The Confutation of the 13 Articles, Article 6
Shaxton. The .vi. Article.
THe ſaied oblation or ſacrifice, ſo by the prieſte offered in the maſſe is auaylable and profitable, boeth for the quicke and the deade, although it lyeth not in the power of mā to limit how muche, or in what meaſure the ſame doeth auayle.
Crowley.
If I were not fullye perſwaded, that in the time that you writ theſe Articles (other els ſubſcribed vntounto them) for thei ſeme to be boltes of wyncheſters quiuer) the good ſpirite of God had lefte you, and the euyll ſpirite was entred, as into Saul, the fyrſt king…ynges .xvi. of Iſraell: I coulde not meruayle inoug he at your greate obliuiouſnes herein.
For in the laſte Article we ſpake of, you ſayed that the ſatiſfaction for the ſynnes of the world, was to be attributed to the paſſion of Chriſte onelye, and not to the oblation or action of the prieſte in the maſſe. For you ſayd, that it was but a ſacrifice of praiſe and thankes geuynge to God for hys benifites. And nowe yé ſaye that the oblation afore named, ſo offered vp by the prieſte in the maſſe: is auaylable borth for the quicke and the deade, althoughe it lye not in the power of man, to lymet howe muche, nor in what meaſure it auayleth. I can not ſe therefore, but that you are ſo forgetfull, that you forget in thys Article the thyng that you ſpake of in the laſt. Yet bicauſe you ſhal hauehave none occaſion to thinke me partial in thys matter I ſhal take eueryevery thynge to the moſt anauntage for youre opinion that maye be. And then ſhall I (by the ayde of God) declare your confuſe opinions ſo plainlye, that you your ſelf ſhal diſlike thē, I doubt not. Fyrſt you might ſay, that in this article, you mene of that oblation or ſacrifice, that you cal the bodie and bloud offered in the maſſe, whiche you ſaye, is the ſelfe ſame that was offered on the croſſe, and then it is and muſte nedes be auaylable and profitable for the quyche and the dead, becauſe it is the ſatiſfaction for the ſynnes of the whole worlde, whych you ſaye in the ende of your laſte article, is to be attributed onelye to the paſſion of Chriſte. Wherfore, to make thys your meanyng, is to deny that which you ſaid before. I would therfore thynke it beſte for you to ſaye, that you meane here of the oblation and action of the prieſte, whyche you call the ſacrifice of prayſe and thankes geuyng…, and then I ſhall deſpre you to tell me what profitte it is that commeth to the quycke and the dead by thys ſacrifice.
Perchaunce you would ſaye, that although it be not a full ſatiſfaction for the ſynnes of the worlde: yet is it a meane whereby the ſoules of them for whome it is done, do emoye the ſatiſfaction made by Chriſte on the croſſe. For ſo do ſome of youre doctours teache, ſayinge that it is the applycation of the merytes of Chriſt, to the ſayers, hearers and biers thereof. But amongeſte all other, I woulde fayne know of you, what the ſellers do gaine by thys. Doubtleſſe (as I ſuppoſe) more then al the reſt. For they obtaine thys worlds welth therby, what ſo euer the other hauehave. What they ſhall loſe at the daye of the Lorde, iudge you. I truſt not to be par tener wyth them in theyr gaynes. But thys I wyl ſay to you. If thys be ſuch an applicatiō as you make it: you are far vncharitable, that (haueynge a competente portion to lyne vponupon) do not continually occupie youre ſelfe therin, ſeynge you be called thereunto. Yea I thinke it no leſſe thē your boūden dutye ſo to do: ſeynge you be called to ſo hygh a miniſtration, as to applye the merites of Chriſte to mens ſoules. But to auoyde this greate trauaylle, it ſhall be beſte for you to ſaye, as the pardoners dyd by theyr pardōs and as your purgatorye prieſte ſaye. No pe…ye, no Pater noſter, the money muſte fyrſte applye your ſacrifices: and then your ſacrifices muſte apply Goddes mercies.
Oh moſte deteſtable, and more thē blaſphemouſe doctrine. Shall youre fonde in…tions, applye the merites of Chriſte to the ſoule of mā? Shal not the faith in Chriſt do thys thynge? Shall wee loke to be made partakers wyth hym, by other meanes then he hath appointed? Wyl you (villayne wret rhes) take vponupon you to make marchaundiſe of Chriſtes merytes.
Ye blynde guydes, heare the threatningsEſai .v. of the prophet. Wo be to you that cal good ruyll, and euyll good, lyght darckenes, and darckenes lyghte. If it be good to truſte in youre applycations: then is oure ſayeth in vayne. If we maye receyue Chriſtes merites, wythout youre applications: then are they vayne.
That we maye do ſo, is marifeſte by that many receyued them before youre applications were inuented, And wher hauehave you any commaundemente in the ſcriptures thus to applye Chriſtes merites at youre pleaſure? Wyll you apply the merytes of Chriſte to the membres of the deuyll? What adulterer what, ertorcioner, what vſurer, what whormonger, what murtherer, wyll not you ſaye maſſe for, if you be hyered. And do you not ſaye that the maſſes whyche you ſynge and ſayeare the application of Chriſtes merites to them that you ſay them for?
Oh adulterous generation. Forget notEſay .v. the forſayed curſſe of the prophete. Wobe vntounto you that cal good euyl and euyl good. You ſaie it is good to purchaſe your chauntres, trentalles, and dirige maſſes, for the healthe of our ſoules, boeth whylſe we be alyue here, and whē we be deade. But to truſt in the deathe of Chriſte onelye, and to beſtowe our ryches vpō the lyuely Images of God, the blynde, lame, and impotent creatures, regardynge nothinge of your apylhe applications: you ſaye is heriſie. Thorowe you are the people prouoked to anger, and are become the chyldren of lies, refuſyng to here the lawe of God. To them that ſe: they ſaye, ſe not, And to them that ſerche out, theyEſai .x xx. ſaye, ſearche not oute for vsus the thynges that be ſtraight and good. Speake to vsus the thinges that pleaſe vsus. Seeke oute erroures for vsus.
Alas for you (mouſte miſerable men) if it were better to be tyed to a milſtone and caſt into the ſea, then in offende one of the leaſte lyttle ones that beleue in Chriſte: what plages rā you hope to eſcape, that hauehave and do daylye offende ſo manye? Is not the whole multitude of the people brought to ſuch pas by your vngodlye preachinges and whiſperinges in eares: that they hate euen to death, al them that preach the pure worde of God voied of al the dregges of Dunſſe learning and mans traditiōs? Preach to v… (ſay they) the doctrine that onre fathers folowed. It was neuer mery in Englāde, ſence the newe Teſtament and Chriſt was ſomuch ſpoken of. Thys is youre doynge.
This is the fruit of your popeiſh preaching Repent you of thys (O you Romeiſhe merchauntes) for your citye ſhal fal, & the great deſtruction therof is at hande.