliquiae hic sunt, & omnium sanctorum, ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea. Amen. There is good cause, wherefore to pronounce that prayer with so low a voice, for he speaks not there of the intercession of our Saviour, neither comes he in his name; & therefore by a consequence is a thief: joh. 10. for S. john saith, No man cometh unto the Father but by me. I am the door, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief & a robber. Now imagine a man be reconciled unto God only by one that is a sinner, it is not doubtful whether such a one shallbe saved or no? and yet the Priest is capable to be a Mediator and Sacrificer for us towards God, though he employ no other means of purgation than a dead man's arm, or a Spider bathed in the Sacrament, and laid up to be a Relic, as the cautells import. Psal. 2. This being done, the Priest kisseth the Altar, which is a kind of adoration; for it is written in the second Psalm, Kiss the son, that is, adore him. Also Biel and Titleman interpret this kissing to be a figure of the nuptials between Christ and his Church, Now if it were so, it would suffice to kiss it once, but the good Sr john, returns often to it, and makes men believe, that there is in it a kind of spiritual strumpery, for he counts nine kisses as well of the altar as of the breviary, as if there were certain quarters prescribed him whereon to bestow his kisses. For before the placing & after the receiving of his services, they are applied to the middle of the altar, after the placing, and before the receiving, they are acted on the left hand of the Chalice near the host, and as for the book, that must wait for his kiss until the Gospel be read. We may not omit in this place, that if it be a solemn Mass, 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. he censeth the altar, saying. Dirigatur Domine oratio mea, sicut incensum etc. which being ended, the Deacon receiveth again the censer of the Priest, & censeth him only. Afterwards the Priest signing himself with the sign of the cross gins the entrance, that is to say, some passages wickedly profaned in the Masses of Saints, of the Nails, of the iron Head, of the Lance, of the rob without seam, etc. As for example sake. The entrance to Christmas is, To us a child is borne, and to us a child is given, & the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, etc. Let us sing unto God a new song, for he hath done marvelous things. Glory be to the father & to the son, etc. Puer nobis natus est, etc. 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 Mass for a Martyr, Gloria & honore coronasti eum, & constituisti eum super opera manuum tuarum. etc. After that entrance the Priest joining his hands, comes to the middle of the altar, and beyond all reason, repeateth interchangeably with the Choir, or his Clerk this following. Lord have mercy upon us. L. L. Christ have mercy upon us. Ch. Ch. Lord have mercy upon us. L. L. Kyrie eleyson. K. K. Christ eleyson. Ch. Ch. Kyrie eleyson. K. K. That numerous repetition of the words not understood by the people, Capit. li. 6. c. 170 is attended by Gloria in excelsis, which was brought in by Pope Steven the successor of Gregory, & inserted before the canon by the ordinance of Charlemagne. But before the Priest begins it, he first extends his hands, then joins them, and bows his head a little, saying, Glory be to God in the highest, and in earth peace, and towards men good will; we bless thee, we worship thee, we give thanks unto thee, Lord, God, heavenly King, father Almighty, Lord the only begotten son jesus Christ, Lord God, Lamb of God, son of the Father, thou which takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayers, thou which sittest at the right hand of God have mercy on us, for thou only art holy, thou only art Lord, thou only art most high, jesus Christ, with thy holy spirit [here he crosseth himself] 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 unigenite jesu Christ, 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, jesu Christ, cum sancto spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris, Amen. Afterwards he kisses the altar, and casting down his eyes he turns 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 us 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 Mass is celebrated, an Epistle, a gradual, or alleluia, tract or sequency, which done, the Deacon sets down the Gospel upon the altar, and having blessed the incense as before, he bows before the altar, and joining his hands saith, Cleanse my heart and my lips, Almighty God, thou which purifiedst the lips of the Prophet Esay with a burning stone, so vouchsafe to cleanse me with thy gracious mercy, that I may worthily preach thy Gospel, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Munda cormeum ac labia mea, omnipotens Deus, qui labia Isaiae Prophetae calculo mundasti ignito, ita me tua grata miseratione dignare mundare, ut sanctum Evangelium tuum dignè valeam nunciare, per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Then the Deacon takes the book, and bows himself before the Priest, and saith unto him. Lord command thou to bless. jube Domine benedicere. And the Priest saith. The Lord be in thine heart and in thy lips, that thou mayst worthily and fitly preach the Gospel in the name of the father Son & holy Ghost. And makes a sign of the cross. Dominus sit in cord tuo, & in labiis tuis, ut dignè & competenter annuncies Evangelium suum in nomine patris & filii, etc. Note that if the Priest have no Clerk, as commonly he hath not when he saith particular Masses, yet he omits not to say the same things, as to command himself to bless himself, and to speak to himself with as much reason as he doth in that which followeth; afterwards the Deacon kisseth the Priest's hand, and if it be a solemn Mass, then with the rest which do there minister, coming to the place where the Gospel lies with lights and incense, he stands at the left side of the altar, & turns himself towards the people, and then joining both his hands, saith, The Lord be with you. A. and with thy spirit. Dominus vobiscum. R. & cum spiritu tuo. Men say, nec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus. This prayer made by the Deacon, is most agreeable to him which would expound the Gospel, and apply the doctrine; but here where there is but the bare reading of one verse, to what end is all this coil? unless it be done because the Priest dares not read the Scriptures without the permission of the Bishop. Leaving therefore the other, it were more to the purpose if he prayed for some more skill in reading, for such creatures as these, are oftentimes very defective in that behalf. After this the Deacon with his right thumb makes the sign of the cross upon his forehead, his mouth, his breast, and his book, and whilst the rest of the Choir answer, Gloria tibi Domine, he thrice censeth the book, then joining his hands, reads a piece of the Gospel, & that being done the Clerk or subdeacon, if there be one, saith, By the words of the Gospel, let our sins be wiped away. Per evangelica dicta deleantur nostra delicta. That being done, the subdeacon carrieth the book to the Priest who kisseth it, which is flat idolatry in them, as before we showed. As for the words, if they be referred to the merits of our Saviour mentioned in the Gospel, I can find no abuse in them: but forsomuch as the Priest intendeth to join this reading with the aid of the sign of the cross, and that there is not a turn, sign, word, or intention which yields not some profit to their title of good works. I doubt much to allow of this action. Afterwards followeth the Nicen creed, and confession of faith, which notwithstanding is not throughout repeated. I believe in one God the father Almighty. etc. Credo in unum Deum patrem omnipotentem: etc. In the midst of this confession, speaking of our Saviour, who for our sakes and for our salvation came down from heaven, the Priest falls upon his knees, as if he had not been sent when he said, I believe in God, nor when he said, I believe in jesus Christ, which makes one conceive, that the Priest's intention is to make the people believe, that he evokes the humanity of our Saviour, and makes it descend every day, although it be in heaven, Act. 3. and there remains until the coming to judge the world. This being done, he kisseth the altar, and turns himself unto the people saying: The Lord be with you. A. and with thy spirit. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. Afterwards turning himself to the right side of the altar saith, Oremus, and reads a piece which is called an offertory, which differs according to the diverse Masses which are celebrated. See here an example. The heavens & the earth are thine, thou hast founded the earth & the fullness thereof; justice and judgement are the preparation of thy seat. Tui sunt coeli & tua est terra, orbem terrarum & plenitudinem eius tu fundasti. justitia & judicium praeparatio sedis tuae. I leave it to men to consider, whether the action following be any thing to the purpose of this offertory: for although he saith that the heavens are the Lords, notwithstanding he offereth a crumb of bread for the redemption of the living and of the dead, the which bread is not yet consecrated. And to observe this form of Oblation, the Priest takes from the hands of the Deacon, if the Mass be solemn the Plate and the Oblation, and lifts them up with both his hands, which makes me to remember the homage which some tenants in France perform unto their Landlords, who are bound to bring unto them a Wren carried in a wain drawn with Oxen. In the mean time he leaves the little corporal upon the chalice and saith, Holy father, omnipotent eternal God, receive this immaculate host, which I thy unworthy servant do offer unto thee my living & true God, for mine innumerable sins and offences & negligences, and for all the standers by; and likewise for all faithful Christians, whether alive or dead, to the end that it may profit me & then unto salvation, into life ever lasting. Amen. Suscipe sancte pater, omnipotens, aeterne Deus, hanc immaculatam hostiam, quam ego indignus famulus tuus offero tibi Deo meo vivo & vero, pro innumerabilibus peccatis & offensionibus & negligentijs meis, & pro omnibus circumstantibus: sed & pro omnibus fidelibus Christianis vivis ac defunctis, ut mihi & illis proficiat ad salutem, in vitam aeternam. Amen. This offertory was brought in by Leo the 13, as well as the incense, about the year 800. For we read in an Epistle of Gregory to Boniface a Bishop of Germany, Greg. 2. epist. ad. Bonis. tom. 2. consil. p. 434. a great observer of the Roman ceremonies, that he demanded of Gregory if it were lawful to offer for the dead? Whence it followeth, that this suscipe was not as yet inserted. For this question never would have been moved, if the case had been before resolved. Secondly, the Priest acknowledging himself to be a sinner, confesseth by a consequence, that he is uncapable to be a sacrificer under the new Testament. For it is written Such an high Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled etc. Heb. 7. ●6. Who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's. But those jewish ceremonies have ceased; look above in the chapter of sacrifice, where you shall see that our Lord jesus Christ is the only sacrifice and eternal sacrificer under the Gospel. Exod. 12.15. Lev. 3.6. In the third place they reassume the shadows and figures of the law, by presenting of immaculate hosts, where as jesus Christ, being prefigured by them under the law, as saith S. Peter, 1. Pet. 1.19. and having consummated all that kind of sacrifice, it were an impiety to revoke it again into practice. Lastly, it is an execrable abomination to offer bread unto God for the remission of sins, considering that even under the law itself, Heb. 9.22. without shedding of blood 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 son of God? If it hath suffered? If we be baptized in its name? If that bread be yet consecrated? If the Priest hath yet pronounced these words, hoc est corpus meum? Wherefore by thine own doctrine, thou offerest that which the jew would be ashamed to present for his sin, and which never any used save only the Magician Numa, who did immolate, that is to say, offer Molam, Cypr. de sacr. calicis, Epist. 63. & 68 a little round loaf to his Gods. You that are deaf, hear, you that are blind, see, and deceive not yourselves any more. For if we ought to do that only in the supper which God hath commanded us to do, and that which he commanded us, is that which he did with his Apostles the day before he suffered, as saith the Canon of the Mass, pridie quam pateretur, we ought not to offer up bread unto God for the remission of sins. For jesus did it not, neither commanded it, neither purchased our salvation by the oblation of a cake not blessed, but with his own body, and that not at the table, but on the cross, not by elevation of bread, but by the effusion of his blood, and separation of his soul. Es. 53. For he poured out his soul unto death, and made his soul an offering for sin, saith Esay, this oblation therefore is unsufficient in itself, without commandment, and without example. Neither do the two objections avail which commonly are here produced. The first whereof is taken out of Gen. 14. Gen. 14 where it is said that Abraham returning from the defeating of his enemies, the king of Sodom 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 war, and not to be sacrificed unto God, much less unto Abraham. For although it be there added, that Melchisedecke was the Priest of the most high God yet that was only to show the reason why he received tithes of him, and why he blessed him, and not to cause us to imagine a sacrifice. First because there was none such under the law, and therefore Melchisedecke in so doing had enterprised to forge a new one: secondly, the words will not bear 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 between our high Priest, Heb. 7. Christ jesus, and Melchisedecke, consists not in the offering of bread and wine, but in that he is eternal without father in regard of his humanity, and without mother in respect of his divinity. Neither is the other objection of any force, which is taken out of Malachy, that amongst the Gentiles shall be offered, Malac. 1. Muctar and Mincha, that is incense & a pure offering. For this Mincha, kneaded with flower and oil, is ceremonial, and abolished, neither is the bread which the Roman Priests do offer up at this day tempered in that sort. But that same prophecy is allegorical, as is that of Micah, Micah. 4.1. who prophesied that men should ascend to jerusalem, to the mountain of the Lord: seeing the Church is catholic, and not enclosed within Jewry. So likewise that incense which ascends in the presence of God signifieth the prayers of the faithful, as we may observe in the Revelation, where it is said, that another Angel (to wit our Saviour) stood at the altar having a golden censer, Apoc. 8.3. the smoke whereof, which was the prayers of the Saints, ascended up before God out of the angels hand. Finally, if our Saviour had offered bread and wine for the remission of sins, it would follow that our Lord jesus 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 offering on the cross had served to small purpose, for it is certain that God had heard his well beloved the first time, with out exposing him to the cross, if the offering of bread had been sufficient, as it would have been, if he had offered it. And from hence we 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 Saviour; which error proceeded from hence, that in the primitive Church they used the word Oblation, giving the bread not immediately to God, but to the Priest, who did take thereof for the communion, and distributed the rest to the members of our Saviour, which are the poor. Thus the equivocal acceptions of the word, caused this horrible sacrilege. See what more appertains to this point in the Chapters of oblation and of sacrifice. Besides, to offer, was taken for as much as to give to the people which communicated: and in that sense some of the ancients took it, as amongst the rest Saint Cyprian, who writing against the minglers of water with wine in the cup, which they offered unto the people, contrary to the practice of the primitive Church, saith, Cypr. contra Aquarios, & epist. 68 ad Cecilium. seeing that neither Angel nor Apostle can preach otherwise then that which jesus Christ hath once taught, &c: One may here demand of them whom they follow: for if in the sacrifice which Christ hath offered we are to follow none but Christ, certainly we are then to obey, and to do that which Christ hath done, and commanded to be done. Now these words of sacrifice ought to be understood of those of thanksgiving; Can. Memento. for the Mass itself terms it, hoc sacrificium laudis, and the word to offer, according to that which we have said signifies to offer and to present by the Pastor unto the people. The Priest puts his host upon the corporal, where if it be a solemn Mass, the Deacon powers in the wine, and the Subdeacon the water into the chalice, but if it be only a private Mass, the Priest powers in both, and blesseth the water to be mingled with the wine, saying. O God which haste wonderfully created the dignity of human substance, and more admirably hast reform it, grant us by the mystery of this wine and water to be partakers of his divinity, who vouchsafed to partake of our humanity, jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who liveth & reigneth with thee, in the unity of the holy Ghost, God, for ever and ever, Amen. Deus qui humanae substantiae dignitatem mirabiliter condidisti, & mirabilius reformasti, da nobis per huius aquae & vini mysterium, eius divinitatis esse consortes, qui humanitatis nostrae dignatus est fieri particeps, jesus Christus, Filius tuus, Dominus noster, qui tecum vivit & regnat, in unitate Spiritus sancti, Deus per omnia secula seculorum, Amen. This mingling of wine with water was one of the first errors that was brought into the Supper, about the year of our Lord 120, against which one might apply the words of Cyprian above mentioned, who would have us to keep ourselves in that which our Saviour instituted; See justin in his 2. Apol. who recites how the idolaters consecrated bread, wine and water to their gods. And now the Greek Church resisted that mixture, In. lib. 4 c. 5. de off. missa. as witnesseth Innocent, & Scotus misliketh it giving this reason, for that it will not, being so tempered transubstantiate. Moreover, if the Priest be partaker of the divinity of Christ, as Christ himself of the humanity, it would follow that he should be true God, seeing that jesus is truly man. Thirdly, with what assurance can he demand to be heard by the virtue of that mystery, and that mixture of wine and water, considering that it is a thing which God hath not only not commanded, but also hath been condemned by many Counsels, 4 Council of Ort. in the time of Pelagius. in these words. That no man presume to offer any thing for the oblation of the blessed Cup, but that only which he believeth to be of the fruit of the Vine, and that without being mingled with water. For it is judged sacrilege to offer any other thing, Plat. & habe. l. can. in sacramento dist. 2. the consecrat. & in the catechism of the Council of France. then that which our Saviour hath commanded in his most holy Commandments. Is it not then a mocking of God to demand of him to be made partaker of his divinity, by virtue of this commixture of wine and water: as if by a sin and a transgression we were ambitious to be made gods? Of this Xistus or Alexander in the year 120 was the Author, and since it is passed for a Law; for the Pope commands under pain of a mortal sin, that no man fail to perform it. Now if for omitting of this human invention, men do sin mortally, what condemnation ought to attend these, which do wholly take away the cup from the Laity? We may not here omit the perplexities which the Doctors of transubstantiation through the mingling of this water do fall into. Can. in sanctis. eccles. v. calix de consec. dist. 2. & can. cum Matho. §. quaesisti de celebr. Missarum. For some say that this water is turned into wine, others say into blood, and the last tell us, that it is not converted at all. See the canons and the glosses. From that above ariseth an other blasphemy, to call that wine and that water being not yet consecrated, the cup of salvation, which the Priest would have to mount up to Heaven, in elevating it, for the salvation of all the world, & yet presently he makes it to descend much lower, when he saith, adhaereat visceribus meis, praying that it may be fixed unto his entrails. Note that in Masses for the dead this prayer is said, but the water is not then consecrated at all: afterwards the Priest offereth the chalice, holding it reasonable high with both his hands, saying, Lord, we offer unto thee the cup of salvation, craving thy clemency, that it may ascend with the odour of sweetness in the presence of thy divine Majesty, for the salvation of us & the whole world. Amen. Offerimus tibi, domine, calicem salutaris, tuam deprecantes clementiam, ut in conspectu divinae maiestatis tuae, pro nostra & pro totius mundi salute, cum odour suavitatis ascendat. Amen. Afterwards he places the cup upon the corporal, and having covered it, joins his hands, and then bowing himself a little, saith that which followeth, In the spirit of humility, and in a contrite heart, let us be received by thee O Lord, that our sacrifice may be done in thy presence to day, in such sort as it may please thee, O Lord God. In spiritu humilitatis, & in animo contrito, suscipiamur à te, Domine; & sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hody, ut placeat tibi domine Deus. Of what sacrifice intendeth the Priest to speak, would he make two? for once before did he elevate and offer up the bread and the wine; it must needs be therefore that the prayer was an introduction to the second offertory, whereby the bread shall be no more bread, but body, if one would believe it, nor shall need to mount into Heaven; for to save its journey, jesus Christ will descend from thence to be fastened to the entrails of the Priest, for he requires it so. Now if he would learn the means by which that sacrifice shallbe performed in such sort as it shall please God, he must observe that which Christ hath commanded, saying, Do this, which is thus interpreted by Alexander a martyr, and the fift Bishop of Rome after the Apostles, As often as ye shall do this, that is to say, that ye shall bless, break, distribute, you shall do it in remembrance of me. Cardinal Humbert, who wrote against the Monk Nicholas, learned it of this Pope, and so wrote, where it evidently doth appear, that in those times, by this word do, the least part of their thought was to sacrifice jesus Christ. Then standing upright, he spreads abroad his hands, and so lifting them up on high, joineth them again, and casting his eyes upwards towards Heaven, and by and by downwards, saith. Come thou Almighty sanctifier, eternal God, bless this sacrifice prepared for thy holy Name. Veni sanctificator omnipotens, aeterne Deus, benedic hoc sacrificium tuo Sancto nomine praeparatum. Innocen. Papa. de off. missae. lib. 2. c. 53. Saying these words he makes a sign of the cross, of which the first part is made down right upon the host only; but the other mounting, traverseth the host and the chalice, all founded upon mysteries. If the Mass be solemn, the Priest blesseth the incense in this manner. By the intercession of S. Michael the Archangel, which stands at the right side of the burning Altar, & of all his Elect; the Lord vouchsafe to bless this incense, and to receive it as sweet odour, through Christ our Lord, Amen. Per intercessionem beati Michaelis Archangelistantis à dextris altaris incensi, & omnium electorum suorum, incensum istud dignetur dominus benedicere, & in odorem suavitatis accipere, per Christum dominum nostrum. Amen. Afterwards taking the censer, he censeth the oblations, saying. Let this incense which is blessed by thee, ascend up unto thee, and let thy mercy descend down upon us. Incensum istud à te benedictum ascendat ad te, domine, & descendat super nos miscricordia tua. Then he censeth the Altar, saying, Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice; put O Lord a watch unto my mouth, and a door of circumstances unto my lips, that my heart decline not to words of malice, to excuse excuses in sin. Dirigatur domine oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo; elevatio manuum mearum sacrificium vespertinun. Pone domine custodiam ori meo, & ostium circumstantiae labijs meis, ut non declinet cor meum in verba malitiae, ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis. In restoring back the censer, he saith, The Lord kindle in us the fire of his love, and the flame of eternal charity. Amen. Accendat in nobis dominus ignem sui amoris, & flammam aeternae charitatis. Amen. Or otherwise, We beseech thee almighty and everlasting God, to vouchsafe to bless and sanctify with the right hand of thine infinite Majesty, this creature the incense, to the end that in the virtue of thy holy name, it may miraculously chase away all fantastic assaults of unclean spirits, and heal all diseases, restoring health wheresoever the smoke shall wave, and yield unto thee almighty God, a fragrant odor with a perpetual sweetness, through our Lord jesus Christ, Amen. Tua quae sumus omnipotens, I have seen an other form of blessing the incense, wh●●h was founded upon Innoc. 3. lib. 2. c. 17. who brought it in to chase away the malignity of devils. sempiterne Deus, immensae maiestatis tuae dextra hanc creaturam incensi benedicere & sanctificare digneris: ut in virtute sancti nominis tui, omnes immundorum spirituum fantasticos inausus effugare, omnesque morbos reddita sanitate expellere, ubicunque fumus eius afflauerit, mirabiliter possit, atque tibi omnipotenti Deo odore fragrantissimo perpetua suavitate redolere, Per dominum, etc. Afterwards is the Priest censed, and then others in order. Leo the third brought in this censing, which was a thing much practised amongst the Gentiles, Thure Deum placa, the canon saith, appease God with incense, and spare the calf. Thus 800 years after the banishing of this creature the incense, Plat. c. 171. in vita Xisti. out of the Church, the Priest revives it again, and allegeth Psalms of David, who substituted his prayer in the place of incense, having reference through his prophetic spirit, to that which ought to be practised in the Gospel, whereas the Priest doth take the shadow and the smoke for the substance and the truth. Like to this is the standing of Michael at the right corner of the Altar, who if he take up that place, he seems to take part with the jews; for Durand saith, that by the right corner of the Altar the jews are prefigured, and by the left the Gentiles. Now note, Blond. lib. 1. Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4. c. 17. Lib. Pontif. in Sergio. Theod. l. 3. c. 15. that in the sacrifice of janus, there was a little vessel named Canora, with which they censed the Altar, the images and the host; & to imitate this, Sergius the Pope gave a golden censer for the perfuming of Masses, to the end that he might judaize, Paganize, and imitate julian the Apostata, who brought in incense to despite the Christians, which never used it in their Churches. Now that incense is one of those ceremonies which ought to be abrogated, it appears by that which S. Paul saith, Heb. 9 v. 8. Heb. 9 v. 8. for there are some things which are constituted for a time only, and are for that time, because they take their virtue and efficacy from their institution, and not from their own nature, as the dirt wherewith our Saviour anointed the eyes of the blind, the which ought still to be put in practice, by the same reason that incense is now to be used, for now it is grown to be a kind of charm, to chase away the devil with smoke, and to heal bodily diseases: neither (to say the truth) appertaineth it to any but such as sell smoke, to publish it, and to such as Chamelion-like feed upon the air, to believe it. The devils are put to flight by prayers, Math. 17.21. 1. Pet. 9 fastings and orisons, and there are none but blear eyes and foxes, which may be chased out of their holes with this engine. We are to fear lest that befall us, Leu. 10. which happened to Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron, who were stifled with that fire which they kindled, because it was other then that which God appointed them: so much are we to regard that we serve God with no other thing, neither in any other manner than he hath prescribed us, for he is zealous and strong. A good intention excused not Vzzah which touched the Ark, 2. Sam. 6. josu. 7. nor Achan which retained that which was forbidden; And now that incense was banished the Temple of Christians, Eusch. orat. ad S. coctum. Arnob. l. 6. Aug. Psal. 49. it appears by the testimony of the Emperor Constantine, such (saith he) is the sacrifice of the Eucharist, without blood, without any violence, and there is not required any odour of incense, neither any burning fire: and S. Austin saith, See how we are without care, Leu. 5. v. 11. we need not go any more to fetch incense in Arabia etc. Finally; the jews themselves, never burned incense at such sacrifices as were made for sin, but only at mere thanksgivings; wherefore this action is contrary to the invention of the Priest, who pretendeth to sacrifice in the Mass an oblation for the sins of the living and of the dead. In washing his hands the Priest saith, I will wash my hands amongst the innocent, and will compass about thine Altar, O Lord: that I may hear the voice of praise, and tell of all thy marvelous things. Lord I have loved the beauty of thine house, and the place of the habitation of thy glory. O God destroy not my soul with the ungodly, & my life with bloody men, in whose hands is wickedness, and their right hand is filled with gifts. But I am entered in in mine innocency. Redeem me and have mercy on me; My foot stood in the right, in the Churches will I bless thee O Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shallbe, world without end. Amen. Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas, This verse is ill translated out of Hebrew, for it should rather be in innocency, then amongst the innocent. & circundabo altare tuum Domine, ut audiam vocem laudis, & enarrem universa mirabilia tua. Domine dilexi decorem domus tuae, & locum habitationis gloriae tuae. Ne pendas cum impijs, Deus, animam meam, & cum viris sanguinum vitam meam, in quorum manibus iniquitates sunt, dextera eorum repleta est muneribus. Ego autem in innocentiae mea ingressus sum. Redime me, & miserere mei. Pes meus stetit in directo, in ecclesiis benedicam te Domine. Gloria Patri & Filio & Spiritui sancto. Sicut erat in principio, & nunc, & in secula seculorum. Amen. Three abuses may be found in this place; the first is the retaining of Altars, which being a jewish ceremony, aught to be abolished. The second is the taking of the Prophet's words in a wrong sense, Psal. 143. who intended not to justify himself before God; for in that sense, no man living shallbe justified: and that's the reason wherefore he prays, Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord; but he made a comparison between his own cause, and that of his enemies. As when in the like case he said, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, etc. We must therefore distinguish between the innocency of a man towards God, which can nowhere be found, Psal. 7. and the innocency of a man in regard of his persecutors, which may well be granted. The third abuse is, that whereas the receiving of this Sacrament is a medicine to those which feel their disease, acknowledge their sins, and crave pardon of God for them, Math. 18. as did the poor Publican: the Priest here teacheth the people the quite contrary, and practiseth the doctrine of the Pharisee, protesting his own innocency and theirs which compass him about, and which fill both his hands and his kitchen with gifts, whereof speaks that verse: otherwise it seems that he would not say Mass at all, and in that he imitateth Geheza, and Simon Magus. We may not here omit, that Gloria patri, is not said in Masses for the dead nor in that of the passion. You may guess wherefore. This being said, the Priest goes with his hands joined, to the middle of the altar, and there bows himself low, saying, Holy Trinity, receive this oblation which we offer unto thee in memory of the incarnation, nativity, circumcision, passion, resurrection, & ascension of our Lord jesus Christ, and in honour of the ever blessed virgin Mary, & of S. john Baptist, & the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, who have pleased thee from the beginning of the world, that it may be for their honour, and for our salvation, and that they would vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven, of whom we make mention here on earth; through the same Christ our Lord. Suscipe sancta Trinitas hanc oblationem quam tibi offerimus ob memoriam incarnationis, nativitatis, circumcisionis, passionis, resurrectionis, ascensionis, Domini nostri jesu Christi, & in honorem beatae Mariae semper Virgins, & beati johannis Baptistae, & S. Apostolorum Petri & Pauli, & omnium sanctorum qui à mundi initio tibi placuerunt, ut illis proficiat ad honorem: nobis autem ad salutem: & illi pro nobis intercedere dignentur in coelis, quorum memoriam facimus in terris. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. After this, the Priest stands upright, kisseth the incense, bows his head, and turning himself towards the people with his hands joined, saith, Pray for me my brethren that mine and your sacrifice may be acceptable with God the father Almighty. Orate pro me fratres, ut meum & vestrum sacrificium acceptabile fiat apud Deum patrem omnipotentem, Then the people, or else himself addeth. The Lord receive the sacrifice of thine hands, to the praise and glory of his name & to the profit of ourselves, and his most holy Church, Amen. Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium de manibus tuis, ad laudem & gloriam nominis sui, ad utilitatem quoque nostram, totiusque Ecclesiae suae sanctae, Amen. Then the Priest stretching forth his hands, saith a prayer as it were in secret, differing according to the season, & the scope of the Mass, as for example, on Christmas day is said, Sanctify, O Lord, the gifts which are presented unto to thee through the nativity of thine only begotten, and cleanse us from the spots of our sins: through the same jesus Christ our Lord, thy Son, who liveth & reigneth with thee God in the unity of the holy Ghost. Oblata, Domine, munera nova unigeniti tui nativitate sanctifica, nosque à peccatis nostrorum maculis emenda. Per eundem Dominum nostrum jesum Christum filium tuum, qui tecum vivit & regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus. The Priest must here have regard to transubstantiation, by which he makes of bread a new jesus, and will make him a new entrance anon saying Hozanna, and afterwards will sacrifice and break him, whereas jesus of the substance of the virgin is not on earth, neither can he any more either suffer or die. The second error, is going beyond the commandment of jesus, which was simply to declare his death, without speaking of his nativity, circumcision, etc. to the end to represent unto us in the supper, 1. Cor. 11. Can. quia morte ca sanctorum. Can. in Christo de con. dist. 2. Bern. Cant. serm. 33. Spec. sacerdotum cant. in tangendo ibi continentia divinitatis. not a jesus triumphing in his ascension, but a jesus broken for our sins. As often as you shall eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, you shall declare the Lords death until his coming. The Canons of the Pope teach us no other thing. Thirdly, his remembrance is to know his corporal absence, for according to S. Bernard, remembrance is opposed to presence, and faith and hope to that which one sees with his eyes. Nevertheless the Priest tells us that he holds in his hands the humanity, & the divinity of our Saviour contained in that oblation. Fourthly, how can the bread being not consecrated, be the price of our redemption? yet it is offered to that end by the Priest. Fiftly, if the Priest intends to speak of the body which he purposeth to make, ought he to offer it in honour of creatures, & especially him to whom all honour and homage is due, and who would have this action to be done in the remembrance of him? Yet the Priest most profanely sacrificeth in the honour of Saints, contrary to that which is written, Exod. 23. v. 13. You shall make no mention of the names of other Gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. Sixtly, the administration of the Sacraments, is it not to nourish our faith in the hope of a blessed life? to what end therefore offers he this oblation for the Saints, which are already in a full possession of the same? Finally, as we have said, by this they do deprive our Saviour of his Mediatorship, 1. Tim. 2.5. join assistants unto him in renewing our peace with God, and do impiously beside, both invocate and adore creatures. Concerning which, Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine, who lived long time after S. Ambrose, used these words: Epiphan. count Antidicomarianitas. heresi. 78. That the error of the seducers ceaseth, for Mary is not God, etc., that none may offer in her name, for he looseth his soul. It was far from him to dedicate temples, dress altars, cloth statues, bear candles, ordain feasts, sacrifice, or ordain Masses to her. Poor Bishops, men would call you Hugonites if you were now in France. That secret being pronounced in secret, the Priest crieth out, per omnia secula seculorum, and that is a preamble to the Canon. Now observe that in this profaneness there is great variety, according to the season and the end of the Mass, whether of the nativity, the purification, of the cross, the nails, the garment, or of the Mass of requiem &c: the which are begun with both the hands laid upon the altar on one side and the other, which he lifts up a little when he saith sursum corda, and saying, gratias agamus, he joins his hands, and bows his head, and then disjoines them until he saith, sanctus: then he saith, World without end. An. Amen. The Lord be with you. A. And with thy spirit. Let us lift up our hearts. A. We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. A. It is worthy, just, meet, & wholesome, that always, and in all places we give thanks unto thee holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, because by the mystery of thy word which was made flesh, the light of thy brightness hath shined to the eyes of our renewed understandings, that whilst we do visibly know God, we may by him be ravished to the love of things invisible, & therefore with Angels & Archangels, with thrones and dominations, and with all the warfare of the heavenly army, we sing a hymn to thy glory, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Saboth, heaven and earth are full of thy glory; These last words the Priest uttereth in somewhat a lower voice than before. Hozanna in the most high, * blessed is he which cometh in the name of the Lord, Hozanna in the most high. Per omnia secula seculorum. R. Amen. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. Sursum corda. R. Habemus ad Dominum. Gratias agimus Domino deo nostro. R. Dignum est & justum & salutare, nos tibi semper & ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte, pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus, quia per incarnati verbi mysterium nova mentis nostrae oculis, lux tuae claritatis refulsit, ut dum visibiliter Deum cognoscimus per hunc in invisibilium amorem rapiamur, & ideo cum Angelis & Archangelis, cum throvis & dominationionibus, cumque omni militia coelestis exercitus, hymnum gloriae tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes, sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabbath, pleni sunt coeli & terrae gloria tua. Hozanna in excelsis, * benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hozanna in excelsis. We saw before the new nativity, here is his new entry, where he shall be seen visibly, as this preface imports, and afterwards carnally broken with the hands and teeth of the Priest, if one would believe Pope Nicholas in the Canon Ego Berengarius; 1. De consecr. dist, 2. but the gloss saith that it is a dangerous heresy to believe that doctrine, and the gloss of another Canon saith, that Berengarius spoke by an hyperbole, and that he lied when he spoke of the sensual & carnal eating of Christ's body. Can. alterum. gl. in verbo vocari. Thus the spirit of error hath entangled itself. And indeed these two words, sursum corda, do witness that we must lift up ourselves by faith to the right hand of the father, & not descend thither, whether he will not come until the day of judgement; and they intimate besides that Christ's body is but in one place only, though his truth be diffused through all places. Can. prima haeresis de consecr. dist. 2. S. Augustine saith that it is the prime heresy of the world to imagine or believe a carnal eating, which opinion the Popes have canonized. And St Chrysostome saith, Chrys. hom. 24. 1. ad Cor. ubi cadaver. he which approacheth to this body ought to mount on high, and to have no communion with the earth, our country which is below, but to soar always on high, & to have regard to the son of justice, and to have the eye of the spirit most acute, for this table is a table for eagles, and not for jays or crows. After this short skirmish, look upon the Canon which beginneth Te igitur, which was composed, about the year 800, but not by one Pope alone: for Platina makes it to be compiled by Alexander, Gelasius, Syricius, & Pelagius. To say the truth, it is not found in the impression of the breviary of Almagny, in the year 700, wherefore the Index expurgatorius ordains that that Missal shall be no more reprinted: and not that only, Index expurg. Belgicus, p. 75. but also the Liturgye of Ambrose was suppressed by the commandment of Charles the great, who would therein gratify the Popes, which much advantaged his predecessors in the obtaining of the crown of France; Durand. ration. lib. 4. and so the Gregorian service was brought in by force, and through the punishments of those Churchmen which opposed it. jocob. de Voragine in v. 16. Gregor. And seeing they demand of us where our Church was in those times, they may see how it stood in opposition so far as not to suffer Ambrose Mass to be changed, or to have these words which do abate the efficacy of the Mass to be taken away, to wit, Ambr. l. 4. de sacramento. c. 5. Quod est figura corporis & sanguinis Domini nostri, that the supper is a figure of the body, and not the body itself: and the Popes employed the Emperor, as well as their prisons and punishments to produce their transubstantiation, which notwithstanding was more than 400 years debated, as witnesseth the consultation of Bertran a Priest to Charles the bald, who writing to the Clergy of Ravenna, Car. Calvus ep. ad Clerum Raven. in Tillu Chron. an. 756. saith these words: Until the time of our great grandfather Pepin, the Churches of France celebrated their divine service otherwise then the Church of Rome, Neither did those of England order themselves according to that of the Roman. For the Pope himself praised a Bishop for having chosen that which was the best, were it in Gaul or at Rome, for the place (saith he) maketh not a thing the more holy. Honorius in gemma animae. lib. 1. c. 103. Wherefore at the end of Te igitur, it is simply said, Catholic observers of the Apostolic faith, without adding, Roman; for that difference being specifical, was not known at that time to be a mark of orthodox believers, whose faith is personal and not local, or tied to a corner of Italy. Let us set fire to the powder. The Priest bows himself low, and joining his hands before the altar, saith, We pray thee therefore, most merciful father, and humbly request thee through jesus Christ thy son and our Lord, that thou wouldst accept and bless these gifts, † these presents, † these holy sacrifices † without spots, which we offer unto thee for thy holy catholic Church, the which vouchsafe to keep reunite, & govern through out the whole earth, together with thy servant Pope N. our Bishop and our king, and all the orthodoxal observers of the Catholic & Apostolical faith. Te igitur, clementissime pater, per jesum Christum filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus, ac petimus, uti accepta habeas & benedicas haec dona, munera haec sancta sacrificia illibata, imprimis quae tibi offerimus pro Ecclesia tua sancta Catholica, quam pacificatione custodire adunare & regere digneris toto orb terrarum, una cum famulo tuo Papa nostro N. & antistite nostro M. & rege nostro, & omnibus orthodoxis atque Catholicae & Apostolicae fidei cultoribus. He speaks not a word of the Roman faith, although the Canon be of Gelasius making, who ordained that the Priest should begin upon his knees, having his hands joined: then before these words haec dona, he should lift up himself, kiss the altar, make three signs of the cross upon the host, and the chalice, afterwards open wide his hands, and lift them up a little in saying, tibi offerimus, in the plural number, and therefore he is not the sole sacrificer but the people also, as indeed he said before, my sacrifice and yours. Likewise from these words, these gifts, these presents, may be gathered, that in the time which this Canon was made (what corruption soever reigned) they intended not to offer up jesus unto God his Father. For than they would not have spoken in the plural number, having but one jesus. Thirdly, wherefore doth he term it a spotless sacrifice or incorruptible, whereas both experience and the cautells of the Mass before mentioned have taught us, Cant. item si corpus. that the consecrated host doth putrefy, that it is eaten sometimes of rats, & sometimes breedeth worms, which cannot proceed from an accident without a substance, neither from a glorified body. Another impiety is committed there, in that it is said, that this oblation of bread is made for the pacification of the church, as if it were as yet divorced from God, contrary to that which the Apostle saith, By one sole oblation he hath consecrated for ever those which are sanctified. Heb. 10.11. Whence it followeth that there remains nothing but only the applying unto ourselves of that sacrifice by faith, and not to reiterate it as if it were unsufficient. Fiftly, with what boldness dares the Priest make the Pope God's companion in the government of the Church, which hath no head but jesus Christ her Spouse, nor other conductor but the holy Ghost? For seeing that the Church is a body Catholic and universal, being in heaven and in earth, and composed both of dead and living, what other head than Christ is capable to sway such an Empire, and to inspire every member of the visible and invisible Church. The last abuse is politic, in that the Priest places the Pope and his Bishop before Kings, it being the doctrine of these kind of men, that principalities lie under his pantable, and that sceptres are held by way of homage from the perforated chair, which notwithstanding is not practised throughout. As for the reformed Churches, although they have kings now and then which govern not so well; yet their practice is always to make prayers first for kings and superior powers: afterwards for the Church and every member thereof, that it may be delivered from this papal tyranny. Then followeth the Memento, where we must observe, that ordinarily the first and second are said with the hands joined, until the Priest saith, & omnium circumstantium. The first memento. Remember O Lord, thy servants, N. N. and all those which be here present, whose faith and devotion is known unto thee, or who offer unto thee this sacrifice of praise, for themselves and all theirs, for the redemption of their souls, for the hope of their health and safety, & do render their vows unto thee the eternal living and true God. Memento domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N. N. & omnium circumstantium, quorum tibi fides cognita & nota devotio: pro quibus tibi offerimus, vel qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis pro se suisque omnibus, pro redemptione animarum suarum, pro spe salutis & incolumitatis suae, sibique reddunt vota sua, aeterno Deo vivo & vero. Plat. in Xislo. Martin. in. Chr. In the year 580, as Platina and Martin affirm, Pelagus invented this commemoration of those dead which had lived well, which though it be very ancient, yet is it contrary to that which is practised at this day. For the dead were not then invocated by the Church, Dionys. Hier. c. 3. neither were they prayed for, but were named in the Church, partly to incite the people to imitate them, and partly to show that they were not dead, but living a more excellent life. Secondly, these words pro quibus tibi offerimus, Capitu. l. 6. c. 173 for whom we offer, were added since Charlemaine's time, so by little and little, abuses crept into the Church: & these words quorum tibi fides cognita, whose faith is known unto thee, do argue of falsehood that which is preached at this day, to wit, that the knowledge of the Curate is sufficient, and that there needeth no other belief in a Christian, than an enfolded or implicit faith. For if it were so, they would have said, the faith of the Parson or Curate is known unto thee. Who if he were a Magician or Sorcerer, as he was which not long since was burned in the grieve at Paris, the Parishioners would be full ill assured of their salvation. Fourthly, hoc sacrificium laudis. this sacrifice of praise, witnesseth, that it was not made to purchase remission of sins, but to render thanks unto God for that purchase, which jesus Christ his Son hath made for us. Moreover it is not possible to reiterate such a sacrifice; and if it were, yet this here cannot be sufficient, Heb. 9.22. & 25. for without shedding of blood, even unto death, there was never made any sin-offering. But there are divers fractions interlarded usually in this prayer; Afterwards followeth the canon, We communicating and honouring the memory, first of the ever-glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, & of our Lord jesus Christ, and of the blessed Apostles & Martyrs, Peter, Paul, Andrew, james, john, Thomas, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, Thaddeus, Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Laurentius, Chrysogonus, john and Paul, Cosma and Damian, and all thy Saints; for whose merits and prayers grant that in all things we may be fortified by the aid of thy protection, through the same Christ our Lord, Amen. Communicantes & memomoriam venerantes imprimis gloriosae semper Virginis Mariae, genitricis Dei, & Domini nostri jesu Christi, sed & beatorum Apostolorum ac Martyrum, Petri, Pauli, Andreae, jacobi, johannis, Thomae, Philippi, Bartholomaei, Matheęi, Simonis, Thaddei, Lini, Cleti, Clementis, Sixti, Cornelii, Cypriani, Laurentii, Chrysogoni, johannis & Pauli, Cosmae & Damiani, & omnium sanctorum tuorum, quorum meritis precihusque concedas, ut in omnibus protectionis tuae muniamur auxilio, per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum, Amen. Durand. in rational. l. 4. ad 3. part. c. 38. Durand attributes this piece to Pope Syricius, In the primitive Church mention was made of Saints, simply for the reasons before mentioned, but they were not therefore invocated (saith Saint Augustine) but were named to teach us, Aug. de ciu dei lib. 22 c. 10. Dionys. hierarch. c. 3. that they were not dead, but translated unto life. For Dionysius saith in the place above quoted, that they are not dead at all. Now here they go much beyond the ancient limits: for the Communion which ought to be celebrated in remembrance of Christ is now performed in remembrance of men, such as it hath pleased the Pope to register, as Cosma, Damian, Chrysogonus, etc. Secondly, the Canon is false in all particular Masses, for there the people communicate not at all, and therefore they are excommunicated as often as they assist at such Masses, following the doctrine of the Pope in the Canons. Can. peracta de consecrat. dist. 2. Thirdly, through whose virtue is it that the Priest implores the aid of God? Is it not through the virtue of Cletus and Chrysogonus, etc. And how well agrees this with a canon following, which beginneth, Nobis quoque, where he beseecheth God not to poised at all their merits, but to grant them his pardon; where we may observe, that after they have once stood upon their merits in this canon, they renounce them in a canon following, see what strange contradictions be here throughout. Holding his hands extended over the oblations, he saith. We pray thee therefore, thou being pacified, that thou wouldst receive this our oblation of servitude of all thy family, and that thou wouldst dispose our days in thy peace, and deliver us from eternal damnation, & unroll us amongst the flock of thine elect. (Hear he joins his hands.) through Christ our Lord, Amen. Which oblation we beseech thee O God in all things to make † blessed, † ascribed, † ratified, † reasonable, † and acceptable, to the end that it may be made unto us the body and blood of thy most beloved Son our Lord jesus Christ. Hanc igitur oblationem servitutis nostrae, sed & cunctae familiae tuae, quaesumus domine ut placatus accipias, diesque nostros in tua pace disponas, atque ab aeterna damnatione nos eripias, & in electorum tuorum iubeas grege numerari, per Christum Dominum nostrum, Amen. Quam oblationem, tu Deus in omnibus quasumus † benedictam, † ascriptam, † ratam, † rationabilem, † acceptabilemque facere digneris, ut corpus & sanguis fiat dilectissimi Filii tui Domini nostri jesu Christi. Hear the Priest plays the fencer, and redoubles the battery, for he makes five crosses, the three first upon the host and the chalice, the fourth upon the host alone, and the fift upon the chalice only, saying, sanguis fiat, if it be not made before. But here you may note a notable forgery; for the Priest pruneth Saint Ambrose words, Ambr. lib. 4. de sacr. c. 5. and instead of saying after acceptable, which oblation is the figure of the body and blood of our Lord, he changeth and substituteth in their room these words, that it may be made unto us the body and blood of our Lord, and from thence they take the foundation of transubstantiation, to forge an idol instead of the Sacrament. It followeth afterwards, Who the day before he suffered, took bread into his holy & venerable hands, and lifting up his eyes unto Heaven, to thee God his Almighty Father, giving thanks unto thee he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his Disciples, saying, Take and eat you all of this, for this is my body. Qui pridie quam pateretur accepit panem in sanctas ac venerabiles manus suas, & elevatis oculis in coelum ad te Deum, patrem suum omnipotentem, tibi gratias agens benedixit, fregit, deditque discipulis suis, dicens, accipite & manducate ex hoc omnes, hoc enim est corpus meum. Note that in saying he took bread, he takes the host with his fore finger and his thumb, and saying elevatis, he lifts up his eyes; and saying, he blessed it, he makes a sign of the cross, as if that had been the form of the benediction which our Saviour used, before his cross was made. Then saying hoc, he holds the host with his two forefingers, and his two thumbs, and with one breath pronounceth these words distinctly, attentively, and with a low voice, justin. Nou. 123. This is my body, contrary to the use of the primitive Church, which raised her voice in pronouncing these words, Tertia cautela. and that in the vulgar tongue. And if the Priest stays, or makes a comma at any word, the cautel saith that the consecration is to no purpose. So that all lies at the mercy of the Priest who speaks low, and whom it much concerns according to that cautel that he be not pursye or shortwinded. That word being spoken, the Priest falls upon his knees, adores the host, then lifts himself up, and holding the host on high, makes the people adore it; then lays it upon the corporal, and adores again; and you are to remember, that from this, until he wash the four first fingers of both his hands, he disjoines them not at all, unless he touch the host, but they are clasped two and two, so that when he would beat his breast to play the Publican, he doth it with his three hinder fingers, and if he would take the plate, he useth the middle finger, which he joins with the forefinger in form of a pair of pincers, for the other fingers are destinated to the consecration. Let's see what followeth. Likewise after supper here he takes the chalice with both his hands] taking this excellent Chalice into his venerable and holy hands, & here holding the Chalice in in his left hand, he crosseth it with his right] giving thanks unto thee, he blessed it † and gave it to his Disciples, saying, take & drink all of you of this [these words of the consecration he pronounceth over the Chalice, elevating it a little] this is the Chalice of my blood of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and many to the remission of sins, as often as you shall do this, do it in remembrance of me. Simili modo post quam coenatum est, accipiens & hunc praeclarum calicem in sanctas & venerabiles manus suas, item tibi gratias agens, benedixit † deditque Discipulis suis, dicens, accipite & bibite ex eo omnes: hic est enim calix sanguinis mei novi & aeterni testamenti, mysterium fidei, qui pro vobis & pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum. Haec quotiescunque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis. Before the Priest saith, as often, he puts the Chalice upon the corporal, adores it, then riseth up, and makes it to be adored in showing it and saying, Haec quotiescunque, afterwards lays it down again, covers it, adores it, and disjoines his hands to say. Wherefore we thy servants O Lord, and all thine holy people being mindful of the blessed passion of thy Son, as also of his resurrection from hell and his glorious ascension into Heaven, do offer unto thy excellent Majesty of thine own gifts, a † pure host, an † holy host, † an immaculate host, the † holy bread of eternal life, and the † cup of perpetual salvation. unde & memores domine, nos servi tui, sed & plebs tua sancta, eiusdem Christi filii tui Domini nostri, tum beatae passionis, nec non ab inferis resurrectionis, sed & in coelos gloriosae ascensionis, offerimus praeclarae Maiestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hostiam † puram, hostiam † sanctam, hostiam † immaculatam, panem † sanctum vitae aeternae, & † calicem salutis perpetuae. Pronouncing this canon, the Priest makes five crosses, out of season, for the consecration was performed when he said hoc est corpus meum; and because the host is then deified the Priest makes himself greater than it, when he blesseth it: for S Paul saith, Heb. 7. v. c. without contradiction the lesser is blessed of the greater. There was no need therefore of making crosses, considering that crosses are equipollent to blessings, and that the Priest can not be greater than God, unless we should say with the quodlibet, qui fecit me sine me, Stella cle●i●. creature mediante me, he which made me without me, is created by me. A blasphemy worthy of the book wherein it is written. Now inasmuch as creation is understood properly, and the gloss of the canon Timorem, Can. timorem. gl. v. corpus de 〈◊〉. dist. ●. saith, that by this word hoc, nothing is signified, it followeth by the Pope's doctrine, that this is my body, is as much to say, as nothing is my body. Now before we speak of pretended transubstantiation, you must observe, that this host is round, and is given unbroken unto the people, who may not touch it with their hands, but are enjoined to gape, and let the Priest put it into their mouths, whensoever they receive the communion. Where the first error which here discryes itself is the round form of the bread, it being from the institution of Numa King of Rome a Pagan and a Magician, 〈◊〉 O●o●●. 1. 〈◊〉. who sacrificed unto his gods a round cake which he called Mola, and from thence cometh the Verb Immolo, as before was showed. The second abuse is, in that the bread in the Mass is not one loaf in common to represent the whole Church, and the communion of Saints, but consists of several cakes to represent a schism in it. ●. Cor. 10.17. Au●ust. ep. 59 〈◊〉 P●●●a nomen. For it is written that we are one bread and one body; and S. Austin saith, that we come to be united to the body of Christ, in that we being many, are yet one loaf and one body. Whence it followeth, that we are to communicate with one loaf, seeing that the union of the body of Christ which is the Church, is represented by that unity. The third abuse is, in that the people are forbidden to touch the Sacrament with their hands, contrary to that which is commanded by our Saviour, Take, eat this, &c: and which a Bishop of jerusalem hath written, 〈…〉. ca te●●●●nyst. 5. 〈◊〉 8. Sexta●ra. in Trulla c. 102. He approached to the Table, and stretched forth his hand to take the holy food. And in the year 681, the Synod condemned those which would take the Sacrament with a little vessel of gold, preferring a thing without life before a human creature made after the Image of God. The fourth is, in that the bread is not broken, which is a great default, for by that mystery, the breaking of the Body of Christ for us is deciphered. Which was the cause that S. Paul saith, The bread which we break, it is the communion of the body of Christ, so that contrariwise we are to say, that the bread which we break not, is not the communion of the body of Christ, but a mark rather of division, every man having his own part. Humbertus Episc. sil●● ca 5. d ●●e c●●tra libel. Ni ce●. M●nachi. Wherefore a good Bishop of Rome, the fift after the Apostles, saith, as often as you do this, that is, bless, break, distribute, you shall do it in remembrance of me, because he which doth the one without the other, the benediction without the fraction or distribution, he represents not a perfect memory of Christ, as likewise the benediction is nothing without the fraction. For in those days they had but one great loaf broken unto all, Can. N●●. 〈◊〉 de co●●●. d●●t. as the canon doth import; The greatest wickedness is in the adoration of the Sacrament; for if (to do this) as hath been said, doth signify only to bless, break and distribute, and that we are not to do any thing but that which Christ hath commanded in his word, we ought not to adore it, for it appears not that either Christ or his Disciples did ever adore the Sacrament. Moreover it being that we are to worship that only which is eternal, Dam●sc. lib. ●. orthod fide●●. the humanity of Christ is not to be worshipped, if the divinity be not joined thereunto. For Damascene distinguisheth totus Christus, all Christ, from totum Christi, all that which is in Christ. All Christ is perfect God, and perfect man; but all that which is in Christ is not God, neither yet is it man. We must distinguish and not separate his divinity from his humanity, which being joined, do make one hypostasis and one Person. As for example, all man is one soul and one body, but all that which is in man is not soul, neither is it body, but both together. Now we may say according to the doctrine of the Pope, who would tie himself to the letter: the Priest makes not all Christ, neither all that which is in Christ, he creates but a body broken upon the Cross, and but blood shed forth; & consequently an humanity dead and separated from its soul. And the gloss of the canon Comperimus saith, Can. sic in s●●ctificando. gl. Verb. Call g de consec. dist. 2. that if a Priest should have consecrated the bread whilst our Saviour was in the sepulchre, that the substance of the wheat would have been simply a dead body. Now when one hath yielded to the Priest, that he can make a body and blood of the substance of the bread and wine (which notwithstanding is false) yet cannot that which he makes be wholly Christ, for his soul and his divinity shall not be made, and consequently we ought not to adore that which he makes. For we adore the humanity of Christ, nor considered apart, ●ren. de incar. c. 25. but as being united to the divinity; So saith an ancient father, Christ hath adored with us: and if it so be that we must adore him, for to him must every knee bow, yet this is to be done only in respect of one of his natures. And Saint Augustine gives us an example thereof, If (saith he) any of us should find a purple rob or a Crown lying on the ground, Aug. de ●erbo 〈◊〉 58. would we worship it? But when the King is clothed therewith, he makes himself liable to great punishment, who through contempt adores it not with the King. In the same manner shall he be culpable of eternal death, which will not adore the humanity of Christ our Lord, not as it is considered nakedly alone, but as being united to his divinity, he being the only Son of God, true God and true man. This passage showeth that Saint Augustine was far from preaching the adoration of the Cross, lance, Nails, or rob without seam, which are not united unto our Saviour, neither make one person. If he should come to Argentevill the Priest without all question would call him an Heretic. Another abomination is committed in that the Priest pretendeth to sacrifice jesus Christ in the Mass, which Christ himself did not in the supper; for if he had done it, he verily would not have reiterated the next day his oblation, for that had not been necessary. Now jesus sacrificing himself upon the cross, said not, do this, for he had no other worthy sacrificer of such a sacrifice but himself, whose effect is eternal, and that which we are to do, is to bless, break, and distribute in remembrance of that sacrifice upon the cross. Chrysost. in hom. ad Corinth. In this sense S. Chrysostome saith, If jesus Christ be not dead, whereof shall this sacrifice be a sign or figure? But this is more amply treated of in the chapter of Sacrifice, and of the Sacrament; where you shall see that the action of the supper differeth from that of the cross, in respect of the time place, form, end, matter, etc. and therefore cannot be the same action. But seeing that the essence & soul of the Mass consisteth in transubstatiation, we must examine it more particularly. Of the pretended transubstantiation. Twelve hundred years after the institution of the supper, the Popes brought in this transubstantiation, In the council of Lateran. as new for the name as the effect; the Devil having by little and little, at the length gained the top of the mystery of iniquity. Let's set down therefore that which we are to believe in this communion, and then by way of opposition we shall know the abuses. It was instituted in general for the commemoration of the death of Christ, to celebrate the graces which he purchased for us, to ratify his alliance, to receive the pledge, seal, and assurance of a better life, to make protestation of that obedience which we own unto God; and of the union which we have with all the Saints, particularly, to receive the nourishment of our souls, to feel that we are united to our head and Lord, jesus Christ, that we are one with him, as he is with God the Father: and that we are bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh: that we enjoy him entirely, and all his benefits, to wit, his wisdom, justice, sanctification and redemption. So the union which we have with him is termed substantial in regard of the things united, real, in regard of the truth of the union, and its effect, and spiritual in regard of the means by which this union is made, which are the spirit and faith: but as for the form, that is incomprehensible unto us: thus far we must go, that we prescribe not unto God an impanation, concomitancy, transubstantiation, or other chimeras which favour of impiety and idolatry. First let us consider the words of our Lord, Fagius in Deut. c. 8. joseph. Scal. de emend. temp. lib. 6. who ordaining the celebration of the Passover, and the commemoration of his death; used in a manner the same terms which were used in the ancient passouer, where they said: this is th' bread of misery which our fathers have eaten in Egypt, which is as much as to say, this bread which you now eat, doth represent that bread which our fathers did eat in Egypt: it is 1500 years since you were delivered from that captivity. The jews in blessing of bread and wine, used these words, Blessed be thou, In lib. Vnisnaioth. O God, which hast given us bread, and the fruit of the vine of the earth. And so we are to take these terms, not according to the letter, but sacramentally, as those which were added after them, this is my body, this cup is my blood of the new Testament, which we must thus interpret, this wine which is in the cup, doth represent and present unto you the new alliance which I have made with you by the shedding of my blood, for the remission of sins. So that if one would demand how the bread is the body of Christ, we are to answer, that it is in the same manner as the cup is his blood, without changing of the substance. This bread is the body of Christ, as circumcision was the covenant, for it is added, Gen. 17.10. and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. So then the sign taketh the name of the thing signified as when it is said, Exod. 11.12. 1. Cor. 10 4. Tit. 3.5. joh. 3.6. Numb. 10. 1. Cor. 5. that the lamb was the Passover, that the rock was Christ, that baptism is the washing of regeneration: and Moses when the Ark set forwards, said, Rise up Lord, and when it rested, Return O Lord: and the Ark is called the king of glory, Ps. 24.7 & 8. All which manner of speeches although they be in sacramental matters, yet are they not literally to be understood, but do receive a sacramental interpretation. Which is the cause why the Doctors & Pastors of the Church have called the sacraments, types, antitypes, figures, similitudes, significations, images, & representations. You shall see hereafter more variety of the Doctor's testimonies. At this time note only this, that according to the sacramental phrase, and according to the names given to the sacraments, it may be verified, that this is my body, imports no changing of the substance, for they should be neither types nor figures, if they were of the same nature that the things themselves are which they represent, figurae non sunt rerum homogencarum. Another Classis of arguments against this pretended change, is taken from diverse concluding reasons. The first is this. This manner of speech, this is my body, soundeth not, let this be, or this shall be my body; for these are not imperative or operative terms of a new creature, no more than when it was said, this is my well-beloved son, Mat. 3.17. which was but a simple notification of that which he was before the pronouncing of them. It is another matter when it is said, Gen. 1. Let there be light, increase and multiply, for these are not mere enuntiations of things which are, but powerful terms to create that which was not. The second reason is drawn from the order which our Saviour used, in taking, blessing, and breaking, before he declared in words that which he presented; for to what end took he it but to bless it? and to what end blessed he it, but to sanctify it? Now if that blessing had his force, it is false to say that by the pronouncing of the last word Meum, the consecration is made; for if it were so he should not have said, this is, but this shall be my body. For when he would do a miracle, he said Lazarus come forth, joh. 11.44. and not Lazarus is come forth. For that was a term to do, and not to declare what was done. The third reason is taken from the terms themselves, for this is my body, is not as much as this is my body and blood, which necessarily they must acknowledge, if the bread be transubstantiated into jesus, and so they shall have good store of rhetorical figures: which notwithstanding the Priests reject in these words. In the same manner one might say as much of this cup is the new Testament, for in it there be many degrees of figurative interpretations, first a metonymy for by the Cup, they understand the wine which is within it, and by the wine the blood: then a Synecdoche, for by the blood they understand all Christ, both his body and soul, & notwithstanding it is contrary to that which our Saviour would present and represent, for by the bread is represented only the communion of the body, and by the cup the communion of the blood of our Lord: & this is that which we learn of S. Paul, ●. Cor. 10.16. who saith, the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body (not of the blood) of Christ, and the cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? Whereupon one of the first Schoolmen saith, ●●trus de palu●e 4. sent. d. 11. q. 3. 〈◊〉. 44. That the Sacraments do effect that which they prefigure, and that the effect of this Sacrament is the perfect refection of the soul, which is nothing else but to eat it & drink it: and therefore concludes, that it ought to have a double matter in it, to wit, matter to eat, and matter to drink. Now this Doctor wrote about the year 1300, and yet speaks not one word of transubstantiation, but only of the figure The fourth reason is, that if this transubstantiation of bread and wine had place, there would be three bodies of jesus Christ at the same time, differing in matter and form, that which is visible at the right hand of God in heaven, consisting of flesh and bone, and other two, the one made of the substance of bread, and the other of water and wine, both of them in form of bread and wine, so that they worship not jesus which was borne of the virgin, but jesus which is made of wheat and wine. V●de gl. verb. con●erturtur. can. quia corpies dist. 2. de consec. which denieth true substantiation. The fift reason is, that the perfect body of Christ should receive every day as many additions as there be consecrated hosts, or else the substance of this host doth vanish away, and gives place to her first body, which if it were so, there would be no changing, but only a displacing of the substance and changing of the place. Nevertheless it will be hard to believe, that of the substance of a glorified body, worms may be engendered, or that it is at the mercy of a fly: and it is blasphemous, and contrary to natural knowledge, to believe that accidents may subsist without a subject, or can corrupt without a substance. The sixth is, that the bones of our Saviour be broken, which were not even in his type, Exod. 12.46. joh. 19.36. you shall not break the bones: and therefore they were preserved upon the cross, although it were the custom to break their bones which died in that manner upon the cross. Now if his bones were not broken in his humility, wherefore do they teach that they can break them in his glory? Psal. 16. The seventh is taken from that it is said, that his body shall not take corruption: Now if he be chewed by the teeth of the Priest, Can 7. caveat execrationes. goes down into his stomach, passeth into his guts (for to that purpose they abstain to eat for some time, if he doth that which the cautells specify) it is certain that he corrupteth, which being impossible, it followeth that this eating of Christ is not carnal, but to believe is to drink, Ioh 6.35. jer. 15.16. and to come to Christ is to eat, as saith S. john: So in jeremy, I have eaten the word, is to say, I have believed it, and in the revelation, to eat the book, Apoc. 10.9. Can. ●t quid putas. de consec. dist. 2 Cass. in liturg. whereof he spoke, is to believe it, as saith S. Augustine in the Canon, believe and thou hast eaten, and the Liturgy of the Armenians, Lord jesus, I eat by faith thine holy quickening & saving body. The eighth is, August. ed Dardan. item tra●●. 30. in Joh. Vigil l. 4 con ●●●●. qui vbi● h●●●rat. nusquam habitat. that such transubstantiation destroys the nature of the body of our Lord, making it to be no body. Take from bodies their space, and they are no more bodies. The body of Christ is raised from the dead, and it must needs be in one certain place; for as Vigilius an ancient Bishop of Trent, saith, how comes it about that the word being every where, the flesh is not every where? For when it was on earth, it was not in heaven, and now it is in heaven, it is not upon earth. In the Canons themselves this carnal eating is called by S. Augustine the first heresy, where it is said, Can. prima quidem haeresis. de consec. dist. 2. That until the end of the world, the Lord will be on high, but the truth of the Lord is here with us; for the body wherewith he was raised up must needs be in one certain place, but his truth is diffused throughout. And in the Acts of the Apostles it is written, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things. Act. 3.21. The ninth is, Vide gl. can. Quia corpus. v. convertuntur. de consec dist. 2. where the glosser is much troubled joh. 2.9. Exod. 7.10. that this doctrine of transubstantiation is contrary to itself, because the corruption of the first matter ought to be the generation of the second, as when the substance of the water was altered and turned into the substance of wine in the marriage of Cana, or when the rod of Aaron was turned into a serpent. Now in this sacrament the substance of bread is not altered, and the substance of the body of Christ was before, there is therefore only a change of place and not of substance, and the body which is in heaven comes but either to mingle itself, or to take the room of the bread, contrary to that which hath been proved here before. The tenth reason is, that the body which Christ presents unto us is a crucified body, the memory whereof he enjoined us to celebrate: wherefore it is said, This is my body which is broken, Mat. 26, 26. 1. Cor. 1. and my blood which is shed forth, and not that which shall be, or which hath been: for this lamb slain before the creation of the world, was present to Abraham upon the cross through faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, Heb. 11.1. and whose effect was present before and since the passion in regard of the faithful, which are called not to the participation of a glorious body, but of a body crucified, not a body which cannot suffer but of him which makes his soul an oblation for sin, Esay. 53.11. as Esay saith. Durand. de remed. penit. can. ut quid. de consecr. dist. 2. c. non iste. Amb. lib. 6. de sacramento. Idem lib. 2. c. 5. de Isaac & anima. Aug. in. Joh. tract. 5. The eleventh reason is, that the body of our Lord being spiritual food, aught to be received spiritually, and to that purpose S. Augustine saith, To what end preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly? believe and thou hast eaten. And S. Ambrose. As the bread is the proper food of our body, and is eaten corporally, so the body of Christ is the food of the spirit and is eaten spiritually. And the same bringeth in our Saviour speaking, Those are present with me whose faith is with me, and whose portion I am: and S. Augustine, Some will question how I shall enjoy it being absent? how I shall stretch forth my hand thither where he sits, and hold him there? send thither thy faith, and thou takest hold of him, thy forefathers enjoyed him in the flesh, enjoy thou him by faith. Our Saviour himself interpreteth to drink and eat by the same terms, to come and believe. The twelfth reason is taken from the nature of the body, and from the manner of the phrase, to be in a place. For if the natural body borne of the Virgin be in the Sacrament, it is then either definitively, as the Angels be in a place, and so it will have no true body, which ought to fill a place, or else it will be there repletively, and so in as much as it is a natural body, it should be there visibly and palpably. For by being raised again, and glorified it looseth not the nature of a true body, for Christ said himself, Touch and see, Luk. 24.29. for a spirit hath not flesh nor bones, as I have. It remaineth therefore that Christ is there by the virtue of his divinity, which is every where (as saith S. Augustine) although his flesh be in heaven, and no otherwise then as we say the sun to be present with us when the light thereof cometh through the windows, although the body thereof be fixed in the heavens. The thirteenth reason is, that if the eating of the body of Christ be carnal, all the faithful which lived before the coming of our Saviour be damned, because they be dead before they eat the body of Christ. For it is written, If you eat not the flesh of the son of man, and drink not his blood, there is no life in you. But we are assured that they were saved, by the words of our Saviour concerning the bosom of Abraham, and by other testimonies and examples of Moses, Enoch, Elias, Elizeus &c: from whence we must conclude that they eat jesus Christ, it being written in express terms, that all our Fathers did eat the same spiritual meat, 1. Cor. 10.4. and did all drink of the same spiritual drink, and that the rock whereof they drank was Christ. Now before his nativity they drank him not carnally, and therefore it followeth that they did eat it by faith, and that such a kind of eating is sufficient unto salvation, considering that by it alone they were saved, being bound notwithstanding to eat it. The fourteenth is taken from the effect of transubstantion, for if the bread be made flesh by virtue of those words which are pronounced by the Priest, it continues to be flesh unless either by contrary words one dissubstantiats it, whereof we have no example, or the incredulity of the wicked receiver doth disannul that which the consecration had created: For otherwise the wicked which receive the sacrament should be infallibly saved, and none of them receive condemnation, in regard that the promise is general, whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, joh. 6.56. Aug. de verbo dom. & tract. in johan. 26. Cyrill. lib. 4. in joh. c. 19 the same hath life everlasting, and that of S. Augustine, when Christ is eaten, life is eaten. Again, The sacrament is life unto every man, & is death unto none, whosoever he be which receiveth it. For if it might be (saith Origen upon the 15 chap, of Mat.) that the wicked should eat the word which is made flesh, it had never been written, whosoever shall eat this bread shall live eternally. The reason hereof is evident; for seeing that the flesh and blood are eaten only by the faithful, and are received only by faith, this body cannot be eaten unworthily. For as S. Augustine saith, Lib. 5. cont. Donatistas'. tract. in johan. 26. We are not to conceive that the wicked do eat the body of Christ; although he carnally and visibly do break with his teeth the signs of the body and blood. Note that he saith signs, for S. Paul saith not, whosoever eateth this body unworthily, but whosoever eateth of this bread, & drinketh of this cup. Which eating of the mere sign, is sufficient, to make any man culpable which approacheth unworthily, and rejecteth the grace which his prince offereth him, trampling under foot his arms, and injuring his ambassador; Heb. 10.26.28. which are no less than crimes of high nature offered to his sacred majesty. So the contempt of circumcision was a cause of Gods forsaking his people; see more in the punishment of the Bethsamites for prying within the Ark of the covenant, Gen. 17. 1. Sam. 7, 36. & 6.19. and of the Philistians, who placed it in the temple of their Idol. Inn. de sacram. altaris. c. 4 13. & 14. p●nem domini non panem dominum. The fifteenth reason is taken from the words which S. Paul useth, that he is culpable, and receiveth his own damnaon, eating unworthily the bread of the Lord. So judas eat the bread of the Lord, but not the bread which is the Lord, saith Innocent. Whence it followeth that there is no transubstantiation, considering that after the consecration he speaketh of two breads, the one Panis domini, the bread of the Lord, which is the wheaten loaf, the other Panis Dominus, the bread which is the Lord, to wit, the true body of jesus Christ: the one in Heaven, the other on earth; the one received with the hand and the mouth of the body, the other with faith, which is the hand and mouth of the soul, the one offered by the minister of the Church, the other by jesus Christ himself. Wherefore S, Paul saith, that he which eateth and drinketh unworthily, discerneth not the Lords body. Where to discern, διακρίνειν, is as much as to separate the one from the other, and to have a divers respect of either: for if there be but one, there can be neither discerning nor distinguishing. The sixteenth reason is taken from hence, that the pretended change made by the pronouncing of words, will accuse them, in that they have not the power to change as well the accidents as the substance, nor to convert the form as well as the matter. And they must needs interpret these words this is my body, in this manner; this substance with his accidents, is changed into an other substance without accidents. The seventeenth is taken from that which the Apostle saith, You shall declare the Lords death until his coming. 1. Cor. 11.26. For if we are not to celebrate this action but until his coming, by a consequent there ought not to be any more Masses said; for according to the Priest's doctrine Christ hath often descended already unto us. The eighteenth is, that we are not to celebrat the memory of things present, but of those which are absent; and therefore seeing that this is a commemoration of jesus Christ, it followeth that he is not there carnally present. The nineteenth is taken from the letter, to which the Priests so much stick; for this is my body, makes not whole Christ, and consequently the Priest in pronouncing those words, understands him not wholly; and therefore ought not to adore him as is before said, Numb. 23. The twentieth reason is taken from the testimony of Cyrill, before cited, that the Sacrament is life unto every man, Cyrill. lib. 4. in joh. c. 19 & is death unto none, whosoever he be that receiveth it. So that if there were a true transubstantiation of the bread, Pope Victor the 3. and the Emperor Henry the 7. would not have been poisoned with the bread and wine transubstantiated, for neither the body nor blood glorified is capable of poison. Exod. 16.15. & 78.25. Joseph. Angles in storibus. 4. quaest. de susc. diffic. 2. Alexand. Hales. part. 4. q. 45. m. 1. etc. The one and twentieth reason (for it is behoveful to have just furniture) is taken from Manna a figure of this Sacrament, which though it were not transubstantiated, yet was it styled the bread of Angels, and Heavenly bread, and that which was reserved thereof in the Ark putrefied not, wherefore the bread which is in the Mass is not the natural and carnal body of our Lord; For if it were, it would have no less virtue in it to guard it, than its legal figure had to preserve itself from worms, mice, and other creatures, with which the Priests stand at mortal enmity this day. The last reason is taken from hence, that our Saviour ought to be adored with one only kind of adoration, before and after his incarnation; for the incarnation cannot be a cause of a new worship, such as is in the Mass, which endures no longer than the species do subsist without putrefying: whereas the only and true adoration due to our Lord, is due only to the Person of Christ, wherein two natures are inseparably united. Wherefore the Ephesian Creed made against Paulus Damasetanus, and translated out of Greek into Latin by Peltanus the jesuite, saith, We confess that jesus Christ our Lord ought to be entirely adored, with his body, but not according to his body. For this reason the Arrians have been called idolaters by Athanasius, Cyrill and Theodoret, because they adored a god, which they said, was created. §. Nobis quoque verse. per quem. The same say the Priests in the Mass in these words, by whom thou createst unto us these daily goods. And these goods after the words of pretended consecration are called pure Sacraments in temporal gifts; and therefore they cannot be inseparably and hypostatically united to the person of our Saviour, § Corpus tuum. Inspec. sacer. versican tangendo Corpus Christi, & propter continentiam tuam excellentissimae divinitatis Christi. who is neither a Sacrament, nor in their sense a temporal gift. Likewise Nestorius believing our Saviour to be man sustaining the Godhead, hath been condemned as an Heretic: much more reason is there to brand with such a title those which believe the simple accidents do sustain a body and a soul, even the whole entire divinity, and who ordain an adoration of Sacraments, and things visible and temporal, which are not God invisible, eternal, infinite, neither our Saviour in his natural existence, who is at the right hand of God, far differing from a sacramental existence, which the Council of Trent confesseth cannot be expressed, in which regard one may say unto them, You know not that which you adore, but we know that which we worship, even jesus which is God invisible, made man like unto us in all things, sin only excepted, Now this new adoration was instituted by Honorius the 3. about the year 1225, and the prayer unto it is prescribed in the gloss, Salue lux mundi, etc. God save thee thou light of the world, word of the Father, true host, living flesh, § Placeat tibi. entire deity, true man, etc. And although this adoration be addressed directly to the host, yet the Priest knows well that it is differing from jesus Christ, not only in regard of the terms above mentioned, to wit, that he is called a pure Sacrament, and a temporal gift, but also in respect of the prayer which he makes, Let the office of my servitude please thee, holy Trinity, etc. and grant that the sacrifice offered by me, be agreeable unto thee, &c: through jesus Christ. Now I say that if this host were jesus Christ himself, we ought not to say, let jesus be agreeable through jesus; for men employ not the intercession of a thing, to the thing itself. Moreover jesus Christ was not Mediator for himself to God, for between the Persons of the Trinity there is no mediation; but between the host and him to whom it is offered, a kind of mediation is suggested; for in the same moment, the Priest throws himself below the host to adore it, and above it, intercedes for it to God, that it may be acceptable unto him, so that he makes two Christ's, the one at the right hand of the Father invocated and prayed unto, and the other in the hands of the Priest, supplicating and attending to find grace, the one unto whom the sacrifice is offered, and the other which is sacrificed. Whence appears a manifest idolatry; for there is but one only adoration of the same essence, which receives neither more nor less, neither differeth from itself either in substance or accident. The next order of arguing against this pretended transubstantiation, is taken from the analogy of the Sacraments, which are visible signs and seals of the invisible grace of God, so that the sign is a thing differing in his own nature from that which it signifies, as the water in Baptism, which although it be a Sacrament of blood, yet is it not transubstantiated. Can. quia passus in fine de consec. dist. 2. And the Popes themselves herein agree with us, saying, We are not to doubt that every faithful man is made partaker of the body and of the cup, when he is baptized, although he die before he receive the Eucharist, and mark the reason added thereunto, because he hath in himself that which this Sacrament signifies. The same may be said of the Sacraments, of the Passeover, the Rock, the Ark, in which the Lamb was not changed into the Passeover, nor the Rock into Christ, nor the Ark into the Covenant, notwithstanding they contained the truth of that which they prefigured, and they which were partakers of them, did really enjoy that which was represented by them. Ibid. Omnis res in sese illarum rerum continet naturam & veritatem, ex quibus conficitur. And this is the reason why the Canon, hoc est, shows that every Sacrament hath two parts, and sets down this Maxim, that every thing containeth in itself the nature and the verity of those things whereof it is composed. From whence it is easy to conclude, that the Sacrament of the Eucharist being amongst other things composed of bread and wine, the bread and the wine retain the nature and verity of bread and wine. And more plainly in the same canon is said, that the bread is called a body, Gl. verb. coelestis. suo modo, after its own manner, not in truth, but in signifying it in a mystery. And the reason why they continue in their proper nature is evident; Nullum simile est idem. for otherwise there would be no resemblance between the thing signifying and the thing signified; and we should with blasphemy say, that as the accidents without the substance cannot nourish the body, so likewise that which they prefigure, can yield no nourishment to the soul. Hear St Augustine, If the Sacraments had no agreement with the things whereof they be Sacraments, Aug. ep. 23. they would be no more Sacraments, because they would not signify them at all. Wherefore after the blessing, Math. 26. 1. Cor. 11. even our Saviour himself called the Sacrament, the fruit of the Vine; and Saint Paul saith, the bread which we break, etc. Again, whosoever shall eat of this bread, and drink of this wine unworthily, etc. he saith not of his body. Lastly, our Saviour having said, that he would drink of this fruit in the kingdom of his Father, it is certain, Luke 24. that he meant not that he would drink himself after the resurrection, but foretold only the repast, which after it, he would take with his Disciples, and though he spoke there only of eating, yet drinking is well enough understood, for men use not to eat without drinking. Finally, besides arguments drawn from reason, certain it is that by testimonies and inartificial proofs it may be verified, that twelve hundred years after our Saviour until Innocent the third, the Church received not that transubstantiation; which is set down in the canon Ego Berengarius, De consecr. dist. 2. & ●an. quia corpus & gl. & can. firmiter ardeum, & de suam Trinit in decretales. Ca●. Vtrum sub figura. v. Vorard. veritatem egressus & hyperbolica locutus est. Theod. 1. dial. contra quosdam haeret tom. 2. where Nicholas caused it to be said, that not only the Sacrament, but also the true body and blood of our Lord is sensually handled and broken by the hands of the Priest, and chewed with his teeth. Which belief being full of impiety the canons themselves, do derogate from it, and the gloss of the canon Vtrum, even in the same title of consecration, where the gloss saith, that Berengarius, lied, and spoke by an hyperbole. What credit shall we give to these forgers of traditions? let's have recourse unto antiquity, Our Saviour hath changed the names in the Sacraments, and hath given to his body the name of the sign, and to the sign also hath he given the name of his body, and in the same manner as he was called an hedge, he called the wine his blood. Afterwards he concludes, So the visible signs are honoured with the name of body and blood, not in changing nature, but in adding grace unto nature. And in the second Dialogue: For even after the benediction, the mystical Symbols leave not their own nature, for they abide in their proper substance, and visible form and shape, and to be touched in such sort as they were before. And Macarius, Macar. hom. 27 When in the Church the bread and the wine are brought forth, being antitypes of the body and blood of him, those which partake of the visible bread, do eat his body and his blood spiritually. And that which the Priest saith, after he hath taken the Eucharist, shows that there is no transubstantiation; for after the consecration he saith, quod ore sumpsimus &c: de munere temporali fiat &c: also the prose, sub diversis speciebus signis tantum & non rebus latent res eximiae: the Sacraments are termed signs & not things. Chrys. ad Caesar. mon. And S. Chrysostome saith, that the bread is called by the name of our Lord, although the nature of bread do yet continue. The same said Pope Gelasius, writing 1000 years after our Saviour, Gelas. contra Eutich. Car. lib. de divin. eff. pag. 85. Tertull. lib 4. cont. Martion. Chrys. 1. Cor. c. 10. Amb. de iis qui init. mist. c. 9 Can. ant benedict. dist. 2. de consec. Dionys. de eccles. Hierarch. c 3. Aug. in Psal. 3. Aug. contra Adim. manich. c. 12. and Charlemagne writing to Alcuinus his Master, hath these words, In supping with his disciples, he broke the the bread and gave it unto them, and likewise the cup, as figures of his body and blood. And Tertullian, Christ having taken the bread, and distributed it to his disciples, he made it his body in saying, this is my body, that is to say, the figure of my body. And Chrysostome, What is that which the bread signifieth? the body of Christ. And Ambrose, Before the blessing of those heavenly words, another kind was named, but after the consecration, the body of Christ is signified. And Saint Denis, By the venerable signs of the Sacrament, jesus Christ is signified and received. And S. Augustine saith, that he eateth Christ which eateth him within and not without, which eateth him in his heart, and not he which feedeth on him with his teeth. In his 26 tract upon Saint john: The patience of jesus Christ was admirable, in that he admitted judas to the banquet, in the which he instituted and gave to his disciples the figure of his body and of his blood, The Lord made no difficulty to say, this is my body when he gave them the figure of his body and his blood. And in the canon taken out of Saint Hierome, upon the Epistle to the Ephesians, it is said, that the body of jesus Christ is two ways understood, the first, carnally, when it is said that it is crucified, Euseb. de vita const. lib 10. c. 3 Maldonat. jesuit in joh. c. 6 v. 55. the other spiritually, when is is called bread. So are the Sacraments called by Eusebius, secret Symbols of the passion of our Saviour. Again, he calls his flesh true food, and blood true drink, because it doth truly nourish our souls, and gives unto them life everlasting. As in the 32 verse, he calls himself true bread, yet certainly not of nature: for if one regard nature, he is not true and proper bread, but only in respect of the effect, because he truly doth do that which bread useth to do. And Saint Augustine, The Apostle saith, Aug. ad Bonifac. epist. 23. we are buried with Christ through Baptism into his death, he saith not that we signify his burying, but he saith absolutely that we are buried. Wherefore he called not the Sacrament of so great a thing, otherwise then by the name of the thing itself. And the same puts down this rule, Aug. quaest. super Levit. 67. the thing which signifieth, hath been used to be called by the name of that which it signifieth: as it is written, the seven ears of corn are seven years, he saith not that they signify seven years: so likewise the seven kine are seven years, and many others. From thence it cometh, that it was said the rock was Christ; for it is not said, the rock signifieth Christ, but as if it had been that which it was not in substance, but in signification. Now that which hath brought in this error, is, that they think that faith cannot produce any real effect; Heb. 11. and nevertheless we have the Scriptures full of contrary examples, by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; through faith Sara conceived, by faith the Israelites passed through the red sea, by faith the walls of jericho fell down. And as for corporal manners of speaking attributed to the soul, as when it is said, that faith eateth and drinketh, they enforce not any communication of the proprieties of the body, any more than when it is said, that the soul heareth and seethe, although it have neither ears nor eyes. The effects therefore of the spirit are real and true, although the means and causes be spiritual, for otherwise the Angels which killed the first borne in Egypt, and defeated the Army of Senacherib, because they had not bodies, could not have done that real execution: whereas indeed it was so much the more real, by how much the instrument was the more agile, and disburdened of that corporal Mass, which is an impediment to our actions. Objections. There remain now the Objections, whereof the first is, that under the Gospel all figures cease. Where we must distinguish of figures, for sometimes they are taken for Rhetorical figures and manners of speech, which they call Tropes, and those cease not, for the Gospel is full of them; as for example, jesus is called the Lamb, the Hedge, the way, by a Metaphor, and even in this place the cup is taken for the wine by a metonomy. Sometimes figures are taken for the ceremonies of the Law, which prefigured Christ and his sacrifice. These indeed cease in the reformed Churches, but not in the Roman. For if we may believe Biell, Titleman and others, there were never more figures under the old Law, then are now under the new. See the significations of the Altar, the kissing of it, the right hand, and the left, the turnings of the Priest, the signs, and a thousand significations and inventions, which we know notwithstanding to have ceased. We answer therefore that figures do not cease in the former signification, but the later. The second objection is taken from the omnipotency of God, who is able to make a body to be every where, to be invisible, and exist without its accidents. To this we must answer, that by this argument Mahumet and his abominations may be maintained, for God is able to do any thing. But before we employ this omnipotency, we ought to examine, if such be his will, and then we may boldly conclude that he can do it; for the proposition is not convertible, God can do all that he will, Aug. Euchirid. c. 96. and God will do all that he can. This is taught us by S. Augustine, God is not called omnipotent for any other reason, then for that he is able to do all that which he is willing to do, and that the effect of his will can not be hindered by the will and effect of any other creature. And Tertullian, Tert. ad vers. praxeam. He could have given feathers to men as well as to birds, but though he could yet it followeth not that he would etc. for the power of God is his will. According to this Orthodox doctrine, we say, that there be some things impossible to God, as first those things which are repugnant to his nature, as when it is said that he cannot lie, for he is truth, Heb. 6. 1●. jam. 1.13. 2. Tim. 2.13. Aug. 5. the ●iv. c. 10. idem de symb. l. 1. Hier. ad Eustac. L●mb. lib. 1. d. 40. c. he cannot be tempted with evil, he cannot deny himself. And to this purpose, saith S, Augustine, That God cannot do some things although he be omnipotent. Secondly, we say that God cannot do those things which are contradictory to the order which he hath established: as to make darkness to give light, or a triangle not to contain in it three angles. Wherefore we say that in regard that our Lord hath a true and natural body, he hath always the essential qualities belonging thereunto, so that having said that it was expedient for him to go to heaven, that he might send us the comforter which is the holy Ghost, joh. 16. Act. 3. Can. prim. quidem. that we shall not always have him with us, and that he will not come again until the day of judgement, it followeth that it is false that the Priests do make him descend at every Mass which they say, considering that we neither see him nor touch him, 1. Pet. 2. whereas he is like unto us in all things, sin only excepted. The third objection is that this transubstantiation is made by a miracle, which S. Augustine denieth, who saith, Aug. de trinit. lib. 3. c. 10. Exod. 7.10. joh. 2.9. These things may he honoured as being religious, but they cannot challenge admiration or astonishment, as if they were miraculous. The reason is, because that which is miraculous, may be seen and be apprehended by the senses, as when Aaron's rod, or the water of Cana were changed; but men admire not that which they perceive not, and therefore if one would speak properly, it cannot be termed a miracle. The fourth objection, is that the body of Christ is glorified, and therefore is spiritual and like unto Angels. This makes not that it hath not flesh and bones: for after that he was raised up from the dead, he said himself, Luk. 24.9. Damas'. de fide orthodoxa. lib. ●. c. 3. a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have. And Damascen, Neither of Christ's natures is capable to receive contrary differences. Now if it were invisible in the sacrament and visible in heaven, his humanity would receive contrary differences, which it cannot do. And S. Augustine, if this be my body, Aug ad Dard●num. (saith he) it is then in a certain place etc. As for that which some object, that the body of our Saviour is spiritual, S. Augustine interpreteth it, Aug. ad Consent as the sensitive body is not soul but body, so the spiritual body is not a spirit but a body. For saith Theodoret, Theod. dialog. confusus. the nature of a true body continued with our Lord after his resurrection, and was not changed at all: only that which was corruptible and mortal in him, was changed into immortality and incorruption. And as for that which is said that we shall be like unto Angels, the word like, showeth that we shall not be altogether the same. Tertull. de resur Hier. cant. joh. hyerosol. & ad Eust. So saith Tertullian, jesus Christ said not, that they shall be Angels, to deny they shall be men, but that they shall be like Angels, to show that they shall be men. And in another place he saith, by these words they shall be like unto Angels, nature is not taken from us, but the likeness of Angels is promised unto us. Aug. retract. l. 1 c. 13. & 26. S. Augustine teacheth us the same. And seeing that this resembling, is not only in the humanity of jesus, but also in all the faithful, we ought for the same reason to nullify the humanity of all the Saints. The resemblance therefore consists in incorruption, in obedience to God, and in the holiness of life, and not in the privation of a true human body. For though the human body should be throughout Angelical, yet could it not be any whit the more visible in one place, and invisible in another, or in two places at the same time: to this purpose saith Didimus, Didimus tractatu de spir. etc. Basil tract. de spirit. etc. c. 22. The spirit is every where, and therefore is God, which cannot be said of Angels. And Basil the great, All other powers are circumscribed for the Angel which visited Cornelius, was not in the same place where it accompanied Philip. As for his transfiguration, his walking upon the waters, his entering in the doors being shut, these were effects of his divinity, and not abrogatings of his humanity: not change of his body, but making of the creature to give place to his creator, and consolidating the waters: for even in the like manner, the Apostles have come out of prison the door being shut, and their chains have fallen off, and S. Peter if he had faith enough might walk upon the water, yet was there no necessity to change his human nature by that means to make him the more capable of that action. It followeth afterwards, that the Priest stretching forth his hand saith, Upon which things let it please thee to look with a propitious and a favourable countenance, and to accept them, as thou didst vouchsafe to accept the gifts of thy just son Abel, and the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham, and as the holy sacrifice and immaculate host which thy high Priest Melchisedeck● offered unto thee. Supra quae, propitio ac sereno vultu respicere dignoris, & accepta habere, sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel, & sacrificium Patriarcha nostri Abrahae, & quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech, sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam. Of what oblation speaks he? If it be of the oblation of bread, that subsists no more, for he hath said already, hoc est corpus meum; it is therefore of jesus Christ, and doth he doubt, that it will not be acceptable to God as the flock of Abel; o impiety; the Priest did before offer up bread not consecrated for the remission of sins, and here offering up jesus whom he hath adored and made the people to adore, doth abate his price & pray God that it may be in the same rank that was the bread of Melchisedecke? Eph. 2.18. joh. 14.6. Heb. 14.15. Where is the knowledge, the conscience, the zeal of the house of God? Come Lord jesus, we believe and know that we are acceptable to God through jesus Christ, by his merits, and through the favour of his intercession. The Priest quite contrary, doth here intercede for him, that he may be acceptable unto God. Secondly, him which is the holy one of God. and on whom all sanctification doth depend, the Priest would make as holy as the goats of Abel; whereas contrariwise it is written, The blood of jesus speaketh better things then that of Abel. Heb. 12.24. And what a presumption is it to enterprise the sacrificing of jesus, by that means making once self more worthy than him, for the sacrifice is not acceptable in itself, Heb. 11.4. leen. l. 4. conntra haeres. valent. c. 34. but in consideration of him which offereth it, and that is the reason which S. Paul allegeth, why God regarded the sacrifice of Abel, and not of Cain, because his person pleased him not. And S. Ireneus gives the same reason. Afterwards the Priest falls upon his knees & saith, We humbly beseech thee Almighty God, that thou wilt command these things to be carried by the hands of thine holy Angel unto thine holy altar, in the sight of thy divine majesty. Supplices te rogamus, omnipotens Deus, iube haec perferri, per manus sancti angeli tui in sublime altar tuum, in conspectu divinae Maiestatis tuae. It it be jesus Christ, he needs not the ministry of Angels to ascend into heaven, he ascended thither once by his own virtue: and if he be once ascended, by virtue of what words may men make him redescend? and when? for if the Priest be to devour him, and make him pass into his entrails, as is before said, he had need to pray that he might descend, & not ascend. And if it be only to present himself unto God, he needs not ascend, for God is every where; but how will this ascension agree with his descent into the stomach? & how the one and the other with that which the gloss saith? That this one thing is certain, Gl. V miscere. can. quibus gradibus 2. dist. de consecrat. per aqualicales digestus in secessunt diffunditur. that assoon as the species of bread and wine are broken with the teeth, strait ways the body of Christ is wrapped up into heaven, whereas the text forbids the Priest to eat six hours after, for fear lest he should mingle a part of that body with the meat which passeth through. What impiety? what blasphemy is this? The Priest raiseth himself up, and saying, participatione, kisseth the altar. To the end that all we which shall take by participating of this altar the body [crossing the host] and the blood [crossing the chalice] of thy son, may be filled with all benediction, and [crossing himself] celestial grace, through the same Christ our Lord, Amen. quot quot ex hac altaris participatione, sacrosanctum filii tus corpus & sanguinem sumpserimus, omni benedictictione coelesti & gratia repleamur, per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. The Priest shows what participation he intends to speak of by kissing the altar, and saying this prayer, which is an idolatry reiterated, as above is showed, for if he intended to speak by a rhetorical figure, and to take the altar for that which is upon the altar, to wit the Sacrament, he ought to show the Sacrament and not the altar. So that this participation is but the kiss which he bestows at this time. Secondly is not this to mock the people, to say, We shall take? For if the people participate not at all, this prayer cannot be made for them. We may not forget the three signs of the cross which are made upon the host, the Chalice and the Priest himself, to every one one, by which he exalts himself above that which he blesseth, as is said before. The second memento. Remember also, O Lord, thy servants N. who went before us with the sign of faith, and sleep in the sleep of peace. Memento etiam Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N. qui nos praecesserunt cum signo fidei & dormiunt in somne pacis. This second memento, is said ordinarily with the hands joined, and coming to these words, who sleep in the sleep of peace, the Priest seemeth to sleep, but in the mean time he must forsooth insert those which are recommended unto him, and which have furnished him with matter of remembrance. Afterwards he rouseth himself, and crieth ipsis domine etc. I demand therefore, what that prayer is profitable for, after he hath once prayed for those which sleep in the sleep of peace? are there two pieces in the other world? But hence ariseth the profit of the Priest, who persuadeth the ignorant people that he is the clerk of the signet for their deceased friends. Now if they sleep in peace, tell me, why takest thou my money? why preachest thou not unto me that which is written, joh. 3.36. & 5.24. Luk. 23.43. He which believeth on the son hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life? Why proposest thou not the example of the thief, who the same day of his death went with our Saviour into Paradise? Wherefore takest thou not away the terrors of Purgatories fire, which proceeded from Tophet, and were too soon kindled for the people's profit? Lastly, joh. 1.1.7. why tellest thou not, that The blood of jesus cleanseth us from all our sins? Alas, we being washed therewith need not fear to be reputed any more polluted, seeing that jesus Christ hath by himself purged our sins; where note, that he saith, by himself, and not by imaginary fire. And teaching this for the consolation of the faithful, turn but the leaf for the wicked, and you shall read in capital letters, He which believeth not is already condemned, joh. 3.36. he that believeth not the son shall not see life, Can. maiores extat. de baptismo. but the wrath of God abideth on him. Wherefore then do they invent half pardons, penal graces, pardons without mercy, when as even the decretal glosses do teach us the contrary. ● 1. § fi. C. de sententiam passis Larga dei pietas &c: The great bounty of God, will not pardon thee by halves, but if thou weepest, it will give thee all or none. And the Lawyers hold, that all restitution doth remit that which the sentence of condemnation had taken away. Neither doth the distinction of venial and mortal sins any whit serve their turns, for where the law distinguisheth not, all distinctions are but extinctions of the law. Now it is written, the wages of sin is death. Rom. 6.13. Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10. That is eternal. Also, the soul which sinneth shall die and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Wherefore let us thus conclude, all sins merit death: but venial sins are sins, and therefore venial sins do merit death. Hear what S. Augustine saith, Aug count Peligium. l. 5. and you shall see that Purgatory purgeth but the purse. First (saith he) the Catholic faith believeth that there is the kingdom of heaven: secondly, that there is hell, in the which every Apostata and stranger to the faith of Christ shall suffer torments, as for a third place we neither seek for it, neither do we find it mentioned in the Scriptures. Cyp. count Don. l. 4. ep. 4. And S. Cyprian, When one departeth from hence, he shall find no place for repentance or satisfaction, here is life either lost or kept. In brief we believe this faithful testimony, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea (saith the spirit) that they may rest from their labours, Apoc. 14.13. & their works do follow them. Likewise, I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Again, Es. 43.13. Psal 32.2. Aug. de verbis dom. Ser. 37. blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Lastly, S. Augustine concludeth with us, Christ taking upon him the punishment and not the fault, hath washed away the fault and the punishment. Afterwards he continues with his hands disjoind and stretched forth. To them, O Lord, and to all those which do rest in Christ, we pray thee to give a place of refreshing, of light and peace through the same Christ our Lord, Amen. Ipsis Domine & omnibus in Christo quiescentibus, locum refrigerij, lucis & pacis ut indulgeas deprecamur, per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Then the Priest beats his breast to represent the Publican and thumps it something harder than before, and then pronounceth the rest softly. And to us sinners thy servants, which hope in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to give some part and society with thine holy Apostles, & Martyrs, john, Stephen, Mathias, Barnabas Ignatius, Alexandrinus, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetual, Agatha, Lucia, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, & all the Saints, into whose number we beseech thee to receive us, not as a valuer of our merits, but of our pardoning, through Christ thy son our lord Here you must note that Amen may not be said. Nobis quoque peccatoribus famulis tuis de multitudine miserationum tuarum sperantibus, partem aliquam & societatem donare digneris, cum tuis sanctis Apostolis & Martyribus, cum johann, Stephano, Matthia, Barnaba, Ignatio, Alexandrino, Marcellino, Petro, Felicitate, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucia, Agnete, Cicilia, Anastasia, & omnibus sanctis tuis, intra quorum nos consortium, non aestimator meriti sed veniae, quaesumus largiter admit, per Christum filium tuum, Dominum nostrum. Let us consider how the spirit of lying is contrary to itself; all the doctrine of the Mass is founded upon the merits of Saints, of the Priests, and such like, and yet by an oversight, they have inserted one word which destroyeth all their merits and establisheth God's mercy. Can. quia corpus gl. v. meruisti. de consecr. dist. 2. For the Gloss of that Canon which allegeth S. Augustine saith, Mercy supposeth not merit, for to give for merit sake, is justice & not mercy. We ought therefore to acknowledge our misery, not by hypocrisy, as when we cover it with the name of humility, but in truth, as the Publican did, without building upon the works of the Pharisee: for before one can establish a merit, he must ascend four degrees: first he must give that which is his own: secondly, he must do that which he is not bound or obliged to do. Thirdly, the gift must be equivalent: and four, it must profit him to whom it is given. As for the first, Philip. 2.13. what can we give to God, which we have not received of him? and therefore S. Augustine saith, that When God gives us our reward, he crowneth in us his own gifts and not our merits. As for the second, when we have fulfilled all the law, yet have we done but that which we ought to do, and therefore according to that of our Saviour, We are but unprofitable servants, Psal. 32. Rom. 4.6. and that of David and S. Paul, the felicity of a man consisteth in this, that God approveth of a justice without works. In the third place, what proportion is there between our works & eternal life, that they should be able to merit it? considering that even martyrdom itself, Rom 8.18. Aug. de praes. sanctitate. and the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the glory which shall be showed unto us. Wherefore S. Augustine saith, that the grace of God is none at all, if it be given for merits. Id. psal. 31. If thou wouldst estrange thyself from grace, make boast of thy merits. Whatsoever thou imputest to merits, detracteth from grace. And as for the fourth, what can we give to God that can profit him, who finds no content but in himself, to whom the whole world appertaineth and all that therein is, Psal. 50. job. 4. &. 18. who hath found no steadfastness in his servants and laid folly upon his Angels. job. 4.18. Neither do those passages any thing avail which are produced to convince this doctrine: for we must distinguish of the justice which the faithful have alleged to God, & must consider that they spoke not of any absolute justice, such as might merit with God, but only of justice in comparison of their enemies: as an ounce may be said to be weighty in regard of a grain, though it be but light when it is compared to a pound. Wherefore in respect of God we have no merits, as it is said, Psal. 143.2. Enter not into judgement with thy servant. O Lord, for in thy sight shall no living man (he excepts not the jesuits) be justified, And the Apostle makes a general Maxim, Rom. 3.27. We conclude therefore that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law. But speaking of the justice of his cause against his adversary Saul, David saith, Give sentence with me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, Psal. 7.8. and according to the innocency that is in me: and in the like manner he said to Saul, Let the Lord reward every man according to his righteousness and faithfulness. To be brief when the Lord hath respect to our works, it is not for their worth and their dignity, for they are but as filthy clouts. Esay 64.6. But he hath respect to his covenant, ex pacto agitur non autem ex merito; and to the condition which he hath put in his contract, which notwithstanding we cannot perfectly accomplish. As when the husbandman gave to him whom he had hired at the last hour, as much as to those which sustained the heat of the day. Let us imitate the Publican in this confession, and fly such Pharisaical pride as is now renewed by the jesuits. Then followeth the great battery of the whole Canon, for he makes seven crosses. By whom, O Lord, thou createst all these good things, thou sanctifiest, † quicken'st, † blessest, † and givest them unto us, by him, and † with him, † and in him. To him, and to thee † God almighty Father in the unity of the holy-ghost, † be all honour and glory. Per quem haec omnia domine, semper bona creas, sanctificas, † vivificas, † benedicis, † & praestas nobis, per ipsum, † & cum ipso. † ipsi & tibi Deo patri † omnipotentiin unitate Spiritus sancti, † omnis honour & gloria. Note that the three first crosses are made upon the host and the bread in common; and when the Priest saith, & praestas nobis, he somewhat prostrates himself, joining his hands: afterwards he uncovers the chalice, and taking the host in his right hand, & the chalice in his left, he makes with the host, three signs of the cross upon the chalice, from one side to the other, saying Per ipsum. Then lifting up his fingers, he makes two crosses between his breast and the chalice, beginning from the side of the chalice, saying, & tibi. This being done, he holds the host above the chalice, and lifting it a little with both his hands, he saith, Omnis honour & gloria. Then he lays down the host, covers the chalice, adores it, lifts himself up again, and saith, World without end. Amen. Let us pray, being advertised by wholesome precepts, & being informed by divine institution, we dare say, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c: And lead us not into temptation. (The Clerk answereth) But deliver us from evil. (Then the Priest ought to say with a low voice, Amen. Per omnia secula seculorum. R. Amen. Oremus. Praeceptis salutaribus moniti, & divina institutione formati, audemus dicere, Pater noster qui es in coelis etc. Et ne inducas nos in tentationem. R. Sed libera nos à malo. Amen. Seeing the Priest acknowledgeth here, that the boldness which he taketh to say Our Father, doth proceed from the ordinance of God which hath prescribed this form, is it not an impudence to interlace both before and after, prayers which are not only not commanded, but even contrary unto it? and seeing that the Priest in this place addresseth himself directly unto God, calling him Our Father, wherefore preacheth he the contrary, saying, that it is a presumption and a rashness to go immediately to God, and that we ought to employ the Saints in presenting our petitions unto him, never saying throughout the whole Mass, Lord jesus intercede for us, reconcile us unto God thy Father, thou art our Advocate, our Mediator, our propitiation. So much is man given to his own inventions, to dig stinking cisterns, and to leave the water of life. Afterwards the Priest takes the plate, but it is only with the middle and the forefinger, for the thumb and the other side of the forefinger hath touched the host, and is not yet washed, neither the wash thereof drunk by the Priest, He saith then, Deliver us we beseech thee O Lord, from all evil past, present, and to come, by the intercession of the blessed and ever-glorious Virgin Mary the Mother of God, and thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and Andrew with all thy Saints. Libera nos quaesumus, domine, ab omnibus malis praeteritis, praesentibus & futuris, intercedente beata & gloriosa semper Virgine Dei genitrice Maria, & beatis Apostolis tuis Petro & Paulo, atque Andraea, cum omnibus sanctis. To each day is sufficient the evil thereof; but here the Priest conformeth not himself to beg his daily bread, & so much as his present necessities do require, but he beside makes provision for evils to come, which notwithstanding is not so bad as to pray to be delivered from evils passed: for if privations do presuppose habits, it willbe something hard to cure a disease whereof one is already recovered. But the worst is that he rejecteth the remedy, for he employs not the intercession of our Saviour, but of Saints, which he is forbidden to invocate, and which have no charge to intercede, as before is showed. Now above we have observed three kinds of signs, the one with the hand, the second with the host, the third with the chalice held with both hands; in this place the sign is made with the plate, to the end that every one may contribute something. He saith then, Thou being propitious, give peace in our days, to the end that being aided with the aid of thy mercy, we may be always delivered from our sins, and secure from all perturbation. Da propitius pacem in diebus nostris, ut ope misericordiae tuae adiuti, & à peccatis simus semper liberi, & ab omni perturbatione securi. He puts the plate under the host, uncovers the chalice, falls upon his knees, riseth up again, takes the host, and breaks it in the middle over the Chalice, saying, Through the same our Lord jesus Christ thy Son. Per eundem dominum nostrum jesum Christum filium tuum. Saying, by the same jesus Christ, he breaketh it, pretending that he is the same which he holdeth, & which he breaketh. But how doth this agree with that which is written, You shall not break his bones. Exod. 12.46. joh. 19.33. For S. john interpreteth those words of our Saviour, whose bones should be broken if this bread were so transubstantiated that every crumb should contain an entire body, such an one as was upon the cross, whose feet and nose should consequently be joined together, as you shall find this question moved, and lamentably decided in the gloss of the canon, Can. ubi pars gl. in v. ubi de consecratione, dist. 2. Vbi pars. For no accident can be broken. And beside, accidents are not made to represent a body, for they are not of the same nature: like as we say that it is impious to represent God which is a spirit by wood, stone or metal; now they instead of saying with Saint Paul, 1. Cor. 10. Act. 2.42. & 20.7. The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ, must necessarily say, the flesh & bones which we break are not jesus Christ, for they ought not to be broken, especially after his glorification. Or even as the accidents without substance, are not the nourishment of the body, even so that which we break doth not feed the soul. Let us therefore thus argue with them, The Priest doth corporally eat that only which he breaketh, but the Priest doth break only the accidents, therefore the Priest eateth corporally only the accidents. The Pope's interpretation of this fraction, is as abominable as the other, who hath ordained that one piece should be put into the chalice, Pars vino intincta, pro vivis sanctificatur. Altera pro sanctis, pars tertia pro redimendi●. and that to represent three things. That which is in the wine is for the living, the other for the Saints which are in Paradise, the third for those which are in Purgatory. Who ever without horror did hear of such a division? the soldiers would not divide the coat without seam, and here the Pope finds a means to divide the humanity of Christ. There is another monstrous and Gerion-like interpretation in the canon Triforme, which saith, Can. triform. de consecr. dist. 2. that the body of our Saviour hath three forms in the Mass, which decipher unto us the body walking upon earth, lying in the grave, and raised from the dead. All these Chimeras were forged in the year 700 or there about by Pope Sergius. The Priest puts half the host which he held in his right hand upon the plate, and the other half which he held in his left hand, he breaketh again, saying, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, God, in the unity of the holy-ghost. Qui tecum vivit & regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus. Afterwards he joins the portion which he held in the left hand, with the half which is upon the plate, and so behold three parts. And as for the part which continues in the right hand, the Priest holds it with two fingers, the forefinger and the thumb over the chalice, which he lifteth up a little, saying, World without end, Amen. Per omnia secula seculorum. Amen. Then with that part which he holds in his right hand, he makes three signs of the cross upon the chalice, which he puts upon the Altar, saying, The peace of † the Lord † be always with † you. Answ. And with thy spirit. Pax † Domini sit † semper † vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. That being done, he puts that piece into the cup, saying softly, This mixture and consecration of the body & blood of our Lord jesus Christ, be † to us which receive it unto eternal life. Amen. Haec commixtio & consecratio corporis & sanguinis Domini nostri jesu Christi, fiat † accipientibus nobis in vitam aeternam. Amen. How can the Priest demand eternal life for that mixture which is not at all commanded? for faith cometh by hearing the word of God, and is founded upon the promise. But what will all their Priests answer to the Epistle of Pope julius, Can cumomne ●r●mea de consecr. dist. 2. who writing to the Bishops, blamed the custom of those which steeped the bread in the wine, and said that it was contrary to the Gospel, which hath commanded the participation of the body, to be by itself, and the cup by itself; and that our Lord never gave the bread dipped, save to judas only, which was not to institute the manner of so doing, but to design the Traitor. Wherefore then will the Priest needs communicate like judas, and not like other of the Apostles? Is it not because he sells the host, though he deliver it nor, and therein plays the cunninger Merchant of the two? This being done, he covers the chalice, adores it, lifts himself up again, bows himself over the host, joins his hands, thrice beats his breast, and saith to his host. O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace, (And if the Mass be said for the dead, they change the words and say,) O Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, grant them eternal rest. Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis, Agnus Dei, etc. Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, da nobis pacem. Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eye requiem sempiternam. Plat. in Sergio. Sigibert. in Chron. Sergius the Pope ordained, that in breaking the bread, some should sing Agnus. Now if it be an incongruity in Latin to say in the nominative case that which ought to be said in the Vocative, as well as that which followeth, yet is it greater absurdity in the application of it, to call a morsel of bread, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world, for the Priest bows himself over the bread, adores it, and points out his Lamb which he invocates. It followeth afterwards, that bowing himself, and joining his hands he saith, Lord jesus, which saidst to thy Apostles, My peace I give unto you, look not upon my sins, but on the faith of thy Church; and vouchsafe to pacify and unite it according to thy will, who livest and reignest God world without end. Amen. Domine jesus Christ, qui dixisti Apostolis tuis, pacem meam do vobis, ne respicias peccata mea; sed fidem Ecclesiae tuae, camque secundum voluntatem tuam pacificare & adunare digneris, qui vivis & regnas Deus, per omnia secula seculorum. Amen. Then he giveth a thin piece of plate, of silver or other metal, which he calleth the Pax, unto his Clerk, & that, after he hath kissed the Altar, saying, Peace be with thee. Ans. And with thy spirit. Pax tecum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. The Clerk hath good reason to wish that he may be in peace, for a good time was spent in nothing but turning, whirling, hoisting, kissing, crossing, standing, kneeling, etc. And we must note, that in Masses for the dead, neither the Pax is given, neither the precedent prayer said. But I pray you, is this silver Pax any Apostolical tradition? was it any of S. Peter's movables? was it a Legacy bequeathed by our Saviour, as the Priest in this prayer would make us believe? We know that in the primitive Church reconciliations were made before the communion, and as a token thereof the parties reconciled did kiss one another, Rabau. de instit. cleric. lib. 1. c. 33. Sabell. Tom. 2. Enead. 8. lib. 6. and that kiss was called pacis osculum, the kiss of peace. But what a combat hath the Clerk with this peace? which hath been brought in by Pope Leo, contrary to the ancient form of the Church as Sabellicus writeth. Let us go on. Lord jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who by the will of thy Father, the holy-ghost cooperating, hast quickened the world by thy death, deliver me by this thy sacred body and blood from all my sins, and all evils, and make me abide in thy commandments, and never suffer me to separate myself from thee, who with the same God, Father and holy-ghost, livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. Domine jesus Christ, Fili Dei vivi, qui ex voluntate patris, cooperant spiritu sancto, per mortem tuam mundum vivificasti, libera me per hoc sacrum corpus & sanguinem tuum ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis, & universis malis, & fac me tuis inhaerere mandatis, & à te nunquam separaripermittas, qui cum eodem Deo Patre & spiritu sancto vivis & regnas in secula seculorum. Amen. If this prayer had been made to God, it had been good, but the Priest applies it to the bread and wine, saying, Per hoc sacrum, and afterwards he adores it, and his hands being joined, saith, Let not Lord jesus Christ the receiving of thy body, which I unworthy do presume to take, judge and condemn me, but for thy piety let it be unto me a defence both of body and mind, and also a medicine, who livest and reignest with God the Father. Perceptio corporis tui Domine jesu Christ, quem ego indignus sumere praesumo, non mihi perveniat in judicium & condemnationem, sed pro tua pietate profit mihi ad tutamentum mentis & corporis, & ad medelam percipiendam, qui vivis & regnas cum Deo Patre. We have showed here above, that the body of Christ cannot be taken unworthily, though the bread may, which representeth it: but the Priest here deceives himself, as he doth in many other places concerning transubstantiation. Afterwards, he lifts up himself again, I will take the heavenly bread, and call upon the Name of the Lord. Panem coelestem accipiam, & nomen Domini invocabo. He takes the two pieces of the host which were upon the plate, between the thumb and the forefinger of the left hand, and in manner of a paite of pincers, takes with the same hand the plate between the forefinger and the middle, and beats his breast with the right hand, saying thrice, Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof, only speak the word and my soul shall be healed. Domine non sum dignus ut intres subiectum meum, sed tantum dic verbum & sanabitur anima mea. Then he taketh the host, and maketh a sign of the cross upon himself with his body above the plate, and saith, The body of our Lord jesus Christ keep my soul unto eternal life. Amen. Corpus Domini nostri jesu Christi, custodiat animam meam in vitam aeternam. Amen. Then he takes the two pieces of the host, either with his tongue upon the plate, or else makes the sign of the cross with the plate. That being done, he joins his hands, & reposeth himself for a little time, afterwards he uncovers the chalice, adores it, if any crumb remain in the plate, puts it into the cup, and saith, What shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits which he hath done unto me? Quid retribuam Domine, pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi? Then he takes the cup with both his hands, and makes therewith a sign of the cross upon himself, and saith, I will receive the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Praising, I will call upon the Lord, & I shall be safe from mine enemies. Calicem salutaris accipiam, & nomen Domini invocabo. Laudans invocabo Dominum, & ab inimicis meis salvus ero. This verse is taken out of the 116 Psalm, in which David being delivered from Saul, promiseth to give thanks unto God, and not to be any longer ungrateful, but to sacrifice unto him praise, & as it is in the Greek, θυσίαν αινέσεος. That which is contained in these verses is nothing to this purpose, for David having been delivered, saith not, I will oblige myself once more unto God, in making me to be delivered the second time, as the Priest doth; for the Priest having taken the bread, saith, what requitance shall I make unto the Lord for this present? and answereth himself, I will moreover take the wine, and having drank it, by the same reason, he ought once more to say, what reward shall I give? and answer, I will take the bread, and so never make an end. For at every receiving he ought to retribute. But it happeneth unto them which is written, Let their table be made a snare and a net, & a stumbling block even for a recompense unto them. Consider without passion, if all this be to any purpose, or if the Priest have quitted himself of his first receiving, by the second; than it followeth, The blood of our Lord jesus Christ keep my soul unto eternal life, Amen. Sanguis Domini nostri jesu Christi custodiat animam meam in vitam aeternam. Amen. Saying this, he taketh all the wine with the morsel steeped in it, and then gives to those which are to communicate if it be a day that the people are to receive on. For you must note that the people do not ordinarily receive, which is contrary to the institution and commandment of Christ. And from this error proceeded, first, the prohibition to touch the bread: secondly, to drink at all: and lastly, neither to eat or drink above once in the year, and that by those which are privileged. What impudence is this to maintain that the primitive Church communicated not under both kinds, 〈◊〉. d● come 〈…〉 sp●●●e. and that the cup was denied unto the people? Hear the Doctors. I do not think (saith Cassander) that for a thousand years and more in any part of the Catholic Church this Sacrament was administered any other ways then under both kinds. ●●to●. 3. lib 4. 〈◊〉. And Innocent, The blood is not drunk under the species of bread, neither is the body eaten under the species of wine. And Hales. A●●x. H t●●s 4 se●●. q 53 m●●th 1. A●●● l. 4 〈◊〉. d●●. q 3. apud Cass. All Christ is not contained under either kind sacramentally (much less essentially) but the flesh only under bread, and the blood only under wine. And Albertus Magnus, The unity of the mystical body of Christ is not perfectly represented but under a double sign, and therefore through the virtue of the Sacrament, we ought to have both the one and the other. Amb. ●●●d. Cor cap. 1●. And Ambrose, He is unworthy of the Lord which celebrateth this mystery otherwise then the Lord hath ordained. And Pope julius saith, Can. cum omne. de consec. dist. 2. & can. compe●●mus. Serm. 44. p. 79. tom. 1. that our Lord did severally recommend the taking of the bread and wine. Also Pope Gelasius in another Canon saith, that one may not abstain from receiving the cup, or divide this mystery without sacrilege. And Leo in his sermons calls those which do otherwise sacrilegious, and on oynes to excommunicate them. Why therefore do they use the Church worse at this day, Greg 3. ep. ad Bonif tom. 2. condil. p. 441. Con● co●●t. 〈◊〉. 13 to●. ●2. than the lepers in times past were used, for Boniface writes in these words, If the lepers be faithful Christians, let them be admitted to the participation of the body and blood of our Lord. But Pope Martin brought in the quite contrary, as witnesseth Kalteysen Bishop of Midrosia against the Bohemians: Can. Epis. opus. de consec. d●●t. 1. hae● sup. Can. enim archidiac. & Can. Episc. 2. de pa●attentis. Can. peracta. de consec. di●t. 2. Alex. v. 1. epist. de mysterio corp. & sang. Concil. Const. less. 1● tom. 2 and lastly the council of Constance passeth for a law, and declares those heretics, which would communicate under both kinds. Pope Galixtus, and before him Pope Anacletus, say, the consecration being ended, all aught to communicate, if they would not be excommunicated: for the Apostles have so ordained, and the holy Roman Church maintains it. Also Alexander, he which taketh the bread, blesseth it, breaketh it, and distribute that not to the assistants, he doth not that which jesus Christ did, neither celebrateth he the memory of his death. Whereby we may see, that these two kinds, although they were in the primitive Church, (for so saith the Article) yet were they wittingly reversed by the council, and poor john hus in the year 1400 amongst other things objected unto him by the council, was burned for maintaining them, contrary to the public faith and troth given unto him. By which action the world may know that those which demand reformation, are no more to trust to the public troth of the Roman Church, then to the faith and honesty of a common strumpet. Nevertheless one thing we may not omit, that as the Pope hath provided a Vicar for the true body which ascended up into heaven, Durand rat, divin. oss. l. 4. c. 53. Titleman. cap. 56 & 57 Ale. l. 2. sacr. cerem eccl. Rom. sect. 2. c. 1. so he hath in lieu of the transubstantiated body substituted hollowed bread, which Durand calleth the Vicar of the holy communion, and saith that the very kissing of the plate, is equipollent to the communion. There is likewise a Vicar ordained for the sacramental wine, which is the wine held by the Deacon or Clerk, and taken by the communicants upon Easter day; but that is only (saith the text) to cleanse the mouth, as if they had eaten a piece of horse-dung before they came thither. It followeth. Lord, that which we have taken with the mouth, let us receive with a pure mind, & of a temporal gift, let it be unto us an everlasting remedy. Quod ore sumpsimus, Domine, pura mente capiamus, & de munere temporali, fiat nobis remedium sempiternum. The error of this verse, consists in that the Priest would take the temporal gift, which is the bread, with a pure spirit. For the bread is not taken with the spirit, but with the mouth, and we ought not to confound the sign with the thing signified, but aught to say, as the mouth taketh this bread, so grant that the spirit may partake of thy body. The second point is decisive, against the pretended transubstantiation; for although this prayer be made after the consecration, and after the reception, yet the Priest confesseth that that which before he adored was but a temporal gift, and craveth that it may be unto him an everlasting remedy: for if it were the body of Christ, what needs he demand that it might become a remedy? and if the consecration did make it to be such in substance, should it not be a spiritual remedy? This alone sufficeth to reverse the whole Mass, & God (no doubt) hath permitted it here to abide, to convince idolatry by itself. Now that which is above, is said, taking the first ablution and washing the chalice, which he presenteth again to the Deacon, who poureth a little wine to wash it and to drink again. And then he saith, Thy body, O Lord, which I have taken, and thy blood which I have drunk, let it cleave unto my entrails; and grant that there abide in me no spot of wickedness, whom thy pure and holy Sacrament have refreshed, who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the holy-ghost, world without end, Amen. Corpus tuum, domine quod sumpsi, & sanguis quem potavi, adhaereat visceribus meis, & praesta ut in me non remaneat scelerum macula, quem pura & sancta refecerunt sacramenta, qui vivis & regnac cum Deo patre in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia secula seculorum. Amen. There is one piece which I have taken out of jaques d'Hilaire, in his French Mass, which is inserted in this place; it qualifieth the communion, and is conceived in these words. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Viderunt omnes fines terrae salutare dei nostri. He takes in this place, to see, for to communicate, being agreeable to most Masses, which consist only in seeing, and not in eating, for none but the Priest alone do eat and drink. This being done, he washeth with wine and water his fingers, and drinketh up the wash, then turning the chalice upside down upon the plate, he wipes it, and having folded the corporal, he takes the chalice again, to see if any thing remain in it; then he kisseth the middle of the Altar, & turning towards the people, saith, The Lord be with you. Ans. And with thy spirit. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. In the mean time joining his hands, and turning himself towards his breviary, he saith, Let us pray. Oremus. Here he interlaceth certain prayers, as before the Epistle, which being said, he turneth himself to the people about the midst of the Altar, and saith, The Lord be with you. Answ. And with thy spirit. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. Then he saith, Go, the separation is. Ite missa est. And the people thank God for that dismission, saying, Thanks be to God. Deo gratias. Then followeth a prayer differing according to the season, or the Saints, nails, or other relics for whom the Mass is celebrated, whereof see one example. Let the obedience of my service please thee, holy Trinity, and grant that the sacrifice which I unworthy have offered to the eyes of thy Majesty, may be acceptable unto thee, and through thy mercy propitiatory for me & for all those for whom I have offered it, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Placeat tibi sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meae, & praesta ut sacrificium quod oculis tuae Maiestatis in dignus obtuli, sit tibi acceptabile, mihique & omnibus pro quibus illud obtuli, fit te miserant propitiabile, per Christum dominum nostrum. Amen. Note that in the Masses for the dead, instead of, ite missa est, is said requiescant in pace, and in private Masses without turning himself, he blesseth the people. And if moreover the Priest and the Deacon do say, Ite, they ought to turn towards the people, and saying benedicamus, turn towards the Altar. The Almighty and merciful God, the Father, † Son and † holy-ghost, † bless you, Amen. Benedicat vos omnipotens & misericors Deus, Pater & Filius, & Spiritus sanctus. Amen. CHAP. XI. An extract of pieces of Masses to Creatures. HE which would insert in this place all sorts of Masses, together with their tunes and songs belonging thereunto, had need to prescribe a breviary little less than the Bible, wherein he may see as many several Masses, as Saints canonised by the Pope, besides those of the nails, the head of the Lance, the rob without seam, and a thousand other inventions, which the poor ignorant people observe not; for thinking to serve God, they serve a piece of wood, a nail, a thing which never was, concerning which Saint Paul admonisheth us, Col. 2.18. Let no man at his pleasure bear rule over you, by the humbleness of mind, and worshipping of Angels. Now not some of those Masses only are for Angels and Archangels, but there is an express book which prescribeth the form of such idolatries, entitled Officium proprium sanctorum. I find in the Missal out of which I drew that which I put into French, printed at Paris by Didier Maheu, in the street of Saint jaques, at the sign of Saint Nicholas, in the year 1546. fol. 7. and of the said office, concerning the benediction of tapers, that the song of Simeon which speaketh of our Saviour, and calleth him, the light of the Gentiles, and glory of Israel, is applied to the candles, as if that Paganism had been approved of by Simeon. Fol. 3. in sacris stigmat. Francisci. I find a prayer in the Mass of Saint Francis in these words, Deus qui mira crucis mysteria, etc. God which hast showed divers ways the marvelous mysteries of the cross in Saint Francis thy Confessor, grant that we may always follow the examples of his devotion, and may be fortified with the assiduous meditation of his cross, &c: and in a secret and a post communion is said, in whose flesh through an admirable prerogative thou hast renewed the wounds of thine holy passion. What blasphemy is this, as if the passion of jesus stood in need to be renewed, and that such an idol had been capable of such a suffering. And in the Mass of Catherine, Fol. 43. Catharinae virgins verse. Membris virgineis olei fluit undae salubris: that is, from the members of the virgin, flows a wholesome water of oil. And in the hallelujah Catherine is called the flower of roses, and comforter of souls, and in the secret, Munera domine, etc. Sumptis domine salutis. Fol. 36. vers. in exaltatione sanctae crucis. Dulce lignum, dulces clavos. tit. orationes communes. fol. 22. pronavigantibus. he offereth up the host in her honour, saying, The gifts O Lord, of this present sacrifice, which we offer up unto thee in honour of Saint Catherine, &c: and in the post communion, Having taken O Lord, the mysteries of eternal salvation, we humbly beseech thee, that as the liquor which floweth continually from the members of Saint Catherine virgin and martyr, doth heal the maladies of the body, even so her prayers may chase from us all iniquities. In the Mass of the exaltation, in incongruities both Latin and Theological is said an Alleluja, two woods, two nails, bearing a sweet burden, who only were worthy to sustain the King and Lord of heaven. I could not find any Mass for the Ass which carried our Saviour into jerusalem, although there be as much or more reason for that then for the other. fol. 22. is found a postcommunion, where are these words, by the wood of the holy cross, draw us out of our sins, and through pity draw us out of danger. Would they not here have a Mediator of wood? The last Mass of this title serves for one which is damned, Missa pro cuius anima dubitatur. in which there is this prayer, Omnipotens &c: because we doubt of the manner of his life, we are comforted through abundance of pity; and if his soul cannot obtain an absolute pardon, yet at the least, amongst the torments which perhaps he endures, let him feel a refreshing, through the abundance of thy mercies. How can one ask with faith that which is forbidden? What strange people are these, who deal as at a smith's forge, sprinkling the blood of Christ upon a firebrand of hell. Moreover, not only the wood of the cross, In Missis voti●●. fol. 28. but according to their account, even the sign of it, doth deliver and preserve those which make it. In the commemoration of the cross there are these words, Fol. 37. v. by the sign of the cross deliver us from our enemies, O Lord God: what is this but Idolatry? for of a creature to make a God, and to attribute power unto it, is it any thing else besides idolatry? and in a prose to the Virgin Untie our bonds, Fol. 71. de nativit. beatae prosa. Awl: coeleste, nec non et perenni prosa. ave Virgo. for thou canst do all as Queen of the world, and with thy Son ordainest all Laws: and in another, give succour to us miserable, thou which art the only hope of mortals, and by thee is made venial in whatsoever we sin, and in that which followeth, thou art the hope of offenders, Marry, the end of death, the way of life, the triple hierarchy, and the holy Empire do give unto thee worthy praise: Ib. in exaltatione Sanctae crucis (prosa) Laudes crucis. Fol. 75. v. (prosa) concinat ecclesia. Folly 79. ave mundi gloria. and afterwards, save those which trust in thee, &c: sighing to thee, we weep and invocate thee, that thou wouldst govern our spirits, &c: salvation of the world and matron, and to the wood, O cross triumphant wood, true salvation of the world, farewell, &c: In the Mass of Elizabeth, Blot out our sins, and direct our feet on high unto heaven, and in a prose for the Virgin, The Lord preserve thee thou salvation of men, &c: Empress of the world, our mediator, the easing of the world our glory, Fol. 81 (prosa) ave summo. Fol. 80. (prosa) Mariae praeconi●. now and forevermore etc. I salute thee, thou which sittest above the pole, Marry, whom it behoveth to worship, as being the hope of believers: &c: O happy woman brought a-bed, which expiatest our misdeeds command by right of a mother the redeemer. That is far from saying as she did, I am the servant of the Lord: or as jesus, woman what have I to do with thee? And as for the rob without seam, Missa de de tunica inconsutili Christi. Alleluiae. which they adore at Argentueil near Paris, see one piece of that service. Let us sound harmoniously the praises of iubilations to thy only divinity. In the day of the translation of the rob without seam, we read, It is (condimentum) the sauce of salvation, and way of health, it giveth augmentation of brightness, and was companion of the cross. And in its prose, O marvelous vestment, Prosa. plebi pistica. to whom age gave increase of his infancy, etc. this veil gives voluntary aid etc. none are to doubt that it is a friend unto our prayers. Which adoring &c. S. Paul forbade the serving of Angels which are about us, and whom God employs for our safety and here they serve Angels, dead men, wood, nails, iron, apparel, and substitute them in the place of God, and of the merits of Christ. O God, how long shall the adversary do thee this dishonour? Psal. 74. how long shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? CHAP. XII. Of the name of the supper of the Mass. IT is time to come to the matter whereof we treat, in which we will consider diverse things which are there distinguished, as 1. The differing names and diverse terms, 2. The place where this mystery is celebrated. 3. Things belonging to the garnishing of the place. 4. The person of the Priest, his habits, actions &c: all which pertain to the Mass as accidents inseparable. We need not repeat that which hath been said before, concerning the original of either word, for this action is called Coena, a supper, because it was instituted as a common repast by our Saviour at supper: it is called likewise, Sacrament, by reason of the vow which is made by the Communicants; and named the Eucharist for the thanksgiving which is rendered there unto God. This hath been amply treated of before, where we spoke likewise somewhat of the word Mass in general; but we shall never be able to give sufficient reasons for the special appellations of each part thereof, as Entrance, Postcommunion, Lessons, Verse, Responsories, Gospel, offering, consecration, Antheam, Litany, Liturgy, Corpus, corporal, Plate, Kyrie eleyson, Allelu-ia, Albe, Cope, Girdle, Maniple, Stole, Mitre, Incense, Absolution, Canticle, compline, Matins, Nons, Vespers, Infraction, Graduels, Offertories, Oblation, Sacrament, Sacrifice, Altar, Image, Taper, Relic, Bell, Font, Holy water Pixe, Sprinkling, Chrism, Collect, Pax, Office, Secret, Prayer, Epistle, Tract, Sequence, Prose. Note that by the word prose they understand not a lose manner of speech, but Latin rhythms. Votive Masses, Masses of grace, of requiem, dry, great, short, particular, of the nails, of the rob without seam, high, low, of the holy Ghost, of job, of St Anthony, etc. CHAP. XIII. Of the place where the Mass is celebrated. Hier. in Psal. 33. THe Church consisteth not in walls, but in the trueness of doctrine, saith Hierome, and where true doctrine is there is the true Church. For the Apostles assembled themselves but in a chamber, Act. 1. whence it appeareth that building is rather belonging to the well being then to the being of the service of God: so far is it from being necessary to have the place consecrated or adorned with relics, Conc. Nic. 2. & 7 as the second Nicene Council did ordain in the year 790, or thereabouts. Secondly, when the ancient Christians builded Churches, they dedicated them to none save to God only. So saith the Emperor Constantine, Whence it is that the Temples which were dedicated unto him, Euseb. de laudibus Constant. were called by the name of the Lord, and on them was imposed the name, not of men, but of God, which is the cause that they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The reason is because that, Temples, Altars, and Sacrifices cannot be erected, save to the great and true God alone. S. Augustine saith We institute no altars, temples, Priests, or sacrifices to Martyrs, Aug. Psal. 44. Jd. de civet. Dei l. 22. c. 10. to. 5. Inn. 3. de mist. missae. lib. 3. because they are not Gods, but have the same God that we have. The Pope himself saith, that Temples, and altars pertain to Latria, or divine worship, and if one erect them to Saints, it is idolatry. Nevertheless, see here the practice of such consecration, brought in in the year 800, it being made a Sacrament like baptism, to which they compare it, and afterwards in the year 1000 having the whole form of it made complete. Epist. Zach. ad Bonif. 2. council. tom. 2. p. 451. The Bishop being assured of the revenue of a new built Church, makes a short prayer, besprinkles the walls without with holy water, with a nosegay of hyssop, profaning the words of the 51 Psalm, Purge me with hysopp and I shall be clean, and applying to a stone the washing of the blood of Christ, which is proper to the faithful. In the dedicating of a temple, a Mass likewise is to be said, whose entrance is Terribilis est locus iste. Then he beats the door with his staff, saying, at tollite portas thrice and being entered in, he painteth the Greek and Latin Alphabet upon the walls, exerciseth the salt, wine, water, ashes, makes thereof a mixture, into which he dippeth his thumb, and after certain ends of prayers pronounced by him, he saith these words, This Temple be sanctified in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, in the honour of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and in memory of such a Saint. See how of an indifferent place to pray in, they make thereof a place essential: of a place dedicated to God alone, a place dedicated to a creature, of a simple destination, a sacramental consecration. CHAP. XIIII. Of the garnishing of their Churches. IN these Temples appear, first the lighted tapers, which are not necessary in the day time. Wherefore Constantine in Eusebius saith, Euseb. ad sanct. coetum. Hieron. contra Vigil. c. 5. that the Christians have neither incense nor burning. And Hierome, We light no taper in the open day, as thou calumniatest us, but we employ the light to temper the darkness, that we may watch until break of day. Alas what would this good pastor have said if he had seen the benedictions of the tapers in the day of the purification, where they sing the song of Simeon, and profane that which is said of our Lord jesus, That he is the light of the Gentiles, applying it to a corruptible and a needless taper. See the prayers which they said in the Mass of the purification, and benedictione cereorum. Of Altars we spoke before: as for Images, they are expressly forbidden to be made, which is the cause that the Church of Rome hath razed out the second commandment which condemneth them, which was done by the Council of Auspurg in the year 1548. And Damascene, though otherwise a favourer of Images, saith, That it is a great folly and impiety to paint the divinity. Orthod. fid. l. 4. c. 17. Tertul. l. de idol. And Tertullian, The consecration of images is idolatry. Now what may we guess he would have said, if he had seen their consecration, clothing, adoration, presenting of Candles: also of arms, and legs of wax unto them? But see the doctrine of the Church of Rome, Thom. 3. part. q. 83. art. 3. The things without life which are consecrated, do get a certain spiritual virtue, by which they are made proper to the service of God, to the end that from them men may receive some devotion. Bel. de imag. c. 21 And Bellarmine would have that the Images of Christ and of the Saints should be worshipped, not only by accident, or improperly, but also of themselves and properly, etc. So likewise the bell sounding hath this effect, Durand. ration. lib. 1. c. 1. saith Durand, that by the sound thereof, the faithful are invited to the eternal price, the devotion of faith increaseth in them, the fruits, the souls & the bodies of believers are saved, the enemy's weapons are kept off, the thunderclaps, etc. And as for the Agnus Dei composed of chrism and wax, Ceremon. del egli. de Rom. tit. 7. Can. placuit. & can. ficut. de con sec. dist. 1. Calvin. de reliq. consecrated with balm, it draweth the lightning from above, and dissolveth all sin. As for relics, as joseph's breeches, the nails, the wood of the cross, the rob without seam, the lantern of judas at S. Denis, the sword and buckler where with the Archangel S. Michael fought with the devil at Toures, a piece of the dead body of some saint canonised by the Pope (who would have them to be near the altars) processions, adorations, kiss, touchings, and such like customs do well discover the abuses which are committed about them. Holy water taketh its beginning from the Pagans', Just. in Apolog. Hippocr. de morbo sacro. Proclus de sacrif. & magia. Can. Aquam sale de consec. dist. 2. Theod. lib. 3. c. 15. & 16. who sprinkled themselves with water as they entered into the Church, & that for the purging of their sins. For men think that sulphur purgeth by reason of the strong smell, & salted water, by reason of the part of fire contained in it: & of this powdered virtue the Pope makes great account, joining unto it other superstitions. Incense also is come from the Gentiles (thure Deum placa, appease God with frankincense) & it was used by julian the Apostata to despite the Christians. Let us therefore conclude that all these ceremonies were taken from Pagans' & jews, & are not to be practised by the Christians. In cap. 13. ep. ad Hebr. The reason is given by Nicholas de Lyra, Those which observe the Law with the Gospel, have no part of the effect of the passion of christ, Gal. 5. according to that which is said to the Galathians, if you be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. Thus the Christians contenting not themselves with the simplicity of the Gospel, applied themselves to the jews & Pagans, in hope to convert them, whereas they were in the mean time perverted, according to the threatening pronounced against such temporisers, Es. 29.13. Because their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men, the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden. Now that the Christians have taken from Pagans these ceremonies, Bar. Annal. tom 1. ann. Christ. 44 Sect. 88 Cardinal Baronius confesseth, saying, Thou hast aniversary vigils in Suetonius in the life of Vespasian, Ch. 7. Lustral waters & sprinkling of the sepulchres in juvenal, Sat. 6 Lights in the said sepulchres in Suetonius his Octavius, Ch 98. lamps lighted on saturday in Seneca ep. 96. The distribution of tapers amongst the people, in Macrobius his Saturnals, etc. Whence it followeth, that all the prayers, consecrations, & benedictions borrowed from superstition, are but so many sins & profanations of the word of God: For our prayers ought to be founded upon the promise that we shall be heard. Now we have no evangelical text which tells us that God will give virtue to a piece of wood to be a wholesome remedy to mankind, a redemption of souls, an advancement to good works; whereas the Priest prayeth in making of a new cross, that God would be pleased to give it that virtue. For he showeth that it is that which he aimeth at, saying, Lib. Pontif. de benedictione novae crucis. p. 172 Rom. 10. Vouchsafe to bless this wood of the cross. The same prayer makes he for the tapers, water, incense, bells, agnus Dei etc. Now faith cometh by hearing, & hearing by the word of God, & not by the fantasy of men. Wherefore God saith to the inventors of such sacrifices, 1. King. 15. Mich. 3. Es. 66. Who hath required this at your hands? obedience is better than sacrifice, and the inventor of worship shall not be heard. And he which killeth a lamb (otherwise then is commanded) is as if he sacrificed a dog. Be you the sheep of the true shepherd, hear his voice, & not a strangers. Seeing that he hath declared that he is honoured in vain by the service founded upon the commandment of men. Mat. 15. And seeing that he is the Lord, we ought to worship him as he himself hath commanded, and not otherwise. CHAP. XV. Of the Priest and his qualities. Our Saviour sending abroad his Disciples which had the gift of tongues, enjoined them to preach the Gospel, & to publish it to all nations, & commanded them to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, & holy Ghost. Now the Bishop which ordains Priests, greaseth the end of their fingers, & saith these words only. Receive the power to celebrate Masses, In vet. agenda circa ann. 1000 and to offer up sacrifice for the living and for the dead. There is nothing spoken here concerning baptizing or preaching, no more than in the Canon Generaliter 16. q. 1. where is related another fashion of making Priests, to wit, That the hands be consecrated, to the end that whatsoever they consecrate may be holy, & that whatsoever they bless, may be blessed. There are many reasons which verify that no Priest hath a lawful calling, in regard of him which receiveth the power of committing simony etc. And although it be written that Marriage is honourable amongst all, that a Bishop ought to be the husband of one wife, Heb. 13.4. 1. Tim. 3.2. 1 Tim. 4. Tertul. exhor. ad castitatem. c. 8. Euseb. l. 1. c. 23. that it is the doctrine of devils to forbid to marry. That it was permitted to the Apostles to marry, & to lead about their wives with them, & that Denis Bishop of Corinth said to Pinitus, that this weighty yoke of widowhood was not imposed upon the Saints: And Chrysostom, that all the Prophets were married: And S. Hierom, Chrys. in Mat. hom. 56. in f. Hierom. lib. 1. ex jovinian. We read of none but the Pagan Priests which abstained from marriage, esteeming it unagreeable with the Priesthood, such as were the Priests of Cybel, and the Athenian Hierophants. Nevertheless by the doctrine of the Roman Church marriage makes one uncapable to say Mass, but not concubinage, though it be in fancy Ecclesiae. Moreover he ought to be shaven, Lev. 19 Ezech. 44. Hier. in. Ezech. c. 44. Clem. Alex. in poed. l. 3. c. 11. contrary to the express word of not shaving their heads, or marring the corners of the beard. For Hier. saith, We ought not to have our heads shaven, as the Priests of the Goddess Isis & Serapis: & Clement Alexandrinus saith the same. The Subdeacon in this service marcheth before, to represent (as they say) the law, the Deacon after him figuring the Gospel, bearing a stole which crosseth the loins, signifying the force & continency which resideth there, & he ought to turn himself towards the north, Titleman & Biel. and make a sign of the cross towards that perstiferous quarter to the end that he may chase thence the devils. Also he carries a pillow upon his stomach to represent an humble heart. As for the habits of the Priests, besides the ordinary, there be some which are taken from the customs of the jews & Pagans, Inn. 3. lib. 4. de sacraltaris. and therefore Innocent the third maintains that the ceremonies of the law are not wholly abolished, because the Church of Rome maintains the oil of unction, incense, tithes, and first fruits, candles, habits, high Priests and Levits. join to this the saying of Baronius above quoted, and you shall see that the yoke of the Gospel which ought to be lightened according to the saying of our Saviour, is aggravated with jewish ceremonies and Paganish superstitions: which is far from the opinion of Celestine writing to the Bishops of France, Valas. l. de reb. Eccles. c. 24. Ep. 2. de Episc. Gal. c. 1. and speaking against certain Priests which not contenting themselves with the surplice used in the times of the Primitive Fathers, would have their reins also to be girt, and themselves be covered with a mantle whilst they served in the Church, Hier. l. 1. cont. Pelag. council. 4. Carthag. can. 41 Wherefore (saith he) have they not lamps and staves in their hands (mocking them, and afterwards adds) we ought to be distinguished from the people & from others, by learning, not by robes: by conversation, not by the habit: by the purity of mind, not by adorning: for if we begin to study novelties, Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4.11. c 17. Lev. 1. dec. 1. we shall defile that order which was left unto us by our Fathers, and shall give place to superfluous superstitions. Not misliking or denying hereby vestments or habits in the Church, if both few and seemly, serving both for a decorum and a distinction, but finding fault with those professedly aaronical and levitical vestments, Duran. l. 3. c. 1. then begun (it seems) but since multiplied beyond the proportion of types in the jewish Priesthood. For now they ordain, Six vestments for all Priests, in signification (as they say) that in six days God created heaven and earth, D●●an. vation. 〈◊〉. l. 3. c. 1. and nine more beyond Priests for Bishops, in token that they are spiritual, like the nine orders of Angels, in all fifteen, betokning the degrees of virtues But as hardly shall they prove these members of fifteen vestments, and their mystical senses to be truly ancient, as their so many signified virtues to have been common to all that use them. Yet have they not been beholding only to the Levits for all their fashions, but something they have fetched from Gentiles. For the Pagan sacrificer bore a painted coat, and above it a pectoral of brass, afterwards of gold or of silver, moreover he had a vail to cover his head, called Amictus, 700 years before the coming of the Lord. Now of the jews are borrowed the Ephod, the Girdle, the Maniple, the tiara Mitra, to which Biel & Titleman give strange significations, & such as those which invented them never imagined. The Girdle signifieth the rod, the stole the power the Maniple the bond of love. As for the language, it is a stranger to the people being Latin, Greek and Hebrew, following that which is written, that such tongues are signs unto unbelievers. CHAP. XVI. The actions of the Priest in the Mass. Ovid. 4. fast. Plut. in Numa. Ap●d. l. 11. de as●no. Alex. ab A●. 4. c 17. 2. Cor. 14. FIrst he must turn himself towards the East, according to the Paganish custom, and contrary to the jews, than he ought to join his elbows to both his sides, lift up his hands, so that they exceed not his shoulders following the cautel, stet erectus. This is taken from the Paganish superstition, which prescribed unto the sacrificer not to elevate his hand any higher than his mouth, Plin. lib. 28. Blond. lib. 1. Rom. triumph. Macrob. in Saturn. Caut. stat. Caut. tres digitos. and in all these turnings and frisks is put great holiness, as divers authors do witness, which call them Vertigines in sacris. For the Priest is bound to join his fingers with which he maketh the signs, & not to separate them, but only in handling the host, & if he takes the plate, to make his middle finger serve him instead of a pair of pincers. Likewise he continually almost turns his backside to the people, makes in all 46 signs of the cross at several times, every one odd in number, & in a divers manner, sometimes with the hand, then with the chalice, host & plate, upon himself, the bread, the consecrated host, the chalice. Makes 9 adorations of the bread and wine, kisseth the Altar (which is answerable to an adoration) nine times, representeth divers personages, the jews, the Gentiles, the Law and the Gospel, Christ living, dead, & in the sepulchre, hidden & manifested, the thief, the Publican, judas; and if one may believe Titleman, the plate representeth the divinity of Christ. Moreover one ought to consider the virtue of the signs of the cross, which are essential in this mystery; And if the host do fall into the chalice before the time, Caut. si hostia. the Priest ought not to pull it out again, but to proceed in signs, words & gestures, as if he had it in his hands. by which account he fames to break, show, elevate, & makes his fingers to be adored, & the people to say, ave salus, ave vita. Caut. intellectum. also it is said above, per auxilium sanctae crucis, & in the Mass of the exaltation of the cross, that he which shall make the sign of the cross, shall not lose his children, & shall feel no sin, &c: Now not only in signs, but also in words & intentions are hidden great secrets, so saith the cautel, Summa Angel. in voce Missa. great things are hidden in signs, greater in words, but the greatest of all in the intention. So that the Mass profits them only to whom the Priest applies it, in somuch that mere Grammatical declining by the help of artificial memory, avails for six several sorts of people, the Nominative for the Priest, the Genitive for the Parents, the Dative for the founders, the Accusative for his enemies, & so in others, which is called in the divinity of the Mass opus operantis, the work of the worker. Now if the signs, words & intention be necessary in this confection, the respiration of the Priest is not of less importance, who ought not to do it during the bringing forth of five words, hoc est enim corpus meum; nor make any pauses until the end, for the cautel saith, nulla ratione potest valere si dicatur, Caut. 3. Hoc, est, enim, corpus, meum: but he ought to pronounce it in one breath. Moreover, all comes to nothing if the matter of the Mass be not panis triticeus, Caut. 2. Can. in Sacram. can. sic in's m●ti fica ●do. gl●n verb. calex de consec. dist. 2. wheaten bread, if there be not greater quantity of wine then of water, if the bread be tempered with any other liquor then water, & if the wine be dead or sour; Alas, where consists the efficacy of this Sacrament but in words and signs only? in the intention and respiration of the Priest? the poor Christian lies at the mercy of the Priest, as the Lamb in the Wolves mouth. Lo here the accomplishment of the mystery of iniquity. CHAP. XVII. Other circumstances of the Mass. WE have showed how the Mass dependeth not only upon the work, but also upon the worker, which is the Priest: and how the first authors of transubstantiation were foully deceived, in saying that a carnal and corporal eating is necessary, and that no Christianlike preparation is necessary, but rather a memento of the Priest, Now we must know, that this service which in the time of justinian the Emperor: ●ou. 123. Hono●ris in genima animae. l. 1. c. ● ) who made a decree concerning it,) was pronounced with a loud voice, Pope Vigilius would have to be said with a low: and that under pretence of a certain story, which relateth how some shepherds having learned the canon, did transubstantiate their bread into flesh. The numbers of prayers, signs, turns, and repetitions of the same words, Mart. Polonus in chron. Etel. Math 6. v. 7. Bail. ●ect. 25. do proceed from the like superstitions, & are contrary to the express word of God, which forbiddeth vain repetitions, such as the heathen use: nevertheless they are an article of faith in the jesuits Catechism, Rosmus lib. 2. imitating the Pagans which adored the goddess of numbers called Numeria, & consecrated to the infernal gods the even numbers, & to the celestial the odd, numero deus impare gaudet. Now as this fabric made much ado before it could be brought to its perfection, so likewise hath there been no small care to keep it from inconveniences, whereof I purpose to set down some in particular; as first, if a Fly or Spider do chance to fall into the chalice before the consecration, Cant. Item fi musca. the Priest must sup it up, and if it go against his stomach to do so, than he must finely take it out, and after he hath divers times washed it, he must burn it, & then lay it up for a Relic. Also, Cant. item si quis. if one being sick or otherwise through infirmity should vomit up the host, the Priest ought to swallow down that which is cast up, and if not, then to burn it, and lay it up for a Relic. and Alexander de Hales saith these horrible words, If a Dog or a Hog should eat the consecrated host entire, Alex part. 4. q. 45. n. 1. Part. 3. sum. de defect. Missae. I see no reason why the body of our Lord should not all together pass within the belly of that Dog or Hog. Anthony, Archbishop of Florence, having confirmed these abominable opinions, saith, that if he could find any man which would swallow down such kind of vomited morsels, he should be praise worthy, provided that he were fasting, & saith, So Hugh of Clunie commended Goderan, who swallowed down the pieces of the host, which a leper had vomited up with a villainous spattering, saying that the gridiron of Saint Laurence was more tolerable. Let us consider the effects of this transubstantiation, how many absurdities, impieties, & abominations have issued from it, the fables of Ovid's Metamorphosis never came near it: Arania of a woman became an unreasonable creature; Arachne. ovid. 6. Metam. and the companions of Ulysses were transformed into hogs; but this invention deifies both spiders, dogs and swine, and turns their cinders into Relics. And if this corporal tou hang without any other disposing, doth sanctify, why should we deny it to judas his kiss? or to the hangman which bound, whipped, & nailed the Lord? they were as capable of this apotheosis as the Nails and head of the Lance, unless the want of sense & reason made the other the more capable of the Pope's canonizing. But we pass farther. CHAP. XVIII. The Authors of the Supper, and authors of the Mass. WE are taught by the Evangelists that our Lord jesus was Author of the Supper, Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luke 22. and prescribed the form and matter thereof, & declared to his Disciples the end for which he established this Sacrament. Which S. Paul witnesseth to have been practised in the same manner, 1. Cor. 11. I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you; & indeed, he related the words of the Evangelists, but as for the composition of the Mass, it was not the work of one man only, nor of one time. For besides that which we said above, we find that in the year 121. the first abuse was committed by Xistus or Alexander, who instituted the mingling of water with wine. Platin. & Sabellic. etc. Higinus in the year 141, invented the feasts of dedication & consecration, with the exorcism of salt. Damasus in the year 377, added the Confiteor. Innocent in the year 408. contributed to it the kissing of the Plate. Symmachus in the year 508. Gloria in excelsis. Agapet in the year 535, the Procession. Greyory interlarded the Latin, Greek & Hebrew, in the year 583. Sergius the Agnus Dei to be thrice sung. Flavian & Diodore instituted the antiphoner. Telesphorus the Collects, Leo & Gelasius the Graduels, Gregory the Tracts, Gothier the Sequences. And as for the main body of the Canon, it was made about the year 800, by Alexander, Gelasius, Cyrill, Leo, & Pelagius, as Platina a Secretary to the Pope's doth affirm, & about that time the incense & offertory was ordained by Leo the 3. The soul of the Mass which is transubstantiation, was brought upon the Stage in the year 1062, in the time of Pope Nicholas, privileged by Hildebrand, confirmed by Honorius, who added the adoration of the host, in the year 1226, whilst Sergius invented the steeping of a piece of the bread in the wine, & the breaking of it into 3 pieces. & that nothing might be wanting, in the year 1264, Vrban, crowned this work with a Procession of the host, and a Corpus Christi day. Now in this place consider but the foolery of these men, which boast that Saint james sang Mass: considering that this Gregorian service was for the most part brought in by the violence of the Popes, who were aided in promoting of these crotchets by Charlemagne and other Kings and Emperors which ruled in France, Germany and Italy, the one usurping the temporal sword, the other the spiritual, under this title, Do, ut des, facio, ut facias. FINIS.