A DEFENCE OF THE BLESsed mass, and the sacrifice thereof, proving that it is available both for the quick and the dead. and that by Christ's own and his apostles ordinance, made & set forth by richard smith doctor in divinity, and reader of the kings highness lesson of divinity, in his majesties university of Oxford. Wherein are divers doubts opened, as it were by the way, over and above the principal, and chief matter. Multo melius est vera rustice, quam falsa diserte proffer. It is much better to bring forth true things rudely, then false things eloquently. Hiero. ad Damasum in exposi. primae visionis Esaiae. A DEFENCE OF THE SACRIfice of the mass. Made and set forth by master richard Smyth doctor in divinity, and reader of the kings highness lesson of divinity in his majesties university of Oxford. Wherein are diverse doubts opened, over and above the principal matter. Multo melius est vera rustice, quam falsa diserte proffer. Ibero, ad damasum. It is much better to bring forth true things rudely, then false things eloquently. 1546 ¶ To my most gracious sovereign lord Henry the eight, by the grace of god king of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and of the church of England and also of Ireland, in earth supreme head next under christ, all health and felicity. MOst gracious sovereign lord, having made of late ii, treatises, the one entitled The assertion, and defence of the sacrament of the altar, and the other the defence of the sacrifice of the mass, determining with myself according to my most bounden duty, to dedicate them both unto your most excellent highness, aswell for that your said highness is the most worthy defender of Christ's religion, as also for the consonaunce, and vicinity of the matter and argument herein. I do now, according to the said determination exhibit, present, and offer this treatise of the sacrifice of the mass unto your royal majesty, semblably as already I have done the other of the assertion, and defence of the sacrament of th'altar, most humbly beseeching your highness gratiouselye to accept this my poor doing, and to favour it. your graces most humble subject, chaplain, bedysman, and servant. richard Smythe, THEOPHILI AD AVtolycum, lib. 1. LIngua quidem diserta, & dictio tersa, delectationem & laudem afferunt, nec non plurimum conducunt miseris mortalibus, quorum animus depravatus est, ad vanam gloriam parandam. Caeterum veritatis studiosus non animum adijcit sermonibus corruptis, verum sedulo inquirit quaenam materia, sive quis effectus, aut quodnam opus sit orationis. That is to say, A well spoken tongue, & eloquence, do bring delectation and praise, they also do moche profit miserable men (whose mind is corrupted) to get vainglory. But he that loveth the truth, setteth not his mind to corrupt speeches, or sayings, but he enquyrethe diligently, what the matter is, either what the effect, or what is the work of the oratoin. Eme, league, judica, Buy, read, judge ¶ The authors names out of the which this treatise is gathered, and the time when they were that thereby men may see that the mass is not set up of late by the covetousness of priests as some say falsely it is. The greakes. Dionysius Ariopag, anno d. 47 Ignatius Anno. d. 104 Clemens anno. 142 Ireneus anno. 203 Origines, anno. 225 Gregory Nazian. anno. 369 Athanasius anno, 345 Eusebius anno 306 Cyrillus anno 369 Epiphanius anno. 369 Chrisostomus anno 412 Basilius. anno 369 Gregorius Emyss. anno 340 Theophilus, anno 360 Demascenus anno 440 Theodoretus anno 306 Theophilactus julianus episcopus Toletanus 845 The latins. Anacletus anno 101 Evaristus anno 110 Alexander. anno 119 Tertulianus anno 203 Arnobius an. 305. Lactantius 305 Cyprianus anno 259 Hylarius anno 345 Ambrose anno 429 Hieronimus anno 429 Augustinus anno 440 Fulgentius anno 497 Gregorius Magnus anno 609 Beda anno 683 D. Hugo Etherius anno 1160 Rupertus anno. 1123 Innocentius anno 1200 Isodorus anno 630 RICARDUS SMYTHAEUS Candido Lectori. S D. DESUDA Thie libellus, optime lector, aut solum penitus rudibus, & indoctis in christiana philosophia, aut certe una cum ijs & illis, qui non ita multum in illius studio promoverint. Hos enim dumtaxat istac mea Inueni●tur omnium penemalorum m●ter esse ignorantia D. Clement. 4. recog. & 5. qualicumque opella iuvare studio habui, ne quis horum ab ipsa pietate, quod ad rem, de qua hîc controvertitur, attinet, ignorantia, & inscitia veri aberret, vel male sanis hominum contionibus persuasus, vel librorum, qui haeresibus resparguntur, lectione, ut sic ineptiat, dementatus, et si quis ab huius rei religione iam desciverit, is in procinctu atque parato habeat, quo suum agnoscat errorem, agnitum ex osum habeat, respuat, & funem (ut est in paraemia) reducat, quo albo germane christianorum, à quo temere, & impie nomen suum expunxerit, denuo adcenseatur, alioqui tanque extrema (ut habet vetus dictum) faba disperiturus. Quam vero feliciter in hac re sim versatus, & spartam, quam sum indeptus, dextre adornauerim, iudicent eruditi, qui candide & recte de rebus divinis sentiunt, ut quos solos moror, & quorum judicio, ac calculo stet velim, aut cadat haec, quam ieci alea. Quod si quis hîc quaerat Britannici sermonis laenocinia, & leporem, spe frustrabitur sua. Dum enim hanc appararem conflictatiunculam, consultissimum mihi est illico visum, omnia planius, intelligibilius, ac crassiore (ut aiunt) minerva hominum lectioni credere, quo ad imperitam multitudinem, quam instituendam suscepi, maior, uberior, ac luculentior, ex hoc meo labore d●●anaret utilitas, nec esset quod illorum remoraret progressum. Nihil certè pensi habebam, tam etsi viderim ex dictionis ipsius invenustate quibusdam, quibus nihil nisi undique tersum ad blandiatur, & arrideat, plurimum fastidij suboriturum & hinc quosdam ab libelli lectiōe, vix iam uno & altero perfecto folio decessuros, meumque nomen apud illos, vel hoc nomine obscurius fore, ac nonnihil elevatum iri meam qualem cumque in literis aestimationem. Si quid itaque, Christian lector tibi interim, dum hunc libellum perlegis, forte occurret, quod tuo displiceat palato, sive quod id genuinum, & germanum non spiret nostratis eloquij nitorem, quem ipse non ita magni duco, ut ingenue fatear, sive quod sententia una, vel altera, seu scripturarum enarratio, seu argumētorum profligatio, & depulsio, tuo limato excussoque judicio alicubi parum arrideat. Primum cogitame, data opera, anglici sermonis contempsisse lauticias, quo (ut iam antea commemorauerim) minori negocio a rudibus intelligerer, de inde me hominem esse, & proinde nihil humani (ut comicus ait) à me alienum, falli posse, decipi, & errare, nolle tamen in errore pertinaciter edurare, sed erratorum à quoque commonefactum, incunctanter, ac perque libenter consilium in melius commutaturū, & gratiam, vel multo maximam admonitori ex animo habiturum, tantum abest ut cum eo sim quicque expostulaturus, seu illi succensurus. Consultum est illud Di. Gregorij Nazianzeni. Optabile est namque mihi & praeclarum, usque ad ultimam discere se nectutem, quoniam nulla aetas ad perdiscendum sufficere potest. oratione vii Postremo hoc tibi, optime lector, in mentem subeat, quoties tibi quippiam in hac elucubratione displicet, me occupatissimiī esse, ac tantum non negociorum undis adobrutum, ut non iam integer (uti par fuit) sed aut prelegendo, aut de rebus arduis disserendo, delas satus, & propemodum a studendo abhorrens, non integros dies, sed vix horas aliquot succisivas, seu furtivas, (ut Hieroni. loquitur) unius tantum mensishoc libello contexendo insumpserim. Nec sum omnia hic complexus, candide lector, quae hac de re à viris doctis prodita legerim, sed multa de industria, & veluti destinato, transmisi silentio, ne volumen justo maius esset, & ipsius prolixitas lectori, aut paulo occupatiori, aut nause abundo, cieret nauseam, & fastidium pare●et. Porro, non sum nescius, lector pie, esse inter nostrates non paucos ●uic proninciae obeundae long magis idoneos, quam me esse citra frō●is iacturam ipse queam agnoscere, si id oneris, aut subire non recusarent, aut per negotia subire illis liceret. Quod tamen cum a nemine, vel leviter attactum, neque attentatum, hactenus viderim, malui equidem meam qualem cunque in caelelestium literarum cognitione estimationem nonnihil perielitari, dum non ita dextre & feliciter instituto tam sancto coronis, aut manus suprema accesserit, quam pati meaegentis fidem, iam nonnihil concussam, & labefactatam, ullius imposturis, & praestigijs, pessum iri, ac interire, modo per me staret, ne id fieret, effectum dare, & ita quorundam impij● conatibus obu●āire, ne illis quantum libeat, liceat, neve virus suum pro sua libidine, & improbo studio mortalibus afflent, & eos in svarum haereseon nassam, unde illis nunquam, nisi apprime aegrè, se postea extricare liceat, pro suo arbitratu pertrahant. Hoc si contigisse videro, abunde compensatum hunc meum laborem, satque feliciter eum mihi cefsisse ex istimavero, tametsi multorum interim dentes, plusque theoninos, me subinde morsicantes, senserim, quorum vituperium mavelim, qui laudem, ut a quibus laudibus tolli, est planè vituperari: pios sane, & eruditos, admodum moror, quos nihil addubito hunc meum conatum, ut sedulun quidem, & a pio profectum animo, candide Seimus deo de ●eptum esse quicquid sit ꝑ●iribus. D. G. N●●i. orat. 7. probaturos, quip quos nompnterit illud flacci. Est quodam prodire tenus, si non datur ultra. Nec quod vidua evangelica, quae exile planè, & le●●t levidensae (ut est in ꝓuerbio) mu●us contulerit in corbonam, à chri●●o cordis expensore, adeo non au●ierit male, ut illo nomine praecla●o fuerit ornata encomio. Age ●taque lector, boni consulè, quod nunc ●uulgo. Si enim id feceris, facturū●utem non diffido, calcar mihi ad des haud mediocre, ad plura hoc genus aggrediendum, concinnandum, & inuulgandum, ut hinc pij lectores nonnihil referant compendij, & commodi, cum ad alio●um, tum ad svam ipsorum constabiliē dan fidem, atque ad eos christianae religioni denuo asciscendos, qui illi valefecerint, absque ea desciverint, non tam inconsulte, quam impie. Vale, lector pie, & aut his fruere mecum, (ut habet ille) aut meliora, Horatiu●. quod hominis fuerit christiani, imparti. Oxoniae Anno ab orb asserto. 1546. Mense Septembri. ¶ Note, good reader, this godly saying of saint Basyll the great. WHen saint Basyll (as the tripartite griper. Histo. li. 7 Cap. 36. story telleth) was advertised & moved by a certain officer of the emperor Valens, to follow the time, and not to suffer so many churches to be piteously vexed through a small subtlety o● doctrine, as than it was, and the said officer had promised to him the emperors favour and amity if he would cease, speaking against heresy then being compronge up and spread among the people, he made this godly & catholic answer. Adolescentibus haec conveniunt verba, illi & illorum similes talia respiciunt. Nam qui divinis inutriti sunt eloquijs, corrumpi de divinis doginatibus, ne unam quidem syllabam patiuntur, sed pro his (s● contingat) etiam omnes mortis species amplectuntur. Amicitiam autem imparatoris magnam quidem cum pietate judico, sine qua pernitiem potius hanc appello. That is to say in english. These words are meet for spryngoldes, or younkers, they and like to them do regard such. For they, which are nourished up with or in scripture, do suffer, no not one syllable of god's doctrines to be corrupted, but if it hap they embrace yea all kinds of death. But I do judge the emperors amity or friendship verily great, being coupled or joined with godliness, without the which I do call it rather destruction, than amity. This was undoubtedly a very godly answer, and wondrous seemly for a good and a holy bishop, worthy not to be red only of all learned men, and especially of bishops, but to be also diligently noted, printed in memory, & followed of them, that they being thereby instructed do not let for any man's friendship or for any benefits offered to them, to stand stoutly, and manly in defence of the true doctrine of Christ and his church, the foundation and pillar of the truth not suffering one ●ote or syllable thereof to be taken away, and abolished by the crafty, and devilish persuasions of ill writers, or teachers, but continually by scriptures, the authority of Christ's church and strong reasons defending it. For s. Austen saith. Contra rationem nemo sobrius, contra scripturam nemo christianus, contra De ●rini. 4. ca 6. ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit. That is to say. No sober, or well advised man will judge against reason, no christian man against scripture, no quiet man against the church. Would god that all men, and women reading, or hearing this notable and catholic sentence, pronounced by the ancient & great clerk saint Austen, would receive it, and in all points of our religion follow it. For then there should not be among us christian people so many schysmes, and ill opinions against the faith, as they now are, but they should shortly cease, and the true doctrine of CHRIST, and his church flourisheth again, which is known (as Vyncentius Lyrmensis writ a thousand years since) by ancient, generalytie and agreeing of the fathers in it I was moved (gentle reader) to write this catholic, and godly sentence of saint Basyll, partly because there lacked matter to fill the sheet of paper in printing, and partly for that it was very notable and worthy to be observed of all learned men. ¶ Hereafter followeth the preface. ¶ The preface unto the reader. THE holy prophet david, good christian reader, saith that the truth of our lord abideth for ever, and therefore Psal. ●●. albeit many and divers men have from time to time, even from the beginning of the church, both spoken, & written also books against it, yet they could never prevail, but lost their labours, & got their confusion, and endless damnation. Wherefore though the prophet Daniel doth say, Prosternetur Danie●is. ● veritas in terra. The truth shall be trodden under the feet on the earth, yet the is not meant that all the people of god should treede it under their feet, & despise it, but that in the time of Antichrist, figured by Antiochus, of whom the prophet saw a vy●●on, as in the eight chapter of Daniel it appeareth: the continual sacrifice, that is the sacrifice of the mass, as I will by gods grace hereafter prove, should be abolished and put away, for the space of three years and the half, (how long Antichrist shall reign) Daniel in the twelve chapter testifienge the same. Of the which place, and other more like, written Luther is antichristes messenger, to make all ready against his coming which first of all men spoke against the sacrifice of the holy mass. except one Peter debruis. by Daniel, we may well gather, that Antichristes' time approacheth and draweth very nigh, for as much as Marten Luther, and his followers, do travail so earnestly (but yet all in vain) to take away the holy sacrifice of the blessed mass, which all christian nations from the first institution thereof, made by christ our saviour at his last supper, even till our time, the space of a thousand and five hundred years, was ever believed, accepted, and received, for a sacrifice available, and profitable both for the quick and the dead, which thing shall be openly, and plenteousely declared, god willing, here after in this book, not only by the scripture, but also by general councils, and the expositions of the eldest, and best learned doctors, declaring the said scripture, so that no man, which listeth not to wink at the light of the truth, nor is not married to his o●ne opinion, shall have any excuse to lay for his error, through want, and lack of knowledge of the truth. Therefore read this book without all affection diligently, not regarding who made it, nor against whom it is made, but what matter it doth contain, be it never so rudely, & grossly set fourth, for the easier understanding of it. Follow the wise man's counsel, saying. Non contradicas Eccle. 4. verbo veritatis. Say not against the word of truth, for if thou do, thou shalt labour all in vain, and gain thereby the wrath of god, and his indignation, with pain ever to endure, in hell, with the devil, which stood not in the truth, as Christ doth affirm. joan. 8. This saith Paul writing to the Romans after this sort. jis autem Rom. 2. qui sunt ex contentione, & qui non acquiescunt veritati, credunt autem iniquitati, ira & indignatio. To them the wrath, and indignation of god shall come, which are given to contention, or strife, and do not quietly obey the truth, but believe the wrong or falsity. Remember this our saviour Christ's Math. 16 saying, What shall it avail man, if he win the whole world and thereby lose his soul? What exchange Mat. 16. shall a man make for his soul? If thou hast therefore erred with Peter, receiving false doctrine, defending it, and persecuting the teachers, and maintainers of the truth, be not ashamed to forsake thine error, and again to embrace the truth. Paul persecuted the truth, but he forsook his error when god called him. Saint Austen erred, but he returned again to the truth, and unfeignedly recanted his error. Thus many other have done, which had gone from the truth, when it pleased god of his great mercy to call them, & to give them the spirit of truth, for the exiling the spirit of error. I may well say to them, that follow Martin Luther's wicked Luther. errors, and damnable heresies, and namely that, which is against the sacrifice of the holy mass (never improved before his days) as saint Paul said to the Galathians, greatly wondering Gala. 3. at their blindness. Quis vos fascinavit non obedire veritati? Who hath bewitched you not to obey the truth? As though he had said, ye have had the truth so plainly, and perfectly taught you, that except ye were witched, ye could not so err, as ye now do, forsaking the same. If saint Paul did justly judge the Galathians witched, because they had forsaken the truth of the gospel, (which they learned not long before) through the enticement, provocation, and persuasion of false teachers, that then did preach to them, how moche more justly may a man say to them which are shamefully deceived, and blinded by Martin Luther's fond, foolish, and devilish doctrine? Quis vos fascinavit veritati non obedire? Who hath witched you, not to obey the truth? hath-Marten luther deceived, and witched you? Hath he blinded you, that ye can not see the truth, which heretofore, sense Christ's birth, no man attempted to do in this matter of the mass? Hath he deceived you Except one Peter de br●●s which was in saint Berna●des time. which is the author, maintenar, and defender of many, and sundry plain heresies? Hath he witched you not to obey the truth, concerning the sacrifice of the blessed mass, which so setteth forth, and advanceth only faith, that he sticketh Only f●yth. not to say, and defend, that only through faith god forgiveth man's sins, nothing helping thereunto his penance, fear, charity, prayer, forgiving his neighbours George joys opinion. trespasses, nor any like thing, yea that only faith should save man, though he lived never so ill? And because saint james in his epistle doth plainly condemn, & reprove that his devilish opinion, and saint Ihons' Apocalypsis also disproveth the same error, he was not ashamed to deny them both, affirming that these books are not scripture, nor written by james, and John the apostle. Is not this a blind doctor? Is not he worthy to have credence given to him, in matters of our faith, which doth not fear to deny the holy scripture, for the maintenance of a fond, and a wicked heresy, against the scripture, the hole church of christendom, and all writers, that truly writ upon the scripture, even from Christ's time, to these our days? What man, or woman, is so mad, to be Luther denieth man's f●e will, which did Simon Magus (as S. Clement signifieth) that was the fyist heretik● after christe● birth. leave him which denieth the free will of man, and ascribeth both sin and virtue only to necessity, and nothing to man, as Luther doth, saying that we can not chose but sin when we do sin, nor chose but we must needs do well, when we do any good deed? Is not this a great blindness? What can be more against reason, and gods holy word? What doctrine can he more pestilent, and noisome to good living? For if this doctrine were true, as it is most false, we should need no law of man, nor of god, no preaching, no teaching, ●o good counsel, nor any semblable, or like help to live the better with all. Martin Luther also deals Luther sayeth that god doth give no grace by the sacraments. that god giveth any grace man thorough the blessed sacraments. Is not this man worthy to be believed of us christian people● He teacheth that a christian ma● should not war against the Turks. Is not this wholesome doctrine & godly: yea is it not rather met● for a Turk thus to write, then▪ christian man? Beware therefore good christian reader, of his pestilent, and contagious doctrine. Read not his books, nor none o● Heresy books should not be red. his disciples making. They a●● full of poison, although th●● seem never so good, and frutefull● as commonly doth all heresy, at th● first taste and sight. The kings' majesty, like a most christian prince hath put fourth a proclamation o● late, straightly charging, and commanding, that no man, or woman do keep after the last day o● August next insuinge any book i● English, that containeth in it an● ill, and hurtful doctrine. This godly commandment ought to be obeyed of us, not only for fear of temporal, and bodily punishment, but to eschew also gods displeasure and wrath, whose ministre he is, and by whom he Prover. ● ●eygneth, as the scripture affirmeth. If thou hast been deceived by Luther Ro. 13. this blind teacher, return again to the truth, with a penitent heart. Follow this holy Tobias Toby. 14. counsel. Serve the lord in dread, and truth. Buy the truth, & sell it not again, as Solomon Prover. 23. doth counsel the. instantly pray with the holy prophet david, Psal. 118. saying. Ne auferas de ore meo verbum veritatis. Let not o lord, the word of the truth, be taken from my mouth. Abide in christ by love and charity, and keep his commandments, and then thou shalt know the truth (as our saviour saith) and the truth shall make joan. ●. the fire, from all error, ignorance sin, and wretchedness, and bring the to the endless joys of heaven, the which Christ the truth, dying for the truths sake, bought most dearly, with the shedding of his precious blood, for his faithful servants, to whom with his father, and the holy ghost, be glory and honour for ever. Amen. Take in good worth this my labour, gentle reader, though in all points the treatise shall not like thee, and no marvel, for because it was made in haste within the space of a month, when I might steal an hour from my other business of study. At London, the year of our lord. M. D. xlvi. The xx. day of july. A certain lesson, or an instruction to discern, and to put difference between a false doctrine and a true. TErtulian, good Tertulianus. 203. reader, an ancient writer, for he was within clxxx years of Christ's birth, in his book made of the prescription against heretics, declaring how we may know without all doubt what doctrine is true, and what is false, and heresy, thus writeth. Christ in a certain parable sayeth that good Math. 13. seed of corn was first sowed of the lord, and afterward his enemy the devil sowed cokle, and evil seed. Ita ex ordine ipso manifestatur, id esse dominicum, & verum, quod sit prius traditum, id vero extraneum, & falsum quod sit posterius immissum. That is thus much in english. Luther's seed of doctrine against the mass is cokle and erroneous doctrine because it was sowed after the good seed of the truth. It is plain by the order of the sowing of good seed, of good and godly doctrine, which christ first sowed in the field his church, and the devils after sowing of ill seed, of false and erroneus doctrine in the same, by heretics his ministers, that to be our lords, and true, which is first taught, and that to be strange, & false, that was after brought in. This sentence (saith Tertulian there) shall abide and remain, against other heresies, which shall hereafter rise, to whom no man, that is constant in his faith, and of a good conscience, doth give, or grant any thing to defend that they have the truth on their side. Lo, good reader, here thou hast an evident lesson, to perceive, that Martin Luther's doctrine, which Chrisosto. homilia. 17, in Heb. he doth maintain against the blessed mass, and the holy sacrifice thereof, the very self same offering of our saviours very flesh and blood, which he himself once offered to his father on the cross, to pacify his wrath, is very strange, false, and manifest heresy, for as much as it was sowed by the devil in the church of Christ long and many years, forsooth no fewer than a thousand and five hundred, after that our saviour at his maundy, and his holy apostles ●ad sown the seed of that godly doctrine, teaching the mass to be ● sacrifice, profitable both for the quick and the dead, as I shall prove manifestly, in this book following. Moreover the same ancient, and great clerk Tertulian teacheth us an other lesson to discern ●n other tu●e to know heresy by from wholesome & true doctrine. heresy from true doctrine, saying. That heresy by interpretation, or exposition of the greek word, is that doctrine, which a man of himself, or of his own choosing, doth institute, set forth, or take, and maiteine, being by an other man's choice afore invented. And therefore the apostle Paul did say that an heretic was condemned even by his own judgement, and conscience, Quia & in quo damnatur, sibi elegit, because ●i. 3. he hath chosen to him, that in the which he is condemned. This rule also doth sufficiently prove that Martin Luther's doctrine Luter wa● by his own judgement and conscience condemned, as all heretics be. against the sacrifice of the mass, is ill, and that he was condemned even by his own judgement, for as much as he chose this doctrine of his own head, having neither scripture with him but against him, nor any other good authority, to defend that his wicked heresy, as hereafter it shall be opened at large, by god's grace, to the utter abolishing, and confutation of this lewd, fond, and devilish opinion. But I will let this pass, and set upon mine enterprise, and purpose. Look not good reader, to have this matter garnished & painted with strange terms of french, or of any other tongue, whereby the unlearned might not understand, without great labour & difficulty, where about I should go, nor take but little profit by the teading of this book. The truth, Lactan. lib. 3. Cap. 1. de falsa sapien. as Lactantius did writ, twelte hundredth years afore this time, god would should be of this nature, that it being simple and bare should be more esteemed and set by. Quia satis ornata per se est, ideoque ornamentis extrinsecus additis fucata corrumpitur, because it is of itself garnished sufficiently, and therefore it is corrupted, being coloured or painted with ornaments outwardly added. Also in an other place Lib. 5 de diui●a justicia, ca 1 he saith. Eloquentia seculo seruit, populo se iactare, & in rebus malis placere gestit. Eloquence serveth the world, it desireth to boast itself to the people, and to please in evil things. To be short, the scripture, was written without eloquence, and colours of Rhetoric, as Paul saith to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 2. lest the conversion of the world to the faith, by the preaching of the apostles, and their books, should be ascribed, and imputed unto the eloquence of them, and their clean terms to persuade, if they had used any such, and thereby the virtue why the ●●ripture was written without much eloquence. and strength of Christ's holy cross, and death should have been of none effect, nor force, the people believing that men had been brought to Christ's faith through the eloquence of the preachers, and not by the great virtue, and strength of Christ's death. Therefore I would not, if I could never so well, paint this my book with many terms of Rhetoric, or of any other strange speech, whereby the matter (as I have said before) might be the more obscure, and dark to the reader, which is not of the best learned, especially seeing I aught as well to study for the edifying of the simple and the rude, as of the wise and the cunning. But now I will begin this matter, and Rom. ●. prove by good authority of the old, and new testament, the doctors of the church, and of certain general councils, that the mass is a sacrifice, available not only for the priest, which saith it, but also for the living, and dead, first declaring the name of the mass, whereby it shall appear very plainly, that it is a sacrifice, or else the apostles would not have given to it the name, which in Hebrew doth signify a sacrifice, and an oblation. The name of the mass showeth, that it is a sacrifice. THe mass, good reader, hath that name, and is so called, by reason it is a sacrifice, for in the Hebrew tongue missah is named that which the greeks do call liturgiam, the latins oblationem, & we in english, a sacrifice. For wherein the book of Moses called Deuteronomium Dou●e. 1●. the xvi chapter we read in the hebrew missach, & in the latin, oblatio, the english hath an oblation, or else a sacrifice, so that even thereof we may well see, and perceive, that the holy mass hath that name, because it is a sacrifice, which undoubtedly the apostles of our saviour Christ jesus, did first so call, understanding by these words, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem, Luc. 22. Do ye this for my remembrance, that Christ gave them authority to make sacrifice of his very true & natural flesh and blood at their masses, which thing he himself had them before done, at his last supper, as it shall manifestly be proved, by god's grace, hereafter in this book. Peter the apostle said the first mass of all at Antiochia, which ordained a great part of the ceremonies now used in the mass, and also instituted the self same order of prayers, with which the priest doth consecrated the very flesh & blood of christ at his mass, as we read in divers well learned men's R●migius d● officio 〈◊〉. Hugo 〈…〉 ●sodo●●● lib. de officers. Cap. 15. books. John Wiclep he was therefore justly condemned in the general council, holden at Constantia, because he said that the mass was not instituted, & ordained by Christ, but invented only by man: of the which more largely hereafter I will entreat by the help of god. But let us see what is a sacrifice, and what the scripture saith of the sacrifice of the mass. S. Austen, good reader, in the x. book de civi. de●, & the vi cha. thus describeth a sacrifice. A very sacrifice what is sacrifice. is every work, which is done, that we might cleave unto god with a holy fellowship, referred to the end of goodness, whereby we may be truly, happy, or blessed. Moreover sacrificare in latin is to make sacrifice, & a priest in latin is called sacrificus, because he maketh sacrifice by his priesthood, & orders, which is his chief, & principal office, as it appeareth in s. Paul's epistle the .v. cha. to the Heb. 5. Hebr. the which I will declare also hereafter. Daniel the prophet made mention, good reder, in the xii. chap. of this sacrifice saying. Impie agent impij, neque intelligent oens impij, porro docti intelligent, & a tempore cum ablatum fuerit iuge Luther. Bully, bucer Mesan Regivo. etc. are of that number. sacrificium, & posita fuerit abominatio in desolationem dies mill, ducenti nonaginta. Ungracious or ungodly men shall do ungraciously, or ungodly, & the ungracious or ungodly shall not understand, but the learned men shall understand, & from the time, when the continual sacrifice is taken away, & abomination put in to desolation, that is to wit, Antichrist destroyed, a M. days ii C. & xc. The which do make iii years and the half, by which space antichrist shall reign, & persecute christian people, after he hath caused masses to cease, & taken away the sacrifice of them. Thus we see that the prophet did prophecy that a continuing or continual sacrifice should be destroyed or taken away, in the time of cursed antichrist, for of him the prophet did there speak, as the text itself doth show, which Chryst did allege, entreating of Antichrist, as Matthew writeth the xxiiii. chapter, but this continual sacrifice can be none other but the sacrifice of the mass. first because the prophet speaketh of that one sacrifice, which should cease the space only of three years, and the half, but the jews sacrifices were many, and This prophise can not be understand of the sacrifice of prayer, giving thanks nor like other spir. sacrifices, for the godly, shall use those then most of all being a time of persecution are abolished for ever. secondly because they have been taken away these M. cccc. years, and yet antichrist is not come, therefore by this continual sacrifice was mente the sacrifice of the blessed mass, which antichrist, labouring all that he can to destroy Christ's faith, and his whole religion, shall abolish and cause to cease for three years space, and the half, for so long by daniel's, & saint Ihons' saying, he shall reign, wherefore Martin Luther, and his scholars, endeavouring themselves to take away this holy sacrifice of the mass, are the messengers of antichrist, making ready and preparing against his coming, that people may receive, and honour him for the verytue messyas, and saviour of the world, Christ our saviour rejected, and utterly forsaken, as he himself did prophicye, saying to the jews. I came in the name of my joan. 5. father, and ye did not receive me, an other shall come in his own name, ye will receive him. But I will pass over this, and go forward upon my purpose, to prove that the mass is a very sacrifice, and first by figures of the old testament. We read in the, xiiii. chap. of the Gene. that Melchizedech, which was both a king & also a priest Of Melchisedech. did offer in sacrifice bread and wine, when Abraham was returned from the killing of four kings, for these be the words of the letter. At vero Melchizedec rexsalem, proferens panem & vinum (erat enim sacerdos Gene. 1●. dei altissimi) benedixit ei. etc. But verily Melchizedec king of Salem, bringing forth or offering bread & wine (for he was a priest of god the highest) blessed Abraham. This text doth prove sufficiently the Melchizedec did offer to god bread & wine in sacrifice, to thank him for the victory given to Abraham, and therefore it must needs thereupon follow, that christ did make sacrifice under the form of bread & wine, at his last supper, instituting the mass, for as much as Melchizedec was a figure of him, & his priesthood likewise a figure of Christ's priesthood according to the prophecy of David ●n the Psalm, which is. Tues sacerdos Psal. 109. in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchizedec, Thou art (said god the father to christ his son) a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec. No man can truly say, that christ was a priest after this order of Melchiz, when he offered up himself on the cross to his father for our sins, for them he did not offer his body under the form of bread & wine, but under the form of flesh, & blood, & therefore he was that time, so offering sacritice, a priest after the order of Aaron, & not of Melchiz. so that this figure of Melchiz. and the prophicy of the holy ghost pronounced by David, were fulfilled by christ at his mandy, & last supper, when he took bread, gave thanks to god, blessed the bread, broke it, & gave it to his apostles saying. Take, eat, this is my body, which shall be given, to death for you, and therefore Christ did then offer his flesh and blood in sacrifice to god his father, and the same also doth the priest in the mass, having authority so to do, & commanded of him to do that same thing, which he did afore, when he said to his apostles Hoc faicte in mei commemorationem. Luc. 22. Do ye this for my remembrance, as Luke maketh mention in his gospel. But now let us see what they say, which are of the contrary opinion, that the mass is no sacrifice, to prove that this authority of the Genesis, maketh not for us, to persuade that Melchiz. did at that time offer to god bread and wine in sacrifice. first they say that the text of the Genesis An obiecti●. hath not offerens, vel sacrificans panem & vinum, offering, or sacrificing bread and wine, but proferens, bringing forth bread and wine, and therefore this place proveth not that Melehiz. did make then sacrifice to god. To that I answer that the text in deed hath even so, as they say, and yet it proveth right well, and sufficiently that Melchiz. did then offer sacrifice to god, with bread & wine, or else why should Moses have added a sentence declaring that Melchiz, did that thing as a priest, and because he was a priest. For if he had not offered that bread and wine to god in sacrifice, there should have been no cause, to say. Erat enim sacerdos dei altissimi, for he was a priest of the highest god, because he might have done it then being no priest. For it is not the office of a priest to bryuge forth bread and wine to refresh the hungry people, but rather of a lay man, as no man can say nay, and therefore sith Melchizedec did this as a priest, and exercising the office of a priest, the which is chiefly to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, as Paul saith, it followeth that 〈…〉 Melchizedech did make them sacrifice, with bread and wine. Moreover this argument is very weak and slender, the text of the Genesis saith that Melchizedec did bring forth bread and wine, therefore he did not offer them in sacrifice, for as these two, to bring forth bread and wine, and to offer them are not contrary even so Melchizeder did bring forth those things not to feed Abraham, and his soldiers, as anon it shall appear but to offer them unto god in sacrifice, to give him thanks for the great victory by him given to Abraham. Now where many men, following therein the jews, as it appeareth in Lire upon the Genesis, do affirm that Melchizedech Lir● did not offer bread and wine in sacrifice to god, but only brought them forth to refresh Abraham, & his soldiers, they are very blind so to say. For they needed not his bread nor wine, having sufficient vittals brought with them there hence, where they got the victory, as it appeareth in the letter. Also is it like that Melch. had bread & wine enough in store, to refresh so many soldiers being in number above iii c.? Beside this who that wise is would say the Abraham, if he had had any such need, would not have gone rather to some other man for succour, then to the priest of the highest god? Abraham also gave to Melchyzedech tithes of the spoils gotten in war, as Paul witnesseth, which he would not Heb. 7. have done if he had wanted necessaries for him and his soldiers. Finally Abraham brought with him all Loathes goods besides the substance of the four kings, which he had sleane before, and therefore he needed not to beg bread and wine of god's priest Melchizedech. But ye will say to me, the text An objection hath not in Hebrew a word declaring a cause, for the Hebrew word signifieth only in english (and) and therefore that text maketh not sufficiently to prove that Melchy. did offer that bread and wine in sacrifice. To that I make The answer. answer, first that saint Hierom, which was excellently learned in ●he Hebrew tongue, did so translate the Hebrew word, to whom more credence ought to be given, then to twenty Luther's, Bucers, Byllygers, or any like, which neither for learning nor holiness of living are worthy to be compared with him, as all good christian men will grant. Secondly I say that this latin word Et, which is in english (and) is many times used in scripture, for enim sygnifienge in english (for) as in Esai Esai. 65. the prophet, saying. Lo thou art angry with us, and we have sinned, where (and) is put in stead Psal. 59 of this word for. Also in the psaltre it is thus written. Lord give to us help, and the health of man is vain. Here also, and, is put for this word for. Likewise in the new testament that word is used as in Luke the first chapter, where the most blessed, and honourable virgin our lady, mother of christ, was thus said unto, by Elizabeth Zacharias wife. Benedictatu in mulieribus, & benedictus fructus ventris tui. Thou art blessed Luc. 1. among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, where (&) is put for (enim) declaring the cause why our lady was blessed, which was because she brought forth our saviour most blessed of all, by whose death all the faithful, living godly should be saved, & blessed in heaven, according to the promise of God, made unto Abraham as the Genesis doth plainly tell. Many other texts of scripture Gene. 15. 22. manifestly do show that it is no seldom thing the (&) should be used in stead of (enim) which I will not rehearse at this time, lest I should be tedious to the reader, especially sith these places already recited, are sufficient to prove my purpose, that which is approved by many doctors expositions not only of hebrews, but of the greeks & the Ltayns also: for amongst the Hebrew writers, one called Rabbi semuel expounding this text of Rabbi semuel the Genesis, entreating of Melchi. thus writeth. Hic Melchi. mysteria sacerdotij, tradidit. Erat enim ipse sacrificans panem & vinum deo sancto, & benedicto, that is to wit This Melch. taught, or delivered mysteries, or things secret in words & ceremonies, of priesthood. For he was doing sacrifice with bread & wine to god holy, & blessed. Here we see that this great clerk being an Hebr. writer, & an Hebr. borne did understand this afore said text of Melchizedeches' oblation, or sacrifice. Now ought not more credence to be given unto him in this point specially, than to any man of this our time labouring to teach an heresy by wresting of this place from his right sense? Also an other of the Hebrew doctors Rabbi pinhas called Rabbi Pinhas, confirmeth plainly this matter saying, In the time of messias, or the Gene. 14. Psal. 109. anointed (meaning our saviour) all sacrifices shall cease, but the sacrifice of bread and wine shall never cease. Forthwith he alegeth this text of the Genesis and the verse of david's Psalter, wherein mention is made of Christ's priesthood. This might be proved by the sayings of many other Hebrew doctors, but I will let them pass to be short, and rehearse some of the greek writers to prove Eusebius lib. 5 cap. 3. De cuamge. demonstra this my purpuse. Eusebius which was above twelve hundred years passed, thus writeth of this matter speaking of the prophets saying. Tues sacerdos. etc. Psal. 109. Thou art a priest after the order of Melchizedec, for ever. The end (saith Eusebi.) of the prophecy is wonderful to him, which doth behold after what manner our saviour jesus, which is the anointed of god, doth accomplish by his ministers after the order of Melchizedec, those things, that appertain, to the using, or exercising of priesthood among men. For like as he, which was a priest of the gentiles, doth appear in no place to have used corporal sacrifices, as Aaron did with beasts, but only with bread and wine, when he blessed Abraham, so truly first the saviour and our lord, afterward the priests which were instituted by him, exercising the spiritual office of priesthood, among all people after the laws, or ordinances of the church, do present, show, or bring in presence with bread and wine the mysteries, or secret things both of his body, and also of his wholesome blood. The which mysteries verily Melchizedec so long before did know through the holy ghost, and did use the ymagies, or figures of things to come. Hitherto Eusebius, evidently saying that Melchyzedech figured Christ, and offered sacrifice with bread and wine, for a figure of Christ's sacrifice, which he should offer under the form of bread and wine, (& even so he did) sacrificing to his father, his very flesh and blood, as the priests now do instituted, and made by him, and his authority. whom ●restes are ordained by christ. will not rather believe this holy father, and ancient clerk, than Martin Luther, which laboureth diligently to abolish all holy and godly sacraments▪ But now let Chrisostom speak his Chrysostome. mind in this controversy, which for his ancienty being before our time xii c. years, and for his learning ought to be admitted among good christian men to the decysing In Hebr. Ca 5 of controversies risen in their religion, which thus writeth. To whom was it said, thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchiz.? who is a priest after the order of Melchizedec? None other but christ, for all other were under the law, all did keep the sabbath days, all were circumcised, the jews could find none other but Christ, that should be a priest after the order of Melchizedech. But thou wilt say to me the An objection text hath not offerens offering, but proferens bringing forth, It is very true, but yet the greek word, that the lxxii translators, which turned the Hebrew letter in to greek, do use in this place, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. proffer, pro offer. which is prospherin signifieth not only to bring forth, but also to offer sacrifice, as it appeareth in many places of the new testament in greek, but specially the fifth Cap. 7. &. 9 of Matthew. Si obtuleris. etc. The fifth of Paul to the Hebre. and in other certain places of that epistle, and therefore this objection is of no force, nor strength but it maketh rather for my purpose: Lib. 3. To: ●. Haeresi. 9 Epiphanius moreover a greek doctor being about twelve hundred years passed, confirmeth this plainly, saying. Abraham justus sacrificat deo, & Melchizedec sacerdos dei altissimi, Abraham righteous doth sacrifice to god, and Melchizedech the priest of the highest god. Also thus he saith speaking of the same matter. Melchizedec Abrahamo ob●●iam Lib. 2. To. 1. Haeresi. 55. venit, et proposuit ipsi panem & vinum, mysteriorum aenigmata praefigurans, & exemplaria, cum dominus noster dicat. Egosum panis vivus, & exemplar sanguinis ipsius, qui ex latere ipsius compuncto Io. 6. fluxit, ad purgationem inquinatorun, & respersionem, ac salutem animarum nostrarum. That is, Melchizedec met Abraham, and set out, or showed to him bread and wine, before figuring dark thinger and samples of mysteries or secret things, forasmuch as our lord sayeth. I am the quick bread, and a sample of that blood which did run out of his side pricked, to the purging of the defiled, and sprinkling, and health of our souls here we see that after this ancient writer's mind, the bread & wine which Melchiz. showed to Abraham, figured our saviour Christ's flesh & blood, which ran out of his side stricken, that he offered to his father, under the form of bred & wine, at his last supper, & not upon the cross, for there he offered himself to his father under and in his own proper form, after the order of Aaron only. Damascene also a greek doctor, which was above a thousand years afore our time, confirmeth plainly this our Lib. 4▪ ca 14. purpose, entreating of Melchizedeches sacrifice offered to god in bread & wine, when thus he saith Haec mensa, hanc mysticam praefigur●uit mensam, velut & sacerdos Gene. 14. ille christi veri sacerdotis figuram Psal. 100LS. praeseferebat, et imaginem. Tues enim (inquit) sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchizedec That is, This table of Melch. figured before this mystical table of Christ, like as this priest Melchyzedec did bear the figure and image of christ the very priest. For the holy ghost saith by david the prophet, rehearsing god the fathers words to christ his son. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchize. Is not this plainly spoken of this old writer & great clerk? Is it not meet to believe him rather than Martin Luther, or any of his disciples, nothing so well learned as he was, nor so virtuous in living? But to be short, I will allege now Theophilactus Theophila. words, which was also a greek doctor, & then go to the rehearsal of In Heb. 5. latin doctors. He saith after this manner. But whom can the jews bring beside christ, which may, or should be a bishop, or a priest after the order of Melchizedec? were not all other priests under the law? did not they all observe the sabbath days, and offer sacrifices? Therefore it is most evident that it was spoken of Chryst, for he, and only he, did make sacrifice with bread and wine, after the manner of that Melchizedec. Anon after he asketh how Christ is a priest for ever. To that he maketh this answer, that he is called a priest for ever, not only because he doth always pray for us to his father, showing to him his body, which he offered up for the sins of the world unto his father upon the cross, to obtain mercy for us, saying, o father have mercy on them, for whom I have suffered death, but he is also a priest for ever because he is offered daily, or else because an oblation, or sacrifice is continually offered by god's ministers the priests, which hath in it Christ our lord, bishop, and sacrifice, that for our sake doth sanctify, hallow, or make holy himself, break, and give: this he. Hitherto I have alleged the Hebrew & the Greake writers to prove that Melchyzedec did offer bread and wine in sacrifice to god, in figure of our saviour Christ's sacrifice, which he should then offer, and now hath in deed offered to his father at his maundy, verily none other thing, than his own natural and lively body, flesh and blood under the form of bread and wine. Now let us see what the latin Latyn authors touching this matter. doctors say in the same matter, but yet not all, which I have red, entreating of it, but certain of the eldest & best learned only, as S. Austen, Hierom, Ambrose, Lactant. Arnobius, & the holy martyr Cyprian, S. Austen. the year of our lord. cccc. Of the which S. Austen thus saith upon the xxxiii Psalm of david. Melchize. was in Abraham's time. Of what other saith god the father. Thou art a priest for ever, Psal. 100LS. after the order of Melch. but of him, whose sacrifice ye know? The sacrifice of Aaron is taken away, & a sacrifice after the order of Melchi. is begun. Also in another place he saith, Melch. did know to To. 2. ePist. 95 figure the eternal priesthood of our lord, with a sacrament, or a holy sign of our lords table, showed To. 5. de civi dei. lib. 16: ca 22. forth. Again he saith speaking of Melchi. & his sacrifice. Ibi quip primum apparuit sacrificium, q● nunc a christianis offertur deo toto orb terrarum, impleturque illud, quod long post hoc factum, per prophetam dicitur ad christum qui fuerat venturus in carnem. Tues sacerdos secundum ordinem Melch. inaeternun. Non scilicet secundum ordinem Aaron, qui ordo fuerat auferendus, illucescentibꝰ rebus, quae illis umbris praenotabantur. That is to say in english. Surely there first did appear the sacrifice, which now is offered of christian people to god through all the world, & the is fulfilled, which long after this deed of Melch. is said by the prophet David to christ the should come to be made man. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melch. As who saith, not after the order of Aaron, which order should be taken away, the things being clear, or manifest, which were before noted or figured with those shadows. Hitherto S. austin, which was above eleven. C. years past, and of such cunning, and learning in holy scripture, beside many other things, as never was any sense the holy apostles time, therefore sith he doth so plainly approve this matter of the sacrifice of the mass, as we have already showed, & will do hereafter more at large, god willing, is not he a very mad man, that will rather believe Martin Luther than this ancient father, and godly writer? But now to go forward on this purpose, I will bring in saint Hieroms' mind in this matter, which thus sayeth therein. Melchizedec pane & vino, simplici, Hierom ad ●u●grium. puroque sacrificio, Christi dedicavit sacramentum. That is, Melchizedec with bread and wine a simple and a pure sacrifice, did dedicated Christ's sacrament. Again upon the sautre Quo modo Melchize. rex salem obtulit panem & vinum, sic et tu offeres corpus tuum & sanguinem, verum panem & vinum. ●ste Melchizedec, ista mysteria, quae habemus, nobis dedit. Ipse est qui dixit. Qui manducaverit ex hoc pane vivet in aeternum. joh. ●. Secundum ordinem Melchizedec tradidit nobis sacramen●um suum. In what manner Melchizedec king of Salem hath offered bread and wine, even so thou also shalt offer thy body, and blood, very bread, and very wine. This Melchi. gave to us these mysteries, which we have. He it is, which johan ●. said. He the shall eat of this bread, shall live ever. He hath delivered to us his sacrament, after the order of Melchyze. Are not these plain words of this ancient, & excellent clerk Hierom, & sufficient to stop all their mouths, that babble, and bark against the holy sacrifice of the mass, which ever since Christ's time was had in honour till Marten Luther began to write against it? But yet once more let holy Hierom say his mind, in this controversy, to the utter confutation, of Hierom● in Mat. 26. the masses (ye of Christ's, which did institute it) adversaries. Thus he writeth, after he had rehearsed our saviours words spoken at his last supper, when he did institute this blessed mass, & the sacrifice of it. After the passover, which was a figure, was fulfilled, & christ had eaten the flesh of a lamb, with his apostles, he taketh bread which comforteth man's heart, he passeth over to the very sacrament of easter, or the Passover, that like as Melch. the priest of the highest god, in a figure afore of him had done, offering bread & wine, he also should bring in presence or lay before men, the truth of his body & blood. Who can desire more plain words than these are of s, Hierom, to prove that Melch. offered bread & wine in sacrifice to god as a figure of Christ's sacrifice instituted of him under the form of bread & wine at his maundy. S Ambrose in like manner Ambrose lib 4. de sacram●tis. confirmeth this verity saying. Occurrit Melch. sacerdos Abrahae, & obrulit ei panem & vinsi. Melchi. a priest met Abraham & offered to him bread and wine. Also in an other Lib, 1. de Abraham patriarch●. Ca 3. place thus he saith entreating of Melch. Who is king of righteousness the priest of god? but he to whom it is said. Thou art a priest, for ever after the order of Melchi? Hoc est, dei filius, sacerdos patris ● sui corporis sacrificio, patrem nrisre ꝓpitiavit delictis? that is, the son of god, the priest of the father, which with the sacrifice of his body hath appeased or made merciful the father to our liuns These words do plainly declare the saint Ambrose believed that christ did offer his own body to his father, after the order of Melchize. to appease his wrath, which can not be understand of the sacrifice made upon the cross, because there he was not a priest, or he did not offer sacrifice there, after the order of Melchizedec under the kinds of bread and wine, but after the manner, & order of Aaron offering his body, and blood under, or in his own form visible. This also is approved by an old doctor Lactantius lib. 4. cap. 14 de vera sap. Psal. 109. named Arnobius, writing upon the sawtre, which sayeth. Hic per mysterium panis & vini sacerdos factus est in eternum secundum ordinem Melchizedec, qui panem solus obtulit, & vinum in sacerdotibus. This (meaning Christ of whom the prophet spoke) by reason of the mystery of bread and wine, was made a priest forever after the order of Melchize. the which only among priests offered bread and wine. This was written above twelve hundred, & forty years passed, manifestly affirming that christ by reason of the mystery or the secret thing, that is the sacrament, of bread & wine, was made a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec: which he could not be, except he had offered his own body and blood in sacrifice to his father at his maundy under form of bread and wine, as I have declared already, therefore the mass must needs be a sacrifice, wherein he is continually sacrificed, by the priests, his ministers, after the order of Melchize. * five bishops, which were Aurelius, Alipius, Augustinus, & Possidonius, wrote an epistle to Innocentius, in the which they said Melchizedec prolato sacramento mensae dominicae, novit aeternum eius sacerdotium figurare. That is Melchizedec did know to figure our lords everlasting priesthood with a sacrament or a holy sign of his table showed forth. The which thing is so evidently affirmed by the holy martyr S. Cyprian (which was almost thirteen hundred years passed) that nothing can be more plainly said, for this he writeth. In sacerdote Melchizedec sacramentum dominici sacrificij praefiguratum videmus, We see (saith holy Cyprian) the sacrament of our lords sacrifice before figured in the priest Melchizedec. Than he proveth that his saying both by the words of the Genesis xiiii chapter spoken of Melchizedec, and his sacrifice made with bread and wine, and by the words also of david spoken of god the father to christ our saviour his son, which are these. Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec. Anon afterward he layeth thus. The which order of Christ truly is this coming of that sacrifice, and thereof descending, that Melchizedec was a priest of the highest God, because he offered bread and wine, and blessed Abraham. Nam quis magis sacerdos dei summi, qui dominus noster jesus Christus, qui sacrificium deo patri obtulit. Et obtulit hoc idem, quod Melchizedech obtulerat, id est, panem & vinum, suum scilicet corpus & sanguinem. That is to say. For who is rather the priest of god the highest, than our lord jesus Christ, which did offer sacrifice unto his father? And he offered the very same the Melchizedec had offered, that is to wit, bread and wine, surely his body and blood. Moreover Cipryane speaking of the sacrifice of Melchizedech in bread and wine, the which went before as a figure of Christ'S sacrifice that was to come in bread and wine, saith after this manner. Quam rem adimplens dominus, & perficiens, panem & calicem mixtum Cyprianus. vino obtulit, & qui est plenitudo, veritatem praefiguratae imaginis adimplevit. The which thing (that is to wit, the sacrifice of Melchizedec, that was a figure of Christ's sacrifice to come, under form of bread and wine) our lord fulfilling, and accomplishing, hath offered bread, and a cup, or chalice mingled with wine and water, and he, which is fullness, hath fulfilled the truth of the image, or figure afore figured. Who could have spoken more plainly, than this holy martyr here speaketh, that Christ's sacrifice in form of bread & wine, was figured before by the sacrifice of Melchizeder? And to put away all doubt, anon after this he saith. unde apparet sanguinem Christi non offerri, si desit vinum calici, nec sacramentum dominicum legitima sanctione celebrari, nisi oblatio et sacrificium nostrum passioni respond erit. Whereby it appeareth that Christ's blood can not be offered, if there be no wine in the chalice, neither our lords sacrament celebrate, or made, after the lawful ordinance, except our oblation, offering, and sacrifice shall agree, or be like the passion. Hitherto this blessed martyr saint Cyprian, a man near the apostles time, and of a very deep acknowledge in gods holy word, we ought therefore to give credence rather unto him in this present controversy of our religion, than to Martin Luther, or else any other of that sort, which upon no ground, as it shall hereafter appear manifestly, deny the mass to be a sacrifice propitiatory, that is, appeasing or pacifying gods displeasure, and wrath, which all men (sense christ did first institute it at his last supper, till now Martin Luther's coming) ever believed undoubtedly, & steadfastly, but I will proceed upon this purpose, & make yet a further probation, to leave no doubt in the matter, if it may be by my small learning. The twelve loves of bread spoken of in Leuitico, were a figure of this blessed sacrifice made in the Levi. 24. mass under form of bread, as saint Dainascene doth affirm saying. Hunc panem, panes figurabant Damas'. lib. 4. Cap. 14. propositionis. The loves of show, did figure this bread. And therefore, where our text in Latin hath, panes propositionis offered, He offereth bread of show, the Hebrew hath, as Galatinus testifieth. Galatinus lib. 10. cap. 7. Quia carnem dei tui ipse est, vel erit sacrificans, that is, because he is or shall be sacrificing the flesh of thy god. S. Origen Origines in Levi. 24. doth plainly confirm the same saying. If a man look on the bread, which descended down from heaven, and on that commemoration, or remembrance, of the which the lord saith, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem, Luc. 22. Do ye this for remembrance of me, and do remember also the mysteries of the church more diligently looking on them, In his, quae scribit lex, futurae veritatis invenies imaginem praeformatam, He shall find in those things, which the law writeth, an Image, or a similitude of the truth afore formed. This sacrifice also was figured by the continual sacrifice of the old law mentioned in the book of Moses called Exodus the xxix. chap. For like as the twelve Exodi. 29. loves were set out to show daily, and this sacrifice continually done by the priests of the old law, even so in the mass the priest doth show daily to the people our saviours blessed body under the form of bread, and continually offereth it in sacrifice to god for to appease his displeasure, and to make him merciful and favourable unto us, that yet live, and to the dead also. Now the prophet Malachias shall come forth to say his mind in this matter, which this writeth. Non est mihi Mala. 1. ●. 3 voluntas in vobis, dicit dominus exercituum, & munus non suscipiam de manu vestra. Ab ortu enim solis usque ad occasum, magnum est nomen meum in gentibus, & in omni loco facrificatur & offertur nomini meo oblatio munda, quia magnum est nomen meum in gentibus. I have no will or mind to you, saith the lord of hosts, & I will not receive of your hand a gift, or a sacrifice. For from the rising of the son unto the going down, my name is great among the people, and sacrifice is made, and a clean oblation is offered to my name, because my name is great among the people. Lo, good christian reader, here we see that god said by this his prophet, that he had no mind to the jews meaning that he would forsake them, by reason of their infidelity, lack of faith, refusing his son christ at his coming, and sin, and that he would no more receive of them sacrifices made with beasts as he had done afore christ came in the time of the old testament, but that all such sacrifices should be utterly abolished, and left clean, as shadows, and figures of Christ's sacrifice the very thing shadowed, and figured by them, which should, and doth in deed, as much exceed, amount, & excel them, as the body doth the shadow, and the thing figured, the figure, or picture representing it. That this is mente, and spoken by the sacrifice of the mass, diverse old writers, men so well learned, as none are now these days, do plainly testify, of the which I will bring a few. Damascene Dam●s. lib. 4. Ca 14. above a thousand years sense thus wrote on this text of the prophet Malachias. Haec est pura scilicet hostia, & incruenta, quam ab ortu usque ad occasum ipsi offer riper prophetam dominus loquitur, Christi videlicet corpus & sanguis, in stabilimentum animae nostrae, & corporis, inconsumptum & incorruptum, non in secessum iens (absit enim) sed in nostram substantiam, & conseruationem, omnimodi nocumenti reparatio, sordis omnis purgatio. This is the english thereof. This is the pure host, or sacrifice offered to attain victory of our enemies, and unbloody, or offered without blood shedding, the which our lord sayeth by his prophet should be offered to him from the rising of the son to the going down, surely the body, and blood of christ, to keep steadfast or stable our soul and body, or to be that thing, which doth establish our soul and body, not consumed,▪ incorrupted, not going into the draft (for god forbid that) but into our substance, and conservation, a repairing of all manner of The mass is a sacrifice propiriatory● for one sins. hurt, a purgation or purging of all uncleanness. Mark here good reader, that this old writer Damascene affirmeth that our lord said by the prophet that a clean host should be offered to him, without blood shedding, verily the body and blood of Christ, and none other sacrifice, than the sacrifice of the mass, though Luter Bucer, Bullyger, and like other do never so much say the contrary, without all good ground. Secondly note, that the same host, or sacrifice should be a stay, or a establishment both of our body and the soul also. thirdly that it goeth not into the draft, as other bodily meats do, but it is turned in to the spiritual sustenance of the soul, & conservation of it. Fourthly note well, that he calleth this holy sacrifice, a reparation of all harine (which came to the soul through sin) and a purging, or cleansing of all filth of sin, against them, which deny that the mass is a sacrifice propitiatory, that is, making god merciful to us, and appeasing his wrath toward us for our sins. Some divers objections are here soiled. men say that this prophetment of a sacrifice, which the jews did make to god, but they are far deceived. first because he prophesied of a sacrifice, which should succeed, the jews sacrifices abolished. Secondly because he spoke of a sacrifice which all people in every place should offer to god's name, therefore it can not be understand of any sacrifice of the jews, which they only in the temple of hierusalem did offer, as it appeareth by the law plainly. Moreover, some understand this prophecy of the sacrifice, fulfilled by christ on the cross, but as untruly as the other, for that sacrifice was offered of christ only in one place, which was the mount of calvary, but the prophet entreateth there of a sacrifice, that should be offered to god in all places, and therefore he spoke not of Christ's sacrifice once done on the cross. Again the prophet wrote of that sacrifice, which should be offered to god, when his name should be great and famous among the gentiles, which was not renowned among them, before christ Mat vi Mar. 16 did suffer death, but after his resurrection, when he sent his apostles to preach the gospel through all the world to every man. Thirdly As bucer bulliger & other of that sortt. they are likewise deceived, that understand by this sacrifice here mentioned, lauding of god, thanks giving to him, confessing of his name, contrition of man's heart, preaching of the gospel, mortifying of the body, and carnal lusts, or desires of the flesh, or any like, first because none of these succeeded, or came in to the place of the jews sacrifices done away, annulled, and undone for ever, for they all were in the time of the law of nature, before Moses law was put forth, and under Moses law, and after it was abolished, as no man can say nay, and therefore this prophecy can not be taken of them, or any one of them. Again the prophet spoke of one sacrifice in the singular number, and the●e are many, wherefore he may not be understand of these. Moreover the prophet did speak of a pure, and a clean sacrifice, but our works are not pure, and clean, because we offend, sayeth saint james, in many jacobi. 3. 1. joh. 1. things, And john saith, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the troth is not in us: Therefore this prophecy must be understand of Christ's very body, and blotidde, a lamb without spot of all filth, and sin, as Peter saith, and saint Paul 1 Peter. 2. 2. Cor. 5. also, which he offered under form of bread & wine at his last supper, and gave authority to his apostles and their successors, priests and bishops, to do the same for his Luke. 22. 1 Cor. 1●. remembrance, till his coming again at the last day. But I will bring forth Eusebius an old Eusebius lib. Primo de evangelica demonstra. greek writer, to confirm this my purpose, which thus writeth. Mosaicis sacrificiis reiectis, quod futurum erat nostrum ipsarum institutum, propheta divinitus nunciat dicens, Quoniam ab ortusolis. etc. That the prophet showeth of god, or by the inspiration of the holy ghost, that which should be our own ordinance or institution, the sacrifices of Moses rejected, saying, because from the rising of the son, to the going down, sacrifice is made, & a clean oblation is offered to my name in every place. Therefore we do sacrifice (saith Eusebius) to god the highest a sacrifice of laud, we do sacrifice to god a full sacrifice, and bringing fear, Et sacrosanctum sacrificium. A consecrated sacrifice hallowed, and that which ought not to be touched but reverently. We do offer in sacrifice to god, with a new manner after the new testament, an host clean. This can not be understand of any other sacrifice, than of the sacrifice of the mass, for none other is offered to god now after a new manner, according to the new testament, as every learned man may easily perceive, and therefore it must needs be taken of that sacrifice only. Again he saith thus, after very many words spoken of this matter, as concluding I●aque Christus quasi mirabilem quandam victimam, sacrificium quod eximium deo patri operatus, pro nostra omnium salute obtulit, eiusquè rei memoriam ut nosipsi ipsi deo pro sacrificio offerremus, instituit. That is to wit. Therefore Christ after he had wrought, offered to god the father for all our health, or salvation, as who saith a certain wonderful, and an excellent sacrifice, and hath ordained that we ourselves should offer to the same god for a sacrifice, the remembrance of the same thing. If Marten Luther or his scholars had seen this holy father's sayings, and not linked to like, and esteem, their own judgement more than his, they would not have so rashly, & The sacrifice of the mass was ordained by Christ and not by man, as some men say. ungodly denied the mass to be instituted, & ordained a sacrifice of our saviour Christ himself, as they do, ascribing it, and the setting up of it, unto priests avarice and covetousness. Whose fond, Ireneus. lib. 4 Ca 32, 33, ●4, lewd, and ungodly opinion Ireneus an other greek writer, which was within clxxx years, of Christ's birth, and saw saint Polycarpe saint john the evangelists disciple, yea whose scholar he was (as some men say) doth thus evidently write in this matter, but Christ also giving counsel to his disciples to offer unto god of his creatures the first fruits, not as who saith needing, but that they should be neither unfruitful, nor unkind, took that bread which is of his creation, or his creature, and gave thanks, saying. Hoc est corpus Christ at his last supper taught his apostles a new sacrifice, which is the holy mass. meum. This is my body. And he took likewise the cup, and confessed it his blood, and he taught a new sacrifice of the new testament, which the church receiving of, or from the apostles, offereth to god throw all the hole world. What can any wise christian man desire to be more plainly spoken of any man than this, in defence of the sacrifice of the mass? May not (I beseech the good reader) men be greatly ashamed either to deny the mass to be a sacrifice, or else to say that it is nothing but an idol, set up by priests covetousness, for lucre and gains? Ought not we rather to believe this ancient father, which was instructed by them, that learned the troth of Christ's religion of the apostles scholars, than Marten Luther, or any of his Luther. teaching, and school, which now after xv. hundred years, do labour to bring up a new religion, and faith among christian people? Came not the holy ghost to teach men the truth, which Christ promised Note reader Io. 14. 16. to send to the apostles, till Marten Luther came, the fountain almost of all heresy? Hath Christ suffered his dear spouse the church (for which h● shed his most precious blood) to err in his religion and the faith▪ thus long, the space of xv. hundred years? Did not he promise his apostles Matt. vlt. joh. 14. to be with them, & the holy church till the worlds end, that he leading them, which is the truth, as he himself saith, they could not be deceived so foul in their belief, to think the mass a sacrifice ordained by Chrtste in the gospel, & it nothing so? Truly every wise man doth judge moche other wise, but it is better to pass over this, and to return again to holy Ireneus, which after he hath alleged the prophecy of Malachias, which I have now in hand, to prove that Christ as his maundy did offer his body and blood in sacrifice to his father, teaching the apostles even so to do, and they the hole church, which offereth the same also through all the world, Anon after this he writeth, Quoniam ergo nomen filii proprium patris Caep. 33. est, et in deo omnipotent, per jesum Christum offert ecclesia, bene ait secundum utraque, et in omniloco incensum offertur nomini meo, et sacrificium purum. That is. Therefore because the sons name is proper to the father, and in god almighty, the church offereth sacrifice by jesus Christ, the prophet Malachias saith well after both the things, both inc●se, or a sweet perfume, is offered in every place to my name, And also a pure sacrifice again. Igitur ecclesie Cap. 34. oblatio, quam dominus do cuit offerri in universo mundo, purum sacrificium reputatum est apud deum, & acceptum est ei, non quod ille indigeat a nobis sacrificium, sed quoniam is, qui offert glorificatur ipse in eo, quod offert si acceptetur munus eius. That is thus much in our speech. Therefore Mathe well this reder. the sacrifice of the church, which our lord taught to be offered in the hole world, is reckoned with god a clean sacrifice, and it is accepted of him, not because he needeth our sacrifice, but because he which doth offer it, is glorified, or renowned, by that, which he doth offer if his gift, or sacrifice be accepted of god. Lo, good reader, here eftsoons, and again, this holy man plainly affirmeth, that the church doth offer sacrifice, which our saviour Christ did teach so to do, & not any covetous priest, or bishop, minding to get vantage, & gains thereby, though many through envy, and malice conceived against the clergy, (which no heretic ever lacked) are not ashamed so shamefully, & falsely to say of them. But now to S. Hierone, S. Hierome ●pon Mala. 1 which writeth after this manner, upon this prophet Malachi. Non in una orbis provincia judaea, nec in una urbe judaea Jerusalem, said in omni loco offerri oblationem, nequaque immundam, ut a populo israel, sed mundam ut in caeremonijs Christianorum. That is to wit. God spoke to the priests of the jews by the prophet, the which do offer the blind, the lame, and faint, to make sacrifice with, that thereby they might know that spiritual sacrifices should succeed the carnal, and that not bulls and goats blood, but a sweet perfume (that is the saints prayers) should be offered to the lord, and that not in one province of the world jury, neither in one city of jury, Jerusalem, but in every place should be offered a sacrifice, in no wise unclean, as by the people of Israel was offered once, but clean, like as in the ceremonies of christeans, or christian people is offered. Lo. Here good reader, saint Hierome understandeth the prophet of one pure and clean sacrifice, which should (as now daily it is in the mass) be offered in christian men's ceremonies, which must needs be spoken of the sacrifice of the mass, wherein are many ceremonies used, with divers holy prayers. And that the prophet meant that sacrifice of the blessed mass, he himself declareth openly in the third chapter following For Malachi. 3. there he do●h prophecy of Christ's coming by his birth, saying, lo he cometh. Who can attain by thought the day of his coming? Who shall stand to see him? For he like as fire bloweth, like as one bloweth the fire and as the herb of fullers of cloth. And he He meaneth the apostles which christ cleansed by making them ryghtevos & good men, afore they should offer sacrifices to god his father. shall sit bloing together or blowing like as one bloweth the fire and making clean like as gold, and like as silver, and he shall purge, or make clean the sons of Levi. Et colabit eos quasi aurum, et quasi argentum, et erunt domino offerentes sacrificia in justicia. And he shall strain out their liquor like as gold and silver, and they shall offer to our lord sacrifices in righteousness. S. Hierome understandeth here the sons of Levi, all priests of the new law, which only should succeed the priests of the old law, and these cleansed, and purged, as gold and silver, should offer to our lord sacrifices in righteousness. Et placebit domino sacrificium iuda et hierusalem, sicut dies seculi anni antiqui. That is the sacrifice of Jude and Jerusalem shall please the lord, like as the days of time, & the old years. This letter is not so plain, and easy to be understand, as men think the scripture is, which saint Hierome thus expoundeth the sacrifice of the priests, which they do offer for juda and Jerusalem, that is for them, that do confess our lord, and see his peace with the mind, shall please the lord, like as days of time, and as old years, that is, as they pleased him at the beginning, so after penance done for sin committed, when they shall be cleansed from the filth of all sins, they shall begin to please god with their sacrifices again. It is called also the sacrifice of juda, because Christ did institute it, which was borne of the tribe, and in bethelem juda, Also the mass is called of the prophet, the sacrifice of Jerusalem, because it was there first institute by christ. Therefore sith this was prophesied of Christ's coming by birth, which should make clean, and purge the priests of the new testament, that they might (being so cleansed) offer sacrifices to god for the people, which confess Christ to be our saviour, and do see his peace with their mind, every man plainly may perceive, that this prophecy toucheth the sacrifice of the mass, for that only doth appertain to the priests of the new testament, as no man can deny. Hitherto of the old testament. Now to the new, wherein are certain places, and texts, evidently proving the mass to be a sacrifice, not of laud and thanks giving only, but also of appeasing gods displeasure Texts of new law, proving the mass to be a sacrifice. toward us for sin, and making him merciful both to the living, & the dead. Of the which the first is this of Luke's gospel. Hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Do ye this for my remembrance. Luc. 2●. That is to wit. I give you authority, power, and command you also to do, the which I have done even now at this my maundy, that is, take ye bread, give thanks to god for all his benefits given to man, bless it, consecrate it, turning the substance of it in to my flesh, offer it to my father, not only to give him thanks for his benefits bestowed on man, but to purchase his grace also for the people, & to appease his displeasure, conceived & taken against man for his sin. Finally receive it yourselves saying mass, and distribute the same to the people, for their housle, and all this do ye in remembrance of Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. my death and passion, continuing so to do, till the worlds end. That Christ did offer his blessed body to his father a sweet sacrifice for our sins at his last supper, & commanded his apostles likewise to do, and all priests, in and by them, the ancient and old father's sentences do plainly prove, of the which I will allege here some, that be most strong and evident. Ireneus a greek doctor being within clxxx years of christ, expounding Ireneus: lib. 4. cap. 32. these words of christ Hoc est corpus meum, & hîc est sanguis meus, This is my body, and this is my blood (which he pronounced at his last supper, consecrating, and offering his body and blood in sacrifice to his father) thus writeth, as I have once afore rehearsed. Our lord took bread, and gave thanks saying. This is my body. Also he took the cup, and confessed it to be his blood. Et novam docuit novi testamenti oblationem, quam ecclesiam ab apostolis recipiens, in universo mundo offert deo. And he taught them a new sacrifice of the new testament, which the church receiving Christ did institute the sacrifice of the mass, & the apostles taught the church. of the apostles (he saith not of the bishop of Rome nor of any other bishop, or priest) doth offer to god in all the hole world. These words are so plain, that no man can deny, but that this saint saith, that Christ did offer his body and blood in sacrifice to god at his maundy, and that Christ'S ministers, the priests of the new law, do daily offer the same at mass, instructed that lesson of the apostles, which were taught it of their master, our saviour christ. Shall it not therefore be much more meet, & convenient, that we christian men, and women give credence rather unto this holy, and ancient father's teaching in this matter, (especially being so agreeable with god's word, yea being plainly set forth by it) than to Martin Luther, neither like to him in ancienty, nor virtue, nor learning? Marvel not (reader) that I do here expound this word facere, to signify as much as to make sacrifice, partly because this holy martyr saint Ireneus, saint Cyprian, and many other of the eldest, and best writers upon the scripture, so do take it in this commandment of christ given to his apostles, Hoc facite. Facere to do, in Christ's words is to make sacrifice. etc. Partly for asmuch as it is so used both in profane writers, and also in the holy scripture. For Vergylle saith. Cum faciam Vergilius: vitula pro frugibus ipse venito. When (saith Dametas) I shall do sacrifice, or offer sacrifice, to Ceres the gods of corn, with an heffar for the corn, come thou thyself. Also Theocritus Theocritus, a greek poet so useth this word saying: Quum facies agno, Nymphas veneratus agrestes. When thou shalt make sacrifice with a lamb, honouring the wild or rude maidens of the sea. Likewise baptista Mantuanꝰ (a christian man) Mantuanus, used this word, saying of Abel the first shepherd. Nunc ove, nunc pingui vitula faciebat, & agno. He made sacrifice sometime with a sheep, sometime with a fat heifer, and a lamb. Now to the scripture, which in this signification often times doth use this word. For the third book of the kings the eleventh chapter, thus hath, Et fecit Solomon astartae abominatio ni Sydoniorum, That is. And Solomon Lege Ezech, 45: &, 46: et judicum. ●●, did make sacrifice to the idol the abomination of the Sydonions: Is not here facere which is in english to do, used for sacrificare, to make sacrifice? Many other texts of the old testament do show Levi. 23. Et facietis hyrcum pro peccato. plainly that this word is oftentimes used for to make sacrifice, which I pass over to be the shorter, and bring one place out of the new testament, which is in Luke's gospel, the second chapter after this form of words. Et cum inducerent puerum jesum parentes eius, ut facerent secundum consuetudinem legis pro eo, Sim eō accepit eum in ulnas suas. etc. That is, And when the father & mother of the child jesus brought him into the temple, that they might do for him after the custom of the law, simeon took him into his arms. What else I beseech the good reader is meant by (doing) in this place, but making of sacrifice, or offering of sacrifices according to the law of Moses? The text a little before in Luke declareth this plainly, which showeth that our Lady Christ's honourable, and most blessed mother, Marry our saviours blessed mother. and his father joseph (at the lest which was judged his father of the people) at the day of purification, presented Christ in the temple of hierusalem, darent hostiam, secundum ꝙ dictum est in lege domini, par turturum, aut duos Levi. 12: pullos columbarum, that is to say. That they should give an host, a pair of birds called turtelles, or two pigeons, according to the commandment of the law of our lord. Thus we see that Christ's Christ's parents did give to the priest these things not offering in sacrifice (for that is the office of a priest but presenting them to the priest, that he should offer them in sacrifice as the law required. father and mother presented and brought in to the temple, either a pair of turtelles or ii pigeons, that the priest should offer them in sacrifice after the law, & so (facere) doth signify in this place of Luke sacrificare to make sacrifice in the which signification both greek writers, and latin also do often use that word, and not only the Hebrew speech, as it appeareth by the places above recited. Why therefore may we not well understand by these words of our saviour Christ, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem, Do ye this for my remembrance, that he commanded them to offer sacrifice for his remembrance? especially saying the ancient writers of Christ's church, and the whole church hath even so taken those words ever since they were spoken, no man otherwise expounding them, till Martin Luther came, lerna ferè omnium haereseon, in whom was almost all heresies? Homilia. 17. in Hebre. To be short, saint Chrysostome understood, that Christ did offer his body and blood in sacrifice at his maundy, and gave commandment Read more of Chrisost. in the chapter of the doctors sayings. to his apostles to offer it also, in remembrance of his death, whose words are these, Pontifex autem noster ille est, qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit, ipsam offerimus, & nunc, quae tunc oblata quidem consumi non potest. Hoc autem, quod nos facimus, in commemorationem quidem eius fit, quod factum est. Hoc enim facite Luc. 22. (inquit) in mei commemorationem. That is. Our bishop is he, which hath offered an host, or sacrifice Note this well reader ●gainst the enemies of the mass: making us clean, the same we offer also now, the which than offered, truly can not be consumed, but this that we do, is done for a remembrance of that thing which was done, for christ said, do ye this for remembrance of me. Who is so blind, that he can not see, that Chrysostom, a greek autour, learned as excellently in the scripture, as ever any was of the greakes since the apostles time, and their scholars, doth say plainly, that we (meaning priests, of whom he was one himself) do offer the self same sacrifice, which christ once for ever offered by death and blood shedding on the cross? but we do it for remembrance of that his passion, and bloody sacrifice, not without authority, power, and commandment, as the which all three we have of him, saying, Hoc facite in mei commemorationem, Luc. ●●. do ye this for a remembrance of me. Would to God christian men would look well on these words, considering both the ancienty of the writer, and also his great learning, and holiness, which may cause them rather to believe his sayings than any other, nothing like to him in those qualities, but it is better to let this pass, and to here saint Cyrpian that holy martyr, which wrote above twelve hundred and lxxx. years past. He this writeth after Cyprianus two. ●, epist 3 many words spoken of the holy sacrifice of the mass. Qua in part invenimus calicem mixtum fuisse, quem obtulit, unde apparet sanguinem Christi non offerri, si desit vinum calici, nec sacramentum dominicum legitima sanctificatione celebrari, nisi oblatio & sacrificium nostrum passioni responderit. That is. In the which part we do find that the cup was mingled or meddled (that is wine & water were therein mixed together) which Christ did offer. Whereby it doth appear that Christ's blood is not offered if there want wine in the cup or chalice: neither is our lords sacrament celebrate with hallowing according to the law, except our offering and sacrifice be like the passion. In these words note that he saith we find that the cup which christ offered, was mixed with wine & water, which was at none other time, but only at his last supper, for at the time of his death he had no cup so meddled, nor then he offered not his blood under form of wine, but only under the form of blood, therefore he offered his blood in sacrifice at his maundy, after this holy martyrs mind, & priests do even that same after his law and ordinance, as he saith likewise here again, for thus he writeth. Quo modo autem de creatura vitis, nowm vinum cum christo in regno patris bibemus, si in sacrificio dei patris, & christi, vi num non offerimus, nec calicem dni traditione dominica miscemus? That is to say, How shall we drink new wine with Christ of the creature of a vine, in the kingdom of the father, if we Mark whose is the sacrifice of the mass offer not wine in the sacrifice of God the father, and of christ, or if we do not meddle or mix the lords cup, after the teaching, or commission of our lord? Lo, our lord taught the priests at the mass to mix in the chalice wine with water, and so to offer in sacrifice his precious blood, which he did never but at his last supper, as it is evident, and therefore he did there offer his body, and blood in sacrifice, and gave commission to his apostles, and to all priests in, and by them, to do the same. Also in the same epistle he saith again. Ab evamgelicis praeceptis Cyprianus. Luc. ●2. non est omnino recedendum, eaque quae magister docuit, & fecit, discipuli quoque observare, & facere debent. We ought not to go from the commandments of the gospel, and the disciples must of duty observe, and do also, those things, which the master taught, and did. Lo, here saint Cypryane sayeth, that christ offered himself, and taught his scholars that same lesson, and commanded them also to offer sacrifice, as he had Matt. 26. Luc. 2●. done afore, when he took bread, and so forth, and thereby he bond them to keep, and do the self same thing that he did. What would any man desire more? To prove all this he allegeth saint Paul the eleventh chapter of the first epistle to the 1: Cor. 11. Corinthians. This holy martyr showeth wherefore christ did mix wine and water together in the cup, which he blessed, and consecrated at his maundy, saying that he so did because the water signifieth the people (as we read in the Apocalypse of saint john, Apoca 17. why water is mengl●d with wine, in the chalice when the priest saith mass. the vii chapter) so that likewise as the water in the chalice is meddled and mixed together with the wine, and so meddled that the one can not be separate from the other, even so by shedding of Christ's blood, the people, which believe in him, trust in god's mercy promised to them for Christ's deaths sake, fear god, forsake their sins through perfect penance, love god and their neighbour, & finally do keep gods commandments, and abide therein, nothing can separate or dissever them from god's favour, and love, as Paul affirmeth the eight chapter to the Romans. But yet mark by the way (good reader) that Cyprian doth say that Christ did mix wine and water together in the cup, which he did bless, and consecrate at his last supper, and did also teach, and command priests to keep, and do that same, as we now in deed do at our masses, and yet there is no text of all the scripture, that maketh any mention of this deed, lesson, and commandment of our saviour Christ, therefore they are foul deceived A verity not written in scripture through ignorance: or rather malice, which affirm, that we ought to believe nothing, except it be mentioned in scripture. But I will return eftsoons to holy Cyrpian, and allege out of him a few more sentences for my purpose, of the which this is one, against them, that put only water in the chalice at mass. Quaerendum est enim, ipsi quem sunt secuti●nam si in sacrificio, quod Christus est, non nisi Christus sequendus est, vti● id nos obaudire, & facere oportet, quod Christus fecit, & quod faciendum esse mandavit, non debemus attendere, quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putaverit, sed quid qui ante omnes est, Christus prior fecerit. For we must ask (saith Cyprian) whom they have Cyprianus. followed. For if in the sacrifice, which christ is, none, except Chryst, ●uste be followed, truly it is necessary that we obey, and do that which Chryst hath done, and that the which he commanded to be done, we ought not to mark what any man before us thought to be done, but what Chryst which is afore all men, first hath done. Note diligently (good reader) that this holy martyr saith that christ is the sacrifice offered of the priest, and that he did make sacrifice, in the cup being mixed wine, and water together, and commanded the apostles, & all priests to follow that same his manner, and form of sacrifice at their masses. These words hitherto rehearsed (good Christian reader) are very plain to persuade every man, not utterly unapt to be taught for want of faith, to believe the mass to be a sacrifice, ordained not by any man, but by our saviour CHRIST, at his maundy, but yet here more plain words of him (if it may be). Thus he saith (declaring that god's ordinance ought not to be changed by any man's tradition, the which should be, if wine and water were not mixed together in the chalice at mass, according to Christ's institution) Nam si jesus Christus dominus & deus noster, ipse est summus Cyprianus. sacerdos dei patris, & sacrificium deo patri ipse primus obtulit, & hoc fieri in sui commemorationem, praecepit: utique ille sacerdos vice Luce. 22. Christi vere fungitur, qui id, quod Christus fecit, imitatur. Et sacrificium verum, & plenû tunc offered Mark this reader diligently: in ecclesiam deo patri, si sic inc●piat offer, secundum ꝙ ipsum Christum videat obtulisse. This is the english. For if jesus christ our lord and god, be the highest prepsie of God the father, and he first hath offered a sacrifice to God the father, and commanded that to be done for remembrance 1. Cor. 11. of him, verily that priest doth exercise Christ's office, or place truly, which followeth that thing, which Christ hath done. And then he offereth to god the father in the church, a true and a full sacrifice, if he begin so to offer, as he may see the christ himself hath offered. Are not these words plain, and sufficient to prove the mass to be a sacrifice set up by our saviour Christ jesus? The apostles saying mass, did make sacrifice to god. We read moreover in the acts of the apostles the xiii that the apostles according to the power, authority, and commandment given them of their master Christ at his maundy saying, do ye this for a remembrance of me did make sacrifice to god, for there we find these words after Erasmus translation, Quum autem sacrificarent Act. 1●. dno, ieiunarentque dixit illis spiritus sanctus. Segregate mihi Paulum & Bernaban in opus, ad quod assumpsi eos. That is. When the apostles did make sacrifice to our lord, and fasted, the holy ghost said to them. Sever, or separate for me Paul and Bernabe, to the work, unto the which, I have taken them. Here we see that the apostles offered then sacrifice to god, and that in the greek tongue was written by Luke the evangelist, which useth here the same greek verb of the which the mass in the greek speech is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as in the hebrewe it is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Litourgia. (missah) and that name is used in latin. Chrysostom writ a book of the mass, which he calleth in greek. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and Erasmus, Pelargus, with divers other translators of that book in latin, do turn that greek word by the hebrewe word (missa) which the latin men commonly do use, and it can not be otherwise conveniently turned into the latin tongue but by that same hebrewe word (missah) which name the holy apostle Peter (that first said mass) did belike give to that divine, and holy office, which we call the mass in english. And that most blessed, and holy sacrifice, with the whole order and manner of godly suffrages, prayers, petitions, and laudes commonly now used in the church, from that time of Christ and his apostles, until this our time hath always been received, & taught by the very self same name, without again saying of any man, except one Peter Brusian, which denied sacrifice to be offered to god. Though the greake word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Luc. 1. Heb. 9 which Luke useth there signifieth many things, yet not only in that place, but also in other divers, it signifieth to offer sacrifice as a priest doth, and therefore the apostles did offer sacrifice to god instructed by their master Christ at his last supper. Moreover it may thus be proved, that Chryst did offer himself in sacrifice at his last supper to god his father. It is written in the first chapter of john's gospel, and the fifth chapter of the first epistle of Paul to joan. 1. 1. Cor. 5. the Corynthians, that Christ is the very true Easter lamb, pascal lamb, & passover, in a figure of whom the jews by god's commandment did offer in sacrifice a lamb (as we find in the book of Moses called Exodus) upon the which Exo. 12: I make this reason for my purpose The thing figured must agree with the figure, and therefore as the paschal, or passover lamb, was a figure of christ, even so must needs the manner of offering, and eating of Chryst (the lamb figured by the passover, or paschal lamb) be like the offering in sacrifice, and eating of that figure, but that could not be except christ had offered his very body and blood at his maundy and afterward received it, (as S. Hierom Hedibi●. saith that he did in very deed), for the jews did first offer the paschal lamb in sacrifice, and afterward Exo. 12. eat him, as Moses testifieth, Therefore Christ did at his last supper offer his body in sacrifice to his father, first in a figure offering the pascal lamb, and after that in very deed without a figure, eating it himself, and giving it to his apostles to eat also. The which is done daily of the priest by his authority, power and commission, as I have declared already, and will declare hereafter more at large, by gods help, and grace. Saint Ambrose Li●. 1. ● Lucan doth gather of Paul's words, the first epistle, and the fifth chapter to the Corynthians, that christ is sacrificed by the priest at mass, for thus he saith. Non dubites assistere angelum, quando Christus 1. Cor. 5. assistit, Christus immolatur. Etenim pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus. That is. Doubt not the angel to be here, sins that christ is here, Christ is offered in sacrifice. For our pascal, or our passover lamb christ is offered in sacrifice. Paul doth openly confirm this writing to the Corinthians the ten chap. of the first epistle, saying unus panis & unum corpus multi sumus, oens quidem de uno pane, & deuno calice participamus. We be many one bread (saith Paul) & one body, soothly we take part all of one bread & of one cup. The holy father & great clerk S. Austen thus writeth, Huius corporis To. 2. epist. 57 Dardano. caput est Christus, huius corporis unitas nostro sacrificio significat. Q● br●uit significavit apostolus dicens. unus panis unum corpus multisumus. 1. Cor. 10. That is. Christ is the head of this body, (the church) the unity of this body is signified by our sacrifice. The which thing the apostle Paul hath briefly signified, saying. We are many one bread, one body. Also in another place thus he saith, after he hath defined, and showed what a sacrifice is. Hoc est To. 5. de civi, dei lib. 10. Cap. ●. sacrificium christianorun, multi unum corpus sumus in christo. quod etiam sacramento altarꝭ fide libus noto frequentat ecclesia, ubi ei demonstratur, quod in ea oblatione, quam offered, ipsa offeratur. The english is this. This is the sacrifice of christian people, we many be one body in Christ, the which also the church accustomely useth with the sacrament of the altar, known to the believing people, where it is openly showed to the church, that in that sacrifice, which she doth offer she the same is offered. No man can desire more plain words than these are, but yet I will proceed upon a further proof of this matter. Paul the tenth chapter of the first epistle to the corinthians 1. Cor. 10. this writeth again. Non potestis calicem domini bibere, et calicem daemoniorum. Non potestis mensae domini participes esse, & mensae daemoniorum. ye can not drink of our lords cup, and the devils, or ill spirits to. Paul putting difference betwixt the eaters & drinkers of our lords table, & them that eat & drink things offered in sacrifice to the devils, doth mean that the body & blood of Chryst is first offered in sacrifice, as the meats and drinks were to the idols, and then afterward received of us christen people. Ye can not be partakers of our lords table, and the devils also, Here saint Paul reasoneth with the Corynthians to persuade them, that they would abstain from the eating of meats offered in sacrifice to the idols, and that with two very good reasons, of the which the first is grounded upon the words, which are here next before rehearsed out of this same epistle, and chapter, and it is this. Like as they, which have mutual participation in christ through the sacrifice of his flesh & blood, do enter into a certain unite with him, Semblaly they have ascertain unite with the idols, by the eating S. Paul comparing the body & blood of christ, to the meats of the gentiles offered in sacrifice. doth plainly number the body and blood of Christ, among things offered in sacrifice. The same is proved by that that he calleth the lords table the altar, for none other cause truly than he called the jews and gedtiles aultare a table of those things, which are offered them in sacrifice. Now for as much as every christian heart doth or should abhor to have any unity with the devils or idols, it is meet that ye, which are christened people, do forbear eating of meats, offered in sacrifice to idols. But that we are united, or knit to Christ, and have with him a certain mutual participation, through the sacrifice of his flesh and blood, he showeth by a similitude of the jews table used in the synagogue. For as the sacrifice, which the carnal jews did offer, made them partakers of the altar, likewise the sacrifice, which is offered either in the table of our lord, or else of the devils, maketh the offerers partakers of christ, or of the devils. Though Paul doth not call in this reason the body and blood of christ a sacrifice, yet his words do show that he so meant, because he setteth the table, and cup of our lord christ, against the table and cup of the devils, saying. Non potestis calicem domini, etc. Ye can not drink of the lords cup, & so forth as is above rehearsed. Therefore seeing the apostle doth call that, which is offered in sacrifice to the devils, the table, and August T 6. lib. 1. Ca 19 contra adu●●sariū legis & proph. Paulus 1. Cor. ●0. Dicendo Calix, etc. ostendit adque sadrificium debeant pertiner●. cup of the devils, it must thereof follow, that he mente by the cup, and table of our lord, that thing which is offered in sacrifice upon our lords altar, so that this is the sense, ye can not eat that thing which is offered to god in sacrifice, & y● also which is offered in sacrifice to devils, because the light hath no fellowship with darkness (as he saith in an other place) nor betwixt christ and the devil is any agreeing. Wherefore it is manifest by saint Paul that 2. Cor. 6. the body and blood of Christ is a sacrifice of the new Testament, or else, if they be not offered in sacrifice This declareth that s. Paul did gather of Christ'S words pronounced of him at his last supper, that he did offer his body then in sacrifice. at the mass, and then afterward received of us, how should Paul's comparison stand and take place, when he teacheth that the corinthians could not be together partakers of things offered up in sacrifice to god, and also to devils? Truly Chrisostome expounding this chapter doth show that saint Paul meant this, whose words are these, Itaque si cupis sanguinem, non imbue altare idolorum caede irrationalium, sed altare meum meo imbue sanguine That is, Therefore if thou dost desire to have blood, do not thou sprinkle the idols altar with slaughter of unreasonable beasts, but lay upon my aultare my blood, read the chapter of the doctors sentences. Add to this (good reader) that which saint Paul writeth the next chapter following with these words, Quotienscunque enim ederitis, panem istum, & calicem istum biberitis, mortem domini annu●ciabitis, quoad usque veniat. For as oft as ye shall eat this bread & drink of this cup, ye shall declare the lords death till he come. These words do show that the mass is a sacrifice as saint Cyprian doth construe, Cyprianus li▪ 2. epist. 3. and take them, which thus saith upon them, Et quia passionis eius mentionem in sacrificijs omnibus facimus (passio est enim domini sacrificium ꝙ offerimus) nihil aliud, qui quod ille fecit, facere debemus Scriptura enim dicit Quotienscunque panem istum, etc. And because we make mention, or we remember Christ's death in all sacrifices ●or that which we do offer is the ●rdes death) we are bond to do no other thing than that which he hath done. For the scripture saith, as oft as ye shall eat this bread. etc. Lo Cyrpian did understand these Paul's words spoken of making remembrance of Christ's death, so that he affirmeth, that we do make sacrifice in the mass, and thereby is that remembrance made of Christ's passion & death. And that this holy martyr so did understand saint Paul's words, it doth plainly appear by his words straight following, which are these, Quotienscunque ergo calicem in commemorationem dni, & Cyprianus. passionis eius offerimus, id quod constar dnm fecisse, faciamus. That is in our english speech, thus much to say. Therefore as often as we do offer the cup in remembrance of our lord, & of his passion, let us do that, which it is evident, that our lord did. Doth not Cyprian here manifestly affyrine that by the offering in sacrifice of Christ's blood contained at the mass in the chalice, a remembrance is made of Christ's death, according to his, & saint Paul's commandment? but ye will say to me, An objection that S. Paul in this chapter maketh mention of eating, and drinking the body and blood of christ and of the remembering of christ. & his passion thereby, which thing is indifferent to lay men, & priests, and therefore Cyrpian doth not well gether of Paul's words here, that Christ's death is remembered by doing sacrifice of the priest at mass. To that I say, that the The solution. death, and passion of Christ, is remembered by every lay man's, and woman's housle or receiving of the blessed sacrament of th'altar, but more chief, more lively, and expressly, by offering of his very body, and blood, in sacrifice, which is done of the priest at his mass, than by that eating, like as the sacrificing of the paschal, or passover lamb, did much more expressly figure the death and sacrifice of our saviour christ on the cross, then to come, than did the eating of him, as no learned man doth, or can doubt, and therefore although every man, and woman receiving the blessed sacrament of the altar (which is the very body, and blood of Christ, A book made of the sacrament of th'altar. and not only a figure thereof, as I have declared in my book made of that matter) doth by that declare Christ's death, and make a remembrance of it, yet that notwithstanding, the priest in his mass, doth principally make remembrance of that Christ's death, and so saint Paul's mind was, that the priest in the mass, offering Christ's flesh and blood in sacrifice, doth thereby especially remember his death, though he doth that secondarily in receiving his body, and blood, and the lay people do also the same. But ye will say unto me, that Christ's institution, when Math. ●●. Luc. 2●. he bade his disciples to take, eate and drink, and to do that for his remembrance, doth plainly show that we do only remember Christ's death in eating, and drinking his flesh and blood, and not by An objection offering it in sacrifice, and therefore saint Paul mente no such ●hynge. Also saint Paul him ●●lfe sayeth, when ye shall eat ●is bread, and drink of this uppe, ye shall show the lords death, speaking not one word of making sacrifice, and therefore he ought not to be wrested in this place to the sacrifice of the mass. To that I answer, that Christ, & his scholar saint Paul, did command, The answer. that when we do eat his body, and drink his blood, we should have his passion in remembrance, or take them to the remembrance of his death, but yet no man aught, ne can if he would gether thereof, that to show the lords death, is nothing else but to eat, and drink the Sacrament in remembrance of Christ's passion. For if a man do well and diligently consider, and pondre Christ'S words, when he saith. Hoc facite Luc. 2●: 1. Cor. 11. in meam commemorationem, Do ye this for my remembrance, he shall see, that it is an other thing to do that, which christ commanded the apostles to do, than only to make remembrance of Christ'S death. For Chryst bad we should do that, which he did, to remember his death. Now who knoweth not, that the thing which is done, and that, wherefore it is done, are not both one thing? But what need so many words at this time, sith Paul saith nothing against the remembering of Christ's death, by offering his body & blood in sacrifice in the mass, but with it rather, as I have declared by S. Cyprians judgement and saying, and I have proved already by divers authorities both of the scripture, and the holy doctors, that christ did offer his flesh and blood at his maundy to god his father in sacrifice? Therefore I will recite more of the scripture, to prove that the holy mass instituted by christ our saviour, is a sacrifice, appeasing god's displeasure, profitable both to the quick, & also to the dead people. Whereby men may perceive how much Martin Luter, johan Fryth, with divers other were deceived in this matter and namely a young man of this P●raenesis our country, in a book set forth in latin, in the which he saith that the holy mass is set up to the reproach or injury of Christ, and that Paul, Peter, and johan do teach us the same. The apostle Paul to the Hebrews the fifth Chapter thus writeth, Omnis pontifex ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus constituitur in ijs, quae sunt ad deum, ut offerat dona, & sacrificia pro peccatis. That is. Every bishop or priest taken out of the number of men is ordained for men in those things, which This text proveth that either in our time of the new testament there is no priesthood, which no good christian body will affirm or that there is a sacrifice propre to it advered to be offered for sin which none can of fire up but a priest, and sith there is nor can be any other such sacrifice but the mass, it must needs follow that it is a sacrifice of the new testment. do appertain to god, that he should offer gifts, and sacrifices for sin. This text is manifest against Martin Luther's heresy, which is, that all Christian people are priests, and that among christian folk there is none rather a priest than all other. For here Paul affirmeth, that a priest is elected, and chosen out of the multitude of the people, therefore some and certain of the people are priests, and not all the hole number of them. Also he sayeth that a priest is ordained, or instituted, for the multitude of Christian people, to offer gifts, and sacrifices for their sins, and therefore that is the priests proper and chief office, so that it neither doth belong to the layte to use that office, nor the office of a priest is only to preach, as some men untruly do say. Moreover this place declareth plainly, that among christian people there are priests, whose office is to offer gifts, as prayer & such other & also sacrifices, as the sacrifice of teaching the holy word of god to the people, and chief the sacrifice of th'altar, the very body & blood of our saviour Christ jesus, which offering, and sacrifice doth only appertain to the office of a priest, & to every priest indifferently, for among christian people there are certain sacrifices belonging only to a priest, as preaching & offering sacrifice at mass, not only of prayer, praise, & thanks giving, but also, and principally of the body & blood of christ This letter of Paul. omnis pontifex. etc. can not be understand only of priests after the order of Aaron, according to the old law, for Paul proveth therewith, that christ which was no such priest hath need of a sacrifice much more excellent than was ever any other before his time of the law therefore if that place should be understand only of priests of Aaron's order, it could make nothing for Paul's purpose under form of bread and wine, wherein consisteth Christ's continual priesthood after the order of Melchizedec (as it is already declared largely) and also in which every priests office doth now stand chiefly. Wherefore no man can well deny, but the mass is a sacrifice belonging to priests of Christ's order, and of the new testament. This meant also s. Paul in the seventh chapter of his epistle sent to the hebrews, saying that the priesthood of Aaron is abolished, & put clean away, & Christ's priesthood set in his roomth, & place which is after that order not of Aaron, for after that order Christ did once for all offer himself a sacrifice to god his father, as Paul saith often to y● Heb. but after the order of Melch. whereby sacrifice is offered under the form of bread & wine, in the sacrament of th'altar. For in this point as I have afore proved, resteth Christ's perpetual & continual priesthood, & priests office. Moreover that the mass is a sacrifice, it may be proved by another text of saint Paul, in this same epistle to the hebrews the xiii chapter, where he thus writeth. Habemus altar, de quo edere non habent potestatem, qui tabernaculo deseruiunt. We christian people have an altar, of the which they have no power, or authority to eat, that do serve the tabernacle, that is, they Math 5: Cum offers. etc.▪ sit mentio altaris. &. 1. Cor. 9 which do put difference betwixt meat after Moses' law (annulled utterly by Christ's death) & keep the ceremonies of that law, have none authority, nor power to eat of Christ's bread, his very body Hebraei●ocāt altar. Misp●ach, &. 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab oblatione. consecrated, and offered in sacrifice on the altar, which we christian folk have set up in our temples For if he had not meant this, why should he have made any mention of an altar, which is made for sacrifice to be offered thereupon to god? The mass therefore is a sacrifice, exercised on the altar, for the continual remembrance of Christ's death, and bloody sacrifice once offered upon the cross. The name which the greakes do give th'altar, declareth that it is made for sacrifice, for they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thysiasterium a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thysia & Tireo hoc est, sacrificio, hostia, seu victima, & servo, vel animaduerto, & perpendo, So that they name that an altar where sacrifice is offered or kept, as among Christian people now is kept alway the very body of our saviour in the box or pyx hanging upon or over the altar, and therefore even the name of an altar given to it by the greakes, which Paul doth use often, may and doth much prove that the mass 1. Cor. 9 Heb. 13. wont to be said on the altar is a sacrifice, the which being once abolished, as Martin Luther, and his scholars goeth about to do but all in vain, for it hath continued since Christ's maundy (never spoken against till Martin Luter came) and ever shall till the worlds end, according to our saviour's Matt. vlt. Luc. 23. 1. Cor. 11: promise, though it shall cease almost wholly & amongst all nations, a few excepted, when Antichrist shall reign the space of iii years & the half, as saint Danyell Dan. 7. & 12 writeth. This I say sacrifice done away (as it shall never be clean till the worlds end) or if the mass were no sacrifice in deed, (as Luther and his adherentes falsely say it is none) why should than the altar bear that his name in the greek tongue? But now let us see what the general counsels, the precedent, leader, and ruler whereof was the holy ghost the spirit Math. 16. Math. 18. of tru●h, as I will anon prove by god's grace, & therefore they erred not in their judgements, & sentences, therein established, enacted, & published by their authority. But to the matter, wherein I will be short. The general counsels. Our saviour christ promised to his apostles, as we read the xviii chap. of Matheus gospel, that he would be in the mids among them, that being ii or iii were gathered together in his name, how much rather hath he been present, where two hundred hath been assembled in his name, as hath been in the most part of all general councils, and therefore they neither erred in any weighty matter belonging to our faith, as this doth of the sacrifice of the mass nor yet could err, Christ the truth itself being their guide, & leader. Also he promised to be with the church ever till the worlds end, as Matthew doth tell in the last chapter, and to send the holy Matt. 28 ghost, the spirit of truth, to teach the church all truth necessary for christian people to know, Io. 16. and that the same shall alway, & for ever abide with it, the which he hath undoubtedly performed before Luther's birth, and especially to the general counsels representing the whole church, and congregation of christian people, so that they being lawfully gathered together, and assembled, did not err in the faith of Christ, nor yet could err therein. Therefore if it may be proved that any such counsel hath approved this doctrine that the mass is a sacrifice (as in deed many hath done) it must needs be very true. Wherefore I will briefly show what some counsels hath thought in this matter of the mass. The counsel holden at the city Ancyra Ancyrane counsel. above twelve hundred years passed, which was before the counsel of Nycene, hath these words following. Presbyteros immolantes videlicet idolis, & iterum lucta men adeuntes. etc. placuit honorem quidem sedis retinere, offer autem illis non liceat. That is, We ordain that priests, which do offer sacrifice to idols, & go again to wresteling, shall retain or keep still, their dignity, or promotion, but it may not be leeful for them to offer. Lo this great assemble of learned counsellors, did ordain that priests, which did make sacrifice to idols, should not offer sacrifice to god, which must needs be understand of the sacrifice of the mass, for asmuch as none other sacrifice was than, nor now is, proper to priests. Also the counsel kept at Laodicea a city in ● counsel holden at Laodicea Cap. 58. Assia about twelve hundred years before this our time, this did inacte. Non oportet oblationes in domibus ab episcopis, vel presbyteris offerri. It behoveth not sacrifices to be offered of bishops or priests in houses. Who can deny, but this ordinance was made of the sacrificy of the mass? In like manner the counsel held Cap. 4. African counsel. in Africa, at the which S. Austen was, doth declare by an ordinance made of them therein assembled, that the mass is a sacrifice, saying. In sacraments corporis & sanguinis dni nihil amplius offeratnque quod ipse dns tradidit, hoc est, panis, & vinum aqua mixtum. That is to wit. let nothing more be offered in the sacraments of our lords body and blood, than that, which the lord himself did teach, that is bread and wine, meddled with water. Note Note this reader. well here, good reader, two things, which this act containeth, the first that the mass is a sacrifice, because the body, and blood of christ is offered therein under the form of bread and wine mixed with water, the second, that our lord Christ jesus did teach that nothing else, but bread and wine, meddled with water should be offered in sacrifice in the sacrament of our lords body and blood, which doth well agree with Saint Cyprians saying afore rehearsed, so that this sacrifice of the holy mass, & also what things should be offered therein, was instituted & ordained by christ. Furthermore mark, reader, that this counsel affirmeth, that wine is mixed with water in the chalice at mass, by Christ's teaching, as did Cyrpian before that time long, and yet there is no commandment in the scripture to meddle wine with water at the mass, nor yet any one A truth not expressed in scripture. sentence to teach us that thing, and therefore they are far deceived (as I said afore) which defend that nothing pleaseth god, which is not commanded in the scripture to be done (as Martin Luther saith) and that there is no truth necessary to be believed of christian people, but that only, which is expressly contained in scripture, the which how false it is, I will declare in my book of traditions, which god willing, shall ● book of traditions. be shortly put forth. But now to the counsel, which was holden at Nicaea a city in Bithynia the year of our lord. 327. which thus Canone. 18 saith. pervenit ad sanctum concilium, ꝙ in locis quibusdam, & civitatibus, ptesbyteris diaconi sacramenta porrigant. Hoc neque regula, neque consuetudo tradidit, ut ij, qui offerendi sacrificij non habent potestatem, ijs, qui offerunt, corpus Christi porrigant. It came to the holy counsel, that in certain places and cities, the deacons do give to the priests the sacraments, which neither rule, nor custom, taught, that they which have no power or authority to offer sacrifice, should give Christ's body to them, which do offer. dost thou not hear (good reader) that this holy general counsel, which is one of the four, that saint Gregory said he esteemed as the four gospels, doth affirm that the priests do offer sacrifice, which the deacons have none autoricie to do, because they are not priests, and therefore this was spoken of the sacrifice of the mass only, for all other sacrifices the deacons may offer? Who will not rather give credence to this counsel & so many learned men therein assembled, by the holy ghost, as saint Gregory Nazianzene jeromes' master saith oration xviii, affirming thus plainly the mass to be a sacrifice, rather than to Martin Luther, with all the rabblement, of that sort, which having no ground to leave to, but scripture wrested from the right meaning of it, into a wrong sense, do affirm the contrary? Also the same counsel thus hath again. Generaliter autem cuilibet in exitu posito, & poscenti sibi communionis Cap. 13. gratiam tribui, episcopus probabiliter ex oblatione dare debebit. But the Bishop wisely ought to give to every man at his departing here hence, & desiring the grace of communion to be given him, the sacrifice. But now to the first counsel of Ephesus, whereat saint Cyryll was, almost twelve hundred years passed, with two hundred bishops assembled, which In epistola ad Nestorium. thus hath. Nos annuntiantes mortem fili dei, id est jesu Christi, & resurrectionem eius, & in coelos ascensionem pariter confitentes incruentam celebramus in Ecclesiasticis sacrificijs servitutem, sic etiam ad mysticas benedictiones accedimus, & sanctificamur participes facti corporis, & praeciosi sanguinis Christi, non ut communem carnem percipientes, ꝙ absit, nec ut viri sancti facti, & verbo coniuncti, sicut dignitatis unitatem, aut sicut divinam possidentes habitationem, sed ut vere vivificatricem, & ipsius verbi propriam factam. That is. We declaring the son of god's death, jesus christ, and confessing his resurrection, and also his ascension, in to the heavens, do celebrate a service, or an honouring, unblouddye, or without blood shedding in the sacrifices of the church. Also we so come to the mystical blessings (the consecration) and are hallowed, or made holy, or clean, being made partakers of Christ's body, and precious blood, not receiving it as common flesh (which god forbid) nor as of a man made holy, and joined to the word, as a unity of dignity, or as possessing a godly habitation, but as flesh verily giving life, and made proper to the word, that is the son of god. Dost thou not see here (good christian reader) that this great counsel of two hundred bishops, among the which saint Cyrille was head and chief, doth call the service done of the priests at mass, a service Observe this well reader. unbloody in the sacrifices of the church? can that be otherwise taken, than of the sacrifice of the mass, wherein the priest serveth and honoureth god by offering to him in sacrifice the very body and blood of his son Christ jesus without blood shedding, under the form of bread and wine? Heb. 9 &. 1●. Christ on the cross ones offered himself a bloody sacrifice to god for our sins, and is not after that fort by his blood shedding offered in the mass, because he can die no more, as Paul saith to the Ramaynes the sixth chapter, yet that notwithstanding, Christ once offered upon the cross is daily offered at mass. he is daily offered in the mass without blood shedding as this holy counsel sayeth, and all the writers upon the scripture, both latins, and greeks specially. This counsel moreover affirmeth in their epistle sent to Nestorius the heretic, that the worthy receivers of Christ's blessed The mass is a sacrifice propitiatory. body and blood are made holy, or clean thereby, and therefore the mass is a sacrifice not of praise only, but also of appeasing god's wrath, and purchasing to us cleanness, or holiness. finally it is to be noted diligently, that this great assemble of learned bishops calleth Christ'S flesh. Vivificatricem, that is, the giver of life, and that which giveth life to them, which lefullye and purely do receive it, the which declareth, that christ saying, Caro non prodest quicquam, Io: 6. the flesh profiteth nothing, did not mean that his flesh worthily received under form what christ meant saying the flesh profiteth nothing. of bread in the holy Sacrament doth profit nothing, as the heretics do expound it, but that the jews carnal understanding his words spoken of the eating of his flesh, whereby they thought he mente they should eat it raw, bloody, or sodden, cut out in pieces, as meat is wont to be sold in the shambelles, should profit nothing, as both Saint Austen & Cyryllus also doth expound that words of Christ in johan, the flesh profiteth nothing, or else christ meant that his flesh of itself without the spirit joined to it, and the godhead, as the jews believed it was not, but only the flesh of a pure man, & not of him which was very god & man could profit nothing, but A book of the sacrament of the altar. of this text I have spoken at large in my book of the sacrament of the altar, therefore now I will passover it which I have touched by the way, taking an occasion of this holy counsels words, affirming Christ's blessed flesh, being joined with the godhead, to give man life, when it is worthily received of him in the sacrament of the altar. Now to go forward, I will rehearse the words of a counsel holden at Neocensaria, Canon. uli. which are these, Presbyteri ruris in ecclesia Civitatis episcopo present, vel praesbyteris urbis ipsius, offer non possunt, nec panem sanctificatum dare, calicenque porrigere. That is. priests of the country, or that dwell out of the city, may not offer in the church nor give the bread hallowed, and the cup, the bishop being present, or the priests of the same city. Here is evident mention made of the priests offering sacrifice under the form of bread and also of wine contained in the chalice This hath in few words the counsel kept at Laodicea, a city The counsel kept at Laodice●. in Asia, saying, Tunc Laici sibi tribuent, & ita sancta celebrabitur ob latio. that is to wit. Than the lay men shall give to themself peace (by kissing the pax), and so the holy offering, or sacrifice shall be celebrate. What man will, or can, if he would never so gladly, deny that this was spoken of the sacrifice of the mass? Seeing therefore, good reader, that not only figures of the old testament, the holy prophets, and divers texts of the new testament with the expositions of the eldest, and greatest learned doctoures, but also these general counsels, and divers other, which were led, and guided with CHRIST'S presence, and the holy ghosts also, have thus plainly, and strongly set up, and established the sacrifice of the mass, against the which no man did speak, or write by the space of xu hundred years, when Martin Luther began to bark against it, as the dogs are wont to bark at the light of the moon in the night, give thou rather steadfast credence unto all those witnesses approving, yea proving the mass to be a sacrifice, than to Martin Luther luting out of tewne. Now though Luther Inteth out of tewne. this which is already written in this book were enough, and sufficient, too persuade every man, not wedded to his opinion, to believe that the mass is a sacrifice, appeasing god's wrath towards man, yet to stop all babblers mouths, I will go further in this matter, and show what the holy apostles have done, touching this thing before whom CHRIST made his maundy, and to whom he gave power, authority, and also commandment, to offer his body and blood in sacrifice, as he had done himself before, Luc. 2●: 1. Cor. 11. saying to them. Hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Do ye this in remembrance of me. These disciples of Christ did make certain Canons, or rules for the instruction of Christian people, the which saint Clement, the apostle Paul's company on in preaching the gospel, did gather together, and put them in writing, as Damascene Lib. 4. ca 18. saith, which did so greatly esteem, and regard the same rules, that he did numbered, and rehearse them among the books of gods holy word, and therefore their words ought to be without all doubt believed. They thus write, Si quis episcopusvel presbyter pnter Canone. 3. ordinationem domini, alià quedam in sacrificio offerat super altar, id est, aut mell, aut lac, aut pro vino siceram etc. contra constitutionem domini faciens, deponatur congruo tempore, If any bishop, or priest do offer upon the altar in Note reader the holy apostles iudgementem in this matter sacrifice certain other things beside over or above the lords ordinance, that is to wit, either honey or milk, or in stead of wine, drink made of corn or fruits, doing against our lords ordinance, let him be deposed in a meet time. Lo the holy apostles of Christ, which learned the gospel of him, and received the holy ghost, the spirit of truth, teaching all troth The mass is a sacryficeinstitute by Chryst. to them, do plainly affirm, that the mass said of the priest, is a sacrifice, of Christ's own institution, and ordinance. did not they know the truth (supposest thou good reader) better than Martin Luther or any of his school? Hear what Tertulian wryt with in clxxx. years of christ saying Tertul. de praescri. Veritas illis adiudicanda est▪ qui in ea regula in cedunt, quam ecclesiae ab apostolis, apostoli a Christo Christus a deo accepit. That is, the truth must be adjudged to them which do walk in that rule, which the churches or congregations of the faithful, have received of the apostles, the apostles of christ, Christ of God, but the churches did receive this doctrine, concerning the sacrifice of the mass, of the apostles, as Saint Ireneus testifieth, whose words are Lib. 4. Ca 32. rehearsed before, and here the same doth also appear plainly by this canon, or rule made of them, therefore the churches of christ, have the truth on their side, which do go in this the apostles cannon, or rule set forth for that very same thing. But yet one's more let us see what the apostles have said in this matter, which thus doth speak. Si quis episcopus, Canone. 2. aut presbyter, aut diaconus, aut quilibet ex sacer dotali catalogo, facta oblatione non communicaverit, aut dicat causam, ut si fuerit rationabilis veniam consequatur, aut si non dixerit communione privetur, tanquam quipopulo causa laesionis extiterit, dans suspicionem de eo, qui sacrificanerit, quod non recte obtulerit. That is in our english tongue. If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or who thou wilt of the numbered of priests, or spiritual men, shall not receive his housle, when the sacrifice is offered, either let him tell the cause thereof, that if it be reasonable, he may get pardon, or if he do not show the cause wherefore he did not receive his communion at mass, let him not have his housel like as he, which gave an occasion of harm or hurt to the people, giving to them a suspicion of him, which did offer sacrifice that he did not offer or make sacrifice well enough, or after a right fashion. Hitherto the apostles of our saviour christ in their book of canons, or rules, whose words are so plain, & clear upon our side, against Marten Luther, and his scholars, that nothing can be more plain. Therefore let Luther go with his fond wicked, & devilish heresy against the sacrifice of the mass (good Christian reader) & follow Christ's, and his holy apostles Doctrine, so clearly making for this truth. Moreover. s. Audrew, one of the apostles, did offer Christ's Saint Andrew at mass offered sacrifice. body in sacrifice at his mass as he said himself to Aegeas the tyrant Philaletus testifying that wrytting the apostles lives, whose words are these. Ego omnipotenti deo omni die sacrifico, non thuris fumum, nec hircorum, aut tautorum sanguinem, sed immaculatum agnum quotidie in altari sacrifico. I do (saith he) make sacrifice every day to god almighty, not offering in sacrifice smoke of frankincense, nor the blood of goats, or of bulls, but I offer in sacrifice daily on the aultare the undefiled lamb. Be not these manifest words, and enough to satisfy every man, being not over moche given to the blind error of Luther? Saint Clement, which S. Clement. was a companion of Paul's in teaching the gospel of christ used this form (as Bassario testifieth) when he did say mass Rogamus ut mittas domme spiritum Basssario libri de sacramento altaris. sanctum tuum super hoc sacrificium, qui efficiat hunc panem corpus Christi tui, & quoth in chalice, est, sanguinem filii tui. That is. We beseech the o lord to send thy holy spirit upon this sacrifice, which may make this bread the body Saint Clement Paul's companion maketh mention of th● mass, as we read in the lxxiii canon & therefore it is no new thing as Luther saith it is. of thy christ, or anointed, & that thing which is in the cup or chalice, the blood of thy son. Here we see that saint Clement, which was instructed by the apostles in Christ's faith, & religion, took the mass to be a sacrifice. Whether is he more of credence or Martin Luther? Now t● make ones an end of the proving the truth, I will rehearse the ancient doctors sayings in this matter and that done, I will answer to the scriptures wrested from their true sense to the maintenance of this heresy by Martin Luther & his scholars. ¶ What the doctors have said in the matter of the sacrifice of the mass, here it appeareth evidently, Interroga obsecro generationem pristinam & praeparate ad investigationem yatrumtuorun job. 8. and also that we ought to believe them agremge together in any thing touching our faith, for because than they err not. THe scripture is very hard to be perceived, Ne transferas termin●s antiquos, quos fecerunt patres. prou●. 23 as s. Peter saith in his second epistle, though it seem or be judged never so plain and easy to some men, which in very deed are not learned therein, and therefore it is not convement that every man do understand it, after his own fancy, for that hath been, and yet is, the cause of many errors, but we The scripture is hard to be understand, and the true sense of it must be learned of the holy doctors. must leave, and cleave to the ancient doctor's expositions made, and published thereupon. For as god chose them to be doctors, and teachers of his word, and gave to them his holy spirit (which now these days many do arrogantly calling but untruly) even so they did spend their time wholly in prayer, and studying the scripture, that thereby they might attain the true sense thereof. But ye will say to me, as many fond people are wont to say, may not god now give to men the spirit of truth, as he did to the apostles, or else to the doctors of the church? Is he not now both as strong, that he can do it, and also as kind and liberal, that he will do it, as he was before our time? To that blind reasons I answer that god can do it if he list, but he can do many and sundry things, which he will never do. For he can make this man a king, raising him (as david sayeth) a poor man, from the dung hill, and that man a bishop, which he will never do. The things which he doth are ever done in a seemly order, as Paul affirmeth. Now an order Rom. 13. requireth, that in Christ's church some should be teachers, and some learners, some masters, and some scholars, as in man's body, to the which Paul compared the 1. Cor. 12. church, some membres have one office, and working, and some an other, and not all one office. The eyes do see, the ears hear, so the doctors seeing the truth do teach, and the learners do hear their lessons. Therefore god made not Saint james the third chapter exhorteth men not to coue●te the office of a teacher for the danger thereof, Math. 15. all men indifferently doctors, as now men would be, foul deceiving both themselves, and also many other, while they being blind, do lead the blind, and fall thereby both together in to the den of error, and damnation, but (as Paul saith) he gave to the instructing of his people some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds, and some doctors, and therefore our saviour said to his disciples: Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni dei. It is given, not to Luc. 8. all men, but to you to know the mysteries or secrets of the scripture, the knowledge of the which is the key of heaven gates. did not god appoint Esdras to teach the law to the people, as we read in the scripture, which saith. Esdras interpretatus est eis verba legis. Esdras did expound to them the words of the law. Paul wrote his epistles to the bishops, that they should declare them to the people unlearned. All sorts of meats are not Vide Gregoir Nazianze. in apologetico. meet for all ages of folk. Milk is good for children, stronger meats for young lusty men, moister meats are best for aged men, which are dry of complexion, 1. Cor. 3. in like manner all men are not apt and meet to seed on all the scripture indifferently, but Heb. 5. those only, which have good wits and have spent their study therein by gods calling. Now it is true, the more pity, that saint Hierome. writ in an epistle to his friend pauline, complaining lamentably of the unreverent handling of scripture. Hierom epistola. ●8: Saint Clement saith the second book to S. james, the law of god can not be understand without a teacher. Note good reader the unreverent handling of scriptu●●, Thus he saith. The husband men, mortar makers, smiths, cutters of wood, wool men also, and fullers, and other divers crafts men, absque doctore esse non possunt, quod cupiunt, without a teacher can not be that which they covet to be, that is, cunning in their crafts. Quod medicorum est, promittū● medici, tractant fabrilia fabri. Sola scripturarum ar● est, quam omnes passim vendicant, hanc garrula anus, hanc del●rus senex, hanc sophista verbosus, hanc universi praesumunt, lacerant, docent, anteque discunt. In english. The physicians do promise that, which doth appertain to them, the smiths or crafts men, which work with the hand, do handle, or exercise things belonging to handicrafts men or smiths. Only the crafts of scripture is, which all men indifferently do claim, this the babbling old wife, this the doting old man, this the sophister full of words, this all men do arrogantly take upon them to know, they rend it in pieces, or give to it many wounds, they teach it afore they learned it. This wrote saint jerom against men, & women of his time, which did arrogantly, and unreverently handle gods holy word, but what would he now say (thinkest thou good reader) If he were living at this time, when men and women are in this matter so faulty, as they never have been heretofore? would no● he greatly lament, & bewail this our wonderful blindness, and detestable presumption, whereby we neither by shame, nor yet by fear do forbear to claim unto us the knowledge of the scriptures, which we never studied, or else but very little, yea we stick not to calling to us the holy ghost, the spirit of truth, comparing ourselves therein with the apostles of christ, which anon became teachers of the gospel, being fishers rude and unlearned a little before This Such flattering preachers whom Saint Gragorye Nazianzene jeroms master calleth eventriloquos that is speakers of the belie, because in all th●ir words m●y provide for the bolye. is a strange fondness, and a marvelous presumption, our lord amend it. Some preachers have not been ashamed in their sermons to bring the lay people into this fools paradise, praising their cunning in the scriptures, which they never understood themselves, but they study to please their hearers and seeing their ears itch, they claw them and with pleasant sayings they deceive the innocentes hearts. But I will recite a little more of saint jeroms words out of the said epistle, which thus writeth: Alij adducto supercilio grandia verba trutinantes, inter mulier culas de sacris literis philosophantur. Other wayenge, examining or judging with a stately, or a louring countenance great words, do reason like students of wisdom among women of the holy scripture. Was this at any time truer (good reader) than it is even now in our days? yet Jerome goth on saying. Alij discunt (proh pudor) à faeminis quod doce antviros, et ne parum hoc sit, qua dan facilitate ●borum immo audacia edisserunt women do teach men, and men other that, which they understand not them selves. alijs, quod ipsi non intelligunt. Other learn (alas for shame fastness) of women, that which they should teach men, & lest that might be a little, they declare to other with a certain easiness, or lightness of words, yea rather with boldness, or trusting well in themselves, that thing, which they themselves understand not? Do not men even so now among us, whom women arrogantelye do teach, and men also that thing which they do not perceive themselves? Saint Gregory jeroms master saith, all such men are touched in the common proverb, In dolio discere artem figuli, hoc est in periculo animarum doctrinam discere pietatis. To learn a potter's craft in a tun, pipe, butt, or a hogs head, that is, in the danger of souls to learn the doctrine of the knowledge of god. Hitherto that saint, plainly reproving As I of kent many men of our time. Some women can say moche of the scripture without the book, but they understand almost no word thereof. They are not ashamed (such is their shameless pride, and impudent arrogancy) to boast that they have overcome, and confounded even the doctors of divinity by reasoning in scripture, when in deed they do but babble without learning and all reason, if they meet with any cunning man therein, which I myself have often times proved true. Let them beware of gods curse, which he threateneth to all such by his prophet. saying. Esa. 5. Vae qui sapientes estis in oculis vestris, & coram vobismetipsis prudentes. Cursed be you which are wise in your own sight, and politic before your own selves. Doth not this gods curse touch them, which do think that their wits. and learning doth far excel As Lather ●oth, & his scholars. the wits, & learning of all the ancient writers, and do follow their own fond fantasy, and lewd dreams in construing, and understanding gods holy word rather than the old writers? Saint basil & saint Gregory jeromes' master were not so proud, and arrogant as those now be. For they being very excellently well learned in the tongues, in logic, thetorike, philosophy, and divers other sciences, sought the understanding of the scripture out of their elders books, as the history Lib 1●. cap. 9. of Eusebius doth rehearse saying, They gave their study to holy scripture, not following their own Scripture must be learned of the doctors. presumption, but the writings of their ancestors, & their authority to understand the same, which it was evident to have received the rule to perceive the scripture of th'apostles and their successors. Contrary to this men do in these miserable days, of their own heads & wits, thinking to understand gods word, as did the heretic Aetius, Triper. Histo. li. 5 Cap. 45. saying that god had opened to him those things, which he hid from his apostles, as the story maketh mention. Doth not even so at this our time Martin Luther, and his scholars, which deny the mass to be a sacrifice, when the apostles taught the clean contrary, as I have afore declared largely? S. Dioni lib. de caelesti hierarchia. Ca I, Dionise Paul's scholar, teacheth us an other lesson, how we should study scripture, & whom we should follow in the understanding of it, his words are these. Ad sanctissimarum scripturarum intelligentias, prout illas a patribus accepimus, contuendas pro viribus pergamus. Let us proceed to look on the understanding of the most holy scriptures, according to our strength, or power, as we have hard, or received of the elders. Do we not here see, that this father, which was a great philosopher, and very well learned in divers knowledges afore he was converted by saint Paul, & was taught the faith by him, would not presume to study the scripture without the doctors, and elders books, which he studied to understand it? Therefore if thou wilt study the scripture to profit therein read saint Austin's books, saint jeromes', Chrisostom's, Ambroses' Cyprians, and such other, which do sincerely, truly and catholykely expownde the scriptures to the advancing of the truth, and the thrusting down of errors, and heresy. priests of Caesarea Cappadocia could not be persuaded to leave the faith, Q● eye suffecerint ad utilitatem sui antiquae patrum narrationes, & velut quaedam turres murum fidei indeclinabilem Triper. Histo. li. 7 Cap. ●6. seruaverunt, Because the ancient expositions of the fathers sufficed them to their profit, and did keep, like as certain towers, the wall of faith upright. And where men say that god is as liberal now as he was in the apostles time to them, and therefore he can give even now also the holy ghost to every man, and woman, for the understanding of his word the scripture. I grant that god is now as liberal in deed as he was than, but yet thereupon it followeth not that he doth now give the spirit of knowledge in the holy scripture without all labour and why god did give to fishers his holy spirit to understand the scripture study as he than did to his apostles, to confound the great clerks, and learned men by the simple, and unlearned fishers, and by their teaching to convert to the faith the hole world, that thereby his almighty power might be known, his blessed name glorified, & the virtue of his sons death christ our saviour esteemed the cause (as in deed it was) of that so great a miracle. This, I say, was the cause why at the beginning of Christ's religion and faith, rude fishers had given them such knowledge in the scripture without all labour, and study given to it of their parts. God then showed his great liberality, in feeding five thousand men, beside women and children, with five barley Io. 6. loves, and two fishes, as saint johan testifieth, but shall we therefore look for any like thing now in our days? christ at that time did work divers miracles, which he worketh not at this time, nor never will hereafter. He is therein like to one that planteth young trees, or setteth herbs, which while they be tender, and young, not yet well rooted in the earth, he often watereth, but after they are grown up, and have taken well roots, than he ceaseth watering them, so christ A similitude our saviour, when he planted the faith at the first, did water it with sundry, and diverse miracles, and when he saw it well, and surely rooted in men's hearts, than he left watering it with miracles. Therefore let us not look to receive the holy ghost to teach us the scriptures, and the understanding of them without our study, and labour as the apostles once did by miracle, for the conversion of the world to the faith, but let us learn it of the holy doctors, and of the priests, which are learned, and whose office it is to teach the unlearned multitude, as witnesseth the holy prophet Malachias saying. Labia Malach. 2. sacerdotis custodiunt scientiam, & legem requirent ex ore eius, quia angelus domini exercituum est. That is. The priests lips do keep cunning, and the lay people shall often seek, or demand of his mouth the law, for as much as he is the messenger of the lord of hosts, that is of angels, which are called the hosts of heaven. Aeto. 20. Heb. 13. He is sent by god's assignment to teach the unlearned, and doth take charge of their souls, as the scripture in many places witnesseth. Now I will show the holy doctors minds in this our controversy, since we ought to follow their judgement in the understanding of the scriptures, as I have now declared, that by them we may perceive which doctrine is true, and catholic, and which is false, and heretical. I will yet recite here but a certain of the most ancient, and eldest writers on the scripture, for the youngest almost The old doctors sayeuges. of them shall be about nine hundred years old, because men say that the sacrifice of the mass was invented of late, and set up by priests covetousness for lucre, that they may see their folly, and forsake it in time, least it at the length (as it must needs) bring them to utter confusion, in body, and soul. But to the rehearsal of the old writers in this matter, among the which Theophilactus shall occupy the first place, saying: Quaere● Theophilac. In Heb, 10 aliquis, num & ipsi sine sanguine immolamus? Ita quidem, sed Christi tunc reminiscimur obitus, & una nobis est immolatio, non multae, quandoquidem est & ille semel oblatus, eundem enim semper offerimus, unus est enim sanguis, & semel effusus. unum est corpus non multa, quivis fuerit pro multis oblatum, & item una est, quae offertur, hostia. Hanc namque semper ut praesentem offerimus. That is. Some body will demand weather we do sacrifice without blood or no? we do so surely, but then we remember Christ's death, and we have one sacrifice, not many, for as much as Christ also hath been once offered in sacrifice, for we offer alway the sam●, the blood is one, & shed once. The body is one, not many, though it bathe been offered up in sacrifice for many, and also the host is one, which is offered. For we alway offer that same as present, hitherto Theoph. No man can desire plainer words than these are, of this great clerk, to prove that the mass is a sacrifice. Rupert also confirmeth this, saying. Quotidie in altari sancto Lib. 1. comment. in Dani. ca 14. oblationes eius, sacrum celebramus mysterium. We do daily celebrate in the holy altar the holy mystery or sacrament, the sacrifices of christ, Fulgentius which was above a M. years sense agreeth with Fulgentius li. 2. ad Monimum this verity, saying. Dicis te a nonnullis interrogatum de sacrificio corporis & sanguinis χρι, quod plerique soli patri existimant immolari, cum ad patrem litantis destinatur intentio, sacrificij munus omni trinitati, uno eodemque offertur litantis officio. That is in our language. Thou sayest, that thou was asked of some men of the sacrifice of the body & blood of christ, which many do judge to be offered in sacrifice only to the father, when the intent of him, which pleaseth god with sacrifice, is appointed to the father, the gift of sacrifice is offered to the hole trinity, with one, & the same office of him, which obtaineth his desire of god by sacrifice. Also he answering to the third question proposed to him by his friend Monimus, saith thus. Thou dost ask, if the sacrifice be offered to the whole trinity, wherefore the sending only of the holy ghost is desired to sacrifice, or consecrate the gift of our sacrifice? As verily (that I so may say) god the father himself, from whom the holy ghost proceedeth, could not hallow the sacrifice offered to him, or the son himself could not make holy the sacrifice of his body, the which he offered to ransom us, or else that the holy ghost should so be sent to consecrate the church's sacrifice, as the father and the son were not present, helping them, which do offer sacrifice. At the length he concluding this matter thus writeth. Quando aunt congruentius ad consecrandum sacrificium corporis Christi sancta ecclesia (quae est corpus eius) sancti spiritus deposcat adventum? Aedificatio Mark this reader. spiritualis opportunius nunque petitur, qui cum ab ipso Christi corpore (quod est ecclesia) in sacramento panis ac calicis ipsum Christi corpus & sanguis offertur. Calix enim, quem bibimus, communicatio 1. Cor. 10. sanguis Christi est, & panis, quem frangimns, participa●io corporis domini est, ut ait apostolus. That is. But when may the holy church (which is Christ's body) more conveniently ask the holy ghosts coming to consecrate the sacrifice of Christ's body? A spiritual edifying is never desired in duer time, than when the same Christ's body and blood is offered in sacrifice, of that his body (which is the church) in the sacrament of bread and wine. For the cup of which we do drink, is 1. Cor. 10. the communion of Christ's blood and the bread, that we break, is the partaking of our lords body. Hitherto this holy father Fulgentius, whole words are as manifest for the sacrifice of the mass, as they can be, therefore I will speak no more of them, but 1. Ambrose l0 1. offi. ca 41: rehearse saint Ambrose judgement, that was above eleven hundred years since, which this hath, rehearsing saint Laurences words spoken to Syxtus the bishop, when he was lad to suffer martyrdom. Quo sacerdos sancte sine diacono ꝓperas? Nunque sacrificium sine ministro offerre consueveras. Cui commisisti dnici corporis consecrationem, To. 2. li. 1. offi. cap. 41. cui cōsūmādorū consortium sacramentorum, huic consortium tui sangui nis negas. Whither goest thou hastily o holy priest without a deacon? Thou wast never wont to offer sacrifice without a ministre. To whom thou hast committed the consecrating of our lords body, and the fellowship of sacraments to be accomplished, to him thou deniest the fellowship of thy blood. Again in a certain oration funeral of the death of valentynyane the emperor, thus he speaketh to Valentynyane, and To. 1: Gratian. Nulla vos nox non donatos Prayers & the mass do avail the dead. aliqua praecum mearum Contextione transcurret, omnibus frequentabo oblationibus. I will (saith Ambrose) pray for you every night, I will accustomelye offer sacrifice for you. Also to one Faustine, over much lamenting his sisters death, after many Lib. 2. epist. 8. words spoken to comfort him, thus he writeth, Itaque non tam deplorandam, qui frequentandam orationibus reor. Nec maesticandam lachrymis tuis, sed magis oblationibus animam eius deo commendandam arbitror. Therefore I think that she ought not so much to be lamented as to be prayed for accustomedly. Neither I think she should be made heavy with thy tears in weeping, but rather her soul to be commended to god with sacrifices. Are not these plain words to testify the holy mass to be a sacrifice profitable for the Prayers & the mass do avail the dead. dead, & that also prayers of them which do live here, be available for them? beside this he saith in an epistle to Theodosius the emperor, Lib. 5. epist. 28 whom he had excommunicated for the murder done in Thessalia at his commandment. Ego causam contumaciae nullam in te habeo, sed habeo timoris, offer non audeo sacrificium, si volveris assistere. I have no cause in the of disobedience, or froward will, but I have a cause of fear, for I dare not offer sacrifice, if thou wilt be present: was not this meant of the Excommunication once was regarded. sacrifice of the mass, which saint Ambrose said he durst not offer if Theodosius th'emperor were in the temple, because he was excommunicate? Then excommunication was feared of the highest estates, and the mass had in great honour, as it ought in deed to be, though both of them now are little regarded, the more is the pite. Ambros. Mar. lib. 5. epist. 5. Missam sacere caepi, dumque offero, raprun cognovicastu lum. S. Austin's sentences. lib, 2. retract, Ca 21, But of saint Ambrose enough. Now saint Austen shall speak in this controversy, whose learning far amounteth and excelleth any man's, that hath been since the apostles time, especially in the holy scripture. He was above eleven hundred years passed, which thus saith. Hylarius quidam laicus, nescio unde adversus dei ministros, ut fieri assolet, irritatus, morem, qui tūe apud carthaginem caeperat, ut hymni ad altare dicerentur de psal morum libro, sive ante oblationem, sive cum distribueretur populo, quod fuisset oblatum, maledica reprehensione lacerabat. That is. Hylarye a certain lay man, kendled wit wrath, as it is wont to be, against gods ministers, whereby I know not, did break with cursed reproving the custom, which than began at the city carthage, that hymns should be said out of the book of psalms, at the altar, either before the offering of sacrifice, or when that, which was offered, should be distributed to the people. Imprynte, good reader, these words surely in thy mind, for they do plainly make for the defence of the sacrifice of the mass. But yet hear him again, affirming that same thing more plainly, with these few words. Augustinus. To. 2. epist, 23. Mark reader, how Christ was once offered in sacrifice, & yet he is daily offered in the mass Nun semel immolatus est christus in semeripso, & tamen in sacramento non solum per omnes paschae solemnitates, sed omni die populis immolatur, nec utique mentitur, qui responderit eum immolari. Is not christ ones offered up a sacrifice in himself, and that not withstanding he is offered in the sacrament for the people, not only through all the feasts of easter, but also every day, neither truly he doth lie, which answereth, that he is offered in sacrifice. Lo, good reader, this holy man, and excellent clerk, (with whom Martin Luther in learning and virtue can no better be compared, than a snail with a hare in swiftness) doth plainly say, that christ is daily offered in sacrifice, in the sacrament, though he was but ones offered in his own form upon the cross, and therefore Luther's & his scholars argument, gathered out of Paul to the Hebrews, the ninth and the tenth chapter making mention that Christ was Note reader that christ is offered in sacrifice twice, against Luther's babbling once offered, is clean wyppe away, and fund of no force, ne strength, as I will hereafter more largely declare, god willing. But saint Austen doth this again writ in this matter. Firmissime tene & nullatenus dubites unigenitum To, 3. de fide ad petrnca. 19 deum verbum carnem factum, se pro nobis obtulisse sacrificium & hostiam deo in odorem suavitatis, cui cum patre, & spiritu sancto à patriarchis, prophetis, & sacerdo tibus, tempore veteris testamenti animalia sacrificabantur, & cui nunc i tempore novi testamenti, cum patre & spiritu sancto, cum quibus illi est una divinitas, sacrificium panis & vini in fide & charitate, sancta ecclesia catholica per universum terrae orbem offerre non cessat. That is to wit. Hold thou most surely, and in no wise doubt, that the only begotten son god, being made man offered himself for us a sacrifice, & an host of sweet savour to god, to whom with the father, and the holy ghost, beasts were offered in sacrifice the time of the old testament, by the patriarchs, prophets, and priests, and to whom now, that is, in the time of the new testament, with the father, and the holy ghost, with the which he hath one godheede, a sacrifice of bread, and wine the holy church catholyqe ceaseth not to offer in faith and charity, through the whole world. Also in another place he saith. Huius sacrificij caro Lib. 20, ca: 21, Contra faustum Christ is daily offered i● sacrifice, though he was once offered for all on the cross & sanguis ante adventum domini, per victimas similitudinum promittebatur, in passione christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur, post ascensionem Christi per sacramentum celebratur. The flesh, and blood of this sacrifice was promised before the lords coming, by beasts killed in sacrifice of similitudes, or likenesses, in the passion of christ it was given by the truth itself, after Christ's ascension it is celebrate by or in the sacrament. Doth not saint Austen here affirm that in the sacrament of the altar the Christ's very flesh and blood are in the mass offered in sacrifice, & not a figure thereof. flesh and blood of the sacrifice is even that self same, which was figured by the sacrifices of the old testament before the coming of christ, and offered upon the cross in the time of the passion, that like as in the time of the old testament, Christ'S flesh and blood were offered in sacrifice by similitudes, so at the time of his death they were offered without figure, or lykelenesse in his own form, and daily are in the Sacrament under the form of bread and wine. Moreover the same doctor thus writeth, Populus christianus religiosa solemnitate memorias concelebrat martyrum, & ad excitandam Lib. 20. ca 21. Contra faustum imitationem, & ut meritis eorum consocietur, atque orationibus adiwetur, Ita tamen ut nulli martyrum, sed ipsi deo martyrum constituamus altaria, quivis in memorias martyrum. Quis enim antistitum in locis sanctorum corporum altari assistens, aliquando dixit, offerimus tibi Petre, aut Paul, aut Cyprian? sed quod offertur, deo, qui martyres coronavit, offertur. This it is in english. Christian people do celebrate the remembrances of martyrs, with a godly, or a devout solemniti, both to stir or The merit●s of martyrs and their prayers do profit the worshippers of them. encourage men to follow them, & also the by their merits they might be made fellows with them in heaven, and helped with their prayers, yet so that we do set up altars to none of the martyrs, but Lege August: lib: 22. ca 1●, De Civi dei to god himself, although we do it for remembrance of the martyrs. For which of the bishops being at the altar in the places of the saints bodies, hath said at any time. We do offer sacrifice to the O Peter, or Paul, or Cypryane? But that which is offered in sacrifice, is offered to GOD, that hath crowned the martyrs. No man could speak more plainly against three of Martin Luther's heresies, then in these few words saint Austen hath done, allowing first that saints do pray Saints do pray for us saints merits do profit us. for us, and thereby we are helped secondly that their merits do profit us, thirdly that the bishop at the altar doth offer sacrifice to god, the which in an other place of his works he he affirmeth to be done by good authority, that is of the gospel which telleth that Christ at his last supper offered his body in sacrifice, for these are his words. Augustinus lib: ●, ca 20: De trinitate. Infants non noverunt quod in altari ponitur, & peracta pietatis celebratione, consumitur, unde vel quo modo conficiatur, unde in usum Consumed therefore the bread after the consecration remaineth not as Frith would it should. religionis assumitur. Chyldrene, which can not yet speak, know not what thing is put upon the altar, and is consumed when the consecration is perfetlye done, whence or how it is made or consecrated, of what it is taken in to use of religion. It followeth in that place of saint Augustyne. Et si nunquam discant experimento suo, vel aliorum, & nunquam illam rerum speciem videant, nisi inter cèlebrationes sacramentorum, cum offertur, & datur, dicaturque illis autoritate gravissima, cuius Math. 26, corpus & sanguis sit, nihil aliud credent, nisi omnino in illa specie dominum apparuisse oculis mortalium, & de latere tali percusso. liquorem illum omnino fluxisse. Although they never learn by their own experience, or other men's, and they never see that kind of things, except it be among the celebratyons of Sacraments when the sacrifice is made, and given, and said to them with greatest authority, whose body and blood it should be, they will believe nothing else, but that our lord hath appeared in that form to the eyes of men, and that liquor to have run out of such a side streken. This saint Augustyne. Again in an other book this he writ. De civi dei. li. 10. cap. 20. Christ doth offer himself at the mass, and he is the sacrifice therein offered. Per hoc & sacerdos est offerens, & ipse oblatio. Cuius rei sacramentum quotidianum esse voluit ecclesiae sacrificium, cum ipsius corporis sit ipse caput, & ipsius ipsa sit. corpus, tam ipsa per ipsum, qui ipse per ipsam suetus offerri. That is thus much in english. By that both he is a priest offering sacrifice, and he is the sacrifice. A sacrament of the which thing, he would, should be the daily sacrifice of the church: For asmuch as he is the head of that body the church, and the church is his body, as well the church by Christ, as Christ by the church is wont to be offered: This saint Austen: Now I beseech thee, good reader, what dost thou call the daily sacrifice of the church, but the sacrifice of christs body & blood, accustomed daily in the mass, to be offered of the priest? Wherein is Christ wont to be offered in sacrifice by the church, except it be in the mass? What man, except he be very affectionate, and blind will not rather give credence to this great clerk sait Austen, than to Luter, or any other taught in his school? But of this holy doctors sentences written in this matter, the learned may read much more in his books, which I do pass over, lest my book should be S. Hierome adversus lucif●riano●. To. 2. to long, and tedious, Therefore I will go to saint Jerome, which confirmeth this truth, saying, while he showeth that a priest is the salt of the earth. Sacerdos quip prolaico offered oblationem svam. For as much as the priest offer the his offering or sacrifice for the lay man. Doth not here saint jerom affirm that the priest offereth at the mass sacrifice for the lay man? Estesones he sayeth. Nec moses dedit vobis panem verum, sed dominus Quaest ●●, ad ●●edibiam. Christ is eaten in the sacrament of the altar, & his blood drunken. jesus, ipse conviva & connivium, ipse commedens & qui commeditur, illius bibimus sanguinem, & sine eo potare non possumns, & quotidie in sacrificijs eius de genimine vitis verae, & vineae sorec, quae interpretatur electa, rubentia musta calcamus, & nowm ex his vinum bibimus de regno patris. Moses hath not given to you very bread, but our lord jesus, he is the guest, and the feast, he is that eateth, and which is eaten, we do drink his blood, and without him we cannot drink, and we daily tread or press down in his sacrifices new red wine of the true wines, and the chosen vineyards generation, and we drink of these, new wine of the father's kingdom. This sentence of saint Hierome manifestly maketh both for the presence of CHRIST himself in the holy Sacrament of the altar, because it sayeth that CHRIST himself is the feast, he that is eaten, and we drink his blood, and also for the sacrifice of the mass, wherein the same CHRIST is offered in sacrifice. I let pass many other texts, of this holy doctor, and go to the rehearsal of other men's sayings, among the which Damascene thus speaketh. Damas'. l●b. 4. ca 14. Etsi quidam exemplaria corporis & sanguinis domini, panem & vinum vocaverunt, ut deifer vocavit BASILIVS non tamen, post sanctificationem dixit, sed pri usque sanctificaretur ipsa oblatio, ita vocabant. That is. Albeit certain men have called the bread and wine samples of our lords body, and blood, as the godly Basyll hath called them, yet he called them not that after the hallowing, or consecration, but before the sacrifice was hallowed, or consecrated, so they did call them. This Damascene wrote above eleven hundred years passed afore this our time. In the which belief was also Gregorius Nazian. in apologetico. saint Gregory jeronis master, which wrote this, almost twelve hundred years since Sciens quoniam nemo dignus est summi dei sacerdos esse, vel sacrificium offer, qui non prius exhibuit se hostiam vivam, deo placentem etc. Knowing that no man is meet, or apt to be a priest of god the highest, or to offer sacrifice, which hath not set abroad himself (by virtuous living, and mortifying his lusts) a quick host, pleasing god, and so forth as Paul writeth to the Romans. Furthermore writing of priests dignity Rom. 12. he thus saith. O sacrificia mittentes incruenta sacerdotes. O anim arum custodes magnifici. O magnum figmnetum dei manibus In versibus: in vestris ferentes. O priests (saith Gregory Nazianzene) sending, or giving sacrifices unbloody. O the keepers of souls, which do great things. O ye that bear in your hands the great workman ship of God. What is to send or give sacrifices without blood shedding in this saying, good reader, but to offer in sacrifice at the mass the very body, and blood of Chryst, discipulis suis offerendam, quamque modo conficiunt sacerdotes. Nihil habet ista, quam illa minus, quia hanc non sanctificant homines, sed Christus, qui illam sacraverat. enim verba, quae locutus est Christus, eadem sunt, quae nûc quoque socerdos pronuntiat, ita eadem est, quae tune fuit, hostia. In english. This holy sacrifice whether Peter do offer it, or Paul, or else a priest of what merit in living so ever he be, is the same, that our lord gave his disciples to be Luc. 22, offered, and that now the priests do make or consecrate. This hath nothing less than that, because men do not hallow this but Christ, which had hallowed that. For as the words, (which Christ spoke at his last supper) be the same, which now the priest also doth pronounce, likewise the host or sacrifice is the same, which was then. There was never man, that set out better and more plainly the blessed sacrifice of the mass, than this holy man Chrisostome hath done above eleven hundred years passed. would god these his words were learned and kept of all men, in a fast and sure remembrance, without all doubting in the verity of them. Note, good reader well, what lessons here are given to us of this ancient and excellent doctor. first he saith, that the sacrifice, which Peter or Paul hath offered, or now any priest doth offer, what so ever he be, good or ill in his life, is none other but the same, which christ gave his apostles to offer, undoubtedly at his last supper, after he had turned bread and wine into his own very body and blood, and offered them in sacrifice to his father For then he gave them authority to do that very same, which he had afore done saying, Hoc facite in mei commemorationem, Do ye this in remembrance of Luc. 22. me. Secondly he saith that the sacrifice, which now priests do offer at mass, is the same host (having nothing less than that had) which Christ gave his apostles to offer because men do not hallow, or consecrate it, but Christ, (that did consecrate that given to his disciples to offer) and that by reason the words which a priest sayeth at mass, are the self same, which christ spoke at his maundy, consecrating and offering his body and blood. Thus it appeareth that the learning of the sacrifice of the mass is not new nor of late invented, though one Vrbanus Regius in his ungodly book (called the comparison between the old learning, and the new) doth impudently without learning (eytheir old or new, that good is) affirm, Vrbanu● Regius book translated out of Latin into english by wyllyam Turner is full of heresy that it is, as hereafter I will by gods grace declare. But now one's again to saint Chrisostome, letting pass this heretical book of Regius (set forth in latin by him, & translated into english by one wyllyam Turner) Papae (inquit Chriso. homilia de enceniis Chrisost) mensa mysterijs instructa est, agnus dei pro te immolatur, sacerdos pro te angitur, seraphin astant, omnesque incorporeae virtutes pro te cum sacerdote intercedunt, sanguis in cratere in tuam purificationem, ex immaculato latere haustus est, & non crubescis neque propitium tibi facis de ? That is to wit. The table is furnished with things secret, or hid in words, or ceremonies, The mass is a sacrifice propitiatory, and profitable not only to the sa●er of it, but to other also. the lamb of god is offered in sacrifice for thee, the priest is in an anguish for thee, the angels called Seraphim are present, and all powers having no bodies, do pray, and make intercession for the with the priest, the blood in the cup is drawn out of the immaculate side for thy purging, & art not thou ashamed, nor dost make god merciful to thee? O lord how manifest are these words, both to prove the very presence of Christ in the sacrament of th'altar, and also the mass to be a sacrifice, The mass is a sacrifice propitiatory. not of laud, and thanks giving to god only, but also appeasing god's wrath and displeasure conceived against us for sin? The which he affirmeth in sundry places of his works, of the which I will allege yet some, because no man wrote so well and plainly in this matter, as he died? This he saith once again. Cum astat pontifex, is preces diuturnas fundit, quo gratia in sacrificium influat. When the bishop is present, he prayeth long continuing, that grace may run in Chrisostom in missasua. to the sacrifice. To be short Chrisostome in his mass sayeth, reciting, the prayer, which the priest than did use to say before he went in to the place, where he should offer sacrifice, saying mass. Domine deus noster emitte manum tuam de sancto habitaculo tuo, & corrobora me ad propositum ministeriun tuum, ut citra condemnation 'em assistam metuendo altari tuo & immaculatum peragam sacrificium. Sacrifica domine agnum, Immolatur agnus dei, qui tol lit peccata mundi, That is. Send o lord our god thy hand (that is thy power) from thy holy mansion, and make me strong to this service set forth, that I may be present Mark reader. at the dreadful altar with out damnation, make perfit this clean sacrifice. O lord sacrifice thou the lamb. The lamb of god Luc. 22. which taketh away the sins of the world, is offered in sacrifice. Also he saith. Domine sacrificiorum ritum instituisti, ac solemnis huius, & immaculati sacrificij celebrationem nobis tradidisti, tanque, Christ did ordain the accustomed maver of sacrifice doing and not any priest upon covetousness dominus omnium. Thou (o lord) hast begun, taught, or ordained the approved custom of sacrifices, and haste delivered to us the celebration of this annual, or year lie, and undefiled sacrifice, as the lord of all things: doth not this doctor affirm that Christ did institute, and ordain the usage approved in making of sacrifices, & taught the apostles to offer himself a sacrifice pure without spot of sin? It is therefore a great blasphemy to god, and a reproach to CHRIST our saviour, to ascribe this his deed & ordinance to any man, Cease therefore that lewd saying, which turneth to no little derogation of god des honour. Believe this and other ancient writers, which do with one assent confess that the sacrifice of the mass is of our saviours setting up and teaching. Which Eusebius thus Eusebius lib. ●. de euangel. de monst. ca 10. confirmeth, after many words. spooken of this matter. Christus post omnia quasi mirabilem quandam victimam, sacrificiunqui eximium deo patri operatus, pro nostra omnium salute obtulit, eiusque rei memoriam, ut nos ipsi deo pro sacrificio offerremus, instituit. Christ after all things, when he had wrought a certain marvelous host, and a very great, or excellent sacrifice, he offered it to god for all our healths, and he hath ordained, that we ourselves should offer to god for a sacrifice the remembrance of the something Gregorius Emissenus, which was G. Emissenus. Anno. d. 100L. above twelve hundred years afore this time, after this sort, writeth upon this matter, Quia corpus assumptum erat ablaturus ab oculis nostris, & syderibus illaturus, necessarium erat, ut nobis in hac die sacramentum corporis & sanguinis consecraret, ut coleretur iugitet per mysterium, quod semel offerebatur in praecium, ut quia quotidiana currebat, & in defessa pro hominum salute redemptio, perpetua etiam esset redemptionis oblatio, & perennis illa victima viveret in memoria, & semper praesens esset in gratia. That is to wit. Because Christ would take away the body, which he took to him, from Christ once offered in sacrifice, on the cross is d●yly offered in the mass and worshipped. our sight, and bring it in to heaven, it was necessary that he should this time consecrate to us the sacrament of his body and blood that the thing, which was once offered for the price of our ransom, should be alway worshipped by a mystery, or a sacrament, that because a daily, and a continual redemption for man's health did run, a continual also sacrifice of the ransom should be, & that ever enduring sacrifice should be had in memory, and should be always present in grace and authority, What may be said more plainly for our purpose? This saint Cyprian, of whom I have much spoken already, (being within two hundred &, lix. years of Christ's birth) manifestly doth Cyprianus de caena do. confirm saying. Perpes est hoc sacrificium, & semper permanens holo caustum, nulla panem hunc multitudo consumit, nulla antiquitate veterascit, This sacrifice is perpetual, and ever abiding, no multitude of people consume the this bread, it waxeth old with no ancienty. Origene also being xxx Origenes li. i in job. years before him, (that is within two hundred, and, xxv. years of Christ's birth) doth openly affirm the mass, to be a sacrifice saying. Probet seipsum Homo i munde● seipsum, & ita de mundissimis domini sacrificijs frueatur, ut apostolus ait. Let a man (saith Origen) prove himself, that is to say, let him make himself clean, and so let him use with delectation, and profit the most clean sacrifices of our lord, Lo this old doctor saith, that the Sacrament of the altar is a sacrifice, which Paul exhorted the people to eat, after they had proved, and made clean them selves, through penance from their sins, so that after his judgement, Saint Paul understood Christ's words spooken at his maundy (which he there to the Corinthyans' the eleventh chapter of the first epistle, reciteth) to be spoken of his blessed bodies sacrifice. Ireneus likewise writ thus upon the same matter before Origen twenty years. Quomodo Ire. li. 4. ca ●4. autem dicunt carnem in corruptionem devenire, & non percipere vitam, quae a corpore domini, & sanguine alitur? Ergo aut sententiam mutent, aut ab offerendo abstineant, quae prae We eat and drink Christ's flesh & blood in the sacrament & they are offered at mass in, sacrifice. dicta font. Nostra autem conson ans est sententia eucharistiae, & eucharistia rursus confirmat sententiam nostram. Which is thus much in our speech. But how say they that the flesh goeth to corruption and receiveth not life, which is fed with the body and blood of our lord? Therefore let them either change their opinion, or forbear offering in sacrifice the things, which are spoken of afore, the very body and blood of our lord. Our judgement, or opinion is agreeing, with the sacrament of the altar, and the sacrament again doth confirm our opinion What man is he, except he be past shame, yea very blind, or malicious against the truth, that will or can deny this old and godly martyrs saying, to be enough for the establishing of the sacrifice of the mass, for asmuch as he learned the scripture of them which were the apostles scholars, as saint Polycarpe John the evangelists disciple, and such other? He goeth forth and saith thus. Offerimus ei quae sunt eius, congruenter communicationem, & unitatem praedicantes carnis & spiritus. Quemadmodum enim qui est è terra panis, percipiens vocationem dei, iam non communis panis est, sed eucharistia, ex duabus constans rebus, terrena & caelesti: sic & corpora nostra percipientia eucharistiam, iam non sunt corruptibilia, spem resurrectiovis habentia. We offer to him in sacrifice those things, which are his, publishing, or openly declaring accordingly the partaking together, and unite of the flesh, and the spirit. For like as the bread, which is of the earth, perceiving, or taking the calling of god, is not now common bread, but the sacrament or the body of Christ consisting in two things, the one earthly, and the other heavenly, so also our bodies receiving the sacrament of the altar, are not now apt to corruption, having hope of rising again. Hitherto S. Ireneus. Tertuliane (which was about a C. & lxxx Tertulian li, de exhorta castitatis. years after Christ's passion) writ in this matter, for my purpose saying. Differentiam constituit, ecclesiae autoritas inter plebem & ordinem. Et sacerdos offered & tingit. The authority (he saith) of the church hath ordained a difference between the lay people, and them which hath taken orders. And the priest offereth sacrifice, and baptizeth. Loo here two offices of a priest, to do sacrifice at mass, (for noon other sacrifice is proper to a priest) and to deep children in the fount. Anacletus, which was Anacletus be epist. ecclesia. with in c & ii years of Christ's birth, doth confirm this martyr saying. Diaconi constituti sunt, utessent ab oculis episcoporum, quibus hoc praecipuum curae erat, ut sacris induti vestibus, episcopum ad altare ducerent, & reducerent, eumque sacrificantem, velut ex cubitores ob seruarent, ne malevolorum in cursione sacra turbarentur. That is, Deacons are ordained, that they should be to the bishops as spectacles, or to see for them, the which had this as chief charge, or whose labour was chief, that they having on the holy vestures should bring the bishop to th'altar, and from it again, and also as watch men, take good heed on him offering sacrifice, lest the holy things (which are in the mass) should be troubled by invasion of malicious, or ill willed persons. With this accordeth Evaristus being within Evaristus ad aphricanam ecclesiam. ten years after him, saying. Ea tantum matrimonia rata habeantur, quae teste populo solemni rituperacta fuerint, & sacerdotis oblatione firmata. Let only those marriages be counted stablished, the which were finished with a solemn, or an accustomed manner, the people bearing witness, and were also assured with the priests sacrifice. Is not this spoken of the sacrifice of the mass? Are not they The mass is a sacrifice not newly invented as heretics say it is. shameless, which do say that the mass was of late invented by priests, for their own lucre, and vantage, and set up by them for a sacrifice to get pence with? But I will go forward to the martyr s. Alexander's sentence, which is this (written above xiiii hundred years Alexander sanctissimus. Martyr vixit. ●●no d. 119. afore our days) In sacramentorum oblationibus, quae inter missarum solemnia domino offeruntur, passio domini miscenda est, ut eius, cuius corpus & sanguis conficitur, celebretur passio. Crimina enim atque peccata, oblatis his domino sacrificijs, delentur. Idcirco & passio eius in his commemoranda est, qua redempti sumus, & saepius recitan recitanda, atque domino offerenda. Talibus hostijs delectabitur, atque placabitur dominus, & peccata dimittet ingentia. Nihil enim in sacrificijs maius esse potest, qui corpus & sanguis christi. Neculla oblatio hac po●ior est, sed haec omnes praecellit, quae pura conscientia domino offerenda est, & pura mente sumenda, atque ab omnibus veneranda. Et sicut potior est caeteris, ita potius excoli, atque venerari debet. Hec ille. The english may be this. In the oblations of the sacraments, which are offered to our lord among the solemnities of the masses, our lords passion must be meddled, that his passion, (whose body, and blood is made) may be celebrated or had in remembrance. ‡ And there fore it was not so one's offered on the cross that it cannot ne aught to be offered in the mass daily, albeit Luther is of that opinion as his scholars be. For crimes, and sins are put away, through these sacrifices offered to our lord. Therefore his passion also in these must be remembered, with the which we are ransomed, or redeemed, and it must be oftentimes rehearsed. * The mass is a sacrifice appeasing gods wrath and purchasing to us remission of our sins and offered to our lord. For he will be delighted, and appeased, or pacified with such sacrifices, and will forgive great sins by them. For in sacrifices nothing can be greater than the body & blood of christ. Neither there is any sacrifice better th● this, but this excelleth all, which must be offered to our lord with a clean The blessed sacrament ought to be worshipped and honoured of christian people though Luther & Frith denied it. conscience, and received with a pure mind, and worshipped of all men and women. And as it is better than other sacritices, so it ought to be rather had in reverence, and worshipped. Hitherto that blessed martyr saint Alexander, whose saying should the rather be believed, because he was within a hundred, & twenty years of Christ, and a man of high perfection in his life, and notably learned also. This saying of this blessed ancient martyr, aught to be believed of every christian man, without suspicion of deceit, & colouring of this doctrine for lucre or gains, Now, good reader, I have almost fully declared by the rehearsal of the eldest doctors of Christ's church, from whence, and whom, this doctrine of the mass, and the sacrifice thereof, hath come to us, that is to wit, even from Christ himself at his last supper instituting and ordering them both, & that the church was taught the same by his holy apostles & their successors, and observed it L●terluteth out of tune against the mass cotinually no man again saying it, till Martin Luther began, upon mere malice, to lute against it with his strings far out of V●banus Regius tune, and therefore Vrbanus Regius ought to be ashamed to call Ignatius saint john the evangelists disciple spoke of the mass & the sacrifice of it in his epistle to the Smyrnenses, and there fore neither of them is lately invented though Luther and his scholars say other wise. this the new learning, being above xu hundred years old. But Ignatius (saint john evangelists scholar) doth after this manner write of this sacrifice. Nemo preter episcopum aliquid agat eorum, quae ad ecclesiam pertinent. Firma eucharistia reputatur quae ab episcopo concessa fuerit, Christus est dispensator totius intelligibilis naturae, propterea non licet sine episcopo, neque offer, neque sacrificium immolare, neque missas celebrare. No man can do any of those things, which do pertain to the church; against the bishops mind, or otherwise then he will it should be done. Let the sacrament of the altar be accounted of strength, or assured, which shall be granted of the bishop, Christ is the steward, or dispenser, of the hole nature, which may be understand. Therefore it is not leeful to offer, nor to make sacrifice, nor to say masses without a bishop, that is, without the consent, and authority of him. Loo good christian reader, this holy martyr saint john's disciple doth thus manifestelye speak, both of the mass, and also of the sacrifice of it which he learned of his master John the was taught, & instructed by our saviour christ at his last supper both the mass, & the sacrifice of the same. S. Clement saying mass S. Clement the apostle Paul's companion in preaching sp●a●ethe of the sacrifice of the mass it is therefore no new thing invented for lucre of priests. (as Bassario cardinal of Nicaea saith writing upon the sacrament of the altar) was wont to use this form of praying. Rogamus dne ut mittas spūm sanctum tuum super hoc sacrificium qui efficiat hunc panem corpus χρι tui, & qd in chalice est, sanguinem filii tui. That is to say in english. We beseech thee, o lord, to send thy holy ghost upon this sacrifice, which should make this bread the body of thy christ, and also that, which is in the cup, the blood of thy son. Again in the third epistle to s. james, thus he saith. While we live here we must know where is the place to offer sacrifice. Qm in alijs locis sacrificare, & missas celebrare non licet, nisi in ijs, in quibus episcopus proprius iusserit, aut ab episcopo regulariter ordinato, tenente videlicet civitatem, consecratus fuerit. Aliter enim non sunt h●c agenda, nec rite celebranda docente nos novo, & veteri restamento, Haec apostoli a dno acceperunt, & nobis tradiderunt, haec nos do cemus. That is, forasmuch as it is not leeful to offer sacrifice, & say masses in other places, but in those, in which the propre bishop hath, or shall command, or in that, which hath been or shallbe hallowed of the bishop, ordered after the rule, as who saith possessing the city. For these things ought not to be done otherwise, nor well (after the manner used) they are otherwise to be celebrate, the new & the old testament teaching us. Thapostles hard or received these things of our lord, & taught them us, or left them to us by tradition, which we teach: & command to be done of other men without reproof, as it followeth immediately, Lo good christian reader, this holy doctor S. Paul's companion, in preaching doth plainly make mention both of the mass, & also of the sacrifice of it, affirming that Christ taught his apostles, and they us, that sacrifice should be offered only in places assigned by the bishop, or in a place consecrated by him which is proper bishop of the city. This doth evidently prove that Christ also taught his apostles the mass, & the sacrifice of it, & that they taught the church and congregation of the faithful people the same lesson, which hath ever since remained, & shall alway till the worlds end, among all true and catholic nations, although divers men do babble, and bark against it never so much, for the truth of our lord abideth for ever, as david saith, and Christ sent to the church the spirit of truth to abide with it continually, that it should not err in the faith, beware therefore reader of Luther's pestilent doctrine which teacheth against the premisses. But to be short, s. Dionise Dionistus De ecclesibierar. Ca, ●. the holy apostle Paul's scholar converted by him, (which was afore Christ's passion, a famous philosopher) doth call the sacrament of the altar, hostiam hostiarum, the host of hosts, or the sacrifice of sacrifices, saienge moreover Farm non reperitur sacerdotalis muneris mysterium peragi, quod non compleatur in consummatione divinissimae, eucharistiae, ad unam perficiente sacrificio collectionem. The mystery, or secret of a priests office is welnygh not found to be made perfect or done thoroughly, which should not be finished in the performing of the sacramant of the altar most divine, or pertaining to god, while the sacrifice doth accomplish, or bring to a point, men to one gathering together. Dost thou not see, christian reader, that this holy man, saint Paul's disciple, calleth the blessed sacrament of the altar, most divine, godly or pertaining unto god, and yet men of our days are not ashamed to call it an idol? Also this ancient father calleth the mass a sacrifice, and that also which maketh the people, for whom it is offered, and which do worthily receive it, one together in christ through perfect charity & concord. Wherefore every good christian man ought rather to give credence to this doctors judgement, and all the other rehearsed afore in this book than to one Martin Luther, and his sect, or followers: But now I will show what the same writers (or at the least some of them) say concerning that point, which is now most among men in controversy, that is, whether the mass be a sacrifice propitiatory, or appeasing gods wrath against sins, and making him merciful to us, so that it be available, and profitable, both for the quick & the dead, or no. That it is so, this chapter next here ensuing shall prove sufficiently, to persuade all them (which are blinded with affection, toward the contrary opinion) to believe no less undoubtedly, and steadfastly. ¶ That the mass availeth both the quick and the dead, for the appeasing of god's displeasure taken for sin, and the purchasing of his mercy also. Saint Austen maketh mention of a August, de eivi. dei. lib. xx. cap. 8. wonderful miracle, which was done by a priests prayers, & mass. Whereby we may perceive, of what great force & strength the mass is, & therefore I will recite his words briefly, which are even these. Vir Tribunitius, qui apud nos est, habet in territorio Fussalensi fundum cubedi appellatnm, ubi cum afflictione animalium, & servorum suorum, domum suam spirituum malignorum vim noxiam perpeti comperisset, rogavit nostros, me absent, presbyteros, ut aliquis eorum illo pergeret, cuius orationibus cederent, perrexit unus, obtulit ibi sacrificium corporis christi, orans quantum potuit, ut cessaret illa vexatio, deo protinus miserant cessavit. That is to say. A man bearing the tribunes office at Rome (whereby he had chief jurisdiction amenge the commons) which is with us, hath in a territory, or a country of fussalence, a soils named cubedi, where, after he perceived by experience, through the tormenting of his beasts, & servants, that his house suffered violence hurtful, of the ill spirits, he beseeched our priests, when I was absent, that some of them A great miracle wrought of god by the mass. would go thither, by whose prayers they should depart thence. One went, he offered there the sacrifice of Christ's body, praying as much as he could, that that vexation should cease, without tarrying it ceased god having pity. Doth not this place prove the mass to be a sacrifice propitiatory, sith by the offering of Christ's body in sacrifice at it, god's wrath toward this man, To. Io. ser. 28 de verbis d● secundii Lucam and his servants conceived for their sins (whereby the devil had such power on them) was pacified, and appeased? Again saint Austen thus writeth, after many words spoken of the sacrament of the altar. Tu audis, ꝙ quotienscumque offertur sacrificium, mors domini, resurrectio, & elevatio 1. Cor. 11. eius significentur, & remissio peccatorum, & panem istum vitae nostrae quotidianum non assumis? Qui vulnus habet, medicinam Note this reader. requirit. Vulnus est, quia sub peccato sumus. Medicina est, caeleste et venerabile sacramentum. Hactenus ille. In english this it is. Thou dost hear, that as often as the sacrifice is offered, our lords death, resurrection, and lifting up of him on the cross, are signified and represented, and also forgiveness of sins, and dost not thou receive this daily bread of our life? He, which hath a wound, doth seek often a medicine. The wound is, for as much as we be under sin, the honourable and Christ's body in the sacrament is honourable against Luther & John Fryth. heavenly sacrament is the medicine. Nothing can be more evidently spooken for the sacrifice of the holy mass, that it is a sacrifice propytyatory curing man's wounds, that is to say, his sins, and that also by the ordinance of Christ, commanding it to be done for a remembrance of his death, and rising again. It followeth in the same sermon of saint Austin's. Cum tractarem de sacramentis, Sermone ●8. de verbis d. secun. Lucum dixi vobis, ꝙ ante verba Christi, quod offertur, panis dicatur, ubi Christi verba fuerint deprompta, iam non panis dicitur, sed corpus Christi appellatur. When I did entreat of the sacraments (saith Austen) I telled you, that afore Christ's words pronounced of the priest, that, the which is offered in sacrifice, is called bread, after Christ's words be spoken, it is not now named bread but it is called Christ's body. This saint Austen doth set forth both the sacrifice of the mass, and also that by the strength, & force of Christ's words, which he spoke at his last supper instituting the masses sacrifice, the bread is turned Transubstantition into Christ's very body, and after loseth the name of bread. Moreover saint Austen thus writeth De civi. dei. li 20. cap. 25. in an other place of this matter, Omnes, qui offerunt, profecto in peccatis sunt, pro quibus dimit tendis offerunt, ut cum obtulerint, acceptumque deo fuerit, tunc dimit tantur, That is to say in english All men which do offer sacrifice, forsooth they are in sin, for the which to be forgiven they offer Note this diligently reader. sacrifice, that when they have offered sacrifice, and that is accepted of god, than their sins should be forgiven them. These words are enough to stop all men's mouths, that they may have nothing hereafter to speak against this holy sacrifice of the mass, but that it is a sacrifice obtaining of god remission of sin. This meant saint Poule the fift chapter to the Hebrews, saying, that a bishop, or a priest is chosen, & ordained to offer gifts (as prayer and like things) & sacrifices for the lynnes of the people. With the which saint Chrisostome agreeth Chrisostom in missa sua. saying. Idoneos nos redde domine ad inferenda tibi dona, & sacrificia spiritualia, pro nostris peccatis & populi ignorantijs, & dignos nos fac, ut inveniamus gratiam in conspectu tuo, ut acceptabile fiat sacrificium nostrum. That is. Make us, o lord, (saith the priest at mass This is plainly said of that noble doctor and holy saint. among the greakes) meet to bring into thee, gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our sins, & the people's sins, committed through lack of knowledge, and make us worthy to find grace in thy sight, that our sacrifice may be acceptable. Again in the same treatise of the mass he sayeth. Fac panem hunc praeciosum corpus filii tui, in chalice vero hoc, sanguinem preciosum Christi tui, transmutans ea spiritu tuo sancto. fiat assumentibus in lotionem animarum, in remissionem peccatorum in communionem sancti spiritus, in regni coelorum impletio nem, in fiduciam apud te, non in judicium, non in condemnationem, haec ibi. Make o lord (saith the greek priest at mass) this bread the precious body of thy son, and that thing which is in this cup, the precious blood of thy christ * The doctrine of Transubstantiation is no new thing, of which Chrisostom wrote nigh twelve hundred years past. changing them from bread and wine in to flesh and blood by thy holy spirit. That it may be to the receivers thereof, for a washing or a cleansing of their souls, and remission of their sins, and a communion, or a mutual participation together of the holy ghost, & to the fulfilling of the heavenly kingdom, an affiance in thee, not to their judgement, not to their condemnation. Epiphanius also, a greek doctor (nigh twelve hundred years old) confirmeth this Epipha. in cpi. ad joan hiero so versa ab d. Hieroni. saying. Illud audiens admiratus sum, quod quidam te quoque turbaverunt, & dixerunt, ꝙ in oratione, quando offerimus deo sacrificia, soleamus ꝓ te dicere, Domine presta joanni, ut recte credat. That is I hearing that did marvel, that certain men had troubled the also, and said that we are wont in our prayer, when we do offer sacrifices to god, to say for the. Lord grant to John, that he may believe truly. A like saying hath saint Gregory jeroins master, entreating of Julian the Grego. Nazi. oratio. 1. in julianum. emperors wickedness. Mox incruenti sacrificij oblationem manus commaculat, per quod nos christo unimur, nec non passionis, ac divinitatis eius participes reddimur, Anon the hands do defile the oblation of the sacrifice unblouddye, or offered without blood shedding by the which we are joined together with Christ, and made part Mark reader. takers also of his passion, and godhead. What sacrifice I beseech the good reder, can join us together with Christ, and make us partenars of his death, and godhead, which man's hands may defile, except it be the mass, and it be also a sacrifice propitiatory, & pacifying gods wrath toward us for our offences? That sayeth saint Cyprian, thus writing, after Cyprianus de caena domini. he had said that Christ upon the cross did offer himself a sacrifice, and that he the buttelar had given the same cup, Penitrat omnia tanti medicamenti virtus, quicquid esset intus ibi, dum effugaret, & renovaret, sanaretque quic quid morbi carni, vel spiritui, veteris vitae adlinierat corruptela. That is. The virtue or strength of so great a medicine pierceth all things, while it driveth away what so ever should be there within, and should renew, and heal what so ever disease the defiling of the old life had brought to the flesh or the spirit. Hitherto Cyrpian. Origen doth also thus write of the force and strength of the mass. Origenes ho: 13. in Levi. Sirespicias ad illam commemorationem, de qua dicit dominus, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem, invenies ꝙ ista est commemoratio Lu. ●2: sola, quae propitium facit hominibus deum. If a man look to that remembrance, of the which our lord saith, do ye this for my remembrance he shall find, that this is the only memory, or remembrance (of Christ's death, and sacrifice done on the cross) which causeth god to be contented or merciful to men. Of this part this is sufficient to prove that the mass is a sacrifice propitiatory, or appeasing gods displeasure for sin. Now to the second part, which is that the mass is available and profitable to them which are departed from this life. ¶ That the mass is profitable to the dead, like as other good deeds done for them are. THegrekes good reder, did deny utterly that there was any mean place between heaven, & hell, wherein man's soul should be detained for a time till that it might please god to deliver it from thence, to his glorious sight. The which error among divers other, johan Wycleffe, Martin luther, & John Frith, did maintain, and defend. Also one Aerius (as saint Austen showeth August. lib. de heres. heres. 55 in his book of heresies) when he could not obtain a bishopric, for the which he laboured, he taught Epiphani: lib. 3 many heresies, among the which he said, that a christian man should not be bound, to fast any certain day, but to be suffered to fast when he list, against the which I have made a book in english, and also A book of fasting. he said that it should nothing avail the dead, if the living should pray for them. And thought it were now great need to write fully of this matter, yet I will at this time only bring the ancient doctors sentences, to prove that the mass is a sacrifice profitable to them, which are departed, if it be song, or said for them, and shortly, god willing, I will set forth a hole book of that matter, against Frithes book compiled of the same. To begin Innocen. li. de mist. miss. therefore, Innocentius thus writeth. Istos, qui nondum perfect prorsus purgati sunt, commendat pia matter ecclesia intercessione sua in sacrosancto sacrificio, certissime The same hath s. Barnarden sermone. 66. Canti. ca credens, ꝙ sanguis ille praeciosus, qui pro multis effusus est in remissionem peccatorum, non solum valeat ad salutem viventium, sed etiam ad relevationem defunctorum The godly or piteous mother the church, doth remember them with her intercession in the hallowed sacrifice, believing most assuredly that the precious blood, which was poured out for the remission of many men's sins, is not only of force or strength for the health of the living, but also for the easing of the dead. Isodorus agreeth with this, Isodorus lib. ● off. saying. Sacrificium pro defunctorum requie offer, quia per to tum orbem custoditur, credimus ab apostolis esse traditum. We do believe that the apostles taught to offer sacrifice for the deeds rest, because it is kept through all the world. But I will pass over those S. Augu. lib. 9 confess. ca 12. &. 1●. later writers, and go to S. Austen which thus saith, (after he had rehearsed his mother's petition, which was that the priests would pray for her in their masses,) Cum ecce corpus elatum est, imus, & redimus, sine lachrymis. Nam neque in eyes praecibus, quas tibi fundimus, cum offerretur ꝓ ea sacrificium precij nostri, flevimus Lo when the body of my mother was brought forth to beburied, we go & come again without tears in weeping For we did not weep in those prayers, Note that he saith the sacrifice of our price or redemption. which we poured out to thee, when the sacrifice of our price, or ransom, was offered for her. Also s. Austen desired the priests to remember his mother Monica, and his ●●ther Patrick, in their masses. Ought I beseech the good reder, babblers, and bunglers in divinity affirm, that the prayers of the quick, and priests masses can nothing avail the dead, sith saint Austen the greatest learned man, that hath been sense the apostles time, did so instantly desire priests at their masses to remember his father, and mother? More over this he saith. of the same matter. Neque negandum est defunctorum animas pietate suorum viventium relevari, cum pro illis sacrificium Angnst. q. 2. de octo questi. ad dulcitium. mediatoris offertur, vel eleemosynae in ecclesia fiunt, sed eis haec profunt, qui cum viverent, ut haec sibi postea prodesse possent, meruerunt. That is to say in our tongue It may not be denied, that the dead men's souls are relieved or eased with the pity of their friends, living when the sacrifice of the mediator is offered, or alms are done in the church, but these things profit them, which deserved when they lived, that these things Augustin enchy. ca 109 & 110 might afterward avail them. Cum ergo sacrificia sive altaris, sive quaruncunque eleemosynarum pro baptisatis omnibus defunctis offerunt, pro valde bonis gratiarum actiones sunt. Pro valde malis, etsi nulla sint adiumenta mortuorum, qualescunque vivorum consolationes sunt. Quibus autem prosunt, aut ad hoc prosunt, ut sit plena remissio, aut certe tollerabilior fiat ipsa damnatio. Therefore when sacrifices either of the altar, or of any alms are offered for all christened people dead, for those, which are very good, they be giving of thanks. For those that are very much ill, though they be no help to the dead, they are comforts (such as they are) of the living. But whom they do profit, they profit, to that, that the remission may be full, or perfect, or at the lest the damnation should be more tolerable. lib. 20. decivi. de●. cap. 9 et de cura pro mortuis habenda. Hitherto saint Austen, which sayings he hath also in many other of his books, which I now go over to the rehearsal of other writers sayings, among the which Ambros. oratione funebride ●bitu fratris. one is S. Ambrose which sayeth, writing upon the death of his brother. Tibi nunc omnipotens deus innoxian commendo aiam, tibi hostiam meam offero, cape, ppitius ac serenus, munus fraternun, sacerdotis sacrificium. I commend to the o (god almighty) a harmless soul, joffer to the my host or sacrifice, take contented, and pleased, & with a merry countenance, the sacrifice of a priest, the duty S. Ambrose prayed and said mass for his brother's soul departed. of a brother. Lo here Ambrose doth pray at mass, & offer in it a sacrifice the very body, & blood of Christ, for his brother's soul departed, & wilt thou not believe him, that it is profitable to the dead so to do, rather than Martin Luter, new scoring an old heresy of the greakes, Aerius, John Wycleffe, And such other? Epiphanius which was somewhat elder than saint jerom, condenning Aerius of heresy, because he denied the prayers, & Epiphani. li. ● suffrages of the quick should avail the dead, thus writeth, Quae pro defunctis fiunt prosunt praeces illis, etiansi totam culpam non abscindunt, Ecclesia hoc necessario ꝑficit, traditione a pribus accepta. The prayers which are said for the dead do, profit them, though they cut not away all the fault. The church doth that thing necessarily by a tradition received of the fathers. Gre. Nazi. s. jeroms master doth in divers places confirm this godly and catholic doctrine, of the which to be brief I will allege but only one, which is in a certain oration made at the burial of his brother Cesarius, where he thus prayeth for him to Greg. Nazian. Oratio. 7. god. O domine nunc quidem caesariû suscipe, peregrinationis nostrae primitias, Take to the now, o lord, Cesary, the first fruits of our pilgrimage. Chrisostome also doth write in Chrisost. ad popu antioch. homilia 69. this controversy so plainly, as few other hath done, either before his time, or else sense, for these are his words. Non temere ab apostolis Chrisostome also the 41. sermon upon the l. to the Corinthians saith that the holy ghost ordained that in the mass the dead should be prayed for. haec sancita fuerunt, ut in tremendis mysterijs defunctorum agatur commemoratio. Sciunt enim illis inde multum contingere lucrum, utilitatem multam. Cum eni constiterit populus extensis manibus & sacerdotalis multitudo, & tremendum proponatur sacrificium, quomodo deum non exorabimus pro illis deprecantes? These things were ordained of the apostles for a law not unadvisedly, nor with The sacrifice of the mass, and prayers said in it, do profit the dead, and the apostles made that ordinance that mass should be said for them. out a cause, that in the dreadful mysteries, or sacrament of th'altar, a remembrance of the dead should be made. For they know, that much lucre, and moche profit, doth come to them thereof: For when the people shall stand holding up their hands, and also the multitude of priests, and the fearful sacrifice is set forth, how or by what reason, shall not we obtain (grace or pardon) for them praienge? What is mente hear by that fearful sacrifice, which is showed forth, when the lay people and the priests are assembled together holding up their hands? Is it not the very body of Christ, god most dreadful, which the priest offereth at mass for the dead, as this old writer testifieth, which writ almost twelve hundred years passed? This law to say mass for the dead (saith this ancient doctor) was made by the holy apostles of our saviour christ, and therefore it must needs be true, and godly, and all doctrine against it false and ungodly. This holy father also in many other places maketh mention of this matter, the which I will pass over, except one in his mass, which is this. Memorian dne agimus omnium sanctorum tuorum, quorum supplication ibus respice nos deus, & memento omnium The greeks used in their mass to pray to saints, and for the dead:. qui dormierunt in spe resurrectionis, & vitae aeternae, & requiescere eos facito, ubi videtur lumen vultus tui. We do say a memory (o lord) of all thy saints, for whose humble requests, or prayers sake, take pity on us, & remember all them, which are dead in hope of rising again, and of everlasting life, and cause them to rest, where the light of thy countenance is seen. Hither to this holy, and great clerk Chrisostom, with whom agreeth s. Damascene Damascenu● connone pro mortuis. saying. Apostoli discipuli salvatoris, in tremendis vitalibusque sacramentis, memoriam eorum qui fidelit obdormierunt, habendam edixerunt. The apostles our saviours disciples, hath commanded, ordained or published, that a remembrance should be had of them, in the fearful, & lively sacraments, which have died faithfully. Lo here, good reder, another witness, ● man of years, for he was xi c. years before Luter & John Frithe were borne, & much better learned than any of them two, or any other of that fashion. He affirmeth that the apostles did inacte and establish this law, that priests should pray at mass for the dead, and art thou not ashamed to say that the mass, and prayers of men living doth nothing avail the dead? These two ancient, and excellent clerks say, that in the mass by the ordinance of the apostles (which were instructed in the gospel of Christ) a remembrance is made of the dead, and thou being shame less, dost say that covetous priests have of late brought it up for lucre. Cease for shame, and say no more so. say with these fathers that the apostles taught the church this lesson, let neither malice toward priests, nor saving of money, which thou shouldest give for the dead (either by the duty of charity, or else by his will, that in his testament willed the so to do, for his soul's health) cause the thus to say, Remember our saviours saying, which is. Math. 16. What shall it avail a man to win the hole world, and lose his soul? But of this enough. I will proceed on this matter, Athanasius, Athanasi. libr. quest. 34. which writ about twelve hundred years since, doth set forth this thing very manifestly, saying, Num sentiunt aliqua beneficia animae defunctorum, cum super illis fiunt conventus, & peractiones bonorum operum, & oblationum? Doth the souls of the dead feel any benefits, or pleasures, when assembles are made for them of the people, and good works, and sacrifices are also done for them? To the question he thus answereth. Si non aliquo beneficio participarent ex illo, non utique in caena & in exequijs fieret eorum commemoratio, Intelligimus animas peccatorum participare aliqua beneficia ab exangui immolatione, et gratificatione pro illis facta, sicut solus ordinat, et praecipit deus, ●uiuorū & mortuorum potestatem gerit, That is If the souls of the dead should not take some benefit thereof, truly a memory, or a remembrance of them should not be made in the Note reder. supper (the mass he meaneth thereby) and in the dyryges, or funerals done at the burial. We do perceive that sinners souls do take part of some benefits of the sacrifice offered without blood shedding, and of a good turn done for them, as god only God (saith the ancient doctor) hath ordained & commanded us to offer sacrifices, and to do other good deeds for the dead. ordaineth and commandeth, which hath power upon the quick, and the dead. These words are very plainly spoken for the defence of this catholic, and charitable doctrine, but saint Cyrpian, being nigh within two hundred years of Christ'S birth is even as plain therein, saying in his, iii. book of epistles. Celebrantur hic a nobis oblationes Cyprianus lib. 3 epist. 9 & sacrificia, ob commemorationem eorum scilicet mortuorum in carcere We here offer, and do sacrifices for the remembrance of them, which are dead in the prison. Again Sacrificia semper pro ijs, meministis, offerimus, quotiens li. 4. epist. 5: martyrum passiones, & dies aniversaria commemoratione celebramus. We offer sacrifices always for them, as ye do remember, as often as we do keep the feasts of the martyrs, with an yearly remembrance. Moreover he saith thus in an other place. Quod episcopi antecessores nostri religiose considerantes & salu li. ●. epist. 9 briter providentes censuerunt, ne quis frater excedens ad tutelam vel curam clericum nominaret, acsi quis hoc fecisset, non offerretur pro eo, nec sacrificium pro dormitione eius celebraretur. Neque enim ad altaremeretur nominari in sacerdotum prece, qui ab altari sacerdotes & ministros suos levitas avocare voluit, For as much as the bishops our predecessors devoutly considering and holesomelye providing have determined, that Mark this reader. no brother, or christian man departing should name a clerk to a wardship, or custody of infants, or to the charge of worldly business, and if any man had so done, there should be no offering for him, neither the sacrifice should be offered for his death. For he deserveth not to be named at the altar in the priests prayers, which would call away the priests, and his ministers the levites, from the altar. This Cyprian rehearsing the determination of the bishops his predecessors, which forth with saith. Et ideo Victor, cum contra formam nuper in consilio a sacerdotibus datam, Geminium fastiwm presbyterum ausus sit actorem constituere, non est quo pro dormitione eius apud vos fiat oblatio aut deprecatio aliqua nomine eius in ecclesiam frequentetur, ut sacerdotum decretum, religiose & necessary factum, servetur a nobis. And therefore for as much as victor against the form made of late by the priests in the counsel, hath been so bold to ordain one Gemyne faustines a priest his factor to take the charge of his business, there is not why ye should do sacrifice for his departing, nor any prayer should be used for him in the church, that the priests decree godly, and necessarily made, might be kept of us. But of s. Cyprian this is enough. Tertulian Tertulia de corona milit. ● also doth not dissent from this doctrine, but hold with it in diverse places, of the which I will rehearse two or three. He faith making mention of certain traditions, which came from the apostles to the church, without writing. Thapostles ordained that sacrifice should be offered for ●he dead, & not any covetous priest as some say Oblationes pro defunctis an nua die facimus. We do offer sacrifices yearly for the dead. Therefore the apostles (as I have recited of Damascene, and Chrysostome) did make this ordinance to pray, and say mass for the dead, though those things be not expressly set forth in scripture. But Tertulian shall speak once again with these Tertulia li. de exhorta ad castitatem words. Et iam repeat ad deum ꝓ cuius spiritu postules, pro qua oblationes annuas reddas. Stabis apud deum cum tot uxoribus, quo● illas oratione commemoras, & offeres pro duabus, & commemorabis illis duas per sacerdotem. etc. And now remember, for whose soul thou mayest make petition to God, for which wife thou mayest render yearly sacrifices. Thou shalt stand afore god with so many wives, as thou dost remember in thy prayer, and thou wilt offer for them both, and thou shalt remember them two by the priest, Finally in Tertulian, demonog. an other book. Enim vero pro anima prioris uxoris orat, & refrigerium interim postulat, & in prima resurrectione consortium, & offered Turrian nuis diebus dormitionis eius. For soothe the husband doth pray for the soul of his first wife, and he desireth a recreation, refreshing or a cooling for her in the mean season, and fellowship in the first arising up, and he offereth sacrifice Obites or years minds. yearly at her obite, or the time of her dying and decease, lo good reader, the custom, to have dirige, & mass once in the space of an year A book called epitome cronicon falsely saith that one Pelagius a bishop of Rome did ordain that mass should be said for the dead for he was ●52 years after Christ's birth. for the dead, is no new invention, nor of late set up by covetous priests (as many covetous, and envious persons say) but a thing observed alway even from the holy apostles time till our days, and therefore it must needs be a good, and a godly custom, For as Tertulian saith, We may prescribe against all heretics holding the contrary, against whom judgement is given afore, Id esse verum, qui cunque primum, id esse ad ulterum, quodcumque posterius, That to be true, what so ever is first, that to be counterfeit, or forged, what so ever is that cometh Dionysius lib. de eccl. hierar ca 7. after. Saint Dionise Paul's scholar thus writeth also of the praying at mass for the dead. Sanctorum preces, etiam in ista vita, & non This came up in the tradition of the apostles, as s. Dionise testifieth. tantum post mortem prosunt ijs so lis, qui digni sunt, ut pro eis sanctae preces fiant (nempe fidelibus). That is, holy men's prayers, ye in this life, and not only after death do profit them only, which are worthy, that holy prayers should be said for them, sothelye for the faithful, as Damascene reciting these words doth expound them. Again this saint speaking of Sermone de mortuis. the bishops, or priests praying for the dead at dirige, & mass, saith after this manner. Inter praecandum igitur oratur divina bonitas, ut cuncta defuncti peccata dimittat per humanam infirmitatem admissa, Damas'. eumque in luce collocet, & regione vivorum, in sinibus Abrahae, Isaac, & jacob, in loco unde aufugit dolour, tristicia, & gemitus. While the priest doth pray for the dead, the goodness of god is prayed unto, the he would forgive the dead all his sins, committed by man's infirmity, and that he would set him in light and in the region of the living persons, in the bosoms of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, in a place from whence is fleed heaviness, That is in heaven. sadness, and wailing. Thou dost le (saith s. Damascen reciting these words) o adversary, by what mean Dionysius confirmeth prayers to be very profitable for them, which are departed in a holy hope Damas'. sermone pro defunctis. This ancient doctor Damas'. rehearseth s. Gre. (jeroms masters) words, written in a certain oration of the funeral exequys for his mother, which are these. Divitias igitur, quae in nostra potestate fuerunt, partim dedimus, partim daturi sumus, anniversarios illi honores, & memorias exhibituri. Therefore (sith by prayers and masses my mother's dolour may be eased, for that he said afore) we have partly given already, and partly will give these goods, which were in our power, I will give to her that men may behold yearly honours & memories. Thou seest (saith Damas'.) that he confirmeth our opinion allowing sacrifices & yearly remembrances to be made for them, which are departed in god, while he calleth them good, & holy. Moreover s. Dama. doth allege a very plain sentence of one Grego. Nyssene saint Basyls brother, which is this, Nihil absque utilitate a predicatoribus, & discipulis Christi est traditum, & in omnibus ecclesijs predicatum. Res autem modis omnibus est utilis, Gregorius Nyssenus saith that the apostles did preach and teach in all churches that we should pray at mass for the dead, as Damascen, Chrisostom Tertulian, and divers other do say they did. & deo in primisgrata, indivinis praeclarisque operationibus eorum, qui in recta fide discesserunt, manifestam facere memoriam. That is in english. There is nothing taught, or delivered by tradition and preached in all churches, of the preachers and disciples of Christ, without profit, but it is a thing by always profilable, and to god chief thankful, or acceptable, to make a manifest memory of them (that have departed in a right faith) in the divine, and very noble works. What else, good reader, I beseech thee, meant this great clerk, and ancient father, by these divine and very noble works, than dirige, masses, and other like prayers, offered to god for them which died in a true faith? The apostles of Christ the truth, and to whom the holy ghost, the spirit of the truth, It is a tradition of Christ's apostles to pray for the dead at mass as G. Nyssene saith, & Damascene doth affirm that they learned it of Christ. did teach all truth, according to Christ's promise taught this lesson, and the same is preached in all churches. Thou dost believe that infants, or young children ought to be baptized, and that baptism availeth them through the faith of the church, to the attainment of remission of original sin, grace and glory, and yet that can not be proved by any scripture sufficiently, but it is a tradition of Christ's apostles, left to the church De eccle. hiera Origene two. 6. in epist. Rom. without writing, as saint Dionise Paul's scholar affirmeth, and Origen with many other, Why therefore dost thou not believe, that the mass is a sacrifice propitiatory, and profitable both to the quick and the dead, for as much as the holy apostles hath taught the church, aswell the one as the other? They which deny that children should be baptized because there is no plain scripture for it, are counted heretics of the sect of the anabaptists, only because the holy apostles taught the church that All catholic churches do baptize infants, though that be not commanded in scripture doctrine, and it hath been observed through all churches of the world ever since, therefore by that authority, and reason they must needs run into heresy, that deny the mass & prayers, with other good deeds to be available for the dead, because it is a tradition of the apostles to pray, to give alms, and say masses for them, and it hath been kept accustomedly in all churches of Christ, from that time to this time, and shallbe till the worlds end (as Damas'. saith) because it is a truth of our lord which Sermone pro defunctis, shall abide for ever as david the prophet saith. Moreover Damas'. telleth, that one Palladius an old writer of histories writing of a holy man called Macarius which had wrought many great miracles, thus saith of him. Quia faciebat ꝓ consuetudine sua ꝓ defunctis pces, scireque desiderabat nūqꝓ illis ꝓdesset, et consolatio illis inde proveniret, Deus amator animarum, volens hoc suo servo, pluribus et certis argumentis pate facere, cranio, ꝙ exaruerat, verbum veritatis inspiravit, ꝓrupit enim cranium in hec verba. Quando pro mortuis offers preces, cōsolatiunculā sentimus. That is to wit. When that holy man Macarius A miracle done to show that prayers of the quick do profit the dead. did, after his custom, pray for the dead, and was desirous to know whether that he did any profit to them or no, & whether they had any comfort thereof. God the lover of souls, willing to disclose or declare this thing by many & certain reasons making a proof to his servant did inspire the foremoost part of a skull (which was) dried with the word of truth, For the foremoost part of the skull braced out, saying these words. When thou dost offer prayers for the dead, we feel comfort in adversity. Lo here a great miracle, to prove this matter, as there are written in old books many more, which I will pass over, to be short and bring once again Damas'. contione de defunctis. Idem hrbet D Hugo Aetherianorum lib. de regressu animarum ab inferis: saint Damascene's saying, which is this, Nisi hoc in oculis dei misericordis rectum foret, nunque occasionem dedisset habendae memoriae defunctorum in sacrificio illo incruento, & anniversariorum, quae nunc inconcussa, & certiora (quam de quibus judicandum sit) apostolica, catholicaque ecclesia, ac populus domino collectus, pietatique deditus, absque omni contradictione custodit. This is in our speech. Except to pray, and to offer sacrifice at the mass for the souls departed should be in gods merciful sight, right, he would never have given an occasion of a memory to be had for the dead in that unblouddye sacrifice, nor of anniversaries God gave an occasion of the sacrifice of the mass to be offered and years minds to be kept for the dead, as s. Damascene doth affirm returning every year once at one time, Thus much I have said of the old doctors judgements in this matter, touching the sacrifice of the holy mass, and the offering of it to god, both for the quick and the dead also, upon the which doctrine they are all and wholly agreed, and therefore no wise, & godly christian man, or woman will rather believe Martin Luther, Eucer, Bullynger, Melancton, john Frith, Bale, or any of that ill hear, than all these ancient fathers, of the which some were taught, and instructed by the apostles, & some by their disciples & scholars, & therefore no man that wise is or godly will doubt, but they did know the truth much better, than any man of a later time, not learning it of them and their books. All the doctors of Christ's church do affirm, that the mass is a sacrifice available, both to the quick and the dead, Luther John Frith, with a rabblement of like rascals deny it, whether party wilt thou good reader, believe all these holy fathers, or these lewd & unlearned later writers? very natural reason & wit, if nothing else should persuade that rather to believe these ancients, than these other which now writ, like to them neither in years, nor learning. Valerius Maximus An history of Valerius Maximus. showeth that the Romans did in a matter, risen between two men, of the which the one was of much honesty, and fidelity, & the other of very little virtue & credence give sentence upon the honest man's part, for his truth and honesties sake when his adversary laid against him a certain crime. The story is this. Cum Marcus aemelius Scaurus vir clarissimus, ac exploratae probitatis, a vario Succronensi, viro parum syncero, apud populum accusaretur, atque accusator long a oration perorasset, ille maximo compendio usus est, eo ꝙ sua & populi conscētiā fretus, non voluit oratione contendere. Querites (inquit) Varius Succronensis ait, Aemilius Scaurus negat. Vtri potius Credendum censetis? quibus verbis applaudente populo falsan s●bi intēta●ālitē cōsopiui●. That is. When Mark Aemyle Scaurus a man most honourable, or famous and of goodness well known, was accused to the people of Varius Succronensis a man of little pureness, or simplicity, and the accuser had reasoned to an end with a long oration, Mark Aemile used a very short form, for because he trusted upon his own conscience, & the people's also, he would not strive with reasoning, but said only for his defence against his adversary. O Romans, Varius Succronensis affirmeth (that I am guilty in this fault) Aemelius Scaurus denieth it. To which of these two do you judge credence should be given? with the which words he ceased, or set at rest the action, falsely entered against him, the people moving their hands, or feet for joy. Lo good reader, among the Romans, which then were infidels, the famousenes, and surely known goodness of the person, was a sufficient cause, to give sentence with a sign of joy upon the famous, and good man's side saying only for his defence that he was falsely accused, against his adversary being ill & pleading his action with many words. The honourable and good Mark said to the people, mine adversary saith that I am guilty, I say nay, whether think you aught to be believed. The people moving their hands or feet for joy, the good man Mark was discharged of that action through those his few words, for his goodness, and fame's sake. So in this present controversy of the sacrifice of the mass, saint Dionise, saint Ignatius. S. Anaclet, saint Alexander, saint Clement s. Cyprian, with all other catholic doctors of all ages do say that the mass is a sacrifice appeasing god's wrath, Martin Luther Suynglius, Oecolampius, Bucers should be prayed for to our lord. The third council holden at Carthago hath a like decree and other divers, which I will pass by at this time, and go to the soiling of mine adversaries arguments, grounded upon scripture, wrested clean from the true, and right understanding of it, as it shall anon openly be seen to them, that be not wholly blinded neither with malice, nor affection toward the contrary part, for whom as persons nigh uncurable, I have not taken this labour. But to my purpose. ¶ An answer to all Martin Luters, and his scholars reasons made against the sacrifice of the blessed mass, by the which it doth plainly appear upon how weak, and slender a ground they have builded their ungodly doctrine in this controversy, so that no wise and cunning builder, will hereafter build with them on that foundation, lest the hole house at the length fall down on his head, and so utterly destroy him. Now, good reder, after I have said enough for the defence, and setting forth of the truth, I will by gods help take clean away mine adversaries weapons from them with which they have warred, and yet do, but very unmanly, against the truth, & no marvel, sith they be so ill weaponed, and so slenderly harnessed, as we see that they are. The first argument of theirs good reader, is gathered of the holy prophet Osees words, which our saviour Osee. 6. recited to the jews, as we read in Mattheus gospel the ninth Matt. 9 chapter and they are these. The first reason against the sacrifice of the mass. Misericordian volo, & non sacrificium. I will have mercy, & not sacrifice. Here we see (saith the adversaries of the holy mass) that god will have no sacrifice done to him, and therefore the mass is not a sacrifice acceptable unto god for the appeasing of his wrath toward us for our sins. Who is so ill learned, good reader, The solution. among them, that have any knowledge in gods word, that he doth not perceive how weak this argument is? For god meant by his prophet Osee, and also our saviour reciting the same words, that deeds, and works of mercy, such as are to teach that ignorant, to convert the sinners to god, to forgive men their offences, and other like, were more acceptable to him, than any sacrifice of beasts sleane, after the manner of th'old testament, which maketh nothing against the sacrifice of the mass. That this was gods meaning, it doth evidently appear by the text following, which is this. Sacrificium S. Clement in the first book to s. james understandeth the prophets words of Christ's time when the sacrifices of thou law should cease so that than god would have no such sacrifice. Lib. 20. ca 16 & scientiam dei magis qui holo causta. I will rather have sacrifice & the knowledge of god, than sacrifices wholly burned. Here we see that god did not utterly deny, that he would accept sacrifice, but that he would that we should offer rather to him the sacrifice of pity, or mercy, and the knowledge of him, than other carnal sacrifices. saint Austen against one Faustus, and also writing of god's city, doth approve this exposition saying. Hoc dicto nihil aliud, qui sacrificium sacrificio praelatum oportet intelligi. By this saying no other thing ought to be understand, than a sacrifice to be preferred before a sacrifice, that is the sacrifice of alms, pity, compassion, with such other to be more esteemed of god, than the sacrifices offered to him after the custom of the old law. He that will read the ninth, and the twelve chapter of Mathewe, shall find that our saviour thus understood the prophets words now recited. Moreover Christ meant by those the prophets words, that sacrifices done without faith, and works of mercy were not pleasant, nor acceptable to god, as it doth appear by Isaiah the prophet, in the first chapter, and also in divers other places of the prophets, but yet the same joined with faith love, and alms, were acceptable to him, or else why should he have commanded them to be offered to him? wherefore this argument is clean put away. Now to the second reason made against the sacrifice of the mass, which is this. The holy apostle saint Paul The second argument. (saith Luther) writing to the Hebrews the seventh chapter, showeth that this difference is between a priest of the old testament, and of the new, that a priest of the old law, is not one, but divers, because they were mortal, (and so one ought to succeed an other) and the priest of the new law, is but one only, for as much as he is immortal (and needeth none to succeed him, for the supplyenge of his room), and therefore it were a thing very inconuenyente to affirm, that there is any sacrifice in the new testament, for the offering, of the which christ only should not be sufficient, But one priest must succeed an other from time to time, till the worlds end, as it must needs follow, if the mass were a sacrifice, Therefore it is none, but a remembrance only of the sacrifice once for all, offered to god by christ on the cross for our sins. Hitherto Luther and his scholars. To the which thus I answer The solution breiflye, that the very same host, and sacrifice is offered in the mass, which was once offered upon the cross, but it was there offered with bloudeshedding, and here in the mass it is offered without bloodshedding, so that the manner of offering is only divers, and not the sacrifice itself, and therefore there is but one head, and chief priest in the new Testament, Christ our saviour, which daily offereth himself a sacrifice in the mass to his father for our sins & the priests as ministers do offer in his name and person, saying at their masses. Hoc est corpus meum, & non, hoc est corpus christi. This is my body, & not, this is Christ's body. Now it is no inconvenience, nor against Paul's mind, that one, and the same host, or sacrifice should be offered of only Christ, a priest after the order of Melchisedech, and yet a multitude of priests, as ministers to be required, according to Paul's say, enge. 1. Cor. 4. Sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi & dispensatores mysteriorum dei. That is to say. Let a man so esteem us as the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers, or stewards of god's mysteries, or secrets hid in words or ceremonies. Now thou seest, good christian reader, that this reason is of no strength, against the sacrifice of the mass, and therefore I will recite the next, which is of like force, & it is this in form, as here followeth, collected and gathered of saint Paul's words writing to the Hebrews, which thus sayeth. Sine sanguinis effusione non fit The third reason. remissio. Remission of sin is not without pouting out of blood, But at the mass there is no pouring out, or shedding of blood, therefore the mass is no sacrifice propitiatory, obtaining forgiveness The solution. of sins, and the favour of god. This reason is grounded upon the wrong understanding of s. Paul's saying. For we may as well prove by this authority, that remission of our sins cometh not by baptism, penance, the hearing expend haec lector & judica. of god's word, faith, hope, nor any other like thing, as that by the mass forgiveness of sin happeneth not to us, because when these things are received, there is no pauring out of blood, as there is none in the mass. Therefore let us see what Paul meant by these his words, which is easily found out by the words next afore in the letter pertaining to the same sentence, and they are these. Et oia penè in sanguine, secundum legem mundant And all sins almost, after the law, are made clean in blood. Lo he saith almost all, and not all, and therefore the other part of his sentence, which is alleged above against the sacrifice of the mass, aught to be thus taken, almost with out pouring out of blood remission Aduerte lect. of sin is not, for else he had spoken plainly against the law, which maketh mention of an oblation Levi. 2. Heb. aliud Sabach, aliud Nuncha, aliud Misath. unbloody, wont to be offered to god for remission of sin, that was made ex simila, that is of fine meal of corn. Also by the water, called aqua expiationis, that is the Num. 8. & 19 S. Paul sayeth, that the blood of goats, and of bulls & the ashes of a heifer sprincled, did make holy or pure the defiled, as touching the uncleanness of the flesh and in the tenth chapter he affirmeth that it was impossible that sins should have been taken away by the blood of bulls and goats. water of cleansing, or purging, of the which the book of numbers speaketh, sins were forgiven, & not only uncleanness of the body was purged, and yet blood was not always shed when this was done, but once before through slaying of a red heffar to make that water, Thou mayst say, good reader, that although Paul meant that nothings almost, which were unclean, in the old law, were made clean without blood shedding, either even than, ● before, yet that saying of his may be applied to the time of the new law, for as much as in this time there is no remission of sins given with out blood shedding, that is to wit, without the virtue of Christ's blood once shed on the cross, & that the same is applied to us by the mass, as by the other sacraments. Without faith in the strength merit and virtue of this blood shedding than to come, no sacrifice of the old testament did put away sin, finally it may appear by the letter of this chapter that Paul mente here by remission, the purging of certain irregularites, and uncleanness of the body, and flesh, rather than forgiveness of sin, the trial and judgement whereof, I refer to the learned, and will go forward to the rehearsal of the next argument, which is this, taken out of Paul's epistles to the Hebrews, thus writing. Christus semel oblatus est ad multorum The fourth reason. ●●b. 9 semel. peccata exhaurienda. Christ is ones offered in sacrifice to consume, or to take away many men's sins, upon this that Paul affirmeth, that Christ was once offered up in sacrifice for our sins, they argue, and reason that the mass is no sacrifice, for then Christ must needs be offered, as often in sacrifice, as mass is said, the which is plain against saint Paul, saying, that he was ones, and not often times offered for men's sins, and therefore it must needs follow that the mass is not a sacrifice propitiatory, or purchasing to us grace, and forgiveness of sins. This reason though it be judged The solution. never so strong, yet it is but very weak, and of little force. For (as s. Austen saith) Christ was once offered for us, and yet if we believe and remember his coming to us he is daily offered for us, so that albeit he was once offered on the Christ was offered by the priests of th'old law in figures and heofiereth himself at his last supper when he of feared the paschal lamb cross, where he shed his precious blood, and died for all the worlds offences, and that being a priest, and exercising also a priests office after the order of Aaron, yet he offered himself under the form of bread at his last supper (as I have proved before sufficiently) & daily doth offer in the mass by the ministry of the priest, after thorder of Melchizedech, which made sacrifice to god with bread and wine, as the Genesis showeth, where Gene. 14. of I have entreated afore at large S. Austen saith the xxiii, epistle which he wrote to the bishop Boniface: was not Christ once offered in sacrifice in himself, and yet he is offered in the sacrament not only on all the feasts of easter but every day also for the people? That saint Paul meant only in this place of the death of christ, and that his bloody sacrifice was once done for all on the cross, and nothing of the sacrifice under the form of bread and wine, which was figured by Melchizedeches' sacrifice, it appeareth plainly by certain words of that same chapter, which are these. Neque ut saepe offerat semetipsum, quem admodum pontifex intrat in sancta per sigulos annos in sanguine alieno, alioquin oportebat eum frequent pati ab origine mund. Nunc aunt semel in consummatione seculorum, ad destitutionem peccatiꝑ hostiam svam apparuit. Not that he should offer himself oftentimes, like as the bishop entereth into the holy places, every year with the blood of an other, or else he must needs have suffered death often from the beginning of the world. But now he hath ones appeared by his host, or sacrifice in the end of the world, to the putting away of sin. Nothing can be spoken more plainly, than this is to declare that Paul meant of that sacrifice, which is joined with suffering of passion, and death, that once is done, and offered for ever, and shall be never offered again, because Christ died once for our sins (as Paul saith to the Romans) and shall never suffer death again Rom. 6. that notwithstanding, he is offered daily in the mass without passion, or pain, that we may the better, and the sooner be partakers of the grace, which he purchased for us by his death. But of this enough, now to the next reason of Martin Luther. Saint Paul saith the ninth The fifth reason. to the Hebrews, that if Christ should oftentimes offer himself in sacrifice, that than he must needs suffer death often, but he can not die, nor suffer death oftentimes, therefore he doth not offer himself often in the mass, as he needs must, if the mass were a sacrifice, wherefore the mass is no sacrifice. The solution This reason is soiled already in the answering to the last argument, when I said that Vrbanus Regius & his followers say untruly that we defending the mass to be a sacrifice, do crucify christ again as much as lieth in us. Paul would that, if Christ should sundry times offer himself in sacrifice in his own form, by pouring out his blood, as he did once on the cross, that than he must needs oftentimes suffer death, but so he doth not offer himself at the mass but only under the form of bread and wine, without all pain, and suffering. saint John saith in the Apocalypse. Agnus occisus est ab origine mundi. The lamb, (christ joh. i) was sleane from the beginning of the world, not that christ than suffered death (but many years after, when Gala. 4. the time appointed (as Paul saith) was come) but that than it was appointed by god's providence that he should die for man's offences, & that his death was figured by the death of Abel, and other like, being at the beginning of the world, so christ is offered in sacrifice at the mass, not that he suffereth there again, but that there he is offered for the remembrance of his death once suffered on the cross, wherefore this reason is clean wiped away, & the next anon shallbe, which is this, compiled also of s. Paul's words, y● x. to the Heb. where he thus saith. Lex per singulos annos eisden The sixth reason. ipsis hostijs, quas offerunt indesinenter, nunque potest accedentes perfectos facere, alioquin cessassent offerri. etc. The law (saith Paul) never could make them perfect, which came to it, by the same hosts, or sacrifices, which the priests every year do offer without ceasing, or else they should have ceased to be offered, for as much as the haunters, or keepers of it, should not have any longer grudge, or conscience of sin, upon these words thus they reason. The sacrifices of th'old law were for that cause oftentimes (as Paul saith) offered, because they were weak, and not of strength to put away sin, & to deliver menfrom grudge of sin in their consciences, for if they could have done this, they should have cessed to be offered, when they had done it, but the sacrifice of Christ's flesh, & blood, ones offered upon the cross, was strong, & sufficient enough to take away the sins of all the 1. Pet. 2. 1. Io. 2. Apo. 2. world, as the scripture witnesseth in sundry places, therefore by S. Paul's reason, Christ ought no more, after his death to be offered in sacrifice, as he should necessarily if the mass were a sacrifice, wherefore it is no sacrifice. This reason hath some appearance The solution. of truth, though it be very false in deed. For saint Paul meant that the sacrifices of the old law were of themselves unperfit, weak, & not able to put away man's sin, and therefore it was needful that many, and divers hosts, and sacrifices should one succeed an other from time to time, during that law, now christ is not oftentimes offered in sacrifice at mass, because his sacrifice done once on the cross, was not able, and sufficient to take away all men's sins, but because men do daily sin, and they have need to have the virtue of that sacrifice done on the cross, one's for all, applied to them, which is done by the mass. Again in the old law, there was not always one, and the same sacrifice offered, but many, and divers, for their feebleness, and insufficiency, but so it is not in the new law, for there is continually one host, and the very same, is offered in the mass by the priest which Christ on good friday offered upon the cross for our sins although in the mass it is offered under the form of bread and wine, and was upon the cross under the form of flesh and blood, so that the sacrifice is one, albeit the manner of offering it be not one, but divers, as the flesh raw, and roasted is one thing, though it be altered in his qualities. This is S. Chrysostom's mind, as it shall appear in the soylinge of the next reason, which is this, gathered also ho. 17. in. Herald out of Paul's epistle to the Hebre. Vrbanus Regius abuseth this authority against the sacrifice of the mass, as Luther his master doth. the ten chapter, where he thus saith una oblatione consummavit in sempiternum sanctificatos. Christ hath made perfect for ever with one oblation them that are hallowed, or made holy, Upon these words Luther & his scholars, make this argument. S. Paul doth affirm, that The seventh reason christ hath made perfect for ever with one sacrifice upon the cross, those which are sanctified, therefore we need none other sacrifice beside that to make us perfect, before god, and thereupon it followeth that the mass is no sacrifice. To this I say, that it is great The solution. marvel, that Martin Luther will take out of this epistle of saint Poule, any witness against the sacrifice of the blessed mass, For as much as he denieth the authority of it, and sayeth that Mark Luther's, unshamefulness, it is not saint Paul's letter, But such is his manner, and others like to him, that they are not ashamed to deny the authority of some books of scripture, the authority of the church, and the holy doctors, and yet when they seem any thing to make for the setting forth of their heresies, than they will use them, but let this go. Saint Paul this mente by his words above rehearsed, that Christ our saviour, offering himself to his father a sacrifice of sweet savour, (as Paul saith in an other place) did make men believing in him, and doing penance for their sins, perfect, and did take away their sins according to saint john Baptist's saying. Ecce agnus dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mund. Lo the lamb of god, see him that taketh away the sins Io. 1. of the world. This I say Christ hath done for us, ones offering himself on the cross, the which Moses law, and all the sacrifices of it, could never do (as s. Paul saith in this tenth chapter) though they were never so oftentimes offered, and for this cause Christ's sacrifice done once on the cross is perfect, and sufficient to do away all the worlds offences, which is not offered again at mass, under the form of bread and wine, for the unperfectenes, and in sufficiency of it (as I have afore often said) but for the applying thereof to us, for the remembrance of Christ's death, and the great, and tender love, which he showed toward us in the tune of his passion, that thereby we excited, and moved, should love him tenderly again, and finally, for the attainment of that grace, which Chryst did merit, and purchase for us, offering himself on the cross to appease his father's wrath. Many Note how many men are deceived in valuing of the virtue of Christ's death. men are shamefully deceived in this matter, putting no difference between the merit of remission of sin, and the applying of such merit. The church of Christ never taught otherwise, than that Christ only was a sacrifice deserving, or meriting grace, and forgiveness of sin for us, the only 1. Cor. 6. 7 Ti. 2 1. P●. 2. Apo. 1. 5, 14 price for the ransom of the hole world, and the only redemption, which bought us with the price of his precious blood, and yet the mass is a sacrifice representing and advertising us of Christ's bloody sacrifice, and death, by the which, the grace (as I have already said) and remission of sin, that christ through that his sacrifice did merit for us, is applied to us, If thou wilt say that christ (as Paul's mind was) did so take away all sin with that his one oblation, or sacrice done on the cross, that we need now no sacrifices for the purging of sin, than what need we the sacrifice of confession made to god, of laud, thanks giving, of a contrite heart, of mortifienge our affections and lusts, of alines, & semblable other which god commandeth in scripture to be done? wherefore think not, good reader, that saint Paul mente, that christ had so satisfied for our sins, with that his one oblation done on the cross, that thereby all other sacrifices are annulled, abrogated, and abolished clean, as unfruitful, and unnecessary, but only to declare of what, and how great efficacy, force, and strength that sacrifice was and is, for the taking away of sin, and making a man (believing, and repenting for his vices committed) perfect before god, which all the sacrifices of the old law, a thousand times and oftener offered, could never bring to pass, and therefore they ought to be forsaken, and left of, Christ's only sacrifice received, embraced and observed. This was saint Paul's only mind, as the letter itself evidently showeth. But yet ye will percase say to me, CHRIST did sufficiently, An objection & perfectly satisfy for our sins with this one oblation, and made the sanctified, perfect for ever (as saint Paul here affirmeth) therefore there is no need at all of the sacrifice of the mass, to satisfy for our sins, or to make us perfect afore god. This is a great blindness of men. Did not christ also sufficiently fast, weep, & pray for us, & yet we must fast, weep, & pray for our sins forgiveness? did not he also pray, being in this world, sufficiently for our trespasses, Heb. 5 and that notwithstanding he ceaseth not to pray for us? Therefore, Ro. 8. Heb. 9 Gene. ●. like as god did make all things perfect within the space of vi days, and yet he worketh even now (as christ said) in conserving the same his creatures: so christ with one oblation did sufficiently, and perfectly work our salvation, meriting for us grace, remission of sins, and glory, and yet he ceaseth not, nor will till the worlds end, to work our health, and salvation, by the holy sacraments, and divers other means, whereby we are made partakers of that his most sufficient and perfect oblation, and sacrifice, or else we should be damned for ever. Read Chrysostome the xvii homily on this epistle, in whom thou shalt find that the priest, at mass doth offer christ in sacrifice, notwithstanding that Paul saith that Christ did make us perfect with one oblation. Of this sufficient, now to the next reason; fet likewise out of the same Paul's epistle, where he thus sayeth. Vbi peccatorum remissio, iam The eight reason non est oblatio pro peccato. That is. Where or after there is remission of sin, forth with there is no oblation for sin, to these words they add. But christ hath through his death, and oblation done upon the cross, taken away the sins of all the world (as many texts of the scripture do witness) therefore there remaineth no sacrifice, or oblation necessary for the doing away of sin, and so the mass is no sacrifice for sin. Saint Hilarye, good christian reader, said well, that he is a good Lib. 4. de trinitate: and a meet reader of the scripture which bringeth not with him in his fancy or head the understanding of it, labouring to make it seem to signify that thing, which he hath afore conceived, and fantisied, but taketh the understanding of it of the causes, why it was written, and the circumstance of the text. As Martin Luther, and his scholars do not, but clean contrary. These words of saint Paul make as much against the sacrifice of laud, thanksgiving to god for his benefits, of penance & such other, as against the sacrifice of the holy mass, as it is evident, & therefore let us see, what Paul meant by them. truly his The solution mind was to show unto the jews, which would that the old law and the sacrifices of it should be kept with Christ's gospel, and that his death was not a sacrifice sufficient to put away man's sin but it was needful that the old sacrifices should help thereunto, that Christ by offering himself once upon the cross did so perfectly, and sufficiently take away sin, that afterward there needed none other sacrifice of Moses law (than abolished) no nor it was not necessary that christ should die again to offer eftsoons sacrifice for sin, as though that one sacrifice done on the cross were not sufficient. This is nothing against the sacrifice of the mass, for as much as that is not a sacrifice of Moses law, nor yet distinct from the sacrifice of the cross, but the self same, though the manner of offering be Chrisosto. ho. 17. im. Heb. divers. For on the cross Christ was offered under the form of flesh and blood vysyblye, with shedding of his precious blood, but in the sacrament at mass he is offered under the form of bread and wine invisibly, and yet this diversity of offering doth not make the sacrifice divers, but it remaineth ever one, like as the flesh raw and roasted, is one, and a man clothed, and naked. But yet some peradventure will say, if our sins be forgiven, & done clane away by Christ's death, and sacrifice, An objection commonly moved of fools unlearned. why should we need to have the mass said, and christ therein offered in sacrifice for them? I say to that fond question, that as well they may ask why should baptism penance, fasting, alms, prayer, The solution faith, hope, fear, charity, and such other be needful, sith our sins are forgiven by Christ's passion? May it not be said to these men Matt. 22. as christ said to the jews Erratis nescientes scripturas, ye do err or go out of the way knowing not the scriptures, because they think that christ hath by his death so taken away sin, that there ● gross error of many men. is none remaining among us. For than wherefore should christ teach us to pray for remission of our sins? Why should penance Matt. 6. Luc. 24. be preached for remission of sin as christ said it ought? for what cause did christ give to his apostles, after his death, and resurrection, authority, and power to remit the penitent persons sin, if they joan, 20: ●eto, 2. did confess them? Why did Peter command the people to do penance, that they might be baptized for to receive remission of their sins, if christ had in deed and in effect, so done away sin by his death, that noon should afterward remain? They which would gladly live after the flesh, and the lewd lusts thereof, do lay all on Christ'S back, saying that he hath done sufficient for us, we need to do nothing, but saint Paul even in this epistle the .v. chapter, teacheth us an other lesson saying. Christus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi, causa salutis aeternae. christ is made the cause of everlasting salvation, to all them which do obey him. Loo we must obey Chryst, commanding us to believe, to hope, to love to fear god, to pray, and to keep his commandments, or else Chryst shall not be to us a cause of everlasting salvation, although he hath died for us, that we should be saved, but rather an occasion of our damnation, as simeon said to our Lady. Ecce hic positus est in ruinam multorum, Lo this thy son Christ is put to make many fall, or extremely to decay. Ro. 8. Haeredes dei sumus, si tamen compati mur, ut conglorificemur. 2. Tim. 2. si commortui fuerimus, et convivemꝰ, si sustinebimus, & conregnabimus. We are gods heirs (sayeth Paul) if we suffer with christ, that we may be glorified with him. If we die with christ, we shall live with him, if we suffer, we shall reign with Christ. These conditions, and many other, are required by the scripture as necessary for to attain life everlasting, though George joy calleth them the honourable fathers Steven lord bishop of Winchester, as things of his mention. To be short, if only Christ's passion were sufficient to save us, without any thing done of our part, than all men should needs be saved (for christ died for all the hole world, as john testifieth) the which is 1. Io. 2. manifestly against the scriptures. Again, If this were true take hell away clean, as touching men at the lest, dost thou not see reader, that Lactantius said well. Argumenta ex falso petita, ineptos, De. orig, 〈◊〉. li. 2. ca 6. et absurdos exitus semper habent. That is, arguments fet, or gathered of a false principle, have always trifling ends, unapt to the purpose, and foolish. But I have tarried over long in the handling of this argument, and therefore I will say therein no more. They yet reason farther, after this sort, upon these saint Paul's words, shame fully wrested from their true sense Voluntary peccantibus nobis, post The ninth reason. acceptam noticiam veritatis, iam non relinquitur pro peccatis hostia To us, which do sin voluntarily, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, now there is left no host, or sacrifice for sin, if there be left no sacrifice (saith these men) for sin, it followeth, that the mass is not a sacrifice propitiatory. To this I answer, that the The solution. authors, and setters forth of this argument, do not understand saint Paul's words, or else they reason upon them against their own conscience, saying that they make nothing for any such purpose, as in deed they do not. For Saint Paul meant, that men offending after they had ones received the faith, and the truth of the gospel, being Christened, should not trust to be again ransomed, and reconciled to god, by an other cross, or by the death of Chryst again to be crucified, and offered to god in sacrifice, as in the old law, the sacrifices were oftentimes offered for sin, for if they had that hope, they should be deceived, because Christ died once for our sins (as Peter sayeth) & shall never die again, as Paul 1. Petrt. 3. Rom. 6. witnesseth, for he liveth a life immortal, and ever shall. Thus saint Chrisostome doth expound Paul in this place, saying. Hostia ultra non est, hoc est secunda. Crux ultra non est, hostiam quip hanc vocat. An host is no more, that is the second cross is no more, for he calleth this a cross. una namque hostia perficit in perpetuum eos, qui sanctificantur, non sicut judaica. Cautos nos vult efficere, ne speremus ultra, secundum iudaicam legem aliam hostiam. That is to wit, For one host maketh them perfect for ever which are hallowed, not as the jews host. He would make us The jews hosts often times offered could never make men perfect in their consciences, as Paul saith Heb. 9 ware, the we should not trust to have offered for us an other host, after the jews law. Hitherto saint Chrisostom. Some expound this text, that saint Paul should mean that they, which do sin after they be baptized, and have received the faith, & continue in sin, doing no penance therefore, should take no profit by Christ's death, but harm rather, because they shallbe more grievously punished (not living after their profession, and faith) than if they had never been christened, as Christ and Peter do say. This toucheth them, which Matt. 11. 2. Petrt. 2. following mad Martin Luther do believe that only faith, without good works should be sufficient to save them. finally this text may be understand of them, that sin of malice, and do rejoice in their ill deeds, of whom Solomon speaketh, saying. Laetantur Proverb. 2. cum malefecerunt, & exultant in rebus pessimis. They rejoice in their minds (which they show also outwardly by signs) when they have done ill, and do brag, or leap out with exceeding gladness, in warst things. The sacrifice of christ done on the cross, can profit these men nothing except they amend and repent. For as much as the meaning of these words, do depend upon them, which went a little before, whereby Paul did exhort the Heb. to stir, and provoke one another to love, and good works, that no man in time of persecution should forsake the church, or congregation of the faithful, I think Paul mente, that neither Christ's sacrifice once done on the cross could save them, that did leave the company of the christened, and forsake their faith in christ, nor any other which they should look for. But yet I do not prefer this mine exposition before saint Chrisostom's which seemeth to me very right, and true. The ninth reason made against the sacrifice of the mass, is this. saint Paul saith, deus erat in christo mundum sibi reconcilians, The tenth reason. non reputans illis delicta ipsorum. God was in Christ, reconciling to him the world, that is all people of the world, not imputing their sins to them. Upon these, & such other texts of scripture, which do testify that god is pleased through Christ's death, and we set in his favour, they reason, and argue, that there is no need utterly of any sacrifice, to appease god's wrath, and displeasure, toward us conceived for our sins, for as much as he is already pleased by Christ's death, and bloody sacrifice, and therefore the mass is no sacrifice propitiatory. The answer to this argument The solution is soon made, for they take wrong the scripture, which saith that god Matt. 3. is pacified, & appeased by Christ's sacrifice once done on the cross, thinking that he is pacified indifferently to all men, and that christ took away in deed, and in effect all the worlds sins, so that straight with, after his death none did remain, which is plain false (as I have declared before) for than the Turks, the jews, the Sarasons, with all other not believing in Christ, and those that believing in him, dying yet impenitent, should all come to heaven, & should none be damned. Therefore the truth is, that albeit christ died for all indifferently, yet those only shall be saved by his death, which do or shall believe in him perfectly, amending their lives through penance, hoping in gods mercy promised for his sake to us, love god & their neighbours as themselves, fear god, give alms to needy, do pray and observe gods commandments. These only shallbe saved by Christ's death (I speak not of infants) & none other, the which christ meant, saying. Hic est sanguis novi testamenti, qui pro multis effunderur in remissionem peccatorum. This is Matt. 26. the blood of the new testament, which shall be poured out for the remission of many men's sins, he saith of many, not of all, because all men should not fulfil the above rehearsed things, necessary for the attainment of grace, and salvation purchased by his death, in the which, and such other is contained the condition, that George joy G. joy. mockyngly, and ungodly, calleth wynchester's condition, in his unlearned railing book made against that honourable prelate, but to his own great shame, if he be not shameless, as it should appear by that his book, that he is. The confutation of whose trifling The honourable lord bishop of wichesters' book. and devilish book, he that listeth to see well set forth in his colours, let him read my lord of wynchester's answer made to him, which is full, on every side, both of high wit, and also of deep learning. But my lord needeth no more my commendation, than the sea water, or the son the light of a candle, therefore I will speak no more of his praise, but go forth on my purpose, to the confutation of the next argument, which thus they make. That which is a sign, and a Th●●●●th reason. representation of a sacrifice is no sacrifice, But the mass is a sign, and a representation of Christ's sacrifice, once offered by him on the cross for our sins, Therefore it is no sacrifice. This argument hath Vrbanus Regius without any proof of it as though it were enough for him to say it only. They prove the second part of this argument (which needeth no proof) by Christ's words saying, do ye this for my remembrance, which Paul also reciteth to the Corinthians, but they prove not the first part thereof, which is very false, following therein certain In proaemio de opificiodei philosophers, which (as Lactantius testifieth) so did reason of all things, that were dark, and obscure, ea, quae asserunt, probata, & cognita videri velint. That they would those things to seem proved, and known which they do affirm, or approve. Where they say that one thing can not be a sign, a remembrance, or a representation of a sacrifice, and a sacrifice also, that is false. For wherefore I beseech the good reader, may not the mass be a sacrifice, and yet a memory, sign, & representation of Christ's sacrifice offered once upon the cross, as well as the paschal lamb, was a very sacrifice in deed, as the scripture witnesseth, and that notwithstanding, a sign and representation Exo. 12. of Christ's sacrifice to come. Chrisostome the seventeenth sermon upon the epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews plainly saith that the mass is both a remembrance of Christ's death and sacrifice offered once on the cross, and also a sacrifice not dystynete from that, but the very self same, as wherein is offered the same body, which christ did offer on the cross for us. Truly we may prove by that, that the mass is commanded of CHRIST to be said for a remembrance of his death, that it is a sacrifice rather than the contrary, after this sort. That which is done in remembrance of a thing passed, ought to represent it perfectly, and especially the chief part thereof, but the mass was ordained of christ to be a memorial of his death, whereat he did offer himself a sacrifice, and that was the chief thing he than did, therefore the mass ought to represent and to put us in remembrance of that sacrifice, which it can not do, except it be a sacrifice, wherefore it is a sacrifice. Finally christ said not, do ye this only for the remembrance of me, for than that text should make much more for mine adversaries purpose, than now it doth, The next reason is this. Christ's oblation, and sacrifice The twelve reason offered on the cross was most sufficient, and puissant to take away clean all the sins of the world, for as much as it was offered by him which was both god and man also, defiled with no spot of sin, therefore we have no need of the sacrifice of the mass to purge us of sin, and they which do join this sacrifice with Christ's sacrifice once offered upon the cross, do seem to diminish the might, virtue, efficacy, & strength of Christ's sacrifice, showing there by that it is not of itself sufficient to deliver us from sins danger, but that it wanteth help of the sacrifice of the mass. Many men think this a strong The solution reason, when in deed it is very feeble, and weak. For as no learned man that is catholic, doth deny that Christ's sacrifice offered upon the cross is sufficient, and of virtue enough to do away all sin of the whole world, even so no good christian man, nor woman will say nay, but that this Christ's death, and sacrifice must needs be (as I have oftentimes said afore) applied to us by the sacraments, and other means provided of god there unto, among the which the sacrifice of the mass is one not of lest necessity, as it appeareth before in this book sufficiently declared, and therefore I will let that pass, and go forward in this matter to the disproving of the next reason, which is this set forth by one Vrbanus Regius in latin, & translated into english by wyllyam Turner. wyllyam Turner Th● xiii: reason. If they work (saith he wisely like himself) with their daily sacrifice (as they call it) remission of Vrbanus Reginus reason sin, I pray you then, what sins did the blood of the new and everlasting testament take away? Did ever man hear, or read, The solution so fond, and folly she a question, as this is? who saith that the mass, or the sacrifice thereof, doth take away sins without the virtue of the blood, which Christ shed for the establyshement of the new testament? Who doth not ascribe the forgiveness of all sins unto Christ'S death, and sacrifice offered to god on the cross, as the only merit or meritorious cause thereof? Again what man, except he want faith, wit, or learning, will deny, but that the merit, virtue and strength, of that CHRIST'S blood shedding, must needs be applied to us by the sacraments, and other necessary means, that we may thereby be made partakers thereof, for the remission of our sins obtaining of grace, and salvation everlasting? Now the mass (as I have declared already sufficiently) is an application of that Christ's merit, consisting in the offering of himself, a sweet sacrifice to his father, for the pleasing and pacifienge of his wrath toward us for our sins, and putteth away no sin, but through the virtue of Christ's death, and blood, as all defenders of it do affirm, though Vrbanus Regius, and his scholars maliciously do lay the contrary to their charge. Further yet these men reason, saying. Christ by his death hath satisfied The xiiii. reason. sufficiently for our sins, and with his blood washed them away, according to the prophecy of Isaiah the liii chapter, he did bear our sins, and was corn for our wickedness, of the which it followeth and is a good argument, that all the oblations, which are beside this, are vain, and void, the which they pretend. Hitherto Vrbanus Regius, The solution. naughty books whose lewd, and ungodly book of the comparison between the new and the old learning, is among the people in english, to the poisoning of their souls, as many other The kings majesty like a most Christian prince hath by his proclamarion redressed this matter naughty books be, the more is the pity that it is so suffered. God would that men, and women, now had no less zeal to the truth, nor love to their own souls, than the Ephesians (which were idolaters) had when saint Paul preached to them, that they would bring forth their books of heresy and burn them, as they did their ill books, but to the argument of Regius, which hath as little learning in it, as godliness. For what learned, or godly man would reason after this sort, Christ hath by his oblation satisfied sufficiently for our sins Therefore all other sacrifices & oblations be vain & void? Doth not the scripture command us to offer divers kinds of oblations & sacrifices, notwithstanding the sufficiency of Christ's oblation, & sacrifice? Read the vii the xiiii the xxxiiii and xlv. chapter of the book called Ecclesiasticus in latin, and in english, the book of the son of Sirach, where mention is made of certain oblations, which Christ's death made not void, as the oblation of alms, & other divers. Doth not christ himself speak of offering sacrifice, in the fift of Matthew? doth not saint Paul Rom. 12: command us to offer up our bodies a sacrifice to god? doth not saint Peter make mention of offering 1. Petri. 2. to god spiritual hosts, and sacrifices? doth not s. Paul call the conversion of the people Rom. 15. to the faith an oblation? doth not david say, Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justiciae, Than o lord thou Psal. 50. shalt accept the sacrifice of righteousness? Doth not he also commanude us to do sacrifice saying Sacrificate sacrificium justice, & Psal. 4. sperate in domino. Offer ye sacrifice of righteousness, or virtuous living, & trust ye inour lord, as though he had said, except ye live well, if ye had all faith (as Paul saith) your trust in god is but vain, & rather presumption, than very hope, or trust, as theirs undoubtedly jacobi. 2. is, which say the only faith do justify man, or is sufficient to save him without good works, as s. Paul, and james both, do plainly Rom. 2. witness. Moreover david speaketh of the sacrifice of laud, the, c and sixth, and the hundred and xv Gala. 5. psalm. Item, in the thirty psalm mention is made of the sacrifice of a contrite heart. To be short, doth not saint Paul say, that god is pleased, or appeased with the hosts of liberality, and alms Heb. 12. giving? Who is therefore so mad to say, that Christ's death, & satisfying for sin, hath made all these oblations vain, void, & of none effect? How with Christ's sufficient satisfaction it doth agree, and stand, that the mass is a sacrifice (whereby we are made partakers of the passion of christ) I have oftentimes showed already, and therefore I will now pass over that thing, and rehearse more of their reasons. Vrbanus Regius again thus saith (wisely.) To raise up a new oblation is The xu reason. to set little by the first. But they that defend the mass to be a sacrifice, do eayse up a new oblation. Therefore they set little by Christ's oblation, made on the cross. He proveth not the second part of this argument, because he saw that it was plain false, and that it far passed his wit, and learning to prove it. For no man setteth up the mass, but Christ only himself (as I have afore in sundry places of this book declared) and it is not a new sacrifice, nor yet any other than that very self same, which christ did once offer on the cross, (as saint Chrisostom Homily. 17. in hebre: truly saith) though the manner in offering, which christ used in the time of his death, and now is used at mass is not one but divers, like as I have opened before so that this reason is plain void and of no strength. Moreover the same Regius thus babbleth very fond. When they say, that sins be released, and forgiven in the sacrifice An objection of the mass, it followeth after their opinion, that that only sacrifice on the cross did not satisfy for all sins. This he saith with out all proof of his saying, which The solution is very false. For it is true that sins are released, and forgiven by the sacrifice of the mass, & yet Christ did sufficiently satisfy by his sacrifice offered once on the cross for all sins, as John saith 1. Io●. 2. in his first epistle the ii chapter. The mass, as a mean, and an application of Christ's bloody sacrifice offered on the cross, doth put away sin, through the virtue of that sacrifice, so that the releasing of sin by it, is & aught to be ascribed to Christ's death. We say by baptism, sin is forgiven, by penance, faith, hope, prayer, alms deeds, with such other, & yet it were great folly, and blindness to argue thereupon that Christ's only sacrifice did not satisfy for all sin. Now to Luther again who thus reasoneth ungodly. It is not leeful to set up any sacrifice The xvi. reason to be a worshipping of god without express commandment of god or without manifest scripture therefore, but there is neither express commandment, nor plain scripture, that the mass is a sacrifice, or that the priest in it should offer any sacrifice. Therefore it is no sacrifice The first part of this reason is false The solution for Abel offered sacrifice which pleased god, without commandment or scripture, as the fourth of the Genesis doth testify, and job also for his children. Furthermore all the job. 1: catholic doctors are clean in this opinion, that Christ at his last supper did institute the sacrifice of the mass, and commanded his apostles to offer there at his blessed body, and blood in sacrifice, saying, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem, Do ye this for my remembrance. Luke xxii Finally we believe many things not expressed, nor commanded in Verities not written expressly in scripture. the scripture, as the continual virginity of the most blessed, and honourable virgin mary Christ's mother, for the denial of the which Saint Jerome called Eluidius an heretic. Also the baptism of infants or babes, can not be proved by express scripture, but only by tradition of the apostles, as Origen, saint Austen, and Dionise Li: 6. con. in Ro. Aduer. faustum lib. de. ecclesi. hierarch. Paul's disciple do say. I pass by, divers other things necessary to be believed, although scripture neither commandeth them to be done, nor speaketh any thing of them, of the which I will put forth shortly a book, god willing. They yet reason thus against the mass. The xvii reason. That can not be a sacrifice, which the priest doth eat, because a sacrifice is wholly offered to god, and no part of it is turned to man's use, but the priest doth wholly eat the sacrament. Therefore it is not a sacrifice. O blindness of Luther, did The solution not the jews eat the paschal, or passover lamb, and yet that was a sacrifice, as it appeareth in the scripture plainly? And where he saith, that a sacrifice is wholly offered to god, and no piece of it turned to man's use, that is true only of one kind of sacrifice, called in greek holocaustum, that is all burned. For in the old lave the jews did ●leye beasts, which having their bowels taken out were laid hole on the altar, and burned, so that of these only no part was turned to man's use, the which Martin Luther applieth falsely to all other sacrifices, therefore this his reason is not worth two peason, as this is not made by him The sacrament of th'altar is a The xviii. reason. gage, or a pledge of gods promise made of the remission of sin, and obtaining of life everlasting, by the eating of it, as it appear the in Johan's gospel, saying, he that eateth of this bread, shall live for joan 6 ever, therefore that thing, which is consecrate in the mass, can not be a sacrifice, for as much as one thing can not be a gage, and also a sacrifice. Hitherto lewd Luther without all learning. To this I answer briefly, The solution. that the mass is both a pledge, assuring us of the performing of gods promise touching remission of sin, and the life everlasting, & also a sacrifice, in divers respects. For it is a sacrifice, for as much as it is offered of the priest to god, after the churches ordinance and a gage, or pledge, in as much as it is given to us of god, as a certificate, and an assurance of forgiveness of sin, and glory celestial, at the length to be of us received, through the worthy eating of Christ's body. Wherefore this reason is soiled clean. Now when Luther thus argueth. The sacrament is a gift, given The twenty reason. to us of god, as christ sayeth Accipite, take ye, this is my body but one thing can not be a sacrifice, and a gift, because the nature of a sacrifice is to be offered to god, and of a gift to be given of god, which are contrary, and can not agree together in any one thing. What ignorance is this of The solution this great doctor, whom his scholars are not ashamed to call Daniel, and the lantern of the world, which brought the light into it? If (good christian reader) one thing could not be both a gift of god given to man, and also a sacrifice, than Abel did offer no sacrifice, for those things which he offered, were the gifts of god, as the text showeth, nor Abraham, nor job, nor the jews offering of beasts, corn, and other things by the commandment of god had been any sacrifice, because all those things were gods gifts, as all creatures be, according to the prophet David's saying. Domini est terra, & plenitudo eius Psal. 23. The earth is our lords, and the fullness of it, are not the praising of god, giving thanks to him, the confession of his name, giving of alms, with many other things sacrifices, and yet they are all gods gifts, as Paul saith. Quid habes 1. Cor. 4. quod non accepisti? What hast thou (that good is) which thou haste not received? Therefore the prophet 1 paral. 29. david said. Tua sunt omnia domine, & quae de tua manu accepimus, dedimus tibi. Lord all things are thine, and we have given to thee, those things, which we have received of thy hand. This the church confesseth in the canon Nihil deo preter ● sua damus. we give no thing to god beside his own. G. Nazianze. oratione. 16. of the mass, saying. Offerimus praeclarae tuae maiestati de tuis donis, ac datis, hostiam puram, hostiam sanctam, hostiam immaculalatam, panem sanctum vitae aeternae & calicem salutis perpetuae. We do offer to thy very excellent majesty of thy liberal or free gifts, & things given to us, a pure host a holy host, an undefiled host, holy bread, of everlasting life, and the cup of salvation perpetual. Lo here thou seest, reader, that the church, Christ's spouse (the foundation and pillar of the truth, to whom christ promised the holy ghost the spirit of truth, which should abide with it for ever, that it should not wholly err in the faith) doth confess one, & the same thing Tua ex tuis tibi offerimus we offer to the saith Chrisostom in his mass▪ thine own things, of thine own to be a gift of God, and a sacrifice offered to him. Ought not we rather to believe this, than Martin Luther's foolish babbling, grounded upon no learning? but of this sufficient. another argument of his framing is this, which I do rehearse, that men may see his great and exceeding ignorance in scripture, and not for any learning, or strength it hath. The xx. reason The sacrament of the altar was called of Christ, when he did institute it, the new testament in his blood, as it appeareth the xxii Lu. 22. 1. Cor. 11. of Luke, But nothing can be both a sacrifice, and a testament, because a testament is received by the executor of the maker of it, and a sacrifice is offered to god. This reason is easily soiled, partly for as much, as only the blood of Christ is called the new testament and not the flesh, and that improperly, because the new testament is confirmed, and established, by shedding Heb. 9 Gro. 24. of it, as the old was by the blood of beasts. Also the sacrament is called the new testament because it is a gift of the new testament, or a thing bequeathed of Christ therein, as peace is, which Christ bequeathed to his disciples when he should departed from them by death, as john testifieth the xiiii joan. 14: chapter. This notwithstanding, it is a sacrifice, for as much as it is Testamentum est institutio percipiendae baereditatis morte testatoris obsignata Heb. 9 offered to god at mass, for the quick and dead. A testament properly, is an ordinance of a man's last will, concerning the distribution of his goods, ratified and assured with his death, as Paul saith, and so the sacrament of the altar is not called a testament, as it is evident. Finally the new testament Testamentum dequo christus l▪ quitur, est ordinatio vitae aeternae ● ginam indiscendae, christi morte obsignataꝙ ide● dicitur aeternum ꝙ vitae aeterna est ab aeterno preparata electis. & ꝙ illa est aeterna. Matt. 25. in an other signification, containeth the law of faith, hope, charity, the commandments, counsels, and the promises of christ, after the which sort the sacrament cannot be called a testament, as every learned man perceiveth, and therefore it is called the new testament for two the first causes above mentioned, with the which it standeth very well, that it is also a sacrifice, but of this reason I have spoken enough, wherefore let us here the next, thus fashioned out of fashion. The communion or housle, of one lay man profiteth nothing another, Therefore the priests mass doth nothing avail the people, but only himself. Did ever man hear, or read ●he xxi reason. afore Martin Luther came, any so fond and foolish an argument? The apostles of christ, receiving their housel of him, did therewith profit us nothing, therefore Christ's consecration of the sacrament did profit us nothing, Is this a good reason? Is it like of the lay man's receiving his housle, and of the priests saying mass? who, but Martin Luther is so ignorant, and blind to affirm that? But the blind leadeth the blind, till both fall into the den of heresy, and eternal damnation. Beware, good reader, of such blind leaders, lest thou repent, when it is to late. Again, thus Luther reasoneth, saying. One man can not be baptized, or christened for an other, nor marry a wife, for an other, therefore one can not offer sacrifice for an other, This is a reason meet for such a teacher: Why did not he as well argue thus, one man can not be christened, nor marry a wife for an other, therefore one can not pray for an other, nor give alms for an other? Doth not that follow as well as the other upon his first proposition? Did not job offer sacrifices job. 1. for his children? did not the priests of the old law offer Levi, 9, sacrifices for the people's sins? Doth not saint Paul say that Heb: 5. every priest, or bishop, is chosen to offer gifts, and sacrifices, for men's sins? believe not therefore good reader, this doiing ignorant teacher, which erreth so plainly against gods holy word, as the seest in these arguments already recited, that Luther did, & as thou shalt see in the reasons now following, of which this is one. The lay people do not offer The xxii reason sacrifice, when they receive the sacrament, Therefore the priests likewise do not offer sacrifice, when they do eat it, and so the mass is no sacrifice. This reason is so slender, and The solution weak, that it is not worthy to be rehearsed, much less to be confuted. The jews eating the paschal lamb, did not offer sacrifice, neither the layte, nor the priests, and yet the priests did offer him in sacrifice, before they did eat him, as the scripture showeth manifestly, after like sort, the priests of the new law, though in receiving the most blessed sacrament, they do not offer sacrifice yet they do offer the body & blood of our saviour Christ to god, before they take it, as the canon both of the greek, and also the latin mass, plainly declareth, wherefore this argument is of no pith, ne strength, as the next is, formed after this manner. If the mass were a sacrifice, or The xxiiii. reason. deigned by Christ, (as ye say it is) than it should follow, that the apostles at their masses, had offered sacrifice, ensuing therein christ their masters sample, and commandment, biding them do that which he had done himself. But they did not offer sacrifice in their mass. Therefore the mass is not a sacrifice. Martin Luther thus travaileth The solution. to prove the second part of this reason, which is that the apostles at their mass did not offer sacrifice, we read (saith he) in th'acts of the apostles, that they did break bread about the houses, & so they received it (which is understand of the sacrament) and made no sacrifice, because sacrifice was and is now ever offered in the temple, and not in any private house. The solution. To this I say that that breaking of bread was but a distribution, or a giving of the holy body of christ to the people which was before consecrated, & offered unto god a sacrifice: For that is oftentimes in scripture, the signification of this word frangere, to break, as in the prophet isaiah the eight and thirty chapter, where we read these words frange panem tuum esurienti, break thy bread to the hungry that is, give it to him Moreover there were (belike) some hallowed places about those houses, in the which the apostles said mass, and made sacrifice to god, before the temples were builded. Finally a temple is not utterly necessary to offer sacrifice in, as now experience of the church declareth, and so by this answer, another of Luther's reasons is soiled, which is: that Another reason of Luther's is soiled by the way. Christ at his maundy did not offer sacrifice, instituting the mass, because he was not then in the temple, where sacrifice should have been offered, but in the geste chamber or a parlour, where men did use to souppe, for if a temple had been so necessary to offer sacrifice, that none could have been offered, except in it only, than CHRIST had not offered himself in sacrifice at his death. which is against the scripture for than he was not in any temple, but on the mount of Calvary, as the gospels do plainly tell. This reason therefore is clean, and clearly done away. yet Luther goeth forth thus reasoning. If the mass were a sacrifice The xxv reason. we might therewith worship, and honour god. But we can not so do. Therefore it is no sacrifice. That we can not worship god with the mass, he goth about this to prove, by the words of Christ, written that fourth of john's gospel. Io. 4. Oportet eos qui adorant deum, in spiritu, & veritate adorare, They that do worship god, must worship in spirit and truth, therefore the mass, which is an outward thing can not serve any thing for the worshipping of god, as it should do, if it were a sacrifice, and for that cause it is none. This reason is grounded upon The solution the ill taking of Christ's words which do not exclude all outward things from the honouring of god (as Martin Luther and his scholars suppose) but they show that in the time of the new law, the figures, and ceremonies of th'old law should cease, and be annulled clearly, so that it should be leeful for men to worship god not only in the temple of Jerusalem, as it was during the old law, but they should honour him in every place in spirit, & truth. Also christ meant by those words that the error of them, which did worship god in the hill, or mountain called Seir, as the Samaritans did, should likewise be taken away, as the text itself plainly declareth, that christ meant, and therefore this letter maketh utterly nothing against the sacrifice of the mass, which is no ceremony of the jews law, nor error of the gentiles, but a sacrifice instituted by christ at his last supper, the which he that doth offer devoutly to god, doth honour and worship him in spirit & truth, wherefore this argument is answered unto sufficiently. Martin Luther would have in the new law, no outward sacrifice, such as the mass is, but only inward & spiritual, as to offer to god our bodies in sacrifice thorough mortifying out affections, and carnal lusts, Rom, 12, to offer laudes, and thanks to god for his benefits bestowed on us, with such other sacrifices, which every christian man, & woman offereth to god, & is thereby a priest, as Peter & John in the apocalypse 1. ●●, 2, Apo, 1, ●, 5, do witness, and there is none other priest no sacrifice, nor preisthoode, but this only. Hitherto Luter, which did not see, he was so blinded, or else he would not see, such was his mischievous malice, that in the law of nature, men offered to god outward sacrifices, as Abel, No, Melch. and other divers, & were not content to honour god with in ward sacrifices only. Also in the time of Moses law the jews did likewise by gods own commandment, why therefore should not christian people after, semblable and like manner worship god in the time of the new law, sith every law hath a sacrifice, or a sort of sacrifices proper to it, as a kind of priesthood also? Nor it is not to be marveled at, why The. 〈◊〉. reason. saint Paul so largely entreating of Christ's priesthood, and of the comparison between him, and Melch, made no mention of the sacrifice of the mass, which is after the order of Melchizedech. For saint Paul speaketh there only of those Heb. 7. The solution. things, which might make any thing for the advancing, and setting forth of the excellency of Christ's preisthoode, before the priesthood of Moses' law, to the intent, he might cause the jews to leave, and forsake that sacrifice of Moses, and clean only to Christ's, being far more excellent, and of greater strength to save man, than the other, to the which purpose, it should nothing have helped, if he had entreated of Christ's sacrifice under form of bread & wine, as it is evident to all learned men, & therefore in that whole epistle to the Hebrews, Paul never spoke of that sacrifice, but only of that, which Christ offered once upon the cross, whereby he made man perfect in soul, which thing, all Moses' sacrifices could never bring to pass, and for that cause christ, which offered that noble sacrifice, was and is a priest much more excellent, than Moses' priests were. Now we see how little it maketh against the sacrifice of the holy mass, that Paul spoke not thereof in his epistle sent to the Hebreus. Moreover it followeth not that the mass is no sacrifice because Paul to the Hebrews spoke not of it, for many things are true, not once touched there. thirdly it was a matter to hard for the capacity of the jews, to perceive how the mass should be a sacrifice available for the quick and the dead, for they needed easy doctrine rather than hard, as Paul saith to them the fift chapter, & therefore he made no mention of that matter to them. Now where Luther allegeth the twelve of the Romans, the second of saint Peter's first epistle, & the Apocalypse, to prove all christian people priests, he is deceived shamefully, because those texts do prove as well that all christian folk be kings as priests, & so they are in deed spiritually, & inwardly, for as much as they do rule their affections, & carnal desires with the bridle of reason, which is a kings office, & they offer spiritual sacrifices to god, as prayer, thanksgiving. etc. being thereby spiritual priests, but not as we be that have taken priesthood of that bishop. Hytherto● I have rehearsed M. Luther's reasons against the mass, & the disproving of them also, now let us see, what one of his scholars, called Philip Melanethon hath said against the same, first this he saith, beside & above the which I have already confuted, of Luters his masters forging. The scripture saith that we are justified, or made righteous by faith, The. ●xvii. reason. when we do believe that our sins be forgiven for Christ's sake, now if the mass do take away the sins of the quick, & the dead, through the work done, our justification should hap by the work of the mass, and not of faith, which the scripture suffereth not, it followeth thereupon that the mass is no sacrifice, putting away the sins of the quick, and dead. As touching the first part of this The solution reason, which is that we be justified through faith, when we do believe that our sins are forgiven us for Christ's sake, I say that it is not sufficient for the attainment of righteousness, and remission of our sins to believe that they be remitted for Christ's deaths sake, except we forsake also our sins, and do divers things there unto necessary by the assignment of god in scripture, as I mind to declare in my book of justification, which god willing I will shortly put forth, therefore now I let that pass, and touch the second piece of this argument, which is, that if by the work of the mass we should obtain remission of our sins, than it should not come by faith. This proposition declareth the authors ignorance, or else his malice, conceived against the truth and the clergy, of whom he doth falsely report, that they say, that the mass of itself, without faith in Christ's death, should bring to us remission of our sins, where they affirm with saint Rom. 3. Heb. 11. Paul, that our righteousness, doth come by faith, and that without faith no man can please god. These are all very true, remission of sin cometh by the passion of Christ, by the mass, by baptism, by faith by penance, by hope, by fear, prayer, fasting, alms deeds, and such other, as the scripture showeth, but only Christ's death is the merit of grace and remission of sins, Therefore this argument is of no force ne pith, as in deed this is not The. ●xvii. reason. which he maketh after this sort. It is an horrible thing to attribute, or ascribe, as much, & as great virtue to the priests work which he doth saying mass, as to Christ's death. But they the affirm the mass to be a sacrifice, abolishing the sins of the quick, & the dead, do no less give, & ascribe to the priests work, then to Christ's death, Therefore the mass is no such sacrifice. He proveth not the second part The solution of this argument, which is very false, but only saith it, as though his saying should be sufficient with out all proof, to verefy his devilish purpose. All catholic people do believe that by the mass the sins of the quick, and dead, are forgiven, as by an applying of Christ's death to us, & by the virtue there of, and that not by the priests work chief, but by Christ's own work, offering himself in sacrifice to his father, by the ministry of the priest, saying mass, & this is not to ascribe as to the priests ded● or work, which he doth in the mass, as to Christ's death, which Melancthon falsely saith we do, that defend the blessed mass to be a sacrifice, pacifying gods wrath. Moreover he saith, that sin can not be vanquished, and overcome but by The xxix reason. faith in Christ, as Paul sayeth the fifth to the Romans. We justified through faith have peace, wherefore the pain, which the souls departed in grace (and are not yet in heaven) do suffer cannot be overcome by the applying of an other man's work, such as the mass is, said by a priest, and therefore the mass is no sacrifice profitable for the dead, to deliver them from the pain, which they do suffer, to make them clean, that they may entre into heaven. O wonderful blindness of this The solution man, which saw not, that justification bringeth remission of mortal, and deadly sins, which they obtained, while they were here living, whom being dead the mass doth avail, for the remission of venial sins, and the releasing of their temporal pains, which they suffer, because, when they lived in this world, they did deserve and merit that not only masses, (as saint Austen affirmeth) but also Ad dulcitium questi. ● ineucha. 109 prayers, and alms of the quick should profit them, if they were applied to them, therefore this Melancththons' reason is clearly of no value ne force. Vrbanus Regius doth Vrbanus Regius false reporteth of priests as many other do, that they make merchandise of the mass falsely, & spitefully say, that the priests, idle fellows, do make merchandise of the mass, left to be a memorial, and remembrance of the death which brought life. For they do take money for saying mass as a stipend, and wages of their labours to live by according to their vocation, and manner of living. Is it not leeful for them to take somewhat for that their service, for as much as every man may live by the sweet of his face, as god said to Adam, that he should? doth not Christ say Gene. 3. Mat 10. Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 9 that the workman is worthy to have his wages for his labour? Doth not also saint Paul say that they ought of duty to give Rom. 1●. temporal sustenance, and goods to them, of whom they had received spiritual things? May not a priest take money for his sustenance, when he prayeth, and saith mass for the people, as well as the preacher for his sermons, which may leefully live by that his labour, as Paul declareth the ninth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians? Therefore we priests make no merchandise of the mass, like as the preacher doth not of his preaching, Now good peroratio. Christian reader, thou hast not only the truth of this matter set forth at large in this book, but also a confutation of all, that Martin Luter (which of all men first began to babble against the blessed mass), could write for the maintenance of his heresy, to the which I have added some other of his scholars arguments, with a reproving also of them, so that no man can hereafter excuse himself, through want of knowledge of the truth, which will read over this book without all affection diligently, more considering what is therein said, than who said it, and set it forth to be red of all men: Accept in good worth, gentle reader, this my endeavour, and labour, taken to profit them, which either be clean rude, and unlearned, or else have but little knowledge, and understanding in scripture, for learned men have no need of this my labour, whereby the truth is declared after a gross, and a rude fashion, for the easier understanding of the unlearned, for whom it is done. The grace of god be with the good reader, and keep the from all heresy, or soon deliver the from it, if thou be already therewith infected, and poisoned, that thou steadfastly and undoubtedly believing all things pertaining to a christian man's belief, and observing gods commandments, mayest, at th'end of thy life, come to that joy which god hath prepared for his true lovers, & christ our saviour most dearly hath bought for the same, with shedding of his precious blood, to whom be glory, honour, and impery for ever. Amen. Faults escaped in the printing, Fol. pa. li. faut correction 2 12 perfecto: perlecto 39 1 12. after this word (name) lacketh these words in every place. 42 2 21 ipsarum: ipsorum 43 1 1 read That is. 43 2 7 quod: quoddam 44 1 8 read Against whose fond. etc. 46 2 17 judea: iudeae 48 2 2 the tribe: the tribe 50 1 20 ecclesiam: ecclesia 58 8 18 ecclesiam: ecclesia 60 2 against the first line in the margin, read, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 70 2 in the margin read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 76. 1 9 read of the sacrinfice (thereby understanding the body of Christ offered at mass in sacrifice to god, which the counsel commandeth to be given to the sick before he depart, if he ask it) 76 2 17 for the consecration read the sacrament of the altar. 77 2 4 Ramanes: Romans 78 1 21 porfyt: profit 82 1 13 sacrificanerit: sacrificaverit. 83 1 22 Audrew: Andrew 87 1 3 crafts: craft 92 2 19 heaven: hevon 95 2 19 sanguis: sanguinis 97 2 19 wit: with 99 2 2 lacketh. (in) afore the first word. 103 2 5 connivium: conuivium 105 1 11 figmnetum: figmentum 106 2 8 socerdoes: sacerdos 1011 2 4 font: sunt 1042 1 1● conscientiam: conscientia ¶ printed at London in Aldersgate street by Iohn Herforde. 1546.