Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 2 · Chapter 8

Two Treatises Against the Papists · Book 2 · Chapter 8

p. 288VVhat that holy sacrifice is, vvhichwhich vvas euer counted so beneficiall to the liue and dead. The punishement of our sinnes by the heuy losse thereof. The great hatered vvhichwhich the deuill and all his side, hath euer borne tovvardes Christes eternall priesthoode, and the sacrifice of the Church. And that by the saide sacrifice of the Masse, the soules departed are especially relieued. CAP. VIII.

1 ANd nowe we must fall in hande with the good Christian Catholike, for the search of this so often named sacrifice, so comfortable to the liue, so profitable to the deade: and what that oblation is, which the holy Catholike & Apostolike Church hath euer vsed through out the worlde for the sinnes of the departed, in place of the offeringes of the law, and that sacrifice which Iudas Machabeus made and procured at Hierusalem, for the offensies of his people that perished in battle. Surely it is no other but the sacrifice of our Mediatour, as S. Augustine termeth it, and the offering, vponupon the altar. It is no other then that oblation which so fully and liuely expresseth the death and passion of Christ Iesus: VVho being once offered by the sheeding of his blessed bloud for the redemption of man kinde, hath wrought such a vertuous effect, not onelyonly in the holy sacraments for the giuing of grace and remission of sinnes, but also hath lefte in a merueillous mistery his owne holy and blessed body and bloude, as well to feede vponupon for the especial strength and comforth of our soules, as to offer vp the same for the remembraunce of his death, and cleansing of ou… sinnes. Not in that wise as it was done vppon the Crosse by the painefull sheeding of his bloude, but as it was instituted first in the last Supper: VVhere Christ our God and Redeemer according to the order of Melchisedech, gaue to his Apostles, and offered to God the father that body which afterward was betrayed, and the same bloude which was shedde after also for the remission of p. 289sinne, being with all tearmed by him, the bloude of the new and eternall testament: as that which in the newe lawe shoulde succeade the bloudy offeringes of the olde testament. VVherof, God almighty being (as a man woulde say) lothesome or full, hath instituted this by his onelyonly Sonne, as a most pure and precious oblation and sacrifice, to be continued in the Church through out the costes and corners of the rounde worlde: VVhichWhich being celebrated in the blessed memory of his Sonnes passion, and hauing no other hoste nor oblation then that which then was offered, can be no other sacrifice then that which there was made for the forgiuenesse of sinne, and redemption of the worlde. The which worthy action of Christes Church, so fructefully applieth vntounto vsus the benefite of our maisters death, that thereby we may hauehave comfortable hope of remission of all such misdeedes, as most iustly deserued Gods wrath, and terrible indignation against vsus.

CAP. VIII.

1 NOwe the good catholike shall hauehave holsome doctrine taught him, concerning the sacrifice of the masse, which first commeth in place of the sacrifices of the lawe, and that sacrifice which Iudas Machabaeus procured to be made at Ierusalem. Well sayd M. Allen, shall the sacrifice of the masse shoulder out the sacrifice of Christ his death. The Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth vsus an other lesson. cap. 10. that Christ offering but one sacrifice for our sinnes, and that but once. cap. 9. hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified: that our sinnes are taken away by that sacri…ce, and therefore there is no more sacrifice for sinnes left. Wherefore it excuseth not, but increaseth your blasphemy, that you say the sacrifice of the masse is all one with the sacrifice of Christ his passion, which was but one sacrifice, and the same but once offered, and by that one oblation hath made perfect all them that receiue any benefite by it. But Christ (you say) hath instituted this sacrifice to be offered vp for the remembraunce of his death, & the clensing of our sinnes. Shew one word M. Allen out of p. 290the Scripture of any sacrifice instituted by Christ at his last supper, or else you are a most horrible and blasphemous lyer. The holy Ghost sayth we are sanctified by his will, thorough the offering of the body of Christ once made for al, and where remission of sinnes is, there is left no sacrifice for sinne. Heb. 10. But you are not content to ioyne your sacrifice of the masse, as an appendix vntounto the onelyonly once offered and no more offerable sacrifice of Christ his death, except you proceede and vtterly deny all the force and benefite of the oblation of his bitter passion. For you say, that Christ in his last supper, not onelyonly gaue to his Apostles, but also offered to God his father that body which was after betrayed, and that blood which was shed after also for remission of sinnes, being that sacrifice which should succede the bloody offerings of the olde testament. what place hauehave you here left for the passion of Christ? O intolerable blasphemy. Christ offered vp but one sacrifice, and that you affirme to be before his death: Christ offered but once and that you affirme to be at his supper. By that one sacrifice which Christ did once offer, he redemed vsus from all our sinnes, and that you affirme to hauehave bene offered in the sacrament. Doe you not now plainly exclude the death and passion of Christ and all the merites thereof? who can abide to heare you afterward, when you say that the sacrifice of the masse, is an application of the benefits of Christ his death vntounto vsus, when now you affirme that it is the continuance of that sacrifice which Christ offered and instituted before his death, who neuer offered but one sacrifice and that but once. O Lord these blasphemers are more worthy to be beaten downe with thunderbolts, then their blasphemies so directly contrary to the holy Scriptures hauehave neede to be confuted with wordes.

2 Now this is that blessed sacrifice, which S. Augustine with feare and reuerence termeth in a thousand places of his workes, the sacrifice of the Altar, the sacrifice of our Mediatour, the sacrifice of our price, the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ, the holsome and profitable sacrifice, the sacrifice of p. 291Melchisedech, the new sacrifice. S. Chrysostom the reuerent sacrifice, the honorable Mysteries, the Fearefull sacrifice,The common names of honour geuē to the holy Masse in old time. Athanasius the propitiatory sacrifice, the vnbloody Host. S. Cyprian the sacrifice of the Church, the perpetuall sacrifice, the meate offering, the medecine for our infirmities. Irenaeus the pure sacrifice, the new sacrifice of the new testament. Clement againe, the vnbloudy sacrifice, the rationable sacrifice: and so doth the holy Counsell of Ephesus call it. Dionysius the sacrifice most excellent of all sacrificies, and the hoste of hostes. The Latines altogether afterward named it the holy Masse,S. lib. epist. 33. epist. & praecat. prima praeparante ad Missam. so did S. Augustine call it, bbsuper vndec prouer.Ambrose: ccHistor. tripartit. 24.Hierome, ddcap. li. 10. dEpiph. scholastic, with all the posteritie both in Latin, and other barbarous languagies. Besides many other excellent high and peculiar callinges, which can agree to no other common worship of God internall nor external, but onelyonly to this most worthy and honorable sacrifice: which by the vertue that it hath receiued by the first examplar therof, and by the might and mercy of the Lambe of God, which vnderunder the couer of breade and wine is there the appointed hoste and oblation, is profitable both to the quicke and the deade. And therefore is & hath ben vsed euer sith the Apostles age, & by Christes owne prescription and theirs,The force and institution of the holy Masse. commaunded to be religiously obserued, and of all faythfull people honoured as the principall protestation of our religion, as the grounde of all true worship, as the badge of Christian peace, as the bonde of holy society betwixt the heade and the membres, as the louelove knot betwixt Christ and his spouse, as the vniting of the liue with the dead, the holy sainctes with vsus poore sinners, Angells with men, heuenly thinges with earthly, and the Creator of all with his owne creatures beneth, as the plentifull condeth to deriue the grace of Christes death and merites of his passiō, to the continuall conforth of our soules, as the onelyonly practise of his eternall priesthood according to the ordre of Melchisedech, & as the only effectuall memoriall and comfortable memory, of the sheeding of his blessed bloude, and sufferance of so deare and painefull death for our redemption.

VVhat altar so euer be erected against this altar, it is nothing els but a waste of Gods worship, a canker of religion,The nevve communion is here described. a token of dissension, a separation of the holy society of the Christian communion, a larome towardes schisme, a departure from Christ, an p. 292open badge of heresy, a saulsy shouldering with Christes Church and ordinaunce, an open robbry of his honour and priesthood, a plaine stoppe of the passage of his giftes and grace in his louing house, the onelyonly waye to paganisme and eternall obliuion of his death and passion.

2 Now we shall heare how many of the olde writers call it a sacrifice, but he neede not take all that paynes, for we confesse, that the celebration of the Lordes supper, is commonly, but vnproperly called of them a sacrifice: Howbeit they ment nothing lesse, then to set vp a blasphemous aultar, and new sacrifice, and priesthoode against our Sauiour Christ the onelyonly priest, aultar, and sacrifice of our redemption, as Augustine calleth him, but onelyonly there meaning was, that it was a remembraunce and memoriall of that onelyonly sacrifice with thankes giuing for the same. Augustine de fide ad Petrum Diaconum cap. 19. shewing the difference of the sacrifices of the olde lawe, the onelyonly sacrifice of Christ, and the sacrifice of breade and wine, which the Church offered sayth. In illis enim carnalibus victimis figuratio fuit carnis Christi, quā pro peccatis nostris ipse sine peccato fuerat oblaturus, & sanguinis quē erat effusurus in remissionem peccatorum. In isto autem sacrificio gratiarum actio, atque commemoratio est carnis Christi, quam pro nobis obtulit, & sanguinis quem pro nobis idem Deus effudit. For in these carnall sacrifices, there was a figuring of the flesh of Christ, which he being with out sinne, shoulde offer for our sinnes, and of his bloude, which he shoulde shedde for remission of our sinnes. But in this sacrifice, there is thankes geuing and commemoration of the flesh of Christ, which he offered, for vsus, and his bloude which the same God shedde for vsus. In his 23. epistle to Bonifacius, he sheweth, that sacraments, take the names of those thinges whereof they are sacraments, by a certeine similitude and liknesse that they hauehave vntounto the thinges, them selues whereof they are sacraments. And so the sacrament of Christes sacrifice is called a sacrifice as after a certeine manner the sacrament of Christes body is the body of Christ, and the sacrament of Christes p. 293bloude is the bloude of Christ, euen as the sacrament of faith is faith &c. Chrysostome vponupon the Epistle to the Hebrues in cap. 10. Hom. 17. after he hath shewed at large, the force of the only sacrifice of Christ once offered for all vppon the Crosse, declareth plainely how the sacrament of Christes death in that time was called a sacrifice, which one testimony is sufficient to declare what all the fathers ment by abusing the name of sacrifice for the celebration of the Lordes Supper. Hoc autem quod nunc facimus in commemorationem quidem fit eius quod factum est. Hoc enim facite inquit, in meam commemorationem. Non aliud sacrificium, sicut pontifex, sed id ipsum semper facimus, magis autem recordationem sacrificij operamur. This that we doe, we doe it in remembraunce of that which was done. For doe this (sayth he) in remembraunce of me. We doe not make an other sacrifice, as the high priest, but the selfe same alwayes, yea rather we worke the remembraunce of a sacrifice. The same thing in effect declareth Cyprian lib. 2. epist. 3. Et quia passionis eius mentionem in sacrificijs omnibus facimus (passio est enim domini sacrificium quod offerimus) nihil aliud quam quod ipse fecit facere debemus. And because in all sacrifices we make mention of his passion (for the sacrifice which we offer is the passion of our Lorde) we ought to doe nothing but that which he did. Here it is manifest that Cyprian calleth the sacrament a sacrifice, as he calleth it the passion of Christ, and the remembraunce of his passion. Irenaeus also sheweth that by the name of the sacrifice of the Church, he meaneth not the sacrifice of the Masse, which they call propitiatory for the sinnes of the quicke and the deade but the sacrifice of thankes geuing and prayers who writeth these wordes. lib. 4. cap. 34. Igitur non sacrificia sanctificant hominem, non enim indiget sacrificio deus sed conscientia eius, quae offert sanctificat sacrificium, pura existens & praestat acceptare deum quasi ab amico. Therefore these sacrifices doe not sanctifie a man, for God needeth no sacrifices, but the conscience of him that doeth offer being puer, doth sanctifie the sacrifice, and causeth God to accept it as of a freinde. Iustinus martyr also Dial. Cum Tryphone aduersus p. 294Iudaeos in plaine wordes affirmeth, that the sacrifice of breade and wine which the Church offereth, is the sacrifice of thankes geuing in remembraunce of the passion of Christ. The like places might be brought out almost of all the olde writers, but for tediousnesse, and yet to shew how vnproperly some of them vsed the name of sacrifice, I will cite one place out of Ambrose, Ad virginem lapsam. Si fuisses communi sorte defuncta flessent te modicum propter desiderium parentes, sed exultassent granditer quia immaculatam praemiserūt virginem hostiam viuam, domino, propitiatricem suorum videlicet delictorū. If thou hadst dyed by the commō lotte, thy parents would hauehave lamented a litle for desire of thee, but they woulde hauehave greatly reioysed, bycause they had sent before them an immaculate virgine, a liuing sacrifice, propitiatory to the Lord for their sinnes. Here is the death of a virgine called a sacrifice propitiatory for sinnes, but very vnproperly. Therefore if the fathers hauehave spoken any thing vnproperly of the celebration of the Lordes Supper in calling it a sacrifice or by any like terme, which hauehave in other places expounded their meaning, to be onelyonly a remembraunce, a commemoration, a thankes geuing for the onelyonly true sacrifice of Christes death which is the propitiation for our sinnes, we must not contrary to their meaning vppon couller of their wordes set vp a newe and blasphemous sacrifice to deface the onelyonly sacrifice of Christ, much lesse breake out into such open blasphemies, as this Allen doth, that affirmeth this sacrifice of the Masse, to be the onelyonly practice of Christes eternall priesthoode, according to the order of Melchizedech which the Apostle comparing Melchizedech with Christ in all thinges in which he was comparable, neuer teacheth as any parte of his priesthoode Heb. 7. For that which they builde vppon, which make any resemblance of Melchizedechs offering of breade and wine, with Christes institution, is a false grounde, for Melchizedech did not offer but bring forth, not to God, but to Abraham and his company, not a sacrifice, but a refectiō of breade and wine: Hieronym confesseth that Melchizedech protulit panem & vinum ad Euaginum. & in Quaest. p. 295super Genesim. so doth Ambrose de misterijs initiandis ca. 8. so doth Augustine super titulū Psal. 33. Melchizedech brought forth breade and wine, yea the very vulgare translation hath proferens bringing forth. And that he brought it not forth to sacrifice, but to refresh the souldeirs of Abraham: Beside that it is plaine by the texte that Melchizedech being both a king and a priest, as a king liberally entertained Abraham and his armie, and as a priest blessed him: we reade also in scholastica historia. cap. 46. At vero Melchizedech rex Salem, obtulit ei panem & vinum quod quasi exponens Iosephus ait: Ministrauit exercitui xemia, & multam abundātiam rerum opportunarum simul exhibuit, & super epulat benedixit deum qui Abrahae subdiderat inimicos. But Melchizedech king of Salem offered vntounto him breade and wine which Iosephus expounding, sayth, he ministred vntounto his army giftes of enterteinment and gaue them also aboundance of thinges necessary, and beside that feaste he blessed God which had subdued vntounto Abraham his enemies. And out of doubt if the bringing forth of breade and wine had bene any thinge perteining to the priesthoode of Melchizedech, the Apostle to the Heb. 7. woulde not hauehave omitted to hauehave compared it with Christ. But of all others folies this is the greatest, that when the Papistes hauehave prated neuer so longe of the sacrifice of breade and wine, at the laste, they will hauehave no breade nor wine at all in their sacrifice: wherein they are not onelyonly contrary to those of the olde writers which compare the celebration of the Lordes Supper, which sometime they call the sacrifice of breade and wine (and yet but a sacrifice of thankesgiuing) with Melchizedechs breade and wine: but also they are contrary to them selues.

As for the rest of that rayling, which he calleth a description of the new communion, might aptly and truely be verified of the newe sacrifice of the masse. And that I may aunswere wordes with matter, I will vrge the Papistes to tell me, what we say or doe in the celebration of the holy communion, which Christ commaunded vsus not to say and doe, or what Christ did or commaunded vsus to doe, which p. 296we doe not therein? If all the dogged Papists in the world, be not able to shew our default herein, as we hauehave shewed their infinite abuses and blasphemies, of their masse, then is our celebration the very true communion of the body and blood of Christ, and theirs a very wast of Gods worshippe, a canker of religion, &c. and a very blasphemy of all blasphemies, that euer were vttered sith the beginning of the world, whereby eueryevery scalde hedge priest, is made not only equall, but also superior to Christ him selfe, whom he presumeth to offer, who could not be offered by any, but by him selfe.

3 The deuill which is the olde serpent, knowing by longe experience and often proofe, that the holy Masse is the chiefe bane of sinne and his wicked kingdome, hath euer from the beginning shot at this marke by all the cursed indeuours of wicked heretikes, to roote out that stronge garde of vertue, and pillour of deuotion & religion. How so euer they dissemble at their first interaunce, the deuill hath that fetch in his false heade in all times of such toyle and perturbation of religion. To which horrible indeuour though he hath for our sinnes and deseruing put greater force, and wroght with more aduantage then euer before, yet till the latter daye and …onne of perditions appearing, which is vnknowne to him, he shall not bring it to passe. The law, the sacrifice, the priesthoode, the altar of the newe and eternall testament prefigured by Melchizedech, & perfected by Christ, shall stand with and in the holy Church, till the worldes ende. It is not your bare breade and borde,Heresie vvith her disordered ministers, shal not out face Gods, church and Christes eternall priesthood. not your Ministers, nor your Seniours, nor Elders, nor your Nuper intendents, nor what so euer you lift be called, that shall out face Gods Church. She hath by the spirite of God beaten downe your proudders, the Arrians: the Macedonians: the Anabaptistes, and all your predecessours. And now I tell you, and be bolde of it, as old as our mother waxeth, as contemptible as you make her, so litle as you regarde her, she will once yet in her olde dayes gyue the Zwinglians, the Lutherans, or of what other straunge souldier so euer your campe standeth, an open ouerthrowe. For if Hell were broken loose, and the gates open,Psal. 100. Mat. 16.Ps 100Matt 16 it coulde not preuaile. VVe hauehave our Priesthood p. 297confirmed by a faire othe, we hauehave our mothers righ… by an open promesse established.

3 This part of the chapter, conteyneth nothing but blasphemous boasting and more then ruffianlike rayling. First that the deuill which loueth the masse better then he doth holy water, shall not abolish it vntill the last day and sonne of perditions appearing. I doubt not but the deuill will doe all that he can to vpholde it, to the ende of the world, and whether he shall preuayle or no I will not dispute, but this I will boldely affirme, because I hauehave good warrant, that the sonne of perdition, who long agoe appeared and is now already greatly wasted and consumed with the breath of Christes mouth, which is his holy word, shall togither with the masse, and al them that obstinatly defend it, be vtterly abolished at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ in the ende of the world, and from thence forth with him be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, there to be burned with the deuill and his angells world without end. 2. The. 2. Apoc. 19. & 20. Secondly he sayth that our bare breade bord ministers, &c: shall not out face their Synagoge of Satan, which he calleth the Church of God. But the Lordes table with the breade and wine which we minister in remembraunce of Christes death, and bloode shedding, which our ministers, Seniours or elders, and Byshops or superintendents, when they shall be all approued by the word of God, shall be able to abyde the iudgement of God and be allowed for disposers of his mysteries and ministers of Christ: when your aultar, transubstantiation, renting of the Sacrament in peeces, robbing the people of the blood of Christ, worshipping of creatures, &c: with your Pope, Cardinalls, Priestes, Monkes, Friers, Chanons, Nunnes and all the rest of that romish rable, hauing no testimony out of the word of God, either of their names, or of the signification of their names, shall be condemned of heresie, hypocrisie, Idolatry, and blasphemy, and hauehave the rewarde that to such horrible profaners of Gods holy ordinance, apperteyneth. Thirdly you boast that your church p. 298hath beaten downe our prowders the Arians, Macedonians, Anabaptistes. It was the Church of Christ, that ouerthrew those heretikes, & not your Antichristian assembly of heretikes. And therefore I tel you and be bold of it, that olde rotten whore of Babylon your mother, in whose name you threaten vsus, as one priuy of her mischieuous and malitious deuises, shall neuer bring to passe that pestilent plat forme which was concluded against vsus in the conspiracy of Trent. The Lord shall mainteyne his Church, as he hath done hitherto, in spite of the deuill and the Pope for all their cruelty, treason, periury, truce breaking, and most vnnaturall murdering. But of all other blasphemies who can abide this? that your priesthoode in the deuills name, is confirmed by a fayre othe, Psal. 110. O Lord who would euer hauehave thought that any which professed the name of Christ, would euer hauehave challenged vntounto them selues against Christ that which neuer any Turke or Iewe durst presume to boast of. What will you leaue to Christ O you hell houndes? when you take from him both his kingdom and his priesthood, yea his eternall diuinitie, and euerlasting natiuitie. For vntounto whom so euer the priesthood is confirmed by othe, of him that sayd, Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchizedech, to him is confirmed an euerlasting kingdome and an euerlasting priesthood: of the same it is sayed: The Lorde sayed vntounto my Lorde sitte thou on my right hande vntill I make thy enemies thy foote stoole: to the same it is sayed that The scepter of thy power: The Lorde shall sende out of Syon rule thou in the middest of thine enemies: finally take the priesthood confirmed with an othe and take the whole Psalme vntounto you. O Lucifer whether wilt thou clime? wilt thou not be content with the olde Lucifer to be like vntounto the most highest, but wilt thou thrust downe the most highest him selfe euen the son of God from the right hande of his father, and sit at the right hande of God thy selfe? O ye that woulde see how Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God boasting him self… to be God, and exalted aboue all that is called God or worshipped as God, drawe nere and harken what he saith of p. 299him selfe, by one of his blasphemous mouthes. Our priesthood is confirmed vntounto vsus by a fayer othe, Psal. 110. For seeing he alleageth the Psal. 110. to confirme his saying, he can not excuse or qualifie the matter by that generall royall priesthoode which all the children of God hauehave through Christ their heade, to offer vp spiritual sacrifices vntounto God. 1. Pet. 2. Apo. 2. For that priesthoode which he challengeth by othe, is to offer a sacrifice propitiatory, which he affirmeth the Popish priests to doe in their Masse. But lest I might seeme to doe them wronge in denying vntounto them that priesthoode, which is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. Let vsus here what the holy Ghost sayeth thereof Hebr. 7. And in as much as Christ was not made priest with out the othe (where as they meaning the sonnes of Aaron were made priest with out an othe, but he with the othe by him that sayed vntounto him, the Lord hath sworne & will not repēt thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech) by so much is Iesus made suertie of a better testament. And among them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death, but he because he abideth for euer, had such a priesthoode as passeth not by succession. VVherefore he is able perfectly to saue those that come vntounto God by him seeing he liueth for euer, to make intercession for them. For such an high priest it became vsus to hauehave, which is holy harmlesse, and vndefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher then the heauens which needed not daily as those high priest, to offer vp sacrifice, first for his owne sinnes, then for the peoples: for that did he once for all when he offered vp him selfe. For the lawe maketh men high priestes which hauehave infirmitie: but the worde of the othe that was since the law, maketh the sonne who is consecrated for euer more. Marke well the plaine wordes of this testimonie, and iudge indifferently, whether I charge them with greater blasphemy, then ensueth this there assertion, That there priesthoode is confirmed by othe Psal. 110.

4 And yet neuerthelesse, good Catholike Christian,The holy Masse taken avvaye for our sinnes. let vsus thus perswade our selues, that we hauehave so longe lost the vnestimable treasure of this holy sacrifice, for our greuous sinnes: it is p. 300our sinnes I say (woe is vsus therefore) which hauehave deserued this plage, which hauehave set vsus at variaunce with God and our mercyfull redemer, which hauehave taken from vsus, as vnworthy of so great a treasure, the daily sacrifice, the helpe of those which are a liue, the comforte of those which are departed, the onelyonly grounde of all religion and acceptable worship of God. And our misery is the greater because fewe feele the sore.

The lacke of this sacrifice for the departed onelyonly with the godly prayers therin,Men that vvere greuous offenders in olde time punished by lacke of the sacrifice. was counted when Gods trueth and Church flourished, the greatest and extremest punishment that coulde be deuised, and euer enioyned for some notable crime to the terrour of other, as for horrible desperation, for willfull heresie, for contempte of the decrees of Gods holy ministers, as by the late alleaged place out of S. Cyprian may be very profitably noted. Allasse we hauehave nowe in a manner lost that wholy, which then was denied onelyonly to such for their greuous punishments, as were heynous offenders. Otherwise in earnest consideration of our case can not I thinke, but that this blessed iuell is now denied vsus of almighty God generally for our greuous offensies, which then was denied by his ministers to some one offender, for the due punishment of sinne and wickednesse. O good reader what would that holy martyr hauehave saide if he had liued in our dayes, when to hauehave that oblation either for the quicke or deade, which once was esteemed so necessary that no Christian man neither coulde in his life nor after his death lacke it, is nowe if it selfe odious to most men, and (which abhorreth me to speake) punishable by the lawes of the spiritualty, and condemned well neere of all men? what weene you this blessed bishoppe woulde hauehave saide, if he had seene the holy hoste and offeringe to hauehave bene taken awaye,De Coena domini. which he once affirmed to be so necessary, that if it were taken awaye or wasted, there were no religion nor worship of God at all? woulde not he thinke you, with feruent zele of Gods house hauehave cried out vponupon the sinnes of the people, the blindnesse of the preachers and pastours, the vnworthinesse of these our dolefull dayes? and bewailed his owne misery as we shoulde doe ours, crying out with an olde blessed father?Ita Policarp. ex Iren. O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tempora, vt ista blasphemia sustineam, O Lorde that I should be reserued for these times, to abide such blaspemie. Victor reporteth p. 301in his history of the persecution of the Vandalles that were Arians,Victor de persecut. Vandal. that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruell heretikes, would not suffer the Christian men whome he had slaine, to be brought home with seruice, and sacrifice: but then the good people wounderfully bewailed their case, seeing them practise cruelty vponupon their soules also: in that they would not suffer them to enioyne at their departure and buriall, the rites of Gods Church. Thus saith that Author. Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrymis recordari, dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum, sine solemnitate hymnorum cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci? O Lord who coulde hauehave founde in his heart to beholde then, or coulde yet once thinke of it with out teares, how he gaue in charge, that the bodies of our brethern departed, should be brought to the graue and buried with out all solemnity of hymnes in silence and sorowe? It was euer giuen to wicked harde harted heretikes, to prohibere gratiam mortuis: to be vnmercyfull,Eccles. ca. 7. and to staie the fauour of good men from the departed. Nouatus as S. Cypriā chargeth him,Epist. 8. li. 2. noluit patrem fame defunctum sepelire: woulde not bury his owne father deade of honger bane.

4 This collorable and hypocriticall complaint containeth nothing for vsus needefull for to aunswere, for the place of Cyprian, is aunswered already. But this maye be demaunded of him, seeing he calleth the sacrifice of the Masse the onelyonly grounde of all religion and acceptable worshippe of God, what religion or worshippe God had before the Masse came into the worlde? But this is the howling of the merchantes for the decaye of Babylon, because no man byeth their ware any more: what so euer they pretend this is the cause of their mourning, and this lamentation shalbe continued euen vntounto hell fire, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer.

5 But to let such men passe with the present bewayling of our vnhappy dayes, let vsus with more comfort beholde the steppes of good men past: how kindely and brother like they hauehave principally procured the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes p. 302gone before. For seeing the onelyonly prayers of good men hauehave bene proued so profitable, and the representation of some holy workes of almes, hath often moued God to pity (as we hauehave proued) towardes the release of the departed his paine, what maye we not hope to obteine for our brethern deceased, when we shall ioyne in prayers with the holy Angells, with the blessed sainctes, with Gods holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father? when the whole Church of God in that honorable action prayeth, and Christ him selfe is both the sacrifice and the priest, both the asker and the geuer of pardon, when the maiesty of God the blessed trinitie, is passingly pleaced by the merites of Christes death so liuely set out in these honorable, but vnspeakable misteries, what maye we not here procure for the soule of the Churchies childe? what shall be denied to so humble askers in the presence of Gods owne sonne and begging mercy for his deathes sake? And so doth S. Chrysostome assure the faithfull,Homil. 3. in Epistolā ad Philipp. in these golden wordes: Non frustra ab apostolis sancitum est, vt in celebratione venerandorum mysteriorum, memoria fiat eorum, qui hinc discesserunt: nouerunt quippe illis multum hinc emolumēti fieri, multum vtilitatis. stante siquidem vniuerso populo, manus in coelos extendente coetu item sacerdotali, verendoque proposito sacrificio, quomodo deum non placaremus pro istis orantes? It was not for nought that the Apostles decreed and ordeined, that in the celebration of the honorable mysteries there shoulde be an especiall memoriall of the departed: for they right w…ll knewe greate commodity and benefite to arise there vponupon. For the whole multitude holding vp their handes towardes heauen, together with the company and quiere of priests, and the dreadfull sacrifice set forth before all men, how is it possible but we shoulde appeace Gods wrath praying for them? looke ye what this mans iudgement was, and see from whense he had it, euen of the holy Apostles▪ I warraunt you, and no worse nor later founders. But of that pointe, for the full deriuing of our Christian vsage from the first fathers of our faith, more conuenient place shall be geuen herafter, Nowe I will serue the cause and the readers desire, first with certaine peculiar examples of most learned and godly fathers worthy of all credit, in p. 303the godly prouision for certeine of their dearest friendes by sacrifice and prayer, both made by them selues & procured by others. That we may hauehave here not onelyonly whome to beleeue teaching the trueth, but whome to followe practising the same with deuotion, which they preached with constancie before.

5 Not altogether out of hope yet, to find some foolish merchantes that will paye dearly for vnprofitable wares, you comforte your selfe after your complainte, exhorting men to procure the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes. why M. Allen if there be either such necessity or such profit of that sacrifice, wherefore doe not your priests with out procurement offer it vp to the vttermost aduauntage that maye be had by it? But you must hauehave procurers, yea you must hauehave good paye maisters, or els the olde prouerbe must be true: No peny no pater noster. As touching the place of Chrysostome I hauehave shewed already by his owne interpretation, that although he allow prayers for the dead vsed in time of the celebration which he calleth sacrifice: yet he alloweth no sacrifice in deede, but onelyonly a thankes geuing in remembraunce of the sacrifice of Christ. But where he sayeth it was decreed by the Apostles that in the celebration of the holy misteries, a remembraunce should be made of them that are departed, he must pardon vsus of crediting, because he can not shewe it out of the actes and writinges of the Apostles. And we will be bolde to charge him with his owne saying Hom. De Adam & Heua. Satis sufficere credimus quicquid secundum predictas regulas Apostolica scripta nos docuerunt, vt prorsus non opinemur Catholicum quod apparuerit prefixis sententijs contrarium: we thinke it sufficeth enough, what so euer the writinges of the Apostles hauehave taught vsus, according to the fore sayed rules, in so much that we compt it not at all Catholike, what so euer shall appeare contrary to the rules appointed. And againe In Genes. Hom. 58. Vides in quantam absurditatem incidunt qui diuinae scripturae canonem sequi nolunt, sed suis cogitationibus permittunt omnia. Thou seest into how greate absurdity they fall, which will not follow the canon of holy Scripture, but p. 304permitt all thinges to their owne cogitations, but if we be further vrged we will alledge that which he sayth, In Euan. Ioan. Hom. 58. Qui sacra non vtitur Scriptura, sed ascendit aliunde: id est, non concessa via, fur est. He that vseth not the holy Scripture but clymeth an other way, that is by a way not allowed, is a theefe. We may be as bold with Chrysostome, as he sayd he would be with Paule him selfe, in 2. ad Tim. ho. 2. Plus aliquid dica, ne Paulo quidem obedire oportet, si quid dixerit proprium, si quid humanum, sed Apostolo, Christum in se loquentem circumferenti. I will say somewhat more, we must not be ruled by Paule him selfe, if he speake any thing that is his owne, and any thing that is humane, but we must obey the Apostle whē he carieth Christ speaking in him. Wherfore seeing it is certayne by testimony of Iustinus Martyr, that there was no mention of the deade in the celebration of the Lords supper, for more then an hundreth yeares after Christ, we must not beleue Chrysostome without Scripture, affirming that it was ordeyned so by the Apostles.