A General View of Papistry, Book 2 · Controversy 13 · Part
THE ERRORS AND BLASPHEMIES that are to be found in the Canon of the Masse.
1. THe Priest speaking of the bread and wine, thus saith, Which we offer vntounto thee for thy holy Catholike Church: and againe afterward, Which we offer for the redemption of their soules. What great blasphemie is this, to offer bread & wine for the redemption of the Church, for the which Christ in great louelove offered vp himselfe?
2. The Priest saith, Worshipping the memoriall of the Virgine: But Christ instituted the Sacrament to be kept in remembrance of himselfe, and not for the worship of Saints.
3. By whose merites and praiers, namely of the Saints, grant we may be defended. Thus the merites and praiers of Christ are excluded.
4. We beseech thee (saith the Priest) to receiue this oblation, which we beseech thee in all things to make blessed: Heere the Priest is made a mediator betweene Christ and his Father: desiring God to sanctifie the body & blood of his sonne.
5. Who the next day afore he suffered: But the Scripture saith, The same night, For this is my body: Heere they hauehave put in enim, of their owne, and left out, quod pro vobis datur. Such is their boldenes, that they are not ashamed to change the words of our Sauiour Christ.
6. He saith further: The holy bread of eternall life, which vouchsafe thou with a pleasant countenaunce to beholde: The bread of eternall life is Christ himselfe, if this be he, how dare ye presume to offer him vp to his Father?
7. As thou didst vouchsafe to accept the righteous giftes of Abel, and the sacrifice of Abraham. Heere the sacrifice of Christ is compared to the sacrifice of beastes: and the Priest seemeth to attribute as much efficacie to the one, as to the other.
8. And the holy sacrifice which thy high Priest Melchisedech did offer vntounto thee. This is a plaine vntruth, and a flat lie, as we hauehave shewed alredy, that Melchisedech sacrificed bread and wine.
9. Command thou these to be brought by the hands of thy holy Angell, vntounto the high altar in heauen. What an absurd thing is this, that he should desire that to be carried into heauen which he eateth and deuoureth? And if this be the body of Christ, what need the help of an Angell to carry it vp to heauen? is not Christ able to lift vp his own body? or what need that to be conueied to heauen, which was neuer from thence?
10. As many of vsus as shall receiue thy Sonnes body and blood: And yet for the most part none receiue but the Priest: and when the people doe communicate, the wine they hauehave not: how then can he say, As many?
11. Remember, O Lord, the soules of thy seruants, which rest in the sleepe of peace, and graunt them a place of refreshing and rest: Heere is an other error contrary to the Scriptures in praying for the dead, and the praier also is contrary to it selfe: for first he saith, they rest in peace, and yet afterward praieth for their refreshing.
12. Vouchsafe to giuegive some portion with thy Saints: And why doth he not rather pray to be admitted to the fellowship of Christ?
13. Deliuer vsus by the blessed intercession of the Virgine: What then is become of Christs mediation and intercession?
14. Let this mingling together of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ, be vntounto me saluation of minde and body: Then is not Christs blood shed vponupon the Crosse the full sufficient and perfect saluation of mankinde, if there be an other saluation beside.
15. Grant me so worthily to take this holy body and blood, that I may merite to receiue forgiuenes of sinnes: O sinfull man, how canst thou merite that which is Christs onelyonly gift?
16. Let the priest bow himselfe to the host, saying, I worship thee, I glorifie thee, I praise thee: What monstrous Idolatry is this, thus to worship a piece of bread?
17. Let this communion purge vsus from sinne: If they meane the principall purging of our sinne, so doth Christ onelyonly purge vsus, Heb. 1.3. If they vnderstand the instrumental meanes of our purgation, so are we purged and iustified onelyonly by faith, Rom. 3.28.
18. Respect not my sinnes, but the faith of thy Church : By this reason one may be profited by an others faith: which is contrary to the Scriptures: the Iust shal liue by faith: his owne, and not an others.
19. Let vsus worship the signe of the Crosse: What I pray you wil not these Idolaters worship?
20. Let this sacrifice which J hauehave offered, auaile to obtaine remission of sinnes: If the Masse be auaileable for this end, wherefore then died Christ?
Thus we see with how many and what great and horrible blasphemies this popish, nay rather, diuelish canon of the Masse is stuffed: indeede it is an epitome and abridgement of Papistrie, the marrow, sinewes, and bones of their idolatrous profession: yea the very darling of the popish Church: it is the very proper badge and marke of a papist. He that hateth the Masse, hateth the whore of Babylon: he that loueth the Masse, cannot louelove the truth.
If then I should be demaunded at once, which of all popish blasphemies and heresies I thinke most abominable, contrary to the faith, and to be abhorred of all good christians: (though I know that there are many of this kinde) yet I would redily answere the Masse: the inuention whereof, I am wel assured, cannot be ascribed but to the deuil himselfe, the author of all lies and blasphemies.
I conclude therefore with that saying of Gregorie, as he said concerning the word, Antichristus: so may I in as good sense of this word, Missa, as it is now vnderstoode of Papists. Si spectes quantitatem vocis, duae sunt syllabae; si pondus iniquitatis, est vniuersa pernicies. If you marke the quantitie of the word, it standeth but of two syllables: but if we respect the waight of iniquitie, it containeth all impietie and vngodlines.
Soli Deo immortali Patri, Filio, cum Spiritu sancto sit honor et imperium sempiternum.
THE THIRD BOOKE OR CENTVRIE, CONTAINING A THIRD HVNDRED OF POPISH ERRORS, AND HERESIES, ABOVT the controuersies of the fiue Popish Sacraments, and of the benefites of our redemption, and concerning the person of Christ,
CONSISTING OF SEVEN SEVERAL CONTROVERSIES THE 14, 15.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. in number.
Jmprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man. 1592.