A Short View of the Prelatical Church of England 2, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Name.
FOr the Firſt, the Service-book-men, and the Papiſts do mutually interchange the Name of Lyturgy and Maſſe; the latter call their Maſſe by the name of Lyturgy: the Jeſuite, Sanctes, Profeſſeth, That the moſt convenient Name that can be given to the Maſſe,Liturg. p. 8. is that of Lyturgy or Service, not but that the word Lyturgy is of good uſe, for foreign, ſignifieth to officiate in ſacred Worſhip, witneſs, Act. 13.1. foreign, as they were miniſtring unto the Lord. Where the Rhemiſts vaunt of a coined liberty,Ro 15.16 to tranſlate the word, ſaying Maſſe, which were to croſs the truth; and all the learned upon the place, as Oecumenius, Theophylact, and Chryſoſtome; yea, and their own Expoſitors, as Caſetan and others: the Apoſtle rendreth it by another Word of the ſame value, foreign but howſoever they ſcrape kindneſs to a word of uſe, till they abuſe it; yet who knoweth not, that knoweth any thing, that their Liturgie is the very Lethargie of Worſhip: And what difference between our Liturgie and theirs? Truly nothing but a pair of ſheers, and putting ours in a Coat of another tongue, as ſhall afterward abundantly appear, only ours hath not all that theirs hath: but ours hath nothing to a word, but out of theirs: And thence it is, that our Lyturgian Patrons do meet the Jeſuite mid-way, by owning the name of Maſſe to our Service-Book, Sunday n… ſabbath.Witneſs Pocklington, who calls the ſecond Service, juſt the ſame with the Maſſe: ſo Cozens, witneſs Maſter Smart's Sermon, and not only ſo, in relation to the ſecond Service,Antic. p. 10. but even in regard of the whole Bulk, as Pocklington in the end of his Altare, &c. and Mountague. In name you ſee then, there is an unanimous agreement, and foreign names are the very images of things: & for their agreement in matter & manner, in all things of importance, we ſhall make it as evident as the former: in the mean time, what reaſon is there, that we ſhould groan ſtill under the burthen of a Lyturgie born in upon us, under the Name and Nature of a Maſſe, which is nothing but a Maſs of Idolatry, and an Idol of Abomination? The name is a name of Blaſphemy out of the Devils Cabula, as we take it: For what language it is, or what it ſignifieth, for any thing we know, was never yet known; the Hebrews call their Tribute by the name of Miſſa, witneſſe that place in Exodus, laying out the oppreſſion of the Iſraelites, by Pharaoh and his Princes, or Officers, Exod. 1.11.who are called Officers of the Tribute ſet over Gods people: the Word Tribute in the firſt language is, Miſſa, of thé word Meſſas, as the Learned obſerve, which ſignifieth to melt: both the name and Etimologie, ſuit very well with the Popiſh Maſſe: for it hath melted away true Religion and Spiritual devotion, and as it inſlaveth the ſouls of people, by leaving them naked (as Solomon ſaith) of the Preaching of the Word,Prov. 29.18. for ſo the word ſignifieth, ſo it is made an engine to ſcrew out the bowels of their eſtates, waſting & melting mens ſubſtance, as the ſnow againſt the Sun, beſides the univerſal experience of the extortion of the Maſs, where ever it beareth ſway; we may inſtance it too fully in this Iſland, where infinite Maſſes of Money hath been melted away within theſe few Yeares, without any profit to the King or Subject, but to the great prejudice of both: for the exhauſting of the Subject is the emptineſſe of the King. Tiberius could ſay, Adulterinum eſt aurum quod cum ſubditorum lachrymis exprimitur, it is a baſe kind of Gold that is ſqueezed out with the tears of the ſubject; but who hath caſt the State in this conſumption of mony? Who hath made the hearts to ake, and the Souls to groan of honeſt Houſholders, when they have been forced it may be, to part with more than they had? Who in time of Peace, and under good Laws, have cauſed mens Houſes and Fields forcibly to be entred, their Goods to be carried away? Who have cauſed the Kings liege People, and that for obeying the Laws of God & man, to be carried to ſtifling Priſons, contrary to the Laws of the Land, and priviledge of the Subject? Who have cauſed ſome to be Tormented and Tortured with unparalel'd cruelty, both for kind and continuance? Laſtly, Who have been the Incendiaries or Firebrands to melt away (if they could) the Kings love to his Subjects, and the Subjects true loyalty to the King; who (we ſay) but theſe Lyturgian Lords, and their Jeſuited confederates, together with their Popiſh and helliſhly prophane Prieſts, Officers, and Appendices: to prove theſe or any of them, were to ſhew a Man the Sun: and many ſheets could not hold the Particulars. But to the purpoſe in hand, the Service or Maſſe-Book (as they call it) is the main engine, it is the Saddle, and we (to ſpeak a homely Truth) are the Aſſes (for Engliſhmen are called by the Jeſuites, the Popes Aſſes) the Hierarchie & their Adherents are our riders: the Saddle hath ſo pinched and galled our Backs, that we know not how to take on the burthen of the Lord Jeſus, though it be very light; our riders have with Spur and Rod of their Rhadamanthean Courts and Temporal Uſurpations ſo jaded us, (with leave be it ſpoken) that they have almoſt rid the Spirit of zeal and courage out of us; and had they but got the Saddle with ſome more new girts & trappings upon the Scots, as they intended, they had gone near to have rid Religion and Policy to death:Gen. 49.17. but as the Scots have proved like Dan. Lyons for Proweſs, and Serpents for Providence, in overturning both the Saddle and Rider; up in the Name of the Lord, and do the like: What ſhould we do with the Maſs?Deut. 23.22. ſome of whoſe Friends nor ſo well acquainted with the Nature of it, would ſtorm, if we ſhould call a ſpade a ſpade, but they muſt believe their Book-mens teſtimonies, publiſhed under the favor of their little great Land-lord of the Soyle, (who knows beſt how it ſhould be called …one of whoſe Bandiliers tells us in great heat,Pocklington. Sunday no Sabbath. none but Schiſmatiques will deny the harmony of miſſification, away with it then: To finiſh this point, I will enforce the concluſion with this Argument, We are not to name an Idol but with deteſtation, much leſs are we to offer it as a worſhip of God.
But the Service or Maſs-book is an Idol, Ergo, we are not to mention it but with deteſtation, much leſs to offer it to God as a Worſhip.
The Spirit is abundant in the proof of the former Propoſition, Exod. 22.13. Hoſ. 13.2. & 2.17. Pſal. 16.4. all remarkable Places, teaching us to be wary with what Worſhip we joyn with; but in the firſt of theſe places there is a Triplication of the charge in divers terms, yet all beating upon the ſame thing, to make us to look to it: In the latter Propoſition there are two things, one implyed, namely, that the Service-book is the Maſs-book; for proof whereof, Habemus confitentes, we have their own avouchment; and if they ſhould deny it, we ſhall in the point following prove it, whereunto now we come.