The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
THe Apoſtle hauing hitherto continued in doctrine, eſpecially in teaching vsus, that we are freely iuſtifyed in Chriſt by fayth without works, and that this iuſtification is common both to Iewes and Gentiles▪ He commeth to exhortations▪ Rom. 12. 2.mouing vsus to offer vp our ſelues vntounto God in ſacrifice GiueGive vp your bodies, a quicke ſacrafice, holy and acceptable to God. And that we may be the better inſtructed, in offering our ſelues aright or as we ought to doe the telleth vsus firſt that we muſt not Be faſhioned like vntounto this worlde to follow the corruptions thereof.2. Secondly we muſt be Renued in the ſpirit of our minde, that hauing our vnderſtanding lightened we may proue what is that will of God, good, acceptable and perfect: not following too earneſtly our owne affections, but ſubmitting our ſelues and our willes, to Gods good will. And thus muſt we ſacrifice vp our ſelues to God. Much like is that,1. Pet. 2. 5. that S. Peter alſo writeth of Our ſpirituall ſacrifices acceptable to God through Ieſus Chriſt. Nowe none can offer a ſacrifice, but ſuch as are prieſtes, but all men muſt offer theſe ſacrifices: (for the Apoſtles both of them write, not onelyonly to ſuch as were in the miniſterie among them, but euen to the lay people, mouing then to offer theſe offerings) therefore all men are prieſtes. Yea S. Peter in playne words affirmeth that we are A royall prieſthoode, 9.or as it is in Exodus from whence he borroweth thoſe wordes A kingdom of prieſtes. Exod. 16. 6.For there al muſt be kings, and al muſt be priſtes. Neither can we reade that there is inſtituted in the newe teſtament any other kinde of Sacrifiſing prieſtes then theſe. And wee muſt alſo marke what our ſacrifice is that is heere mentioned: The ſacrifice (not of Chriſtes bodie) but of our owne bodies, the ſacrifiſing and ſanctifing of our ſelues. Now if the Apoſtles had knowen of any ſacricire of the Maſſe,The Sacrifice of the Maſſe. was there not now good occaſion to hauehave mentioned it? Yea if it had béene in ſo greate accompt as the papiſtes hold it to be, how coulde theſe two Apoſtles, without great impietie hauehave buried in ſilence, or paſſed ouer without mentioning, ſo neceſſarie a ſeruice of God? But then there was no ſuch thing, and therefore it is not ſpoken of by them, who can beſt tell vsus what the olde Roman ſaith was. It hath beene long after that time raked out of the verie channell and ſinke of ſuperſtitions, and is ſo contrarie to that they taught, that if this ſacrifice of the Maſſe had beene but once mentioned in their time, they would in expreſſe wordes, hauehave made the verie name of it odious, among Gods people. Well of this exhortation we learne, becauſe we are both the ſacrifice, and ſacrificer, the offering and the prieſt, that we muſt in al thinges apply our ſelues in holines to ſerue God. For that which is offered to GOD muſt hauehave no blemiſh: and the prieſtes were conſecrated to Gods ſeruice: euen ſo muſt we ſtriue to be faultleſſe, and alwaies indeuour to be occupied in good workes, and in ſo doing we ſhall in deede as holy prieſtes, offer vntounto God moſt acceptable ſacrifices. As concerning ſacrifices for ſinne we knowe none but Chriſt, we ſeeke none but him, becauſe wee neede none beſide him. If God hauehave (ſaith Chriſoſtome) by one ſacrifice taken away ſinne,In Epiſt. ad Heb. ca. 10. Ho. 18. wée neede not another. And againe, there is no other ſacrifice, one hath cleanſed vsus, after which followeth fyre and hell. And Theophilact writeth that the ſacrifice of Chriſtes body once offered, In Epiſt. ad Heb. ca. 7. Ho. 13 Theophil. in Ep. ad Heb. cap. 10.ſhall alwaies be auailable for our ſaluation, ſo that we ſhall not ſtand in neede of a ſecond. With this one therefore wee may well content our ſelues and comfort our conſciences with the ſufficiencie thereof, ſaying with ſweete S. Bernard, In Cantica▪ ſerm. 22.Thy paſſion (O Lord) is the laſt refuge, the onelyonly remedy. When wiſedome fayleth, when my righteouſnes cannot helpe, and the merits of holines cannot ſerue the turne, then doth it ſtand me in ſteed.
But in the Church of Rome which now is, there is no mention of prieſts, but onelyonly of thoſe ſhorne and ſmeered ſacrifice… And if you deſire to knowe,Prieſtes. howe and when their prieſthoode was inſtituted, they wil tell you Chriſt did inſtitute their order, when hee ſaide at his laſt ſupper doe ye this. For that which Chriſt referreth to the whol action of his laſt ſupper,Luc. 22. 19. which then he inſtituted, they wil hauehave it meant of his ſacrifice, as if hee had ſaide ſacrifice as I doe. And as they hauehave in trueth no colour of trueth, to wring out of thoſe wordes, their ſacrifyſing prieſthood, ſo in ſuch ſort to wreſt theſe wordes could not make for them. For if they ſay doe this, that is, ſacrifice as I doe, they are farre from ſacrifyſing as Chriſt did. For hee did, ſacrifice him ſelfe in his death vponupon the tree. But our Romiſh prieſts, will rather leaue their prieſthoode, then offer ſuch ſacrifices. Well it doth not appeare in the writinges of theſe two Apoſtles, that euer they dreamed of ſuch a prieſthood but onelyonly of that whereof by Chriſt we are all partakers, euen all that offer vp theſe ſpirituall ſacrifices, men, women, children, of all ages, ſortes, and ſexes. So that theſe ſacrificers are a new order, whether they be regular or irregular,Sacrifices. it maketh no great matter. For they were not ſo much as thought vponupon, in the Apoſtles times. And for the ſacrifices whereunto S. Paule moueth vsus, they tell vsus much of the ſacrifice of the Maſſe, an Idoll of their own making, ſet vp to deface and diſgrace the vertue and efficacie of Chriſt his death and paſſion. For when blaſphemouſly they terme it,Rom. 3. 24. 35. a ſacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead, is not that directly contrary to that free iuſtification by grace,Heb. 9. 12. by the redemption which is in Chriſt Ieſus which is eternally obtayned by his owne ſacrifice of himſelfe once offered,Heb. 10. 10. 14. euen to that propitiation which God hath ſet forth to vsus in his bloude? Which doctrine the Apoſtles teach vsus eueryevery where, and namelie S. Paule, moſt plentifully before hath inſtructed the Romans therein. Other offerings alſo they put vsus in minde of, namely to offer to ſtockes and ſtones, which they call ſaintes, fat offerings, with full hands, that the greater ſhare may come to the prieſtes. Yea they will alſo make men beleeue, that it is no meane ſacrifice to God, if you be good and bountifull to them, but that it ſmelleth full ſweetely, and is highly accepted of him. And thus whereas S. Paule teacheth vsus to ſacrifice our ſelues to God, they tell vsus that eyther we muſt ſacrifice our landes, goods, and poſſeſſions to them or their benefite, or elſe they muſt ſacrifice for vsus in the Maſſe, and not we for our ſelues. And theſe are the ſacrifices and offerings that they ſpeake of: how neere of kinne to thoſe that the Apoſtles ſpeake of let the reader iudge.