An Exhortation to the Carrying of Christs Cross, Chapter 11
The. 11. Chapter.
The popiſhe doctryne of the ſacrifice confuted.
FIrſt, in that they graunt Chriſtes ſacrifice on the croſſe, done by himſelfe, to be full and perfecte ynough, we may wel ſe, y• we nede not thys, which they hauehave foūde out, in dede to make the other vn perfect: for els it neded no reiteracion.
But ſeing thei reiterate it by this and make it nedeful euen as baptiſme, eaſely may all menne knowe, yt though they ſpeake one thing, thei me…e another: and ſo are dyſſemblers and deſtroyers of Chryſtes ſacrifice, litle conſyderinge the greate payne that Chryſt ſuffred, ſeyng thei weie it no better.
Where as they ſaye, that it is the ſame ſacrifice, which Chriſte offred on y• croſſe, but vnbloudely (wherin thei ſeme to deni tran ſubſtanciacion: for els, I trowe, it muſt nedes be bloudi) I wold thus reaſon wyth thē: in aſmuch as Chryſtes ſacrifice on ye croſſe was the only perfect, and al ſufficient propiciatory ſacrifice for the ſynnes of the worlde, as thei confeſſe, thys coulde not be the ſame, becauſe it was done before that vponupon the croſſe.
Or els the ful perfecte ſacryfice was then in the ſupper finiſhed, and ſo Chriſtes death is in vaine and a foolyſh thyng.
Yf Chryſtes death bee not fooliſh, but in dede (as it is) the full and perfect ſacryfice for y• ſinnes of the world: Then thys, whiche they feine, that he offered in his laſt ſupper, is not the ſame, prate what pleaſeth them. Or els it is not of value, take whether they wyll.
Whereas they prate of Chriſtes wyl, that it was accepted before his father for the dead: as they ſhall neuer bee able to ſhewe ſo much as one word, to proue that Chryſt would in hys ſupper, ſacrifice himſelfe to hys father for the ſynnes of the world (for ther is not one worde therof through out the whole byble) ſo doe thei belie god the father, which wold in dede hauehave hys ſonne to drinke the cupp, that he prayed to be taken from him: or els mak chriſts death fruſtrate, and more then nede, which is the onelyonly thynge, that all their doctryne tendeth vntounto. For if the father alowed his wil for the dede, I pray you, who ſeeth not now, the ded to be more then nedeth?
Where they ſaye, that Chryſt commaunded hys churche, to offre this ſacrifice to hys father in remembraunce of his bloudye ſacrifice: I woulde praye them to ſhew me, where he commaunded it, and then good inoughe. But, dearlye beloued, they can neuer ſhew it. Yf they wyll ſaye: Hoc facite: to take facere for to ſacrifice, as ſome teache it: then will I ſay, that a boye of. 12. year olde can tel they lye.
For hoc facite (doe you this) perteineth to the whole action of Chryſtes ſupper, of taking, eatīg and drynkynge of y• ſacramente &c. And aſwel ſpoken to the laye men as to ye prieſtes. But, I trow they wil not ſuffer the laie men, to ſay maſſe another whyle now for them.
No, thys were to muche agaynſt theyr honor and gayne alſo. But if one woulde aſke them what they offer to the father, thē a man ſhould ſe their abominacions. For if they ſaye, nothynge, then men woulde take them, as they be, lyars.
If they ſay: bread and wyne, as indede thei doe in their maſſe horriblye, then in that they ſaye they offre the ſame thing, whiche Chryſte offred on the croſſe, and he offred his bodye: bred muſte nedes be Chryſtes body, and ſo Chriſtes body is bred and wine. If thei ſay yt thei offer vp chriſt, in that the offerer muſt neds be as good at the leſt, yea better thē the thing offred (for God is no ſtrompet, to like the offer token, and gifte better, then the offerer and geuer) then muſt they nedes ſhew thēſelues opē Antichriſts. For they make themſelues equal wyth Chryſt, yea better then he: whych thyng indede their holy father and graundſire, the pope, doth.
For where Chryſte woulde take vponupon him to teach nothing, but that he had receaued of hys father: And therfore willed men to ſearch the ſcriptures, as al his Apoſtles did, whether their doctryn was not according thervnto: the pope, and his prelates, wil be bold to teach what pleaſe them more, then God byddeth, yea cleane contrary to y•, whyche god biddeth. As it is playne by al theſe. 4. pointes, tranſubſtanciacion, ſacrifice, praying for the dead and to the dead. But ſee, I pray you, theyr abominacions. The ſacrifice of Chriſt, for the redempcion of ye worlde, was not ſimply his bodi & his bloud: but his bodye broken, and his bloud ſhed. That is, all hys paſſyon and ſufferyng in his bodye and fleſhe.
In that therfore thei offre, as thei ſai, the ſame ſacrifice, which Chryſt offred: dearely beloued, doe they not aſmuch, as in them is, kyl, ſlaye, whyppe and crucifie Chryſt agayne? Ah wretches and Antichriſtes.
Who would not deſier to die for his maſter Chryſtes cauſe, agaynſt thys theyr hainous and ſtinking abominacion? Wher as they cal this ſacrifice of y• maſſe the principal meane, to apply the benefite of Chriſts death to the quick and dead: I woulde gladly hauehave them to ſhew, where and of whom they learned it. Sure I, am thei learned it not of Chriſt. For whan he ſent hys dyſciples Math. 28. Mark. 16. Luke. 24.abrode, to apply vntounto men ye benefyte of hys death, he bad them not maſſe it, but preache the goſpel, as ye meane by the which god had appoynted beleuers to be ſaued. The which thīg Peter tolde Actes. 10. Col. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 5.Cornelius playnly, as Paul alſo teacheth almoſt eueryevery where in hys epiſtles. But in dede preaching they may not away wyth, aſwel for that it is to paynefull, as for that it is nothing ſo gainful, nor in auctorite or eſtimaciō wt the world. Nothīg ſo diſpleaſeth y• deuil, as preaching y• goſpel, as in al ages eaſely we may wel ſe, if we wil mark, to our cō fort in this age. And therfore by geuinge his daughter, idolatry, with her dowrye of worldlye wealth, ryches and honor, to the Pope and his ſhauē ſhorelings: they hauehave by thys meanes in many yeares bene begettīg a daughter, which at length was deliuered to deſtroye preachynge: euen the minion Miſſa, meſtres Miſſa, who daunceth dayntelye before the Herodes of the worlde, and is the cauſe, euen whi Iohn Baptiſt & ye preachers bee put in to pryſon and loſe their heades. Thys daunſynge damoſell, the derlyng of her mother, the fayre garlande of her fathers (for ſhe hath many fathers) the gawdye galaunte of her graundeſyre, is trymmed and trycked on the beſte and moſte holy maner or wyſē, y• can be: euen wt the worde of god the epiſtle and the goſpel: with the ſacrament of Chryſtes body and bloud: wt the pomander and perfumes of prayer, and al godly thynges, that cā be: but blaſphemouſly and horribly abuſed, to be a mairmaide, to amaſe and bewitche men, ſayling in the ſeas of this life, to be enamored on her.
And therfore, beſydes her aforeſaid goodli apparel, ſhe hath al kynde of ſwete tunes, dityes, melodies, ſinging, playing, rynging, knocking, kneling, ſtandīg, lifting, croſſing, bleſſing, blowīg …nouing, incēſing &c. Moreouer ſhe wanteth no golde, ſiluer, precious ſtones, Iewels and coſtly ſilkes, veluettes, ſatēs, damaſtes &c. And al kind of things, which ar gorgious in the ſyght of men: as, if you cal to mīd the chalices, copes, veſtiments, crucifixes &c. you can not but ſee.
And here to ſhe is bewtyfyed, yet more to be ſhewed, and ſette forth in lying words and titles, geuen to her: that ſhe hath all power in heauen, earth & hell: that ſhe hath all thynges for ſoule & bodye, for quicke and dead, for man and beaſt.
And leſt men ſhoulde thynke her to coye a dame, lo ſyr, ſhe offerth her ſelfe moſt gently to al, that wil come, bee they neuer ſo poore, euil, ſtinking and foule, to hauehave their pleaſure on her. Come who wil, ſhe is Ihōe good feloe. And y• not only to make her ſelfe common to them, that wyll: but alſo to plye them plentyfully, wt moſt pleaſaunte promyſes (but falſely) and geuing moſt licen… o…
graffed into hym: ye ſupper, yt we are fed wt Chriſt, ſpirituallye wt his body and bloud, yea that we be incorporated into Chriſt, to be fleſhe of his fleſhe & bone of hys bones, as he, by being borne of ye virgin Mary, was fleſh of oure fleſh, and bone of oure bones. Away therefore wt their abominable doctryne, that the ſacrifice of the maſſe is the principal means to appli Chriſts death to ye quick and dead: wherin al men may ſe that they lye boldly.
For as the worde of god in the miniſtery perteineth not to the dead (for who wil be ſo made, as to goe and preache on dead mēs graues, yt the dead mē may hear) ſo likewiſe do not the ſacramēts. Litle beholding were menne to Chriſt and to ye Apoſtles, if this were the principall meane to apply ſaluaciō, y• they would vſe it ſo litle & preache ſo much. Paul, hauing reſpect to ye chefeſt end, wherfore he was ſent, ſaid y• he was not ſente to baptiſe, but to 1. Cor. 1.preach. And often ſaith he, y• he was an apoſtle, ſegregate of god Roma. 1. Gal. 1. 2. Timo. 4.to preach ye goſpel. And y• biſhop Timothi did he warne, to preach in ſeaſō & out of ſeaſon, ſpeaking neuer a worde of this maſſing or ſacrificing Chriſtes body. Laſte of al, wher thei mak a ſimilitud, that as by baptiſme the miniſter applieth to y• child regeneraciō, ſo in this &c. Oh, y• this ſimilitude wer wel loked on, thē wold it make thē to bluſter: for thei ar no more lyke, then an apple lyke an oyſter. In baptyſme the child is alyue, but here y• man is dead: in baptiſme the chylde is preſēt, but here y• man is perchaūce. 40. miles of if he ſacrifice for ye quit, yea. 100. miles from him: in baptiſme the childe receaueth the ſacrament, but here you muſt loke and gape.
But beware you take not, for ye may receaue but once a yeare, and then alſo you muſte receaue but ye one halfe, the cuppe he wil kepe from you. In baptiſme is required gods eleccion, if y• childe be an infaunt: or faith if he be of age. And therfore he reciteth the promes, that it maye bee heard: but here is no fayth requyred.
For how can men beeleue, whan they ar dead? No promes is thē preached or heard. So that euen thys theyr ſimilitude maketh the mater playne inough.
For baptyſme, al men knowe, to be no ſacrifice.
But of thys I hauehave ſpokē a litle before, that if applying come by the prieſtes maſſyng: then were preachyng in vayne, beleuynge in vayne, godly lyfe in vayne, ye prieſte were goddes felowe, yea Chryſtes ſuperiour, as is afore ſard. Now to the thirde, of praying for the dead: wherin I wilbe brefe.