Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 61
PRINCIPLES TOVCHING THE POPISH MASSE. LXI.
WEE HAVE SPOKEN IN THE FORMER Principles concerning the true vſe of the Supper of the Lorde: now wee are to ſhew in few wordes, how the ſaid vſe hath bene diuerſlie depraued by Sathan.
1 OF all the errors that hauehave riſen about the holie Supper of the Lord, that inuention of Tranſubſtantiation, is the moſt ouglie, which was brought in and confirmed, eſpecially by LANFRANKE, about the yeare 1050.
2 For when as the words of Chriſt, inſtituting this Supper, ar to be vnderſtood acording vntounto his mind who ſpeaketh them (which alwaies ought to be regarded in all acts, and eſpeciallie in Teſtaments) ſo, that in this Sacrament, the bodie and bloode of Chriſt, are truelie, but ſacramentallie, and by faith, giuing credite without queſtion vntounto his woordes receaued. The Tranſubſtantiators, contrary to all reaſon, and vſe of Sacraments, hauehave ſo obſtinatelie ſtooke to the woordes, that manie abſurdities hauehave riſen thereof.
3 Firſt of all, ſeeing all Sacraments do conſiſt of ſignes and things ſignified, they doe take away the nature of the ſignes. For they teach that after the Conſecration (as they call it) the ſignes do not remaine, but that the thing it ſelf onelie is preſented vntounto vsus.
4 Secondlie, the Sacramentall participation beeing thus aboliſhed, they make a kinde of imaginary receauing of the Lords bodie and blood: whereby (as they hold) the bodie which is nowe in heauen, is reallie and corporallie preſent in infinite places, at the ſame time, and is receaued at once in whole and in part, by manie and by one: which thing, as it is moſt abſurde: ſo doth it ouerthrow the articles of the Aſcenſion, and ſitting at the right hand of the Father.
5 Thridlie, they hauehave fained ſuch a change, as maketh that which is, not to be; and that which is not, to be. For they doe ſo ſpoile the bread and the wine of their eſſence, as they deſiſt to be bread and wine, and begin to be ſome other thing: and they dreame of accidences that are inhaerent in no ſubjectes, againſt the firſt article of the beleife, which teacheth, that the Lord is the Creator and preſeruer of the things which he made.
6 And heere they doe verie fooliſhlie bring in the omnipotencie of God: for wee are now to enquire, not what God can, but what hee will doe according to his written worde. Moreouer it cannot be either that God can lie, or that Chriſt can be contrarie to himſelf: both which wil neceſſarilie come to paſſe, if anie thing be ſaid to hauehave beene ordained by Chriſt, contrary to the articles of our faith.
7 Hence hauehave riſen two moſt greeuous errours: the former touching the worſhipping of the bread and the wine, the which in a verie fearfull blaſphemous ſorte, are thus commonlie ſaluted by the Papiſts: ALL HAILE, SAVIOVR OF THE VVORLD, THE VVORD OF THE FATHER, THE TRVE SACRIFICE, LIVELIE FLESH, THE VVHOLE DEITIE, TRVE MAN, &c. The other touching the expiatorie and propitiatorie oblation for the ſinnes of the quick and the dead, which the Church of Rome doth properly call the Maſſe, and wherein they place the ſomme of all Chriſtianitie.
8 For the Maſſe is not that mingle mangle patched vp as it were of the ſhreds of diuerſe places gathered heere & there out of the Scripture, and other authours, which are the reliques of the auncient Liturgie or common ſeruice booke of the Chriſtians: but it is that ordinarie propitiation and oblation (called by them their vnbloodie Sacrifice) which is offered vntounto God the Father, for the ſinnes of the quick and the dead.
9 Nowe, they offend in this point, firſt, becauſe they change the Sacrament into a ſacrifice: wheras Chriſt commaunding vsus to receaue, and not to offer, ordained a Sacrament, and not a Sacrifice.
10 Next, in that they falſlie teach; that in the Chriſtian Church there remaineth after the death of Chriſt, anie expiatorie Sacrifice, beſides the verie bodie of Chriſt, which is endued with a true humaine nature and ſoule.
11 Thridlie, in that they cloſelie accuſe that one and moſt perfect ſacrifice of Chriſt, of imperfection, by iterating the ſame euerie hand while. For iteration is a note of imperfection, as the Apoſtle ſaith Heb. 7.
12 Chriſt indeed commanded all the faithfull to celebrate the memorie of his paſsion: but hee gaue no commandement vntounto anie, that he ſhould bee ſacrificed. For there ought to be no mention of the NAME and office of a PRIEST or of an ALTER at this day in the Church of Chriſt. For Chriſt is now the onelie, and the chief Prieſt, who offered himſelf once, an onelie, and a moſt perfect Sacrifice vntounto God, neither was there anie other that could, can, or ſhalbe able to performe that work.
13 For the Sacrifices that ought nowe to hauehave place among Chriſtians, are onelie of thankeſgiuing: that the faithfull may giuegive thankes vntounto God for all his benefites, and offering their prayers vntounto him, may perpetually conſecrate themſelues, whollie, a liuing and an acceptable ſacrifice vntounto his majeſtie. An expiatorie or propitiatory ſacrifice there is or can bee no other, but that which Chriſt once made moſt perfectlie, vppon the Alter of the croſſe.
14 Yet we do not denie, but that the auncient writers did giuegive the name of Sacrifice vntounto the Lords Supper: but, as in this point, ſo in manie other thinges, in a verie farre ſtreatched ſignification: and that partlie to the end, that (as they thought) they might ſet foorth the dignitie of this high myſterie, whereat the Angels doe admire: and partlie, that they might note out, and retaine the cuſtome vſed amongſt the auncient Chriſtians. Who were wont in their holie feaſtes of louelove, to beſtowe and offer guiftes and offerings of diuers thinges, and euen of meat and drinke: which beeing collected togeather into one, were ſo diſpoſed of by the Paſtors of the Churches, as firſt of all, they were by praiers offered vntounto God: next, ſome portion of them was taken, wherby the holy Supper was adminiſtred: laſtlie, that which was left, was beſtowed for the maintenance of the poore. Out of which rites, the Maſſe-mongers doe as yet retaine the names of OFFERTORI, COLLECT, and COMMVNION. And hence it is thought, that the name of the MASSE was deriued, euen from the cuſtome that the faithfull had to ſend thoſe things vntounto the publick aſſemblies of the Church, which they would hauehave beſtowed vponupon holie vſes.
15 Now, it is no leſſe fabulous, that the Popiſh Maſſe was celebrated by IAMES, or anie other of the Apoſtles; then it is moſt true, that the ſame was coyned, neither all at once, nor yet by one and the ſelfe ſame man, but was ſoldered together, as now it is, by manie Popes, after manie yeares: and after that it had bene eiked out, with many patches which were added thereunto.
16 VntoUnto the former errors, there are adjoyned not a few others: as that it is celebrated, not by the congregation of the faithfull, but by one Maſſe-monger alone: that the Sacrament is after the holie action RESERVED, as it were a preſeruatiue againſt whatſoeuer inconuenience: that the names of dead Saints are called vponupon, and their imaginary merits, intermingled in the Maſſe: that the one of the ſigns is in a kind of impudent and altogeather helliſh boldneſſe, taken away from the lay people, as they call them: that the whole action is done in a ſtrange tongue: that the Maſſe-Prieſt alone is priuie vntounto many things that are done therin: that they vſe the attire and geſtures of ſtage-plaiers, and many other things, brought forth by this plant, which the heauenly Father hath not planted, and therefore, ſhal one day be altogeather rooted out.
Therefore, we deteſt this imaginary and blaſphemous ſacrifice of the Maſſe, which is contrarie vntounto Gods worde, and ouerthroweth the force of Chriſtes Paſsion, and bringeth in almoſt innumerable errours; and wee pray with al our hearts and ſoules, that the Lord would graunt vntounto all his Churches, the pure and ſound vſe of his holie Supper.
Defended by THEOPHILVS HESPERIVS of Bearne.