Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 2 · Chapter 12 – Chapter 19
Of the reading of th'Epiſtle of the Maſſe that is celebrated on Corpus Chriſti day, and of the matters worthie the conſideration therein. CHAPTER XII.
THe leſſon of the Epiſtle of S. Paule the Apoſtle to the Corinthes.Jerome. a Damaſc. Tel…ſpor. 1. Cor. 11.
a Brethren, b for that which I receaued of the Lorde, that alſo I deliuer vntounto you. For the Lorde Ieſus, the ſame night wherein he was betrayed, tooke breade, and when he had giuen c thankes, he d brake it, and ſaide, e Take and eate f, This is my bodie g which ſhall be deliuered for you, h Do ye ſhall be deliuered for you, h Do ye this in the remembrance of mee. And after ſupper he toke the cup likewiſe, ſaying, i This cup is the newe Teſtament in my blood: Do this k as often as you take it in remembrance of me. For as often as you ſhall eate this bread, and drinke this cup l you ſhall ſhewe the Lords death m vntill he come Whoſoeuer then ſhall eate this n bread or drinke the cuppe of the Lorde o vnworthelie p, ſhall bee guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lorde q Let a man therefore proue him ſelfe, and then let him eate of this breade, and drinke of this cuppe. For, whoſoeuer eateth and drinketh thereof vnworthelie, eateth and drinketh his owner damnation, becauſe he maketh no difference of the Lordes s bodie.
LEctio Epiſtolae beati Pauli Apoſtoli ad Cor.
Fratres, ego enim a…eepi à Domino quod & tradidi vobis, quoniam Domi nus Ieſus in qua nocte tra debatur, accepit panem: et gratias agens, fregit, & dixit, Accipite & manducate: hoc eſt corpus meū, quod pro vobis tradetur: hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem. Similiter & Calicem, poſtquam caenauit dicens, hic calix nouū Teſtamentum eſt in meo ſanguine, hoc facite, quotieſcun que ſumitis, in meam cō memorationem. Quotieſcun que enim manducabitis panē hunc, & calicē bibetis, mortē Domini annūtiabitis donec veniat. Itaque quicun que māducauerit panem, vel biberit calicē Domini indigne, reus erit cor poris et ſanguinis Domini. Probet autē ſeipſum homo & ſic de pane illo edat, & de calice bibat. Qui enim māducat & bibit indigne iudicium ſibi manducatet bibit, non dijudicans corpus Domini.
a We may iudge by this peece which is here thruſt in, taken out of the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthes, with what iudgemēt the places were collected out of the holy Scriptures, which being taken from them, were applied to the Maſſe. For, for the firſt, to what purpoſe is this here put in? Brethrē. For, That which I receaued of the Lord. &c. Whervnto is this, For, referred? wherfore rēdreth he a reaſon: conſidering that there is nothing going before, that cā be referred to any thing which may any way ſerue the turne, for the matter that S. Paule here treateth of? This peece therfore muſt otherwiſe be deuided and ſclantled, to make it ſerue for this purpoſe. Thus we ſee how they are wonted ordinarely to deale with the Scriptures.
b S. Paul, by theſe words declareth, that he was nothing ſo raſh, as theſe men, who hauehave added ſo many thinges to the Supper, as that they hauehave turned it into a peſtilēt Idolatrous Maſſe, & hauehave by thoſe additions, ſo blemiſhed it, as that there remaineth not any face or forme of the true Supper of the Lord, wherby, he alſo ſheweth that he was neuer any of their company. For, he ſaieth plainly that he deliuered vntounto the Corinthiās, ſuch a pure & ſound inſtitutiō of the ſame, as he receaued frō the Lord Ieſus, without adding therto, or diminiſhing therfrō: wherin, he eftſoones giueth to vnderſtād, that it is not lawfull for any mā to do it, of what authority ſo euer he be.1. Cor. 11.12. If S. Paul then durſt take no further authority vpō him, being the man that was rapt vp into the third heauen, and ſaw thinges not lawfull for any man to ſpeake, what ſhal we think of the forgers of the Maſſe, of whom we hauehave heretofore ſpoken, who thereby, hauehave ſo blemiſhed the ſupper of the Lord, as that they hauehave vtterly ouerthrowen & aboliſhed it? whom then ſhould we not aſſueredly follow,1. Cor. 11. either S. Paule, who ſayeth, follow me, as I follow Chriſt, or theſe Apoſtates and Antechriſtes, who do cleane contrary to him: and beſides, would burne all thoſe that had rather follow Ieſus and the holy Apoſtles, then them ſelues.
c S. Mark, in his 14. Ch. ſayth, that he bleſſed, declaring therby, that to bleſſe, & giuegive thākes, is here taken to be alone, as hath ben ſay in other places.
d This breaking declareth, that this bread ought to be diſtributed, as it is here.
e He eateth it not alone as the prieſt doth, neither doth he worſhip it, or yet putteth it into a pixe, to cary about on proceſſion, & to carry here & there to be worſhipped, or to cōiure tempeſtes: but cōmandeth it to be taken, & eftſoones eaten.
f We hauehave heretofore ſufficiētly hādled this matter, to teach vsus in what ſence theſe words are to be takē, & how thoſe words alſo are to be takē which follow the cup diſh, ouer and beſides that, which we at larg hauehave writē & diſputed vpō, in the booke of the Miniſtery of the word of God, & of the Sacraments. And therfore we will here only ſay, and not deny but that the very body and blood of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, is truly deliuered vntounto all the faithful, in the ſupper, by an inuiſible power of the holy Ghoſt, ſpiritually, & to the ſpirituall & regenerate man, which receaueth it by faith, & is therwith ſpiritually fed in a ſpirituall life, as the body receaueth the material bread, & is therwith fed in a corporal life, but that there is no alteratiō of the ſubſtance in either of both, neither yet any naturall and material coniunction betwene the bread and wine, and the body and blood of Ieſus Chriſt.
g There is in S. Paules wordes, according to the Greeke, which is broken for you.
h He ſayeth not, Do ye this as a ſacrifice, for the redemption of the ſoules, both of the quicke and dead: but that we ſhould do that which he did, & cauſed to be done in the Supper, & not that which he did on the croſſe, wheron he offred a ſacrifice for the redemption of our ſoules, which is ſufficiēt for vsus, & can be done by none other, nor in any other place, neither yet by any other meane, wherof, the Supper is a remēbrance, & no ſacrifice, but much leſſe a Maſſe: for it is neither the one, nor yet the other, becauſe they would make it that which it cannot be. For, it cannot be this ſacrifice, if it be not Ieſus Chriſt him ſelfe, who offred him ſelfe, in that ſorte that he was offred: And if that be it, thē without doubt, Ieſus the ſon of God ceaſeth to be.
i If the Romaniſtes would ſtrictly, & according to the letter, preſſe the words of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, which he ſpake concerning the body and blood of the Supper, we may alſo cōclude by the ſame reaſons, that the cup is likewiſe the new Teſtament, confirmed by the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, and not the blood it ſelfe, according to the teſtimonies of Saint Paule and Saint Luke,1. Cor. 11. Luke 12. who both vſe the very ſelfe ſame wordes therein.
k This is to declare that which he ſaid: Do ye this: that is to ſay, eate this bread, and drinke this wine in remembrance of me, as I hauehave appointed you: which thing the Apoſtle manifeſtly explaneth immediatly after, both of the one & the other without any deuiding of thē, as they of the romiſh church deuide thē in the cōmuniō of the people.
l This expoundeth what it is to celebrate this remembrance of Ieſus Chriſt, for the which the Supper was inſtituted. He ſayeth not, As aften as ye ſhall offer this bread, & this cup, you ſhal make a ſacrifice of the body and blood of the Lord.
m This accordeth with the teſtimony which the Angels gaue vntounto the Apoſtles that day that Ieſus Chriſt aſcēded,Act. 1. touching his returne from heauē. By which words, S. Paul, giueth vsus very plainly to vnderſtād, that he ment not that Ieſus Chriſt deſcē ded frō heauē corporally, in fleſh blood & bones, & came into the prieſts handes in that behalfe, to be made a ſacrifice, & afterward, to be really & in deede eaten by him, as they of the popiſh church vnderſtand it: But declareth, that he is in heauē in his natural body, from whence we muſt looke for him, to come to iudge the quicke & the dead, according to the wordes of the articles of our Faith: And that in the meane while, we ſhould here celebrate the remembrance of him, thereby to giuegive him thankes, & that we might alwayes more and more aſſure our ſelues of his promiſes, & that we are in him and he in vsus, through the power of the faith which we hauehave in him, & of the holy Ghoſt, by whoſe power he dwelleth in vsus.
n Here, S. Paule, after the pronouncing of the Sacramētall wordes, calleth the bread & wine, the ſignes of the Supper, & not the body and blood.1. Cor. 6. Epheſ. 1. Which thing was not done, without the aſſuered councell of the ſpirite of God. For, although they of the Romiſh church, excuſe this maner of ſpeaking, in their expoſitions, to the end it ſhould not encounter with their trāſubſtantiatiō: yet ſhould they hauehave had a farre greater aduauntage, if Saint Paule had rather vſed the name of the body and blood, then of the name of bread and cuppe.
o They receaue it vnworthely, which receaue it to any other ende, and in any other ſorte then the Lord hath appointed it. Wherefore, all they of the Romiſh church, but eſpecially all the prieſtes cannot receaue it but vnworthely.
p The greatneſſe of the offence which is committed by his vnworthineſſe, ought to make all men a feard. For, it is aſmuch as they ſhould ſell, betray, & crucifie Ieſus Chriſt which, all they do,Hebr. 6. as the Apoſtle witneſſeth, that abuſe his benefit.
q He ſayeth not, let eueryevery man proue him ſelfe with a prieſt, or cōfeſſe all his ſinnes to him alone, when as he is of the yeares of diſcretiō, at the leaſt once a yeare at Eaſter: and that he endeuour him withall his might, to accōpliſh the penance which is enioined him, vpō paine to be driuen out of the church all the dayes of his life, and to be depriued of buriall after his death: as Innocēt the third ordeined in the Laterane Coūcel,Ex libr. Con. which we hauehave already ſpoken of: But his meaning is, that eueryevery man ſhould proue him ſelfe, becauſe that he is not capable to receaue the Supper who cannot approue him ſelfe, after this rule of Saint Paule. And therefore, in the old time, the Catechumeni were not receaued hereunto, neither yet at this day, are young boyes and girles, vntill ſuch time as they are inſtructed and taught to do it.
r He now ſetteth downe the horribleneſſe of the puniſhment, to the ende that they which will not tremble at the greuouſneſſe of the deede, ſhould at the leaſt feare the greatneſſe of the puniſhment.
h We are not by this therefore to ſay, that this bread is the naturall body of Ieſus Chriſt: but that he doth him as great wrong, as if he violated his very body, for aſmuch as he profaneth & blaſphemeth it aſmuch as in him lyeth, becauſe that through his infidelity, vnworthines, & vnthākfulnes, he maketh no more accompt of it, thē if there were no more difference betwene the body of Ieſus Chriſt, and another mans, and that the Supper were no better, then a profane banket. Moreouer, although I hauehave, ſomewhat at large, handled all theſe matters in other places & bookes, yet hauehave I thouhgt good to touch this matter a litle by the way, thereby to let the Romaniſtes vnderſtand, by the text of the Epiſtle which they ſing in this Maſſe, how ſufficient it is to ouerthrow not onelyonly all their corpus Chriſti Feaſt, and all the idolatrie therein committed, but alſo all their Maſſes, Confeſſions, and mens traditions, which are manifeſtly againſt the word of God, or that hauehave no ſuer foundation therein. And now, to the reſt.
Of the Graduel, Reſponſe, and Alleluya, and of thoſe thinges which are to be conſidered as touching them. CHAPTER XVIII.
a Gradua.
OCuli omnium in te ſperant, Domine: & in das illis eſcā in tēpore opportuno.
Verſ.
Aperis tu manum tuā, & imples onme animal benedictione. b Alleluya.
Verſ.
Caro mea verè eſt cibus, & ſanguis meus verè eſt potus, Qui manducat meam carnē & bibit meum ſanguinem, in me manet, & ego in eo.
aGreg.The Graduel, or Graile.Miſſ. R. 2. Pſal. 104. Celeſt. Gelaſ.
THE eyes of all thinges truſt in thee, ô Lord: and thou giueſt thē meat in due ſeaſon.
The verſicle.
Thou openeſt thy hand, and filleſt eueryevery liuing thing with thy bleſſing.bSymmach. Leo. Conc. Tole. Iohn 6. Praiſe God.
c The verſicle.
My fleſh is meat in deede and my blood is drinke in deede. Whoſoeuer eateth my fleſh, & drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I, in him.
a We hauehave ſpokē ſomwhat at large of the Graduell or Graile, & alſo of the Alleluya, Tractes, & of the ſeaſons to ſing, & to be ſtill. Theſe are fragmentes which change according to the diuerſitie of the Maſſes, & ſeaſons, as the Introites. The verſicles which are here put in for the Graile of this Maſſe, hauehave in them a meruelous iolly kind of doctrine, if the ſame be well vnderſtood, & well applied.Pſal. 145. But that which Dauid ſpake of the prouidence of God, cōcerning the gouerning & bodely feeding of man, and all other liuing creatures, is here very vnfitly applied vntounto the matter of the ſupper. For, it, was not ordeined for the feeding of this corporall life, which is ſuſtained with bodely meate and drinke, but for a ſpirituall and eternall kind of life: which we receiue not in the bread and wine, that is giuen vsus in the Supper, but in Ieſus Chriſt the true bread of life, & in his body & blood, which by them are repreſented. This place, is quite and cleane againſt the popiſh doctrine, becauſe, it, teacheth men to runne to dead men, which they cal men and women Saintes, that they might obteine at their hands thoſe thinges which the Prophet teacheth vsus, to aske and looke for, at the handes of God alone.
b The fourth Councel of Tolede, which we hauehave heretofore alleaged, maketh mention of certaine prieſts in Spaine, who at all times ſong Alleluya, & namely in Lent: ſaying, that that is againſt the cuſtome of all churches, becauſe it is a ſong of ioy and not of ſadneſſe. Wherfore, it is forbidden, any more ſo to be dealt withall, vponupon paine, that who ſoeuer doeth it, ſhalbe diſcharged of his office. And becauſe, that this time, wherein this Maſſe is to be celebrated, is a time of ioye, and chiefly for the prieſtes, for the reaſons afore ſaid, it is ſolemnely ſong in it.
c It is to no purpoſe to alleage here the place of S. Iohn, as it is alleaged: becauſe it hath no full ſence in it, neither doth it any whit agree with that that goeth before, neither yet with that that followeth. Moreouer, it is ſo often repeated in this peece, as that they ſet it downe for their Goſpell. But if they ſay it once, it is enough for them, whether it be to purpoſe or not, conſidering that their mouthes runne ouer, with ſo much ſpeaking of fleſh and blood, of meat and drinke, and of manger and boire.
Of the Sequence, and Proſe. CHAPTER XIX.
a Sequentia.
b LAuda Sion Saluatorem, &c.
Quod in Coena Chriſtus geſſit.
Faciēdum hoc expreſsit,
In ſui memoriam.
Docti ſacris inſtitutis,
Panem, vinū in ſalutis,
Conſecramus hoſtiam.
Dogma datur Chriſtianis Quod ī carnē trāſit panis Et vinum in ſanguinem. Quod non capis, quod non vides,
Animoſa ſeruat fides,
Praeter rerum ordinem,
Sub diuerſis ſpeciebus.
Signis tantum & non rebus,
Latent res eximiae.
Caro cibus, ſanguis potus:
Manet tamen Chriſtus totus,
Sub vtraque ſpecie.
A ſumente non conciſus,
Non confractus, non diuiſus,
Integer accipitur.
Sumit vnus, ſumunt mille,
Quantum iſte, tantum ille,
Nec ſumptus conſumitur, &c.
Sumunt boni, ſumum mali:
Sorte tamen inaequali,
Vitae vel interitus.
Mors eſt malis, vita bonis.
Vide paris ſumptionis,
Quàm ſit diſpar exitus.
Fracto demum ſacramento
Ne vacilet, ſed memento
Tantum eſſe ſub fragmento,
Quantum toto tegitur.
Nulla rei ſit ſciſſura,
Signi tantum ſit fractura:
Qua nec ſtatus nec ſtatura
Signati, minuitur.
Ecce panis Angelorum,
Factus cibus viatorum
Verè panis filiorum,
Non mittendus canibus.
The Sequence.
aNicolas.OSyon, prayſe thou thy Sauiour, &c.
bVrb. 4. Thomas.That which Chriſt did in his Supper,
He expreſſed that it was to be don,
In the remembrance of him,
c Being taught by the holy inſtitutions.
We cōſecrate the bread and wine,
For the hoſte of ſaluation.
d A rule is giuen to Chriſtians, That the bread is turned into fleſh, And the blood into wine.
e Which thing thou comprehēdeſt not, which thing thou ſeeſt not, A couragious faith kepeth it,
Beyond all order of nature.
f VnderUnder diuerſe kindes,
VnderUnder ſignes onelyonly, and not vnderunder thinges,
Moſt excellent thinges lie hidden
g The fleſh is meat, & the blood drinke:
And yet remaineth Chriſt, full and whole,
VnderUnder both kindes.
h He is not broken of the receauer,
Nor puld in peeces, nor yet diuided,
But taken full and whole.
i One taketh him, and ſo doe thouſands.
And aſmuch hath that one, as they all hauehave,
And behing receaued, yet is not conſumed, &c.
k The good folke receaue him, and ſo do alſo the ill:
And yet not all a like,
To life, or death.
Death to the wicked, but life to the godly.
See the differēce of the receauing,
How vnlike the iſſue is.
l In the ende, when the ſacrament is broken
Let no man doubt, but remember
That there is aſmuch vnderunder one peece,
As is vnderunder the whole.
Ther is no cutting of, of anything, But the breaking only of the ſigne: Which, neither diminiſheth the ſtate, nor ſtature.
Of the thing ſignified.
m Thus here we ſee, the bread of Angels.
Made the foode of trauellers,
The true bread of the children.
Which is not to be caſt to dogges.