Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 2 · Chapter 10
Of the blaſphemies that are both in this Abſolution as alſo in all theſe prayers, and of the Sepulchers and reliques which are buried in the Aultars. CHAPTER X.
a HEre is to be vnderſtood, that after the prieſt is confeſſed, as we hauehave heard, and abſolued aſwell, as the clarke is able to abſolue him, his clarke and they which helpe him at Maſſe, make likewiſe their confeſſion, & thē he alſo abſolueth thē, in ſuch maner and order as here is ſet downe: although therein be ſome diuerſitie, according to the ſeuerall vſages. Now, there is almoſt neuer a worde wherein are not as many blaſphemies as there are ſundry vſages, eſpecially, for ſo much as, the honour which apperteineth to Ieſus Chriſt alone, is not onelyonly giuen to men & women Saintes, but alſo vntounto the ſigne of the croſſe. And ſo much as concerneth the men and women Saintes who chiefly are named aſwell in the confeſſiō as in the abſolution, we are to note that therein is neither certaine nomber, nor yet order. For, eueryevery of them putteth in whom ſoeuer pleaſeth them, but eſpecially their Patrons, and ſuch as they hauehave a moſt ſingular deuotion vntounto. It is eaſely alſo, by this forme and maner, to be iudged, that this enterlude is not fit to be playd, without there be moe then one perſon with the prieſt at Maſſe: becauſe it is an enterlude that requiteth many.
b After that this blaſphemour hath diſgorged a cart loode full of blaſphemies againſt God, he then calleth vponupon him for helpe: and forthwith he againe returneth to blaſpheme both him, and the virgine Mary alſo, calling vponupon her in ſtead of Ieſus Chriſt. Hereby we may vnderſtand, that a man may iudge of what ſoeuer is in the Maſſe, that is taken out of the holy Scriptures, ſeeing it is entermedled with as infinite a nomber of blaſphemies, as good & holſome meate is entermedled with poiſon. Wherefore, it is ſo farre of that that which ſeemeth to be good, is not there made any whit the better, but rather become a great deale more deteſtable, for ſo much as the word & name of God, & of the men & women Saintes are therin more profaned & blaſphemed. And againe, we ſe moreouer what a mixture of ſondry peeces is here heaped vp together to & fro without any iudgement in the world, and without following any one certaine text of any certaine matter.
c Why hath the prieſt here a cōmandement to buzze the two prayers enſuing ſoftly & ſecretly? For this is manifeſtly againſt the Statutes and decrees of the councell of Baſile, by which is ordeined that the prieſts are to be reproued and corrected which ſay Maſſe with ſecret prayers, & ſo low vowed, as that they which are preſent and about them, cannot heare what they ſay: By which alſo all they are condemned, who either mumble vp or curtall their wordes either in their Maſſe or canonicall Howres, and do not ſo diſtinctly pronounce thē, as that eueryevery one may well vnderſtād what they ſay. For if theſe prayers whereof we now ſpeake be ſuch as in deede they ought to be, why thē pronounce they them not rather a lowd that eueryevery mā may heare them, thē mumble them vp in their teeth as they do? Eſpecially ſeeing they pronounce thē not particularly to thē ſelues, but generally to all thoſe which are at Maſſe, to the end that all they might be alſo cōprehended and wrapped, within the horrible blaſphemies in thē conteined? Wherefore it is no maruell though he mumble thē vp ſecretly, as if it were a charme, and ſtowp downe with his head & backe, ſtill looking to the ground: for he is not worthy to lift vp his head to heauen ſtained it with ſuch blaſphemies. For, as for the firſt point, that which is called Sācta Sāctorū, that is to ſay, the holy of holy ones, wherof he ſpeaketh, to go into, is not the ſame which God ordeined by Moſes,Exod. 30. amongeſt the Iſraelites: for, that is cleerly aboliſhed …y the cōming of Ieſus Chriſt, who hath perfited that,Heb. 8.9.10. wherof it was a figure. Neither is it that, whereinto Chriſt Ieſus wēt, which is heauen. And God ordeined none other but theſe two. Whervpō muſt needes follow, that that place wherof the prieſt, here maketh mē tiō, is inuēted & deuiſed by mē & the deuill together, & an helliſh Sācta Sāctorū. And therfore looketh he downe to the groūd, wherby he declareth that he ſeeketh not after Ieſus Chriſt,Coloſſ. 2. who ſitteth in the heauēs at the right hand of God his father, & requireth likewiſe that he may go into it with his merittes, with all thoſe that are at Maſſe with him. For there is neuer a man that hath deſerued more to go into hell, & into the infernal ſanctuary of Satan, thē he: And there is none other meane to go into the sāctuary of Ieſus Chriſt, which is heauen, ſaue onelyonly by his merites, wherof there is no more mention here made, then in the prayer following, wherin he craueth not onelyonly pardon for his ſinnes of all the Saintes in generall, but eſpecially of thoſe, whoſe reliques are in the place where he him ſelfe is, as if in them were more vertue, then in any of the reſt.
d And as for the reliques which are here ſpoken of, we are to remember what was ſaid heretofore, of the churches which were built in ſuch places as the ſepulchres, reliques, and commemorations of the Martyres were. And becauſe that many Aultars and chapelles were here and there built & ſet vp a broad in the countrey, there to celebrate the remembraunce of the Martyres: ſoone after that this cuſtome was receaued, it was ordeined by the firſt Councell of Carthage,Ex Libr. Con. ſolemnized about the dayes of Pope Anaſtaſe that the Biſhops might pull downe, all the Aultars and chappelles, that ſhould be ſet vp in any places where before time had not bene, ſome ſepulchers, reliques, houſes, places of reſorte, or ſome memoriall of the Martyrs: or if they could not do it without mouing of ſome commotion, yet that they might at the leaſt, forbid all Chriſtiās to haunt any ſuch places. And for this cauſe was it afterward ordeined by the Councell of Epanuenſe which was ſolemniſed in the time of Gelaſius the firſt,Ex Lib. Con. that no Aultar except it were of ſtone, & had alſo ſome reliques of the Saintes, ſhould be anointed and conſecrated with Creſme. And becauſe they could not find places ynow wherein to ſet vp ſo many churches and aultars as they would, they were faine to borrow them in other places, or elſe make and counterfet them as they luſted. Wherefore it is enough for them at this preſent, to put into the bowels of the Aultar when it is conſecrated & dedicated, in at an hole which is made in the middeſt thereof, called by them a Sepulcher, the ſmalleſt peeces of reliques that may be, locked vp in ſome prety coffer, with three graynes of frankinſence. And it is out of all doubt, that they may call this hole, a Sepulcher: bycauſe forſoothe it is made to repreſent the Sepulchers of the Martyres, for, they are not there in deede, but by imagination, as thoſe which the Heathen made, called Cenotaphion, becauſe they were empty, and had no bodyes buried in them. And to the ende that theſe ſepulchers ſhould not ſeeme to be altogether in vaine, they make men beleue that they hauehave put certein peeces of reliques into them. But the Lord knoweth and ſeeth what great deceit is in them, and what reliques they thruſt into them. We that hauehave ſeene theſe abhominable Aultars puld downe, can teſtifie what great villaines hauehave bene found within theſe ſepulchers of the Aultars, and what notable knaueries hauehave bene diſcouered in theſe iolly workes. But our aduerſaries will not beleue vsus herein, becauſe they thinke vsus to be parciall: howbeit we hauehave no ſuch meaning, for, they them ſelues maye ſee it by experience aſwell as we, and may alſo teſtifie and vnderſtand whether we lye or ſaye true. But admit that theſe were the verie true reliques of the Martyres, yet ſhall they be neuer able to excuſe them ſelues of the Idolatrie & blaſphemies which they commit in theſe thinges.
e It is no maruell although this Shaueling, kiſſe the talbe wheron he meaneth to breake his faſt, and his paten, and ſawcer alſo, and that he likewiſe maketh ſtrong parfumes: for theſe thinges I tell you make him both faire and fat.
f And therefore this is the Chriſt which he worſhippeth: that is to ſay, the table and the ſawcer. And in ſome places he kiſſeth alſo the feet of the image of the ctucyfix which is in his Maſſe booke, wherof we intend to ſay ſomewhat, when as we come to the Canon.