A Parallel Comparison of the Liturgy with the Mass Book, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Concerning the Propitiatory Sacrifice, and the reſt of the Canon.
Our prayer of oblation from the Maſſe, and not from the Engliſh Liturgie.FOllowes the prayer of oblation, as in our Book ſo in the Miſſall ſubjoyned immediately to the words of conſecration, thus ſtands in the Miſſall the Romiſh memoriall, Ʋnde & memores Domine nos tui ſervi-ejuſdem Chriſti filij tui Domini Dei noſtri, tum beàtae paſſionis, nec non & ab inferis reſurrectionis, ſed & in coelo glorioſae aſcenſionis offerimus praeclarae Majeſtati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hoſtiam puram, hoſtiam ſanctam, hoſtiam immaculatam, panem ſanctum vitae aeternae, & calicem ſalutis perpetuae, ſupra quae propitio ac ſereno vultu reſpicere digneris, & accepta habere, ſicut accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui juſti Abel, & ſacrificium Patriarchae noſtri Abrahae, & quod tibi obtulit ſummus ſacerdos tuus Melchiſedec ſanctum ſacrificium, immaculatam hoſtiam ſupplices te rogamus omnipotens Deus, jube haec perferri per manus ſancti Angeli tui, in ſublime altare tuum in conſpectu divinae Majeſtatis tuae ut quotquot ex hac altaris participatione, ſacroſanctum filij tui corpus & ſanguinem ſumſerimus, omni benedictione coeleſti & gratia repleamur per eundem Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum. Here our Booke doth much reforme the Engliſh, a Rubrick for oblation they have none, but wee proclaime a prayer of oblation, and that not of the former Offertory, wherein the bread and wine was offered on the Altar in a peace offering, but of a ſecond ſacrifice, even as the Maſſe diſtinguiſhes, to the which the firſt offering was but a preparation.
Secondly, The moſt of this prayer in the Engliſh is put after the Communion to be a thankeſgiving and a ſpirituall ſacrifice of praiſe to GOD for the bleſſings in the Communion received, but we correct and draw it back from that place and ſet it at the back of the conſecration, where it ſtands in the Miſſall, and make it change the Engliſh nature, reſuming the old Romiſh Spirit to be no more a thankeſgiving but a prayer, and that of oblation of a new ſacrifice to God for ſinne.
Thirdly, We put in ſundry clauſes which the Engliſh put out, as theſe words [may worthily receive the moſt precious body and blood of thy Sonne Jeſus Chriſt] borrowing them from the Maſſe clauſe in the ſame place, Quotquot ex hac altaris participatione ſacroſanctum filij tui corpus & ſanguinem ſumſerimus: And the firſt eight lines which gave the forme of the oblation wee reſume from the Maſſe, profeſſing Chriſts ordinance to make, and our intention to make, that is, both according to the Popiſh Commentary & late Engliſh ſtyle, offer up in a ſacrifice if we beleeve either Bellarmine or Heylin, the one Lib. 1. de Miſſa, c. 12. maintaines that in the inſtitution hoc facite is rightly expounded, ſacrificate; the other in his Antidotum, avowing that Chriſt in the ſupper made the Apoſtles ſacrificing Prieſts, and gave to them as Prieſts power in theſe words hoc facite: How ever the moſt pregnant paſſages which can be found in the Miſſall for the Romiſh propitiatory and unbloody ſacrifice are tranſlated hence and put in this our prayer: I grant that ſome things are added and ſome things detracted, but both the detractions & additions are made for our diſadvantage, wee want Gods acceptation of that bread and cup, as of the ſacrifices of Abel, Abraham, and Melchiſedec, his command to the Angels to bring this ſacrifice up to the heaven; but by theſe clauſes our Divines uſe to reject the Romiſh Propitiatory ſacrifice, and ſo they might not ſtand in our Book which will admit of no barre to that abhomination, the clauſe we adde in the end of our prayer, one part is taken out of the prayers which in the Maſſe doe follow: Non aestimator meriti, ſed veniae, quaeſumus largitor, and doth nothing croſſe the doctrine of merit: The other part is taken out of the prayer which in the Maſſe immediately goes before: Hanc igitur oblationem ſervitutis noſtrae quaeſumus Domine ut placatus accipias per Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum, now from this clauſe both Bellarmine and Heylen conclude their unbloody ſacrifice, the one de Miſſa, L. 2. c. 21. Hanc igitur oblationem ſervitutis noſtrae, &c. ubi apertè oſtenditur eam oblationem propriè eſſe ſacrificium quippe quae per miniſterium ſacerdotum Deo offertur. The other in his Antidotum out of all the Liturgie chuſeth this one place to prove that the Engliſh Church in the Supper offereth up to God, a proper, outward, unbloody ſacrifice: Theſe words as in the Engliſh Liturgie they ſtand in a thankſgiving after the Communion have no ſuch ſhew, but as they are tranſpoſed to ſtand at the back of a conſecration in a prayer of oblation before the communion, may well prove this intent.
Wee muſt offer the Popiſh ſacrifice of the Maſſe.Farther, the ſacrifice which here we pretend to offer is the oblation of praiſe and thankſgiving; See how Bellarmine expounds this part of the Canon of the Maſſe, L. 2. c. 21. Falſum eſt per ſacrificium laudis cujus in canone fit mentio debere accipi ſacrificium ſpirituale quod in laude et gratiarum actione conſistit, ſignificatur enim ea voce ſacrificium veri corporis Domini, quod ſacrificium laudis dicitur, quia p…r illud Deus magnopere laudatur et gratiae illi aguntur pro ſummis ejus in nos beneficijs, unde eti…m ſacrificium euchariſticum merito nominatur; that the Canterburians take this ſacrifice no otherwiſe now, ſee Peter Heylen in his Antidotum about the midſt, where in the matter of this ſacrifice my L. his Grace gives him leave to utter at length far other ſpeeches than ever dropped before from any Engliſh man, which pretended oppoſition to Papiſts; the fartheſt that Montague himſelfe, let be Andrewes, Hooker, or any other of their Divines, did goe, was to a commemorative, improper, ſpirituall ſacrifice, but that man will have here a proper, corporall, outward, unbloody ſacrifice offered, for which the Miniſters of the Goſpell are conſtitute by Chriſt as proper Prieſts of Melchiſedecks order, as ever were theſe of the Law after the order of Aaron, this ſacrifice cannot poſſibly be any other but of the body and blood of Chriſt, for the offering of the bread and wine is the firſt ſacrifice, and but preparatory, and upon it the Evangelicall Prieſthood is not grounded, the offering up of praiſe almes, our ſelves are expreſly by Heylen excluded from that ſacrifice he ſpeaks of, ſo it remaines that he muſt profeſſe the offering up the very body and blood in an unbloudy and propitiatory Sacrifice. In this place heart his own words: — [The paſſion of Chriſt as it was prefigured by the Lords ordinance to the Jewes in the legall ſacrifices a parte ante, ſo by Chriſts inſtitution its to be commemorate by us Chriſtians in the holy Supper à parte poſt, a ſacrifice it was in the figure, a ſacrifice in the fact, and ſo by conſequent a ſacrifice in the commemoration or in the poſtfact, a ſacrifice there was among the Iewes, foreſhewing to them his comming in the fleſh, a ſacrifice there muſt be among the Chriſtians to ſhew forth his death till he come and if a ſacrifice muſt be, there muſt alſo be Prieſts to doe, and Altars whereupon to doe, for without a Prieſt and an 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 Prieſts and the Altars from theſe before, a bloody ſacrifice then, an unbloody now, Prieſts derived from Aaron then, from Melchiſedeck now, an Altar for Moſaicall ſacrifices then, for Evangelicall now, the Prieſts were ordained by Chriſt, to wit, the Apoſtles and their ſucceſſors in the Evangelicall Prieſthood, there is a hoc facite, for the Prieſts onelyonly who have power to conſecrate, hoc edite is both for Prieſt and People.] Thereafter at length he produceth many teſtimonies of antiquitie for true, proper, externall, corporall, viſible, myſticall ſacrifices in the Church, but for no better purpoſe than the Papiſts before him have done, who laid all theſe citations to his hands.
If there be any clauſe in the Maſſe prayer of oblation concerning their unbloody propitiatory ſacrifice for the remiſſion of ſinnes which is not in ours, as hardly ye will miſſe any ſentence neceſſary for this purpoſe, yet if any be, it is little matter, it may be ſoone added, for there is naught in this part of the Canon which our men will not gladly embrace; for this ſee the Appendix to Dr. Field L. 3. c. 1. p. 201. where he juſtifies all this part of the Maſſe to a letter, and ſhews how wee may truly offer to God the body and blood of Chriſt in a propitiatory ſacrifice for remiſſion of ſinnes and pacifying of God: Such juſtifications of the Maſſe were wont to be counted moſt unreaſonable, albeit poſſible, by all Proteſtants even thoſe who came neereſt to the Roman Church, yea by Papiſts themſelves who had any ingenuitie. In that ſame place of Field, we may reade of Luthers cenſure of the Canon, yea of Caſſander and other Papiſts, their deſire to have the Canon reformed, at leaſt gloſſed with marginall notes, but in that 28 yeare, wherein this Appendix long after the pretended Authors death was Printed, my L. of Canterbury did ſit in the ſea of London, and had power to make men both living and dead ſpeak from the Preſſe language, which was never before heard in the reformed Church; albeit ſince the uncouth voices of ſundry their dead men, both Andrewes, Overhall, Field, and others, have been made to ring lowd over all the Ile for mens amazement.
Our men doe reject nothing of the Canon of the Maſſe.We have gone thorow the principalll parts of the Canon, that which Pope Innocent ſtyles the heart of the Canon and head or top of the Maſſe, Cor & ſummus vertex, there is in it yet foure other prayers, two before the conſecration and ſacrifice, and two after, theſe our Book hath paſſed by, but upon no neceſſitie, there is nothing in any of them which our Men have not avowed, thus have they made Field ſpeak after his death for all theſe foure prayers, and what ever elſe is in the Canon, p. 221. [The Canon of the Maſſe rightly underſtood is found to containe nothing in it contrary to the rule of faith, and the profeſſion of Proteſtant Churches] what diſlike they have of any thing in theſe prayers, wee ſhall ſee in diſcuſſing the particulars; the firſt of theſe foure becauſe it is long let it be divided in three parts, behold the firſt; Te igitur clementiſſime Pater per Jeſum Chriſtum filium tuum Dominum noſtrum ſupplices rogamus, ac petimus ut accepta habeas & benedicas haec dona, haec munera, haec ſancta ſacrificia illibata inprimis quae tibi offerimus pro Eccleſia tua ſancta, catholica, quam pacificare, cuſtodire, adjuvare & regere digneris toto orbe terrarum unà cum famulo tuo Papa noſtro & antiſtite noſtro & Rege noſtro, & omnibus orthodoxis at que Catholicis & Apoſtolicae fidei cultoribus: The chiefe things here that our Book-men might ſeeme to have reaſon to miſlike, is the making of the Sacrament a ſacrifice, which they offer to God for the Church and all the members of it; next that the Pope the Antichriſts name muſt ſtand in the prayers of the Church. Thirdly, That the Biſhops name muſt ſtand before the Kings, but none of theſe things will trouble their ſtout ſtomachs.
What the Canon ſpeaks of a ſacrifice they approve.For the firſt, that they make this Sacrament a true ſacrifice we ſhewed before, and that this their ſacrifice they do offer up to God for the wellfare not only of all Chriſtians living, but alſo for many of the dead, wee may ſee in many late approved writs, Montagu apparat. p. 379. Ʋnde Tertullianus de corona militis ait, pro natalitiis annua die facimus hoc eſt foreign offerimus in commemorationem agoniſtarum J. Chriſti. Dow againſt Burton about the midſt [That the ancient Church had oblations for the dead, the ancient Liturgies put it out of queſtion] Poklinton in his Altare not onelyonly at the beginning brings out with approbation from the Decretals that Canon of Fabian; Decernimus ut omnibus di…bus Dominicis, altaris oblatio fiat, but alſo about the midſt hath theſe words [At the Altar their Prieſts did ſtand at their ſolemne ſtations and offer prayers there pro omni Epiſcopatu noſtro, etiam pro Regibus] poynting expreſly at the place of the Maſſe in our hands: And thereafter, at the Altar alſo were commemorations made in Cyprians time, and who had made a Deacon his Executor, the Canon was that for ſuch a one non offerretur, nec pro dormitione ejus celebraretur ne que enim ad altare Dei meretur nominari in ſacerdotum prece, qui ab altari Dei ſacerdotes avocare voluit.
What honour the Maſſe gives to the Pope, they yeeld it to the full.For their affection to the Pope its not enough for Montagu and others of his fellow ſervants to powre upon the reformed Divines in generall oft, and in ſpeciall upon Calvin, Beza, Scaliger, Caſaubon, and ſuch, all the venome which ſpite can invent, Novatores, ſchiſmatici, furioſi, zolotae, Lemanici, Puritani, and what not. To ſpeak with great reſpect of the Popiſh Divines, eſpecially of ſundry of the Jeſuits, as of profound, grave, moderate Theologues, to inveigh againſt the overthrow of Abbyes, and wiſh earneſtly the reſtitution of Monaſteries, that the holy Monks may live as Elias and Iohn the Baptiſt gave them example. To ſpeak not onelyonly of Bellarmine, Baronius, Boromeus, as of good, pious, and godly men, let be miraculouſly learned, but to avow the office of Cardinall to be an eminent dignitie in the Church, a due reward of vertue, and worthy by all much to be reſpected, with this they are not content except they let the world know alſo their great reſpect to the Pope himſelfe, to call him Antichriſt who dare among them, except he deſire to be trampled upon as a peeviſh ignorant Puritan; they will have their ſucceſſion and derivation from the Pope a maine piller of their Church, without which prop the Church of England would fall to the ground. Heare Poklington with Canterburies applauſe, ſpeaking in his Sundayes Sermon at the beginning [Our Dioceſan can derive himſelfe the ſucceſſor of an Apoſtle, otherwiſe we would have taken his call for the voice of a ſtranger] and in his Altare thus he ſayes [Miſerable were we if he who now ſits Archbiſhop of Canterbury could not derive his ſucceſſion from St. Auſtin, and St. Auſtin from St. Gregory, and St. Gregory from St. Peter, his Grace can ſay, ego ſum haeres Apoſtolorum, I and my Predeceſſors have kept poſſeſſion, I have received the right faith from the right owners] This favour they beare not onelyonly to the old Popes, but even to theſe of the lateſt and worſt times; ſee what commendation Montague gives to two late Popes, Orig. p. 114. Patrum noſtrorum vel avorum memoria duo ſummi Pontifices viri optimi & doctiſſimi Adrianus Sixtus & Bellarmini avunculus Marcellus ſecundus extitere, See in the large Supplement what praiſes he powres on the head of the preſent Pope Vrban.yea theſe Popes whom the world knew to be monſters of men, Montague will have to be called moſt holy Fathers by all who are not Puritans, by vertue of the place which they injoy in the Church of God; ſee his Orig. par. 1. p. 417. Certis quibuſdam titulis & elogiis homines foreign conſtitutos ab omni retro antiquitate viri prudentes etiam & religioſi honorarunt, iſtos honorum lemniſcos non eſt cujuſvis conculcare, ſed nec palam reprehendere id quod ſolent foreign Puritani, Pontificem Romanum ſuam ſanctitatem indigitare certiſſimus eſt character Antichriſtianiſmi, non tibi ſed religioni dicebat olim Iſidis ad orator, cum aſinus portans myſteria ſe putaret adoratum, honorem pari modo non Paulo alicui quarto, Alexandro ſexto, Iohanni 12. caeteris ſi qui ſint prodigia & propudia honeſtatis, ſed religioni exhibendum contendimus, hoc eſt eminenti dignitati qua ultra alios in Eccleſia Dei praediti ſunt, ſed eſt haec phreneſis hominum ſolummodo fanaticorum quibus omnia diſplicent niſi quae de ſuo cerebro confinxerint, quanquam nec illa placere diu poſſunt: It was too much that many of theſe men oft have profeſſed their willingneſſe to give to the Pope, notwithſtanding of all the defaults of that Sea, upon the condition of ſome Reformation, his old place to be the Patriarch of the Weſt, unto whom all the Weſtern Clergy did owe ſome obedience and ſubjection, yea to have him as he was of old the firſt Patriarch of the Chriſtian world, ſo Montague Antidiatrib. p. 81. Neceſſe eſt ut caput Eccleſia habeat, Eccleſiae in ſumma collectione caput eſt Chriſtus, Eccleſiae per partes capita ſunt conſtituti Epiſcopi, hoc eſt praeſunt cum authoritate capitis ſinguli in ſuis paraecijs, cenſetur inter iſta capita Pontifex, habet ille locum, jus antiquum obtinet, caput eſt Eccleſiae particularis Romanae cui praeeſt, praecipuae olim parti Chriſtiani orbis, hoc eſt, cunctis ad Occidentem regionibus cum authoritate quadam, non illa quidem ſingulari & ſuprema, praefuit Pontifex, et ſi non obſtaret perdita illa ambitio prae eſſet hodie eti…m …um ſed de jure humano, p. 74. Sedem Romanam appellat coryphaeam ſubſcribo & eodem ipſe titulo candem ſedem cohon…ſtabo, p. 51. De Principe Petro non litigamus, de ſucceſſorum primatu aliquatenus, domicilium principatus non domolimur, i. e. damus a Petro ad aetatem Auguſtini in Eccleſia Romana Apoſtolicae cathedrae ſemper perviguiſſe principatum, p. 49. Ʋbicun que multi, & multiplicitas ut ordo eluceat & harmonia conſervetur, ab uno arceſſenda eſt origo omnis, unde autem melius origo omnis quàm ab Eccleſia principali, loco debetur haec praeminentia: loci primatum & illum ordinis & propter utrum que praeſtantiae habeat ſi voluerit Romanus Pontif…x, p. 147. ante quam terminos tranſpoſuerat antiquos, Romanus Epiſcopus quidni dicebatur—ſcio alias & amplector Romanum Pontificem vocatum Benedictum, ſcio Papam & paſtorem nominari, quid ſi haec omnia nomina uſurpabat, quid ſi & Apoſtolicum, p. 41. He regrates that the Pope is ſo farre debaſed that he ſhould be ſpoyld of his juſt and proper dignitie: Gens avium unaquae que tandem ſuas ſibi plumas repetendo furtivis coloribus denudatam proprijs etiam quod non oportuit improbant que vehementer foreign circumciſam ac ſpoliatam, nudam, ridendam, exſibilandam corniculam expoſuerunt; In that ſame page he aſſures that Chriſtian Princes and people will gladly yet give to the Popes this old honor and tribute if they will amend their manners; Exhiberent etiamnum, ad priſcos illos mores ſi tantum revertatur & exempla pietatis majorum: Thus farre Montague went above ten yeares ſince, but to goe thus far on, that, even this day, without any reformation, the Pope when he is a monſter in his private life, for the ſpirituall dignitie he hath in the Church above all other, by vertue of his place he ought to poſſeſſe his old ſtyle, not onelyonly of holy Father, but of holineſſe in the abſtract, and that all who will deny this are madde frantick Puritans, who goes thus farre cannot but think the Liturgie of all Weſterne Churches to be faultie, where the Popes name is not put in the old place of the publick prayers.
Yea they will have their very Biſhops preferred to Kings.As for the Kings place after the Biſhop, the ambition of our Book-men is capable of ſuch extravagancy: Poklington before in his relation of the ancient cuſtome puts indeed the King behind the Biſhop, and theſe men oft in their Writs urge that example of Theodoſe that the Emperours were not permitted to have place to ſtand at the Altar being but Laicks, and not capable of that ſpirituall dignitie proper to Prieſts, that the Princes higheſt priviledge is to come to the Altar with his offering, and then without ſtay to depart. The Popes Legate Seignior Con is made much of among them who propounds to our Prince the example of our old Scottiſh devout Kings, who did ſalute the meaner Prieſts as their ſuperiours, yea it was marked in our Soveraignes Coronation, that when the greateſt Marques was admitted in that ſolemnitie but to the kiſſing of his Majeſties hand, the meaneſt Biſhop got a kiſſe on the cheeke; many ſtrange things are alleadged of the Clergies ambition among us, whereof I wiſh time may cleare them to be guiltleſſe. Montague in his Antidiatrib. p. 80. Ille principatus obtineat in Eccleſia ut revera ſemper obtinebat, ſummus ſacerdos inter caeteros foreign ut appellant enim graeci Patres paſſim, Epiſcopus conſtituitur foreign ut vocatur ab Ignatio—Monarchae ſunt Epiſcopi in ſuis foreign, Monarchae in ſuis foreign Metropolitae, Monarchae Patriarchae auguſtiores, p. 40. Sacerdotij culmen foreign non ignorant Reges; Sereniſſimus Britanniarum Monarcha minimè omnium ignorat, fatetur antem ultro aliquo modo in quibuſdam ſupra regiam dignitatem eminere cum vetuſtis & orthodoxis patribus, foreign, ſayes Chryſoſtome, meaning that the Biſhop is a Prince of greater dignitie than the Emperour, Gregorius Nazianzenus ſcripſit in Apologia foreign: So much as the Soul exceeds the body, tantùm Regno ſacerdotium, & quantum Deus praeſtat hominibus, tantùm regiae poteſtati praeſtare ſacerdotium — haec enim non neſciunt in lege Dei edocti & eruditi Reges, cum Conſtantinus olim, Pipinus, demum Carolus, Fredericus occurrerint, de equis deſcenderint, venientes exceperint religionis antiſtites Chriſtianae, venerationem que exhibuerint, We need no more ſcorne the Canoniſts for preferring the Pope to the Emperour ſo farre as the Sunne is above the Moone. Since Dr. Montague is applauded to prove from Scriptures and Fathers, that any Biſhop is as far above the King as the Soule is above the body, yea as God is above man.
The next part of the firſt prayer is this, Memento Domine famulorum famularum que tuarum & omnium circumſtantium quorum tibi fides cognita eſt, & not a devotio, pro quibus tibi offerimus vel qui tibi offerunt hoc ſacrificium landis pro ſe ſuiſ que omnibus pro redemptione animarum ſuarum pro ſpe ſalutis & incolumitatis ſuae, tibi que vota reddunt ſua aterna Deo vivo & vero. Of this commemoration of the living in generall, and in particular of benefactors, they will make no ſcruple who in their ſolemne prayers delight to name their Patrons with all their ſtyles, as for the offering for their Soules ſalvation the former place of Field does juſtifie it.
The commemoration of the Saints in publick prayer avowed.In the third part of this prayer is the greateſt difficultie, ſo it ſayes, Communicantes & memoriam venerantes inprimis glorioſae ſemper que virginis Mariae genetricis Dei & Domini noſtri I. Chriſti, ſed & beatorum Apostolorum & Martyrum tuorum Petri, Pauli, Andrea, Iacobi, Joannis, Thomae, Iacobi, Philippi, Bartholomaei, Matthaei, Simonis, & Thaddaei, Lini, Cleti, Clementis, Sixti, Cornelij, Cypriani, Laurentij, Chryſoſtomi, Ioannis, & Pauli, Coſma & Damiani, & omnium ſanctorum tuorum, quorum meritis precibuſ que concedas ut in omnibus protectionis tuae muniamur auxilio, per eundem Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum, Amen. The exceptions which uſe to be taken at this part of the prayer are mainly two. Firſt, The particular enumeration of the Apoſtles names, and of other old Martyrs, of this our parties make no queſtion, for diverſe of them have printed lately their good liking of the dyptiches reading in time of the Sacrament, which hath the names of a great number more and leſſe knowne Saints than here are expreſſed. The ſecond is a deſire of bleſſings from God for the merits of the Saints, this they make Field after his death clearly to defend, p. 223. [Let us come (ſayes he) to the other objection concerning the commemoration of the bleſſed Apoſtles & other Saints and holy Martyrs, by whoſe interceſſion and for whoſe merits the Prieſt and people deſireth God that they may be kept ſafe, &c.The Saints our Mediatours of interceſſion, by vertue of their owne merits.] This he would ſhew to be no poynt of Popery by the teſtimony of Bucer, but no wayes pertinent to his purpoſe, as his owne citation will cleare, yea they have begun long ago to proclaim the Saints departed our Mediators of interceſſion, as Chriſt is our Mediatour of Redemption, ſo Montague Antidiatrib. p. 19. Non abnuerim illos eſſe orationis & interceſſionis ut loqui ſoletis interceſſores, Ieſus Chriſtus ſolus eſt & abſ que alijs Mediator redemptionis, & quoad meritum paſſionis ſuae foreign Mediator interceſſionis; he avoweth that nought doth keepe him from the particular invocation of the Saints, but their ignorance of his particular eſtate, and confeſſeth his willingneſſe to invocate his Angel-keeper, whom he knowes to underſtand his affaires, and any other Saint alſo, if he knew that by any meane they could heare him. Tu mihi proba poſſe me certum eſſe de ſcientiu Sanctorum particular Iquocun que , tand…m modo acquiſita, ego certe quod ad meipſum at tinet ſanctos defunctos Iaurea donates immortali, bearam puta Virginem; ſanctiſſimos Apoſtolos, cateroſ que glorioſiſſimos Martyres non vereber adire, interpellari, alloqui, ſupplicibas precibus deprecaeri habeant me commendatum ſuis interceſſionibus apud Deum patrem per filium ſuum. Now for their cognition of our eſtate they are ſpeaking of ſundry probably wayes, theſe Saints who have lately been on the earth, they tell us take with them all the knowledge of humane affaires they had in their body, alſo the advancement of the Virgin Mary above all the Angels, how eaſie is a revelation of our caſe by God or an Angel, or the report of a lately dead ſoule. For the matter of merit they are as cleare as Bellarmine, avowing with approbation in their comitiall Verſes, Virtutum ſancta & ſpecioſa caterva, ſalutem divino ex pacto quam meruere dabunt.
The ſecond prayer of the Canon is this: Hanc igitur oblationem ſervitutis noſtrae ſed & cunctae familiae tuae quaeſumus Domine ut placatus accipias dieſ que noſtros in tua pace diſponas, at que ab aeterna damnatione nos eripi, & in electorum tuorum jubeas grege numerari per Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum: The firſt words which alone are uſed by the Papiſts to a wicked purpoſe, wee have them as I ſhewed before, the reſt formed by Gregory none of them will refuſe.
Prayers for the dead avowed, alſo Limbus Patrum if not Purgatory it ſelfe.Of the two prayers which in the Canon followes the conſecration, the firſt is this: Memento etiam Domine famulorum famularum que tuarum qui nos praeceſſerunt cum ſigne fidei, & dormiunt in ſomno pacis, ipſis Domine & omnibus in Chriſto quieſcentibus locum refrigerij, lucis & pacis, ut indulgeas deprecamur per eundem Dominum noſtrum. This is the onelyonly place of the ordinary Maſſe, whereon univerſally the Papiſts hold their Purgatory & Prayer for the dead: Now all this prayer as it ſtands they make Dr. Field to defend, yea the Biſhop of London put his hand to Cozens devotion in the fourth Edition, wherein yet doth ſtand a Prayer for the Soule departed out of the Body, that it may be preſerved from hell and darkneſſe and carried to Abrahams boſome, and now they are beginning to lay downe cleare grounds for Purgatory; Montague under pretence to ſet downe Dr, Overhalls tenet after his death about Limbus Patrum with his own amplifications as he profeſſes, hath theſe words among many moe; Apparat. p. 61. 1. Obijciunt nullus tertius locus indicatur in Scriptura praeter infernum damnatorum & coelum. R. ſi indicatur pios ante Chriſtum in infernis non fuiſſe quod videtur conſtare, Luc. 16. Nec ulli homini coelu… patuiſſe ante Chriſtum quod ſatis clare indicatur, Heb. 9.8. Simul indicatur neceſſarium fuiſſe aliquem alium locum ubi fuerint conſtituti, uſ que dum via Sanctorum per Chriſtum aperiretur utcun que quis, qualis, aut ubi ſit ille locus non indicetur: praeterea licet non indiceretur in Scriptura non eſſe tertium locum, non tamen inde ſequitur non fuiſſe tertium, quia multa ſunt quae non indicantur in Scriptura, locus ille Matth. 25. Loquitur non de loco aut ſtatu animarum ante Chriſtum, ſed de ſtatu & loco finali post finem ſaeculi, cum duae tantum erunt abſ que dubio hominum ſocietates, & duo tantum loca, alter praemij, alter poenae ſempiternae, quo ſenſurectè aſſerebat Auguſtinus contra Pelagium, non eſſe tertium locum praeter infernum & regnum Dei aut inter mortem aeternam & vitam aeternam. Immediately before he preſſeth the moſt of the Scriptures which the Papiſts under the name of the Fathers abuſes for the probation of Purgatory; Ante adventum Chriſti omnes ad inferos deduce bantur inquit Hieronymus in 4. Eccleſiaſtae, inde Iacob ad inferos deſcenſurum ſe dicit, & Iob pios & impios in inferno queritur retineri, & Evangelium dicit magnum chaos interpoſitum apud inferos, & revera antequam flammeam illam rotam & igneam romphaeam ad paradiſi fores Chriſtus cum latrone reſeraret, clauſa erant coeleſtia, nota ut Samuelem quo que credas verè in inferno fuiſſe, & ante adventum Chriſti quamvis ſanctos omnes inferni lege fuiſſe detentos. Alſo locus eſt qui locus vocatur et abyſſus in qua non erant aquae, in qua animae recluduntur ſive in refrigerio, ſive ad poenas: Poſtquam eo deſcendit Chriſtus inferorum clauſtra perfodit, diripuit, vaſtavit, ſpoliavit, vinctas inde animas liberando. How farre Limbus Patrum with ſuch Scriptures & reaſons maintained is from the next adjacent cellar of Purgatory, eſpecially when we conſider what they doe maintaine alſo of the ſtate of Infants unbaptized any man may judge.
The laſt prayer of the Canon is; Nobis quo que peccatoribus famulis tuis de multitudine miſerationum tuarum ſperantibus partem aliquam & ſocietatem donare digneris cum tuis ſanctis Aopſtolis & Martyribus, cum Ioanne, Stephano, Matthia, Barnaba, Ignatio, Alexandro, Marcellino, Petro, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucia, Agnete, Caecilia, Anaſtaſia, & cum omnibus ſanctis tuis intra quo… nos conſortium non aeſtimator meriti ſed veniae quaeſumus largitor, admitte per Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum. Nothing here is to trouble their ſtomack, the commemoration of particular names in prayers at the Altar we proved before they defended, though here be diverſe names that are unknowne, yet they approve the old Martyrologies, and in their Calendar of Saints are a great number of as obſcure and uncertaine names, yea Montague will have no ſtory queſtioned which the long practice of the Church hath allowed, albeit for it no teſtimony of any ancient can be produced, Orig. p. 276. Nihil eſt memoriae proditum quod ego quidem ſciem hac de re apud vetuſtiores ſive hiſtoric s, ſive patres, probabile tamen eſt hane rec…ptam Eccleſiae conſuetudia…m de traditione vetuſtiore aut ſcriptis etiam Patrum …tuſtioribus nunc d…peraitis dima…aſſe.