CHAP. I. Of the Supper, or Communion.

FORASMVCH as names are imposed on things to be signes and markes of what they are, Nomina sunt rerum notae. it will suit well to our purpose in hand, if wee take our be­ginning from the explicating of cer­taine tearmes, least a iealousie which some might cōceiue from the words, should breed a controversie in things already accorded on, or sundry acceptions should lead one to an erronious confession of that which hee no waies be­leeueth. Let vs beginne therefore with expounding of this word supper.

Supper is the english of the latine word Coena, which as Isodore Bishop of Sevill in Spaine in his booke of Etymolo­gies tels vs, is so called, quasi κοινὴ common, and from thence is deriued the word, Communicants. Wherefore the Com­munion which Christians haue of the body and blood of Christ, eating of the same bread, and participating of the same cup, is most properly called by that name. Contrari­wise, at these tables where there is but one onely which re­ceiueth, we cannot iustly affirme that there is a Communion, but rather a true Excommunication, Can. peracta de consecrat. dist. 1. as saith Pope Calixtus in the canon Peracta, S ^t Paul likewise in the same sense cal­leth [Page 2] it δεῖπνον a supper. Tertull. de re­surrec. idem in Apologet. c. 39. Jdem ad vxor. l 2 c. 6. Thom. 1. Cor. 11. Hier. eodem cap. August. ad Ja­nuar. epist. 118. And Tertullian more then two hun­dred yeares after him said, Wee cannot eate the Supper of the Lord, and the Supper of Divels. Which Thomas thus inter­preteth, to eate the Supper of the Lord, is to take the Sacra­ment of the Eucharist; and Hierome saith, the Supper is so cal­led because our Lord at Supper did ordaine that Sacrament. And S ^t Augustine interpreteth it, the taking of the Eucharist. See the vsage of this word for the space of 400 yeares, mark now the 400. Beda 1. Cor. 11. following which make vp 800. Beda saith, that the taking of the Eucharist was the supper of the Lord. Whence it followeth that the most ancient and most pro­per tearme to expresse that holy action, was the word of the Supper: as also the prose of the Masse of the fiue woūds im­ports, which beginneth, Coenam cum discipulis Christe cele­brasti, thou hast celebrated, O Christ, the Supper with thy Disciples.

CHAP. II. Of the Eucharist.

EVcharist, signifieth in Greeke, a thankesgiuing, for if ever a sufficient subiect offereth it selfe, to stirre vs vp to giue thanks vnto God, it is then when he commu­nicats vnto vs our salvation in Iesus Christ, & makes vs par­takers of all his benefits, making him our wisdome, iustice, sanctification, 1. Cor. 1. v. 30. and redemption. Now as in the word of Com­munion, is properly designed that which God bestoweth on vs, by a part vnderstanding the whole: so this tearme which in its proper and natiue signification, signifieth prayers and thankesgiuings, proceeding from vs and offered vp vnto God, comprehendeth notwithstanding all the action: for the thanksgiuing presupposeth that the faithfull haue recei­ved some benefit. And the Canons of the Masse runne most commonly in the plurall number, Nou. 7. Iustin. & ibi Cuiacius. See Rhenan. Communicantes: Quod ore sumpsimus: that is to say, that which wee haue receiued into our mouth: which giues vs to vnderstand, that in the prima­tiue Church there was no single participating of the Pastor [Page 3] alone, but a true communicating of all the faithfull, other­wise it should never haue beene called a thankesgiuing, if they had presupposed but one receiuer: for they which re­ceiue nothing haue no occasion to say God a mercy.

CHAP. III. Of the Liturgie.

THis terme likewise is Greeke, L. semper. 5. §. demonstratus. & seqq. De iure immunit. Dion de Eccles. Hierarch. Philip. 2. v. 25. and signifieth in gene­rall whatsoeuer belongeth to any publike administra­tion, be it sacred or prophane, for Suidas interpreteth it [...], and in this sense it is taken in the lawe, [...], to withdraw ones selfe from publike imployments: also we say [...], quasi [...], admini­string a publike office, though the Apostle saith of the parti­cular offices done vnto him by Epaphroditus, [...], who ministred vnto me such things as I wanted. Now when some haue vsed this tearme, they haue vnderstood by it, not only the administring of the Sacraments, but also the preaching of the word, in which two things consist the of­fice and charge of the Pastor. In the like manner doth Iusti­nian the Emperour interpret it, and Cuias also Novel. 7. Iustin. Nov. 7. c. 11. de Ecclesia­sticis bonis & ibi Cuiac. tom 3. p. 549. [...]. &c. sig­nifying that besides the reading of the holy Scriptures, the litourgy was performed, tradita populo sancta communione, by administring to the people the holy cōmunion. Whence we ought to conclude that in the time of Iustinian, being 530 years after Christ, the people stood not by only as meer spectators in a theater, but to taste as at a feast: Act. 13. and so must we vnderstand that passage in the Acts, [...], that is, preaching the Gospell, and administring to the peo­ple the Holy Communion. From which two passages one may cleerely collect that the Church in those daies vsed not the tearme of the Masse, and that Iustinian retained this word as being vsed in his time.

CHAP. IIII. Of the Sacrament.

AFter the three Greeke words, wee will explaine three Latin, and begin backwadrs, to the end that one may deriue the one frō the other. The first therefore shalbe the Sacrament, marueilous agreable to this actiō. For Festus witnesseth that the ancients vsurped it in actions which they performed with an oath. For when they entred Soldiers in­to their Rowle, they exacted an oath either of euery one in particular, or of the whole band in grosse; this they stiled a conjuration, because they sware altogether, or particularly, and these oathes they termed, military Sacraments, [...], Serui. 8. Aeneid. L. 8. c. de. leg. 2. § miles de his qui notantur. l. v. de re militari. inde sacramento liberati. From hence it com­meth, that Christian Souldiers which are the truly faithfull, presenting themselues in Baptisme to bee enrowled, and at the Supper, to muster and receiue presse-money in the mi­litant Church, haue termed these actions Sacraments: and because it is sufficient to be once enrowled, Baptisme is not to be reiterated, but in as much as Soldiers are often to mu­ster, to make open profession, to beare the colours, and to take the bread of munition during this spirituall warfare, thereupon it is, that this Sacrament of the Supper is often to be reiterated; in which on Gods behalfe wee are assured by the truth of his Word, by the exhibiting of his pledge, by the character of his Seale, by the efficacy of his Spirit, that he loues vs in his Sonne, will be fauourable vnto vs through his obedience, will exalt vs in his fauour through the hu­mility of his Lambe sacrificed vpon the Crosse. And againe on our parts, we accept that grace, we protest that we will abide constant, we sweare that wee will serue so good an Head, that we will loue and honour such a Father, and that we will renounce sathan and his promises, the world and its delights. Now if you consider it in its matter, it wilbe double, to wit in signes; and in that which they signifie, which is called the matter of the Sacrament. The signe in [Page 5] Baptisme is the water, the thing which is signified is Blood; the signe in the Supper is Bread and Wine, the thing signi­fied is the Body and Blood; neuerthelesse in regard of the Sacramentall vnion, which the signe and the thing signifi­ed have one with another, they borrow one anothers name in this action; sometimes the Body is called the Bread, som­times the Bread, the Body. For Saint Augustin saith, Aug. ep. 166. Idem cont. ad­vers. leg. & pro­phet. lib. 2. c. 9. Id. de civ. dei. l. 10. c. 5. Idem in Ioh. tract. 26. idem n Leuit. l. 3. q. 57. Amb. de iis qui mysterii init. tit. 4 c. 9. Theod. dial. con. quosdam haeret. the thing which signifieth, is vsed to be honoured with the name of that thing which it signifieth: and Saint Ambrose, before the benediction of those heauenly words, one kinde is named, (to wit the Bread and Wine) after the consecration, the Body is signi­fied. And Theodoret, Our Sauiour hath honoured the signes & Symboles which we see, with the name of his Body and Bloud, not in changing their nature, but in adioyning his grace: add that is the reason why euery part of the Sacrament is opposed the one vnto the other, the one corruptible, the other incorrup­tible; the one the figure, the other the thing; the one earth, the other Heauen; the one visible, the other invisible; the one taken by the body, the other taken by the soule; the one presented by the Pastour, the other by the Spirit of God. Maxim. schol. Dionysii. So Maximine op­poseth the signes or symboles to the verity of the thing: σύμβολα τᾶυτα, καί οὐκ ἀλήθεια. Following this truth, there is no Sacrament to be found in the Masse: for before the con­secration, there is no more but simple Bread and Wine; and after the consecration (according to their saying) there is no more Bread, yet notwithstanding, Cyril. l. 4. in Ioh. c. 19. August. tract. in Ioh. 59. Innocent. de sa­crament. altar. c. 4. 13. & 14. the Sacraments ought to haue two parts, (to wit) the signe, and the thing signified of the Bread of our Lord, and the Bread which is the Lord.

CHAP. V. Of Sacrifice.

SAcrifice is a Latin terme, and signifieth in generall, Plaut. Poen. si hercle istud vn­quam factum est, tum me Iu­piter faciat sem­per sacrificem, ne (que) vnquā litē. to performe any holy thing, and particularly to make prayers and oblations to God, although one obtaine not that which he requires: in which sense it is opposed to the Verbe Lito, to appease. More specially this word hath [Page 6] beene in vse amongst the Iewes and Pagans, signifying to offer to God fruites, beasts, incense, bread or wine, and mo­lam, a round loafe, from whence comes the Verbe Immolo. As for the sacrifices of the Heathens, the Church both anci­ent and moderne hath alwayes condemned them, as being abominable before God. The Iewish consisting in materiall things, in types and figures of that onely and eternall sacri­fice of our Sauiour, were accomplisht in that sacrifice vpon the Crosse, and now there remaine none but sacrifices of thanksgiuings and praises: of the which, Dauid in the Psalmes often speaketh. For as concerning our Lord Iesus, he can not be offered vp againe after his passion, for then, (saith Saint Paul) must hee often haue suffered. Heb. 9. v. 26. Whence it followeth, that as he can suffer no more, so can he no more be offered vp. Besides, to reiterate his sacrifice, is to argue it of vnsufficiency, and to match it with the Iewish sacrifices of which it is written, He. 10. v. 11. &c Euery high Priest standeth dayly mini­string, and offering diuers times the same sacrifices which can neuer take away sinnes; but this man after hee had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for euer, sate downe on the right hand of God. Heb. 9. v. 25. Againe, Not that he should offer himselfe often, as the high Priest entreth into the holy place euery yeare, with the blood of others, &c. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sinne, by the sacrifice of himselfe. A­gaine, Ib. v. 12. Heb. 10. v. 14. he entred in once into the holy place, hauing obtained e­ternall redemption for vs. Againe, for by one oblation he hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified. Finally, if Iesus were often offered vp, by himselfe or by another, then God should often make him pay the punishment of sinne, (for sa­tisfaction is a necessary effect of oblation) which is a blas­phemy against his Maiesty. Moreouer he then ought often to shed his Blood; Heb. 9. v. 22. for without shedding of blood is no remissi­on: the which shedding is to bee vnderstood of that which causeth death, of which speaketh the Prophet Esay, Hee hath powred out his Soule vnto death, Es. 53. and made his Soule an offring for sinne. So that the oblation and sacrifice of the Crosse is sufficient to appease God, and sanctifie the E­lect; [Page 7] and moreouer it neither ought nor can be reiterated. Besides if it ought to be performed againe, there cannot be found in the world a sacrificer which hath the qualities re­quired vnto such a worke, but onely our Sauiour Christ, who hath neither successour nor companion in his sacrifice; Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchise­deck. Againe, Heb. 6.20. & 7.21. & 27.28. For the Law maketh men high Priests which haue infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since the Law, maketh the sonne which is consecrated for euermore. Againe, hee is entred into heauen it selfe, now to appeare in the presence of God for vs. Heb. 9.24. Now as for these qualities spe­cified, may they be found in our Pastours, be they who they will? holy, harmelesse, vndefiled, separate from sinnes, Heb. 7. v. 26. and made higher then the heauens. We may conclude therefore, that we are not onely destitute of such Priests, but also that such a sacrifice is not possible, for Iesus can not dye any more, Heb. 9. v. 25. Heb. 10. v. 11. &c. Heb. 9. v. 12. & 28. &c. 8. v. 12. not reiterable, for Iesus by one onely oblation hath consecrated vs for euer, not necessary, for God is appeased, and sinne is de­stroyed. And if we reade in any passages, that there were sa­crifices and sacrificers after the death of Christ, we must vn­derstand that the matter of those sacrifices was not the body and bloud of our Sauiour. Let vs heare Saint Paul, that I should be the sacrificer of Iesus Christ to the Gentiles, Rom. 15. v. 16. Orig. ad Rom. c 15. l. 10. sacrifi­cing the Gospell of God. And Origen saith, that the Greekes speake in more magnificent termes [...], that which the Latines render sacrificing: from whence one may gather, that to preach the Gospell is a worke of sacrificing: as Gre­gory saith, I haue offered you vp to God as a beast in sacrifice: Greg. Nazian. ad plebem. Epist. ad Rom. c. 15. and Chrisostome, My sacrifice is to preach the Gospell: he saith not, to say Masse, much lesse to offer Iesus Christ to God for the sinnes of the liuing and the dead. Now as the Pa­stours haue one sacrifice separated from the people in that sense, so haue they an other commune with them in another sense, whereof the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 12. v. 1. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a liuing sa­crifice, holy, acceptable vnto God, which is your reasonable seruice. Againe, Philip. 8.17. If I be offered vpon the sacrifice and ser­uice of your faith, I ioy and reioyce with you all. And in another [Page 8] place, Heb. 13. v. 15. By him therefore let vs offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giuing thankes to his Name: Psal. 50. v. 14. Tertul. apolog. c. 30. and Dauid, Offer or sacrifice vnto God thanksgiuing, & pay thy vow vnto the most high. Tertullian, I offer vnto God the most fat oblation that I can, euen Prayer which hee hath commanded. This is farre from teaching that none but Priests doe sacrifice vnder the Gospell, seeing that Prayer is a sacri­fice, & that we offer euen our bodies vnto him, by dedicating our selues vnto the service of God. That which wee cannot doe availably, if first we be not reconciled to God by Iesus Christ, who hauing made our peace, troubles not himselfe any more to treate of it againe; but persues the effect, and obtaines a discharge for our soules that we may enter into an absolute possession of salvation.

CHAP. VI. Of the word Oblation.

THe interpretation of this word is a commentary to those which went before, first in regard that in the Supper mention is made both of the sacrifice and of the oblation performed vpon the crosse, for that Supper is called (but yet by a figure) oftentimes an oblation and sacrifice. Amb. vpon the Epist. to the Heb. c. 10. Heb. 13.15. And to this purpose, saith Ambrose, that which we doe is a Commemoration of that sacrifice which hath beene done. Secondly, because it is taken sometimes for a thanksgiuing offered in sacrifice. Thirdly, because else­where it signifieth an offering vp of our selues vnto God. In this sense, Canon. Memen­to domine. Sacrificium laudis, is an oblation in the Canon of the Masse, See the oblations which wee make directly vnto God through Iesus Christ. There are other oblations which are not made vnto God, but forsomuch as we make them to those to whom he hath ordained them, hee esteemeth them as tendred to his owne person, Philip. c. 14. v. 18, of which S ^t Paul speaketh, tearming them an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God. Concerning which likewise speaketh our Saviour in S. Mathew, Math. 25.40. and Ireneus saith, as God hath no [Page 9] need of that which is ours, so wee had need to offer vnto God something, according to that which Solomon saith, Iren. l. 4. c. 34. hee that hath pittie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord. Let vs vse this word Oblation soberly, not as the price of our redempti­on, but as an homage due for those goods which we possesse which were purchased without vs, before vs, and for vs, but not by vs: paid for at once, and not at severall recknings, by one which was iust, and not by many culpable. In this sense said Saint Cyprian to a rich but vngratefull woman, Cypr. 1. serm. de Eccles. Com­mest thou to the Table of the Lord without sacrifice, and yet partakest of that sacrifice which the poore offer? For we must obserue that all the faithfull brought to the Temple the Bread and Wine which was distributed in the Supper. And from thence are deriued those abuses which now-a-dayes doe appeare in offrings, Just. Martyr. Apol. 2. for now they offer them not to God for the remission of their sinnes, but to the Priest, where as then they were not offered to the Priest to abide with him, but to be distributed to the people: and this distri­bution is yet tearmed an offering: and wee neede not doubt that those three significations of the word Oblation, are no way lyable to that abuse which is current now-a-dayes. In which sense Saint Hierome reprehended the vanity which long since crept into the Church, Hierom. in E­zech. l. 1. c. 18. but especially then when the Deacons began to publish by way of boast, what any one had either offred or promised. Canon. cum om­nes de consecrat. dist. 2. The Canons of the Popes themselues correct that abuse which is committed at this time with applause, ordaining that it should not bee lawfull for any man to offer in diuine seruice any other thing then that which was agreeable to the ordinances of the auncient Councel, to wit, Bread and Wine mingled with water. See in what sense were taken the sixe wordes aboue specified, three Greeke, and three Latin, lets now examine the sea­uenth, a word aduouched by no good Authour, but enter­tained through much ignorance.

CHAP. VII. Of the Masse.

DOctor Cuia. ad Non. q. de bonis Eccl. tom. 3. p. 549. vetus est verbu quo & Ambro­sius, vtitur, & alij quidam qui tamen omnes dicunt Missas agere vel facere, vel tenere, vel complere; non dicere, non ca­nere, non audi­re. Saint Ambr. was Bishop of Milan, about the yeare 380. Funct. Chron. Cuias writing vpon the seuenth Nouell, saith that neither S. Ambrose, nor any other of the Fathers euer vsed these phrases, to say Masse, to sing Masse, to heare Masse. Now if in the time of Iustinian himselfe, who liued about 530. yeares after Christ, they were not vsed, it must needes follow, that those which affirme that S. Iames at Hierusalem, and S. Peter at Rome sang Masse, be fowly deceiued. And indeed Socrates, Sozomene, and Theoderet, which wrote the Ecclesiasticall hystory in Greek, 400 years after the natiuity of our Sauiour, neuer vsed this tearme of the Masse, but simply of a Synaxis or Synagogue. Now in as much as Christian Religion was deriued from Hierusalem, passed through Greece, and from thence to Rome, if this maner of speech had been vsed by the faithfull, it would cer­tainely haue continued for some tract of time in those parts. Epiphanius, he which made the tripartite hystory, that is, cō ­posed a rapsody of three Greeke Authors, as often as hee translates synaxis, he expounds it Masse: but this is contrary to the true signification of the word, and besides 500 yeeres after our Sauiour. Some would deriue it from the Hebrew word Maozam, which I hold to dissent more in regard of the analogy, 2 Kings 11. then the truth; being contrary to that in the 16 of Deut. or rather in the 2. of Kings, in which place Mes­sa signifieth destruction or abandoning. The Mahumetan Arabians instructed by Sergius the Monke, haue retained it as being most proper to their Idolatries, Ioh. Leo Assi [...] ­can in his booke of the description of Africa. deriuing it from the word Messa three cities, where they expect their Messias Mahomet, Their Priests they call Messen, and their Tem­ples Messit or Meschit. Others deduce the word either frō the Greeke μύω, μίσω, I shut, or obscure, I teach obscurely; from whence commeth [...], a Priest, and a mystery; which word is written in the forehead of the great whore of Baby­lon, Apocal. 17. v. 6 the mother of harlots; or else from the word μύζω, which [Page 11] signifieth to mutter in the teeth without being vnderstood, or to chaw something and sucke it. The third etymologie is from a Latin word which is barbarous inough, Missa for Missio, which taketh its originall from a fashion obserued by the ancient Idolaters, as witnesseth Apuleius, whose Priests were wont to speake with a loude voice in Greeke, λάοις ἄφεσις, that is, the people may depart: and in Latin, Ite missa est. Wherefore the Romans applying themselues more then any other Christian Church to Iewes and Idolaters, haue retained many of their customes, and may well be ob­serued in their habits, temples, altars, numbers, turns, words, shauings, holy-water, tapers, processions, poppets of waxe, and a thousand other things, which shall be handled in an other place, amongst which this word likewise encroached, but in a contrary sense, for there it was a token of their sepa­ration, and heere it signifieth an assembly. Moreouer, after the confession of faith, the reading of the lessons, preaching and prayer, the Priest or Deacon vs'd to say with a loude voice, Ite missa est, to the end that those which were excom­municated, or might not bee admitted to receiue, should withdraw themselues, and that first part of the action was called Missa catechumenorum. After which the Bread and Wine was set forth, blessed, broken, and distributed to all the assistants, and the communion being ended, See Rhen. Spiegl. Greg lib dial. 3. c. 3. they said a­gaine, Ite missa est; and this second part was called Missa fi­delium, the Masse of the faithfull: because none were then to be present at it but those which communicated. And from thence it comes, that some haue vsed the Masse in the plurall number, whence it appeares that particular Masses, are the Masses of the excommunicated, nay rather worse, for there is not joyned to them as there ought, either lecture or expoun­ding of the holy Scriptures. Thom. 4. sent. dist. 12. q. 2. Bie [...] dist. 1. q. 3. lib. 1 4 Albert. magan C. 6. Ioh. apud Mni­singerum, &c. This conge therefore in bad La­tin, hath chased away the word of assembly, with the effect of the Supper or communion, translated from a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing, to a sacrifice of the reall body of Christ; and finally in opere operato, is applyed not onely to those which are capable to examin themselues, but to those [Page 12] likewise which neither haue nor can haue any disposition to such a matter, as being dead creatures, depriued of reason or insensible. Wherefore as for the word in Hebrew, to goe to Masse signifieth to goe to an abandoning, or a destruction; in Greeke, to mutter betweene the teeth, and to suck; in La­tin, to separate or depart from the house of assembly; & ther­fore it is impertinent in Latin, vnprofitable in Greeke, and a bad presage in Hebrew.

CHAP. VIII. Tho ancient forme of celebrating the Supper, practised at this day in the reformed Church.

BY vnderstanding the seuerall names of the Supper, one might well apprehend the substance of it, to wit, that it is a diuine institution, proceeding from our Sauiour, who in the Sacrament of a common Supper, celebrated by the Church, hath disposed of the matter, forme, & end ther­of. The matter is double, the one visible and corruptible, which is receiued with the hand, and entreth into the body by the mouth of the faithfull, to wit, the Bread and Wine. The other inuisible and incorruptible, to wit, the body bro­ken, and the Bloud of Iesus shed vpon the Crosse, which is applyed to the soule of the faithfull, for their sanctification and redemption. As for the forme, it is prescribed in the Go­spel, on the pastors part to take the bread into his handes to blesse it, breake it, & distribute it to the people, likewise to take the Wine, to blesse it, and giue it to all the Church to drinke thereof, which are capable of it, and to signi­fie vnto them the benefite of that Sacrament. On the part of the faithfull, Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luke 22.1. Cor. 11. hauing examined themselues, they ought to present themselues to that holy communion, take it, eate and drinke that visible element with the mourh of their body, and by faith to participate of the body & blood of our Saviour, apprehend the merit of his death, the effect of his resurrection, and the efficacy of his ascension. As for the End, it is to magnifie the bountie of God, to render him [Page 13] thanks, to accept his accordment made in the new Testa­ment, to receaue there the pledge and assurance of a better life, to protest our fidelitie to his service, from the vnion which we haue with him, then with his mysticall body the Church, receauing from him our spirituall nourishment, & so participating of that quickning bread, to wit, all his be­nefits, his wisdome, his iustice, his sanctification & redemp­tion. So then the vnion which we haue with our Saviour is reall, but that is as much to say as reipsa, for in regard of the veritie of it, we are vnited vnto him, and it is likewise spiri­tuall in respect of the meanes whereby it is wrought, which is the spirit and faith. With this truth and this simplicity the faithfull of the first ages contented themselues, and if they vsed the termes of sacrifice and oblation, it was not either to play the Pagans or Iewes, much lesse to crucify againe our Saviour, as it hath beene proued before. But as falshood is an ape of the truth, the spirit of error hath falsified this te­stament, strucke of her seales, turned the things bequeathed to other vses, depriued the legataries of their legacies, inser­ted divers clauses to their owne profit, and to be briefe hath so disguised and adulterated the coppies, that from thence one can no more expect ayd for his salvation. Wherefore the truely faithfull, doe charge that instrument with false­hood, haue recourse to the first draught of it in the Gospel, and take no lesse care of the salvation of their soules, then of the keeping of an heritage, fearing as much false doctrine as to receaue false coyne, & righting themselues from the con­fessions of the forgers themselues, doe finde great light for the discovery of these falshoods. To this purpose confessed an ancient Abbot, Rupert. Tuit. l. 2. cap. 21. that the Masse was not celebrated in times past with such apparell as it is now adaies, and that it was not polisht by one alone in such sort as it is now. &c. and that it is not a whit the holyer for that, considering that heretofore it was consecrated only with the words of our Lord, and ioyning of the Lords prayer. And a Bishop of Rome saith, Greg. epist. ex reg. lib. 7. c. 63. Platin. in Xisto. the Lords prayer is said incontinently after the other prayers, because the Apo­stles were accustomed to consecrate the oblation of the host, in [Page 14] saying only the Lords prayer. Whence it appeares, that the body of the Masse which is the Canon, is not at all essentiall vnto it, and that the soule of it which is transubstantiation, was not infused into that body, vntill by the Councell of Lateran, in the yeare 1205. We must therefore here resume the first paths, we must take away the hay, durt, and strawe from this building, and ioine our selues to the foundation of the Apostles: doing like those which goe astray & return by their owne steps to finde the true way. Wee shall finde Iustin Martyr writing about an hundred and sixtie yeares after the birth of Christ, and wee shall note in reading him, that water was mingled with the wine about 40 yeares be­fore, Iustin. Apolog. 2. by Pope Xistus, or Alexander. See how he describes the celebration of divine service in his time. The day (saith he) which is called Sunday, an assembly is made of all those which a­bide in the fields or cities, into one place, and there are read the Commentaries of the Apostles, and the writings of the Pro­phets, so long as the time will permit. Afterwards the reader hauing left off to read, hee which is president in the assembly makes an exhortation to the people in a Sermon, admonishing them to imitate those good things; after that is finished, all doe rise vp together, and make our prayers vnto God (hee saith not to any Saint) and as we said before, that prayer being done, the bread, the wine, and the water are brought forth, and hee that performeth that action, pronounceth with all his might, prayers and thanksgiuings, the people there ioyne their voices, their af­fections and their blessing, saying Amen. Then a distribu­tion is made to every one, and a communication of those things which were blessed with thanksgiuing. The people were not then excommuni­cated. I aske, let any man speake in cōscience, if that forme be not practised in the re­formed Churches? and why will not they follow it: is it not the ambition of Prelats which hindreth them from acknowledging their fault; and avarice which retaines them in a commodious errour, whilst in the meane time the simple drinke the folly of their conductors, great ones contribu­ting their authority, the people their violence, & the ignorāt their fury. O Lord, order proceeds from thee, thou hast the [Page 15] hearts of kings in thine owne hands, deliuer vs from popu­lar seditions. Let vs thinke, that not the sacrament alone hath beene liable to abuse, for even the tree of life, the sacri­fices of Moses, the brasen Serpent which was a firgure of our Lord, and many other divine institutions haue beene subiect to reformation, after 900, yea after 1000 yeares of abuse, and idolatry. And as for the supper, wee see how that that hath beene casheerd by the Masse, the tables of wood by the tables of stone, the Churches simplicitie by Iewish and heathenish superstition, although some of these things might at the first haue beene introduced with a good in­tention. Harken therefore to the advice of a good Cordelier named Ferus, speaking of the idolatry which befel in Israel. There was (saith he) a double sinne in Gedeon, Ioh. Ferus in an­not. in lib. Iud. c. 8. both in that hee made an Ephod contrary to the word of God, and in that he see­ing the abuse of it, tooke it not away. Now who seeth not that the like hapneth in the Church? how many things haue the Saints ordained with a good intent, which we see at this day changed, partly through abuse, partly through superstition? for example sake, the Feasts, Ceremonies, Images, Masse, Monasteries &c. None of these were instituted in that sort at the first, as now they are vsed &c. and yet we Gedeons hold our peaces, they take not away the abuse, they take not away the superstition. Poore Cordelier, when thou wrotest this at Ments, hadst thou preached it at Rome, thou wouldst haue hardly escaped the fagot. Now that we haue represented that which was pro­claimed and practised anciently, let vs see what at this pre­sent is acted in the Church of Rome: and afterward, we will make a briefe comparison of them both.

CHAP. IX. An Index of the abuses of the Roman Masse.

THe Masse in one word is [...], that is to say, a worshipping of bread, of the dead, of reliques and images. In briefe it is the mystery of ini­quitie, and an abiuration of Christ. For it is properly a pub­lique [Page 16] protestation to renounce the only sacrifice, and onely sacrificer Christ Iesus. If you would haue a more ample de­scription of it, you must knowe that this mystery was for a long time conceal'd, detaining the truth in iniquitie and in­iustice, and containes 15 heads, which likewise haue many branches.

1 The first is the invention of Roman Priests, which cō ­sists in strange tongues, in the composition of the Canon or body of the Masse, in transubstantiation which is its soule, in elevation, adoration, processions, feast of the sacrament, in prayer for the dead, in the anointing and consecrating of of the Priests fingers, and in the standing of the Angell Ga­briel at the right corner of the alter.

2 The second is Paganisme, which appeares in the sha­uings of the Priests, in their abstaining from marrying, in their situating of the Temple towards the East, in burning of tapers and their smoke, in images and their consecration, and lastly in offering of dowe and bread for the remission of sinnes.

3 The third is Iudaisme, which lies in their alters, Priests, and Levites, for Cardinall Baronius, and Pope Inno­cent the third doe both agree, that they borrowed these ce­remonies from Iewes and Pagans.

4 The fourth is Magicke, which consists in vneven nū ­bers, in prayers, signes, and words consecrating the host: al­so in turnes and whirles, intentions and respirations of the Priest, in reciteals and repetitions of Kyrieelison, of agnus, & mea culpa,, of prayers to gaine 164 yeares of pardon, with so many more daies ordained by Gregory, Nicolas, and Leo the 10, ioyning 7 paternosters, and 7 Avemaria's, where we may conceaue that either the day of iudgement will not come yet this good while, or if it doe, we may wonder what will become of all their provision of Indulgences? Magicke besides is to be found in their salted water, and in the vertue of the fumes of their incense, effectuall even against the di­vell, and lastly, in that the Priests hold, that if there be more water then wine, if the wine be naught, if the bread bee not [Page 17] of wheat, or if it hath beene steeped in any other liquor be­sides water that then they will not transubstantiate.

5 The fift is the corruption of the Matter, in as much as in the whole Masse there is found no sacrament: for be­sides that they put water into the wine contrary to the de­cree of a councell, and abridge the people of the wine, they make of it another matter, to wit, Christs person visible and invisible inclosed in a wafercake.

6 The sixt, is the Forme changed and perverted, there being a low voice during the most part of the action, where as Iustinian ordained a loud: then many little wafers insteed of a large loafe, consecration without a Communion, many alters in liew of one table, blessed bread insteed of the Com­munion, purifying wine insteed of the wine to the layicke, not touching nor breaking the bread giuen to the people, kissing a peece of plate as it it were equipollent to the sup­per, and in briefe, vsing the people worse then leapers were heretofore.

7. The seuenth is, the End perverted, for the Supper is a Communion, and the Masse is an excommunication of the people, a worke worked by the Priest, by declyning Missa, & applying his worke to whom it pleaseth him, to man, beast, wood, corne, &c. and insteed of commemorating onely our Saviour, the Masse is a commemoration of men, nayles, crosse, and the robe without seame.

8 The eighth consists in the Sacrifice of the Bread and Wine, before they be consecrated, and that for remission of sinnes.

9 The ninth is the reiterating of the Expiatory sacrifice and subrogation of a Priest for Iesus Christ the eternall sa­crificer.

10 The tenth consists in Blasphemies, by prophaning the titles proper to God, and our Saviour, and applying of them to creatures in the entrances, and other peeces of the Masses of Saints.

11 The eleuenth is a renouncing of the only mediator, & the imploying of a peece of his death, without certaine [Page 18] knowledge whether it bee meant of him or of some other Saint, whether it be meritorious, & whether the oyle of his lampe will profit vs any more thē it did the foolish Virgins.

Can. comperi­mus de conse­crat. list. 2.12 The twelfe consists in the Sacriledges, which are committed in the Masse, by deviding the Mystery, taking the Cup and rauishing it from the people: for so the pope calls that action. Againe in the Priest elevating of himselfe aboue his sacrifice after the consecration, interceding for the consecrated host pretended to be deifyed, requesting of God that it may be as acceptable as the sacrifice of Abel, & of Melchizedecke applying that wholy to the Virgin Mary which appertaineth to none but God. Breaking according to their doctrine the bones of Christ, and making him to feele corruption, and be subiect even to beasts, deifying of spiders, slyes, &c,

13 The thirteenth is in Forgeries, adding and dimini­shing the testament of our Saviour, and changing his inten­tion to the end that they may qualifie the sacrificer and his sacrifices, and also in falsifying of the canon of S. Ambrose.

14 The fourteenth head is Symony, or an imitation of Giezi & Simon Magus, in raysing cōmodity, & traffiquing for sacred things, as namely the sacramēt, enterrements, ma­riages, prayers, pardons, confessions, & through covetous­nesse making marchandice of poore Christians, as S. Peter foretold. [...]. Pet. 2. v. 3.

15 The fifteenth head is, Horrible and abominable Ido­latry, aboue that of the Pagans. For there is an expresse booke for the worship of Angells & Saints, to thwart God, who expresly forbiddeth that kinde of worshippe in the 2. chap. of the Colos. & 18. verse. Let no man begiule you of you reward in a voluntary humilitie and worshipping of An­gels, intruding into those things which he hath not seene, vain­ly puft vp by his fleshly minde. To this they haue ioyned the adoration of the Bread and Wine, the adoration of men, of nayles, of wood, of Christs garment at Argenteuil: the ado­ration of reliques, making of images, their consecrations, & dedications, which are Idolatryes according to the saying [Page 19] of Tertullian and some Popes. Their vowes, pilgrimages, Agnus Dei, blessed graynes, shirts of Chartres, kissings of the alters, breviaries, confessions to the dead & bruit beasts, and a thousand other superstitions which the poore people commit, going barefoot, or creeping on their knees, and bearing candles and presents before the alter.

CHAP. X. The beginning of the Masse.

THe Priest being attired according to the vsuall man­ner, approacheth to the alter, and bowing his head, signeth himselfe with the signe of the Crosse, say­ing.

Afterwards he vnfolds the corporall, which is of fine lin­nen, or tafaty wherein the Sacrament is put, vncouers the Chalice, and at the right side of the alter poures the wine in­to the Chalice, saying.

then hee puts vpon the alter both the Plate and the Host, which he covers with a little corporall folded, and mingles not the water with the wine vntill after the oblation of the Host.

The first sinne which is here committed against the lawe of God, is, that the name of God is taken in vaine, V. Officium pro­prium sanct. & shame­fully prophaned, for the most part of the Masse after is said in the name and commemoration of Saints and reliques, to wit, of the Nayles, the Lance, the Robe without seame, and Iosephs breeches: Is not this a taking of Gods name in vaine and an interesting of him in such idolatries?

The second error is generall & diffuseth it selfe through [Page 20] the whole action, which is the celebrating of the Masse in an vnknowne tongue, contrary to the practise of the anci­ent Church. O [...]ig lib. 8. cont. Celsum. For Origen saith, The Greekes call vpon God in Greek, the Romans in Latine, and every one in his owne tongue prayeth vnto God and prayseth him. And to this end the Apo­stles had the guift of tongues, that men might vnderstand them what they said; whereas the greater part of Priests now adaies doe chiefly labour that they may not be vnder­stood: which is a token of reprobation to a Church, where such service is celebrated. For it is written, I will speake vnto this people by men of other tongues and other lippes, Esa. 28.11. that they may not vnderstand me: 1. Cor. 14.21. and S. Paul saith, tongues are a signe not vnto those that beleeue, but vnto those that beleeue not.

Ir followeth in the Missall, the Priest joyning his handes before his brest,

The ancient Christians had no alters in their Churches of any fashion soever, but called it their table dressed for the Communion: Arn. lib. 6. as for the name of alter, an hundred yeares after the nativitie of our Saviour, Arnobius witnesseth say­ing, Orig cont. Celsi [...] lib. 8. p 934. & Minutius felix in Octavio p. 20 Wee make neither alters of wood, nor alters of stone. And Origen: I would haue you conceaue, that we conceale that which wee serue vnder a shadowe, and that wee haue neither Temples nor Alters, but that wee shunne their dedications. Yet neuerthelesse the Roman Church suffering her selfe to slide into Iewish and Paganish superstitions, hath erected not one altar onely; Hos. 8.11. but many, according to that which is written, because Ephraim hath made many altars to sinne, altars shall be vnto him to sinne, and hath ordained that they should be of stone. Secondly Can. altaria de consecr. dist. 1. it hath decreed that the al­tar should be consecrated with chrisme, & that men should be prohibited to communicate any-where els, Can. novalij. then it or­dained that there should remaine vnderneath it a piece of a dead body, Can. placuit. c [...]n. sunt nov [...]lij de conscer. d [...]st. 1. Orat. ad sec. cae­tum. c 12. v. 4. fast. an heathnish custome, ( Ouid. 4. Fast.) and be­sides to haue burning tapers and lampes there, and to turne towards the East. Most of which are contrary to the ancient [Page 21] custome of Christians, as witnesseth Constantine in Eusebius. No incense, no burning taper; but a pure light to cleare the spi­rits of those which pray: and Tertullian, Tertul. & vi­gil. c. 3. We light not tapers in the open day as thou calumniatest vs, but we imploy the light to dispell the darkenes, that so wee may watch vntill breake of day. The first Christians assembling themselues in the night, had need of lights, which ought not to be any pretence for the superstition which is at this day vsed: yet neuerthelesse Du­rand with other aduocats of these inuentions, Dur l 4. rubr. de muta. doe feine my­steries to be in them; for they prefigure in them both the light of faith, and our Lord which consumes our rustinesse. There was then one Table onely, and that of wood in the middle of the Temple which serued for the communion. Concerning which, saith Albert Krantzius, Albert. Krant. in metrop. lib. 1. c. 9. But after that thou hast beene at the Table which is in the middle of the Tem­ple, I haue perceiued a visage so ioyfull, &c. Furthermore, the Pastors which serued at the Supper, turned not their backs to the people as now-a-dayes they doe, all which euidently argues this conclusion to be true, that the Christians for more then the space of 300 yeares, had neither altars nor burning tapers, much lesse esteemed them to be of the es­sence of the Sacrament. And if any of the Fathers mentio­ned at any time the altars of Christians, they explained them­selues as did Saint Paul, Wee haue (saith he) an altar whereof they haue no right which serue the Tabernacle, Heb. 13. v. 10. meaning by the altar, the Crosse, vpon which our Sauiour was stretched forth. And Thomas vpon that passage saith, Our altar is Iesus Christ, in whom and by whom we offer vp our prayers, and hee is that altar of gold of which is spoken in the Apocalyp. ca. 8. and Clement Alexandrinus saith, Strom. lib. 7. that we haue no other altar then one holy soule: and Saint Austin saith, the altar of the faith­full is their owne heart.

After followeth a Psalm which is recited by Antiphones, for the Priest saith one verse, and the Clerke another; it is the 42. or 43.

This is farre from the nature of this action; for whereas [Page 22] the Supper tendeth to craue pardon of God, to confesse ones selfe to be a sinner, to haue recourse to his mercy, to entreat him not to enter into iudgment with vs, imitating the poore Publican; the Priest quite contrariwise alledgeth the iustice of his cause, makes a comparison of his owne holinesse, with the sanctity of others, takes the place of the Pharisie, and ap­plyes that Psalme to such an end as it was neuer before ap­plyed, to wit, to call God to an account. He ought rather to say, Psal. 143. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified. Besides, if all these pas­sages were to the purpose, yet neither are they, nor euer shall they be able to sweeten the pill which they would haue the ignorant to swallow with them. Lets passe on forwards.

Heere is to be noted that in the Masses for the dead, or de tempore from the Passion Sunday vnto holy Sunday exclusiuely, is omitted the Psalme Iudica me Deus, &c.That being said & answered, the Priest joynes his hands, makes this confession following, bowes himselfe, and so continues vntill it be answered him Misereatur. Now the confession which he makes is this.

After which they answere.

Afterwardes the rest of the Quire hauing made the same confession, changing onely vobis fratres into tibi pater, and vis fratres into te pater, in the name of the people, the Priest joyning his hands, absolueth them, saying,

Then signing himselfe with the signe of the Crosse, hee saith.

After the peoples confiteor, there is found in some Au­thors, this forme pronounced by the Priest.

The confession of sinnes to God is of two sorts, the one generall, and hath beene practised in all ages by the Church of God; By it is condemned the doctrine of merits & works of supererogation, for this forme of confession appertaines to all the Church, euen to Priests thēselues which acknow­ledge that they sinne by thought, Fagius in pa­raph. Chald. leu. c. 16. word and deed. For so was the chiefe Sacrificer wont to say, We haue sinned O Lord, we haue done wickedly, we repent our selues of it, &c. The other kinde of confession is particular, and is performed by euery Christian, either vnto God, or to some other; concerning that which is made to God, Psal. 51. Dan. 9. v. 3. 1. Sam. 7.6. luke 23. we haue many examples in the Psalmes, and in Daniel. The other kinde of particular con­fession is made by one Christian to an other, whether it bee when one hath offended the other, or when one would bee reconciled vnto an other, or when one communicateth his afflictions to an other, or lastly when one asketh counsell & desireth an other to joine in prayers to God with him, to im­plore his mercy; Iam. 5.16. Aug. lib. confes. 10. c. 22. and this is that of which S. Iames speaketh, Confesse your sinnes one vnto another: and of which S. Mathew maketh mention, Chap. 5. v. 23. As for the other kindes of confession we must say with S. Austin, What haue I to doe with men, who heare my confessions, as if they ought to cure my griefes. This confession, bee it generall or particular, is cor­rupted in the Masse; for as concerning the generall, is it not made onely to God, but also to the absent, and to the dead: and as for the liuing which be present, they vnderstand it not; besides, this confession is as implicit as the faith which [Page 25] they preach, and contrary to their owne doctrine, Workes of su­pererogation, contrary to the confession of the Priest. which makes men beleeue, that Priests who heere confesse them­selues to be sinners in thought, word and deed, doe accom­plish not onely the commandements of God, but alsoe doe more then they ought to doe, especially if they be Fucillans, Capucins, Iesuits, &c. so that insteed of crauing pardon of God, they make him to owe them the rest. Now if those which be present vnderstand not that which the Priest saith with a low voyce, and in a strange tongue, hardly will the absent vnderstand it. For the Pope teacheth in his Canons, Can. satend. caus. 13. q. 2. that the dead know not that which is done here below by the Priest, but only by the dead which goe to Paradise. Now if those dead in their way towards Heauen, chance to passe through purgatory, or to soiourne there, the Saints aboue wilbe something of the latest aduertised of their necessities. It is true, that since this canon was made, the Iesuites haue deuised a mirrour in Paradise, in the which are represented all the actions of this world as it were in one of our perspe­ctiue glasses: but there remaines an Echo yet to bee found out to conuey the sound of mens words vnto them, and a Momus to be raised vp, who should open the stomacke, and sound the thoughts of men, whilest their schoolemen pre­pare answers to that which God saide to good King Iosias, being to take him out of this world, 2. Kings 22. 2. Chron. 6.30. Es. 63.16. Eccles. 9.6. Auricular con­fession. Decret. titul. 38. Can. omni [...] vtrius (que). Iuvenal. thou shalt not see these things, and to that of Iob, who speaking of the dead, saith his sonnes come to honour and he knoweth it not, and they are brought low, but he perceiueth it not of them. Chap. 14.

As for auricular confession, brought into the Church by Innocent the third, about the yeare 1200, it is vs'd now ac­cording to the saying of the Poet, Scire volunt domini secre­ta, at (que) inde timeri: to make men stand in aw of them, hauing diued into their secrets. And indeed here is committed first a sacriledge against our Lord, from whom they take away the office of interceding for vs, and giue it to any other; for he is no wayes imployed here, Heb. 9.15. & 12.24. 1. Tim. 2.5. 1. Ioh. 2.1. although he be the Mediator of the New testament, and as there is but one God (so there is but) one Mediatour betweene God and man, the man Christ [Page 26] Iesus, August. in Psal. 108. to which purpose Saint Austin saith, that the prayer which is not made through Iesus Christ doth not onely not blot out our sinnes, but that it is a sinne it selfe. The second impie­ty, Rom. 10. v. 14. is the inuocation of Saints: for first wee ought not to call on him in whom we beleeue not: now we are not to beleeue in a­ny man (be he neuer so holy) saue onely in Iesus who is man and God; Ier. 17. for it is written, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man. Secondly, it is proper to Iesus Christ, the Angell, the great Counseller, Apoc. 8.4. to present vp vnto God the invocations of the faithful, and to make ascend vp before him the odour of such incense, as God reserues vnto himselfe, which ought not to be presented vnto creatures, according to that which is figured in the Law, Ezech. 30. Whosoeuer shall make such a perfume to receiue the odour thereof, shall perish from among the people. Whence it followeth, Es. 42.8. Ps 50.15. Ier. 17.5. Tert. Apol. 2. c. 30. Mart. quipin­git sacros auro vel marmore vultus, Non fa­cit ille deos; qui rogat, ille facit. 1. Ioh. 2. v. 1. Rom. 8. v. 25. Heb. 7. v. 25. that inuocatiō as well as beleefe is due to God onely: for seeing that our prayers are sacrifices, as saith Tertullian in his apology, it followeth that as we ought not to sacrifise but to God alone, we ought likewise to in­vocate none but him onely. For well said an Heathen Poet, The Painter or Caruer makes not a god, but he which prayes vnto him. It is an infidelity to call vpon other intercessours then our Sauiour, whether they be the Virgin Mary, or the Saints; for of Christ it is said, If any man sinne, we haue an Ad­uocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous. Againe, He maketh intercession for the Saints vnto God, wherefore he is able also to saue them to the vttermost, that come vnto God by by him, seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them. Where he saith by him, to exclude the Saints, which haue need of him themselues. And although we be taught that our Sauiour maketh requests for vs, yet in the Church of Rome they neuer say, Christ pray for vs, that so they may take from him his office of being intercessour, and attribute it vnto creatures. Biel lect. 80. & Bernard in Ma­riali. Nay they doe farre worse, for they not onely make the Virgin Mary to intercede for vs, but also make her part stakes with God, & say that we are to appeale from the Court of Gods iustice, Prosa Mariae praeconio. vnto the Court of Maries mercy, and from thence comes that Hymne, Rogapatrem, [Page 27] iube natum, iure matris impera Redemptori: that is, command thy Sonne by the right of a mother. This is farre differing from that which we finde written, Ioh. 2.4. Woman what haue I to doe with thee, when Iesus spake vnto his mother in a point con­cerning the execution of his charge? Besides to these inter­cessions of Saints, they adde the aid of the signe of the crosse, and that to such a purpose as the Primatiue Church neuer applyed it which acknowledged in it an vse of signification, Bell lib. 2. de sacr. c. 29. but not of adoration, much lesse of producing supernaturall effects, as casting out of diuels, curing diseases, &c. Now we finde in the Masse of the commemoration of the Crosse, Per signum crucis de inimicis nostris libera nos, Deus noster. As if the merit: of our Sauiour were not sufficient, without the aid of that signe; in which as in many other gestures, respirati­ons, intentions and words, consisteth most part of that acti­on, according to the cautels, magna latent in signis, &c: so that there is nothing so perfect in our Sauiours institution, which is not heere prun'd, amplified, corrected, and turn'd from its true vse. The Priest bowing himselfe, goes on.

It is not onely requisite that a thing bee good in it selfe, but it ought also to be to the purpose. See heere foure diuers passages, which are not one whit agreeable to the present subiect, neither can one tell wherefore they are extracted out of seuerall Psalmes, neither to what end it is that they say no more of any piece then a fragment. Mounting to the Altar, he saith.

In this place the Priest playes the Iew, speaking of the Holy of Holiest, which was onely in the Temple of the Iewes, and into which entred the High-Priest.

After he hath bowed himselfe very low, and joyned his hands, he saith this prayer.

There is good cause, wherefore to pronounce that pray­er with so low a voyce, for he speakes not there of the inter­cession of our Sauiour, neither comes he in his name; & ther­fore by a consequence is a thiefe: Ioh. 10. for S. Iohn saith, No man commeth vnto the Father but by me. I am the dore, he that en­treth not by the doore into the sheepfold, but climeth vp some o­ther way, the same is a thiefe & a robber. Now imagine a man be reconciled vnto God only by one that is a sinner, it is not doubtfull whether such a one shalbe saued or no? and yet the Priest is capable to be a Mediatour and Sacrificer for vs towards God, though hee employ no other meanes of pur­gation then a dead mans arme, or a Spider bathed in the Sa­crament, and laide vp to bee a Relique, as the cautells im­port.

Psal. 2.This being done, the Priest kisseth the Altar, which is a kinde of adoration; for it is written in the second Psalme, Kisse the sonne, that is, adore him. Also Biel and Titleman interprete this kissing to be a figure of the nuptials between Christ and his Church, Now if it were so, it would suffise to [Page 29] kisse it once, but the good S ^r Iohn, returnes often to it, and makes men beleeue, that there is in it a kinde of spirituall strumpery, for he counts nine kisses as well of the altar as of the breviary, as if there were certaine quarters prescribed him whereon to bestow his kisses. For before the placing & after the receauing of his services, they are applyed to the middle of the altar, after the placing, and before the recea­ving, they are acted on the left hand of the Chalice neare the host, and as for the book, that must wait for his kisse vn­till the Gospell be read.

Wee may not omit in this place, that if it bee a solemne Masse, and a double feast, that then the Priest blesseth the incense, saying,

Then taking the censer at the hands of the Deacon, This prayer is repeated afterwards. hee censeth the altar, saying. Dirigatur Domine oratio mea, sicut incensum &c. which being ended, the Deacon receaueth a­gain the censer of the Priest, & censeth him only. Afterwards the Priest signing himself with the signe of the crosse begins the entrance, that is to say, some passages wickedly profaned in the Masses of Saints, of the Nayles, of the iron Head, of the Lance, of the Robe without seame, &c. As for example sake.

After that entrance the Priest ioyning his hands, comes to the middle of the altar, and beyond all reason, repeateth [Page 30] interchangeably with the Quire, or his Cleark this follow­ing.

That numerous repetition of the words not vnderstood by the people, Capit. li. 6. c. 170 is attended by Gloria in excelsis, which was brought in by Pope Steven the successour of Gregory, & in­serted before the canon by the ordinance of Charlemaine. But before the Priest beginnes it, he first extends his hands, then ioynes them, and bowes his head a little, saying,

Afterwards he kisses the alter, and casting downe his eies he turnes towards the people and saith,

That being done, the Priest saith, Oremus, let vs pray: and then saith one or more prayers, which being ended, there is read according to the circumstance of the time, or the Saint in whose honour the Masse is celebrated, an Epistle, a gra­duell, or alleluia, tract or sequency, which done, the Deacon sets downe the Gospell vpon the altar, and hauing blessed the incense as before, he bowes before the altar, and ioining his hands saith,

Thē the Deacon takes the booke, and bowes himselfe be­fore the Priest, and saith vnto him.

And the Priest saith.

Note that if the Priest haue no Clearke, as commonly he hath not when he saith particular Masses, yet hee omits not to say the same things, as to commande himselfe to blesse himselfe, and to speake to himselfe with as much reason as [Page 32] he doth in that which followeth; afterwards the Deacon kisseth the Priests hand, and if it be a solemne Masse, then with the rest which doe there minister, cōming to the place where the Gospell lies with lights and incense, he stands at the left side of the altar, & turnes himselfe towards the peo­ple, and then ioyning both his hands, saith,

Men say, nec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus. This prayer made by the Deacon, is most agreeable to him which would expound the Gospell, and apply the doctrine; but here where there is but the bare reading of one verse, to what end is all this quoile? vnlesse it bee done because the Priest dares not read the Scriptures without the permission of the Bishop. Leauing therefore the other, it were more to the purpose if he prayed for some more skill in reading, for such creatures as these, are oftentimes very defectiue in that behalfe. After this the Deacon with his right thumbe makes the signe of the crosse vpon his forehead, his mouth, his breast, and his booke, and whilst the rest of the Quire an­swer, Gloria tibi Domine, hee thrice censeth the booke, then ioyning his hands, reads a peece of the Gospell, & that be­ing done the Clearke or subdeacon, if there be one, saith,

That being done, the subdeacon carrieth the booke to the Priest who kisseth it, which is flat idolatry in them, as before we shewed. As for the words, if they bee referred to the merits of our Saviour mentioned in the Gospell, I can finde no abuse in them: but forsomuch as the Priest inten­deth to ioyne this reading with the ayde of the signe of the crosse, and that there is not a turne, signe, word, or intentiō which yeelds not some profit to their title of good workes. I doubt much to allow of this action. Afterwards followeth the Nicen creed, and confession of faith, which notwithstā ­ding is not throughout repeated.

In the midst of this confession, speaking of our Saviour, who for our sakes and for our salvation came downe from heauen, the Priest falls vpon his knees, as if he had not beene sent when he said, I beleeue in God, nor whē he said, I beleeue in Iesus Christ, which makes one conceaue, that the Priests intention is to make the people beleeue, that he euokes the humanitie of our Saviour, and makes it descend every day, although it be in heauen, Act. 3. and there remaines vntill the com­ming to iudge the world. This being done, he kisseth the altar, and turnes himselfe vnto the people saying:

Afterwards turning himselfe to the right side of the altar saith, Oremus, and reads a peece which is called an offerto­ry, which differs according to the divers Masses which are celebrated. See here an example.

I leaue it to men to consider, whether the action follow­ing bee any thing to the purpose of this offertory: for al­though he saith that the heavens are the Lords, notwith­standing he offereth a crumme of bread for the redemption of the liuing and of the dead, the which bread is not yet cō ­secrated. And to obserue this forme of Oblation, the Priest takes from the hands of the Deacon, if the Masse be solemne the Plate and the Oblation, and lifts them vp with both his hands, which makes me to remember the homage which some tenants in France performe vnto their Landlords, who are bound to bring vnto them a Wrenne carried in a waine drawne with Oxen. In the meane time hee leaues the little corporall vpon the chalice and saith,

[Page 33]

This offertory was brought in by Leo the 13, as well as the incense, about the yeare 800. For wee read in an Epistle of Gregory to Boniface a Bishop of Germany, Greg. 2. epist. ad. Bonis. tom. 2. consil. p. 434. a great obser­ver of the Roman ceremonies, that he demanded of Gregory if it were lawfull to offer for the dead? Whence it follow­eth, that this suscipe was not as yet inserted. For this questiō never would haue beene moued, if the case had been before resolued. Secondly, the Priest acknowledging himselfe to be a sinner, confesseth by a cōsequence, that he is vncapable to be a sacrificer vnder the new Testament. For it is written Such an high Priest became vs, who is holy, harmlesse, vndefi­led &c. Heb. 7. [...]6. Who needeth not dayly as those high Priests to offer vp sacrifice, first for his owne sinnes, and then for the peoples. But those Iewish ceremonies haue ceased; looke aboue in the chapter of sacrifice, where you shall see that our Lord Iesus Christ is the only sacrifice and eternall sacrificer vnder the Gospell. Exod. 12.15. Lev. 3.6. In the third place they reassume the shadowes and figures of the law, by presenting of immaculate hosts, where as Iesus Christ, being prefigured by them vnder the law, as saith S. Peter, 1. Pet. 1.19. and hauing consummated all that kinde of sa­crifice, it were an impietie to revoke it againe into practise. Lastly, it is an execrable abomination to offer bread vnto God for the remission of sinnes, considering that even vn­der the law it selfe, Heb. 9.22. without shedding of bloud there was no re­mission. [Page 35] Yet the Priest offereth one oblation to that end con­cerning which, I demand of him if it hath taken flesh for our sakes? If it be the sonne of God? If it hath suffered? If wee be baptised in its name? If that bread bee yet consecrated? If the Priest hath yet pronounced these words, hoc est corpus meum? Wherefore by thyne owne doctrine, thou offerest that which the Iew would be ashamed to present for his sin, and which never any vsed saue onely the Magician Numa, who did immolate, that is to say, offer Molam, Cypr. de sacr. ca­licis, Epist. 63. & 68. a little round loafe to his Gods. You that are deafe, heare, you that are blind, see, and deceaue not your selues any more. For if wee ought to doe that onely in the supper which God hath com­manded vs to doe, and that which he commanded vs, is that which he did with his Apostles the day before hee suffered, as saith the Canon of the Masse, pridie quam pateretur, wee ought not to offer vp bread vnto God for the remission of sinnes. For Iesus did it not, neither commanded it, neither purchased our salvation by the oblation of a cake not bles­sed, but with his owne body, and that not at the table, but on the crosse, not by elevation of bread, but by the effusion of his bloud, and separation of his soule. Es. 53. For he poured out his soule vnto death, and made his soule an offering for sinne, saith Esay, this oblation therefore is vnsufficient in it selfe, with­out commandment, and without example.

Neither doe the two obiections availe which commonly are here produc't. The first whereof is taken out of Gen. 14. Gen. 14 where it is said that Abraham returning from the defeating of his enimies, the king of Sodome went out to meet him, as also did Melchisedeck the king of Salem, who brought forth bread and wine and blessed him. For the bread and the wine were brought forth to refresh him and his men which retur­ned from the warre, and not to bee sacrificed vnto God, much lesse vnto Abraham. For although it be there added, that Melchisedecke was the Priest of the most high God yet that was only to shew the reason why hee receaued tythes of him, and why he blessed him, and not to cause vs to ima­gine a sacrifice. First because there was none such vnder the [Page 36] law, and therefore Melchisedecke in so doing had enterpri­sed to forge a new one: secondly, the words will not beare it, for the translation of the Septuagint hath it, [...] he set before him bread and wine: and it is not said for he was a Priest, but now or and he was a Priest, which was the cause wherefore he blessed Abraham, and not where­fore he presented him with bread and wine, also the whole text runneth, that Melchisedecke brought forth bread, to whom? to Abraham, and blessed, whom? Abraham, and that comparison which S. Paul makes betweene our high Priest, Heb. 7. Christ Iesus, and Melchisedecke, consists not in the offering of bread and wine, but in that he is eternal without father in regard of his humanitie, and without mother in re­spect of his divinitie. Neither is the other obiection of any force, which is taken out of Malachy, that amongst the Gē ­tiles shall be offered, Malac. 1. Muctar and Mincha, that is incense & a pure offering. For this Mincha, kneaded with flowre and oyle, is ceremoniall, and abolished, neither is the bread which the Roman Priests doe offer vp at this day tempred in that sort. But that same prophecy is allegoricall, as is that of Micah, Micah. 4.1. who prophecied that men should ascend to Ierusa­lem, to the mountaine of the Lord: seeing the Church is catholike, and not inclosed within Iury. So likewise that in­cense which ascends in the presence of God signifieth the prayers of the faithfull, as wee may obserue in the Revelati­on, where it is said, that another Angell (to wit our Saviour) stood at the altar hauing a golden censer, Apoc. 8.3. the smoke whereof, which was the prayers of the Saints, ascended vp before God out of the Angells hand. Finally, if our Sauiour had offered bread and wine for the remission of sinnes, it would follow that our Lord Iesus had offered twice, & by a consequence had twice satisfied God his father, and paid twice the same debt, contrary to that which saith S. Paul, By one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Heb. 9.12. & 10. v. 14. Otherwise the offring on the crosse had serued to small purpose, for it is certaine that God had heard his wel beloued the first time, with out exposing him to the crosse, if the offring of bread had [Page 37] beene sufficient, as it would haue beene, if he had offered it. And from hence wee may conclude that the Priests make two oblations, the first of bread and wine not blessed, not broken, not taken, not distributed; and the second they pre­tend to make of the very body of our Sauiour; which errour proceeded from hence, that in the Primatiue Church they v­sed the word Oblation, giuing the bread not immediatly to God, but to the Priest, who did take thereof for the cō ­munion, and distributed the rest to the members of our Sa­uiour, which are the poore. Thus the equiuocall accepti­ons of the word, caused this horrible sacriledge. See what more appertaines to this point in the Chapters of oblati­on and of sacrifice. Besides, to offer, was taken for as much as to giue to the people which communicated: and in that sense some of the ancients tooke it, as amongst the rest Saint Cyprian, who writing against the minglers of wa­ter with wine in the cup, which they offred vnto the people, contrary to the practice of the Primatiue Church, saith, Cypr. contra Aquarios, & epist. 68. ad Ce­cilium. see­ing that neither Angell nor Apostle can preach otherwise then that which Iesus Christ hath once taught, &c: One may heere demaund of them whom they follow: for if in the sacrifice which Christ hath offered we are to follow none but Christ, certainely we are then to obey, and to doe that which Christ hath done, and commanded to be done. Now these words of sacrifice ought to be vnderstood of those of thankesgiuing; Can. Memento. for the Masse it selfe termes it, hoc sacrificium laudis, and the word to offer, according to that which we haue said signifies to offer and to present by the Pastour vnto the people. The Priest puts his hoaste vpon the corporal, where if it be a solemne Masse, the Deacon powres in the wine, and the Subdeacon the wa­ter into the chalice, but if it be onely a priuat Masse, the Priest powres in both, and blesseth the water to be mingled with the wine, saying.

This mingling of wine with water was one of the first errours that was brought into the Supper, about the yeare of our Lord 120, against which one might apply the wordes of Cyprian aboue mentioned, who would haue vs to keepe our selues in that which our Sauiour instituted; See Iustin in his 2. Apol. who recites how the idolaters cōsecrated bread, wine and water to their gods. And now the Greek Church resisted that mixture, In. lib. 4 c. 5. de off. missa. as witnesseth Innocent, & Scotus misli­keth it giuing this reason, for that it will not, being so tēpe­red transubstantiate. Moreouer, if the Priest be partaker of the diuinity of Christ, as Christ himselfe of the humanity, it would follow that he should be true God, seeing that Iesus is truely man. Thirdly, with what assurance can he demand to be heard by the vertue of that mystery, and that mixture of wine and water, considering that it is a thing which God hath not onely not commanded, but also hath beene con­demned by many Councels, 4 Councell of Ort. in the time of Pela­gius. in these wordes. That no man presume to offer any thing for the oblation of the blessed Cuppe, but that onely which he beleeueth to be of the fruit of the Vine, and that without being mingled with water. For it is iudged sa­criledge to offer any other thing, Plat. & habe. l. can. in sacra­mento dist. 2. de consecrat. & in the cate­chisme of the Councell of France. then that which our Sauiour hath commanded in his most holy Commandements. Is it not then a mocking of God to demand of him to bee made par­taker of his diuinitie, by vertue of this commixture of wine and water: as if by a sinne and a transgression we were ambi­tious to be made gods? Of this Xistus or Alexander in the yeare 120 was the Authour, and since it is passed for a Law; [Page 39] for the Pope commands vnder paine of a mortall sinne, that no man faile to performe it. Now if for omitting of this hu­mane inuention, men doe sinne mortally, what condemnati­on ought to attend these, which doe wholly take away the cup from the Laitie? We may not heere omit the perplexi­ties which the Doctours of transubstantiation through the mingling of this water doe fall into. Can. in sanctis. eccles. v. calix de consec. dist. 2. & can. cum Matho. §. quae­sisti de celebr. Missarum. For some say that this water is turned into wine, others say into blood, and the last tell vs, that it is not conuerted at all. See the canons and the glosses. From that aboue ariseth an other blasphemy, to cal that wine and that water being not yet consecrated, the cup of saluation, which the Priest would haue to mount vp to Heauen, in eleuating it, for the saluation of all the world, & yet presently he makes it to descend much lower, when hee saith, adhaereat visceribus meis, praying that it may bee fixed vnto his entralles. Note that in Masses for the dead this prayer is said, but the water is not then consecrated at all: af­terwards the Priest offereth the chalice, holding it reasona­ble high with both his hands, saying,

Afterwards he places the cup vpon the corporall, and ha­uing couered it, joines his hands, and then bowing himselfe a little, saith that which followeth,

Of what sacrifice intendeth the Priest to speake, would he make two? for once before did hee eleuate and offer vp the bread and the wine; it must needs be therefore that the prayer was an introduction to the second offertory, where­by the bread shall be no more bread, but body, if one would beleeue it, nor shall neede to mount into Heauen; for to saue its journey, Iesus Christ will descend from thence to bee fa­stened to the entralls of the Priest, for he requires it so. Now if he would learne the meanes by which that sacrifice shalbe performed in such sort as it shal please God, he must obserue that which Christ hath commanded, saying, Doe this, which is thus interpreted by Alexander a martyr, and the fift Bi­shop of Rome after the Apostles, As often as yee shall do this, that is to say, that ye shall blesse, breake, distribute, you shall do it in remembrance of me. Cardinall Humbert, who wrote a­gainst the Monke Nicholas, learned it of this Pope, and so wrote, where it euidently doth appeare, that in those times, by this word doe, the least part of their thought was to sa­crifice Iesus Christ. Then standing vpright, he spreades a­broad his hands, and so lifting them vp on high, joyneth them againe, and casting his eyes vpwards towards Heauen, and by and by downwards, saith.

Innocen. Papa. de off. missae. lib. 2. c. 53.Saying these wordes he makes a signe of the crosse, of which the first part is made downe right vpon the host one­ly; but the other mounting, trauerseth the host and the cha­lice, all founded vpon mysteries.

If the Masse be solemne, the Priest blesseth the incense in this manner.

Afterwards taking the censer, hee censeth the oblations, saying.

Then he censeth the Altar, saying,

In restoring backe the censer, he saith,

Or otherwise,

[Page 41]

Afterwards is the Priest censed, and then others in or­der.

Leo the third brought in this censing, which was a thing much practised amongst the Gentiles, Thure Deum placa, the canon saith, appease God with incense, and spare the calfe. Thus 800 yeeres after the banishing of this creature the in­cense, Plat. c. 171. in vita Xisti. out of the Church, the Priest reuiues it againe, and alleadgeth Psalmes of Dauid, who substituted his pray­er in the place of incense, hauing reference through his pro­pheticke spirit, to that which ought to bee practised in the Gospell, whereas the Priest doth take the shadow and the smoake for the substance and the truth. Like to this is the standing of Michael at the right corner of the Altar, who if he take vp that place, he seemes to take part with the Iewes; for Durand saith, that by the right corner of the Altar the Iewes are prefigured, and by the left the Gentiles. Now note, Blond. lib. 1. Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4. c. 17. Lib. Pontif. in Sergio. Theod. l. 3. c. 15. that in the sacrifice of Ianus, there was a little vessell named Canora, with which they censed the Altar, the ima­ges and the hoste; & to imitate this, Sergius the Pope gaue a golden censer for the perfuming of Masses, to the end that he might Iudaize, Paganize, and imitate Iulian the Aposta­ta, who brought in incense to despite the Christians, which neuer vsed it in their Churches. Now that incense is one of those ceremonies which ought to be abrogated, it appeares by that which S. Paul saith, Heb. 9. v. 8. Heb. 9. v. 8. for there are some things which are constituted for a time onely, and are for that time, because they take their vertue and efficacy from their institution, and not from their owne nature, as the dirt wherewith our Sauiour anointed the eyes of the blinde, the which ought still to be put in practice, by the same reason [Page 43] that incense is now to be vsed, for now it is growne to bee a kinde of charme, to chase away the diuell with smoake, and to heale bodyly diseases: neither (to say the truth) appertai­neth it to any but such as sell smoke, to publish it, and to such as Chamelion-like feede vpon the aire, to beleeue it. The diuels are put to flight by prayers, Math. 17.21. 1. Pet. 9. fastings and ori­sons, and there are none but bleare eyes and foxes, which may be chased out of their holes with this engine. Wee are to feare lest that befall vs, Leu. 10. which happened to Nadab and A­bihu the sonnes of Aaron, who were st [...]ffled with that fire which they kindled, because it was other then that which God appointed them: so much are wee to regard that wee serue God with no other thing, neither in any other manner then he hath prescribed vs, for he is zealous and strong. A good intention excused not Vzzah which touched the Arke, 2. Sam. 6. Iosu. 7. nor Achan which retained that which was forbid­den; And now that incense was banished the Temple of Christians, Eusch. orat. ad S. coctum. Arnob. l. 6. Aug. Psal. 49. it appeares by the testimony of the Emperour Constantine, such (saith he) is the sacrifice of the Eucharist, without blood, without any violence, and there is not required any odour of incense, neither any burning fire: and S. Austine saith, See how we are without care, Leu. 5. v. 11. we need not goe any more to fetch incense in Arabia &c. Finally; the Iewes themselues, neuer burned incense at such sacrifices as were made for sin, but onely at meere thanksgiuings; wherefore this action is contrary to the inuention of the Priest, who pretendeth to sacrifize in the Masse an oblation for the sinnes of the liuing and of the dead.

In washing his hands the Priest saith,

[Page 43]

Three abuses may bee found in this place; the first is the retayning of Altars, which being a Iewish ceremony, ought to be abolished. The second is the taking of the Prophets words in a wrong sense, Psal. 143. who intended not to iustifie him­selfe before God; for in that sense, no man liuing shalbee iu­stified: and that's the reason wherefore he prayes, Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord; but he made a com­parison betweene his owne cause, and that of his enemies. As when in the like case he said, if I haue rewarded euill vnto him that was at peace with me, &c. Wee must therefore di­stinguish betweene the innocency of a man towards God, which can no-where be found, Psal. 7. and the innocency of a man in regard of his persecuters, which may well bee granted. The third abuse is, that whereas the receiuing of this Sacra­ment is a medicine to those which feele their disease, ac­knowledge their sinnes, and craue pardon of God for them, Math. 18. as did the poore Publican: the Priest heere teacheth [Page 45] the people the quite contrary, and practiseth the doctrine of the Pharisee, protesting his owne innocency and theirs which compasse him about, and which fill both his hands and his kitchen with gifts, whereof speakes that verse: otherwise it seemes that he would not say Masse at all, and in that he imitateth Geheza, and Simon Magus. We may not here omit, that Gloria patri, is not said in Masses for the dead nor in that of the passion. You may gesse wherefore. This being said, the Priest goes with his hands ioynd, to the middle of the altar, and there bowes himselfe lowe, saying,

After this, the Priest stands vpright, kisseth the incense, bowes his head, and turning himselfe towards the people with his hands ioyned, saith,

Then the people, or else himselfe addeth.

Then the Priest stretching forth his hands, saith a prayer as it were in secret, differing according to the season, & the scope of the Masse, as for example, on Christmas day is said,

The Priest must heere haue regard to transubstantiation, by which he makes of bread a new Iesus, and will make him a new entrance anon saying Hozanna, and afterwards will sacrifize and breake him, whereas Iesus of the substance of the virgin is not on earth, neither can hee any more either suffer or dye. The second errour, is going beyond the com­mandment of Iesus, which was simply to declare his death, without speaking of his nativitie, circumcision, &c. to the end to represent vnto vs in the supper, 1. Cor. 11. Can. quia morte ca. sanctorum. Can. in Christo de con. dist. 2. Bern. Cant. serm. 33. Spec. sacerdotum cant. in tāgendo ibi continentia divinitatis. not a Iesus triumph­ing in his ascension, but a Iesus broken for our sinnes. As of­ten as you shall eat of this bread, and drinke of this cup, you shall declare the Lords death vntill his comming. The Canons of the Pope teach vs no other thing. Thirdly, his remembrance is to knowe his corporall absence, for according to S. Ber­nard, remembrance is opposed to presence, and faith and hope to that which one sees with his eyes. Neverthelesse the Priest tels vs that he holds in his hands the humanitie, & the divinitie [Page 47] of our Saviour contained in that oblation. Fourthly, how cā the bread being not consecrated, bee the price of our re­demption? yet it is offered to that end by the Priest. Fiftly, if the Priest intends to speake of the body which hee purpo­seth to make, ought he to offer it in honour of creatures, & especially him to whom all honour and homage is due, and who would haue this action to be done in the remembrance of him? Yet the Priest most prophanely sacrificeth in the ho­nour of Saints, contrary to that which is written, Exod. 23. v. 13. You shall make no mention of the names of other Gods, neither let it bee heard out of thy mouth. Sixtly, the administration of the Sa­craments, is it not to nourish our faith in the hope of a bles­sed life? to what end therefore offers hee this oblation for the Saints, which are already in a full possession of the same? Finally, as we haue said, by this they doe depriue our Savi­our of his Mediatorship, 1. Tim. 2.5. ioyn assistants vnto him in renew­ing our peace with God, and doe impiously besides, both invocate and adore creatures. Concerning which, Epipha­nius Bishop of Salamine, who liued long time after S. Am­brose, vsed these words: Epiphan. cont. Antidicomaria­nitas. heresi. 78. That the errour of the seducers cea­seth, for Mary is not God, &c, that none may offer in her name, for he looseth his soule. It was farre from him to dedicate tem­ples, dresse altars, cloath statues, beare candles, ordaine feasts, sacrifice, or ordaine Masses to her. Poore Bishops, men would call you Hugonites if you were now in France. That secret being pronounced in secret, the Priest cryeth out, per omnia secula seculorum, and that is a preamble to the Canon. Now obserue that in this prophanesse there is great variety, according to the season and the end of the Masse, whether of the nativitie, the purification, of the crosse, the nayles, the gar­ment, or of the Masse of requiem &c: the which are begunne with both the hands laid vpon the altar on one side and the other, which he lifts vp a little when he saith sursum corda, and saying, gratias agamus, he ioynes his hands, and bowes his head, and then disioynes them vntill hee saith, sanctus: then he saith,

We saw before the new nativitie, here is his new entry, where he shall bee seene visibly, as this preface imports, and afterwards carnally broken with the hands and teeth of the Priest, if one would beleeue Pope Nicholas in the Canon [Page 49] Ego Berengarius; 1. De consecr. dist, 2. but the glosse saith that it is a dangerous heresie to beleeue that doctrine, and the glosse of another Canon saith, that Berengarius spake by an hyperboly, and that he lyed when he spake of the sensuall & carnall eating of Christs body. Can. alterum. gl. in verbo vocari. Thus the spirit of errour hath intangled it selfe. And indeed these two words, sursum corda, doe witnes that we must lift vp our selues by faith to the right hand of the father, & not descend thether, whether he wil not come vntill the day of iudgement; and they intimate besides that Christs body is but in one place only, though his truth bee diffused through all places. Can. prima hae­resis de consecr. dist. 2. S. Augustine saith that it is the prime heresie of the world to imagine or beleeue a carnall eating, which opinion the Popes haue canonised. And S ^t Chrysostome saith, Chrys. hom. 24. 1. ad Cor. vbi ca­daver. he which approacheth to this body ought to mount on high, and to haue no communion with the earth, our country which is below, but to soare alwaies on high, & to haue regard to the sonne of iustice, and to haue the eye of the spirit most acute, for this table is a table for eagles, and not for iayes or crowes. After this short skirmish, looke vpon the Canon which beginneth Te igitur, which was composed, about the yeare 800, but not by one Pope alone: for Platina makes it to be compiled by Alexander, Gelasius, Syricius, & Pelagi­us. To say the truth, it is not found in the impression of the breviary of Almagny, in the yeare 700, wherefore the Index expurgatorius ordaines that that Missall shall bee no more reprinted: and not that only, Index expurg. Belgicus, p. 75. but also the Liturgye of Am­brose was suppressed by the commandement of Charles the great, who would therein gratifie the Popes, which much advantaged his predecessors in the obtayning of the crown of France; Durand. ration. lib. 4. and so the Gregorian service was brought in by force, and through the punishments of those Church-men which opposed it. Iocob. de Vora­gine in v. 16. Gregor. And seeing they demand of vs where our Church was in those times, they may see how it stood in op­position so farre as not to suffer Ambrose Masse to bee chan­ged, or to haue these words which doe abate the efficacy of the Masse to be taken away, to wit, Ambr. l. 4. de sa­cramento. c. 5. Quod est figura corporis & sanguinis Domini nostri, that the supper is a figure of the [Page 50] body, and not the body it selfe: and the Popes imployed the Emperour, as well as their prisons and punishments to pro­duce their transubstantiation, which notwithstanding was more then 400 yeares debated, as witnesseth the consulta­tion of Bertran a Priest to Charles the bald, who writing to the Cleargy of Ravenna, Car. Calvus ep. ad Clerum Ra­ven. in Tillu Chron. an. 756. saith these words: Vntill the time of our great grandfather Pepin, the Churches of France celebra­ted their divine service otherwise then the Church of Rome, Neither did those of England order themselues according to that of the Roman. For the Pope himselfe praysed a Bi­shop for hauing chosen that which was the best, were it in Gaule or at Rome, for the place (saith he) maketh not a thing the more holy. Honorius in gē ­ma animae. lib. 1. c. 103. Wherefore at the end of Te igitur, it is sim­ply said, Catholike obseruers of the Apostolike faith, without adding, Romane; for that difference being specificall, was not knowne at that time to be a marke of orthodoxe belee­vers, whose faith is personall and not locall, or tied to a cor­ner of Italy. Let vs set fire to the powder. The Priest bowes himselfe lowe, and ioyning his hands before the altar, saith,

He speakes not a word of the Roman faith, although the Canon be of Gelasius making, who ordained that the Priest should beginne vpon his knees, hauing his hands ioyned: then before these words haec dona, he should lift vp himselfe, kisse the altar, make three signes of the crosse vpon the host, and the chalice, afterwards open wide his hands, and lift thē vp a little in saying, tibi offerimus, in the plurall number, and therefore he is not the sole sacrificer but the people also, as indeed he said before, my sacrifice and yours. Likewise from these words, these gifts, these presents, may be gathered, that in the time which this Canon was made (what corruption soever raigned) they intended not to offer vp Iesus vnto God his Father. For then they would not haue spoken in the plurall number, hauing but one Iesus. Thirdly, where­fore doth he tearme it a spotlesse sacrifice or incorruptible, whereas both experience and the cautells of the Masse be­fore mentioned haue taught vs, Cant. item si cor­pus. that the consecrated host doth putrifie, that it is eaten sometimes of rats, & sometimes breedeth wormes, which cannot proceed from an accident without a substance, neither from a glorified body. Ano­ther impietie is committed there, in that it is said, that this oblation of bread is made for the pacification of the church, as if it were as yet divorced from God, contrary to that which the Apostle saith, By one sole oblation he hath consecrated for ever those which are sanctified. Heb. 10.11. Whence it followeth that there remaines nothing but onely the applying vnto our selues of that sacrifice by faith, and not to reiterate it as if it were vnsufficient. Fiftly, with what boldnesse dares the Priest make the Pope Gods companion in the goverment of the Church, which hath no head but Iesus Christ her Spowse, nor other conductor but the holy Ghost? For see­ing that the Church is a body Catholike and vniversall, be­ing in heaven and in earth, and composed both of dead and liuing, what other head then Christ is capable to sway such an Empire, and to inspire every member of the visible and invisible Church. The last abuse is politike, in that the Priest places the Pope and his Bishop before Kings, it being the [Page 52] doctrine of these kinde of men, that principalities lye vnder his pantable, and that scepters are held by way of homage from the perforated chaire, which notwithstanding is not practised throughout. As for the reformed Churches, al­though they haue kings now and then which governe not so well; yet their practise is alwaies to make prayers first for kings and superiour powers: afterwards for the Church and every member thereof, that it may bee deliuered from this papall tyranny. Then followeth the Memento, where wee must obserue, that ordinarily the first and second are said with the hands ioyned, vntill the Priest saith, & omnium cir­cumstantium.

Plat. in Xislo. Martin. in. Chr.In the yeare 580, as Platina and Martin affirme, Pelag­us invented this commemoration of those dead which had liued well, which though it be very ancient, yet is it contra­ry to that which is practised at this day. For the dead were not then invocated by the Church, Dionys. Hier. c. 3. neither were they pray'd for, but were named in the Church, partly to incite the peo­ple to imitate them, and partly to shew that they were not dead, but liuing a more excellent life. Secondly, these words pro quibus tibi offerimus, Capitu. l. 6. c. 173 for whom we offer, were ad­ded since Charlemaines time, so by litle and litle, abuses crept into the Church: & these words quorum tibi fides cog­nita, whose faith is knowne vnto thee, doe argue of falshood [Page 53] that which is preached at this day, to wit, that the know­ledge of the Curat is sufficient, and that there needeth no o­ther beleefe in a Christian, then an infolded or implicite faith. For if it were so, they would haue said, the faith of the Parson or Curate is knowne vnto thee. Who if he were a Ma­gician or Sorcerer, as he was which not long since was bur­ned in the Greue at Paris, the Parishioners would bee full ill assured of their saluation. Fourthly, hoc sacrificium laudis. this sacrifice of praise, witnesseth, that it was not made to purchase remission of sinnes, but to render thankes vnto God for that purchase, which Iesus Christ his Sonne hath made for vs. Moreouer it is not possible to reiterate such a sacrifice; and if it were, yet this heere cannot be sufficient, Heb. 9.22. & 25. for without shedding of blood, euen vnto death, there was neuer made any sinne-offering. But there are diuers fracti­ons interlarded vsually in this prayer; Afterwards follow­eth the canon,

Durand. in ra­tional. l. 4. ad 3. part. c. 38. Durand attributes this peece to Pope Syricius, In the Pri­matiue Church mention was made of Saints, simply for the reasons before mentioned, but they were not therefore invocated (saith Saint Augustine) but were named to teach vs, Aug. de ciu dei lib. 22 c. 10. Dionys. hierarch. c. 3. that they were not dead, but translated vnto life. For Diony­sius saith in the place aboue quoted, that they are not dead at all. Now heere they goe much beyond the ancient li­mits: for the Communion which ought to be celebrated in remembrance of Christ is now performed in remembrance of men, such as it hath pleased the Pope to register, as Cosma, Damian, Chrysogonus, &c. Secondly, the Canon is false in all particular Masses, for there the people communicate not at all, and therefore they are excommunicated as often as they assist at such Masses, following the doctrine of the Pope in the Canons. Can. peracta de consecrat. dist. 2. Thirdly, through whose vertue is it that the Priest implores the aide of God? Is it not through the ver­tue of Cletus and Chrysogonus, &c. And how well agrees this with a canon following, which beginneth, Nobis quo (que), where he beseecheth God not to poyse at all their merites, but to grant them his pardon; where we may obserue, that after they haue once stood vpon their merits in this canon, they renounce them in a canon following, see what strange contradictions be heere throughout. Holding his hands extended ouer the oblations, he saith.

Heere the Priest playes the fencer, and redoubles the bat­tery, for he makes fiue crosses, the three first vpon the hoaste and the chalice, the fourth vpon the hoaste alone, and the fift vpon the chalice onely, saying, sanguis fiat, if it bee not made before. But heere you may note a notable forgery; for the Priest pruneth Saint Ambrose words, Ambr. lib. 4. de sacr. c. 5. and insteed of saying after acceptable, which oblation is the figure of the body and blood of our Lord, he changeth and substituteth in their roome these words, that it may be made vnto vs the body and blood of our Lord, and from thence they take the foundation of transubstantiation, to forge an idoll insteed of the Sacra­ment. It followeth afterwards,

Note that in saying he tooke bread, he takes the hoaste with his fore finger and his thumbe, and saying eleuatis, he liftes vp his eyes; and saying, he blessed it, he makes a signe of the crosse, as if that had beene the forme of the benedi­ction which our Sauiour vsed, before his crosse was made. Then saying hoc, he holdes the hoaste with his two fore-fin­gers, [Page 56] and his two thumbes, and with one breath pronoun­ceth these words distinctly, attentiuely, and with a low voyce, Iustin. Nou. 123. This is my body, contrary to the vse of the Primatiue Church, which raised her voyce in pronouncing these words, Tertia cautela. and that in the vulgar tongue. And if the Priest stayes, or makes a comma at any word, the cautell saith that the consecration is to no purpose. So that all lyes at the mer­cy of the Priest who speakes low, and whom it much con­cernes according to that cautell that hee bee not pursye or short-winded. That word being spoken, the Priest falles vpon his knees, adores the hoaste, then lifts himselfe vp, and holding the hoaste on high, makes the people adore it; then layes it vpon the corporall, and adores againe; and you are to remember, that from this, vntill he wash the foure first fingers of both his hands, he disioynes them not at all, vn­lesse he touch the hoaste, but they are clasped two and two, so that when he would beate his brest to play the Publican, he doth it with his three hinder fingers, and if he would take the plate, he vseth the middle finger, which he ioynes with the fore-finger in forme of a payre of pinsers, for the other fingers are destinated to the consecration. Lets see what followeth.

Before the Priest saith, as often, hee puts the Chalice vpon the corporall, adores it, then riseth vp, and makes it to bee adored in shewing it and saying, Haec quotiescun (que), after­wards layes it downe againe, couers it, adores it, and dis­ioynes his hands to say.

Pronouncing this canon, the Priest makes fiue crosses, out of season, for the consecration was performed when he said hoc est corpus meum; and because the hoaste is then dei­fied the Priest makes himselfe greater then it, when he bles­seth it: for S Paul saith, Heb. 7. v. c. without contradiction the lesser is bles­sed of the greater. There was no neede therefore of making crosses, considering that crosses are equipollent to blessings, and that the Priest can not be greater then God, vnlesse wee should say with the quodlibet, qui fecit me sine me, Stella cle [...]i [...]. creatur mediante me, he which made me without me, is created by me. A blasphemy worthy of the booke wherein it is writ­ten. [Page 58] Now inasmuch as creation is vnderstood properly, and the glosse of the canon Timorem, Can. timorem. gl. v. corpus de [...]. dist. [...]. saith, that by this word hoc, nothing is signified, it followeth by the Popes doctrine, that this is my body, is as much to say, as nothing is my body. Now before we speake of pretended transubstantiation, you must obserue, that this hoaste is round, and is giuen vnbro­ken vnto the people, who may not touch it with their hands, but are enjoyn'd to gape, and let the Priest put it into their mouthes, whensoeuer they receiue the communion. Where the first errour which heere discryes it selfe is the round forme of the bread, it being from the institution of Numa King of Rome a Pagan and a Magician, [...] O [...]o [...]. 1. [...]. who sacrifi­ced vnto his gods a round cake which he called Mola, and from thence commeth the Verbe Immolo, as before was shewed.

The second abuse is, in that the bread in the Masse is not one loafe in common to represent the whole Church, and the communion of Saints, but consists of seuerall cakes to represent a schisme in it. [...]. Cor. 10.17. Au [...]ust. ep. 59. [...] P [...]a nomen. For it is written that wee are one bread and one body; and S. Austin saith, that we come to be v­nited to the body of Christ, in that wee being many, are yet one loafe and one body. Whence it followeth, that we are to com­municate with one loafe, seeing that the vnion of the body of Christ which is the Church, is represented by that vnity. The third abuse is, in that the people are forbidden to touch the Sacrament with their handes, contrary to that which is commanded by our Sauiour, Take, eate this, &c: and which a Bishop of Ierusalem hath written, [...]. ca te [...]nyst. 5. [...] 8. Sexta [...]ra. in Trulla c. 102. Hee approached to the Table, and stretched forth his hand to take the holy foode. And in the yeare 681, the Synode condemned those which would take the Sacrament with a litle vessell of gold, preferring a thing without life before a humane creature made after the Image of God. The fourth is, in that the bread is not bro­ken, which is a great default, for by that mystery, the brea­king of the Body of Christ for vs is deciphered. Which was the cause that S. Paul saith, The bread which we breake, it is the communion of the body of Christ, so that contrariwise wee [Page 59] are to say, that the bread which we breake not, is not the communion of the body of Christ, but a marke rather of di­uision, euery man hauing his owne part. Humbertus E­pisc. sil [...] ca 5. d [...]e c [...]tra li­bell. Ni ce [...]. M [...] nachi. Wherefore a good Bishop of Rome, the fift after the Apostles, saith, as often as you doe this, that is, blesse, breake, distribute, you shall doe it in remembrance of me, because he which doth the one without the other, the benediction without the fraction or distribution, hee represents not a perfect memory of Christ, as likewise the bene­diction is nothing without the fraction. For in those daies they had but one great loafe broken vnto all, Can. N [...]. [...] de co [...]. d [...]t. as the canon doth import; The greatest wickednesse is in the adoration of the Sacrament; for if (to doe this) as hath beene said, doth signi­fie onely to blesse, breake and distribute, and that wee are not to doe any thing but that which Christ hath commaun­ded in his word, we ought not to adore it, for it appeares not that either Christ or his Disciples did euer adore the Sacra­ment. Moreouer it being that we are to worship that onely which is eternall, Dam [...]sc. lib. [...]. orthod fide [...]. the humanity of Christ is not to bee wor­shipped, if the diuinity be not joyned thereunto. For Da­mascene distinguisheth totus Christus, all Christ, from totum Christi, all that which is in Christ. All Christ is perfect God, and perfect man; but all that which is in Christ is not God, neither yet is it man. Wee must distinguish and not separate his diuinity from his humanity, which being ioyned, doe make one hypostasis and one Person. As for example, all man is one soule and one body, but all that which is in man is not soule, neither is it body, but both together.

Now we may say according to the doctrine of the Pope, who would tye himselfe to the letter: the Priest makes not all Christ, neither all that which is in Christ, he creates but a body broken vpon the Crosse, and but blood shed forth; & consequently an humanity dead and separated from its soule. And the glosse of the canon Comperimus saith, Can. sic in s [...] ­ctificando. gl. Verb. Cal g de consec. dist. 2. that if a Priest should haue consecrated the bread whilest our Sa­uiour was in the sepulchre, that the substance of the wheate would haue beene simply a dead body. Now when one hath yeelded to the Priest, that he can make a body and [Page 60] blood of the substance of the bread and wine (which not­withstanding is false) yet cannot that which he makes bee wholly Christ, for his soule and his diuinity shall not bee made, and consequently we ought not to adore that which he makes. For we adore the humanity of Christ, nor consi­dered apart, [...]ren. de incar. c. 25. but as being vnited to the diuinity; So sayth an ancient father, Christ hath adored with vs: and if it so be that we must adore him, for to him must euery knee bow, yet this is to be done onely in respect of one of his natures. And Saint Augustine giues vs an example thereof, If (sayth he) any of vs should finde a purple Robe or a Crowne lying on the ground, Aug. de [...]erbo [...] 58. would we worship it? But when the King is cloathed there­with, hee makes himselfe lyable to great punishment, who through contempt adores it not with the King. In the same manner shall he be culpable of eternall death, which will not a­dore the humanity of Christ our Lord, not as it is considered nakedly alone, but as being vnited to his diuinity, hee being the onely Sonne of God, true God and true man. This passage sheweth that Saint Augustine was farre from preaching the adoration of the Crosse, Launce, Nayles, or Robe without seame, which are not vnited vnto our Sauiour, neither make one person. If he should come to Argenteuill the Priest without all question would call him an Here­tique.

Another abhomination is committed in that the Priest pretendeth to sacrifice Iesus Christ in the Masse, which Christ himselfe did not in the supper; for if hee had done it, he verily would not haue reiterated the next day his oblati­on, for that had not beene necessary. Now Iesus sacrificing himselfe vpon the crosse, said not, doe this, for hee had no o­ther worthy sacrificer of such a sacrifice but himselfe, whose effect is eternall, and that which wee are to doe, is to blesse, breake, and distribute in remembrance of that sacrifice vp­on the crosse. Chrysost. in hom. ad Corinth. In this sense S. Chrysostome saith, If Iesus Christ be not dead, whereof shall this sacrifice be a signe or figure? But this is more amply treated of in the chapter of Sacrifice, and of the Sacrament; where you shall see that the action of the [Page 61] supper differeth from that of the crosse, in respect of the time place, forme, ende, matter, &c. and therefore cannot bee the same action. But seeing that the essence & soule of the Masse consisteth in transubstatiation, wee must examine it more particularly.

CHAP. XI. An extract of peeces of Masses to Creatures.

HE which would insert in this place all sorts of Masses, together with their tunes and songs belonging ther­vnto, had neede to prescribe a breuiary litle lesse then the Bible, wherein he may see as many seuerall Masses, as Saints canonized by the Pope, besides those of the nailes, the head of the Launce, the Robe without seame, and a thou­sand other inuentions, which the poore ignorant people obserue not; for thinking to serue God, they serue a peece of wood, a nayle, a thing which neuer was, concerning which Saint Paul admonisheth vs, Col. 2.18. Let no man at his pleasure [Page 99] beare rule ouer you, by the humblenes of minde, and worshipping of Angels. Now not some of those Masses onely are for Angels and Archangels, but there is an expresse booke which prescribeth the forme of such idolatries, intituled Of­ficium proprium sanctorum. I finde in the Missall out of which I drew that which I put into French, printed at Paris by Didier Maheu, in the streete of Saint Iaques, at the signe of Saint Nicholas, in the yeare 1546. fol. 7. and of the said of­fice, concerning the benediction of tapers, that the song of Simeon which speaketh of our Sauiour, and calleth him, the light of the Gentiles, and glory of Israel, is applyed to the candles, as if that Paganisme had beene approued of by Si­meon. Fol. 3. in sacris stigmat. Fran­cisci. I finde a prayer in the Masse of Saint Francis in these words, Deus qui mira crucis mysteria, &c. God which hast shewed diuers wayes the marueilous mysteries of the crosse in Saint Francis thy Confessor, grant that we may alwayes follow the examples of his deuotion, and may be fortified with the assi­duous meditation of his crosse, &c: and in a secret and a post communion is said, in whose flesh through an admirable prero­gatiue thou hast renewed the wounds of thine holy passion. What blasphemy is this, as if the passion of Iesus stood in neede to be renewed, and that such an idoll had beene capable of such a suffering. And in the Masse of Catherin, Fol. 43. Catha­rinae virginis vers. Membris virgineis olei fluit vndae salubris: that is, from the members of the virgin, flowes a wholesome water of oyle. And in the Al­leluja Catherine is called the floure of roses, and comforter of soules, and in the secret, Munera domi­ne, &c. Sumptis domine salutis. Fol. 36. vers. in exaltatione san­ctae crucis. Dulce lignum, dulces clauos. tit. orationes communes. fol. 22. pronaui­gantibus. he offereth vp the hoste in her ho­nour, saying, The gifts O Lord, of this present sacrifice, which we offer vp vnto thee in honour of Saint Catherine, &c: and in the post communion, Hauing taken O Lord, the mysteries of eternall saluation, wee humbly beseech thee, that as the liquor which floweth continually from the members of Saint Cathe­rin virgin and martyr, doth heale the maladies of the body, euen so her prayers may chase from vs all iniquities. In the Masse of the exaltation, in incongruities both Latin and Theologi­call is said an Allelu-ja, two woods, two nailes, bearing a sweete burden, who onely were worthy to sustaine the King and Lord [Page 100] of heauen. I could not finde any Masse for the Asse which carried our Sauiour into Ierusalem, although there bee as much or more reason for that then for the other. fol. 22. is found a post-communion, where are these words, by the wood of the holy crosse, draw vs out of our sinnes, and through pitty draw vs out of danger. Would they not heere haue a Mediatour of wood? The last Masse of this title serues for one which is damned, Missa pro cuius anima dubita­tur. in which there is this prayer, Omni­potens &c: because we doubt of the maner of his life, wee are comforted through abundance of pitty; and if his soule can­not obtaine an absolute pardon, yet at the least, amongst the torments which perhaps he endures, let him feele a refreshing, through the abundance of thy mercies. How can one aske with faith that which is forbidden? What strange people are these, who deale as at a smyths forge, sprinkling the blood of Christ vpon a firebrand of hell. Moreouer, not onely the wood of the crosse, In Missis voti­ [...]. fol. 28. but according to their ac­count, euen the signe of it, doth deliuer and preserue those which make it. In the commemoration of the crosse there are these words, Fol. 37. v. by the signe of the crosse deliuer vs from our e­nemies, O Lord God: what is this but Idolatry? for of a crea­ture to make a God, and to attribute power vnto it, is it any thing else besides idolatry? and in a prose to the Virgin Vn­tye our bonds, Fol. 71. de nati­uit. beatae prosa. Alle: coeleste, nec non et perenni prosa. Aue Vir­go. for thou canst doe all as Queene of the world, and with thy Sonne ordainest all Lawes: and in another, giue suc­cour to vs miserable, thou which art the onely hope of mortals, and by thee is made veniall in whatsoeuer we sinne, and in that which followeth, thou art the hope of offenders, Mary, the end of death, the way of life, the triple hierarchie, and the holy Empire doe giue vnto thee worthy praise: Ib. in exaltatio­ne Sanctae crucis (prosa) Laudes crucis. Fol. 75. v. (pro­sa) concinat ec­clesia. Fol 79. Aue mundi gloria. and afterwards, saue those which trust in thee, &c: sighing to thee, we weepe and in­uocate thee, that thou wouldest gouerne our spirits, &c: salua­tion of the world and matron, and to the wood, O crosse tri­umphant wood, true saluation of the world, farewell, &c: In the Masse of Elizabeth, Blot out our sinnes, and direct our feete on high vnto heauen, and in a prose for the Virgin, The Lord preserue thee thou saluation of men, &c: Empresse of the world, [Page 101] our mediatour, the easing of the world our glory, Fol. 81 (prosa) Aue summo. Fol. 80. (prosa) Mariae praeconi [...]. now and fore­vermore &c. I salute thee, thou which sittest aboue the pole, Mary, whom it behoueth to worship, as being the hope of belee­vers: &c: O happy woman brought abed, which expiatest our misdeeds command by right of a mother the redeemer. That is farre from saying as shee did, I am the servant of the Lord: or as Iesus, woman what haue I to doe with thee? And as for the robe without seame, Missa de de tu­nica inconsutili Christi. Alleluiae. which they adore at Argentueil neere Paris, see one peece of that service. Let vs sound harmonious­ly the prayses of iubilations to thy only divinitie. In the day of the translation of the robe without seame, wee read, It is (condimentum) the sauce of salvation, and way of health, it giveth augmentation of brightnesse, and was companion of the crosse. And in its prose, O marveilous vestment, Prosa. plebi pi­stica. to whom age gaue increase of his infancie, &c. this vayle giues volun­tary aide &c. none are to doubt that it is a friend vnto our pray­ers. Which adoring &c. S. Paul forbad the serving of Angells which are about vs, and whom God imployes for our safety and here they serue Angells, dead men, wood, nayles, iron, apparell, and substitute them in the place of God, and of the merits of Christ. O God, how long shall the adversary doe thee this dishonour? Psal. 74. how long shall the enimie blaspheme thy name for ever?

CHAP. XII. Of the name of the supper of the Masse.

IT is time to come to the matter whereof wee treate, in which we will consider divers things which are there di­stinguished, as 1. The differing names and divers tearmes, 2. The place where this mystery is celebrated. 3. Things be­longing to the garnishing of the place. 4. The person of the Priest, his habits, actions &c: all which pertaine to the Masse as accidents inseperable. Wee need not repeat that which hath beene said before, concerning the originall of either word, for this action is called Coena, a supper, because it was instituted as a common repast by our Saviour at supper: it is [Page 102] called likewise, Sacrament, by reason of the vow which is made by the Communicants; and named the Eucharist for the thanksgiuing which is rendred there vnto God. This hath beene amply treated of before, where wee spake like­wise somewhat of the word Masse in generall; but we shall never be able to giue sufficient reasons for the speciall ap­pellations of each part thereof, as Entrance, Post-communi­on, Lessons, Verse, Responsories, Gospell, offring, consecration, Antheam, Litany, Liturgie, Corpus, Corporall, Plate, Kyrie eleyson, Allelu-ia, Albe, Cope, Girdle, Maniple, Stole, Miter, Incense, Absolution, Canticle, Complyne, Matins, Nons, Ʋes­pers, Infraction, Graduels, Offertories, Oblation, Sacrament, Sacrifice, Altar, Image, Taper, Relique, Bell, Font, Holy water Pixe, Sprinkling, Chrisme, Collect, Pax, Office, Secret, Prayer, Epistle, Tract, Sequence, Prose. Note that by the word prose they vnderstand not a loose manner of speech, but Latine rithmes. Votiue Masses, Masses of grace, of requiem, dry, great, short, particular, of the nayles, of the Robe without seame, high, lowe, of the holy Ghost, of Iob, of S ^t Anthony, &c.

CHAP. XIII. Of the place where the Masse is celebrated.

Hier. in Psal. 33.THe Church consisteth not in walls, but in the truenes of doctrine, saith Hierome, and where true doctrine is there is the true Church. For the Apostles assembled themselues but in a chamber, Act. 1. whence it appeareth that building is rather belonging to the well being then to the being of the service of God: so farre is it from being ne­cessary to haue the place consecrated or adorned with re­liques, Conc. Nic. 2. & 7 as the second Nicene Councell did ordaine in the yeare 790, or thereabouts. Secondly, when the ancient Christians builded Churches, they dedicated them to none saue to God onely. So saith the Emperour Constantine, Whence it is that the Temples which were dedicated vnto him, Euseb. de laudi­bus Constant. were called by the name of the Lord, and on them was imposed the name, not of men, but of God, which is the cause that they are called [...]. The reason is because that, Temples, Al­tars, [Page 103] and Sacrifices cannot be erected, saue to the great and true God alone. S. Augustine saith Wee institute no altars, temples, Priests, or sacrifices to Martyres, Aug. Psal. 44. Jd. de civit. Dei l. 22. c. 10. to. 5. Inn. 3. de myst. missae. lib. 3. because they are not Gods, but haue the same God that wee haue. The Pope him­selfe saith, that Temples, and Alters pertaine to Latria, or divine worship, and if one erect them to Saints, it is idolatry. Neverthelesse, see here the practise of such consecration, brought in in the yeare 800, it being made a Sacrament like baptisme, to which they compare it, and afterwards in the yeare 1000 hauing the whole forme of it made com­pleat. Epist. Zach. ad Bonif. 2. concil. tom. 2. p. 451. The Bishop being assured of the revenue of a new built Church, makes a short prayer, besprinkles the walls without with holy water, with a nosegay of hysope, prophaning the words of the 51 Psalme, Purge mee with hy­sopp and I shall be cleane, and applying to a stone the washing of the bloud of Christ, which is proper to the faithfull. In the dedica­ting of a tem­ple, a Masse likewise is to be said, whose entrance is Terribilis est lo­cus iste. Then he beats the dore with his staffe, saying, at tollite portas thrice and being entred in, he painteth the Greeke and Latine Al­phabet vpon the wals, exerciseth the salt, wine, water, ashes, makes thereof a mixture, into which he dippeth his thumbe, and after certaine ends of prayers pronounced by him, hee saith these words, This Temple be sanctified in the name of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, in the honour of God, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, and in memory of such a Saint. See how of an indifferent place to pray in, they make thereof a place essentiall: of a place dedicated to God alone, a place dedicated to a creature, of a simple destinati­on, a sacramentall consecration.

CHAP. XIIII. Of the garnishing of their Churches.

IN these Temples appeare, first the lighted tapers, which are not necessary in the day time. Wherefore Constantine in Eusebius saith, Euseb. ad sanct. coetum. Hieron. contra Vigil. c. 5. that the Christians haue neither incense nor burning. And Hierome, We light no taper in the open day, as thou calumniatest vs, but wee imploy the light to temper the darknesse, that we may watch vntill breake of day. Alas what [Page 104] would this good pastour haue said if he had seene the bene­dictions of the tapers in the day of the purification, where they sing the song of Simeon, and prophane that which is said of our Lord Iesus, That he is the light of the Gentiles, ap­plying it to a corruptible and a needlesse taper. See the pray­ers which they said in the Masse of the purification, and be­nedictione cereorum. Of Altars we spake before: as for Ima­ges, they are expresly forbidden to bee made, which is the cause that the Church of Rome hath razed out the second commandment which condemneth them, which was done by the Councell of Auspurg in the yeare 1548. And Dama­scene, though otherwise a favorer of Images, saith, That it is a great folly and impiety to paint the divinitie. Orthod. fid. l. 4. c. 17. Tertul. l. de idol. And Tertullian, The consecration of images is idolatry. Now what may wee gesse he would haue said, if he had seene their consecra­tion, cloathing, adoration, presenting of Candles: also of armes, and legges of wax vnto them? But see the doctrine of the Church of Rome, Thom. 3. part. q. 83. art. 3. The things without life which are con­secrated, doe get a certaine spirituall vertue, by which they are made proper to the service of God, to the end that from them men may receaue some devotion. Bel. de imag. c. 21 And Bellarmine would haue that the Images of Christ and of the Saints should be worship­ped, not only by accident, or improperly, but also of themselues and properly, &c. So likewise the bell sounding hath this ef­fect, Durand. ration. lib. 1. c. 1. saith Durand, that by the sound thereof, the faithfull are invited to the eternall price, the devotion of faith increaseth in them, the fruits, the soules & the bodies of beleeuers are saued, the enemies weapons are kept off, the thunderclaps, &c. And as for the Agnus Dei composed of chrisme and wax, Ceremon. del egli. de Rom. tit. 7. Can. placuit. & can. ficut. de con sec. dist. 1. Calvin. de re­liq. conse­crated with balme, it draweth the lightning from aboue, and dissolueth all sinne. As for reliques, as Iosephs breeches, the nayles, the wood of the crosse, the robe without seame, the lanthorne of Iudas at S. Denis, the sword and buckler where with the Archangell S. Michaell fought with the divell at Toures, a peece of the dead body of some saint canonized by the Pope (who would haue them to be neere the altars) processions, adorations, kissings, touchings, and such like [Page 105] customes doe wel discover the abuses which are committed about thē. Holy water taketh its beginning from the Pagās, Just. in Apolog. Hippocr. de mor­bo sacro. Proclus de sa­crif. & magia. Can. Aquam sale de consec. dist. 2. Theod. lib. 3. c. 15. & 16. who sprinkled thēselues with water as they entred into the Church, & that for the purging of their sins. For men thinke that sulpher purgeth by reasō of the strōg smel, & salted water, by reason of the part of fire cōtained in it: & of this powdred virtue the Pope makes great accoūt, ioyning vnto it o­ther superstitions. Incense also is come frō the Gentils ( thure Deum placa, appease God with frankincense) & it was vsed by Iulian the Apostata to despite the Christiās. Let vs there­fore conclude that all these ceremonies were takē frō Pagās & Iews, & are not to be practised by the Christians. Jn cap. 13. ep. ad Hebr. The rea­son is giuē by Nicholas de Lyra, Those which obserue the Law with the Gospel, haue no part of the effect of the passion of Chirst, Gal. 5. according to that which is said to the Galathians, if you bee circumcised, Christ wil profit you nothing. Thus the Christians contenting not thēselues with the simplicitie of the Gospel, applyed thēselues to the Iewes & Pagans, in hope to cōvert thē, wheras they were in the mean time perverted, according to the threatning pronounced against such temporisers, Es. 29.13. Be­cause their feare towards me is taught by the precept of mē, the wisdome of their wise men shall perish, and the vnderstanding of their prudent men shal be hidden. Now that the Christiās haue taken from Pagans these ceremonies, Bar. Annal. tom 1. ann. Christ. 44 Sect. 88. Cardinal Baronius cō ­fesseth, saying, Thou hast aniversary vigils in Suetonius in the life of Vespasiā, Ch. 7. Lustral waters & sprinkling of the sepul­chers in Iuvenal, Sat. 6 Lights in the said Sepulchers in Sueto­nius his Octavius, Ch 98. lamps lighted on saturday in Seneca ep. 96. The distribution of tapers amongst the people, in Macro­bius his Saturnals, &c. Whēce it followeth, that all the pray­ers, cōsecrations, & benedictions borrowed frō superstitiō, are but so many sins & prophanations of the word of God: For our prayers ought to be founded vpon the promise that we shal be heard. Now we haue no evangelical text which tels vs that God will giue virtue to a peece of wood to be a wholsome remedie to mankind, a redemption of soules, an ad­vancemēt to good works; whereas the Priest praieth in making of a new crosse, that God would bee pleased to giue it that [Page 106] virtue. For he sheweth that it is that which he aymeth at, saying, Lib. Pontif. de benedictione no­vae crucis. p. 172 Rom. 10. Vouchsafe to blesse this wood of the crosse. The same praier makes he for the tapers, water, incense, bells, agnus Dei &c. Now faith commeth by hearing, & hearing by the word of God, & not by the fantasie of mē. Wherefore God saith to the in­vēters of such sacrifices, 1. King. 15. Mich. 3. Es. 66. Who hath required this at your hands? obedience is better then sacrifice, and the inventer of worshippe shall not be heard. And he which killeth a lambe (otherwise then is commanded) is as if he sacrificed a dogge. Bee you the sheepe of the true shepheard, heare his voice, & not a stran­gers. Seeing that he hath declared that he is honoured in vain by the service founded vpon the commandement of men. Mat. 15. And seeing that he is the Lord, wee ought to worship him as hee himselfe hath commanded, and not otherwise.

CHAP. XV. Of the Priest and his qualities.

OVr Saviour sending abroad his Disciples which had the gift of tongues, inioyned thē to preach the Gospel, & to publish it to all nations, & cōmaunded them to baptise in the name of the Father, Sonne, & holy Ghost. Now the Bishop which ordaines Priests, greaseth the ende of their fin­gers, & saith these words only. Receaue the power to celebrate Masses, Jn vet. agenda circa ann. 1000 and to offer vp sacrifice for the liuing and for the dead. There is nothing spoken here cōcerning baptising or prea­ching, no more thē in the Canon Generaliter 16. q. 1. where is related another fashion of making Priests, to wit, That the hands be consecrated, to the end that whatsoever they cōsecrat may be holy, & that whatsoever they blesse, may bee blessed. There are many reasons which verifie that no Priest hath a lawfull calling, in regard of him which receaueth the power of committing symonie &c. And although it be writtē that Mariage is honorable amongst al, that a Bishop ought to be the husband of one wife, Heb. 13.4. 1. Tim. 3.2. 1 Tim. 4. Tertul. exhor. ad castitatem. c. 8. Euseb. l. 1. c. 23. that it is the doctrine of divels to forbid to marrie. That it was permitted to the Apostles to marry, & to lead about their wiues with them, & that Denis Bishop of Corinth said to Pinitus, that this waightie yoke of widowhood was not imposed vpon the Saints: And Chrysostom, that al the [Page 107] Prophets were maried: And S. Hierom, Chrys. in Mat. hom. 56. in f. Hierom. lib. 1. ex Iovinian. We read of none but the Pagan Priests which abstained frō marriage, esteeming it vna­greeable with the Priesthood, such as were the Priests of Cybel, and the Athenian Hierophants. Nevertheles by the doctrine of the Roman Church mariage makes one vncapable to say Masse, but not concubinage, though it be in facie Ecclesiae.

Moreover he ought to be shauen, Lev. 19. Ezech. 44. Hier. in. Ezech. c. 44. Clem. Alex. in poed. l. 3. c. 11. contrary to the express word of not shauing their heads, or marring the corners of the beard. For Hier. saith, We ought not to haue our heads sha­uen, as the Priests of the Goddesse Isis & Serapis: & Clement Alexandrinus saith the same. The Subdeacon in this service marcheth before, to represēt (as they say) the law, the Deacō after him figuring the Gospel, bearing a stole which crosseth the loyns, signifying the force & cōtinency which resideth there, & he ought to turne himselfe towards the north, Titleman & Biel. and make a signe of the crosse towards that perstiferous quarter to the end that he may chase thēce the divels. Also he carries a pillow vpon his stomack to represent an humble heart.

As for the habits of the Priests, besides the ordinary, there be some which are taken from the customes of the Iewes & Pagans, Inn. 3. lib. 4. de sacraltaris. and therefore Innocent the third maintaines that the ceremonies of the law are not wholy abolished, because the Church of Rome maintaines the oyle of vnction, incense, tithes, and first fruits, candles, habits, high Priests and Levits. Ioyne to this the saying of Baronius aboue quoted, and you shall see that the yoke of the Gospell which ought to bee lightned according to the saying of our Saviour, is agraua­ted with Iewish ceremonies and Paganish superstitions: which is farre from the opinion of Celestine writing to the Bishops of France, Valas. l. de reb. Eccles. c. 24. Ep. 2. de Episc. Gal. c. 1. and speaking against certaine Priests which not contenting themselues with the surplice vsed in the times of the Primitiue Fathers, would haue their reynes also to be girt, and themselues bee covered with a mantle whilst they serued in the Church, Hier. l. 1. cont. Pelag. concil. 4. Carthag. can. 41 Wherefore (saith he) haue they not lamps and staues in their hands (mocking them, and afterwards adds) we ought to be distinguished from the people & from others, by learning, not by robes: by conversation, not by the habit: by the puritie of mind, not by adorning: for if wee be­ginne [Page 108] to study novelties, Alex. ab Alex. lib. 4.11. c 17. Lev. 1. dec. 1. we shall defile that order which was left vnto vs by our Fathers, and shall giue place to superfluous su­perstitions. Not misliking or denying hereby vestments or habits in the Church, if both few and seemely, seruing both for a decorum and a distinction, but finding fault with those professedly Aaronicall and Leviticall vestments, Duran. l. 3. c. 1. then begun (it seemes) but since multiplied beyond the proportion of types in the Iewish Priesthood. For now they ordaine, Sixe vestments for all Priests, in signification (as they say) that in six dayes God created heauen and earth, D [...]an. vation. [...]. l. 3. c. 1. and nine more beyond Priests for Bishops, in token that they are spirituall, like the nine orders of Angells, in all fifteene, betokning the degrees of virtues But as hardly shall they proue these members of fif­teene vestments, and their mysticall senses to be truely anci­ent, as their so many signified vertues to haue beene commō to all that vse them. Yet haue they not been beholding only to the Levits for all their fashions, but something they haue fetcht from Gentils. For the Pagan sacrificer bore a painted coat, and aboue it a pectoral of brasse, afterwards of gold or of silver, moreover he had a vaile to cover his head, called Amictus, 700 yeares before the comming of the Lord. Now of the Iewes are borrowed the Ephod, the Girdle, the Mani­ple, the tiara Mitra, to which Biel & Titleman giue strange significations, & such as those which invented them never imagined. The Girdle signifieth the rod, the stole the power the Maniple the bond of loue. As for the language, it is a stranger to the people being Latine, Greeke and Hebrew, following that which is writtten, that such tongues are signes vnto vnbeleeuers.

CHAP. XVI. The actions of the Priest in the Masse.

Ovid. 4. fast. Plut. in Numa. Ap [...]d. l. 11. de a­s [...]no. Alex. ab A­ [...]. 4. c 17. 2. Cor. 14.FIrst he must turne himselfe towards the East, according to the Paganish custome, and contrary to the Iewes, then hee ought to ioyne his elbowes to both his sides, lift vp his hands, so that they exceede not his shoulders fol­lowing the cautell, stet erectus. This is taken from the Paga­nish superstition, which prescribed vnto the sacrificer not to [Page 109] eleuate his hand any higher then his mouth, Plin. lib. 28. Blond. lib. 1. Rom. triumph. Macrob. in Sa­turn. Caut. stat. Caut. tres digi­tos. and in all these turnings and friskes is put great holinesse, as diuers authors doe witnesse, which call them Vertigines in sacris. For the Priest is bound to ioyne his fingers with which he maketh the signes, & not to separate them, but only in handling the hoste, & if he takes the plate, to make his middle finger serue him insteed of a paire of pinsers. Likewise he cōtinually almost turnes his backside to the people, makes in all 46 signes of the crosse at seueral times, euery one odde in number, & in a diuers man­ner, sometimes with the hand, then with the chalice, hoste & plate, vpō himselfe, the bread, the cōsecrated hoste, the cha­lice. Makes 9 adorations of the bread and wine, kisseth the Altar (which is answerable to an adoration) nine times, re­presenteth diuers personages, the Iewes, the Gentiles, the Law and the Gospel, Christ liuing, dead, & in the sepulchre, hidden & manifested, the theefe, the Publican, Iudas; and if one may beleeue Titleman, the plate representeth the diuini­ty of Christ. Moreouer one ought to consider the vertue of the signes of the crosse, which are essentiall in this mystery; And if the hoste doe fall into the chalice before the time, Caut. si hostia. the Priest ought not to pull it out again, but to proceed in signs, words & gestures, as if he had it in his hands. by which ac­count he fames to break, shew, eleuate, & makes his fingers to be adored, & the people to say, aue salus, aue vita. Caut. intellectū. also it is said aboue, per auxilium sanctae crucis, & in the Masse of the exaltation of the crosse, that he which shal make the signe of the crosse, shall not loose his children, & shall feele no sinne, &c: Now not only in signes, but also in words & intentions are hidden great secrets, so saith the cautell, Summa Angel. in voce Missa. great things are hidden in signes, greater in wordes, but the greatest of all in the intention. So that the Masse profits them onely to whom the Priest applyes it, in somuch that meere Grammaticall decli­ning by the helpe of artificiall memory, auailes for six seue­rall sorts of people, the Nominatiue for the Priest, the Geni­tiue for the Parents, the Datiue for the founders, the Accu­satiue for his enemies, & so in others, which is called in the diuinity of the Masse opus operantis, the work of the worker. Now if the signes, words & intention be necessary in this cō ­fection, [Page 110] the respiration of the Priest is not of lesse importāce, who ought not to doe it during the bringing forth of fiue words, hoc est enim corpus meum; nor make any pauses vntill the end, for the cautell saith, nulla ratione potest valere si dica­tur, Caut. 3. Hoc, est, enim, corpus, meum: but he ought to pronounce it in one breath. Moreouer, al comes to nothing if the matter of the Masse be not panis triticeus, Caut. 2. Can. in Sacram. can. sic ins m [...]ti fica [...]do. gl [...]n verb. calex de consec. dist. 2. wheaten bread, if there be not greater quantity of wine then of water, if the bread be tempered with any other liquor then water, & if the wine be dead or sowre; Alas, where consists the efficacy of this Sacrament but in words and signes onely? in the intention and respiration of the Priest? the poore Christian lyes at the mercy of the Priest, as the Lambe in the Wolfes mouth. Loe heere the accomplishment of the mystery of iniquity.

CHAP. XVII. Other circumstances of the Masse.

VVE haue shewed how the Masse dependeth not onely vpon the worke, but also vpon the wor­ker, which is the Priest: and how the first au­thors of transubstantiation were fowlly deceiued, in saying that a carnall and corporall eating is necessary, and that no Christian-like preparation is necessary, but rather a memen­to of the Priest, Now we must know, that this seruice which in the time of Iustinian the Emperour: [...]ou. 123. Hono [...]ris in genima animae. l. 1. c. [...]) who made a decree concerning it,) was pronounced with a loude voyce, Pope Vigilius would haue to be said with a low: and that vnder pretence of a certaine story, which relateth how some shep­heards hauing learned the canon, did transubstantiate their bread into flesh. The numbers of prayers, signes, turnes, and repetitions of the same words, Mart. Polonus in chron. Etel. Math 6. v. 7. Baile. [...]ect. 25. do proceed from the like su­perstitions, & are contrary to the expresse worde of God, which forbiddeth vaine repetitions, such as the heathen vse: neuertheles they are an article of faith in the Iesuites Cate­chisme, Rosmus lib. 2. imitating the Pagans which adored the goddesse of numbers called Numeria, & cōsecrated to the infernal gods the eauen numbers, & to the celestiall the odde, numero deus impare gaudet. Now as this fabrick made much adoe before it could be brought to its perfection, so likewise hath there [Page 111] bin no small care to keep it from inconueniences, whereof I purpose to set downe some in particular; as first, if a Fly or Spider do chance to fal into the chalice before the consecration, Cant. Item fi musca. the Priest must sup it vp, and if it go against his stomacke to doe so, then he must finely take it out, and after he hath diuers times washed it, he must burne it, & then lay it vp for a Relique. Also, Cant. item si quis. if one being sick or otherwise through infirmity should vomit vp the hoste, the Priest ought to swallow downe that which is cast vp, and if not, then to burne it, and lay it vp for a Relique. and Alexander de Hales saith these horrible words, If a Dog or a Hog should eate the cōsecrated hoste entire, Alex part. 4. q. 45. n. 1. Part. 3. sum. de defect. Missae. I see no reason why the body of our Lord should not all together passe within the belly of that Dog or Hog. Anthony, Archbishop of Florence, ha­uing confirmed these abominable opinions, saith, that if he could finde any man which would swallow down such kind of vomited morsels, hee should be praise worthy, prouided that he were fasting, & saith, So Hugh of Cluny cōmended Go­deran, who swallowed downe the peeces of the hoste, which a lea­per had vomited vp with a villanous spattering, saying that the gridiron of Saint Laurence was more tolerable.

Let vs consider the effects of this transubstantiation, how many absurdities, impieties, & abominations haue issued frō it, the fables of Ovids Metamorphosis neuer came neere it: Arania of a woman became an vnreasonable creature; Arachne. Ouid. 6. Metam. and the companions of Vlysses were transformed into hogges; but this inuention deifyes both spiders, dogges and swine, and turnes their cinders into Reliques. And if this corporall tou hing without any other disposing, doth sanctifie, why should wee deny it to Iudas his kisse? or to the hangman which bound, whipt, & nayl'd the Lord? they were as capa­ble of this apotheosis as the Nayles and head of the Launce, vnlesse the want of sense & reason made the other the more capable of the Popes canonizing. But we passe farther.

CHAP. XVIII. The Authors of the Supper, and authors of the Masse.

WE are taught by the Euangelists that our Lord Iesus was Author of the Supper, Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luke 22. and prescribed the forme and matter thereof, & declared to his [Page 112] Disciples the end for which hee established this Sacrament. Which S. Paul witnesseth to haue bin practised in the same manner, 1. Cor. 11. I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliue­red vnto you; & indeed, he related the words of the Euange­lists, but as for the composition of the Masse, it was not the worke of one man onely, nor of one time. For besides that which we said aboue, we find that in the yeare 121. the first abuse was cōmitted by Xistus or Alexander, who instituted the mingling of water with wine. Platin. & Sa­bellic. &c. Higinus in the yeare 141, inuented the feasts of dedication & consecration, with the exorcisme of salt. Damasus in the yeare 377, added the Cō ­fiteor. Innocent in the yeare 408. contributed to it the kissing of the Plate. Symmachus in the yeare 508. Gloria in excelsis. Agapet in the yeare 535, the Procession. Greyory interlarded the Latine, Greeke & Hebrew, in the yeare 583. Sergius the Agnus Dei to be thrice sung. Flauian & Diodore instituted the antiphone [...]. Telesphorus the Collects, Leo & Gelasius the Graduels, Gregory the Tracts, Gothier the Sequences. And as for the main body of the Canon, it was made about the yere 800, by Alexander, Gelasius, Cyrill, Leo, & Pelagius, as Platina a Secretary to the Popes doth affirme, & about that time the incense & offertory was ordained by Leo the 3. The soule of the Masse which is transubstantiatiō, was brought vpon the Stage in the yere 1062, in the time of Pope Nicholas, priuile­ged by Hildebrand, confirmed by Honorius, who added the adoration of the hoste, in the yeare 1226, whilest Sergius in­uēted the steeping of a peece of the bread in the wine, & the breaking of it into 3 peeces. & that nothing might be wan­ting, in the yeare 1264, Vrban, crowned this worke with a Procession of the hoste, and a Corpus Christi day. Now in this place consider but the foolery of these men, which boast that Saint Iames sang Masse: considering that this Grego­rian seruice was for the most part brought in by the vio­lence of the Popes, who were ayded in promoting of these crotchets by Charlemaine and other Kings and Emperours which ruled in France, Germany and Italy, the one vsurping the temporall sword, the other the spirituall, vnder this title, Do, vt des, facio, vt facias.