The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 2 · Preface · Chapter 3
The .iii. Chapter. That the name and Ceremonies of the Masse are fished out of the holie Scripture.
The name of the Masse is out of holie Scripture.NOwe, as touching the name of the Masse, that hath likewise her beginning, vndoubtedly out of the holy scripture: notwithstanding, that there are manie and diuerse opinions of the same. For it is not verie long ago, that certeine great doctours of the Sor…onish schole at Paris, did (out of that, that is alway written at the end of all the Epistles which Saint Paule hath written, from whence they were sent, sounding in the Latine tongue, Missa est, Missa est.&c.) conclude, saying, That Paule did thereby giuegive to vnderstande, whither men should goe to heare high Masse on the Sunday.
And nowe besides this, there was a Magister noster, which said, that the Apostle Andrew had a Masse booke, and had spoken of the Masse: for Iohn reherseth that Andrew said to Peter his brother,Iohn. 1.42. That he had found the Messias, or the annointed Christ, of whom Moses doth beare witnesse. And this soundes in the cōmon translation in Latin thus, Inuenimus Messiam quod dicitur Christus: which wordes this wise doctour did expounde thus,Mossias is Missa. We hauehave founde out the Masse which Christ hath done. Is not that well hit? God helpe vsus. Who dare now from henceforth be so stout, as to say, That the Masse standeth not in the scripture? But now, bycause that these Heretikes will needes be so nosewise, & wil vnderstand all languages: insomuch that they do mocke hereat, saying,Petrus Lombard. in the 4. booke of Sentences, dist. 13. chap. 1 & dist. 24. cap. 3 that Messias doth not signifie a Masse▪ but The Messias, that is to say, The annointed: Now Peter Lombard, the writer of the sentences doth set downe another opinion and iudgement, saying: That this name Missa, is as much to say, as Sending: & is so named, for that at all times there is an Angel sent out of heauen, to consecrate the Corpus domini, that is, The Lordes bodie, by whom the Priest doth send his consecrated God forwardes towardes heauen, at such time as he hath vsed these wordes following in the Masse: Omnipotens Deus, iube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui, in sublime altare tuum, &c. that is to say: O almightie God commande that this may by the handes of thy holie Angel, be caried vp to thy high holy altar, &c.
And out of this he doth further conclude, that whersoeuer that Angel doth not come, it cannot be said that there is a Masse. But truely this must be but meere dalliance, for if that were true, that they must tarie for the Angel, there woulde not be one Masse to be founde in the whole world: where notwithstanding there are Masses soung daily by heapes. And therfore hath our deare mother the holy church driuen in another naile here, and concluded in the Councell of Senona, Missa is an Hebrew worde, and vncerteine what.that Missa is an Hebrewe worde: now, what it doth signifie is vncertein. For, notwithstanding that the same Councell saith, that it betokeneth a cleane offering: yet doth not that well agree with the Hebrewe tongue, vnlesse it were so that it were named Nisset.Missa after the Hebrew is Nisset. But it appeares much rather, to hauehave come of Massah, which in the Hebrewe doeth signifie Heauinesse, or Curssing: or else of an other Massah, Missa of Massah ▪ a curssing.which is interpreted, Seeking: bycause the Priestes doe with fiue wordes seeke God, to see if hee will come into the bread. Euen as the children of Israel did seeke God in the wildernesse Raphidim, Exod. 17.7.to know also whether he were with them, or no: by reason whereof the place was called Massah, that is say, Seeking: notwithstanding, that it may be much more strongly founded out of Daniel, Dan. 11.38.who speaking of the Romish Empire, saith, That they shall hauehave a newe God Maosim, to whom they shall pray, and do worship, with golde, siluer, and precious stones, that is to say, A God of strength, and of force. Missa, is Maos….Wherein without doubt, he doth speake of the Masse-God, which is a God of such power, that he causeth all them that will not honour him, to be burnt. In summe, it is apparant, that the name of the Masse is fetched out of the Scripture.
Ca. altaria si non fue…in…. de conse. dist. 1. Masse to bee done vponupon a fo…re cornered stone.Nowe further, whereas the Masse may not be long, but vponupon a foure cornered stone well foreseene with crosses, and coniured with holie wordes: all that is likewise fetched out of the scripture. For Paule speaking to the Corinthians, saieth, That they ought not so to glorie in themselues for the sacrament: cōsidering that the people of Israel, (who notwithstanding were pitifully destroied by the hand of God) had also euen the like sacrament in the beginning,1. Cor. 10.4. Psal. 114.22. Es…e. 28.19. Mat. 21.42. Mark. 12.10. Luke. 20.17. Act. 4.11. Rom. 9.33. 1. Pet. 2.6.8. Mat. 15 4▪6. This is euen so conc…ded and est…lished vpō the glosse in the …ecree, in the chap. altaria si non de consecrat. dist 1. and in the booke called En…hei…idion sacer…otum of Guido de monte Rocher…i. & were also baptised, and had likewise receiued the spirituall meat, to wit, Manna, and dranke the spiritual drinke, which did flow out of the Rocke: and saith further there, in most plaine wordes: And the stone was Christ, that is to say (after the spirituall interpretation of the holie Church) That the Masse must be soung vponupon a stone. Item Christ is also called A corner stone: and (which is more) his graue was hewen out of a stone, as Marke doeth wi…nesse: Ergo, it must needes follow, that no Mas…e may be soung without a stone. And because he was wound in white linnen clothes, therefore must white linnen be vsed in the Masse.
And so forth, concerning all such Ceremonies as are vsed in the Masse: you may (touching these) read the booke of Durandus, or of Innocentius, de officio Missae, or the booke of Guido de monte Rocherii, called Encheiridion Sacerdotum, that is to say▪ the manuel of Priests. For there you you shall finde plainly set forth, that all the partes of the Masse are finely founded and established vponupon the scripture. And to begin withall,At what houre Masse must be saide. you shall find the times appointed for the Masse, that it must be done at three of the clocke: because it is written, that the Iewes did at three of the clock crie, Crucifie him, crucifie him: or at sixe of the clock: for that at sixe of the clocke they did crucifie him: or at nine, because that then he gaue vp the ghost. For although it be so, that the Iewes at that time did reckon their houres otherwise than we do now: so that three of the clocke was with them, as viii. or ix. of the clock before noone, is with vsus: and their sixe, as our xii. at noone: and their ix, as our three, at after noone: yet notwithstanding, our deare mother the holie Church doth not g…e so narrowly to worke with her reckonings. It is sufficient that simplie the names do agree, and then she lettes the rest go where it will.
After this now as touching the apparel, and other consecrated or hallowed stuffe,Albe▪ you shall finde her Albe, or long white garment in the Scripture, specially where it is written: But he that continueth to the end shall bee saued. Mat. 10.12.24.13.For that long garment doth signifie long lasting, or long continuance. Concerning the girdle, where it is written: He that feareth God, shall prepare his heart, Eccle. 2.20.&c. By the girdle which doth tucke vp the clothes, is ment the feare of God. Item, the Maniples are fetched out of that saying, in the Psalme: Those that sowe with tears, Psal. 126.5.6.shall reape with ioy, and bring home their sheaues with gladnesse, &c. For the sheaues are called in the Latine tongue Manipuli, so that Dauid did there speake of the Priests maniples. And the stole which they hauehave about their neckes, commes out of the saying of Paule: Beare in your bodies the dying of our Lord Iesus Christ,2. Cor. 4.10.
And last of all the head is founded out of the saying of Peter:1. Pet. 4. But aboue all things hauehave perfite louelove among you. Let vsus liue a perfite life. Which is as much to say, according to the exposition of the holy church: Let vsus put on a Cassuffle, Cassuffle▪when wee sing Masse.
And yet, besides all this, you shall perceiue, that the most part of all that which is read in the Masse, is fetched out of the Psalmes, and other places of holie Scripture, here and there, by patches and peeces swept together, and trimly tied on a heape, as if a man of a great manie peeces of golde, as of Ducates, Crownes, Rosenobles, and Portagues, glued together with dirt, woulde make a goodly doore for a Swinestie: yet it is most true, that euerie particular peece, hath a particular Pope, whiche did ioyne it to the rest, and so were sewed together, insomuche, that it is a right beggers cloake: as is well knowne to all men, and as may easily be proued by the Decrees and Catholike Histories. And to be plaine, there is not anie thing, great or small, but they are able to bring in Scripture for it: as wee can lightly proue by the foresaid Authours, if neede were. But wee had rather, that those that long for such meate, shoulde goe to the Market themselues, and buy that they like best, and let it bee dressed at the Tauerne, or Tippling house, according to their owne di…t. It is ynough for vsus, that wee hauehave giuen them to vnderstand, who can serue them of such vitaile, and then further as the case shall require, to proue plainely, that the Masse is founded wholie on high, euen vponupon the flat Scripture.