Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 41
The one and fortieth chapter prooueth that the masse may bee said and the Sacrament receiued▪ without a number of communicantes at one time in one place.Hesk.
When all is saide and done (saith M. Hesk.) the Masse shalbe holy and good, and this shalbe a trueth,Fulke. yt a priest saying Masse, or any other man godly disposed, sicke or whole, may receiue the holy sacrament alone: & for profe of this, he vseth this reason: All things forbidden vsus to do (as the aduersarie sayth) be conteyned in the scripture, priuate Masse & sole receiuing are not forbidden in scripture, therefore they may be done. His Maior is grounded vponupon the authoritie of his aduersaries. But which of his aduersaries sayeth that all things forbidden are forbidden by name? In deede we say that all things that are contrarie to Gods commaundment are forbidden, so are priuate Masse & sole receiuing, therefore they are forbiddē. That priuate Masse & sole receiuing are contrary to Gods commaundement, it is manifest by the institution of Christ, which is of a communion, & not of a priuate Masse or sole receiuing. Vnus panis, &c. One bread we being many are one bodie, &c. After this fond argument, which is returned vponupon his own neck, he cauilleth at ye proclaimers words, because he saith, he knoweth they hauehave such replyes, yt as there be many things spoken in ye old doctors of yt communion, so as many things or mo, are spoken by them of ye priuate Masse: but this latter part saith M. Hesk. he passeth ouer & will not rehearse one. I cannot blame M. Hesk. if he would faine hauehave the Bishop find something for him in ye doctors, yt soundeth for the priuate Masse, because hee can finde nothing him self. But when the bishop sayeth, hee knoweth they hauehave such replyes, he doth not graunt, that their reply is true, but denyeth it, as false, and if it were so, that any thing were in the old Doctours that might seeme to fauour the priuat Masse, yet what obligation hath M. Hes. of the bishop, wherein he is bound to shewe it forth in a sermon. I vse more words about this cauil, then the matter needeth▪ only to shew ye foolish frowardnes & peruerse foolishnes of this man, yt wil seek a knot in a rush, to take occasion to rayle and slander: But to the purpose, M. Hes. confessing, yt in the Primitiue Church the people did often cōmunicat, addresseth him self to proue, yt the sacrament may lawfully be receiued of one alone, and yt by Iustinus, whom both Cranmer & the proclamer (he saith) doth pitifully abuse, and truncatly alledge: but he him selfe doth falsifie and truncatly alledge, as we hauehave shewed before. But first I wish the reader to consider, yt he hath forsaken his priuat Masse, for which is no shew in the Doctours, and fleeth to sole receiuing in cases of necessitie, or in superstitious abuse, which proue not yt any priuat Masse was said. Iustinꝰ he citeth thus: Diaconi distribuunt &c. The Deacons deliuer of the consecrated bread and wine and water to euerie one that is present, and if there be any away, they carie it home to them. In this translation he leaueth out ad participandum, to be receiued, which is in his Latine text, and only maketh mention of ye deliuerie, omitting for what vse it was deliuered. In deede the Greek is otherwise, foreign. The distribution and participation of those thinges, for which thanks hath ben giuen, is made to eueryevery one, & to them yt are not present, by the Deacons there is sent. First I say, as there is a communion confessed of them that are present, so it was not cleare yt that which was caried to thē yt were absent, was caried as ye sacrament, but as almes: but admit it were caried as the sacrament, yet it foloweth not, yt it was receiued of eueryevery man alone, but of eueryevery family, which vponupon necessarie cause was absent from the whole congregation, or of diuers families meting in one, which could not meete in the common assembly, so that here is no priuat Masse said, but a communion ministred, neither is there so much as any sole receiuing proued, which if it were, yet proueth it not the priuat Masse. And therefore all M. Heskins babbling of the sacrament to be one, that is ministred or receiued in diuers places, and at diuers times, is vaine, and to no purpose, and most fond it is, that he compareth it to the sacrament of baptisme, which is but one to all men. For of that I may thus reason: though eueryevery mans baptisme is not a diuers baptisme, but all is one baptisme, as there is one faith and one God, yet as no man is baptized by other mens baptisme, but by his owne, so no man communicateth with other communions but onelyonly in that action wherein he is a communicant him selfe. Therfore M. Heskins fantasie of one Priest communicating with all Priestes in all places, is ouerthrowne by his owne argument and similitude. But he wil proue sole receiuing by Tertullian, S. Cyprian, Basil, and Hierome, by whom (he saith) it may be gathered, that the godly brought with them, a fine linnen cloth, or a pretie boxe to carie it home. I finde the sacramentall breade in some old writers of credite, caried in a cloth or a wicker basket, but I remember not any pretie boxe. For they had not such pretie cakes sixe hundreth yeres after Christ, as M. Heskins imagineth the pretie boxe serued to carie them in. In the superstitious Dialogues of Pope Gregorie Lib. 4. Cap. 56. we reade of two cakes called Coronae, which should hauehave bene giuen to a poore man in almes, for his seruice done in the Bathe, but this supposed poore man being a ghost, desiered that the same might be offered in Masse to redeeme him out of that his purgatorie: Out of this fable which Gregorie rehearseth, this truth is proued, that the breade they saide Masse withall at that time, was so great, ye two of these cakes wold giuegive a poore man his dinner at the least: for two of the Popish singing cakes would hauehave done him small pleasure for his bodily reliefe, for which at the first it was meant to be bestowed. But let vsus heare Tertullian, who writing to his wife, and dissuading her from marrying with an Infidel after his death, saith thus: Non sciet maritus quid secretò ante omnem cibum gustes? Et si sciuerit panem non illum credet esse, qui dicitur. Shall not thy husband knowe what thou doest secretely eate before all meate? And if he knowe it to bee breade, hee will not beleeue it to bee that breade, which it is saide to bee. I passe ouer howe M. Heskins hath corrupted Tertullian by false pointing, howe be it he can gather nothing of this place, but ye superstitious receiuing of women in corners, and that in time of persecution. But their superstition proueth neither sole receiuing to be good, & much lesse priuate Masse to be lawfull. That this custome was superstitious and naught, M. Heskins can not deny, for it was abolished by ancient councels, and the Papistes them selues do not obserue it, nor suffer it to be vsed, else why send they not ouer their consecrated cakes to their frends, as they doe their Agnus Dei, their graines of the Trinitie, and such other gaudes and bables? But Saint Basil hee weeneth giueth a notable testimonie, who writing to a Gentlewoman called Caesaria Patritia, which feared to touch the sacrament with her owne hande, saith thus. Cōmunicare per singulos dies &c. To communicate eueryevery day, & to participate of the holy body and bloud of Christ, it is a godly thing and very profitable, as hee saith manifestly. Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud, hath life eternall. For who doubteth, but the often participation of life, is nothing else but many ways to liue? Wherefore we communicate foure times in eueryevery weeke: On Sunday and Wednesday, on Friday and Saturday, and on other dayes, if there be the memorie of any Saint. But that it is no greeuous thing, that any man should be constrained by necessitie in times of persecution, when the Priest or the Minister is not present, to take the Communion with his owne hand, it is superfluous to declare, for so much as it is by the very vse of the thing confirmed by a long custome. For all they that lead a solitarie life in the wildernesse where there is no Priest, keeping the Communion at home, doe receiue it of them selues. But in Alexandria and in Aegypt, eueryevery one of them which are of the people for the most part, hath the Communion in his owne house. For after the Priest hath consecrated the sacrifice and distributed it, we must beleeue worthily to participate and receiue it. For in the Church the Priest giueth part, & he which receiueth it, taketh it with all libertie, and putteth it to his mouth with his owne hand. Therfore it is the same in vertue whether any man take one part of the Priest, or many parts together. Here M. Heskins vrgeth, that eueryevery man in his own house receiued the sacrament in time of persecution. But this proueth not a sole receiuing, if priuate men hauehave the Communion in their house, for they might receiue many together. But concerning the Hermites that dwelled in dens & caues alone, he saith they could hauehave no cōpanie, and therevpon insulteth against the proclamer, for saying the Indians, Arabians, Armenians, Grecians, &c. neuer receiued nor vsed the priuat Masse. And hath he proued the priuate Masse by the receiuing of the Hermites, which were Lay men, and no Priests? No forsooth. For he is feine to fasifie the wordes of this epistle in translating, to proue that they receiued alone. The wordes are in Greeke thus, foreign. in Latine a se ipsis cōmunicant. Which he turneth falsly. They communicate by them selues, as though they did receiue it alone, whereas he should say, they receiue the Communion of them selues, that is one of an other, for it is well knowne, they were not so solitarie, but they had meetings at sometimes, as appeareth by the histories. As for other things that M. Heskins noteth out of this place, bicause they are noted and aunswered in other partes, where some of these sentences are alledged, I will spend no time in repeating of them here. Only concerning ye authoritie of this fragment of an Epistle, which is not extant in al S. Basils workes, I giuegive the reader to vnderstand, that it may be doubted of what antiquitie it is, whether it were written by the ancient Basilius surnamed the great, or by some other of yt name of much later time. Next is brought in Hieronyme, to testifie that ye like hath ben vsed in Rome in his time, in time of persecutiō. I maruel why M. Hes. addeth in time of persecution, for in Hieromes time there was no such persecution at Rome, & he speaketh not of it as a shift in time of persecution, but as a custome in time of peace. Belike M. Hes. would hauehave the custome excused by necessitie of persecutiō, which otherwise he can not allow to be good of it self. But what saith Hier. ad Iouin. Apoll. Scio Romae hanc esse consuetudinem &c. I I know this custome is at Rome, that the faithfull do always receiue the body of Christ, which thing I do neither reprehend nor allowe. For eueryevery one aboundeth in his owne sense. But I appeale to their conscience, which the same day after carnall copulation do communicate, and as Persuis saith, purge the night with water: Why dare they not goe to the Martyrs? Why come they not into the Churches? Is Christe one in the publique place, an other in the priuate houses? That which is not lawful in the church, is not lawful at home. Nothing is hid from God, yea, the very darknesse is bright with him. Therefore let eueryevery man examine him selfe, and so let him come to the body of Christ.
Here hee vrgeth that the people did communicate in their houses sometimes, namely after companie with their wiues, when they durst not come to Church. But this custome doth Hierom seuerely reproue, & would not hauehave them communicate, but when they might come to the Church without scruple of conscience. So that Maister Hesk. bringeth in an vnlawfull custome, to proue his priuate Masse to be lawfull, which yet is neuer ye neerer, although this custome were good: for therby is not proued so much as sole receiuing, nor reseruation as we hauehave shewed before, bicause nothing appeareth to the contrarie, but that they might hauehave the Priest to consecrate and minister to them at home. As for the admonition he giueth to married persons, to abstaine from companie with their wiues &c. I passe it ouer, as not worthie ye rehearsal. Married men are to be exhorted to temperance and chastitie, and further to prescribe times &c. it may be Popish Diuinitie, but it hath no ground in the word of GOD. As for the married Priestes, he hath little to doe with them, let him take thought for his vnmaried Priestes.
But Chrysostome he thinketh saieth much for the priuate Masse in Cap. 1. ad Ephe. Hom. 3. Frustra habetur quotidiana oblatio, frustra stamus ad altare. Nemo est qui participet. The daily oblation or sacrifice is done in vaine, we stand at the altar in vaine. There is no man that will partake with vsus. By this (hee saith) it is euident, that Masse was sayde in the Greeke Church, though there were no communicants with the Priest▪ But this euidence is false (Maister Heskins) for first there was a number of ye Cleargie which always did communicate: although none of the people would receiue, as was proued before by the ancient canons cōmonly called of the Apostles. And where as you labour to proue, that ye Masse was not in vain, although no man did receiue with the Priest, because the Masse had two ends: the one of oblation, the other of receyuing, so that although it were in vain in respect of the receiuing, yet it was not in vaine in respect of oblation, I pray you look back again to Chrysostoms words, & see if he do not say, yt was done in vaine, whiche you labour moste to proue could not bee in vaine, namely Frustra habetur quotidiana oblatio, The daily offring or sacrifice (as you turne it) is done in vaine. For make what respectes you can, the oblation is in vaine to them that do not receiue it. And where you would proue that Chrysostome saide Masse, though no man receiue with him, because he saith: Nemo est qui participet: There is no man to participate: you may as well say that Chrysostome himselfe did not participate, because he saith generally no man, and then he sayde no Masse by your owne rule, for you holde it necessarie that the priest himselfe should receiue. But to shewe that Chrysostome meaneth not generally as the worde soundeth, that none of the people did communicate, it appeareth by the whole circumstance of his discourse in yt sermon. For immediately before the wordes cited by M. Heskins he sayeth Multam video huius rei inaequalitatem. In alijs quidem temporibus saepenumero, ne que cum mundi estis acceditis, in paschate verò etiamsi quid temerarium vobis sit commissum nihilominus acceditis: ô cōsuetudinem, ô praesumptionem. I see great inequalitie of this matter. At other times truely oftimes you come, not whē you are cleane, but at Easter although you hauehave committed any rash thing neuerthelesse ye come: O custome, O presumption. By these wordes it appeareth yt he rebuketh the neglecte of some in cōming to the cōmunion but seldom, & yet cōming rashly at Easter, to such therfore ye celebratiō of ye cōmunion was in vaine. And therfore exhorting thē to prepare themselues he taketh away their obiection Non es oblatione atque commu…on… dignus? Igitur neque precatione. Art thou not worthie o… the oblation and the communion? Then neither art thou worthie of the prayers. Yea, he is very earnest, that al they that do not communicate, should departe with the penitentes and Catechumeni, and compteth them impudent whiche tarry and doe not communicate with the rest. Quisquis enim mysteriorum consors non est, impudent & improbu… …stat. For whosoeuer is not partaker of the mysteries, in standing by, he is impudent and wicked. Thus by Chrysostoms iudgement all they that heare Masse, and do not communicate wt the priest, are impudent and wicked persons. Againe to proue that many did alwayes communicate he saith: Ita tu quoque aduenisti, hymnum cecinisti cum omnibus reliquis, ex corum te numero esse, qui digni sunt, hoc ipso confessus es, quòd non abcessisti. Quomodo cum manseris, de mensaista non participas? Indignus sum, inquis: indignus es igitur & ea communione, quae in precibus est. Thou also art come, thou hast sung the hymne with all the rest, thou hast professed thy selfe to be of the number of them that are worthy euen by this, that thou hast not departed. Seeing thou hast tarried, how hast thou not participated of this table? Thou sayest, I am vnworthie: therefore thou art vnworthie of that communion, which is in prayers. By this place it is manifest, that a great number did alwayes receiue, although many did refraine. And that Chrysostomes communion was nothing like a priuate Masse, mumbled in a corner, (as M. Heskins most impudently affirmeth,) but such a one, as all the people sung hymnes together at it, and they were counted wicked and impudent, which stoode by and did not communicate. Finally that Chrysostome compted it not lawfull for any to be present, which did not communicate, he saith also: Post acta mysteria accedere licet ac videre: praesentibus verò mysterij… abito. Nihil hic tibi quàm Catechumeno plus licet. When the mysteries are ended, thou mayst come neere and see, but when the mysteries are present, depart. It is no more lawful for thee to be here, then for a learner, that is not baptised. Thus Chrysostome you see maketh nothing for the priuate Masse, but altogether against it. His next argument is of Serapion, who being sick at the point of death, for his comfort, (because he had beene excommunicated) desired to receiue, at which time the minister was also sicke, which should hauehave receiued with him, and therfore sent him the sacrament by his boy. So that here is a case of extreame and double necessitie, for sole receiuing, to proue what might lawfully be done where no necessitie vrgeth: Euseb. Lib. 6. Cap. 34.
Concerning S. Augustines priest, that saide Masse in a priuate house, to driue away spirits, we shal heare more in the next Chapter. After this followeth the counterfet decree of Soter, that no priest should say Masse except two were present to aunswere him, when he saith Dominus vobiscum, which yet the Popish priestes doe not obserue, for they say Masse, when they hauehave but one boy with them, or their Parish clearke, and sometimes perhaps none at al. Here saith M. Heskins some are commaunded to be present, but none are cōmanded to cōmunicate. An argument like the authoritie of the decree, howbeit if a man would stand to reason wt him, there is like cause, why they should communicate, as why they should be present, for as the priest saith: The Lorde be with you, therefore two must be present: so he saith of the sacrament, Quod sumpsimus, which we hauehave receiued, which is not true, when he onelyonly hath receiued. To this decree, he ioyneth a Canon of the councell of Agatha. Wherein the people are commaunded to heare Masse euerie Sonday, and to tarrie to the end, but they are not commanded to communicate.
First I aunswere this Canon is not found in the auncient recordes, as Peter Crabbe honestly confesseth. Secondly, where it is found, it is Missas die Dominico secularibut tenere, which signifieth, that seculer men are commanded to frequent the assemblies, (for so Missae of olde time did signifie,) for which Maister Heskins turneth it, Missas tota… audire, &c. That they are commanded to heare the whole Masses, which is the corruption of Gratiane. The like decree he bringeth out the councel of Orleans: That the people should not departe before the solemnitie of the Masse be ended.
All which proue not a priuate Masse: for either they meant, that the people should communicate that were present, or else at the least the Cleargie receiued with the Bishop. For long after the time of these councels, it was decreed, that al persons both men and women should receiue euerie Sonday. As Matisconense. 2. Cap. 4. Decernimus vt omnibus diebus Dominicis, altaris oblatio ab omnibus viris & mulieribus offeratur tam panis, quam vini: vt per has immolationes & peccatorum suorum fascibus careant & cum Abel vel caeteris iustè offerentibus promereantur esse consortes. We decree that euerie sunday, the oblation of the altar be offered of all persons men and women, both of bread and wine: that by these offrings, they may be loosed of the bandes of their sinnes, and with Abel and the rest offering righteously, they may be worthie to be companions.
The last authoritie he citeth, is out of the Popes lawe, intituled to S. Augustine, but not to be found in all his workes, not sauouring of his stile, or of any mans meanly learned, and therfore I will not vouchsafe such a grosse counterfet of any answere. The rest of the Chapter, beeing spent in rayling, I will answere with silence, concluding that as here is little for sole receiuing, conteined in this Chapter, so for priuate Masse, here is nothing at all.