The Anatomy of the Mass, Book 1 · Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIIII. In what ſence the holy Supper may be called a Sacrifice. Of Melchiſedeks Sacrifice. And of the Oblation whereof Malachy ſpeaketh.
THe holy Scripture calleth our Almes, our Prayers, our Praiſes and Thankeſgivings, and generally what worſhip ſoever wee render unto God, Sacrifices. In this ſence the holy Supper may be called a Sacrifice. For the queſtion betweene us and our Adverſaries, is not whether the Euchariſt may be cal…ed a Sacrifiee: But whether it be truly and properly a Sacrifice of redemption, and whether the Prieſts in the Maſſe ſacrifice the body of Chriſt really and truely for the ſins of the quick and of the dead.
Touching that, our Adverſaries bring no manner of proofe out of the new Teſtament, wherein nevertheleſſe the inſtitution of this Sacrifice ſhould appeare. Only they all eadge out of the Old Teſtament the example of Melchiſedek, who as they ſay ſacrificed bread and wine. Gen. 14.18. Which they produce falſly for that place ſaith no ſuch thing. Melchiſedek brought out bread and wine to Abraham for to refreſh his wearie… troopes, but offered not bread and wine to Abraham in Sacrifice. The very Bibl… of the Roman Church hath proferens, and not offerens. Nevertheleſſe we wil ſuppoſe that place to be faithfully alleadged. For if the Maſſe be the Sacrifice o… Melchiſedek, it will follow that the Maſſe is a Sacrifice of bread and wine and not of ſleſh and bones and blood From thence it followeth alſo that the Maſſe is not a Sacrifice of redemption. For bread and wine offered up in Sacrified cannot bee the price of our redemption. It were an abuſe to think that Melchiſedek hath ſacrificed bread for the redemption of any one. The propitiatory ſacrifices, under the Old Teſtament, were made by the death of the victime: and no propitiation was made without ſhedding of blood, ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 9. …2. In ſumme, it is to ſpeak againſt the comm…n ſence, to argue thus: Melchiſedek offered bread and wins: Therefore the Prieſt ſacrificeth the Lords body and blood.
They object likewiſe a place of Malachy, chap. 1. wherein God promiſeth that in every place, Incenſe ſhall be offered unto his Name, and a pure offering. Which is a Propheſie of the calling of the Gentiles, whereby God foretels that among the …tions, and acceptable ſervice ſhall bee offered unto him. Of the Sacrifice of the Lords body: he ſpeaketh nothing of it. The novelty of this ſervice is, that it ſhall be made among all Nations, whereas in Malachies time …it was but made in the Jewiſh Nation.
They ſay alſo that the Paſſeover of the Old Teſtament was a Sacrifice, and by conſequent that the Lords Supper, that ſucceeded thereunto, muſt be Sacrifice. They ſpeake with as much reaſon, as if I ſhould ſay that the night muſt be cleare, becauſe it ſucceedeth to the day which is bright and cleere, and that duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page old Age is ſtrong and luſty, ſeeing it ſucceedeth to yong Age which is ſtrong, and luſty. The ſucceſſion of one thing unto another, bringeth commonly great alterations. Adde to this that our Adverſaries will not have the Maſſe to be ſuch a Sacrifice as that Paſſeover was. For the Paſſeover was not offered by the Prieſts, and was not made upon the Altar of the Temple: it was a domeſticall ſacrifice which particular men made at home in their own houſes; As it appeareth by the Paſſeover which Chriſt did celebrate among his Diſciples, in which no Prieſt was employed. And even though by this example our Adverſaries had prooved that the Euchariſt is a Sacrifice: yet there would remaine for them to prove that in this Sacrifice Chriſts body is really ſacrificed.