Whole Works, Tract 14
Of the originall of the Maſſe and of eueryevery part therof tranſlated into Engliſh out of his booke
De Doctorum Sententijs. ¶ De conſecratione. Dist. 1. Cap. Iacobus ex 6. Synodo.
IAmes the brother of the Lorde, as cconernyng the fleſhe, vntounto whom was firſte cōmitted the Church of Ieruſalem, & Baſilius the Byſhop of Caeſaria gaue vntounto vsus the celebration of the Maſſe. Sayth the gloſe, that is to ſay the manner how to celebrate yt Maſſe. For the woordes by the which the body is made, were deliuered frō the Lord him ſelfe. But afterward, others alſo added ſome one péece, ſome an other, for comlynes, and ſolemnitie. And thus much ſayth hée.
God Chriſtian reader what can theſe men, wholy addicted to lyes, otherwiſe doe, but beguile & deceaue. For this is their onelyonly endeuour, whiche although it may bée manifeſt vntounto thée by many of their déedes, not withſtanding by this one▪ (of yt which they ſo greatly boaſt) it is ſo manifeſt that none cā dony it. To attribute the originall of the Maſſe vntounto Iames the Apoſtle and to Baſilius ye biſhop, is an errour not to bée ſuffered, for aſmuch as it is moſt falſe, as by that which foloweth ſhall appeare.
Let them declare (if they can) what Iames made thereof, and what Baſtill added thereto? Let them bryng A bold chal…nge of Doctour Barnes.foorth one of the Apoſtles that euer ſayd Maſſe, & they ſhal hauehave yt victory. Ieames died about the yeare of our Lord 62. And of Maſſe (as they vnderſtand it) there was no mention made in the Churche by the ſpace of 200. yeares. Moreouer then this, Baſill The Papiſtes lye manifeſtly diſplayed.tyed about the yeare after Chriſt 380. How then could hée agrée with Iames aboute the Maſſe? But what Maſſe had the Church from after the death of Iames vntounto Baſiles tyme? & by what authoritie did Baſill deliuer to vsus ye maſſe? Moreouer theſe mē doe adde their auctoritie out of the vj. Synode, that their lye might bée the more notorious. Bring foorth the vj. Synode in the whiche theſe thinges bée written. I pray you what was handled in the vj. Synode, The maner of celebrating Maſſe? Or agaynſt whom was ye vj. Synode gathered togither? agaynſt thoſe yt would not ſay Maſſe? Nothyng leſſe: but agaynſt ſuch as wickedly taught that there was one operation in Chriſt: Read the actes of the Synode and you ſhall finde it to bée ſo. But let vsus graūt in the meane …eaſon that this was handled in yt Synode, what doth it prooue. We do not contende what matters were intreated of in the Synode: but whether Ieames and Baſill deliuered vntounto vsus the maner of celebrating the Maſſe. How doth the vj. Sinode prooue this: Of this is our contention. Where hence was the vj. Synode certified that Iames and Baſill deliuered the Maſſe? Their writinges and woorkes Iames & Baſil falſeſied by the Papiſtes.remaine amongeſt vsus, in the whiche there is not founde one ſillable to bée read as concerning the Maſſe. Moreouer the vj. Synode was in Gréece, who vntounto this day doe varye frō our manner of celebrating. Wherefore it muſte néedes bée that either wée or they doe erre from the ordinaunce of S. Iames. But what ſaye you to this? The vj. Sinode was celebrated after the yeare of Chriſt. 674. Before this tyme, of whom tooke you the manner of celebratyng? not of the tradition of Ieames, for yt was as yet vnknowen to the world, & now firſt of all was it by ye Synode opened to ye world. But that this matter may bée the better knowen vntounto all the world, I will ſet agaynſt you the auctoritie of S. Gregory who ſayth that the Apoſtles had no peculiar maner in celebratyng the Maſſe, but that they onelyonly ſayd the Lordes prayer. Whoſe wordes bée In regiſt. lib. ca. 63.theſe. The maner of ye Apoſtles was, that onelyonly at the ſaying of the Lordes The ſimplicitie of celebratyng the communion in the primatiueprayer they conſecrated▪ the Sacrament. Thus ſayth Gregory; where is now the tradition of Ieames? S. Gregory knew it not. Surely if you were Chriſtians, you would bée aſhamed at the leſt wiſe (if you reuerence not God) ſo to perſecute, teare, and ſlay your brethren for your wicked Maſſe, of which you boaſt that Chriſt and all his Apoſtles were the auctors, when as you can bryng foorth not one good man for a teſtimony therof. For I ſpeake of your Maſſe as it is pe…red and not of thée woordes of Chriſt.
But that I may briefly finiſhe this matter. Becauſe the maſſe is ſo deare Gayne and aduauntage maketh the Maſſe to bee the better loued of Papiſtes.vntounto you (and that for good cauſe, ſithens by it you fill your bellyes, you kéepe horſes and dogges, you conſecrate harlots to Venus, and many other ſuch kynde of good woorkes,) and yet bée vncertaine of the auctor, I wil deſcribe vntounto you the authors of your patched Maſſe and that out of your owne writers, leſt that you ſhould obiect vntounto mée that I am a Lutheran.
Cronic. cro. F…ſci. temp.Firſt of all Pope Gregory, ſurnamed the Great, held a generall Councell at Rome about ye yeare of Chriſt. 594. in the whiche hée ordeined the Entrance or Introite of the Maſſe, to bée begon with ſome Pſalme.Introitus.
Hée added moreouer that Kyrieleiſon ſhould bée ſong ix. tymes.Kirieleyſon
Hée alſo added in the Cannon of the Maſſe, Dieſ que noſtros in tua pace disponas, vntounto theſe woordes, Per Chriſtum Dieſ que noſtros.Dominium nostrum.
Hée likewiſe added Pater noster.Pater noſter. Faſc. temp. Orationes. Tractus. Cronic. cro. Gloria in excelſis.
Pope Gelaſius adioyned the Prayers, Hymnes, and Tractes about the yeare of Chriſt. 482.
Pope Theleſphorus appointed that the Goſpell and Gloria in excelſis, ſhould bée ſonge, about the yeare of Chriſt. 134.
Pope Symmacus enlarged Gloria in excelſis, for firſt they had nothyng Cronic. cro.more then that was in the Euangeliſt. Hée liued about the yeare. 494.
Pope Marcus appointed that vpō Cronic. cro. Faſci. temp.Feſtiuall dayes immediatly after the Goſpell, ye Nicene Créede ſhould bée ſong with a loude voice by the Quier Nicene Creede.and the people, about the yeare. 334.
This prayer, Veni ſanctificator omnipotens eterne Deus, whiche is ſayd ouer Bern. Abbas de officio Miſſa.the hoſt, was taken frō the Frēch order. Moreouer theſe woordes, Suſcipe ſancta Trinitas, was onelyonly taken by cuſtome, and not by the ordinaunce of any Pope.
Pope Sixtus yt firſt ordeined that, Cronic cro. Faſ…. temp. Sanctus. Ratio. di. Cronic. cro. Faſci. temp.Sanctus, ſhould bée ſong iij. tymes in the Maſſe, about the yeare. 124.
Pope Gelaſius ordeined, Teigitur cl…iſsime pater, and appointed that the Prieſtes ſhould ſay the Secretes, the Cannon, and the Prefaces with Doct. Crātz.their armes ſtretched abroad, hée lyued about the yeare. 482.
Pope Leo the great, added vntounto yt Faſci. temp.Canon, Hanc igitur oblationem, & ſanſtum ſacrificium, immaculatam hoſtiam, Sanctum ſacrificium.about the yeare. 444.
Pope Gregory the thyrd adioyned, Croni. cro. Faſci. temp. Quorum ſolemnitas.Quorum ſolemnitas hodie in conspectudiuinae maieſtatis tuae celebratur, Domine, Deus noſter, about the yeare. 754
Pope Celeſtine the firſt appoynted Cronic. cro.that the Pſalmes of Dauid ſhould bée ſong in maner of an Antheme of all yt people béefore the ſacrifice which was not wont to bée done. For after the Epiſtle and Goſpel were read the ſacrifice was ended. Hée liued about the yeare of Chriſt. 424.
Pope Alexander the firſt added, Cronic. cro. Ratio. diui. Qui pridi… quam pateretur. Faſci. temp. Agnus Dei.Qui pridie quam pateretur. Hée lyued about the yeare. 114.
Pope Sergius the firſt ordeyned that, Agnus Dei, ſhoulde bée ſong thrée tymes whileſt the Sacrament of Chriſtes body was in breakyng, about the yeare of Chriſt. 694.
The firſt Latin Maſſes were ſong Cronic. cro.by Iohn Byſhop of Portuence in the vj. generall Councell of Conſtantinople, about the yeare. 674.
Behold Chriſten Reader, here nowe haſt thou their Maſſe as it is patched togither and the authours of eueryevery part thereof, whiche our Papiſtes ſo wickedly defende to bée a ſacrifice. Neither is it any meruaile, if they doe with tooth and nayle defende a thyng ſo deare, ſo laborious and that hath béene ſo longe tyme a makyng. This I dare boldly affirme that that magnificent Temple of Salomon was in a greate deale leſſer tyme builded, then this Iſopes crow was decked with hys borowed fethers. Neither yet would I hauehave thée to forgette the Decrée of the Pope which prooueth that Maſſe was ordained by Iames and Baſill. I praye …hée, take away all that whiche was added by theſe fathers and what then is remaynyng to the Maſſe? What is lefte that Iames deliuered, or that Baſill commended vntounto them? Nothyng at all but the very woordes of Chriſte. Thus doe theſe good fathers ſet them ſelues agaynſt the manifeſt trueth of God. But what ſhall bée their glory and reward thou ſhalt ſée, if thou wilt leaſurably lyſten and beholde to the ende of the tragedye. The Lord ſhall ſpeake with them in his anger and in his heate ſhall feare them. When hée ſhall waxe hoate in hys ſodayne diſpleaſure, then euill ſhall it bée with theſe gyauntes, and well ſhall béefall to all that truſt in the Lord who may illuminat the hart of the faythfull.
Amen.