Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 2 · Chapter 52
Of the matters that are to be conſidered of, vponupon the Prieſt his breakefaſt and Communion. CHAPTER LII.
a THe bodie of Chriſt is not a round cake deuided into foure quarters, as is the rounde cake of this our Sir Gurdegobreaſſe.
b He muſt receaue another kinde of breade, then this round cake, if he will hauehave the heauenly bread.
c Here is a verie pitifull Sir Gurdey.
d Here is a pleaſant Centuriō, who ſpeaketh vntounto his round cake, euen as the Centurion in the Goſpell, ſpake vntounto Ieſus the very Sonne of God.
e The houſe rouffe of this ſcuruie ſhaueling, is his belly, wherinto, he meaneth like a rauening wolfe, to ſwallowe vp, this ſillie lambe which he now calleth Lorde, vponupon whome before, he hath called for merciemercy, that afterward he might deuour him.
f The bodie, that is to ſay, the round cake, is verie eaſilie to be handled, and very light to croſſe him ſelfe, and ſerue him to play withall like a flie flap, becauſe the flies ſhould not trouble and vex him when he is at breakefaſt, and drinking of his wine.
g Such a prayer, no whit appertaineth vntounto this round cake, nor yet vntounto this banquet wherat Ieſus Chriſt is not preſent.
h Here, he more honoureth his Goblet, then he doth the bodie of his God. Howbeit I doe not greatly maruell at that: Becauſe his Goblet is made either of goulde, ſiluer, or at leaſt, of verie fine tinne: and his God, is made of no better ſtuffe, then of a peece of paaſt. And beſides, the Goblet is a pleaſaunt thing to ſuch ſipping mates.
i Theſe verſes of Dauid are here againe as properly applied as they were in that place, wherin they were heretofore propounded.
k Here, hee muſt make the Goblet alſo, to friske a little about for the croſſing of him ſelfe, as well as hee made the rounde cake friske about to croſſe his reuerende worſhipfulneſſe.
l This wine and this water are no blood, as that was which he euen nowe ſwallowed downe, but are onelyonly giuen him to make cleane and rinſe his Goblet and wide weaſant, leaſt there ſhould remaine any blood in them.
m But in this prayer, which he here maketh at his laſt waſhing, which they call purifying, is great reaſon: For they hauehave reaſon to purifie and cleanſe them ſelues, after they hauehave polluted their handes and mouthes, with ſuch horrible ſacrileadges and blaſphemies, committed as well againſt the death and paſſion, as alſo againſt the bodie and blood of our Sauiour and Redeemer Ieſus Chriſt. Howbeit let vsus conſider of that which they ſpeake. Howe ſhall we receaue the ſelfe ſame thing with our ſoules, which we receiue with our mouthes? For, the ſoule hath no ſuch mouthas the body hath, neither doth it eate or yet drink ſo: neither is it in ſuch ſort fed, either with ſuch meates & ſuch drinkes. For, bread & wine, do ſerue to feede the bodie, and not the ſoule, ſaue that the ſoule is taught by them, by reaſon of the bodelie ſenſes, of ſpirituall and inuiſible thinges, which are ſignified by theſe viſible and materiall ſignes. But the right meate and drinke of the ſoule, are the bodie and blood of Ieſus Chriſt, not corporallie taken by the mouth of the bodie, as the Popiſh Church teacheth. But ſpirituallie, by the mouth of faith: which is the mouth of the ſoule and ſpirite, by meane whereof, the bodie is alſo afterwarde ſpirituallie fedde, and it can not otherwiſe bee. For, admit, that a man ſhould eate the verie bodie, and drinke the verie blood of our Lorde and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, yet ſhould neither ſoule nor bodie Communicate thereof, nor yet be fedde therewith, vntounto euerlaſtinge life. For, the heauenlie and deuine meate and drinke, is ſpirituall, and receaued by fayth. And where that is, we ſhall neede none other. And therefore, the ſignes of breade and wine that are diſtributed to vsus in the Supper, are not giuen vsus, that with them and by them wee ſhoulde receaue the bodie and blood of our Lorde and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, as if a peece of fleſh ſhould be giuen vsus to eate without bread, or in paaſt, and wine in a cup to drinke, as the Romiſh rabble, and certaine others, vnderſtande and take it, who corporallie conioyne the ſignes, with the thinges ſigned and ſignified: But are giuē to vsus, liuely to repreſent vntounto our bodily ſenſes, that which our Lorde repreſenteth to our inward ſenſes, or rather to ſtirre vp and diſpoſe the whole man, to receaue the heauenly and diuine giftes, through faith and in ſpirite. Againe, if this bread and wine which the Prieſt receaueth in the Supper vntounto him ſelf alone are the bodie and blood of Ieſus Chriſt, as he taketh it, and woulde hauehave men beleeue it, ſo that there remaineth no more ſubſtance of the breade and wine: then ſurely, this gift and preſent is not corporall, but euerlaſting euen as Ieſus Chriſt him ſelfe is. And therefore he doeth him great wrong, ſo to name it. If this thē be not the bodie & bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, but onelyonly breade and wine, as in verie deed it is: which way can he make it becom a remedie for eternall life? which remedie is in none but in Ieſus Chriſt alone. And beſides, we ar here further to note that, which the Prieſt ſayeth, as if there were manie, which banquetted with him at the verie ſame table, & as if they had communicated of the ſelfe ſame Sacrament. Is not this a maruelous kinde of mockerie? He, verily thinketh, that this prayer was not made to be ſayed in particular Maſſes, but when the people communicated together.
n He forgetteth not here to ſucke his fingers.
o Our yong Maiſters ſay, that after this Supper is done, the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt returneth to heauen. Howbeit this our ſcabd, ſcald, ſhorne Squier, who gobleth him vp, meaneth to hauehave him remaine in his entrailes and bowelles. It is alſo written in that ſmall pamphlet called Stella Clericorum, that the Prieſt is Ieſus Chriſt his Sepulcher, becauſe he ſwalloweth downe his bodie and blood into his bellie. Morouer, he hath great reaſon to hauehave his ſinnes cleanſed by the meanes of theſe notable and pure Sacramentes which he hath receaued, by which, he hath ſo horriblie renounced and blaſphemed, euen Ieſus Chriſt him ſelfe.
p We here ſee, a verie pleaſant Simeon, ſinging that ſong, which that good Simeon ſoong, when he held the yong child Ieſus Chriſt in his armes. Howbeit this our newe Simeon, hath done much more, if we would beleeue him: For, he hath holden him, handled and toſſed him, both aliue & dead, euen as bigge and great as he was, when he hoong vponupon the wodden croſſe. May not he then verie well ſing, like the good ſeruant of Ieſus Chriſt, who hath verie notablie honored & magnified the glorie of his Maiſter?