Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Floating text 2 · Popish error 5
5. That Ieſus Chriſt and his Paſsion are offered up to God as a ſacrifice in the Not the adoring which he mentions not.Sacrament of the Altar; and that it is a Sacrifice, as well as a Sacrament.
VVEE ſhall begin with Biſhop Mountagnos Viſitation Articles; printed both at London and Cambridge, Anno 1638. Tit. 7. Num. 12. If we will follow the courſe of the Ancient primitive Apoſtolicall Church, we ought not to traduce or be offended at the name, thing or uſe of Altar, whereat A MANIFOLD SACRIFICE is offered to God.
What kind of Sacrifice this is, Francis Sales thus declares, in his Introduction to a Devout Life, P. 191. 194. Vſe then all diligence to be preſent often at this Heavenly Feaſt, that with the Prieſt and other devout aſſiſtants thou maiſt joyntly offer up the fruit thereof, Chriſt Jeſus, to God his Father, for they ſelfe and all the neceſſities of holy Church.
The death and paſſion of our Redeemer which are actually and eſſentially repreſented in this holy Sacrifice, with the Prieſt and the reſt of the faithfull people, thou ſhalt offer unto God the Father for his eternall honour and thine owne ſalvation.
Robert Shelford in his five Treatiſes, ſeconds him in theſe termes, Pag. 2. The Sacrament of the Altar in which the ſacrifice of our Lord Chriſt is remembred, and repreſented unto his Father, P. g. 4. There the memory of the everlaſting ſacrifice is made and preſented unto the holy Trinity, Pag. 19. Here the great ſacrifice of Chriſts death for our Salvation, is in rememberance repreſented to God the Father, &c.
Doctor Pocklington is very copious in this Theme, in his Altare Chriſtianum, P. 130 Biſhop Mountague ſaith thus: I beleeve no ſuch ſacrifice of the Altar as the Church of Rome doth, I fancie no ſuch Altars as they imply, though I profeſſe a Sacrifice and an Altar: And a little after ſpeaking of his Adverſaries, hee ſaith thus; I have ſo good opinion of your underſtanding, though weake, that you will confeſſe the bleſſed Sacrament of the Altar (or Communion-table) whether you pleaſe, to be a Sacrifice, &c. Pag. 135. Abuſes of Altars and ſacrifices condemned not the things themſelves: Prieſts, Sacrifices, Oblations, Altars. The Sacrament of the Altar is not aboliſhed, P. 122. The Prophet Malachi ſaith Saint Juſtin Martyr did propheſie de Sacrificiis Gentium, id eſt de paue Euchariſtia & poculo Euchariſtiae. It appeareth that St. Iuſtin that holy Martyr did call the Euchariſt, a ſacrifice, and hath the Prophet for his warrant. Saint Ireneus alſo ſaith, that when Chriſt tooke the Bread and the Wine, Gratias eget, he gave thanks, and ſaid the bread was his body, and confeſſed the wine to be his bloud, et novi Teſtamenti novam docuit oblationem, and taught a new oblation of the New Teſtament; which the Church receiving from the Apoſtles, in univerſo mundo offert deo, doth offer unto God in all the world. This, ſaith he, is that pure ſacrifice offered unto God in every place which the Prophet Malachi ſpake of, before, Pag. 124. Saint Chryſoſt. How ſhall we receive this ſacred hoſt? How ſhall we partake the Lords body with a defiled tongue? For this ſacrifice, Domini ſacrificium eſt. This ſacrifice, the Prieſt ſtanding at the Altar, offereth to God for al the world, for Biſhops, for the church &c. according to our Collect on Good Friday, Pag. 126. When the ſacrifice of our Mediatour is offered it cannot be denied, but the faithfull are hereby eaſed. This oblation the ſame Father calls ſummum & veriſſimum Sacrificium, and ſaith, that at the memories of Martyrs, Deo offertur ſacrificium Christianorum, ipſum vero ſacrificium corpus eſt Chriſti, which is not offered to them (for themſelves are the body of Chriſt) but unto God, Pag. 127. It appeareth by that which hath beene ſaid that there were Altars, and oblations, and ſacrifices which the Fathers allowed. To conclude, this conſtant Doctrine of the holy Fathers concerning Altars, Oblations, and Sacrifices, is confirmed by the Canons of ſundry Councells, Pag. 128. Altars, Oblations, and ſacrifices were in Common uſe amongſt the moſt holy Saints of God that ever lived, Pag. 136. If there be no Chriſtian Altar, there is no Chriſtian Sacrifice, if no Chriſtian Sacrifice, there is no Chriſtian Prieſt, if there be no Chriſtian Prieſt, away with the Booke of Ordination of Prieſts and Deacons.
We ſhall cloſe up this with Doctor Peter Heylins words in his Antidotum Lincolnienſe. P. 6. 17. and 26. A Sacrifice it was in figure, a ſacrifice in fact, and ſo by conſequence, a ſacrifice in the Commemorations, or upon the Poſt-fact. A ſacrifice there was among the Jewes, ſhewing forth Chriſts death unto them, before his comming in the fleſh, a ſacrifice there muſt be amongſt the Chriſtians, to ſhew forth the Lords Death till he come in Judgement; and if a ſacrifice muſt be, there muſt be alſo Prieſts to doe, and Altars whereupon to do it, becauſe without a Prieſt and Altar, there can be no ſacrifice, yet ſo that the precedent ſacrifice was of a different nature from the ſubſequent, and ſo are alſo both the Prieſt and Altar from thoſe before; a bloudy ſacrifice then, an unbloody now: a Prieſt derived from Aaron then, from Melchiſedech now, an Altar for Moſaicall Sacrifices: then for Evangelicall now: for viſible and externall ſacrifices, though none for bloudy and externall ſacrifices: Not an improper Altar, and an improper ſacrifice, as you idlely dream of; for ſacrifices, Prieſts, and Altars being relatives, as your ſelfe confeſſeth, the ſacrifice and the Altar being improper muſt needs inferre that even our Prieſthood is improper alſo.
No Ieſuit can or doth ſay more then this amounts to: