A Compend of the Controversies of Religion, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. OF THE MASSE.
§. I. That the Popiſh Prieſts hauehave no calling, to ſacrifice Chriſt's Bodie in the Maſſe.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
HEb. 5.4. No man taketh this honour to himſelfe, but he that is called of God, as vvas Aaron.
Now let vsus ſee then, where Chriſt anie-where called, or ordained anie to ſacrifice his bodie againe, which himſelfe did once for ever vp-on the Croſſe.
Luke, 22.19. Doe this in remembrance of mee.
1. Cor. 11.26. Yee ſhall declare the Lord's death, till hee come.
Note then, That the Lord's Supper was ordained, that all Chriſtians ſhould remember his ſuffering, and ſacrifice on the croſſe, and ſhould declare his death, till him-ſelfe come to judgement againe: but not, that anie ſhould ſacrifice Him vp againe daylie, as tho hee were alreadie come, and were bodilie preſent amongſt the Prieſts fingers, daylie to offer vp.
Heb. 7.23. And they truelie vvere manie Priests, becauſe they vvere not ſuffered to continue, by reaſon of death but this man becauſe hee continueth for ever, hath an vnchangeable Priesthood.
Note then, It being vnchangeable, or perpetuall, that it admitteth no ſucceſſion of a ſubordinate Prieſt-hood.
Verſe, 25. Wherefore hee is able alſo, to ſaue them to the vttermost, that come to GOD by him, ſeeing hee ever liveth, to make interceſſion for them.
Note then, That the Prieſthood of Chriſt, conſiſteth not onlie in that oblation of him-ſelfe, once vp-on Earth, but in his continuall interceſſion for vsus, ever in Heaven: which ſeeing hee performeth that by him-ſelfe, and therefore admitteth no ſort of ſucceſſour there-in; ſo lyke-wyſe by that once oblation of himſelfe, and the perpetuall recent vertue there-of, hee ſaveth all them to the vtter-moſt, that come to God by him: and therefore neither in that part of his Prieſthood, (which hee will hauehave intire) admitteth hee anie ſuffragan, or ſucceſſour what-ſo-ever.
Verſe, 17. For hee testifieth, Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchiſedek.
Note then, That as there was no Prieſthood ſecundarie, or ſucceſſiue vntounto Melchiſedek's, which was typicall; ſo there is none ſecundarie, or ſucceſſiue vntounto Chriſt's, which is true and eternall: elſe they could not bee ſaide, through their difference, to bee of one order.
Verſe, 26. For ſuch an High-Priest became vsus, vvho is holie, harmleſſe, vndefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher than the Heavens, who needed not daylie, as thoſe High-priests, to offer vp ſacrifice, first for his owne ſinnes, and then for the peoples.
Note then, That if the popiſh ſacrificers ſucceede to Chriſt, it muſt bee in his high-prieſthood, (for ſuch a one onlie the Goſpell acknowledgeth: and to doe that which hee did, is an act of the high-prieſt of the Goſpell onelie.) Now the Goſpell requireth the high-prieſt there-of, to hauehave ſuch qualities as are heere ſet downe: which if the Popiſh ſacrificers dare not claime to, then let them not claime ſucceſſion to that office, which requireth thoſe qualities; nor to the proper act there-of, which is, the ſacrificing to God his owne onelie Sonne.
Heb. 9.14. Who through the eternall Spirit, offered him-ſelfe vvithout ſpot to God.
Note then, That our high-prieſt, i… both the Sacrificer, the Altar, and th… vnſpotted ſacrifice it ſelfe: Theſe the… who claime, that they ſucceede him in his prieſthood, muſt bee theſe thre… lyke-wyſe; els his prieſthood and their are no-wayes one: and ſo their prieſthood muſt bee a new one of their owne, but not a ſucceeding to his.
Epheſ. 4.11. Hee gaue ſome to bee Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtors, and Teachers.
Note then, That the Apoſtle, in nominating all theſe offices, which Ieſus Chriſt had ordained in his Church, maketh no mention at all of anie ſacrificers of his bodie.
Againe, at large in the Epiſtles to Timothie and Titus, hee ſhoweth all the dueties of a Biſhop, or Paſtor in Chriſt's Church, but hee maketh no part of his charge, the ſacrificing of Chriſt.
Revel. 1.6. Who hath made vsus Kinges, and Prieſts, vntounto God his Father.
Note heere, That all Chriſtians are called Prieſts, in reſpect of their ſpirituall ſacrifices of prayer and praiſe, &c. that they offer vp vntounto God; but no-where are paſtors of the Church particularlie ſo called: the holie Ghoſt fore-ſeeing, that ſome would aryſe, that would vſurp that ſtile onlie to them-ſelues, in an injurious ſence, vntounto the Sonne of God.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
TO this our doctrine, that the popiſh Prieſts hauehave no calling, to ſacrifice Chriſt's bodie, which they claime vntounto from Chriſt's fact, and inſtitution of them, to ſucceede there-in to him in the laſt Supper, the cleare confeſſion of our Adverſaries jumping there-with, ſhall ſerue to convince them: for there is no expreſſe mention in the Hiſtorie of the Goſpell, (ſayeth Suarez) of a ſacrifice or oblation; as alſo the fact of Chriſt which is declared, might hauehave beene done by him without anie ſacrifice, to wit, by conſecrating the Bread and Wine, and giving the ſame to his Diſciples, without anie intention of ſacrificing: and therefore hee concludeth, that it is conjecturall onlie, to thinke, that anie ſuch thing is agreeable, either to the words or deeds of Chriſt. Suarez, in 3. part. D. Thomae, tom. 3. disput. 74. ſect. 1. §. ſecundo potest.
In lyke manner, the ſame Suarez reporteth, that the Biſhop of Bitonto, and others, did defende, that Chriſt, in that night of the celebrating his laſt Supper, offered vp no ſacrifice. Suarez, ibid. §. 2. Pag. 949. For if hee had offered vp an expiatorie ſacrifice then, where-by the ſinnes of the World had bene done away, then in his laſt Supper hee behoved to hauehave died, and ſo needed not to hauehave died the day after, according to Hebr. 10.10.
§. 2. That the Maſſe is no propitiatorie ſacrifice, but al-together derogatorie to Christ's propitiatorie ſacrifice, offered on the Croſſe.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
HEb. 9.22. Without ſhedding of blood, there is no remiſſion.
Note then: Seeing they call the Maſſe an vnbloodie ſacrifice, that therefore the ſame is no-wiſe propitiatorie for the remiſſion of ſinne.
Verſe. 25.26. Not that hee ſhould offer him-ſelfe often, &c. for then must he often hauehave ſuffered.
Remarke then, That it is all one thing, in Scripture, Chriſt to bee offered, and Chriſt to ſuffer: and therefore to offer Chriſt daylie, is all one, as Chriſt to ſuffer daylie, which is both abſurd and blaſphemous.
Verſe, 26. But now in the …nde of the Worlde, once hath hee appeared, to put away ſinne, by the ſacrifice of him-ſelfe.
Note then, That once onelie hath hee ſuffered, and therefore once onlie was hee ſacrificed; and that by that ſacrifice once made, by him-ſelfe alone, our ſinnes are put away: and therefore no other ſacrifice, but that onlie, is alone propitiatorie.
Againe, verſe 26. Where hee ſayth, That once hee hath appeared, to put away ſinne, by the ſacrifice of him-ſelfe.
We remarke, that a propiatorie ſacrifice, ſhould bee ever apparent and viſible: and therefore ſeeing Chriſt, nor his ſacrificing, is not apparent, nor viſible in the Maſſe, therefore it followeth, that in the Maſſe there is no ſacrifice at all, let bee, propitiatorie.
Verſe, 27.28. And as it is appointed to men, once to die, but after that, the judgement; So Christ vvas once offered, to beare the ſinnes of manie.
Note then, That to ſay, that Chriſt is offered daylie, is as abſurd, as to ſay, that a dead man dieth daylie.
Heb. 7.27. Who needeth not daylie, as thoſe High-priests, to offer vp ſacrifice, &c.
Heb. 9.12. But by his owne blood, hee entered once in-to the holie place, having obtained eternall redemption for vsus.
Note then, That the repetition of Chriſt's ſacrifice daylie, importeth a-like imperfection there-of; as the daylie offering vp of ſacrifices vnderunder the Law, imported the imperfection of that legall prieſthood: which is both abſurd and blaſphemous, to affirme of Chriſt's.
Againe, Remarke, that the Apoſtle ſhoweth, that Chriſt's bloodie ſacrifice, where-by hee entered in-to the holie place, is of an infinite worth, having obtained eternall redemption for vsus: where-as all Papiſts grant, their ſacrifice of the Maſſe to bee but of a finite worth, and therefore is not one, but farre inferiour to the ſacrifice of Chriſt, and conſequentlie alſo then prieſthood to his. From whence alſo it followeth, that they ſucceede not to Chriſt in his prieſthood, after the order of Melchiſedek: but hauehave a new one of their owne coyning, farre differing from Chriſt's, and millions of degrees inferiour there-to.
Heb. 10.18. Now, vvhere remiſſion of ſinne is, there is no more offering for ſinne.
Verſe, 14. For by one offering, hee hath perfected for ever, them that are ſanctified.
Note then, If that one, and once offering of Chriſt, availeth for ever, to the remiſſion of ſinne, and perfecting for ever of them that are ſanctified; it followeth neceſſarilie, (as the Apoſtle ſayeth) that there is no more offering for ſinne: and conſequentlie, no more needc of ſacrifices propitiatorie, nor anie furder immolation of Chriſt, for the remiſſion of ſinne.
And therefore wee conclude, That ſeeing the ſacrifice of the Maſſe is neither the reiteration of Chriſt's ſacrifice, (for that were to accuſe it of imperfection, as Heb. 7.27.) nor yet the continuation of it, (for ſo hee ſhould daylie die, as Heb. 9.25.26.) nor that it is viſible, bloodie, nor of an infinite worth, as His was: Therefore it is no-wyſe Chriſt's ſacrifice propitiatorie, but a blaſphemous, idolatrous abhomination, flat derogatorie there-to.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
TO this our doctrine, That the Maſſe is no reall, and properlie a propitiatorie Sacrifice, witneſſeth thus-Antiquitie: Becauſe wee are delivered (ſayth Ambroſe) by Chriſt's death, as myndfull there-of, in eating and drinking, wee repreſent that Bodie and Blood which was ſacrificed for vsus. Amb. in 1. Epist. ad Cor. cap. 11. So lyke-wiſe teſtifyeth Euſebius▪ After that Chriſt offered vp that admirable and excellent ſacrifice to his Father, for the ſalvation of all, hee inſtituted, that wee ſhould offer vp the remembrance of that benefite, in place of a ſacrifice to God. Euſeb. de demonſtr. Evang. lib. 1. cap. 10. With whom atlaſt accordeth thus Sainct Bernard: As after a manner (ſayth hee) Chriſt is daylie yet ſacrificed, while as wee declare his death: ſo hee ſeemeth alſo to bee borne, while as wee likewiſe repreſent his Nativitie. Bern. Serm. 6. in Vigilia Nativitatis Domini.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
THat which is offered and conſecrated, is called a Sacrifice and Oblation, (ſayeth Lombard) becauſe it is a remembrance of that true Sacrifice and holie Oblation. Lomb. lib. 4 ſent. dist. 12. So lyke-wyſe ſayth the Gloſſe vponupon Gratian: where it is ſaide, that in this myſterie, Chriſt dieth, and his fleſh ſuffereth: that is, his death and ſuffering is there repreſented. Gloſſ. de conſecr. dist. 2. cap. quid ſit. And laſt of all, (ſayeth Vaſquez) the whole forme of the ſacrifice of the Maſſe, where-by Chriſt is ſaide to bee there-inſacrificed, is the verie repreſentation of the death of Chriſt. Vaſquez, Diſput. 222. cap. 8. As alſo Aquinas propounding that queſtion directlie as well as Lombard, whether or no Chriſt bee ſacrificed in the Euchariſt, giveth ſuch an anſwere, as wee will all gladlie ſubſcrybe: for hee giveth two reaſons, wherefore the Euchariſt is called a Sacrifice: firſt, (ſayth hee) becauſe it is a repreſentatiue image of the Paſſion of Chriſt: and ſecondlie, becauſe by this Sacrament, wee are made pertakers of the fruit of Chriſt's Paſſion. And in that ſame place hee ſayth, That it is the fore-ſayde paſſion; that was the onlie true ſacrificing of Him. Aquin. 3. Part. Quaest. 83. Art. 1.
FINIS.