Questions of Religion, Commonplaces · Commonplace 12
The. xij. Common place. Of the sacrifice of the Masse.
The. xlviij. Question.
Whether they doe beleue that the true bodie & bloud of Christ in the sacrament of the aultar be a true and an acceptable sacrifice vntounto God, whiche ought to be offered in the Churche of Christ in the blessed office of the Masse vncessantly for the quick & the dead, vntyll the comming of Chryst?
The Answere.
SIth we hauehave sufficientlyChristes body is offered no more. before proued that the true body and bloude of Christ, is not in the Sacramente corporally, it foloweth of necessitie yt the same canne not be offered vp in the Masse by the priestes. But yet the Romishe churche teacheth that the bodye and bloude of Christe is corporally and substantially present, and in the office of their Masse offered vp to God by the Priestes, for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead, and therefore oughte to be woorshipped. But the form of the Masse dothe not agrée with the institution of the Lordes supper, but is encreased by the long continuaunce of time wyth diuers additions, rights, & Ceremonies, so as Gregorius the seuenth Pope doth confesse that in his time the Masse was not celebrated in all places of ye world after one manner: wherefore without all doute the Apostles, Peter, James, and Mathewe did neuer celebrate the Masse vsed in the Churche of Rome, but were altogyther ignoraunte thereof. Therefore the Churches of the gospell hauehave by good right putte away and abolished the Romishe Masse, and in the stead therof, hauehave rightly and godly ordained the supper of oure Lord Jesus Christe, which was godly celebrated in the old Apostolical church, without any of the Popes, or mannes traditions, or additions. And therfore, to the foresaide question we answer: that we do not acknowledge nor receiue the Masse, for the institution of God, but flée from it, as being contrary to oure profession, partly for causes already shewed, and partly for such causes as héereafter we shall shewe.
But that we may the better knoweOf the sacrifices of Christians. what sacrifices are, we will héere vntounto adde a few words. There are amongst the Christians chéefely, two kindes of sacrifices, the one propiciatorie for the reconciliation and remission of sinnes, and the other of thāks geuing, in which we exercise our faith, serue God, & geue him thankes, bothe wyth wordes and déedes, for his benefits bestowed vponupon vsus. In the olde Testament, the sacrifice propitiatorie, was shadowed and figured by many figures, yet was there but one thing, which they all did signifie, to wit, the body and bloud of Christe offered on the crosse. Wherefore, after that Christ came into the world, and remained héere a certaine time, that he might offer his body and bloude on the crosse, for the remission of sinnes, he ordained …n his supper, the Sacrament of the ge…ing of his body, and the shedding of his …loud, calling it the cuppe of the Newe …estament in his bloud. Wherfore this Sacrament ought from hence forth on… to be in stead of all the Sacraments of the Olde testament which were figures, and to witnesse that as Christe by the Sacraments of the Olde testament, was promised a sauiour, so in the …ewe testament he is come, and hathe …rformed it, and so by the sacrifice of his body and bloud, hathe taken away for euer, all the sinnes of the faythfull: Wherefore, when our Lord would of…rChrist is the onelyonly sacrifice that taketh avvay sinne. himselfe vppon the crosse, and that … houre was come in which he would …liuer vp his spirite, & so by his deathe …ll sinne, death, and hell, he cried with …oud voice: It is finished. As who shuld …y that sacrifice is nowe ended and ful…lled, in which all the figures and pro…isses of the fathers are accomplished, …ne fréely pardoned, and eternal righ…ousnesse, is obtained vntounto euerlasting life. And therefore so soone as our Lord was deade, and had in this sorte offered vp him selfe a sacrifice to God his heauenly father, the vaile of the Temple rente in two péeces, greate myracles were séene bothe in the liuing and in the deade, yea in heauen and in earthe. And thus did the olde Testament, the Leuiticall priesthoode, and all the other Sacrifices take their ende whereunto they were ordained.
Therfore nowe resteth but the one only and euerlasting sacrifice of Christ, as the chéefest, holyest, and moste perfecte.
And suche is the propretie of this Sacrifice, that it neither coulde, nor yet can, be offered of any liuing man, bicause not onelyonly for the excellencie and holynesse thereof, but also bicause of the imperfection of manne. And therefore Christe offered vp him selfe, that is to say, gaue him self vntounto death, and so became the one and euerlasting Bishop, after the order of Melchisedech as onelyonly Bishop and sacrifice offered to God by him selfe onelyonly. Yea this sacrifice which he offered, is but one, that is to say once offered, neither can it any more be offered againe. For that hys one sacrifice is hys deathe once made effectuall, that it onelyonly, and for euer, mighte be sufficiente for all ages, for the reconciliation and remission of sinnes. And bicause Christe hathe suffered for vsus, dyed, was buryed, and arose againe from the deade, and ascended into Heauen, appearing for euer euen vntounto the laste daye as one sufficient sacrifice in the sight of God, for the full and perfecte redemption of all the Faithfull, that is sufficient, neither néedeth there any other Sacrifice to be offered in the Churche for the remission of sinnes.
Wherefore, if there be any that wil offer a Sacrifice for his sinnes, he dothe manifestly héereby declare, that hée dothe not beléeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him by the onelyonly Sacrifice of Christe. For if he stedfastly beléeue, that they are washed away, why then dothe he séeke a newe Sacrifice to be offered? And therfore it followeth, that the holy church, euen to the ende of the worlde, doth acknowledge none other sacrifice propitiatorie for sinnes, but the deathe and passion of Christe alone. And that which of this only sacrifice of Christe I hauehave hither vntounto spoken, is most truely and manifestly confirmed by the euidēt testimony of holy scripture, as Leui. 16. Zach. 3. Hebr. 5. 7. 8. 9. and 10. chapters.
But to returne to the Lords supper,In the Lordes supper ther is onelyonly a remē brance of his only sacrifice. it is not in that respecte that we do minister it a propitiatorie Sacrifice, that by the doing and celebrating of it, we should be deliuered from sinne. For the deathe and sacrifice of Christe vponupon the crosse (if we hauehave faithe) hathe deliuered and purged vsus from oure sinnes. Neyther is Christe in his supper crucified againe, or his body offered in the same againe, for why, no Priest is able to offer it: but there is onelyonly celebrated a remembraunce of his Sacrifice once perfected, and that not by the Priest alone, but by the whole churche. For so our sauioure Christ commaunded, saying: Doc this in the remembraunce of me, wherefore S. Augustine (very agreeable with the holy scripture) wryteth againste the Manachees, saying: That before the comming of Christe, the Sacrifice of his body and bloud vvas promised by the figured sacrifices of the olde Testamente: but by his comming and passion it is finished: and that after his ascention, the remembrance thereof is celebrated. Wherefore the opinion of those which say that the body and bloud of Christe is offered in the Masse for the quicke and the deade vntounto the ende of the worlde, can in no wise be confirmed by any testimonies of holy Scripture. And to passe ouer, that the deade hauehave already receiued their iudgement, as it is already saide in the thirtie foure and thirtie fiue Questions: they besides can not any more be made partakers of the Lords supper: for the Lord saith, Take and eate, which thing the deade can not doe. But in that they say the priest eateth for the deade, they doe it contrary to the commaundemente of Christe. To conclude, the supper of the Lorde is onelyonly the remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ once finished, and not the sacrifice it selfe, and that done only by those which héere doe liue. The sacrifice of praise and thanks giuing comprehendethThe sacrifice of praise & thanks giuing. first the praise and thankes which they offer to God by a pure faith for all his benefites bestowed on them. And bicause in the Lordes Supper, we chéefely make a remembrance of Christes death, and our redemption, & therfore praise God, and geue thankes vntounto him, the fathers hauehave called the same supper a sacrifice: and we also doe willingly acknowledge that this sacramēt in this sorte, is an acceptable Sacrifice vntounto God: and yet not bicause the priest offereth the body and bloud, or prayers for to merite or gaine thereby, but bicause the whole congregation in theyr prayers offer vntounto God praise & thanks geuing for the benefite of Christes sacrifice which once offered vp him selfe vppon the crosse. Many things in déede are spoken of this Sacrifice in the holy scriptures, as in the Psalmes, the Prophets, the Epistles of Paul, and chéefely in the thirtienth chapter to the Hebrewes. Yea also of the Fathers, as Ireneus, and Tertullian, vppon the woordes of Malachie in his firste Chapter. &c.
Furthermore, the studie to obey the commaundemente of God, to the encrease of oure faithe, and the prouoking of others vntounto good, the forgeuing of offences and mutuall louelove, yea the studie of righteousnesse and holinesse, the offering of oure bodies and soules, is an acceptable sacrifice vntounto God. Like as the Psalmes, Prophetes, Euangelists and Apostles doe eche where exhort… vsus, and chéefely in the twelfthe chapter to the Romaines.
And we thincke it more necessary and profitable that men be wel instructed touching this Sacrifice, and that these things shoulde be taughte them, than to force them to beléeue the sacrifice of the Masse: by the marchaundise whereof, those which call them selues spirituall, doe rather encrease & enlarge their owne riches, than the glorye of Christ, and the saluation of the faithful. Therefore lette eueryevery good man well consider with him self, the doctrine concerning the sacrifices of the Christians whereof we hauehave hither vntounto spoken, and leaning neither the one way nor the other, let them due…y cōsider which is best for their saluation.