Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 11 · Part 61
The ninth examination.
Harps.
MY Lord hath sent you S. Augustine to looke vponupon, I will read you an Epistle where you may heare the celebration of the Masse.
Phil.
Héere is nothing that maketh for the proofe of the Masse: Saint Augustine meaneth of the celebration of the Communion, and the true vse of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and not of your priuate Masse, which you lately hauehave erected in the stead thereof, for this word (Masse) hath bin an old terme attributed to the Communion, euen from the Primitiue Church. I pray you tell me what Missa doth signifie, I thinke many that say Masse cannot tell, but then Cousins and the Masse-Priests were dumbe.
Harps.
You think it commeth of the Hebrew word Massah, as though none were séene in the Hebrew but you.
Phil.
I take the communion to be called Missa, a mittendo, of such things as were sent by the rich to the reléefe of the poore, alwaies when the communion was celebrated: for this cause was it called Missa, as learned men do witnes, at the which celebration of the Masse, all that were present did communicate vnderunder both kinds, according to Christs institution, as they did in S. Augustines time: so being you cannot proue the Masse vsed at that time as you now vse it, you can neuer proue it a Sacrament by the name of the Masse, which name was giuen to the communion.
Harps.
What do you deny the Masse to be a Sacrament, it is a sacrifice which is more then a Sacrament.
Phil.
You can neuer make it a sacrifice, but first you must make it a Sacrament, for of the Sacrament you deduce your Sacrifice.
Harps.
Doth not Christ say, This is my body, and doth not the Priest pronounce the same.
Phil.
The pronuntiation of the words is not enough, except they be applied vntounto the vse that Christ appointed them: for though you speake the words of Baptisme ouer the water, yet if there be none baptized, it is no Baptisme.
Harps.
That this is not like, for this is my body is an Indicatiue proposition, shewing the worke of God in the substance of bread and wine.
Phil.
It is not only an Indicatiue proposition, but an Imparatiue, or commaunding; for he that said, This is my body, said also, take ye, eate ye; and except it bée taken and eaten, the words (This is my body) can hauehave no verification.
Masse Chapl.
Will you make the Sacrament to stand in the receiuing, and that the receiuing maketh it a Sacrament.
Phil.
I say the common receiuing must néeds be concurrant with the true Sacrament, without which it cannot be a Sacrament, because Christ hath made this a principle part of the Sacrament, Take ye, eat ye; which you do not in your Masse, wherefore it can be no Sacrament, because it wanteth Christs institution.
Cosins.
Wee forbid none to come to it, but as many as list may be partakers thereof with vsus at Masse, if they require it.
Phil.
Nay, you will minister but one kind vntounto them, which is not after Christs institution, & ye ought to exhort them that be present, to make a sacrifice of thanksgiuing for Christs Passion, and to bee partakers with you, and by preaching shew the Lords death, which you do not.
Masse-priest.
If the Sacrament of the Masse be no Sacrament, vnlesse all doe receiue it, because Christ saith, Take ye, eate ye, then the Sacrament of Baptisme is no sacrament, where there is but one baptized, because Christ said to his Apostles, Go preach the Gospell to all creatures, baptizing all Nations.
Phil.
Baptizing all Nations, is meant of all sorts of Nations, and to exclude none that beléeue, whether Iew or Gentile, not meaning all at once, for that were impossible▪ and Christ alone was baptized of Iohn, and the Eunuch baptized Phillip, with many moe such like, but you hauehave no such example of the body and blood of Christ: but S. Paul commendeth to vsus, to vse it in a Communion and participation of many together, in the sixt to the Corinthians, As oft as you come together to eate the Lords supper, tarry one for another. And the Minister speaketh to all in Christs behalfe, to communicate with him, saying: Take ye, eat ye, therfore all that be present & do not communicate, break Gods commandements, & he is no iust minister that doth not distibute the Sacrament as Christ did, to al that are present, where Gods word is transgressed, Christ is not present, and therefore no Sacrament.
Harps.
Will you hauehave it no Sacrament except it be a Communion.
Phil.
Gods words teacheth so: Chrysostome vponupon the Epistle to the Ephesians, saith, The oblation is in vaine where none doth communicate with the Priest, therefore your Masse, where none eateth thereof but the Priest alone, is a vaine Oblation, and a vaine standing at the Altar. I pray tell me what the Pronoune This, in the words, This is my body, doth demonstrate.
Harps.
It doth demonstrate the substance of bread, which by the omnipotency of God, and the words of the Priest, is turned into the substance of Christs body.
Phil.
Why, then Christs body receiueth daily a great increase of many 1000. pieces of bread into his body, & his body is become that which it was not before: so you would make an alteration in Christs glorified body, which is a wicked thing to do.
Harps.
The substance of bread after the words spoken by the Priest, is vanished away by the omnipotency of God.
Phil.
This is another song, heere you may sée how contrary you are vntounto your selues: your schoolemen hold, that the very substance of bread is really turned into the substance of Christs body, and now of late you perceiue the inconuenience of that opinion: you imagine a new shift, and say the substance of bread is euacuated, contrary to that your Church hath beléeued and taught, and all is to deface the sincere truth.
Harps.
Is not God omnipotent, and can he not doe as he hath said?
Phil.
But his omnipotency will not do contrary to his word and honour, it is not Gods honour to include him bodily in a péece of bread, and of necessity tye him therto: and for to make a péece of bread God and man, which you sée before your face, doth putrifie after a time, God is as able to giuegive his body with the Sacramentall bread, and it is contrary to the Scripture, which calleth it bread many times after consecration, you take away the substantiall parts of the Sacrament; as Take ye, eat ye, drinke ye all of this, doe this in remembrance of me: and place in their stéeds, heare ye, gase ye, knock ye, worship yee, offer ye, sacrifice ye, for the quick and the dead: Is not this blasphemy to God and his Sacraments, and contrary to the mind of all ancient Writers, and contrary to the example of Christ and his Apostles; and this is the substance of all his examinations and Arguments. Hee did often tell them they were blind guides of the blind, and as I am bound to tell you, you are very Hypocrites, tyrannous…y persecuting the truth: your owne Doctors and euidences you bring, be directly against you; you must beare with me s… ing I speake in Christs cause, and because his glory is defaced, and his people cruelly and wrongfully slaine by you, because they will not consent to the dishonour of God, and to hypocrisie with you, if I told you not your fault, it should be required at my hands in the day of iudgement; therefore know you (ye Hypocrites) that it is the Spirit of God that telleth you your sin: I passe not I thanke God of all your crueltie, God giuegive you grace to repent.
Being brought to New-gate after he was condemned, when Alexander the kéeper came in; Ah said Alexander, Hast thou not done well to bring thy selfe hither: Maister Philpot said, I must be content, it is Gods appointment, and I shall desire you to hauehave your gentle fauour, for you and I hauehave béene of old acquaintance: Well said Alexander, if you will recant I will shew you any pleasure that I can… Nay said Maister Philpot, I will neuer recant that which I hauehave spoken, for it is most certaine truth, in witnesse whereof I will seale it with my blood: Then h…s commaunded him to be set vponupon the blocke, and as many Irons put vponupon his Legs as he might beare. Then the Clarke told Alexander, that Maister Philpot had giuen his Man Money; Alexander said to his man, what mony hath he giuen you… And he searched him, and tooke money from him: Then said Maister Philpot, Good M. Alexander be so much my friend, that these Irons may be taken off, He said, GiueGive me my fées and I will take them off, if not thou shalt weare them still; Then said he, what is your fées? He said foure pounds, Ah said Maister Philpot, I hauehave not so much, if you will take twenty shillings I will send my man for it, or I will lay my Gowne to gage, for the time is not long I am sure that I shall be with you: then Alexander commaunded him to be had into Limbo, and so he was; Then his man tooke an honest man with him, and went and shewed the Sheriffe, one Maister Michaell, how maister Philpot was handled in Newgate, then the Sheriffe tooke his Ring from his finger, and deliuered it vntounto the honest man which came with Maister Philpots man, and bad him commaund the Kéeper, by that token, to take off his Irons, and handle him more gently, and to giuegive his man againe that which he tooke from him: when they told their message to Alexander, he saide, I perceiue Maister Sheriffe is a bearer with Hereticks, to morrow I will shew it to his betters, yet he went to Maister Philpot at ten of the clocke and tooke off his Irons, and gaue his man that which he tooke from him. He gaue God thanks when newes came he should be burned the next day: when the Sheriffe called him to go… to execution, he came downe most ioyfullie; when he came to Smithfield the way was soule, so two of the Officers tooke him vp and carried him vntounto the stake: Then he said merrily, what will you make me a Pope, then he kissed the stake and said, Shall I disdain to suffer at this stake, séeing my Redéemer suffered vile death vponupon the Crosse for me, in the midst of the flames hee yéelded vp his soule vntounto Almighty God, and like a Lamb gaue vp his breath.