IF I were not led (O yee MASSING Priests) with a naturall and fervent affection toward this our common country, which as a most tender mother, hath tenderly brought me forth, and as a most loving nurse, hath hitherto sweetly embraced, kindly fo­stered [Page 2] and carefully kept me up, whose de­struction and utter de­solation (if provision betimes be not made) I see unfainedly to be at hand: againe, if I were not moved with very pitie and tender compassion towards you my country-men, greatly lamenting and even from the very heart bewailing the miserable and wret­ched state wherein at this present yee stand, perceiving also your dreadfull damnation, besides the corporall plagues, which with o­ther [Page 3] ye shall suffer, not to be farre off, except yee shortly repent, turne unto the Lord our God, and leave your abominable Idoll service: I would chuse rather quietly to goe forth in giving my minde to the studie of the holy Scriptures according to my pro­fession, and in calling on the Name of God by fervent prayer for the redresse of the great abominations, which now of late dayes as most fierce & outragious flouds have violently burst in, o­verflowed [Page 4] and utterly deformed the Christi­an Common-weale of this our Realme of England, than brea­king off my present studies to take upon me at this time to write unto you, and especially of such a matter as some brain­sicke persons straight­wayes will condemne as hereticall, but all wil judge it superfluous, seeing the matter whereof I entend to write, doth but a little agree with the com­mon opinion of reli­gion, yea rather super­stition, [Page 5] that is now re­ceived among us a­gainst the which to strive, who will not count it a thing of great folly, being so defenced not onely with Lawes and Sta­tutes, but also with the power of the head ru­lers, with the wily sub­tilties of the fleshly hypocrites, and with the consent of the grosse multitude: as I may speake nothing of the untowardnesse, yea, rather froward­nesse and malicious madnesse of a number of you Masse-mon­gers, [Page 6] to whom these my Letters bee dire­cted, which have been so rooted from the beginning of your greasie Priest-hood in this wicked kinde of massing, taking it for most perfect, pure, true, sound, godly and Christian Religion, and have found so great ease, quietnesse, lucre, gaine and ad­vantage in it, that it shall be more easie, ex­cept God setteth to his helping hand, to make a man of Inde white, than to plucke many of you from [Page 7] your old accustomed and cankered trade, so hard a thing is it to use an old dogge to the reine, or to cure that disease that is bred in the bone. But not­withstanding, having a good opinion, al­though not of all, yet of some of you, which sinne not of obstinate malice against the truth, but of simplici­tie, ignorance and blindnesse, offend for lacke of better know­ledge, whom also per­adventure God hi­therto hath suffered to remaine in errour, that [Page 8] he now at the last tho­row the riches of his mercy, might bring you into the glorious light of his blessed Go­spell, and make you of Sauls, Pauls; of raven­ing wolves, faithfull Shepheards; of cruell persecutors; Christian Preachers, of abomi­nable Idolaters, true worshippers of God: that by this meanes ye may beleeve and be sa­ved: I will attempt even for your sakes, even to the uttermost of my power, as time shall serve, to declare unto you my minde [Page 9] concerning the great abuse, yea, the abomi­nable Idolatry, which ye commit in the most wicked and Divellish Masse, The Abo­mination of the Popish Masse. while yee take upon you contrary to the Word of God, to defile the blessed Sa­crament of Christs bo­dy and bloud, to mini­ster it in your Masses unto your selfe alone; contrary to Christs in­stitution, to offer it for a sacrifice unto God for the sinnes of the quicke and dead, to a­vouch it to bee of no lesse excellencie, price, dignitie, efficacie, [Page 10] might, vertue and power, than the sacri­fice, which our Savi­our Christ offered on the altar of the Crosse, and to make a shew of it to the people, that they may fall downe and worshippe it as a god, yea, God him­selfe Creator and ma­ker of all things, that yee having the know­ledge of these your er­rors may from hence­forth cease to offend the Lord our God, give over your Idola­trous massing, repent you of your former life, and become god­ly [Page 11] Ministers in the Church of Christ un­to the glory of God, and the profit of his holy Congregation. And that wee may the better discerne the truth from the false­hood and the propha­nation of the Sacra­ment from the true ministration thereof, I will compare Christs doing in this behalfe and yours together, that when ye shall per­ceive how farre ye dis­sent and swarve from the truth, ye may for­sake your errour, and follow no more the [Page 12] trifling traditions of Antichrist, the Bishop of Rome, and of his adherents, but rather embrace that Godly and faithfull order, which our Saviour Christ hath set and ap­pointed in his holy Word for the due Mi­nistration of his bles­sed Communion.

It is not unknowne to you, What Christ did when hee ordained his holy Sup­per. that the Lord Iesus after he had eatē the Paschall Lambe, with his Disciples, ac­cording to the Law of Moses, that same night wherein hee was be­trayed, knowing that [Page 13] the time appointed of his heavenly Father frō everlasting, where­in he should offer him­selfe a sweet smelling sacrifice to God for the sinnes of the world, was at hand, and wil­ling to leave behinde him a memoriall of his glorious Passion and precious death to his holy Congregation, that the fruits, com­modities and benefits, which the faithfull pe­nitent sinners have by the offering up of his blessed bodie, should not be forgotten, but had in an everlasting [Page 14] remembrance, first of all preached a most fruitfull and comfor­table Matth 26. Sermon to his Matth. 14. Disciples, Luke 22. and after­ward 1 Cor. 11. as he sate at the table with them, hee tooke bread into his hands, and after he had given thankes to his heavenly Father (as his manner was) for his corporall gifts, but specially for the deare love, that hee of his owne meere mercie and free heartie good will bare toward man­kind, he brake bread, and gave bread unto his disciples, saying: [Page 15] Take yee, eat yee, this is my body, which is betrayed for you. Doe this in remembrance of me. And as hee tooke the bread and made it a Sacrament, that is to say, an holy signe, fi­gure, token, and Me­moriall of his Body breaking, so likewise he took the wine, and made that a Sacra­ment, holy signe, fi­gure, token, and Me­moriall of his bloud shedding, and after thankesgiving to his heavenly Father for the benefits aforesaid, he delivered the Cup [Page 16] unto his Disciples, saying: Drinke of this all ye. This Cup is a new Testament in my bloud, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Doe this so oft as yee shall drinke it, in the remem­brance of me. And this heavenly banket once done, they said grace, that is to say, they praised God, by say­ing either certaine Psalmes of David, or some other thankesgi­vings, and so depar­ted. Here is the whole institution of the Lords Supper. Now let us compare [Page 17] Christs Supper with your Popish and Ido­latrous Masse, and see how well Christs do­ings and yours agree together. If ye be the Ministers of Christ, and not of Antichtist, the servants of God, and not of the Divell, then will you follow your Master Christ, which saith, Iohn 13. I have gi­ven you an example, that as I have done, so like­wise yee should doe. Let us now then goe in hand with the mat­ter.

First, we reade, that Christ before hee fed [Page 18] his Disciples, with the mysticall food of his body and bloud, made a Sermon unto them, Christ prea­ched before his Supper. wherewith, as with a certaine most whole­some preparative, hee made meet the minds of his Disciples, unto so worthy a banket, giving all faithfull Mi­nisters an example, that whensoever they with the congregati­on doe come together to celebrate the Lords Supper, there should be some Sermon or exhortation made un­to the people, that they might the better [Page 19] examine themselves, and the more deepely consider the thing that they goe about. And according to the example of Christ, not only the Apostle, but all the holy Fathers al­so of the Primitive church used the trade, and so did it continue in the Church of Christ, till Antichrist, the Bishop of Rome, had driven Christ out of place, and set up himselfe as God: A­gaine, till hee had ex­pulsed the Supper of the Lord, and set up his owne peevish, yea [Page 20] theevish Idolatrous Masse, as wee may see in the monuments of the ancient Writers. They continued, saith blessed Luke, Acts 2. in the A­postles doctrine and fellowshippe, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And Saint Paul saith, 1 Cor. 11. As often as ye shall eat this bread, and drinke of the cup, shew, set forth, declare and preach the Lords death till he come. A practise hereof have we in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 20. where wee reade; That upon one of the Sabbath dayes, [Page 25] when the Disciples, came together for to breake bread (so ter­meth S. Luke the re­ceiving of the Sacra­ment of Christs body and blood) blessed Paul preached unto them, and continued the preaching unto midnight. And the Sermon ended, they brake bread, ate, than­ked God and depar­ted. Note. For if the Sacra­ment of Christ be ne­ver so comfortable, yet if they bee not known what they are, to what use they were instituted, what joy­full [Page 26] promises are an­nexed unto them; what they signifie and preach unto the faith­full receivers, &c. What other things are they to us, thā the pre­tious stone was to Ae­sops Cock? A Sacramēt ministred without preaching of the word is but a dumb ceremo­ny, a glasse offered to a blind man, and a tale told to one that is deafe. Ma [...] 3. The Apostles before the ministra­tion of any Sacrament preached, and so did the holy Fathers of the primitive Church. [Page 27] Saint Iohn Baptist the sonne of the Priest Zachary, preached un­to the people before hee baptized them. Our Saviour Christ a little before his ascen­sion, Mat. 28. said to his Apo­stles; Iohn 13. 14. 15. 16. [...]oe and teach all nations, 1 Cor. 11. baptizing them in the name of the Fa­ther, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Here is Baptism & the preaching of the word joyned together. And as concerning the blessed Sacrament of Christs body and blood did not our Sa­viour Christ preach at [Page 28] the institution and ministration of it? Are we not also comman­ded by the holy Apo­stle, that whensoever wee come to receive the blessed Commu­nion, the death of the Lord should be prea­ched, declared, and set forth? Ministrati­on of the Sacraments without preaching, profiteth little. Did not the Apostles of Christ, and all the godly Bi­shops of the primitive Church, observe the same order? They considered right well how little the mini­stration of the Sacra­ments availeth, with­out the preaching of [Page 29] the Word: For as S. Paul saith, how shall they believe without a Preacher? Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing commeth by the Word of God. None therefore of the Lords Sacraments ought publickely to be administred with­out preaching of the word; yea, & that not in a strange tongue, In Ioan tract. 80. but in such a speech as the people under­stand or else it were as good to speake the words unto a s [...]rt of sheepe or geese as un­to them that are ga­thered [Page 30] together at the ministration of any Sacrament. And this meant Saint Augustine, when hee said, Take away the Word, and what is Water but wa­ter? But let the word bee added to the Ele­mēt, & it is made a Sa­cramēt. Whence hath the water such a pow­er that it should touch body, and wash the heart? but by the ver­tue of working of the word, not because it is spoken, but because it is beleeved. The word signifyeth here not only the speaking [Page 31] of Ego baptizote, &c. or Hoc est corpus meum, &c. pronounced by the Priest in a strange tongue, but the prea­ching of the word of God uttered by the mouth of the Mini­sters in such a lan­guage as the people understand, or else how shall they be­leeve? It is not the utterance of Gods word in an unknowne speech that bringeth faith, but when it is so spoken, that it is understood of them that heare it, and that faith through the ope­ration [Page 32] of the holy Ghost ensueth, which otherwise is cold, ly­eth idle, and worketh nothing in the heart of the hearer: for as S. Augustine saith, Take away the Word, and what is Water but wa­ter? that is to say, take away the preaching of Gods word from the Sacramēt of Baptism, which declareth what Baptisme is, who in­stituted it, to what use it was ordained, what fruits and commodi­ties wee receive by it, &c. And what doth the water of Baptisme [Page 33] profit, I speake con­cerning such as are come to the use of reason, or such as are present at the mini­stration of Baptisme. And so likewise may wee say of the Sacra­ment of Christs body and bloud. Take a­way the word, and what is Bread but Bread? What is wine but wine? that is to say, Take away the preaching of the Lords death from the holy Cōmunion, and what doth it profit to eat & drinke the Sacramen­tall bread and wine? [Page 34] seeing the mystery is not knowne nor un­derstood. But put the preaching of the word to the Elements, wa­ter, bread, and wine, and so are they made holy and honourable Sacraments, full of sin­gular joy and great comfort, as Saint Au­gustine saith, Let the word be added to the Element, and it is made a Sacrament. Therefore where the Lords Supper is right­ly ministred, What things ought to be preached at the mini­stration of the Lords Supper. there is declared the death and passion of Christ, there is shewed forth the [Page 35] misery of man, from the which hee could have beene no other­wise released, but only by the death of Christ; there is taught what the Sacrament is, what it signifyeth, and to what use Christ our Saviour did institute it, there are the people exhorted not rashly, nor with unwashed feet, as they use to say, to come unto the Lords Table, but to prove, trie, and exa­min themselves, whe­ther they come with such faith and love un­to that most worthy [Page 36] mystery, as they ought, least they eat and drinke their own damnation, there are they stored up unto the workes of mercie toward the poore, and unto hearty thankes­giving to God the Fa­ther for the death of his Son Christ, there also are they put in remembrance that af­ter they have tasted those heavenly my­steries, & have spiritu­ally fed upon the bo­dy & bloud of Christ, which through faith are present, and truly received in spirit of [Page 37] faithful Cōmunicants, and are become one body with Christ, they ought no more to re­turne unto their old sinfull & wicked con­versation, but from henceforth to serve their Lord God in holi­nes & righteousnes all the daies of their life. Luke 1. Is there any such thing done in the popish Masse? The popish Masse hath no prea­ching. Who preacheth? No goodnes is learned at the popish Masse. Who maketh the exhorta­tion? Who moveth the people to repen­tance, faith, love, and amendment of life, mutuall recōciliation, workes of mercie, or [Page 38] unto thankesgiving to God the Father for the death of his Sonne Christ? Who playeth the Schoolmaster, and giveth the people such exhortations, that they goe home from your Masses The Masse is the nurse of all vice. better learned than they came thither? What theese ever lest his theft? What false law­yer gave over his bri­bing? what whore for­sooke her whordome? what wicked man at any time repented him of his wicked­nesse, by comming unto your Masse? Yea, [Page 39] rather they goe from your Masse so well in­structed, that they thinke that now they have heard a Masse, they may doe all the day after what they will. Amends is made beforehand If they bribe, poll, pill, steale, lye, slander, blaspheme, kill, mur­der, runne on who­ring, play the harlot, fall to drunkennesse, to dicing, to carding, and doe all other unlawfull things; it maketh no matter, for they have heard Masse. They have satisfyed Esay. 58. Marke 16. [Page 40] for the sinne, before it be committed. The hearing of masse hath dispatcht al the matter aforehand. And what marvaile is it, though such abomination fol­loweth of your mas­sing, seeing the people heareth no goodnesse at it, but rather are confirmed in all kind of ungodlinesse? The chiefest jewell of all, I meane the preaching of Gods word, is ut­terly exiled from your Masse, as all goodnesse is besides. There is none of you all, that stand up in the pulpit, [Page 41] that lift up your voice to declare unto the people either their wickednesse, or preach unto them the most joyfull, pleasant, and comfortable Gospel of our Saviour Christ. If there bee any prea­ching at all, the Bells make it, The Bells are better preachers than the Massers. when the po­pish Clark ringeth to Masse. The Bells be­ing hanged up tell the people somewhat which they under­stand, namely, that there is a popish masse ready at hand, come heare it who list, and be never the better [Page 42] when yee have done. But ye speake nothing at all that the people understand, and so are yee worse than the Bells. What goodnesse fol­lowed the ministration of the holy Communion Oh how often have I seene here in England at the mini­stration of the holy Communion, people sitting at the Lords table, after they have heard the sermon, or the godly exhortation set forth in the Booke of Common prayer, read unto them by the minister, bitterly weep, heartily repent, and sorrowfully la­ment their too much [Page 43] unkindnesse and un­thankfulnesse toward the Lord God for the death of his Sonne Christ, and for his o­ther benefits; againe, their negligence in doing their duty to­ward their poore neighbours? what free and large gifts also have I seene given to the poore mens boxe? what laying aside of al enmity, and renewing of unfained mutuall reconciliation? what loving embracing and holy kissing of one another? What as­surance of heartytty [Page 44] friendship for ever to continue, where immortall hatred was before? what godli­nesse also of life have I seen afterward pra­ctised by them, that were the Communi­cants? what alteration of manners? What newnesse of conversa­tion? The covetous man to abhorre his co­vetousnesse, the Adul­terer to leave his adul­tery, the Whore to defie her whoredom, the Proud man to de­test his pride, the Vsu­rer to give over his usury, and so forth, by [Page 45] hearing the word of God preached, and by the worthy receiving of the holy Commu­nion, hath full oft bin seen in England, when the doctrine of the Gospell flourished a­mong us. No man bet­ter for hea­ring Masse. Never saw I one point of like godlinesse practised of any man by hearing your popish Masses, but as they have come thither wicked and ungodly, so have they departed againe with the same ungodlines, and wickednes, rather being the worse than the better by hearing [Page 46] that your Idolatrous masse, and yet (Oh God be mercifull unto us, and forgive us our sinnes) the glorious and blessed Cōmunion is now through the craft and subtilty of the devil, and through the wilinesse of his sturdy & stout cham­pions, that filthy Sy­nagogue of Sathan, utterly banished out of this Realme, unto the great dishonour of God, and unspeakable sorrow of all true Christians, and that most vile, most stin­king, most pestife­rous, [Page 47] most abomina­ble, most wicked, most devillish & most ido­latrous popish private Masse received again, set up, and magnifyed above the starres, yea, and above God and his holy ordinance, when indeed of all Idols, The Masse is to be ab­horred of all good men. the Masse is most to be abhorred of such as feare and love God. But though your Masse were never so good, as indeed it is starke naught without com­parison, yet forasmuch as it is done without the preaching of the word, and in a strange [Page 48] it is altogether unpro­fitable, yea, and abo­minable. Notwith­standing, behold the hypocrisie and coun­terfeit holinesse, yea, rather your double dissimulation and de­villish deceiving of the simple people: when yee have stood awhile pattering, like a sort of asses, yee know not what at the lower end of the Al­tar, saying the Introite or office of the Masse, as they call it the Kyr­rys, the Gloria in Excel­sis the Collects; the E­pistle, the Graduall the [Page 49] Allelujah, the Tract, or the Sequence, and all in Latine, because such as are there present should keepe counsell, and not bewray your subtill secrets; yee re­move, as men soone weary of a place, from the one end of the Al­tar to the other, and like prettie fellowes, you take up the Masse-booke in your hands, making the people be­leeve that now yee will speake somewhat whereby they shall greatly be edified, and well grounded in the knowledge of Christ. [Page 50] And because like poli­ticke and wise men, ye will not stumble in your doings but the better see what ye shal speake, ye have a can­dle lighted, though the day bee never so faire, and the Sunne shine never so bright. Besides this, that yee may bee in the better readinesse to doe some great nothing, yee pray to God or I know not to whom, in this manner: I [...] Domi­ne benedicere. O Lord command me to speak well. A prayer ve­ry necessary for your [Page 51] selves, which very sel­dome speake well, but nothing meet for the purpose that you goe about. For ye intend to speake nothing to the people, whereby they shal take any pro­fit. Neither purpose yee, for all your brag­ging, any more to preach to your Masse-hunters, than yee in­tend with your bird bolt to shoot downe the weather-cocke of Pauls steeple. And be­cause God is not at hand, but far enough from vour elbow, and very s [...]ldom commeth [Page 52] at such mens callings, ye your selves take the paines to answer on this manner: Dominus sit in corde meo, & in [...]re meo, ad annunciandum populo sanctum Evange­lium De [...]. That is to say, the Lord might be in my heart and in my mouth, to set forth, preach, and declare to the people the holy Gospell of God. Oh most vaine prayer. O wicked dissemblers both with God and man. The Masse-mongers are double dis­semblers. Ye wished that the Lord God might be both in your heart, and in your mouth to [Page 53] set forth, preach and declare to the people the holy Gospell of God, and yee intend nothing lesse. For as God is neither in your heart, nor in your mouth; so doe ye not preach the holy Go­spell of God to the people, but onely yee rehearse a few Latine sentences out of the Gospel, which neither ye your selves, for the most part, nor yet the simple people under­stand. The people are mocked at the popish Masse. And notwith­standing, the silly shee­pish simple soules so­lemnely stand up and [Page 54] give good eare, as though they should heare some notable thing, and goe home the better instructed, but all in vaine: For they learne nothing. Onely when yee re­hearse the Name of Iesus, they learne to make solemne courte­sie, and so a peece of the Gospell being once read, they stroke themselves on the head, and kisse the naile of their right thumbe, and sit down againe as wife as they were afore. And yee your selves, in [Page 55] the ste [...]d of your Pe­tronilla, kisse the book, and turne yee to the people and say, Domi­nus vobiscum, God be with you, as though you could tarry no longer, but had some great journey to goe, and yet doe vee tarry there still till all good people be weary both of you, and of your popish Masse. Here is all your preaching. Here is the whole summe of your exhor­tations. Are not the people well taught? Have yee not played the good Schoole-ma­sters? [Page 56] Have ye not wel deserved your Dirge groat and your din­ner? Have ye not fol­lowed Christ aright? Tell mee of goodfel­lowship, whose disci­ples are ye masse-mon­gers? Christs that preached, or Anti­christs that preach not? Looke whose or­der yee follow, his di­sciples are yee. But Christs order follow yee not, therefore are ye not the disciples of Christ, but the vile slaves of Antichrist. Here see yee then one foule fault, which you [Page 57] Masse-mongers com­mit in your wicked Masses. The best part ye utterly leave out, I meane the preach­ing of the Gospell, which our Saviour Christ his Apostles, and all true Ministers in all ages, chiefly pra­ctised at the ministra­tion of the holy Com­munion. And in this behalfe yee agree not with Christ, neither is your Masse any thing like the LORDS Supper.

After the Sermon Christ mini­stred his Supper at a Table. Christ came to the Table, where he mini­stred [Page 58] the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud to his Disciples. Now compare your doings with Christs. Christ came to a Table to mi­nister his holy Supper. You come to an Altar for to say your popish and Idolatrous Masse. Christ tabled the mat­ter, and yee alter it. Oh, how well-favou­redly ye agree? even as Christ and Belial. God and the Divell, light and darkenesse, or as the use to say, Like Haroe and Harrow. Christ ministred his Supper at a Table, and [Page 59] so did it continue cer­taine The Prima­tive Church used no Al­tars, but Ta­bles at the Lords Sup­per. hundred yeares after in the Church of Christ, who used no Altar at all, Why Christ ministred at a Table ra­ther than at an Altar. but at a Ta­ble at the ministration of the Lords Supper, following the exam­ple of Christ, which is the selfe truth, and ex­ample giver of all per­fection and righteous­nesse. But if you, fol­lowing the example of Antichrist, like bloudie sacrificers, fall in hand with Altars, as though ye had sheepe and oxen to kil. Christ willing to declare that all bloudie offerings [Page 60] and sacrifices were come to an end, which were but signes, fi­gures, and shadowes of him, being the true and alone acceptable sacrifice for the sinnes of the world, came not unto an Altar, but unto a Table, and there ordained & ministed his holy Supper, shew­ing thereby, that not onely the bloudie sa­crifices, but also all Al­tars which were built for bloudie sacrifices sake, doe now cease, and are utterly aboli­shed. But yee whose desire alwayes is to [Page 61] come as neere unto Christ, or unto his ho­ly ordinance, as the Hare covets to come nigh unto a Tabret, re­fuse Christs order, and dispise the table, spite­fully calling it an Oy­ster-board, and like heathenish and Iewish Priests, yee build Al­tars, and upon them you offer your vile and stinking sacrifice, not unto God, but unto the Divell, and unto Antichrist. Christ and his Apostles, with all the holy Bishops and reverend Fathers of the Primitive Church [Page 62] ministred the Lords Supper at a Table, and dare ye, O yee Masse­mongers, contrarie to Christs order, whose example in this behalf is, as it were, a com­mandement, and con­trary to the practise of Christs Apostles, and of the Primative Church, minister it at an Altar? The holy Scripture makes men­tion 1 Cor. 10. Christ alone is our Al­tar. of eating the Lords Supper at the Lords Table, Heb. 13. but at an Altar to have it mini­stred, Rom. 8. not one word. 1 T [...]m 2. Wee have none Altar but one, 1 Iohn 2. which is Iesus [Page 63] Christ the Lord, and he is in heaven onely concerning his hu­mamanitie, and not here in earth (as the idle brained Papists dreame) upon whom, and by whom we doe offer sacrifice of praise alwayes to God, that is to say, the fruit of those lips, which con­fesse his Name. For he is our alone Interces­sour, our alone Media­tour, and our alone Advocate. Besides this Altar (CHRIST) the faithfull congregation knoweth none, nei­ther in heaven nor [Page 64] in earth. All other Altars, therefore, which ye have in your Churches, Chappels and Oratories, are Ido­latrous and abomina­ble, and by no meanes to be suffered, where God is truely honou­red, and his holy Name faithfully cal­led upon. And what other thing doe yee by maintaining your Altars, than shew your selves very Anti­christs, and adversaries to GODS holy ordi­nance, and as much as in you is, declare that CHRIST is not yet [Page 65] come, or at the least have not offered him­selfe a sacrifice to God the Father for the sins of the people? All bloudie sacrifice for sinne, cease now in the New Testament, for the which Altars ser­ved, therefore Christ ministred unto his Di­sciples the Sacrament of his body and bloud, not at an Altar, but at a Table. But you, Abominati­on. as though all bloudie sa­crifices for sinne were not yet gone, have still your Altars, and offer sacrifice upon them, as the Heathenish and [Page 66] Iewish Priests did. They killed and sacri­ficed bruit beasts upon their Altars, and you take upon you to sacri­fice the Sonne of God, and to make him me [...]t when it pleaseth you, If yee bee perswa­ded, The com­munion of the bodie and bloud of Christ ought to be ministred at a Table. that whatsoever Christ did at the mini­stration of the holy Communion, is best and most perfect, why then doe yee not fol­low him, and minister at a Table as hee did, are yee wiser than Christ? Are yee bet­ter learned than the Wisedome of God? [Page 67] Have ye gone so long to Schoole with that Romish Antichrist, that you dare take up­on you to teach Christ the Master of all per­fection? And to find fault in his worke, as the Cobler played with Apelles picture? I would have you to re­member Apelles an­swer. Ne sutor ultra crepidam. Againe, if ye beleeve that all blou­dy sacrifices be ceased, and that the LORD CHRIST by the once offering up of his bo­die, hath paid a full, suffic [...]ent and perfect [Page 68] ransome for the sinnes of all them that repent and beleeve, why then doe ye stand at the Al­tars like Baals Priests, and take upon you to offer sacrifice for the sinnes of the people, as though all such things were not per­fectly ended in the passion and death of Christ? If your Altars be of God, shew it by the holy Scriptures. But this can you not doe, therfore are your Altars not of God, but of the Divell; not of Christ, but of Anti­christ. Is this to walke [Page 69] as Christ hath wal­ked? Is this to doe as Christ hath given ex­ample? Is this to bee Christs Minister, or rather Christs control­ler? God amend you, and once againe de­stroy those your I­dolatrous and bomi­nable altars.

When Christ came Christ mini­stred with­out Copt or Vestment. to the Table to mini­ster the holy Commu­nion, he came in such comely apparell, as he used daily to weare. But how come yee in the name of God, that we may see how well yee follow Christ in [Page 70] this behalfe also? Yee come unto your altars, as a game-player un­to his stage. And as though your own ap­parell, A Surplesse tollerable without the rest of mas­sing apparel. or else a faire white Surplesse were not seemely enough for the due admini­stration of the Sacra­ment, ye first put up­on your head, an head­peece, called an Amice, to keepe your braines in temper, as I thinke, then put yee on also a linnen Albe in stead of a smocke, to declare how well ye love wo­men, specially other mens wives, and that [Page 71] Albe you gird unto you for catching of cold, though it bee in the middest of Sum­mer. After this you cast a Stoale about your necke in stead of an halter, which signi­fieth that ye wil perse­cute and strangle with an halter, or else burne with fire so many as speake against your abhominable apish Masse, and such other wicked traditions. A­gaine, upon your left arme ye put on a Fan­nell, much like to a manacle, or a fetter. And this hath also a [Page 72] solemne mysterie. For it preacheth, Fannell. that so many as yee can come by, that unfainedly favour the truth of Christs Gospell, yee will man [...]cle, fetter, locke, stock, imprison, chaine, and doe them all the mischiefe you can. Last of all, Fools coat, otherwise called a vest­ment. come on your fooles coat, which is called a Vestment, lacking no­thing but a coxcombe. this is diversly dau­bed. Some have An­gels, some the blasphe­mous Image of the Trinity, some flowers, some Pecockes, some [Page 73] Owls, some cats, some dogs, some hares, some one thing, some ano­ther, and some no­thing at all [...] but a crosse upon the backe to [...] away spirits. This your fooles coat gayly gawded▪ signifyeth your pleasant finenesse and womanly nice­nesse, and your dele­ctation in the varietie, or change of Venus pa­stimes, because ye will not be cumbred with one lawfull wife. Thus as men well harnessed for an Interlude, yee come forth to play Hickesc [...]rners part with [Page 74] your shamelesse, smooth, smi [...]ling fa­ces, and with your lu­stie broad, bald, sha­ven crownes, Shaven crowne. Anti­christs brood of Rome, to signifie unto such nice Nymphs as know your secret subtilties, and jolly juglings, that yee are beasts of that marke that will never faile Lady Venus, Never none evill of that marke for Lady Venus pastime. nor none of her kind kit­lings; but above all o­ther, both for your idlenesse and belly­cheere, are most meet at all times, like stout, sturdie, stowre, strong stalents to play Priapu [...] [Page 75] part, and to furnish the place, Per alium, when Perse is out of the way, such is your unchast chastitie, O yee filthy haters of godly matr [...] ­monie.

But whence have ye your game-players garments? What the garments of the Priests in the old Law signi­fied. Of the hea­then and idolatrous Priests? But with such have the Christians nothing to doe? Of the Iewish Ministers? But that law is abro­gated by Christs com­ming, of whose ver­tues the garments of the Priests were fi­gures & signes, where­of [Page 76] ye have none at all. Had yee them of the Divell, and of Anti­christ of Rome? Send them thither againe betimes, lest ye goe to the Divell with them for company. Where­soever yee had them, certaine am I that yee have them not of the authoritie of the holy Scripture. Christ and his Apostles used no such [...]ond Coats at the administration of the Sacrament, Christ al­loweth no pompe nor pride, but all simplici­tie and plainenesse▪ Therefore plainly and [Page 77] simply, without any such Hickescorners ap­parell, did Christ de­liver the Sacramentall bread and wine to his Disciples. The more simply, so that it bee comely, the Sacra­ment is ministred, the neerer is it unto Christs institution. But I know not whether your gay, gawdie, gal­lant, gorgious game­players garments, w ^ch ye weare at the Masse, are more to bee disal­lowed, thā your blind and corrupt judgemēt is to bee lamented in the wearing of them. [Page 78] For the most part of you have such spiced Spiced con­sciences. & nice cōsciences in the use of them, that if ye lacke but the least of these fooles bables, ye dare not presume to say Masse for a thou­sand pound. The lau­dable order of our mo­ther holy Church is broken. Yee cannot consecrate aright. Yee have not al your tools. Therefore can ye not play Cole under can­dlesticke cleanely, nor whip Master Winchard above the boord, as ye should doe. And gra­tiously considered. For [Page 79] what is a worke-man without his tooles? God have mercie on you, and give you grace to bee better minded, and to lay a­side such apish toyes, and to put on the Lord Iesus Christ, that yee may know him to be your alone Saviour, Rom. 13. and garnish your life with his most godly vertues, practising that in your ministra­tion, whereof ye have him a president in his conversation.

And this is also to bee noted, that when CHRIST came in his [Page 80] owne usuall apparell unto the Table, he did not kneele as the Pa­pists doe, nor yet stand as the Iewes did in the old Law, Christ sate at his Sup­per. but hee sate downe at the Table. How do ye agree with Christ at your Masse in this behalfe? Christ sate, yee sometime stand upright, some­time leane upon your elbowes, sometime crouch downeward, sometime kneele, but sit doe yee never, be­cause ye will still con­trary Christ, and bee one ace above him. And although ge­stures [Page 81] in this behalfe in some mens judge­ments seeme to be in­different; Gestures. yet the nea­rer we come to Christs order, the better it is. For who can prescribe a more perfect trade for all things to bee done at and about the ministration of the Lords Supper, than the which Christ used himselfe? Indeed, Why the Iewes stood at the eating of the Pa­schal Lamb. the Iewes when they re­ceived their Sacra­ment, I meane the Paschal Lambe, which was also a figure of Christ to come and to be slaine, as ours is a [Page 82] signe and token that hee is alreadie come, slaine and gone, stood upon their feet, with their loynes girded, and staves in their hands, to signifie not onely that they were strangers and pilgrims in this world, Psal. 39. and had here no dwelling Ci­tie, Heb. 13. but also that there was a further journey yet to goe in the reli­gion of God, 1 Pet. 3. and that other Sacramēts were to be looked for. Why Christ with his Di­sciples sate at his Sup­per. But Christ and his Disci­ples did sit at their Supper to declare that all things afore figured Apoc. 13. [Page 83] in the Law, are now perfectly fulfilled in Christ, that Lambe of God, which was slaine from the beginning of the world, and there are no more Sacra­ments to bee looked for, nor none other doctrine to bee enqui­red for, neither the Iewes Talmuth, nor Mahomets Alkaron, nor the Popes Decre­tals, nor yet the Em­perours Interim, but the doctrine onely, which Christ hath al­readie taught, and left in writing by the hands of his Apostles. [Page 84] The Christian religi­on both concerning Sacraments and Do­ctrine, The doctrine of Christ is perfect and sufficient for our sal­vation. is now by Christ brought to such a consummate perfe­ction and perfect con­summation, that no­thing ought to be ad­ded as necessarie al­so for our salvation. Therfore doth Christ with his Apostles sit at the receiving of the Sacrament, and not stand; after the man­ner of the Iewes, even as they, which travel­ling by the way, are come unto their jour­neyes end, are wont to [Page 85] sit downe and to take their rest. Here have wee an example of Christ to sit at the Lords Table, when wee receive the holy Communion, and not to kneele. But this doe ye Papists neither observe your selves, nor suffer other so to doe. Ye are like those lewd Lawyers, subtill Scribes, boysterous Bishops, sawcie Sad­duces, fine Pharisees, pratling Priests, and hollow Hypocrites, a­gainst whom our Sa­viour Christ thunde­reth on this manner. [Page 86] Woe unto ye Scribes and Pharisees, Matth 23. ye Hy­pocrites, for yee shut up the Kingdome of heaven before men, ye neither goe in your selves, neither suffer ye them that come, to enter in. There may bee no sitting at your ministration, though wee have Christ for a president never so much. The servant may not follow his Lord, nor the Disci­ple his Master. What­soever Christ practi­sed, we may not doe, but what Antichrist deviseth, that must we [Page 87] needs doe. Therefore doe ye Papists, which be alwayes enemies to Christ and to his holy ordinances, binde all your captives to kneel at the receiving of the Sacrament, and so makes them plain Ido­laters in worshipping the bread for a god. O wicked soule-slayers! But why binde ye the people rather to kneel at the ministration of the Lords S [...]pper, than at the ministrati­on of Baptisme, seeing Christ is no lesse pre­sent at the one, Christ is no lesse present at Baptisme than at the Supper. than at the other, and by [Page 88] his holy Spirit wor­keth no lesse effectual­ly in Baptisme, than he doth in the Supper? Why doe yee not also compell the people to kneele at the preach­ing of Gods Word seeing it is of no lesse authoritie, than the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud. But I know your subtilties right well. Ye will say, the Sacrament of the Altar (I use your own tearmes) is God and man in forme of bread, An error of the Papists. and therefore it cannot have too much reverence, wor­ship [Page 89] and honour given unto it. I answer: It is sooner said, A compari­son between the old Ido­latrous Priests and ours. than pro­ved. As the old Ido­laters in times past had gods of their own ma­king, and worshipped them, so have yee a god of your owne de­vising, which ye your selves worshippe, and compell other so to do likewise. And as the old Idolatrous Priests by boasting the digni­tie of their feigned gods, whom they ser­ved, lived an idle and voluptuous life, and were fed of the pain­full labours of other [Page 90] mens hands, so like­wise ye new Idolaters and Priests of Baal ad­vance, set forth, and blow out at Paul [...] Crosse, and in all other places, the majesty, ex­cellencie, dignity and worthinesse of your new baken little great god, The God of the Papists. that by this meanes yee may bee had in admiration a­mong the foolish sim­ple Ideots, and bee nourished of the sweat of other mens browes, you your selves like idle, la­zie, loytering lubbers, and very pestilences [Page 91] of the Common-wealth, onely borne to consume the good fruits of the earth, going idly up and downe swinging with your long gowns, sars­net tippets, and sha­ven crowns, like very caterpillers of Aegypt. A wonderfull God it is that yee set forth to the people to be wor­shipped. Not many dayes past, it was corn in the plough-mans barne, afterward the Miller ground it to meale, then the Baker mingling a little wa­ter with it, made [Page 92] dough of it, and with a paire of hot prin­ting irons, baked it. Now at the last come you blustering and blowing, and with a few words spoken o­ver it, yee charme the bread in such sort that either it [...]rudgeth straightwayes away beyond the moone, and a faire young childe above fifteen [...] hundred yeares old come in the place of the bread, or else, as the most part of you papists teach, of the little thinne cake, yee make the very same [Page 93] body of Christ that was borne of Marie the Virgin, and dyed for us upon the Altar of the crosse, the bread being turned into the natural flesh of Christ, and the accidents of the bread onely re­maining, according to the doctrine of Pope Nicholas, and Pope In­nocent. O wonderfull Creators and makers! O marveilous fathers, which beget a childe elder than the father! and after yee have made him, yee teare him in pieces, yee eat him, yee digest him, [Page 94] and send him downe by a very homely place. O cruell and unmercifull fathers, so to handle your poore young old child! And this is the goodly God whom the people may not receive sitting nor standing, but kneeling upon their marrow­bones. O false and subtil hypocrits, right cousens to the Idola­trous priests of Baby­lon; For as they made the King beleeve, and his Nobility, with all the Commons, that Bel was a living god, and that there must [Page 95] bee prepared for him every day twelve cakes, Dan. 14. forty sheepe, and sixe great pots of wine, to eate and drinke; so doe yee make the Queene, her Counsell, the Nobili­ty and commons of this Realme for the most part beleeve that the little thin round white cake, which ye hold up above your head, at your abomi­nable Masse, after yee once said these five words over it, Hoc est corpus meum, and have blowed, blasted, and breathed over it, is [Page 96] straightwayes both a living God, and a ve­ry living man, even Christ God and man, as he was borne of Ma­rie the Virgine. But full falsely doe ye lie, and dissemble with the Queene, with her Couunsell, and with the commons of this Realme, even as those Idolatrous priests of Babylon did with the King, and with hi [...] subjects. For as that Idol Bel was not a li­ving god, but an I­mage made of clay within, and of metall without, so likewise [Page 97] for all your consecra­ting, blowing, bla­sting and breathing, your little Cake is nei­ther a living God, nor a living man, but as it was bread before yee brought it to your Idolatrous Altar, so is it, when yee both hold it up and eat it. But as the Idolatrous priests of Babylon taught the people plainely, that Bel was a living God, that they by that meanes might live in wealth and idlenesse, so do ye likewise stoutly both at Pauls Crosse, and [Page 98] else where preach un­to the people, that the Sacrament of the Al­tar is the true, natu­rall, reall, corporall, carnall, and substan­tiall body of Christ, God and man, even he was borne of Vir­gin Marie, & hung on the Altar of the crosse, flesh, bloud and bone, that ye by this meanes may maintaine your popish kingdome, and live idly and pleasant­ly of the labours of other mens hands. But if a Daniel might sit at the Queens Ta­ble, talke with the No­bility, [Page 99] and preach to the Commons of En­gland, the jugling of the Papists should soone be espyed. God for his mercies sake & for the deare heart-bloud of his most deare Son, send us a Daniel, and open the eyes of the Queene, of her Councell, and of all the Inhabitants of this Realme, that they perceiving your sub­tle iugling and crafty daubing, may know you to be, as yee are, even very Antichrists, hisse you out of all ho­nest company, and for [Page 100] ever after beware of your pestilent & dam­nable doctrine. Amen, Amen.

After that our Sa­viour Christ was set downe at the Table with his Disciples, and had eaten the Paschall Lambe, willing to in­stitute an holy memo­riall of his passion and death, he tooke bread and gave thanks, saith the Scripture. Now let us see what yee doe. What the Papists doe at their Masse. First ye come solemn­ly forth in your gay, galant and game play­ers garments, which as Isidore and Polidore [Page 101] write, was the inven­tion of pope Steph [...]nus about the yeare of our Lord two hundred fifty and six, borrow­ed, as it may seeme of the Iewish Priests. Priests ma­ssing vest­ments. Ye come to the Altar Altars. with your Masse-book Corporasse▪ Chalice, & Bread, with such other trinkets. Your altars brought into the Church first of all Pope Sixtus the secōd, about the yeare of our Lord two hundred threescore and five. And Pope Felix the first adioyned the hal­lowing Hallowing of altars. of altars com­manding [Page 102] that no masse should bee sung upon any altar, except it were first hallowed. In the yeare of our Lord two hundred seventy and sixe. And P. Boniface appointed white linnen clothes Altar clothes. to be laid upon the al­tars about the yeare of our Lord 610. The Corporasse Corporasse. was the devise of Pope Sixtus (as Platina and Sabellicus write, about the yeare of our Lord an hundred and twen­ty and five. The Cup wherein the Sacra­ment of Christs bloud [Page 103] was ministred, which wee now commonly call the Chalice, was in the time of the Apostles and the pri­mitive Church made of wood; Cups of wood. but Pope Zepheri [...]us comman­ded chalices of glasse Chalices of glasse. to be used in the yeare of our Lord 202. And afterward Pope Vrbanus enjoyned, that the chalices should be made either of silver, chalices of Silver and gold. or of gold, in the yeare of our Lord 227. The bread ap­pointed for the Com­munion was indiffe­rent, whether it were [Page 104] leavened or unlea vened, till Pope Alex­ander came, which a [...] they write, in the yeare of our Lord III. commanded that one­ly unleavened bread Bread should bee used at the Lords Supper. Notwithstanding the Greekes from the A­postles time unto this day, have ever used leavened bread in the ministration of the holy Communion, as they use also wine onely in their cup, whereas the Latine Church customably mingle water with [Page 105] the wine, which was also Pope Alexanders device.

Now standing be­fore the Altar, after yee have crossed your selves upon your for­heads and breasts for feare of wicked spirits, ye say the Confiteor, Confi [...]eor. and make your con­fession, which was the ordinance of Pope Da­m [...]sus about the yeare of our Lord 370. But to whom do you make your confession? To God alone? none of that. But to blessed Mary, and all the Saints of heaven, and [Page 106] & v [...]bis, ye might say, & bobus, well enough. For many times be­sides the boy and Pa­rish clerke that wait upon you, there bee in the Church as ma­ny white bulls and fat oxen, as there bee men and women. But where have yee learned to confesse An errour of the Pa­pists con­cerning confession. your sinnes to the blessed Mary, and to all the company of heaven, which heare not one word that yee speake? Ye have sin­ned against God, and you confesse your faults to Mary, Peter, [Page 107] [...], Th [...]mas, A [...]an, Abel, Ni [...], Abrah [...]m, Ioh [...] Baptist, And I know not to whom, not to how many. This is new Catholike Divinity, found in Portasse and M [...]ss [...]ll, but in no part of Gods blessed Boo [...]e. Divinity meete for such Divines. Again, whom doe you desire to pray for you? Our S [...]viour Christ which alone is our Interces­sour, Mediatou [...], and Advocate? Nothing lesse. Yee make no mention of him. He is utterly forgotten. [Page 108] Yee desire holy Mary An error of the Papists concerning the interces­sion of Saints [...] and all the Saints of God to pray for you. But where learned [...]ou this tyrologie? For Theologie it is not. Even of your father Antichrist of Rome. But as Mary and the other heaven­ly citizens heare your confession, so pray they for you. But they heare not your confession, neither do they pray for you. O vaine bablers and talkers of trifles! your Masse having so good a beginning, must have a glorious en­ding. [Page 109] It beginngth with lies, The Masse is a monster of lies. wee shall find it also to proceed with lies, yea, and to end with lies, that it may bee prooved a monster of lies.

After that you have made your confession to God and to our Lady, and to all the holy company of hea­ven, and have given your selfe absolution for lacke of a ghostly father, yee approach to the Altar, and ma­king a crosse upon it, yee kisse it in stead of some other, whom you love better. Then [Page 110] fall yee in hand with your Massing, and ye beginne the Introite, The I [...]troite or office of the Masse. or office of the Masse, which Pope Celestinus brought in about the yeare of our Lord 430 That done, ye say the Kyry, The Kyry. which, as some report, Pope Gregorius the first put to the Masse about the yeare of our Lord 600. Some ascribe it to Pope Silvester, which lived about the yeare of our Lord 330. But it seemeth to bee bor­rowed of the Greeke Church, forasmuch as the words are Greeke, [Page 111] and sound in English, Lord have mercie on us. After these things ye goe unto the midst of the Altar, and look up to the pixe, where you thinke your God to be, and making so­lemne curtesie, like womanly Ioane, ye say the Gloria in excelsis, Gloria in ex­celsis. a godly both thankesgi­ving & prayer, & very fruitfull and comfor­table, if it were spo­ken in the English tongue. The Author hereof some affirme Pope Stephanus to be, who lived in the yeare of our Lord [Page 112] seven hundred and se­venty. Some ascribe it to Pope Telesph [...] ­rus, which was in the yeare of our Lord one hundred and thir­ty. The Papists cannot a­gree. Some to Pope Sy­machus, who lived in the yeare of our Lord five hundred. Some to Saint Hilarie Bishop of Pict [...]ve, about the yeare of our Lord three hundred forty and five. These things dispatched out of the way, yee have a plea­sure to see who is in the Church, and how well your Masse is frequented, and ther­fore [Page 113] yee turne yee to the people, if any bee there, and bid them God speed in Latine, with Dominus vobiscum, because they understand nothing but English. Tur­ning againe to the Altar, yee say cer­taine Collects, Collects. wher­of although some of them bee good, yet many of them bee very superstitious and starke staring naught. For in them yee set foorth before God the intercessions and merits of Saints, and yee desire for the [Page 114] nity and worthinesse of them to be heard, to have forgivenesse of sinnes, and ever­lasting life. O blas­phemous Idolaters! what is it to robbe Christ of his Priest­hood, if this be not? What spoileth Christ of his merits, if this doe not? What trea­deth under foot the pretious bloud of our Saviour Christ, if the saying of such abo­minable blasphemous Collects doe it not? The Authour of the Collects some make Pope Gelasius, which [Page 115] lived in the yeare of our Lord three hun­dred & ninetie. Some P. Gregorie, of whom ye heard before. The Collects once done, yee reade the Epistle, The Epistle. but in such a tongue as the people under­stand nothing, as yee doe all other things. Some say that Pope Telesphorus, of whom wee spake before, ad­ded the Epistle to the Masse. Some make Hierome the Authour of it, which lived a­bout the yeare of our Lord three hundred eighty seven. Then [Page 116] doe ye say the Grayle, The Grayle. whereof they make Pope Gelasius the Au­thour, of whom wee spake before. Imme­diately followeth the Allelujah, The Allelu­jah. which they say, pope Gregorie brought in, of whom also wee spake before. Some say, it was bor­rowed of the Church of Ierusalem, and so brought into the Church of Rome in the time of pope D [...] ­masus. It soundeth in English, O praise the Lord. Here is Latine, Greeke, and Hebrew, in your popish Masse, [Page 117] wherof the people un­derstand nothing, but as for English, which the people understand yee meddle nothing with-all, because you will make them your riding fools, and keep them still in blindnes. Then followeth the Tract, The Tract or Sequence. or the Se­quence, one brought in by pope Telesphorus the other by Abbot Nothg [...]rus, who lived in the yeare of our Lord 845. After that yee have mumbled over all these things, yee take up your Masse­booke, and away ye [Page 118] goe to the other end of the Altar to reade the Gospel. The Gospel. But first of all yee uncover the chalice, and look whe­ther your drinke bee there or no, least you should chance to bee deceived, when the time of your repast come. If it bee there you make solemn cur­tesie to your little Idoll, that hangeth o­ver the Altar, and so goe in hand with the Gospel. And all in Latine, because it shall doe no man good. The Authour of adding the Go­spel [Page 119] to the Masse, some make pope Te­lesphorus, some Saint Hierome, of whom wee spake before. Pope Anastasius, who lived in the yeare of our Lord 404. or­dayned that the peo­ple Why the people stand up at the Gospel. should stand up when the Gospel is read, that they might heare and understand the Doctrine of the Gospell, and frame their lives according to the same. This use is observed at this day in the po­pish Masses, I meane the people st [...]d up [Page 120] and make courtesie, when they heare the name of Iesus, but they understand not one word. It were as good in such sort to bee read to Swine and Dogges, as to the Christian people, seeing they under­stand it not. The Gospel ended, with another kisse upon the Booke, The Creed. yee say the Creed, which as they write, Pope Mar­cus made, about the yeare of our Lord 335 & cōmanded that the Clergie & the people should sing it together [Page 121] for the confirmation of their faith. After the Creed upon so­lemne Feasts ye use to Cense the Altar, Censing of the Altars. which was first brought in by Pope Leo, about the yeare of our Lord 876. These things done with all solemni­tie, ye turne you again into the Church, to see whether your cu­stomers bee come or no, and so bidding them God-speed, yee turne again to the Al­tar, and goe forth with your businesse. The Offer­tory. Then doe you say your Of­fertory, which Pope [Page 122] Eutichi [...] brought in, who lived about the yeare of our LORD 285. After the Offer­tory is said, yee take the Chalice up in your hands with the little round cake, lying up­on the p [...]tine or co­ver of the Chalice, and lifting up your eyes, yee pray on this man­ner: Suscipe sancta Tri­nit [...]s, &c. A blasphe­mous prayer at the offer­tory. Take O holy Trinitie this oblation, which I unworthy sinner offer in the honour of thee, of blessed Mary the Vir­gin, and of all thy Salu [...]s, for the salvation of the living, and for the rest [Page 123] and quietnesse of all the faithfull that are dead. The Authour of this prayer I can­not finde. It is so good, that I thinke hee was ashamed to tell his Name. But what thinke yee of this prayer? Bee judges your selves, whether any thing may be uttered more unto the dishonour of GOD, and the utter defacing of CHRISTS bloud, than this your po­pish, and blasphe­mous orison. First of all, what offer ye? [Page 124] Yee must answer, ei­ther the little round cake, or else the Cha­lice, or the wine and water that is in it. Idolatry. To whom doe yee of­fer it? To Mary the Virgin, and to all the Saints of heaven, be­cause yee will lacke no company, but gratifie a multitude with a thing of nought. Wherefore doe ye of­fer that oblation? For the salvation of the li­ving, and for the rest or quietnesse of all the faithfull that are dead. Ah, who ever heard of such a sacrifice or [Page 125] oblation? A wafer cake, which is yet but meere bread, and no Sacrament, and a Cha­lice with a spoonefull of wine mingled with two or three drops of water to be offred for the salvation of the li­ving, and for the rest or quietnesse of all the faithful that are dead? O abomination! O in­tollerable blasphemie! If Adams Posteritie might have beene sa­ved by such trifling oblations, what nee­ded the Son of God to have died for us? If a morsell of bread and a [Page 126] full of wine offered up of an idolatrous Priest bee of such vertue, that it may obtaine salvation for the quicke and the dead: was not Christ greatly overseene to suffer so great paines for the redemption of man? If thousands of great oxen, bulls, kine, calves, goats, sheepe, lambes, doves, &c. in the old Law could not take away the sinnes of the people, al­though they were of­fered at the comman­dement of God, is it to be thought, that a [Page 127] wafer cake and a spoonefull of wine mingled with water, and appointed to bee offered by Antichrist, is a sufficient oblati­on to purchase salva­tion for the living and rest and quiet­nesse for the dead? O Damnable Idolatrie! There is no Sacrifice that can save us, The death of Christ is the alone sacrifice for sinne. but the glorious Passion, and precious Death of our Lord and Sa­viour Christ Iesus a­lone, as Saint Paul saith: God forbid, that I should rejoyce in anything but in the Crosse, that [Page 128] is to say, in the passion and death of our Lord Iesus Christ. And to whom doe yee offer your new solemne Sa­crifice. To God alone? Nay, but to blessed Mary also, and to all the company of hea­ven. In this also, if your oblation and sa­crifice were good, Sacrifice ought to bee offered to God alone. doe ye grievously offend. For yee may offer Sa­crifice to none but to God alone. Therefore you making your ob­lation to Mary, to Pe­ter, to Paul, to Magda­len, to Iohn, to Iames, to Erke [...]ald, to Grym­bald, [Page 129] and I cannot tell to how many thou­sands more, are abomi­nable Idolaters, seeing that as much as lyeth in you, ye make of the Saints gods, and so doe ye rob God of his glo­rie. God saith by the Prophet, Esay 42. I am the Lord, this is my Name, I will give my glory to none o­ther. And the Saints themselves crie in this manner: Psal. 114. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy Name give the glory. Af­ter that your prayer, yee set your Chalice downe againe, saying these words: Acceptu [...]s [Page 130] sit omnipotenti Deo hoc sacrificium novuns. That is to say, O that this new Sacrifice might be thankfully taken of almighty God! Why, dee yee doubt of the matter? Is your prayer so good, and your faith so strong, that yee doubt, whether God will heare you, and receive your sa­crifice or no? Indeed you may right well call it a new Sacrifice, for it was never heard of afore; A new Sa­crifice. that a wa­fer▪ cake and a spoone­full of wine mingled with water, should be [Page 131] an oblation and Sacri­fice for the salvation of the living, and for the rest and quietnesse of all the faithfull that are dead. But notable is your doing after­ward. When ye have thus sacrificed and offered, yee trudge straight-wayes to the Altars end, Washing of hands. and wash your hands. To what end I know not, ex­cept it bee, that you have defiled your selves with your new stinking Sacrifice, W ^ch you even now offered unto God, to blessed Mary, and to all the [Page 132] company of heaven, for the salvation of the quicke, and for the rest and quietnesse of all the faithfull that are dead, and thinke by the washing of your hands, to be cleansed from the abominable spirituall whoredome, which yee have com­mitted against God. I suppose yee learned this washing of your hands of Pilate, Matth. 27. which when for favour of the Iewes, and for feare of Caesar, he had unjustly condemned CHRIST unto death, called for a bason of water to [Page 133] wash his hands, and said, I am cleane from the bloud of this righte­ous man. But as he for all his washing esca­ped not the vengeance of God, but dyed a most miserable death, even so may yee bee sure, though yee wash your hands never so oft, not to escape the heavie hand of God, for speaking such blas­phemies against the Lord and his annoin­ted, except yee out of hand cease from your abominable Massing, which is nothing else but very Idola­try, [Page 134] meere blasphemy, great dishonour to God, and extreme in­jury to the precious bloud of Christ, while yee ascribe that unto bread, wine, and wa­ter, which only apper­taineth unto the pas­son and death of our Saviour Christ.

After ye have washed your hands, ye returne again to the Altar, hol­ding your hands be­fore you, like maiden­ly Priests, and manerly bowing your selves to your little great god that shal be, Crossing. ye make a crosse upon the Altar, [Page 135] and kisse Kissing. it in stead of your pretty Petronilla, and then having per­advēture a good mind to behold some shee Saint in the Church, yee turne your selves, looking downe to the people, and saying, Turne and O­rate pro me Fratres & Sorores. O pray for mee ye Brethren and Sisters, when many times there is no bo­die in the Church, but the Boy that hel­peth you to say Masse, and so making solemn courtesie like woman­ly Ioue, Returne. ye returne unto your accustomed pat­tering. [Page 136] What ye say, no man can tell. For now comes in your subtill secrets. And they may right well bee called Secrets, for they are so Secret, and so secretly spoken, that no man is the wiser for them. But whatsoever they are, The Secrets. good stuffe I war­rant you they are. And for as much as they bee certaine Collects, they father them upon Pope Gelasius, and Pope Gregory, of whom we spake before.

When ye have once done with your sub­till, solemne, sleepy se­crets, [Page 137] ye burst out into open words, and ex­hort the people to lift up their hearts unto God, and to consider the mysteries that are now in hand, and to be thankefull to God for the benefits of their redemption. Ah, would God, yee so spake the words, that the people might bee edified by them. But ye speake in such sort, that it were much bet­ter for you to hold your peace, and the people to be at home asleepe. For yee doe nothing else than beat [Page 138] the ayre with your breath. The people understand nothing at all, neither doe they consider any thing, but only are there pre­sent as vaine gasers. These admonitions to the people, of lifting up their hearts unto God, and to be thank­full to him for his be­nefits, set forth in the death of his Son Christ, were used in the Primative Church as we may see in Saint Cyprian and Saint Au­gustine. The Authour of these godly exhor­tations is not knowne. [Page 139] Immediately follow­eth the Preface, The Preface and because there bee di­vers, they father them upon Pope Gelasius, and Pope Gregory, as they doe all other things, whereof they can finde no certaine Authour. But this is most certaine that the ancient Church used but one Preface, which is called the quoti­dian or daily Preface. These things passed over, yee fall in hand with the Sanctus, W ^ch lifting up your hands, ye speake with a loud voice, & that ended, ye [Page 140] kisse the Masse-booke, Kissing the Canon of the Mas [...]. because some other is not at hand. The S [...] ­ctus, as they say, was brought in by Pope Sixtus, The San­ctu. which was a­bout the yeare of our Lord 125. and com­manded to be sung in the Church. Now commeth in your holy Masse Canon, where­of be diverse Authors. For it is an hotch­potch devised & made by a number of Popes, and by others also. It is a very beggers cloke, cobled, clouted and patched with a multi­tude of popish ragges. [Page 141] And yet the Papists affirme it to bee the holiest part of your Masse. And it may soone be. For there is not one part of the Masse, that can wor­thily be called good, as it is used at this pre­sent. All things are so far out of order with­out edifying, and con­trary to Gods holy or­dinance. The authors of this their goodly and godly Canon they make Pope Ale [...]ander, The Au­thors of the Canon. Pope Gelasius, Pope Gregory, Pope Sixtus, Pope Leo, and a cer­taine man called Scho­lasticus, [Page 142] with other. Crossing. And here beginne yee wonderfully to crosse, and to pray for the Universall Church, first for our LORD Pope, secondly for the Bishop of the Diocesse wherein yee dwell, thirdly, for your King and Queen, last of all, for all those that be of the Catholike faith. And now come yee to your first Memento, The first Memento. which serveth for the living, where yee stand nodding like a sort of drunkards, and praying, yee say for all your good friends [Page 143] and benefactors, for all that uphold and maintaine the king­dome of the Clergie, and defend our mo­ther holy Church a­gainst the assaults of the Gospellers, and here ye alledge a sort of Saints, and ye desire that for their merits and prayers sake, yee may bee saved and preserved from all evill. O abhomina­ble blasphemers! This done, yee fall to crou­ching and beholding the little cake and cha­lice, & speaking a few little good words in [Page 144] Latine, yee blesse and crosse wonderfully the cake and Chalice, as though they were haunted with some ill spirits. While yee are thus blessing, the boy or Parish Clerke rings the little Sacry bell, which biddeth the people lay all things aside now, and lift up their heads, behold their maker, kneele down and wor­ship their Lord God, which Sir Iohn shall straight-wayes make with as much speed as may be, and shew him unto them above his [Page 145] head. Before it was Sursum corda, Lift up your hearts unto the Lord, but now is sur­sum capita, come in, lift up your heads, and looke upon your ma­ker betweene the priests hands, Why the Priest at Masse tur­neth his backe to the people. with his arse turned towards you, because no wo­man at that present shal be inamored with his sweete and loving face. Come off, kneele downe, looke up, knocke your brest, be­hold the apple-maker of Kent, and marke well him that killed thy father. This is [Page 146] the Lord thy God. Let us fall downe and worship him. O un­sufferable Idolatrie. Idolatrie. Notable is the doctrin of the Nicene Coun­sell, The Coun­cell of Nice. which comman­deth that wee shall not direct our mindes downeward to the bread and cup, but lift them up to Christ by faith, whith is ascen­ded up into heaven really and corporally, and not present car­nally in the Sacramen­tal bread, as the papists teach. An errour of the Pa­pists. Christ, while we live in this world, is not to be seen with the [Page 147] eyes of this body, but of the spirit by faith. If we wil see and wor­ship Christ aright, we must see and worship him in spirit, sitting in his glory and majestie above in heaven at the right hand of God his father, and not behold him in the Sacramen­tall bread with the corporall eyes, where nothing is to be seene, felt, tasted, or received with the mouth, but bread onely. But be­fore wee come to your consecration, to your Sacring, and to the lifting up of [Page 148] your litle great young old God, we will first see what Christ did, afterward compare your doings with his. Christ What Christ did. sitting at the table, tooke bread, and after hee had gi­ven thankes, he brake the bread, and gave it to his Disciples for to eat. Christ sate at the table, yee stand at an Altar. Comparison betweene Christ and the Masse­mongers. Christ tooke bread to make it a Sacrament of his body, yee take a little thinne round Cake, or rather a thinne piece of starch to make it the na­turall [Page 149] body of Christ, God and man, and to offer it for a Sacri­fice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead. Christ delive­red the bread to his Disciples, to eate it in the remembrance of his death, ye take the bread, and hold it up above your head, and make a shew of it to the people, and when yee have once so done, ye alone devoure and eate it up. Christ brake the bread, signifying thereby the breaking of his body on the [Page 150] Altar of the Crosse for the Salvation of the world, according to this his promise in the Gospell of Saint Iohn Iohn 6. I am that living bread which came downe from heaven. If any man eateth of this bread, hee shall live for ever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Ye breake the bread also, which yee say is the naturall body of Christ, flesh, bloud, and bone. Breaking of the Host in three parts. But very fondly ye breake it. For yee breake [Page 151] your Host (I use your own tearmes) in three parts, holding it over the chalice, while you breake it, I thinke be­cause yee would lose none of the bloud, that should issue out of the body, which ye newly have made, and now suddainely yee breake and destroy a­gaine. When ye have broken your new for­med God in three parts, two pieces you keepe still in your hands for flying away, and the third yee let fall downe into the chalice, to lie there [Page 152] awhile a sleeping, or to put you in remem­brance of your nappy Ale and Tost, which your pretty Parnell hath full lovingly pre­pared for you against your Masse bee done, lest you should chance to faint for taking so great paines at your butcherly altar. Many significations have the Papists invented for those 3. broken What the breaking of the Host signifyeth, and is. pieces of the cake, which all here to rehearse were too long. I will re­hearse one, and if yee desire to know more, enquire of your bre­thren [Page 153] the Papists, and they shall easily teach you. Note. The first part say they, which is both the longest and the greatest, doth not onely signifie, but also is a Sacrifice of thanks­giving to God the Fa­ther for his benefits declared to mankinde in the death of Christ his sonne. The second is a Sacrifice propitia­tory for the sinnes of the people, that [...]ee living in this world, but specially for the sinnes of such as have bought the Masse for their money, that they [Page 154] may bee delivered a poena & culpa toties quoties. The third piece, which is let downe into the cha­lice, is a satisfactory Sacrifice for the soules that lie miserably pu­ling in the hot fire of Purgatorie, to deliver them from the grie­vous paines and bitter torments that they there suffer, and through the vertue and merits of that Sacrifice to bring them unto everlasting glory. O intollerable abomination. Here is the breaking of your [Page 155] Host, with the good­ly mysteries thereof.

Christ, say the E­vangelists, took bread, brake it, and gave it to his Disciples, say­ing, Take, Matth. 25. [...]. 14. Luke 22. I Cor. 11. A point of little good-fellowship, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you. Doe this in re­membrance of me. Yee also take bread and breake it, but ye give it to your selves. But as Christ gave the bread to his Disciples, willing them to eat it in remembrance of his passion and death, so ought yee to doe to the faithfull congre­gation that are pre­sent, [Page 156] and not like swi­nish beasts to eate and drinke up all alone your selves, and after­ward to blesse the peo­ple wi [...]h an empty cup, as ye doe at your high and solemne feasts. But this doe yee not, therefore are ye plaine Antichrists. Take this bread, saith our Saviour Christ. Take it in your hands. Handling of the Sacra­mentall bread. Hand off, say yee Pa­pists. Gape, and wee will put it in your mouths, and feed yee as children use to feed their Iack-dawes. Handle so pretious a [Page 157] relique? Marry Sir, God forbidde. The woman peradventure hath lien with her husband all night, or the husband with the wife, and shall such touch the pretious body of our Lord with their handes? Marry Sir, God for­bid. That were a pi­teous case. But yee abominable Whore­masters, ye filthy for­nicators, yee stinking Sodomites, ye deceit­full Deflowrers of mayds, yee devillish defilers of mens wives yee cankred corrup­ters [Page 158] of widowes, and yee lecherous locusts, may lie with your whores and harlots all night, and the next day after goe to Masse, consecrate, make, touch, handle, breake and devoure your God, and yet ye defile the Sacrament nothing at all. O abo­minable Whorehun­ters. O monstrous Massmongers. Honest Matrimonie, after your corrupt judge­ments defileth the Sa­crament of Christs body and bloud, but filthy fornication, a­bominable [Page 159] adultery, wicked whoredome, and stinking Sodomi­trie advanceth the dignity thereof. O right Chaplins of that filthy Idoll Priapus. But come off I pray you, Of the hand and mouth. what hath the hand more offended than the mouth that it may not touch the Sa­crament? Are they not both the good crea­tures of God? are they not made both of one substance? and to say the truth, there com­meth not so much evil from the hand, as there doth out of the mouth [Page 160] For out of the mouth come Blasphemies, cursed speakings, evil reportes, bannings, slanders, lies, malici­ous words, filthy tales, idle talke, singing of bawdy ballads, &c. But from the hand commeth vertuous oc­cupation, honest la­bour, painefull tra­vaile, getting of thy living, helping of our neighbors, and almes­giving to the poore. But yee are alwayes like your selves, that is to say, very An­tichrists. For yee are evermore contrary to [Page 161] Christ. Christ delive­red the Sacrament in­to his Disciples hands, and you put it into the Communicants mouths, as though the people were not so wise, as to put a morsel of bread in their owne mouthes. The people are much bound to you, that have so good opinion of them. Ye make them momes in­deed, asses, louts, and your very riding fools God once open their eyes, that they may perceive your jugling. Ye are well worthy to have your tithes and [Page 162] offerings truely payd, Beware yee that ma [...]n­taine Masse­mongers. yee doe your duty so well. Verily, they that give ought to find you Masse-mongers with­all, and to maintaine you in your abomina­ble massing, doe no­thing else but offend God, dishonor Christ, tread under foote the pretious bloud of Christ, make Christs death of no price▪ maintaine Idolatrie, defie the holy Com­munion, destroy the Christian common­weale, uphold Anti­christs brood, cherish Satans Chaplains, pam­per [Page 163] Priapus pildepates, make fat Venus stout stallions, enrich Bac­chus Sacrificers, Note. and nourish such monsters as doe nothing else than murther, kill and slay the soules of so many as follow your damnable Doctrine, and hant your Idola­trous Masses. Let the Christians therefore beware, how and up­on whom they be­stow their goods, lest by giving to Mas­sing priests, they get to themselves ever­lasting damnation. The doer and main­tainer [Page 164] shall receive like punishment. He that readeth the pra­ctises of the ancient Church, shall evident­ly see, that the manner of the godly Ministers at that time was not to put the Sacramentall bread into the peoples mouths, as yee doe at this present, but to give it them into their hands. For it was not then taken and hono­red for a God, as it is now, but it was reve­rently used and taken as an holy and worthy Sacrament of Christ. But what marvaile is [Page 165] it though yee will not suffer the people to handle the Sacramen­tall bread, seeing yee will not suffer the Touching of the cha­lice. cōmunicants to touch your Popes holy cha­lice, wherein notwith­standing is not the Sa­crament of Christs bloud, but only meere wine dedicated and appointed to no god­ly use. Ye are contrary to Christ in all things. God amend you.

Take, eat, saith our Saviour Christ. Nay, say ye Masse-mongers, neither take yee, nor eat, but come & heare [Page 166] Masse devoutly, & see us take and eat up al­together, and it is e­nough for you. Fall down, kneele & wor­ship your Maker, that wee shew unto you. Honor your God that is hanged up in the pixe over the Al­tar, and so shall yee be good Catholickes, and deare children of our mother holy Church. Idolatrie. [...]iding at Easter. If yee come at Easter according to P. Zephe­rinus A point of little good fellowship. commandemēt, and then receive your maker devoutly, it is e­nough for you. At all other times we wil re­ceive [Page 167] the Sacrament for you, and it shall do you as much good, as though you had eaten it your selfe. O false and subtile hypocrits, O wicked corrupters of the Lords blessed Testament. Antichrists. If other men shold eat up your dinners and suppers in your stead, as ye eat up the Sacramēt from the people, ye should not have so fat panches as yee have, nor yet so frie in your grease as you doe. Christ deli­vered the Sacramental bread to his Disciples, and bade them eate, [Page 168] but yee eat up all your selves, and will give no man part with you. O cankred carles, O churlish chuffes! And here may we, note by the way, to what end the Sacramental bread is ordained, Why the Lords Sup­per was in­stituted. not that it should be kneeled to, nor honored as a God, nor gazed on, nor car­ried about in popish pompous processions, nor offered up for a sacrifice for the sins of the quick & the dead, nor yet to reserve it, & to hang it up in the pixe over the Altar, as yee Papists doe, but [Page 169] that it should be recei­ved, and eaten of the faithfull Communi­cants, at the Lords Supper, in remem­brance of CHRISTS death, Take eat, saith our Saviour Christ. Hitherto have wee heard, that your pee­vish, popish, private, pedlary, pelting masse, agreeth with the Lords blessed Supper and holy Communi­on nothing at all. Let us now see, how well ye behave your selves in the words of Con­secration, as yee call them, wherein after [Page 170] your opinion hangeth all the matter. Christ said, This is my bodie, which is betrayed for you. Doe this in the remem­brance of me. Now let us behold your conse­cration. Consecrati­on. Taking the little Cake in your hands, yee say these words. The day be­fore hee suffered, hee tooke bread into his holy and worshipfull hands, and lifting up his eyes unto heaven, to the God his Father Almightie, and giving the thanks, he blessed, brake and gave to his Disciples, saying, Take [Page 171] and eat of this all ye. For this is my body. The Au­thor of these words as they bee here recited, was Pope Alexander, about the yeare of our Lord 112. Here doe yee not rehearse the words truely, as our Saviour CHRIST spake them. Iug [...]ng. Some words yee added, and some yee have ta­ken away. But I much marvell at your grosse ignorance Ignorance. in this one thing. Yee put a difference be­tweene Blessing and Thankesgiving. For when yee rehearse [Page 172] this word Be [...]edixit, he blessed, Blessing signi [...]ieth thankesgi­ving. you crosse and blesse the bread with your greasie fingers, as though Christs bles­sing in that place were the wagging of his fin­gers, and not rather thankesgiving. For where Saint Marke hath, Cum Benedixisset, When he had blessed. Saint Matthew, Luke and Paul hath, Cum Gratias egisset, When he had given thankes. So that to blesse, after Markes phrase, is no­thing else than to give thankes, to praise and to magnifie. And so is [Page 173] it taken in divers pla­ces of the holy Scrip­tures, both in the old and new Testament. Again, ye put to these foure words of Christ, Hoc est corpus meum, this word Enim, Enim. and ye say, Hoc est enim car­pus [...], one word more than ever Christ put in, because ye may be found still as ye are, even abominable liars. But for putting in this one word Enim (which is of so great vertue, say ye, that without it there can bee no per­fect Consecration, and then what is to bee [Page 174] thought, Corrupters of Christs Testament. I pray you, of Christ, and of his Apostles, of the Pri­mative Church, and of the Greekes at this day, which never used that word) being your owne superfluous ad­dition, yee most wic­kedly leave out these most necessary words, that CHRIST spake, which is betrayed for you, Doe this in the remem­brance of mee. This joyfull promise, that Christs body was be­trayed, given and bro­ken for us, with the re­sidue, ye leave out, as a thing pertaining no­thing [Page 175] to the purpose. And yet are they so necessary, that with­out the knowledge of them, the Sacrament profiteth nothing at all. Note well. If I receive the Sa­crament a thousand times, & yet if I know not to what use it was instituted of Christ, what profits and bene­fits I have by the wor­thy receiving of it. If I doe not set before the eyes of my minde the death of Christ, and faithfully beleeve to have remission & for­givenesse of al my sins by the breaking of [Page 176] Christs body, & by the sheadding of his most pretious bloud, &c. it profiteth me no more, thā the pretious stone did profit. Aesops Cock.

Again, Antichrists. those words, which Christ spake o­penly to his Disciples, unto their great joy and comfort, you part­ly leave out, and part­ly whisper in hocker mocker to your selves, that no man may bee the better for your do­ings, and that the peo­ple may bee kept still in blindnesse. Our Sa­viour CHRIST saith, What I tell you in darke­nesse, Matth. 10. that speake yee in [Page 177] light. And what ye heare in the eare, that preachye on the house tops. But ye doe cleane contrary. For that which Christ spake openly to his Disciples, ye mutter it softly to your selves. O cruell soule-slayers, and bloudie murthe­rers. But is this your dexterity, uprightnes, and true dealing with the Word of God? Corrupters. So to corrupt and mangle the words of the glo­rious Testament of the Sonne of God? It is not lawfull to alter a mortall mans Testa­ment, and dare ye pre­sume [Page 178] (O yee Anti­christs) to alter and change the blessed Te­stament and heavenly will of the King of Glory? Are ye faith­full Ministers, which deale so unfaithfully with your Lord and Master? Ye that deale so wickedly with God, how wil ye deale with man? God keepe all faithfull people out of your clawes.

After ye have once spoken these five words, [...]dolatry. Hoc est enim cor­pus meum, over the bread, and have bla­sted, breathed, and [Page 179] blowed upon it, yee kneele down to it, and worship it like abomi­nable Idolaters, and af­terward ye hold it up above your pestilent, pilde, shaven, shame­lesse heads, that the people by looking up­on it, and worshipping it, may be partakers al­so of your abominable Idolatry, not being contented with your own damnable estate, except ye bring other also into the same dan­ger. Sakering or Levation. The Author of your levation & lifting the bread above your head, was Pope Honori▪ [Page 180] the third about the yeare of our LORD 1: 10. which comman­ded that the Host should bee lifted up a­bove the Priests head at Masse, and that all the people should fall downe and worship it. O Antichrist. Here may all men see, how ancient a thing your holy sakering is, which is counted the best and chiefest part of your Masse when not­withstanding it is the most wicked and most abhominable part of your idolatrous Masse. Verily it is not much [Page 181] more than three hun­dred yeares old. The Sake­ring is the most abomi­nable part of the Masse Let the lying Papists ther­fore bee ashamed to brag, that their divel­lish Masse came from the Apostles, seeing it is proved to be a new and late invention of Antichrist. And al­though the whole Masse of the Papists be utterly wicked and abhominable, yet this part, which they call the Sakering, is most wicked and abomina­ble, for as much as it provoketh the people that are present, to commit most dete­stable [Page 182] Idolatries. For the people take it to be their god. They be­leeve that bread, w ^ch the Priest heaveth a­bove his head, to bee Christ, perfect God, & perfect man. Ther­fore kneel they down unto it, knocke their breasts, lift up their heads, worshippe and honour it. When the Bel once rings (if they cannot conveniently see) they forsake their seats, and runne from Altar to Altar, from Sakering to Sakering, peeping here, and tooting there, and [Page 183] gazing at that thing, which the pilde-pate Priest holdeth up in his hands. And if the Priest bee weake in the armes, and heave not up high enough, the rude people of the Coun­trey, in divers parts of England, will crie out to the Priest, hold up Sir Iohn, hold up. Heave it a little higher. And one will say to another: Stoupe downe thou fellow a­fore, that I may see my Maker. For I cannot be merry except I see my LORD GOD once [Page 184] in a day. O abomina­tion. Ah, Woe worth you, yee Masse-mon­gers, that are the au­thors of this abomi­nable Idolatrie, and through your wicked massing send thou­sands to the Devill, except the mercy of God bee the greater. Better were [...]e Masse-mongers to leave your fat Benefices, your rich Prebeuds, your wealthy Deanries, your honourable Cha­plainships, your long Gownes, your Sarse­ne [...] Tiopets and your shaven crownes, and [Page 185] become watertankard-bearers in London, or to cobble a shoo, or goe to plough and cart, yea, to have a milstone tyed about your neck, and be cast into the bottome of the sea, than your most stinking, wicked and vile massing to pro­voke so many people unto Idolatry, and to bring the wrath of God and everlasting damnation upō them, except they repent and amend. Matth. 18. Verily I say unto you, Matth. 10. it shall bee easier for the Land of So dome at the day of Iudge­ment, [Page 186] than for you. But I know what yee will say: That we hold up is the very natural bo­die of Christ, God and man, The objecti­ons of the Papists con­cerning Christs cor­porall pre­sence in the Sacrament. therefore may we all justly wor­ship it. I aske you, how prove ye it to be the naturall bodie of Christ? Yee answer, By the vertue of these words, An abs [...]rdi­tie. Hoc est enim cor­pus meum. I reply, CHRIST spake these words of the bread, as the holy Scriptures and all ancient Wri­ters doe witnesse, Iohn 15. 10. and so then followeth it, that bread is Christs [Page 187] body, and Christs bo­die is bread. And by this meanes it must needs be granted, that Christ hath two bo­dies, one made of bread, and another of flesh, which he recei­ved of Mary the Vir­gin. But yee answer, Christs calling is ma­king. Christ called the bread his body, there­fore is it made his bo­die. I answer againe, Christ called himselfe a Vine, a Doore, a Shepheard, and called his Heavenly Father a Plough-man, is Christ therefore made a natu­rall [Page 188] vine, a materiall doore, a rusticall shep­heard, and his Father an husband-man of the country? Christ called Iohn Baptist Eli­as. Mat. 11. 17 Is Iohn therefore made that Elias the Thesbite, which prea­ched in the time of wicked King Achab? 3 King. 13. Christ called Iohn the Evangelist Maries son, Iohn 19. and called Mary his mother: is Iohn there­fore made the naturall son of Mary the Vir­gin, Christs mother? And is Mary made the very true and naturall mother of Iohn Evan­gelist? [Page 189] I am sure yee will not so say. No more is the Sacramen­tall Bread Christs na­turall body, although Christ called it his bo­die, but his bodie in a mystery, and in a fi­gure, as the old writers testifie. Libr 4. Tertullian that most ancient Doctor saith: Cont. Marc. Iesus taking bread, and distribu­ting it among his di­sciples, made it his bo­die, saying: This is my bodie, that is to say, a figure of my body. Hereto agreeth the saying of Saint Augu­stine, Co [...]tra. Christ did not Adi [...]ant. [...] Mat. 26. [Page 190] sticke to say, This is my body, when he gave the signe of his bodie. And Saint Hierome saith, that Christ did repre­sent the truth of his body and bloud by the bread and wine. An infinite number of like sentences concer­ning this matter, are found in the ancient Authors, which prove evidently, that this saying of Christ, Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body, is a figurative speech. Signes or Sa­craments in the holy Scripture are called by the names of the [Page 191] things, whereof they bee Sacraments and signes, as we reade of the Arke, of Circum­cision, Titus 3. of the Paschal Lambe, of the Sacri­fices of the old Law, of Baptisme, which Saint Paul calleth the Laver or fountaine of rege­neration, and the re­ceiving of the Holy Ghost. And after this sort is the sacramental bread called by the name of Christs body, because it is the Sacra­ment, signe and figure of his bodie. Those things which doe sig­nifie, saith Saint Cypri­an, [Page 129] and those things which be signified by them, Serm. de Chrism. may bee both called by one name. And Saint Augustine rehearsing divers sen­tences which were spoken figuratively, Contr. Adi­man [...]um. numbreth among thē these words of Christ, Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body, where­by he declareth plain­ly, that Christ spake these words figura­tively, not meaning that the bread was his body by substance, but by signification. Moreover it is direct­ly against the veritie [Page 193] and truth of Christs naturall body, to bee at more places at once than in one, Christs na­turall body cannot be but in one place at once. as hee must be in an hundred thousand places at once, if your doctrine bee true. A stinking Sodomite, or a wicked whoremonger being dressed in his fooles coat, and standing at an altar with a little thinne round cake in his hand, shall with these five words, Hoc est corpus meum, and with blowing and breathing upon the bread, make Christ the king of glory to [Page 194] come from the right hand of his father, and to touch himselfe in the Accidents of the little cake, untill yee have eaten him, and then trudge up againe to heaven, till Hoc est enim corpus meum fetch him down again if your doctrine bee true. O proud Luci­fers! And oh poore wretched Christ, who at every filthy Masse-mongers commande­ment art compelled to come down from the glorious throne of thy Majestie, and to bee handled as the Papish [Page 195] please, either to bee torne asunder with their teeth, or else to be hanged up with an halter in their popish Pixe. But know yee, O ye vile and blasphe­mous Papists, that though yee whisper your five words never so oft at your Idola­trous altars, and breath blast and blow, till yee be windlesse, yee shall never plucke the Son of God from the right hand of his Father, nor make that thinne cake of yours Christs naturall Body. The article of our faith is [Page 196] that Christ is gone up into heaven, and sit­teth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and from thence hee shall come to judge the quicke and the dead. Our Sa­viour Christ told his Disciples full oft, a lit­tle before his passion, that hee should leave the world, Iohn 14. 16. and goe up againe unto his Fa­ther. Saint Mark Mark. 16. saith that Christ was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God. Saint Luke saith, Luke 24. that Christ went away from his [Page 197] Disciples, and was carried up into hea­ven. The Angell of God said to the Apo­stles, Acts 1. when Christ did ascend up into hea­ven: yee men of Ga­lile, why stand ye ga­zing up into heaven. This Iesus, which is taken up from you in­to heaven, so shall hee come, as ye have seen him going into hea­ven. Of these words of the Angells wee learne, that as Christ went up visibly, and was seene with the corporall eyes of men, but never man saw [Page 198] him yet comming downe with his cor­porall eyes, therefore never came he downe corporally since his as­cension. S. Stephen in­deed saw Christ even with his bodily eyes as wee reade in the Acts of the Apostles. But where? Heere on the earth between the Priests hands? Nay, but in heaven stan­ding on the right hand of God. Saint Paul heard Christ speake, but from whence? from the popish pixe? yea rather from hea­ven. Saint Peter saith, [Page 199] as blessed Luke testify­eth, Act. 2. that Iesus Christ must receive heaven, till the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Pro­phets, since the world beganne, bee restored againe. This time is till the day of judge­ment. If ye will have Christ therefore bodi­ly at your Masses, yee must tarry till the day of Iudgement. For till that time, saith blessed Peter, hee must keepe heaven. Alasse, where is your Hoc est enim corpus meum after [Page 200] your grosse understan­ding become? Rom. 8. More­over, Eph. 4. S. Paul in divers places of his Epistles declareth, Cel. 3. that Christ is ascended into hea­ven, 1 Thes. 14. and sitteth on the right hand of God, 1 Tim. 3. and maketh intercession for us to God his fa­ther. Heb. 10. So likewise doe the other Apostles in their writings. Iesus Christ, saith Saint Pe­ter, 1 Pet. 3. is on the right hand of God, and is gone into heaven. We have an Advocate with the Father: Ie­sus Christ the righte­ous, 1 Iohn 2. saith Saint Iohn. [Page 201] All these Authorities of the holy Scripture with many other, doe testifie that Christ as concerning his corpo­rall presence is no more in the earth, but in heaven only. Christ hath in him two na­tures, the nature of God, and the nature of man. As concerning his divine nature, hee is in heaven, in earth, and in every place. But as touching his humane nature, hee is in heaven onely, and there shall re­maine untill the Day of Iudgement, as [Page 202] Saint Augustine saith, Tract. 50. in Iohan. as concerning the pre­sence of his Majestie wee have Christ al­wayes, but as tou­ching the presence of his flesh, it was truely sayd to his Disciples. Mee shall yee not alwayes have with you. For the Church had him a few dayes after th [...] presence of his flesh, but now it holdeth him by faith, and seeth him not with the eyes. Againe, Hd. Dard [...]n. he saith, God and man is one person, and both is one Christ Iesus, in [Page 203] every place, in that he is God, De fide & Syn. [...]. 6 but in heaven in that he is man. Al­so in another place, Where and in what manner Christ is in heaven, it is a vaine and superfluous thing to aske or demand, but wee must surely beleeve, that hee is onely in heaven. If hee be onely in hea­ven, as concerning his corporall presence, as both the Scriptures and Saint Augustine af­firme, how then is hee either in your round cake at Masse, or else hanging up in your [Page 204] popish Pixe over the Altar with an halter? But let us heare what the ancient Doctour Virgilius writeth con­cerning this matter. Lib. 1. cont. E [...]tich. The Sonne of God, saith he, as concerning his Humanitie, is gone away from us, but as touching his Divini­ty, hee saith unto us: Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world. Againe, forasmuch as the word is every where, and his flesh is not eve­ry where, it appea­reth that one and the same CHRIST is [Page 205] of both natures, and that hee is in every place as concerning the nature of his God­head. Againe, that hee is contayned in a place as touching the nature of his man­hood. Of these Au­thorities doth it ma­nifestly appeare, that Christ, inasmuch as he is God, is in every place, but having re­spect to that hee is a man, he is only in one place, that is to say▪ in heaven. If he bee only in heaven inasmuch as he is man, then consi­der yee, what is to be [Page 206] thought of the do­ctrine of the Papists, which teach that Christs naturall body is in every place wheresoever his God­head is. O Anti­christs! If this be not to play the Hereticke Marcions part, and ut­terly to destroy the verity of Christs hu­mane nature, or of his naturall body, what is it? But Saint Augu­stine saith very well in this behalfe, Ad Dardan. wee must take heed (saith hee) that we doe not so set forth, maintaine or af­firme the Godhead of [Page 207] the Man (Christ) that wee take away or de­stroy the truth of his body. For it doth not follow, that that which is in God, should be every where as God. Christ, inas­much as he is God, is every where, but be­ing man, hee is onely in heaven. Note well the omni­potencie or almighty power of God. But yee will object, according to your old wont, the omnipotencie or al­mighty power of God and say, that foras­much as he is omnipo­tent and almighty, he may both make the bread his body, and al­so [Page 208] bee in as many pla­ces concerning the corporall presence, as he list, that is to say, in infinite places at once. I answer, God is not called Almigh­ty because he can doe all things, Why God is called Al­mighty. but because he is able to doe what­soever his Godly plea­sure is to doe. For there are certaine things which God can­not doe, as for exam­ple, hee cannot denie himselfe, hee cannot lye, hee cannot save such as die in infide­lity, hee cannot make another of like power [Page 209] with himselfe, hee cannot save the re­probate, nor con­demne the Elect, which have their names written in the Booke of life, &c.

Whatsoever is con­trary to his Word, that cannot God doe; But it is contrary to the Word of God for Christs body to bee in more places at once, than in one, yea, to bee both in heaven sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and heere also in earth at your popish Masses [Page 210] in a thousand places at once, therefore is not God able to make his body to bee in so many places at once, as ye faine, forasmuch as the nature of God onely is infinite, and the nature of all crea­tures is contained in some certaine one place at once. But here againe yee will bring forth these pro­mises of CHRIST. The promi­ses of Christ concerning concerning his presence. Wheresoever two or three be gathered to­gether in my Name, Mar. 18. there am I in the middest of them. Matth. 28. A­gaine, I am with you [Page 211] alwayes unto the end of the world. These promises, and such like are to bee under­stood not of the cor­porall presence here on earth, but of his Grace, as the Doctors themselves doe de­clare. In Ioh. l. c. 16. It is to bee no­ted, marked and con­sidered saith Cyril, that although Christ hath taken away the pre­sence of his body from hence, yet by the Majesty of his God-head hee is al­wayes present, as hee at his departure pro­mised his Disciples. [Page 212] Behold saith he, I am with you alwayes un­to the very end of the world. The like say­ing of Saint Augustine heard wee before. Of all these things here­tofore spoken it is e­vident, that the natu­rall body of Christ is not here in earth, as yee Masse-mongers would gladly make us beleeve, but in heaven onely, and there shall remaine untill the day of Iudgement. Christ in the mean season be­ing here present with us by his Spirit and Grace. Seeing then [Page 213] that the Sacramentall bread is not the natu­rall body of Christ, God and man, but a figure, Sacrament, and holy signe of his bo­dy, with what fore­head dare you either affirme that your lit­tle thinne round cake, after five words pro­nounced over it, and you breathing, bla­sting and blowing up­on it, to be the true, naturall, reall, corpo­reall, and substan­tiall body of Christ, God and Man, as hee was borne of the Virgine Marie, [Page 214] and suffered for us on the Altar of the crosse, or worship it your selves, or yet provoke others so to doe, ac­cording to Pope Ho­norius decree, and not after Christs institu­tion? What is Idola­trie, if this bee not Idolatrie? To wor­ship a piece of bread for God, Idolatry. what hea­then Idolater ever so doted? If good king Ezekias lived in these our dayes, hee would rather play with the Sacrament of Christs body and bloud, as he did with the Brasen [Page 215] Serpent, 2 King. 1 [...]. than hee would suffer such abo­miable Idolatry to be committed at the mi­nistration of it, to the great dishonour of God, the utter defa­cing of Christs pas­sion, and bloud, and death, and to the dreadfull damnation of innumerable souls. O England England teares, yea teares of bloud mayest thou well weepe, which in the prosperous time of that most godly King Edward the Sixt wert blessedly purged of all superstition, I­dolatry, [Page 216] and popish doctrine, and hadst restored unto thee the true Gospel of thy salvation, and the right ministration of the Lords Sacraments, But now for thine un­thankfulnesse toward the Lord thy God, all these heavenly trea­sures are taken away from thee, and the stinking dung of the Pope most miserable cast upon thee. La­ment thy sinnes O England, lament, la­ment, Returne to the Lord thy God, and most humbly beseech [Page 217] him once againe to looke upon thee with his mercifull counte­nance, to take away these popish dregs, to restore unto thee his lively Word, and to blesse thee again with the true ministration of his holy Sacra­ments, that thou maist serve the L O R D thy God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of thy life.

This doctrine, The Do­ctrine of the Papists con­cerning the presence of Christ in the Sacrament, is new. that the Sacrament of the Altar, as you terme it, is the true, naturall, reall, carnall, corporal, and substantiall bodie [Page 218] of Christ, is the dream of Antichrist the Bi­shop of Rome, and was never received in the Church till Pope Leo, Pope Nicholas, Pope Innocent, Pope Hono­rius, and Pope Vrban, through their tyranny brought it in and com­pelled the Christians with fire and fagot (as the manner of the ty­rannicall Papists is) to receive their abomi­hable doctrine, and yet in all ages God stored up some to confesse the true doctrine of the Sacrament against Antichrist even unto [Page 219] the death. Neither is this popish doctrine so ancient as the Pa­pists bragge. For it is not much more than five hundred yeares since their g [...]osse opinion of the Sa [...]rament began first to be attempted. And although Pope Nicho­las the second di [...] much in the matter, yet was it not thorow­ly received nor a­greed upon, untill Pope Innocent the third came, which a­bout the yeare of our Lord 1215. kept a Councell at Rome, [Page 220] called Latronense, I would say, Lateranense concilium: where were gathered together a swarme of Papists, a­bout the number of thirteen hundred pild pates, of the which number eight hun­dred and odde were Monkes, Canons, and Fryers, chickens of the Popes owne brood. Last of all came Pope Vrban the Monke, in the yeare of our Lord, 1264. and he made up all the market. For he ordained a Feast cal­led Corpus Christi, The Feast of Corpus Christi. in the honour of the Sa­crament, [Page 221] so that ever after that time, the Sacrament was no more taken for a signe, figure, and to­ken of Christs bodie, but for Christ himselfe God and man, and therefore was it reve­renced, worshipped, censed, and kneeled unto, as yee teach the people to doe at your unsacred Sakerings, and so are yee their schoolmasters to learn them to commit Ido­latrie against their Lord God, but let us goe foorth with our matter.

[Page 222]After our Saviour CHRIST had delive­red the Sacramentall bread to his Disciples for to eat, hee tooke the Cuppe, and than­ked, and gave it them, saying, Drinke yee all of this. Matth. 26. For this is my bloud (which is of the new Testament) that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes. This doe, as oft as yee drinke it, in the remembrance of mee. Here CHRIST delivered to his Di­sciples holy wine (I call it holy, because it was dedicated and appointed to an ho­ly [Page 223] use) which hee made the Sacrament of his bloud. And they all dranke of it. And here is to bee marked by the way, The Sacra­ment ought to be recei­ved of the people in both kinds. that our Saviour CHRIST afore see­ing that there should arise false annointed, that would take a­way from the peo­ple the Sacrament of his bloud, bade them all drinke of it. All, all without excepti­on, even so many as beleeve on him, spiri­tuall or temporall, as they call them. Are not yee Popish [Page 224] shavelings these false annointed? Have you not taken away the Cup of the LORDS bloud from the Lay people, and reserved it to your selves a­lone? Sacrilege. Doe not ye mi­nister the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud to the Lay peo­ple under one kinde onely, cleane contrary to Christs institution? O GOD-robbers. O spoilers of Christian mens soules. Neither can ye abide, that the people should touch your Pope-holy Cha­lice, when they drinke [Page 225] the wine, but ye your selves holding the cha­lice in your own hands give them drinke, as though they were babes of three dayes old, and could not put the Cuppe to their mouth. O tender and jealous nurses! In the primative Church and many hundred yeares after, as we may see in the monuments of learned men, the Sa­crament according to Christs institution, was received of the people under both kindes, untill Anti­christ, the Biship of [Page 226] Rome, by his divellish decree, determined the contrary at the Councell of Constance, The Coun­cell of Con­stance. not much more than an hundred years past. Pope Gelasius made a godly Decree, Gel [...]sius De­cree. that those people, that would not receive the Sacrament under both kindes, should receive none at all, but be put away from the Lords Table. The Greekes and Bohemes, The Greeks and Bohems. with all that be not under the tyranny of the Pope of Rome, and of his wicked Lawes receive the Sacrament under [Page 227] both kinds at this day, according to Christs institution. Where the contrary is used, there reigneth the Devill and the Pope, and not Christ and his holy Word. But now let us behold your do­ings.

After that yee have committed Idolatrie Idolatry. with the sacramentall bread (if it be worthy of that name) ye fall in hand to consecrate (I use still your owne termes) the wine with these words: In like manner after Supper was done, hee tooke [Page 228] this noble chalice (that is a lye, for Christ ne­ver handled that cha­lice) into his holy and worshipful hands, A Lye. and after hee had given thankes to the Father, he blessed (here fall ye to crossing Crossing. againe) and gave it to his Disci­ples, saying: Take yee, and drinke yee all of this▪ For this is the cup of my bloud, a new and ever­lasting Testament, a mystery of faith, w ^ch shall be shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sinnes. So oft as yee shall doe these things, yee shall doe them [Page 229] in the remembrance of me. How many words have ye put in here of your owne braine, ye shall easily perceive, if yee compare them with the words which our Saviour CHRIST spake. But for as much as they do not greatly disagree frō the truth of Gods word, I will not strive with you in this behalfe, though I would wish you once to deale faithfully and truely in all your do­ings, but specially whē you have to doe with God, seeing it is writ­ten. Prov. 30. Put nothing to the [Page 230] words of God, lest hee reprove thee, and thou bee found a lyar. After the aforesaid words spoken in hocker mocker, yee breathe and blow, and shake your head over the Chalice, and then yee kneele downe, lift up your hands, Idolatry. and ho­nour it like most ab­hominable Idolaters. After that yee stand up againe like pretty fellowes, and well ap­pointed, and taking the Chalice in your hands, yee hold it up with heave & howe a­bove your heathenish [Page 231] heads, that the peo­ple also may worship it, and bee fellow I­dolaters with you, and fall into the like danger of e­verlasting damnation. This done, yee set the Chalice downe againe upon the Al­tar, and yee cover it with your Corpo­rasse cloath for cat­ching of cold. Then once againe kneele ye downe, and up againe like dive doppers, and kisse the Altar, Kissing. and spread your armes a­broad, as though you would embrace some [Page 232] she saint. After al these things (as I may let passe your crossings and blessings, your crouchings and nod­dings with many o­ther apish toyes) yee fall againe to your so­lemne prayers, and a­mong all other yee stand nodding and praying in your Me­mento for the soules departed, The second Memento. which was put to the Masse by Pope Pelagius about the yeare of our Lord 560.

And here in your minde and thought (for now yee play [Page 233] mum-budget, and si­lence glumme) yee pray for Philip and Cheny, more than a good many, Praying for the soules departed. for the soules of your great grand Sire, & of your old Beldame Hurre, for the soules of father Princhard, and of mo­ther Puddingwright, for the soules of goodman Rinsepitcher, and good­wife Pi [...]tepot, for the soules of Sir Iohn Hus­goose, and Sir Simon Sweetlips, and for the soules of all your Be­nefactors. Founders, Patrones, Friends and well-willers, which [Page 234] have given you either dirige groates, confes­sionall pence, trentals, year services, dinners, suppers, or any thing else, that may main­taine you our Ladies Knights. But I pray you, how can you with an assured conscience and true faith, The holy Scripture teacheth not prayer for the dead. pray for such as are departed out of this world? If these your prayers bee of faith, then doe your faith hang on Gods word. If you have the Word of God for you so pray­ing, bring it forth of good fellowship, and [Page 235] wee will heare you. Have ye none? Alasse silly soules! Then put up your pipes, and lay yee downe to sleepe. Trudge with your Dirges, and pack up your Masses of Requiem. Doe yee al­leage Pope Pelagius, and old Fathers or ancient customes? We have nothing to doe with them, except they bring the Word of GOD in their mouth. Prayer Prayer. is a matter of faith, and faith alwayes lea­neth upon the Word of GOD solely and [Page 236] fully. If ye have not the Word of God for your prayer, then can ye not pray of faith. If yee pray not of faith, then are your prayers abhominable in the sight of God, so farre it is off, that they bee heard, as the Apostle saith: Rom. 14. Whatsoever is not of faith, is sinne. Saint Iohn saith, 1 Iohn 5. This is the trust that wee have in him, that if wee aske any thing according to his will, he heareth us. But how doe you aske ac­cording to the will of God, when yee have not one title of the [Page 237] holy Scripture to de­clare that yee ought to pray for the dead? Thinke ye to be heard of God? Even as Baals Priests were, when they cried O Baal, 1 King. 18. heare us, O Baal, heare us. If yee would leape upon your Altars, yea, and cut your selves with knives till ye be all on a gore-blo [...]d, as their manner was, yet shall yee never be heard of God. For yee pray without faith, seeing ye have not the Word of God for you. Doe yee alleage Charitie? And say, It is a chari­table [Page 238] deed to pray for them that are departed? I answer, yee are very Anti­christs, that turne the rootes of trees up­ward. Will yee have Charity before Faith? Is not Faith the mo­ther of all vertues? Is not Charitie the daughter of Faith? How dare the daugh­ter move you to doe that whereof the mo­ther knoweth nothing at all? It is not charity that moveth you to pray for the departed, but blinde affection, corrupt zeale, and can­kered [Page 239] custome, and hope of gaine. After the departure from this life, all go straight wayes either unto e­ternall glory, or else unto everlasting pain, as the history of the rich Glutton, and of the poore man Laza­rus evidently decla­reth. Luke 16. Our Saviour Christ saith, Hee that beleeveth on the Sonne, hath everlasting life. But hee that beleeveth not on the Sonne shall not see life, Iohn 3. but the wrath of GOD abid [...]th on him. Here also are re­koned but two kindes [Page 240] of persons, faithful and unfaithfull, the one sort after their depar­ture goe immediately unto everlasting life, the other unto eternal dam [...]ation. And the Preacher saith, E [...]cces 11. When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South or North, in what place so­ever it [...]all, there it heth. As we depart, so shall we have our place. If wee depart in faith, heaven is appointed for us, but if wee dye in infidelitie, unfaith­fulnesse, or misbe­leefe, hell is readie at hand. Therefore your [Page 241] prayers for the dead are in every condition frustrate and vaine, superfluous and un­profitable, Heaven needeth no prayer, Hell refuseth all pray­er. Notable is this sentence of Saint Au­gustine; Know ye, saith Saint Augustine, Adfratres i [...] Eremo. Serm. 57. that so soone as the soule is departed from the bo­dy, it is straightwaies either for the good merits placed in Pa­radise, or else for the sinnes throwne head­long into the deepe dungeon of hell. A­gaine, Ser. d [...]temp in another place [Page 242] hee saith; Di [...]. 17. Brethren, let no man deceive himselfe; For there are but two places, and there is no third place for any. He that hath not deserved to raigne with Christ (in this world) shall with­out doubt (in the world to come) bee damned with the de­vill. And Saint Cypri­an saith, Co [...]tr. Demes. when wee depart hence, there is no place of repen­tance. Life is either lost or gotten.

But I marvell much of this one thing con­cerning this matter, [Page 243] that ye pray God the Father that hee will mercifully give to all such as rest in Christ a place of refreshing, of light and peace. As though those that rest in Christ could want any of them all. Can any man that rests in Christ bee tormented in paines, darkenesse, and disquietnes, trou­ble, or griefe? To rest in Christ after this life, is not to be pay­ned in Purgatory (if there were such a place as the Papists feigned, but to raigne with Christ in glory, [Page 244] to possesse everlasting joy, What it is to rest with Christ after this life. and to have the fruition of Gods glo­rious Majestie with the heavenly Angells and blessed Spirits, as it is written, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Apoc. 14 For the Spirit saith, that from henceforth they rest from their labors. And David calleth the death of the Saints pretious in the sight of the Lord. Psalm. 116. Doth not the Wise man al­so say, Sapi [...]nt. 3. that the soules of the righteous are in the hand of God, and that no griefe, [Page 245] paine, nor torment shall touch them. They are in peace, saith hee. If these things be true, as no­thing is more true, what need ye then to stand nodding in your Memento, praying for the dead? Ye might as well pray for dead swine. For yee have as good authority of the holy Scriptures for the one, as for the other. But this pray­ing for the dead hath made your Kitchins warme, your pots to seeth, and your spits to turne merrily. It [Page 246] hath fed your idle bel­lies with the fattest of the flocke, and caused you to live in all joy, pleasure, and quiet­nesse, without any la­bour, paine, or tra­vaile. Therefore no marevell though such things bee placed in your Masse. Take a­way the praying for the dead, and yee Purgatory-rakers may picke your meat up­on Newmarket heath. For your Dirige groats your Trentalls, your Moneth mindes, your Anniversaries, your Bead-rowls, your soul [Page 247] Masse-pence, and all such other pelf falls to the ground straight­wayes. And then wel­come again hard fare, greasy cap, threadbare gowne, broken shooe, torne hose, empty purse, and all that beg­gerly is. Make much therefore of praying for the dead, and wish that your Masse, which of late yee have to your great joy recovered againe, may long continue in her great prosperty, or els your cake is dough, and all your fat lye in the fire.

[Page 248]What shall I speake The second Sakerin [...], otherwise called Gods hopping a­bout the chalice. of dancing of your lit­tle great God about the Chalice with Per Ip, & cum Ip, & In Ip, Sum, which followeth the praying for the dead? That is so holy a thing, that it is cal­led the second Sake­ring, and may by no meanes bee left un­done. Your Childe must needs bee dand­led and playd withall a little while, least hee chance to sleepe too long. After that yee have layd your young God to rest againe, you say your Pater no­ster The Pater noster. c. 1. [Page 249] like good devout men: That done, yee take up the patine of the chalice, and after­ward yee crosse your selves withall both up­on your brests, and up­on your bald crownes, and lay it downe a­gaine. I thinke yee doe this either to fray away spirits, or else to enarme your selves with the signe of the croose, that they may bee the more able to bring to passe your butchery, that is now at hand. For straight­wayes yee strike up your sleves, yee un­cover [Page 250] the chalice, yee lay downe the Corpo­rasse cloth, ye take up your little God, yee hold him up over the chalice, and ye cruelly teare, plucke, and breake him in three pieces, The brea­king of the Host in three parts. according to Pope Sergi [...]s comman­dement, about the yeare of our Lord 700. When yee have so done, ye keepe two parts of your Christs body, which yee your selves made, and have now destroyed again, in your hands holding them over the chalice, and the third part yee [Page 251] let downe into the wine, that it may bee the tenderer, when yee eat it. The my­ [...]ticall mysteries here­of I declared a little before.

Then doe ye say the Agnus, Agnus. which Pope Sergius also comman­ded that it should bee said at Masse a little before the receiving of the host. And here againe yee play the abominable Idolaters. Idolatry. For looking upon the bread, yee looke your selves and wor­ship it, saying in La­tine, Agnus Dei qui [Page 252] tollis, &c. O Lambe of God that takest a­way the sinnes of the world have mercie upon us. Thrice doe yee call that Bread which yee hold in your hands, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world. O intollerable blasphemy! Was there ever Idolater, Idolatry. that worshipped a piece of broken bread for God? What marvell is it, though the Iewes, the Turkes, and all other Infidels bee so loth to come to the Christian religion, when they [Page 253] see so manifest Idola­trie committed? when they behold a piece of a thinne wafer Cake honoured for God? Certainly, this abomi­nable Idolatry which yee Masse-mongers maintaine, and com­mit at your Masse, hath beene, and is the oc­casion, that innume­rable thousands have beene, and are daily damned. Yea, these your wicked doings, are the cause, why so many doe abhorre the Christian religion, & defie the Name of Christ, as wee reade [Page 254] of a certaine Empe­rour of Turky, An history of a certain Emperour of Turkie. which when hee was deman­ded why hee and his people did so greatly abhorre the Religion of Christ, answered that hee coead by no mulnes approove or allow the religion, ser­vice, and honour of that God, whom men at their pleasure doe make, and straight­wayes eat him when they have done. Bet­ter were it for you, O ye Masse-mongers, to have a Mil-stone tied about your neckes, and to be cast into the [Page 255] sea, than thus with your abominable mas­sing and God-making to drive so many from Christ, and provoke so great multitudes unto Idolatry, and finally unto everla­sting damnation: and with what a consci­ence can yee say to the bread, which is a dumbe and insensible creature without all life or spirit. O Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world, have [...]ercie [...]pon us. Is that bread, which a little before was corn in the Plough-mans [Page 256] barne, meale in the Millers trough, flow­er in the Bakers boul­ting tubbe, The petty degree of the Papists God and af­terwards tempered with a little water, and baked of the wa­ferman betweene a paire of hot printing irons, come now sud­dainely through your charming unto such dignity, that it is the Lambe of God that ta­keth away the sinnes of the world? & that men must pray unto that to have mercie & forgivenes of sins? O Lord thou living God have mercie upon us, [Page 257] and destroy this abo­minable Idoll of the masse. In the worship­ping of Baal, Astaroth, Moloch, Bel-Peor, Mel­chom, Dagon, Chames, the Queene of hea­ven, Saturnus, Iupiter, Priapus, Iuno, Venus, and such other Idolls, was never so great a blasphemy and disho­nour to God, as is the setting up of this broken bread to bee worshipped for God. And the matter is so much the more to bee abhorred, because yee colour your a­bominable Idolatrie [Page 258] with Gods word. Faigned holines, saith Saint Gregorie, is dou­ble iniquity. Ah, is that polluted and defiled bread, the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world? Then was that your bread also borne of Mary the Virgine, and nouri­shed with the milke of her breasts. Then did that bread live up­on the earth, speake, eate, drinke, sleepe, preach, wo [...]ke mira­cles, &c. Then was that bread betrayed, accused, beaten, buffe­ted, [Page 259] spitted on, No [...] ▪ crow­ned with a crowne of thornes, clad wt [...]h a garment of purple, crucifyed, and nailed to the Crosse. Yea, then did that bread offer himselfe on the Altar of the Crosse a Sacrifice to God the Father for the sinnes of the world, dyed, and rose again for our Iustification. Rom. 4. Hath your broken bread done all these things? Christ the Lambe of God which taketh a­way the sinnes of the world hath done all these things alone, a­lone. [Page 260] Bee ashamed once Oye wicked Pa­pists, thus to blas­pheme God, and to deceive the people, through your abomi­nable Massing. Again, is grace, mercie, favor, and remission of sins to bee craved of these fragments of bread, which ye hold in your hands? So is it that true, living, immortal, and everlasting God, which hath bin with­out beginning, which made heaven & earth, and all things contai­ned in them. For none can forgive us our sins [Page 261] but God alone. Hath your broken bread bin without beginning? hath it made al things? Yea, it is a creature it selfe vile and devillish as yee use, or rather abuse it. Be ashamed O ye shamelesse hypo­crites, thus to deface the glory of God, and to leade the people in damnable blinde­nesse.

Shortly after the Ag­nus, yee kisse the Pax, The Pax. whch was the ordi­nance of Pope Inno­centius in the yeare of our Lord 310. And while the boy or Parish [Page 262] Clerke carryeth the Pax The Pax. about, yee your selves alone eat up all, and drinke up all. Ah, what riding fools and very dolts make yee the people? yee send them a piece of wood, or of glasse, or of some metal to kisse, and in the meane sea­son yee eat and drinke up all together? Is not this a pageant of Hick-scorner? Is not this a toy to mocke an ape withall? Is this Christs Accipite and E­dite? Take yee and eat yee, speaking to many, and not to [Page 263] one alone. Is this Christs Bibite ex eo om­nes? Drinke of this all yee? Did Christ eat the Sacrament a­lone? Did he not ra­ther give it to his Di­sciples, and comman­ded all faithfull Mini­sters so to doe? Why then doe ye (O ye An­tichrists) eat & drinke up all alone, contrary to Christs institution and commandement? And yet behold, how yee shunne not to lie even to Gods face: Yee say at your Post [...]Communion, these words, Quod ore sump­simus [Page 264] Domine, &c. A Lie, three for failing. That which wee have taken with our mouth grant that we may re­ceive it with a pure minde, and that it may be made unto us of a temporall gift an everlasting remedie. Againe, H [...]c nos sum­mo purget à crimine, &c. This Communi­on might purge us from Sinne, and make us partakers of the Heavenly Remedie. And in another place yee desire God, that so many as shall re­ceive the body and bloud of Christ, may [Page 265] bee filled with all heavenly blessing and grace. Yee tell God, that you with the rest of the congrega­tion have received even with your owne mouthes the Sacra­ment of Christs body and bloud, and ye lye most abominably. For yee your selves have eaten and drunken up altogether alone, and like churlish carles ye have given no man part with you. Againe, ye call it a Communi­on, which is a parta­king of many toge­ther, but yee might [Page 266] right well call it an Union. For no man eateth and drinketh of the bread and wine, but you alone. Item, ye desire God, that so many as shall be com­municants, may be fil­led with the heavenly blessings and grace, and no man do receive but you alone. What a mocking is this of God, and a deceiving of the people? God have mercy on us, and once againe deliver us from this most lying, wicked, abominable and divellish Idoll the Masse, and restore un­to [Page 267] us the holy and blessed Communion.

Christs ordinance is not, Christs ordi­nance is that the congre­gatiō should receive the Sacrament together. that one standing at an Altar should eat, devoure, and mouch up altogether alone, but that a multitude should receive the Sa­cramentall bread and wine together. Take yee, saith our Saviour Christ, eat ye, and drinke yee all of this. He saith not, Take thou Sir Iohn, eate thou, and drinke thou alone. In the Acts of the Apo­stles, wee see, Act. 2. 20. that a multitude of the Chri­stians came together [Page 268] to breake the bread, and not that one alone did eate all alone, tur­ning his arse to the people, as yee Masse­mongers doe. Saint Paul saith, 1 Cor. 10. The bread which ye breake, is it not the partaking of the body of Christ? Hee saith not, the bread which I breake, but which we breake, speaking of many, and not of one. Againe, we all be par­takers of one bread, and of one Cup. In­deed wee bee, or wee ought to be. But wee be not, therefore yee Masse-mongers doe [Page 269] us the more wrong. Where the blessed A­postle entreateth of the Lords Supper, he saith, 1 Cor. 11. My brethren when yee come together to eate, (he meaneth the holy Communion, or the Lords Supper) tarry one for another. Hee saith not, when yee come together to see the Priest say Masse, and to eate and drinke up altogether alone, stan­ding at an Altar and turning his backe to­wards you, as one full of little good man­ners. Hee saith also. Tarry one for another. [Page 270] But yee tarry for no man, The Papists at their Masse in re­ceiving the Sacrament tarry for the people, as the Abbot tar­rieth for his Covent. but having a Boy to helpe you to say Masse, ye goe to your mingle mangle, and never call purre to you. For yee eate and drinke up altogether alone, being much worse than the swine-heards. Wee reade in the ancient Canons, that such as would not communicate, should bee excommunicate, and driven out of Christs congregation, and not to be reputed or taken as members of CHRISTS bodie. Whereof wee may [Page 271] easily and truely ga­ther, that this private Massing, The private Masse is of the Devill, and not of God. which yee Masse-mongers use at this present, is not of God, but of the Devil, and was not practised of the holy ancient Fa­thers in their Chur­ches, but of late yeares brought in by Anti­christ, and his shame­lesse shavelings, which in their private Masses doe nothing else than prophanate, defile and corrupt the LORDS Supper, and make merchandize of it. While they take upon them to receive the [Page 272] Sacrament for other, and to make it a Sacri­fice for the sinnes of such as hire them for their money, that they of the labour of other mens hands, and the sweate of other mens browes may live an idle & voluptuous life, as Epicures and belly beasts, borne onely to consume the good fruits of the earth. But as yee Masse-mongers cannot bee baptised, nor beleeve for other, Every man ought to re­ceive the Sa­crament for himselfe. no more can yee re­ceive the Sacrament for other. As every man is baptised for [Page 273] himselfe, so must hee eat and drin [...]e the my­sterie of the LORDS bodie and bloud for himselfe. Can my eat­ing slake your hunger? No more can your eat­ing of the Sacrament doe mee good. The righteous man, Abac [...]k 2. Rom. 1. saith the Prophet, shall live by his owne faith. The Priests eating there­fore of the Sacramen­tall bread for other is abominable, and in all points contrary to Christs holy institu­tion; which ordained his blessed Supper not to be received of one [Page 274] alone for all the con­gregation, but that e­very one should re­ceive it for himselfe, that by the worthy re­ceiving thereof, his troubled conscience might be quieted, and his faith confirmed.

We reade that when Saint Anthony, The Vision of Saint Anthony. which lived about the yeare of our Lord 350. was in the wildernesse, he saw a vision, which was this. He beheld a number of Altars sud­denly built up, and co­vered with white Lin­nen cloths, with bread and wine set upon [Page 275] them, and a great sort of uncleane and fil­thy swine standing at them, and slovenly de­vouring all that ever was set upon the Al­tars. Saint Anthony be­ing wonderfully ama­z [...]d at this strange sight, cried unto God and said: O Lord God, what mean these foule ill favoured sights? God said unto him, Note well. These filthy swine which thou seest stan­ding at the Altars are the leacherous Priests, which after thy dayes shall arise, and driving away the holy Cōmu­nion [Page 276] out of Churches, which I instituted to be received of many, shall eat and drinke all the Sacramental bread and wine alone, gi­ving no part thereof to the residue of my people, whom I redee­med with my precious bloud, and for whose sake I ordained my holy Supper to be re­ceived of them also. Are not ye leacherous Priests these filthie swine? Have yee not cast away the LORDS Table, and set up Ido­latrous Altars? Doe not yee at your Masse [Page 277] eat and drinke up all a­lone, like hungrie hogges, and give no part to Gods faithfull people? Ye may right well bee compared to filthy swine. For as these brutish beastes cannot abide any o­ther to eat with them, but would [...]aine eat up all alone themselves, even so play yee. At your Idolatrous Mas­ses like a sort of beast­ly hogges yee eat and drinke up all alone, gi­ving no man part with you, cleane contrary to Christs institution. And yee may justly be [Page 278] cal'd lecherous priests. For ye abhorre godly and lawfull matrimo­nie, and ye defile your selves with all ki [...]d of stinking whoredome and abominable So­domitry. Maids ye de­flowre, mens wives ye defile, and widowes doe yee corrupt, be­sides much other abo­mination, which chast eares abhorre to heare. Men meete to con­secrate such a God, and fit champions to say such divellish Masses. GOD give you grace once to leave this most de­testable [Page 279] wickednesse.

Moreover, The Lords Supper is a Sacrament o [...] love and concord. was not the Sacrament of CHRISTS body and bloud ordained to move and stir all men to friendship, love and concord, and to put a­way all hatred, variāce and discord, and to te­stifie a brotherly and unfained love be­tweene them, that be the mēbers of Christ. But what friendship or love can bee main­tain'd at that ministra­tion of the Sacrament, where one eateth and drinketh all alone, as ye do at your Masses? [Page 280] If it bee a Sacrament of Charitie and Love, then ought the mem­bers of Christ charita­bly and lovingly to eat and drinke the Lords Supper together, as the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 10. Wee are all partakers of one bread, and of one cuppe, and not one to de­voure all alone. For charitie consisteth not in one alone, but in many. And the Lords Supper is called a Communion and not an Union. Therefore yee Masse-mongers grievously offend, which contrary both [Page 281] to the commande­ment of CHRIST, and the order of Cha­ritie, at your Masses eat and drinke up all alone, and by this meanes yee make the the Lords Supper a Sacrament rather of hate and dissention, than of love and uni­tie. And heere com­meth into my remem­brance an History of a Christian & of a Iew. An history of a Christi­an and a Iew. The Christian per­ceiving the Iew to bee an honest civill man, faithfull in his pro­mise and upright in his dealing toward all [Page 282] men sorrowed greatly in his heart, that hee was not also of the Christian beleefe. The christian thinking that the most ready way to bring the Iew unto Christ, was to leade him to church, that he might there heare and see how well God was served among them, desired the Iew upon a certaine Sabboth day to goe with him unto the temple of the Christians, nothing doubting, but if hee would so doe, hee should bee allured to give over his Iewish [Page 283] opinions, and to be­come a christian man. The Iew consented and went with him to church where he qui­etly saw and beheld all things. He heard iolly ringing, pleasant sin­ging, and merry or­gans playing. Hee be­held a sort of gay gawdy mawmets, and a number of merry fel­lowes in the quire sin­ging sometime high, sometime low, some­time in a meane, and sometime nothing at all. Hee saw also a fel­low with a shaven crowne going up and [Page 284] downe in the church, and casting water in the peoples teeth, and afterward having a iol­ly coat upon his backe he saw him goe about the church-yard, after an Image, all the peo­ple following him. After all these things hee saw that shaveling cast off the gay-coat a­gaine, and put on o­ther game plaiers gar­ments, & so to addres himselfe unto an altar covered with white linnen cloathes, wher­upon was set, as hee thought, meate, and drinke, for he saw the [Page 285] cup there. After much singing and piping, he saw the sacrificer that stood at the altar, lift up a little thin round cake, & a cup of drinke above his head. Here will bee good cheere thought the Iew a­non, for here are iolly signes & proffers. But when he saw the peo­ple fall downe & wor­ship the bread and cup hee marvailed greatly at their madnes. Masse ended, hee looked al­wayes when the peo­ple should have beene called to eat and drink with Hicke-scorner [Page 286] that heaved the bread and cup over his head, but no man had part with him. He devourd all alone like Sim slap sauce: when they were departed out of the church going home ward, the christian willing to prove how the Iew was affected toward the christian religiō, said unto him, Sir, how like you our religion and serving of God? To whom the Iew answered: ye have in the temple many things that would make a sad man glad, and one that is [Page 287] sorrowfull, cheerefull. I meane your thun­dring of bells, your playing on the organs, your merry singing, the casting of water in the peoples teeth, and your running one af­ter another about the church-yard, like the Prior of Prickling­ham and his covent. All these things seeme to be matters of mirth used among you, as I thinke onely to make you merry. But the having of Idols in your temples I do not allow. I see you also fall downe and wor­ship [Page 288] a peece of bread and a silver cup, which I iudge high abomi­nation and damnable Idolatry. And another thing there is used in your temples, which I also do nothing like. What is that quoth the christian. I will tell you said the Iew. Yee talke, cracke and boast much of charity but I say right well that there is little used among you. For there was an Altar spred with fine white cloths, and meat and drinke as I suppose, set upon it, I alwaies looked, [Page 289] when ye should have beene called to eate and drinke together according to the order of charity, but that shaveling that stood at the altar in the gay coat did both eat and drink all alone, giving you no part with him, which is a token of small charity & friend­ship among you. Certs you shal redresse these great vices, and have more charity among you before I become one of your order. And so the Iew refu­sed to be made a chri­stian. God have mercy [Page 290] on us. Among many other notable faults, which the Iew percei­ved in our Temples, this was not the least, that one standing with his backe toward the people at an altar, did eat and drink al alone, giving no man part with him, which is a token of small charity and friendship as the Iew said Verily the pri­vate masse, wherin the sacrament of Christs body and bloud is too much abused, hath beene and is the cause that many at this day doe abhorre the name [Page 291] of Christ and utterly condemne the christi­an religion. God for his mercy drive this Idolatrous masse out of this realme once againe, and restore unto us the true use of his holy Supper, A­men, Amen. But let us see, what followeth in your Popish masse, and make an end.

When the Boy or Parish Clarke com­meth againe with the Pax, yee hold forth your chalice like Sir Ralph Rinspitcher for a little more drinke. And when yee have [Page 292] once drunken up that, Drinke and still drinke. yee hold forth your Goddard yet once a­gaine to have a little more swill. No mar­vell. Rinsing of the Chalice. For peradven­ture ye fell the night before into a great heate, while you kept company with your toying Thais, and ther­fore no marvell, silly soules, though you drinke solemnly. But O good Lord, what wiping of the mouth, and licking of the fin­gers is there then? It would doe a wo­man good to see how cleanly Sir Iohn Sweet-lips [Page 293] is. And yet not so contented, yee goe to the Altars end, and there once againe, yee wash your hands, Washing of the hands. to shew how [...]minion trimme, fine neat, and white-fingered Gentlemen, yee are in all your doings, but especially in matters pertaining to Lady Venus Court. After this yee returne to the Altar, and take ano­ther licke or two of the dropping of the Chalice, Licking of the Chalice. because yee would bee loth to lose any thing, and taking up your cake [Page 294] in your hand, ye come againe to the Altars end, where yee began your popish and ido­latrous Masse, What the comming againe to the Altars end signi­fyeth. to de­clare that as good ne­ver a whit, as never the better, and to shew that the matter for the which yee said Masse, is as farre for­ward now, as though yee had said none at all. After a few Col­lects mumbled over, yee turne you to the people, and say, Do­minus vobiscum, bid­ding them adieu, and with Ite Missa est, yee bidde them [Page 295] goe, and tell them Masse is done. And all in Latine, be­cause the people un­derstand nothing but English. Then fall yee once againe to kneeling downe at the altar, and because yee are our Ladies knights, yee salute her most humbly with some devout Orison. An Orison for our La­dy. That done, ye rise up againe, like tall fel­lowes, and saying the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell, Saint Iohns Gospell. ye blesse you Secrosse you as though a thousand Devills were about ye. After [Page 296] all these things, yee trusse up your trin­kets, yee shut your booke, ye fold up your corporasse cloath, yee winde up your chalice ye put off your fooles coate, your vestment, your stole, your Fan­nell, your girdle, your Albe, and your A­mice, yee put out the candle, & solemnly ma­king curtesie to your God, that hangeth o­ver the altar, God give you good night at Algate. ye trudg out of the Church, ei­ther home, or else to the alehouse, be­ing now at libertie all the whole day af­ter [Page 297] to doe what ye list with a safe conscience, to [...]dise, to card, to hunt, to hawke▪ to bowle, to bib, How the Priests spend the day after they have said Masse. to make good cheere, to play, revell rout, to drinke them all out, to set cocke on the hoope, let the divell pay the Maltman, to fish in Venus pond▪ to sacrifice to Bacchus, and what not? And here is your goodly godly massing, wherwith ye bewitch the ignorant, and make the simple peo­ple to doate. I passe over your monstrous and apish toyes, your [Page 298] inclinations, and pro­strations, your com­plications and expli­cations, your eleva­tions and extensions, your incurvations and genuflexions, Good stuffe, worke for the Tinker. your in­spirations and exoscu­lations, your benedi­ctions & humiliations, your pulsations & pau­sations, with your con­signations, and all o­ther abominations. What Christian heart can abide either to say heare, or see, such a di­vellish and abomina­ble kind of massing as ye use at this day? yee doe nothing at all in [Page 299] your masse, that agree­eth with Christs in­stitution. The Lords Supper and your pee­vish, popish private masse doe agree toge­ther like God and the divell, Christ and Be­liall, light and darke­nesse, A compari­son between the Lords supper and the popish Masse. truth and false­hood, and as the com­mon proverbe is, like harpe and harrow, or like the hare and the hound. Sowre and sweete are not so con­trary one to another, as your Masse is con­trary to Christs ho­ly Communion, as yee have abundantly [Page 300] heard heretofore. For whereas Christ prea­ched at the institution of his holy Supper, yee preach nothing at all at your Masse. Whereas Christ mi­nistred his blessed Sup­per at a table, yee say your popish Masse at an Altar. Whereas Christ did sit while he have the Sacrament of his body and bloud to his Disciples, yee stand, and by no means will sit when yee receive it. Where­as Christ did use none other apparell but his [...]suall gar­ments, [Page 301] yee disguise your selves with such geare, as is more meet for a game [...] player, than for a sober mi­nister. Wheras Christ at his supper both prayed & gave thanks to his heavenly Fa­ther in that tongue, which those that were present did under­stand, ye at your Masse speake all things in such a tongue as yee your selves, for the most part, understand not, and so are they that are present un­edified. Whereas Christ in his holy [Page 304] supper gave the sacra­ment of his body and blood to all his Dis­ciples, yee in your a­bominable masses give it to none, but yee your selves eate and drinke up altoge­ther alone. Whereas Christ at his mawn­dy gave to his Disci­pler holy Bread and holy Wine, to bee fi­gures, signes, and memorialls of his blessed body brea­king and of his pre­tious blood shed­ding, yee at your Masses take upon you to eate and drinke [Page 303] not spiritually, but corporally and natu­rally the corporall and naturall body and bloud of our Saviour Christ, as hee was borne of the Virgin, and hung on the crosse. Wheras Christ ministred with true and perfect brea [...], yee minister with starch, or with a thinne wa­ [...]er Cake. Whereas CHRIST delivered the Cuppe contay­ning Wine onely in it, yee in your Cha­lice put both Wine and Water mingled together. Whereas [Page 304] Christ gave the Sacra­ment of his body and bloud to his Disciples sitting at the Table, yee give the Sacra­ment to such as kneele before the Altar. Whereas Christ gave his Disciples the Sa­cramentall bread and the cup into their handes, yee put the bread into the mouths of the Com­municants, and by no meanes will you suffer them to touch your Popes holy chalice▪ wheras Christ delivered the Sacrament of his body and bloud under [Page 305] both kinds to his disci­ples, and so comman­ded it to be observed in his holy congrega­tion, yee contrary to Christs institution & ordinance, minister it to the common peo­ple under one kind on­ly; whereas Christ did institute his holy Sup­per to bee eaten and drunke in the remem­brance of his blessed passion and precious death, yee reserve the Sacramentall bread, and hang it up in your pixes, & carry it about for a pageant at your pompous popish [Page 306] processions; whereas Christ ordayned his blessed Supper to bee a Sacrament of thanks­giving, you make your Masse to be a Sacrifice propitiatory, satisfa­ctory, and expiatory for the sinnes both of the quicke and the dead. Whereas Christ at his Supper gave the Sacrament of his bo­dy and bloud freely to his Disciples, you sell your Masses, and make merchandise of the Sacrament, as the Co­stard-monger doth of his costards, and of his other fruits.

[Page 307]To conclude, where­as Christ appointed the Sacrament of his body and bloud to put us in remembrance of his blessed body brea­king, and precious bloudshedding, and to stirre us up unto mu­tuall love, and unto thankesgiving to his heavenly Father for the benefits received by the death of his Sonne Christ, yee ap­ply your Masses The vertues of the Masse to a thousand severall pur­poses, cleane contra­ry, as to the getting of faire weather, rain, health, long life, ri­ches, [Page 308] victory in bat­tell, overhand of ene­mies, &c. To driving away of devills, cha­sing away of agues, putting away of pe­stilences, curing of measled swine, hea­ling of sicke horses, helping of chickens of the pip, making hot of a Winchester goose, restoring of a good name, procuring of friends, preserving of evill chances, bring­ing of good lucke, pacifying of Gods wrath, obtaining of remission of sinnes, delivering of soules [Page 309] out of Purgatory, yea out of Hell, and pla­cing them in everla­sting Glorie. What thing is either in hea­ven earth, or hell, for the which the Masse is not profitable, and serves for the purpose, The Masse serveth for all purposes. if it please you to ap­ply it? It is a sawce for all meats, a salve for all sores, a remedy for all diseases, a main­tenance of all prospe­rity, and a defence a­gainst all adversity. Protens never turned himselfe into so many formes, shapes, and fashions, as your Masse [Page 311] hath vertues. O bles­sed Masse, O holy Masse, O vertuous Masse, yea, O most vile, stinking, and a­bominable Idol. Now judge ye, O ye Masse-mongers, what is to bee thought of the peevish, popish, prat­ling, private Masse, which the Papists, and the most part of you that are massemongers doe so highly praise, commend, advance, extoll, magnifie, and set forth, not as God onely, but in a man­ner above God. For what thing is it that [Page 310] wee desire to have, for which wee doe not rather resort unto the Masse, than unto God? And is this a­ny other thing than meere Idolatrie, and stealing away of his Glorie?

Which thing who­soever doth, Note in how damna­ble a state the Masse-monger is. is he not Gods enemie? Is hee not an adversarie to the true Christian re­ligion. Doth hee not defile the precious bloud of our Saviour Christ under his foot? Doth hee not defile the holy mysteries of God, and blaspheme [Page 312] the Name of the Lord? Doth hee not give himselfe from God to the devill, and become the childe of wrath, a vessel of ven­geance, a firebrand of hell, and heire of e­verlasting damnation? God have mercie up­on us. Behold now the miserable state wherein yee stand, and so many as cleave to your abominable Massing! Cease ther­fore, cease betimes, to bee haters of God, hlasphemers of his holy Name, Enemies of Christs bloud, pol­luters [Page 313] of the Christi­an religion, defilers of God [...] most holy Sa­craments, corrupters of his blessed myste­ries, seducers of the people, destroyers of mens soules, pestilen­ces of the Christian common-weale, and ministers of Satan. Forsake your abomi­nable kinde of Mas­sing, forsake it, forsake it, and defile your selves no more with Idoll service, lest yee provoke the fierce wrath▪ and hot ven­geance of God to fall both upon you the [Page 314] Masse-mongers, and upon all them also that are the Masse-hunters, and finally, for your wicked­nesse upon the whole Realme. For God cannot alwayes abide his holy Sacra­ments thus to be abu­sed and defiled. If If they escaped not unpunished, Exod. 12. that did eat leavened bread while the Feast of the Lords Passeover did endure; [...] King. 6. if Vziah went not away unplagued, but was strooke with suddaine death, be­cause hee touched [Page 315] the Arke of the LORD; if hee that came to the Mar­riage, because hee had not the wedding garment was taken from the table, Mat. 22. bound hand and foot, and cast into utter darke­nesse, where weeping and ghasting of tee [...]h shall be [...] the devil entred into I [...]das after Ioh. 13. that hee had received the Lords bread un­worthily; 1 Cor. 11 if the Co­rinthians were grie­vously p [...]agued, yea, and that many unto the death, because they did abuse the [Page 316] Lords Supper, and unreverently behave themselves at the Mi­nistration of it: if those with many other escaped not unplagu'd for abusing the Lords mysteries, thinke not ye, which daily defile the honourable Sacra­mēt of Christs body & bloud in your most wicked, damnable, devillish, idolatrous, heathenish vile, stin­king, blasphemous, detestable, and abo­minable Massing, shall escape free from pu­nishment, neither yee your selves, nor the consenters to your I­dolatry. [Page 317] Therefore if there bee any love in you toward God, any hearty good will to­ward CHRIST our Saviour, any fervent affections towards Gods most holy word, any godly zeale to­ward the Christian commonweale, any desire of goodnesse towards this our na­tive Countrey, any sparke of well-willing toward the salvation either of your owne soules, or of others: I exhort you all by the tender mercies of God and by the precious [Page 318] bloud of our Saviour Christ Iesu, that yee without tariance give over your abominable Massing, which with­out doubt is not the acceptable service of God (as the blind sort of people judge) but the very vile blasphe­mous bondage of Sa­tan, invented by the devill, Rev. 20. brought in by Antichrist, confirmed & established by such as have received the Beasts marke, whose inheritance shall be in that Lake that bur­neth with fire & brim­stone. Neither lot a­ny [Page 319] thing move you that the Idolatrous Masse, w ^ch before was worthily banished out of the Realme, is now againe restored by act of Parliament, but ra­ther heare what the Apostles say, we must obey God more than men. In all matters of religion, Note well the will of God is to be conside­red before the com­mandement or act of any mortall Prince. Act. 5. Pharaoh was a King, Exod. 1. yet the godly Mid­wives obeyed not his ungodly commande­ment in killing the [Page 320] male child [...]en of the Israelites. Dan. 3. Nebu [...]hado­nezer was a King, yet the three young men would not obey his wicked proclamation in worshipping his golden Idoll. 1 Mac. 1. Antio­chus was a King, yet the faithfull Iewes would not observe his abominable lawes in sacrificing to Idols, and in eating unclean flesh. Maacha was a Queene, and made an abominable Idoll of Priapus, 2 Cron. 15. and offered sacrifice unto it, and exhorted others with­out doubt to doe [Page 321] so likewise, but so many as feared God abhorred her doings, and defyed her Idola­try, insomuch that King Asa her sonne put her downe, be­cause shee had made images in Groves, and brake down her Idols, and stamped them, and burnt them to ashes at the brooke Cedron. 1 King 18. Iesabel was a Queene, and an abo­minable Idolatresse, promoting and ma­king much of Baals Priests, and feeding them even at her own table, but imprisoning [Page 322] and murdering the Prophets of God, she worshipped Baal, and caused many other so to doe. But those that loved God abhorred her idolatry, and by no meanes would fol­low her wicked steps, but chused rather to worship God accor­ding to his word. The Prophet Elias slew all her Prophets that did service to Baal, and Queene Iesabel her selfe came to a most miserable end. Shee was throwne downe to the ground from an high window, [...] King 9. inso▪ [Page 323] that the wall was sprinckled with her bloud, and the horses trod her under their feete, and the dogs came and eat up her flesh, so that there was nothing left of her, but her skull, her feet, and the palmes of her hands. Athalia was a Queene, and a great Idolatresse, shee wor­shipped Baal, 2 King 11. and en­ticed her sonne Aha­zia to doe so likewise. Notwithstāding such as feared God, obey­ed in this behalfe nei­ther the King nor his Mother, but walked [Page 324] after the Commande­ments of God. Both the mother and the sonne were slaine mi­serably. The Bishops, the Priests the Law­yers, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Saddu­ces, and such others, were great Rulers in Iewrie, and they com­manded the Apostles, that they should no more preach in the name of Iesu, but they obeyed them not, but stoutly answered, [...] Whe­ther it bee right in the sight of God to hearken unto you, more than unto God, Iudge yee. For we [Page 325] cannot but speake that which wee have seene and heard. Rulers are so farre to be obeyed, How farre Civil Masti­strates are to be obey­ed. as the limits of Gods Word doe suffer. I [...] their Lawes and Acts agree with the Word of God, they are to be obeyed, if they be con­trary to the comman­dement of God, it is to bee answered with the Apostles. We must [...]bey God more than men. Act. 5. Furthermore, if [...]ee be afraid of losing your livings▪ an [...] by that meanes of falli [...]g into beggery, Poverty. remem­ber that he, for whose [Page 326] sake yee forsake your Idolatrous Massing, that ye may serve him with a pure conscience according to his word, will never forsake you, nor leave you succourlesse and un­provided for. Sooner shall God deale with you, Exod. 16. as he did with the Children of Israel i [...] the wildernes with Eli as with the Widow of of Sarepta, 3 King. 17. with Da­niel, Dan 14. with the people whom CHRIST fed in the desert, as wee reade in the Historie of the Gospell, Marke 14. and with such other, as un­fainedly [Page 327] feared God, than ye shall want any good thing. Hear what David saith, Psal. 34. They which seeke after the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good. Againe, Psal. 37. I have beene young, and now I am old, and yet saw I the righteous never for­saken, nor their seed beg­ging their bread on the earth. Our Saviour Christ also saith, Mark 10. There is no man that hath forsa­ken house, or brethren, or sisters, or father or mo­ther, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the Gospels▪ but he shall re­ceive an hundred fold: [Page 328] Now in this life, hou­ses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers and children, and lands with persecution, and in the world to come everlasting life. And God himselfe saith, I will not leave thee, Ios. 1. nor forsake thee. Having these loving promises of God, feare yee not the losse of your li­vings, nor the hatred of the wicked world­lings. If God provi­deth for you (as un­doubtedly hee doth) what can ye want? If God bee your friend, your buckler & shield, [Page 329] who can hurt you? As Saint Paul saith, Rom. 8. If God be on our side, who can be against us? Now have yee heard, how far the Masse dissenteth from the Lords Supper. Ye have heard, what ma­nifest blasphemies and intollerable untruthes bee contained in the Masse. Ye have heard that the Masse is the invention of the De­vill, the Nurse-childe of Antichrist, and the welbeloved darling of all them that have received the Beasts marke. Ye have heard that no Christian man [Page 330] can either say Masse or heare Masse with a good conscience. To end, yee have heard, that the Masse is the fountaine, well, head-spring and originall of all Idolatry, supersti­tion, wickednes, sin & abomination, and that it is not Gods wor­ship, but Idoll service. Considering therfore these things, if ye ten­der the glory of God, your owne salvation, and the peace, quiet­nesse and safegard of our country, flee Ido­latry, forsake your abominable Massing, [Page 331] and serve the LORD our God according to his holy Word. So shal God blesse you with all good things, both in this world, and in the world to come. Fare yee well. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, 2 Cor, 13. and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.

How long, Psal. 13. O Lord.

I come quick­ly. Apoc. 12.

O come Lord Iesu. Apoc. 22.

Give the glory to God alone.