WORK FOR A masspriest. IN. DOMINO CONFIDO. LONDON Printed by William jones, dwelling in Redcrosse street. 1617. WORK FOR A mass-priest. 1. SIR Priest, is not this of a In Symbolo To. 2. operum Athanasij edit Commelinae An. 1600. Athanasius good Divinity, filius a patre solo est, non factus nec creatus? The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created. If so, than I pray you tell me, how without blasphemy b Discip. de Tempore set. 111. Cassanaeus Gatal. Gloriae Mundi part. 2. consid. 3. fol. 4. Biel. sect. 4. in Can. Missae. you can say, Sacerdos est creator sui creatoris: A priest is the Creator of his Creator: meaning Christ the Son of God. 2. Again, if it be currant Divinity which the same c Loco supra citato. Athanasius delivers; Christus, Deus ex substantia patris: homo ex substantia matris. Christ is of the substance of his Father, as he is God; and of the substance of his Mother, as he is Man: Tell me where the wit of your john the 22. was, when d Horae B. virg. salve santa facies fol. 68 edit Par●f 1526 he said, Rex fit ex pane. The King (meaning Christ the King of heaven) is made of bread: and why you are not ashamed to retain in the e De consecrat. d. 2. c. 72. virum sub. Canon Law these words, Corpus Christiet sanguis ex panis et vini substantia efficitur. The body and blood of Christ is made of the substance of bread and Wine. 3. Thirdly, if it be true which f De civitate dei l. ●. c. 29. S. Austen saith, That God is nusquam inclusus, penned in, in no place: and that the great g euripides in Cyclope Act. 4 Cyclops (when Ulysses told him, that the Wine which he had in his Bottle was the god Bacchus) did not without cause in a wonderment reply? What? A god in a bottle? I pray tell me, why you pen up your Sacrament, which h Allen de sacrificio Euch. cap. 41. & Bristol Motive 26. you acknowledge for your God, in a Pixe or in a box. Of a be in a Box I have heard much by many; but of a God in a box I never heard but by Papists? 4. Fourthly, if it be evident that they are no gods, whose Priests keep their Temples with doors, and with locks, and with bars, lest their gods should be spoiled by Robbers, as i Baruk. cha. 6. ver. 17. Baruk saith in his 6. Chapter, which goes for Canonical Scripture with you: If they who cannot defend themselves from thieves and Robbers deserve not to be reputed gods, as the same k Verse 56. Author saith: If l Hom. 57 in Gen. 31. chrysostom justly derided Laban when he said, O excellentem insipientiam! Tales sunt dii tui ut quis eos furart possit? Non erubescis dicere, Quare furatus es deos meos? O notable foolery! Are thy gods such gods as may be stolen? Art thou not ashamed to say, why hast thou stolen my gods? Why should not you, and your fellows, Sir Priest, be whoopt at for holding the Sacrament to be God, which for fear of stealing you m Lyndwood Provinc. con. titul. l. 3. de custodia Eucha. cum clau ura in c. dignissimum. would not have hung over the high Altar under a Canopy, but reserved in a surer place under lock and key. Fiftly, if it be evident, that they are no gods, which cannot be preserved from rust and worms: which feel not when things which creep out of the earth eat them, as it seems by n Chap. 6. ver. 11 & 19 Baruk before mentioned: seeing it is the o joseph. Angles, Flores quaest. Theologi●in 4. sent. part. ●. q. de suscep. Euch. ad 3. difficult▪ 2. p. 96. general doctrine of your Church, That worms may breed in your Sacrament: that brute-beasts, Dogs, Hogs, Mice, Chouhges, may eat it: Are you not singular odd Caps, to p Allen & Bristol locis supra citatis. hold the Sacrament for your Lord and your God? Ecquemtam amentem esse putas, qui illud quo vescatur deum credat esse? Thinkest thou there is any man so mad that holds it for his god whereof he eateth, saith q Apud Cic. l. ●. de Nat. deorum. Cetta? Quomodo quis sanae mentis deum nuncuparit id quod vero deo oblatum tandem ipse comedit? How can any man of reason think that to be God, which he offereth in sacrifice to the true God, and afterwards eats thereof himself, saith r Quaest. 11. in Leuit. Theodoret. And if this be true, Sir Priest, do not you deserve to be sent to Bedlam for eating the Sacrament, which you call your Lord and God? Averroes ( s Espencaeus de Euch. l. 4 c. 3. they say) professed, that he had traveled a great part of the world, & that he had seen many men of different Religions, & yet he found not any Christiana deteriorem, aut tam fatuam, worse or foolisher than the Christians: qui● deum suum quem colunt dentibus devorabant, because they tore him with their teeth, whom they worshipped as their God I verily believe he wronged the christians of his time, charging them with that whereof they were not guilty: but if he had lived since your Religion got footing, & meant of you, he had spoken nothing but the truth, and his censure had been justifiable. 7. The God of right believing Christians is t 1. joh. 5. 10. life itself, and gives life to others, even u joh. 6. everlasting life to them who eat him spiritually. Yet your god is such a god, that a man eating him after your fashion, he may easily be poisoned by him. And I pray you then, how should your god be reputed the God of right believing Christians? That a man may be poisoned, by eating, after your fashion, your god, the Sacrament, I mean; it is plain by divers examples, for Henricus Archiep. Eboracensis cum divina celebraret mysteria, hausto in ipso chalice (ut aiunt) veneno obiit. Henry Archb. of York died (as they say) of poison, by drinking of the Chalice when he administered the Sacrament, saith x Hist. Angl. in vita Steph. ad An. 1154. p. 122 Matthew Paris. Victor tertius fuit extinctus per venenum in calicem missum. Pope Victor the third was killed with poison in the Chalice, saith y In Chron. ad An. 1095. Polanus and z Fascic. Temp. ad An. 1094. others. Henricus 7. Imperator (ut communis fert opinio) per paenitentiarium suum, immixto veneno in chalice, dum ab ipso Eucharistiam sumeret extinctus est. The Emperor Henry the 7. (as the common report goes) was killed by his ghostly father, who put poison into the Chalice when he delivered unto him the Communion, saith the a Ad An. 1314 Author of the Appendix to Polonus. 8. A b Guitmundus l. 2. de Sacram. Synod of BB. in Italy decreed, That when the true flesh of Christ and his true blood appears at the celebration of the Sacrament in their proper kind, both the flesh and the blood should be reserved in the midst of the Altar for especial relics. Now I would know of you Sir Priest, what time or reason you have to make a Relic of your god? of the relics of Saints I have heard some talk, but of the relics of God, or rather that God himself should be kept for a Relic, I think never man heard, but out of a Papists mouth. 9 I read that you c Sum Angelica verbo. Missa Nu 18. vide etiam verb. Eucharistia sect. 3: Nu. 5. prescribe, Si Musca vel Aranea cadat in calicem post Consecrationem etc. If either Fly, or Spider, fall into the Chalice after words of Consecration, so that there be fear of poisoning, or provocation to vomit, the Priest shall take sanguinem illum et igne combur at cum aliqua stupa vel panno linneo, in ipso madefacto: that blood, and burn it by the help of some Tow, or Linen rags dipped in it. Now whether it be poisoned or not poisoned, whether it be such as will provoke vomit, or not provoke vomit, as long as the species remains, it is your god. And how then can you clear yourselves from burning of your god? 10. I hear d Conc. Trent. sess. 22. Can. 1. you teach, That in your Mass, Christ is truly and properly sacrificed by you. And with all I hear e Bell. lib. 1. de Missa cap. 2. you teach, that whatsoever is truly and properly sacrificed, if it be alive thing, it is killed. Now I would gladly know of you, if this be thus, how you can excuse yourselves from killing of Christ? For Christ, whom (as you say) you sacrifice truly, and properly, is alive thing. 11. I hear you f Bell. l. 4. de Euch. cap. 16. teach, That there is no Transubstantiation except he be a Priest who consecrates, and g Idem l. 1. de Sacram. in genere c. 27. have an intent to consecrate. Now, seeing it is confessed by some of yourselves, h Paulus Langius in Crhon. Citizensi ad An. 1514. joh. Franc. Leo in Thesauro fori Eccles. part. 3. de prohibit & premijs Nu. 57 that some have taken upon them the name of Priests, who were none: some i Bodin Daemonoman. l. 4. cap. 5. Nich. de Blow. decret. doctore Tract● de Euch. being Priests have used the words of consecration without intent to consecrate. I would know how any lay Papists can possibly know when your Hosts are transubstantiated, and when he may safely adore it, because except there be transubstantiation, he commits Idolatry in adoring: adoring bread and wine the Creature, in stead of the Creator. 12. I read in your books, That the Virgin Mary, sola plus potest apud Deum impeirare, quam omnes sancti in Coelo: Can of herself alone prevail more with God than all the Saints in heaven beside: yea I read, that l Chrysost. a visitat. Tom. 2. I. de verbis dominae ad filium in nuptuis ca 2. velocior est nonnunquam salus, invocato nomine Mariae, quam invocato nom ne Domini jesu unici filii eius: oftentimes men find more present help upon their praying to our Lady, then upon their praying to jesus Christ. And that m Discip. de Temp ser. 161. de Sanct. s. Nihil nos Deus voluit habere quod per manus Mariae non transiret: Gods will is, we shall have nothing but what passeth through the Virgin Maries fingers. Now if this be true, I would know why men should not pray to the Virgin Mary only, who is so gracious & omnipotent: and cease to trouble, if not Christ, yet the rest of the Saints, which in comparison of her are so graceless, and impotent? 13 I read in your n Rhem. Annot in 2. Cor. 1. 11. books, that you hold it absurd to say: That the intercession of our fellows beneath, are more available than the prayers of those that be in the glorious sight of God above. Now if it be indeed absurd to say so, I would gladly know of you, why S. Paul desired the o Rom. 15. 30. Romans, the p 2. Cor. 1. 11. Corinthians, the q Ephes. 6. 19 Ephesians, the r Colos. 4. 3. Colossians, the s 1. Thes. 5. 25. & 2. Thes. 3. 1. Thessalonians, the t Heb. 13. 18. Hebrews, all of them his fellows beneath, to pray for him: and desired none of the Saints in the glorious sight of God above to pray for him? And why S. u I am. 5. 16. james advised them to whom he writ, That one of them (beneath) should pray for another: and required them not to pray to the Saints in the glorious sight of God above for help? 14. I have read in your books, that your Pope is called x Conc. Horent. sess. ulter Turre cremat. sum. de Ecclesial. 2 c. 80. Caput universalis Ecclesiae, y Idem lib. 2. cap. 86. Pater Ecclesiae, z Ibid. Filius Ecclesiae, z Sponsus Ecclesiae, Mater Ecclesia: the head of the Catholic Church, the Father of the Church, Bell. lib 2 de Ro. pont. ca 31. the Son of the Church, the Spouse of the Church, the Church our Mother. Now I would know of you, how he can be the Church herself, and yet head of the Church, and the Church's husband: how he can be father to the Church, and yet a son of the Church: how without committing Incest, the father may marry his daughter, the brother may marry his sister, the son may marry his mother. 15. I read in your books, b Cande labrum aureum Tit. de Satisfact. Nu. 17. impres. Brixiae an. 1595. solum Deum nosce quae sit justa poenitentia that God only knows how long every sin deserves to be punished in Purgatory; though c Discip. de temp. ser. 156. d some take upon them precisely to set down, that every sin deserves▪ 2555. days purgatory torments. And yet I read, that the Pope grants Indulgences in this manner. Qui hoc vel illud fecerit liber abit animam unam à Purgatorio: He that doth this, or that, shall deliver a soul, or more, out of purgatory. Now I would know how your Pope comes to know, That souls are so near the time of their delivery, that the doing of this, or that, will suffice to make even for the remainder of their punishment, or rather, whether you be not of my mind, that the Pope in granting such Indulgences, plays the K. and the people in making reckoning of them, play the Fools. 16 I read in your books, that your Pope, for delivering of souls out of Purgatory, prescribes sometimes no more, but the saying of a Mass at such an Altar in such a Church: or the saying of a Pater Noster twice or thrice, etc. Now I would know, with what justice God could keep him in such horrible torments as are in Purgatory, for want of the saying of a Mass, or two or three Pater Nosters: whom in mercy he meant to deliver upon the saying of a Mass, or two or three Pater Nosters? 17 And seeing I read in your books, f Anton. part. 3 Tit. 22. cap. 5. sect. 5. That your Pope hath power to empty Purgatory at once: and if the saying of a Mass and a Pater Noster will help to empty it: I would know, how you can excuse your Pope from unspeakable uncharitableness, and hard heartedness: in that he himself saith no more Masses, nor Pater Nosters for Christian souls, than he doth: nor setteth more of his Priests on that work. I do not doubt, but if such commodities would redeem souls, the Carmelits should have no cause to brag of their privilege, which is, g Thes. Carm. Paris. impress. An. 1601. teste Moulins in defence of the Catholic faith Art. 21. that none of them shall lie longer in Purgatory then the Saturday following their departure: for the Pope might deliver every man the same day he died. 18 I have a h Ho. B. verg. secund. usum Sarum. impres Paris. an. 1526. book of yours, wherein their are many pardons granted upon saying of certain prayers, some for scores some for hundredth of days: some for hundreds, some for thousands of years. Among which there is i fol 66. one for 1000000 years: and an k fol. 144. other promising as many years of pardon as there are bodies buried in that Church yard where the prayer is said, which may amount to a numberless number, though perhaps not so many as l Treatise of diverse matters concerning Lond. cap. of the whole pardons of Rome granted by divers Popes. Sur de con. Pope Sylvester granted to the Church of S. john Lateran's, who at the hallowing of it, granted so many years of pardon thereto, as there fell drops of water that day, albeit never man saw a greater rain than fell that day. Now I would know of you, why any man should trouble himself with saying of those prayers, which have petty pardons of days, or some hundreds of years, assigned them? Me thinks it were enough to say that prayer which hath 1000000 years of pardon: and the other Churchyard prayer, which comes to a Nemo scit, and to let the rest sleep in the deck. 19 I read in your m Bell. lib. 2. de monach ca 30. books, That your Votaries break their vows, if they marry: but not, if they keep whores. Now I would know of you, whether this doth not argue plainly, That your Votaries vow against Marriage, which the Scriptures call honourable: and not against Whoring, which is of itself damnable? 20 I read in your books, n Tho: Aquin. comment. in Tit. 1. That he is more capable of holy Orders among you who hath kept two Whores, than he who hath married a widow, or two wives. And if this be thus, may we not say with your o in cap. Quia circa. extra. de Bigamis. gloss, Nota mirabile, quod plus habit luxuria, quam castitas. Observe a strange thing, Whoredom hath greater privilege than Chastity. 21 I have heard it credibly reported, That your BB. may absolve from any sin committed against the Law of God, but not from every trespass against the Papal Sea. Now if the report be true, I desire to know, why he should be denied the lesser, to whom the greater is granted: And why you should be angry at us, if we say, that according to your opinion, Trespasses against the Pope, are more heinous than trespasses against God. 22 I have heard it credibly reported, That the jews are licenced to have Synagogues at Rome: where Protestant's cannot be allowed to have a Chapel. Now if this report be true also, I would gladly know of you, why the jews should have such favour above the Protestants: seeing the jews rail blasphemously on Christ jesus, of whom the Protestants never spoke nor thought evil, but always honourably. 23. But to come nearer you Sir Priest, I am told, That your Priests take this oath, p Bulla. Pij 4. ●up. forms profess fid. constit 30. in summa constit. sum. pon●a Greg. 9 usque ad Sixt. 5 Ego N. sacram scripturam juxta eum sensum que tenuit, & tenet sanct a matter Eeclesia, cuius est judicare de vero sensu & interpretatione sacrarum scripturam admitto, nec eam unquam nisi juxta unanimem consensum patrum accipiam & interpretabor, that is, I such a one, do take the holy Scriptures in that sense, which my holy mother the Church, whose duty it is to judge which is the true sense of Scripture, hath taken it, and takes it in: neither will I ever take it in other sense then such as the Fathers give thereof with joint consent Now if you do so, I would gladly know, how you can clear yourselves from perjury, seeing it is plain you sometimes take q Bell. lib. 1 de purge. cap. 3. and expound Scripture in that sense, which never father gave of them, as for example, Micah 7. ver. 8. 9 which you allege for Purgatory. For no Father did ever so expound it. Sometimes you take and expound them in that sense, which is contrary to some Fathers, as when r Bell. lib. 1. de purge. cap. 7. you expound the words in the 24. of the Proverbs ver. 16. of falling into sin, which Austen saith is not so. For Non de iniquitatibus sed de Tribulationibus loquitur, saith s de Civit. Dei lib. 11. cap. 31. Austin. Sometimes you take and expound them in that sense, which is contrary to all the Fathers, which we find to have interpreted them, as when you take t joh. 10. 16. v joh. de Paris. Tract. de potestate regia et Papal. cap. 3. Stapleton Antidote in Evang. joh. cap. 10. Christ's words, which he spoke of one Shepherd, to be meant of your u Pope, and not of Christ himself. For the x vide Rayn. Apolog. thes. Nu. 24. Fathers say, that by that one Shepherd Christ meant himself. 24. Again Sir Priest, I am informed that your famous B. Simancha writes thus. y Instit. cathol. cap. 45. Nu. 14. impress. valissolet. An. 1552. Hereticis fides à privato data servanda non est-nec fides à magistratibus data servanda est haereticis: faith made to an heretic by a private man, is not to be kept-neither is that Faith which is made to an heretic by Magistrates, to be kept. Though I have seen a z I. R. in his overthrow of pulpit Babel's &c. printed 1612. part. 1. chap 4. book of yours, wherein this is utterly denied, yet I am credibly informed it is very true. Yea I am informed, that your Pope Martin the 5. writ to Alexander Duke of Lituania a Apud Co hlaeum l. 5. hist. Hussirarum. thus; Scito te mortalitater peccare si seruabis fidem datam haereticis. Know thou sinnest mortally if thou keep thy oath with heretics. Now, if this be thus, I would gladly know, you holding Protestants for heretics, why you should look that any Protestant should trust you further upon your oaths, than he would trust a dog with a shoulder of Mutton. 25 They say you teach b Symancha Institut. Cathol. cap. 45. Nu. 28. haereticum esse privatum dominio naturali, Civili, Politico. That an heretic is deprived of all his jurisdiction whether Natural; Civil, or Politic: and c Nu. 27. omni debito obligationis et obsequii, freed from all debt due by bond or service: in so much that the children, and servants, and subjects of heretics, owe no duty to their Parents, Ministers, or Princes: that good wives need not lie with their husbands. That such as are indebted, need not pay their debts to their Creditors, d Custos arcis, et vasillus liberatur a Domino haeretico, cui fidelitatem prom●serat▪ ibid. That keepers of Forts or Towns may surrender them into the enemy's hands. And if this be your doctrine, can you be angry, If Protestant Princes, and their Subjects, who have wives, and children, and servants, and money in other men's hands, do wish you all ultra Garamantas & Indos. 26 You e Bell. lib. 4. de verbo Dei non scripto ca 2. teach, Sir Priest, That the Word of God is partly written, partly unwritten. And the written word, you call Scripture: the unwritten Tradition. Yet you undertake to prove divers of your opinions both by the Scripture, and by Tradition: as for example, Praying to Saints: Praying for the dead: setting up of Images in Churches: worshipping of Images set up, etc. Now I would know with what honesty you can allege Scripture, for that which you say is a tradition: or tradition, for that which you say you have Scripture? Can one and the same thing be written, and not written? 27 You brag much of the Church, as though it were yours only, and not ours. You f Gretser trac. de agnoc. scrip. Canon ca ●. col. 1888. tell us, that infallibilitas verbi dei ex Ecclesiae testimonio pendet. The infallibility of the word of God depends upon the Church's testimony: that the Church is, judex omnium controversiarum, judge of all controversies. And yet when we urge you to deal plainly with us, and to tell us what you mean by the Church, you 3 answer: Per Ecclesiam intelligimus Pontificem Romanun, by the Church we mean the Pope of Rome. Now is not this a jest? 28 You g Idem lib. citat. cap. 6. col. 1905. & defen. Bell. lib. 3. c. 10. To. 1. col. 1450. 4 Baron. Annal Tom. 6. 5 Epist. ad Clem. 8. missa An. dom. 1593. quae habet. ad finem tom. 6. Annal. Baronii. 6 Num. 6. tell us, that Clemens 8. was called by Gabriel Patriarch of Alexandria, tertius-decimus Apostolorum gloriosi domini nostri jesu Christi, et quintus SS. Euangelistarum, the 13. Apostle of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, and the 5. Evangelist, and your Cardinal Baronius approves of the patriarchs entitling of your Pope so. Now I would know, if Clemens the 8. deserved to be called the 13. Apostle, and the 5. Evangelist, why the other Clements, and especially Clemens the first, yea and all the rest of your Popes may not be thought to have been Apostles and Evangelists? Bell. lib. 1. de sanct. beatit. ca 13. 29 They say, you burn Incense to your Images. And if that be so, I would know, why you should not be held Idolaters, seeing to burn Incense to a thing hath been held as much as to offer sacrifice unto the thing. And sacrificing unto any thing but God only hath been always reputed Idolatry. Exod. 22. 20. Austin de Civ. Dei lib 10. c. 4. Horae. B. virg. impress Paris. in 4. Anno 1526. fo. 62. 63 30 I have seen a prayer of yours Sir Priest, which as the Rubric saith, was showed unto S. Austen by revelation of the holy Ghost: and of which you give out, that who beareth it about them, shall not perish in fire nor water, neither in battle, nor judgement, nor shall die sudden death, nor be poisoned with venom. Now this being thus, I desire to know what difference between you and sorcerers? Hosius lib. 3. de autho it sac. script. Pigh. Ecclesi. Hierarchi. Stapl. Apol. ad Illiricum. 31 I am told you commend the Collier, who being asked by the Devil or by a Cardinal (some say the one, some say the other) how he believed, returned answer, as the Church believeth: and being asked how the Church believed, replied, as he believed: running still the round, vouchsafing no other answer, but I believe as the Church believes, and the Church believes as I believe. Now if this be true, I desire to know why the whole pack of you should not be held for fools, seeing belief in gross, is but gross divinity. Sure I am, lib. 5. cap. 20. Lactantius laughed at them as fools, who being asked a Ad maiorum judicia confugiunt. reason of that which they believed, could give none, but rested in their forefather's judgements, quod illi sapientes fuerint, illi probaverint, illi sciverint quod esset optimum: because (forsooth) they were very wise, and they approved of that which they held, and they knew what was best to be holden: concluding that such did se ipsos sensibus spoliare, & ratione abdicare, that is, make fools of themselves. 32 The last point wherein I desire to be satisfied by you is, What you are able to reply, upon the Jesuits Watson in his Quodlibers, pag. 100 behalf, to Sixtus Quintus: who cowenting the General of their order before him, and expostulating the case with him, why his Order called themselves jesuits; and receiving answer, that the people called them so, they themselves not taking that name unto them, but the name of Clerks of the society of jesus: replied upon the General prettily (to give the devil his right) ask, why they durst be so saucy as to 1. Cor. 1. 2. take that unto themselves, seeing the Apostle witnesseth, that all Christians are called into the society of jesus. Me thinks, the Pope's Replica, will admit no Replica on the Jesuits part. And therefore your Jesuits are as faulty in taking upon them in special to be of the society of jesus, as if they had refused to be called Ignatians of their lame founder Ignatius, and scorned the name Christian, derived of Christ, as to common: and taken unto themselves the name jesuit, of jesus, which yet was held utterly unlawful a Lyndwood Constitut. provincial. lib. Tit. de Consuetudine huius autem. many years before your Jesuits were hatched. FINIS.