Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 2 · Chapter 8
Of the thinges that are to be conſidered, vponupon this entree and publike confeſſion of the prieſt. CHAPTER VIII.
BEcauſe others hauehave more at large and more particularly and plainly, handled thoſe places of the holy Scriptures which are here alleaged, ſhewing how ill they are applied, and how they mocke and blaſpheme God, I will the lightlier paſſe them ouer, and ſtay the longer vponupon the reſt of the pointes, which may be ouerſlipt.
a Seeing the prieſt is thus in his owne perſon prepared, to go to the Aultar, I will firſt of all demaund of him, whether he vſed this Aultar, which is here ſpoken of,Hebr. 13. after the maner of the Ieweiſh or Heathniſh aultars. For, Chriſtians, hauehave no materiall aultars, but onelyonly this ſpirituall Aultar, wheron, it is not lawfull for thē that ſerue in the Tabernacle, or that be ſtill Ieweiſh, to eate, and therfore much leſſe for thē that follow the heathen: as they herein do, which are of the Romiſh church declaring them ſelues thereby, to be either very Iewes, or very Heathen, or elſe both: oneleſſe happely they meane not to take the name of Aultar, for ſuch an Aultar as they ſacrifice vponupon for the redemption of ſoules, as they ſay they do, whē they are at Maſſe: but for the Table wheron the ſupper is celebrated, and whereon they giuegive thankes to God (which are the very true ſacrifices of prayſe) in that ſence which the aunciēt Fathers tooke the name of Aultar, when as they ſpeake of the Sacrament of the Supper, which vponupon that occaſiō was called, the Sacrament of the Aultar.
b If that which hath bene now ſaid of the Aultar,Pſalme 43. be well vnderſtood, it is an eaſie matter to iudge, for what purpoſe this Pſalme is here ſet downe, and the reaſon thereof.
c It was ordeined in the 2. Councell of Laodicea,La. Concil. that many of the Pſalmes, and their verſicles, ſhould not be confounded one with an other: but be rehearſed in the ſelfe ſame forme and maner as the ſeruantes of God made them. Which ordenance they of the popiſh church do worſe obſerue in the Maſſe, then in any other place. For, either they confound pele mele for eueryevery purpoſe, many of the verſicles which are taken out of the Pſalmes, as if they would make neither rime nor reaſon of them, or elſe they deuide a Pſalme, and take out of it certen verſicles which they mingle and remingle, & ſo rehearſe them to no purpoſe, and without all reaſon, as eaſely may be iudged, by the ſight of this maner which is here vſed in their Maſſe.
d I my ſelfe knew once a pariſh prieſt, who neuer vnderſtood: either yet was able to pronounce, this Introibo, but alwayes ſaid, Et introibo adtartara Dei: that is to ſay, I will go into the hell of God. In which ſaying, he deceaued not him ſelfe much. For, to take the Aultar in that ſence, which they of the popiſh church, here take it, and to do that which they do in it, is in very deede the hie way to hell: for aſmuch they forſake Ieſus Chriſt vponupon it, by whome onelyonly we are to be deliuered thence. And therefore there is good cauſe, why the prieſt looketh downeward, bowing him ſelfe to the ground, as a man that had quite and cleane forgotten heauen, yea and his owne nature alſo wherein God created him, and as if he were become a very beaſt, touching his ſmeller downeward, according to the maner which the Poete here writeth of,Ouid. Meta. lib. 1. and in the ſame ſence as it is here ſet downe in Engliſh.
And though that eueryevery liuing thing
His eyes to ground is made to caſte
Yet God, mans face hath ſet ſhining
A lofte to looke, on heauen to taſte
That he might well perceaue and ſee,
His dwelling place, on hie to bee.
But this our maiſter Aſſe driuer, leaueth looking vp into heauen, and ſtoupeth to the ground, whereof he is more carefull, then of heauen. But if he did this in humbleneſſe of minde and contriteneſſe of heart for his ſinnes, as the miſerable Publicane did, there were great reaſon in it. But I thinke him farre enough of from that.
e This verſicle is taken out of another Pſalme, and not out of the former, which manifeſtly conteruaileth the confeſſion that the prieſt anonafter maketh.Pſal. 136. For where the Prophete exhorteth the people of God, to praiſe the Lord, and giuegive him ſuch thankes as belōg vntounto him (which the word, Confeſſe, ſignifieth in the holy Scriptures) he addreſſeth him ſelfe vntounto another, them vntounto God.
f Dauid ſayeth, Againſt thee alone hauehave I ſinned. I hauehave ſaid,Pſal. 31. I wil confeſſe my vnrighteouſnes vntounto the Lord, againſt my ſelfe: & thou forgaueſt the iniquitie of my ſinne. But here, the prieſt confeſſeth him ſelfe, to all the men & woman ſaintes. For he thinketh it not enough to confeſſe him ſelfe to God alone, with whom al the Patriarches, Prophetes, & Apoſtles were very well contented.
g But the worſt of all the reſt is this, that when he craueth pardon in his confeſſion, for his ſinnes, he neuer once maketh mention of Ieſus Chriſt, to beſeech him to be his Aduocate vntounto his Father to helpe him: But onelyonly of the virgine Marie, and of the men and women Saintes. Which is too groſſe a blaſphemy againſt the office and benefite of Ieſus Chriſt,1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn. 2. Rom. 8. vntounto whom, the onelyonly office of Mediatour and Aduocate apparteineth.
h This lowe ſtowping, maketh a iolly ſhew of a penitent perſon.
i The clarke which helpeth the prieſt to Maſſe, abſolueth the prieſt, aſwell as the prieſt abſolueth him anon after. And therefore it is, that they confeſſe them ſelues one to an other. But here is all the difference that is betwene them, that the Miſereatur which the clarke and the reſt that helpe him at Maſſe do pronounce to the prieſt, is ſaid in the ſingular nomber, becauſe it is ſpoken particularly to the prieſt.