Chapter II: Part 2

Daniel his thre felows did gyue themselues / to be thrown in to the burnynge fornace / rather then they wold worshipp the kinges golden Image. But theise thinges must now be applied vnto theise most vnhappie Daies / in whiche / wher poperie rulith / the godly which do dwel togither with the vngodlie / the professours of christes gospell / I meane / With the papistes / ar compelled to be at ther Masses / and most vile and filthie Idolatries and supersticions: vnto them doth this proposicion reatche / and of them therfor I do playnly affirme / and saye this /

[[It is not lawfull to be present at the popyshe Masse and
supersticions]]

That it is not lawfull for them to be present at the popishe Masses / at popishe superstitions and jdolatries. It is to well knowne / that many fondlye do flatter / and indeede deceyue them selues / imagining that it is lawfull for them to be present at this popish pelf. Againste whom with all ther clokes I vse this sayinge of Paule / flye ye Idolatrie. But here they resiste and saye / that this sayinge and suche other as before I haue alledged / are to be vnderstanded of the sacryfices done vnto Idoles / and false goddes / and not of such supersticions as are nowe growen and vsed in papistrie / As of masses / and such like / for in the sacrifices of the gentils what so euer is done / yt is done vnto Idolles / But here in the masse that whiche ys done is done as a worshippe vnto god / for the name of godd is caled on: It hathe the begynynge of Christes ordinaunce and institution, although that some nowghtie men abuse it: wherfore / seinge theis do thus differ from the other / theis can not by these sentences / and like reason be forbidden to them / as Idolatrie was to the Corinthians: This they saye. But theis men shuld considre and wel vnderstande / that theris no owtwarde worcke wiche is to be estemed as a worshippe and seruice of godd / but only that which is apoynted and ordeyned by godds worde so to be / which ordinaunce in the worde if it wante / it is vtterlie nothinge ells but mans inuention what so euer it be: for worshippings of god and goddes seruice are they not / but only when they haue godds worde to beare and warraunte them. God can not be truly worshipped with out faithe, for if faithe be not in the worshippe that is done vnto god / that worshippe the lorde dothe abhorre / as the Prophet Esaie dothe witnes. Incense is an abhominable thinge vnto me / I maye not awaie with your newe moones. &c. I hate your holie dayes / &c. Thus dothe god reiect the seruice apointed in his worde / because it was done without faithe. If the seruice and worshippe of God taughte in his worde maie be done with out faithe / and therfore displease god / mutch moore these worshippinges which haue not their ordinaunce in godds worde ar done withe out faithe / therfor do displease godd: for faithe hathe no place at all where goddes worde is not: now these inuentions of men be they neuer so glorious to the eye / they be not ordeyned in godds worde / they can not therfor be doone in faythe / they can not please god /

[[uuhat so euer is not of faith is synne. Ro. 14.]]

yea god dothe abhorre them / and accompte them as an abhomination / because they be not so done / in faithe I meane In faithe they be not done / because they are not taughte in godds worde / for where ther is no worde of god there is no faithe / and where no faithe is / there is no worshippe of godd / but a filthie hypocrisie / and stinking abhomination. Nowe let the papistes shewe that ther masse is a worshippe of god / taughte in his worde / whiche we saie plainlie that they can not do / let them do it therfore if they can / and when they haue do yt / then will we saye with them: But vntill they haue done it / their masse shall remaine a filthie and stinkinge abhomination before the lorde / and suche a thinge as the lorde dothe deteste and abhorre. If so be that we will do honour and worshippe vnto men / we are accustomed principallie to obserue with what thing they are moste delighted / which thinge after that we haue perceiued / we do it / and then do we thinke to haue bestowed our labour wel when we haue done it: God is delighted onlie with that seruice which he hathe set forthe in his worde / wherfore he that will do godd acceptable seruice / muste do that which his worde teachethe / and in suche wise as it techethe / els as the lorde by the Prophet Esaie sayeth / he dothe detest and abhorre their sacrifices.

[[Isay. 1.]]

And to proue that the masse with all such popishe baggadge is verye Idolatrie / I neade not to bring mani reasons / for this one thing dothe easelie teache it. There is no true god that wilbe worshipped with this popishe seruice: for the true liuinge god hathe in his worde plainlie apointed the maner howe he wilbe worshipped / in wich word this masse / and their popishe pelf is not taughte / but they ar cleane contrarie and repugnaunte vnto it: wherfore when the wicked papistes do their popish seruice vnto a god (they saye) it is plaine that they do not worshippe that true lyuinge godd / whom the holy scripture teachith vs to knowe and worship / but sum such other godd as they haue fayned in their fantesie to be their god / such a one as is delighted with these their seruices: But seinge that in verye dede there is no suche true god at all / as they do Imagine / the god then whom they serue is but a newe god / fantasied and inuented in their owne myndes: wherfore by righte their god maye and must be called / an horribe Idoll / their masse likewise with all popishe seruice done vnto him / abhominable Idolatrie / And they which do such popishe seruice vile Idolatrors. But wher as they saye that those thinges wich be done and spoken in the masse hadde their begynnynge of the ordinaunce of Christe, and that by the wikednes of men they are corrupted: This sainge helpethe not at all / for in these thinges / it is not the begynnynge that is to be consydered only / or that can make them good onlie / seinge they are swarued from the truithe / but nowe their nature / and vse vs to be tried / whether they do agree with the verie worde of god or no.

[[numer. 21.]]

what thinge hade a more pure begynynge euen by goddes commaundement then the brasen serpent? It was erected god both willinge and commandinge it. It was sett forthe with miracles / for whosoeuer dyd beholde it he was deliuered from the bytinge of deathlie serpentes /

[[4 Reg. 18.]]

But this not withstondinge when men dyd worshippe the same serpent and offered incense vnto it / the godlie dyd so abhorre it / that Ezechias that most holy kynge not regardinge at all the begynnynge of yt / dyd breake it in peces / and vtterlie destroyed the worshippinge of yt / Therfore it is not sufficient to consider the begynnynge of a thinge / but howe the ordre and vse of yt dothe agree wyth the firste institution and ordinaunce. This acte of Ezechias is praised in the scripture. And wolde to god that we hade now an Ezechias wich wold so handle the masse. ffurthermoore our men wolde haue this thinge to be consydered in them / that thoughe they go to the masse / yet they haue no mynde to decline and departe frome god / but that they worshipp hym ther: vnto this I answer / that the Israelites when they dyd compell Aaron to make them a calfe to worshippe / they hade not indede that mynde that they wolde fall from the true lyuynge god / so that they wolde no more confesse that he deliuered them out of Egypte / but this only was their mynde they wolde not reteyne that worship of the inuisible god which was deliuered them in worde / but they wolde worshippe the true God vnder some signe / and visible form and shape / whiche sholde represent vnto them the liuinge God their deliuerer: And that shape or forme they moste desyred to haue / wich they hade seene the Egyptians vse to represente vnto them their god: They vsed the form or shape of an oxe / the very same forme wolde the Israelytes nowe haue: And as the very heathen men mighte haue sayde that they worshipped the one only true liuinge god the Author and maker of all thinges / whose maiestie was shewed / figured / and set forthe vnto them by those diuers signes / and formes / which they dyd worshippe: As that the signe of Minerua dyd set forthe his wisdom: the signe of Mars his mighte and power: the signe of Iupiter his Iustice and goodnes: So wolde the Israelites haue their god and deliuerer set forthe vnto them in the shape of a Calfe / not that they mynded to turne awaye from him / or to denye him (as they thoughte) but because they wolde worshippe him as it pleased their fantesie. But we muste not apoynte the manier and ordre of godds seruice after our mynde and iudgment / or as they commonlye saye / after the goode intent of men: for this doinge in the Israelites god did not like / but for yt he punyshed them grevouslye: Nether dyd Moses alowe it / for he knewe that god wolde not so be worshipped. This cloke therfore must haue no place in this matier. but we muste see whether god will haue suche worshippe and seruice / whether goddes worde teachethe yt / whether it be clothed with the worde of truithe / which if it haue not / then dost thou not worship the true god with that worshippe which pleaseth him. Ieroboam thought mutch after this sorte /

[[3. Reg. 12.]]

for his mynde was not to drawe the people awaye from the worshippe of the god Iehouah / but he feared les if they sholde customablie go to the temple at Hierusalem / the people wolde fall from his kingdom and ioyne themseues agayne to the house and stocke of Dauid: wherfore he sekinge his owne profite / sayde / that it was not nedefull that they sholde go vp vnto the temple / and to the Arke of the couenaunte when they wolde worship the true god: for the same god which was represented vnto them by the Arke of wodde and the temple / mighte euen aswell be represented vnto them by these newe signes and golden calues: There is no chaunge but euen of the forme and owtwarde shape: for as at Hierusalem by the Arke / so here by the calues the liuinge god sholde be represented: And what makethe yt matter what the signe be / so the worshippe be all oone: Therfore the same worshipp that ells they sholde do at Hierusalem / they mighte more commodiusli do yt in bethel / and dan. So that he dothe nothynge ells / but establishe this owtwarde worke / in wich he wolde haue them worship the true god: but he hade no warraunte in godds worde for it / and that beinge absent / ther is nothinge in his acte remayninge but mans worcke / supersticion / and Idolatrie: so is it iudged. And therfor none of his subiectes shuld haue herckned to hym. So now / when Tiraunts / Kinges / Queenes / Bisshopps / and such other as ar the soudiours of Antichriste / the Pope I meane / do compel and constrayn men vnto such vile and vngodly supersticions as the popishe brood haue and do sett upp, althoughe they do pretend a goode well willing mynde vnto their poeple and countrith (as thei saye) and that all shalbe for their wealthe: And thoughe they do also saye / that theise thinges ar of an auncient begynnynge and contynuance: Yet indeed they ar but popishe Idolatrours / and to Idolatrie do they trayn men. Therfor their subiectes must not herken vnto them neither obey them herin / But do rather as S. Paule teachith.

[[Ephes. 5.]]

Haue no felowshipp with their vnfruitfull works / but rather reproue them. He callith theim their worckes, for gods worckes they can not be called / bicause they do differ / and swarue from his worde: with them (saithe he) haue no felowshipp What then is to be doon in that case? We must (Paule saith) reproue theim. And that so oft as neede shall require / to reproue theim with greate libertie and boldenes: So farr must we be from dissemblinge with them / that we must (he saithe) reproue them. If thou be a preacher / preache against them: If thow be noone / yet speake against them / reproue them / and condemn them. But our men do saye / That it wer very perillus to do thus: for then (saye they) shall we be burned / or hanged / we shall loose our goodes / londes / and promocions / I heare you well. And do yowe on the other part consider this as well / that ther is not one of vs all which hath receiued christendome vnder such a couuenaunt and condicion / that with it he shuld haue and holde in safetie his lyfe / his ritches / and dignities without perseqution: it is saide vnto vs / and in this case as a lawe layed vppon vs all /

[[Math. 16.]]

that Except we do renownce and vtterly forsake all our thinges and take vpp our crosses and folow christe / we can not be his disciples / and except we do lose our lyues we shall not saue them.

This verily / this must we determyn with our selues / this must we appoint our selues vnto / to do and abide this must we caste our acompt / To this euery christian must be so readie and bent / that he shuld not doubt / no not deliberate or take aduise of this matier.

[[Ciprian.]]

That example of Cyprian is to be sett before our eyes: When he was brought vnto the place wher he shuld suffer deathe / The magistrate being very desirus indede to deliuer hym from deathe / sayde vnto hym. Now I do gyue the space to deliberate and aduise thi self well / whether thow wilt thus Wrechedly dye / or obey / and be let go free. To whom this godly man answered. In so holy a thinge / ther is no deliberacion or aduise to be taken. This readines must euery christian haue in this case to beare the crosse and to followe Christe as Christes disciple. Trulye they whiche be not this wise mynded / but to saue their lyues and goodes do defile them selues with masses / and wicked supersticions / art greuouslye punished for it euen presentlie:

[[a greuus punishement.]]

firste their owne conscience dothe miserably torment them. Secondlie the light of goddes truithe which was opened vnto their mynde is by lytell and lytell put owt. Then the loue of the truithe and the hate of falshode waxeth colde in them. fourthly their mynde becommith nomore displeased or vnquieted for the euill that they do / but they begynne to please them selues in this their euill and dissemblinge / yea and do go aboute to persuade others vnto the same. Laste of all they begyn to hate them which do not harcken to their aduise and counsell / which is to do as they do / yea and they stirre vp againste them sharpe perseqution / for so moche as in them lyethe. This hathe bene the moste vnhappie ende of many. But this is not the end of all their miserie / as ye may well perceyue / if ye do consider what is appointed to be their perpetuall porcion / which shalbe payed them full truly in the laste daye. Let them therfore beware of this bottomles pytt which feare to breake their neckes. But some there are which in this their dissemblinge are wonte to defende them selues after this sorte: we do not theis thinges (saye they) with our hartes / we do only thus behaue our selues in bodie / and in outward behauiour. To whom I do answer: god he is the lorde of harte and bodie / as he requireth the worshippe of the harte / euen as iustlie and seuerlie dothe he commaunde the owtwarde worshippe of the bodye: for these owtwarde doinges are a kinde of confession / and therfore as men owght to be sounde and vprighte in the beleif of harte / so owght they to be in owtwarde confessinge and expressinge of their godlynes and religion. The doinges of men be as it were a tongue: The tongue dothe confes the thinge that lyeth in the harte by wordes: so doinges do giue a confession therof in dede: As he therfore which denyethe with tongue is a denyer of Christe / so he that in owtwarde worckes and doinges denyeth Christ / is iustlie called a deniar. Of whom Christe doth saye.

[[mat. 10.]]

he that denyeth me before men / him will I denye before my father which is in heauen: wherfore as the tongue owghte not in the confession of godlines and religion to differ from the mynde / so muste not the owtwarde doinges of the body disagree from the same. And vnto these men this also I saye / with paule /

[[Rom. 10.]]

that the belefe of the harte doth iustifie / but the mouthe and owtwarde doinges do make the confession vnto saluation / And therfore Christe dothe saie /

[[mar. 8.]]

he that is ashamed of me before men / of him will I also be ashamed before my father which is in heauen. Morouer I wold it wer well knowen vnto these men / that it is no true faythe which doth not breake forthe in workinge that worke which dothe agree with faithe. As is writen of Christe / who verylie soughte the glorye of his father / The zeale of thy house hathe eaten me / This zeale dyd not lye in Christes brest only / but it brake forthe into wordes / as it apeareth by his sermons / and into deedes also / as yt apeareth ther / wher he withe a whippe dyd dryue the byars and sellers owt of the temple:

This is a zeale / which only deseruyth the name of a christian zeale. And euen the same I saye of faythe. What zeale then / what faithe / what studie or care for faithe is it / that these men do bragge of / that they haue shutt vp so close in their brestes that it breaketh not forthe into wordes and dedes? As This true christian zeale / and their dissemblinge can not be together in oone man / euen so true and lyuely faith can not lurcke in such a dissemblinge breste. ffurthermore / there are two kindes of worshippe due vnto god / an inwarde / and an outwarde worshippe / The inwarde worshippe is of the mynde / that is when we beleue goddes truithe / and do thinke of god true and worthye thinges / The owtwarde worshippe is of the bodye / which is declared by those owtwarde signes that do belonge to the true worshippe of god / In lyke maner there are two kindes of Idolatries / one is inwarde / which is the Idolatrie of the mynde / that is when a man dothe not thinke well / nor beleue trulye on the true lyuing godd / but dothe fayne vnto him selfe throughe false doctrine / either a straunge god in his owne mynde / or straunge worshippinge of god: An other is outwarde wich is Idolatrie of the bodie / and that is when we do bestowe the worshippe wich is only due vnto god vppon creatures / And when we do owtwardlye worshippe god other wise then he wilbe worshipped.

Truly Theise dissemblers do not giue to god this worshipp of mynde and bodie which is due vnto him / but the Idolatrie of mynd and bodie they do commytt / bothe because they owtwardlie do ioyne with papistes in their Idolatrie / and because in their mynde they do persuade them selues that it is lawfull for them so to do. We thinke / (saye they) as you thinke / and in our hartes we do reteyne the truithe / and so our mynde is pure. But your bodyes ye do giue ouer to the deuill and to Idolls.

[[1. Cor. 6.]]

Thy bodye / sayeth Paule / is a membre of Christe / why doest thow make yt the membre of an harlot? here they will saye againste me / that Paule spake this of whordome / I graunte that: But the prophettes do teache vs that the moste vile and horrible whordome is Idolatrie. Hieremie / Ezechiel / and the other prophettes do speake so against the Iues and their Churche / that they name it to be euen like an harlot which hathe opened her legges vnd[er] euerye tree that hade any bowghes to Idolls and vngodlye Idolatries. Wherfore if thow maye not make thy bodye the membre of an harlot, thow muste not make yt the membre of an Idoll. This collation betuene whordome and Idolatrie is playne and true / taughte by the prophettes and Paule. Morouer howe vayne this ther excuse is / that sayinge dothe sufficyentlie declare / in which the lorde pronounceth.

[[3. Reg. 19.]]

I haue lefte me seuen thowsand in Israell / of which neuer man bowed his knees vnto baal / nor kissed hym with his mouthe. He sayeth not / which thinke well in their mynde / which do beleue well / but he sheweth the signe of owtwarde worshippinge / that is to bowe the knee / and kisse. which doth teache that ther is required vnto the true worshipp of godd / not a pure mynde only / but the owtwarde sygne / token / and doinge of worshippe / and seruice. The lorde our god is not content with halfes / he will not part stakes with the dyuel.

[[Esay. 45.]]

All knees (saith the lorde) shall bowe vnto me. God will not parte so / that he shall haue the mynde / and the dyuell the bodye. All is myne / saythe the lorde / and I will haue all or none / I will haue bothe the obedience of the harte and the bowinge of the knee: Which worship by these thy dissemblinges thou takest from god / and so thou dost robbe him of his honor / and bestowe it vpon Idolles / euen popishe masses. But thou saiste / I despise the Masse / and all Idolatrous poperie in my harte: why then doest thou prostitute thy body vnto yt? My mynde ys pure thou saiest: yee / but god will haue mynde and bodye pure. If this thy reason and excuse were of any force / then mighte the Corinthians haue sayde to Paule / why doest thou so reproue vs? we also by the grace of god do knowe that there is no Idoll. A true opinion we kepe in our mynde of godd his truithe / let god be content with that / and in the meane tyme our bodies shall serue for our commodyties.

[[1. Cor. 10.]]

But paule telleth them plainlye that they do communicate with deuills. The meates offered to Idolls of their owne nature were pure / yet when the corinthians do eate them with the Idolatrors in ther Idolatrie / then they become (saith paule) partakers of the table of deuilles: when ye then be present at a Masse / which is an Impure thinge / and do ther as the papistes do / mutch more iustly is it sayed of you / that then ye ar partakers of thos deulishe dragges which ar in the Masse. Again our men do obiecte and saye: It is not we that haue corrupted theis thinges / we wolde be gladde to haue them pure and incorrupte: ther impuritie must not be adscribed vnto vs. I answer: An other mans synne shall not indeede be imputed vnto the / for eche man shall beare his owne synne: but yet this thinge I do reproue in the / that thou dost communicate with wickednes: This is thy synne / here thou art defyled. and for this shalt thou be iudged. Paule sayde vnto the corinthians:

[[1. Cor. 10.]]

Ar not they which do eate of the sacrifice / partakers of the temple? what saye I then? that the Image is any thinge? or that it which is offered Images is any thinge? Naie. but this I saie / that the thinges which the gentills do offer / they offer to deuels and not to god. I wolde not that ye sholde haue fellowshippe with the deuills: ye can not drincke of the cuppe of the lorde / and of the cuppe of Deuels / ye can not be partakers of the table of the lorde and of the table of deuels. Thoughe corrupcion of meates offred vnto Idols is not to be imputed to all them that be partakres of them / (which wer not indeede corrupt of them selues (as I saide), but when they wer offred vnto Idols that made them corrupte) yeat the veraye communicating and eating of them with Idolatrors is a fault iustly layed to their charge / from which they shuld haue keapte themselues aswell for the honor that they do owe vnto godd / as for the conscience which they ought to haue to edyfie other men. If it wer not so / whi did paule thus rebuke the Corinthians? Yea whi wolde not our holy martirs of the primitiue churche communicat and be partakers in the Sacrifices of the heathen? The martirs might haue saide / we knowe that an Idoll is nothing / and to offer vp sence to them is but an owtward thing / we do it but in bodie / our spret and harte is pure / and that we do / against our will we do it &c. They veryly did know no suche excuse / but they considered that godd required this / that they shuld outwardly confes hym / and reproue / and fle from Idolatrie: And therfor aswell for their duties sake towarde godd / as bicause they wold not offend the brethern by their example / they did gyue their lyfe in the quarell without making ony such blinde excuses.

These men do saye further that the Masse is not to be lickened iustly vnto the Idolatrie of the heathen / for that was directly forbidden of godd / so is not the Masse / saye they: for thoughe it hathe sumwhat swarued aside / yeat is it the Institucion of christe. But to the contrarie I do saye / that the Masse is so farr swarued from the ordinaunce of christe / that it hathe nothing agreing with christis Institucion / yea and that it is most directly repugnant vnto it / A very Idoll / wherin massemungers do committe very vile Idolatrie. And this will I proue by diuers reasons. ffurst of all. The Supper of the Lorde / as it was delyuered of christe shold be a publique and a common worcke and action: for Christe our Sauiour made it with his Apostles. But nowe in the Masse / ther commithe forthe one sacrificing preste / disguised with straunge araye / and he doth all thinges alone / the rest stonde still loking / heeringe / and holding their peace. If paule did worthely and Iustly saye / when the Corinthians did not tarie and loke one for an other / that they did not then eate the Lordes supper / then ther is not the Lordes supper eaten / wher one tarieth not for an other so that they maye eate all together: And how shall we then saye / that the Masse is the Lordes supper / wher one only sacryficing prest doth eate and drincke vpp all alone? surly it can not be so called: for to be, and not to be the Lords supper / ar contrarie / Paule saith / it is not the Lords supper / wherfor call your Masse by what name ye will / the Lords supper it is not / for paule is to be beleaued before all massinge marchauntes.

They saye morouer that in their Masse / they do offer vpp the sonne of godd vnto the eternall father for the synnes of the quicke and the deade: And this they do call the principall point of their masse. But in the Laste Supper of the Lorde that Scacrifice and oblacion was not made / but vppon the crosse / as the scripture witnessith. And as for this their offerenge / ffurst / paul doth denie it in most playn words in the epistle to the hebrues /

[[Heb. 9. 10.]]

wher he sayeth that all oblacions for synne wer consummate and finished / and all thinges made perfect by that one only oblacion / which christe Iesus our Sauiour in his own parson made of hymself vppon the crosse. The worde of godd teachithe / that christe was but ons only to be sacrificed and offered / And that Sacrifice no more to be made: for if it wer often to be made / then the furst was not perfect / But the furst was perfect / Therfor ther must be no repeating of it. The papistes do saye / that they dayly offer christe for to take awaye synne / and that this Sacrifice must be dayly repeted of them / The scripture denieth this playnly: And thus ye do se that heere is a playne contradiction.

Again The supper of the Lorde was not instituted to the end that such a sacrifice for synne (as they fayne) shuld be made of it / but that in the vse of it the communicantes shuld be put in mynde / and made partakers of that only propiciatorie sacrifice which christe offered ons only for all euer vppon the crosse. And therfor ther Masse / in which they wold worcke such marueyles / and the Lordes supper ar vtterly vnlyke. But here they will reply and saye.

The fathers do speake thus of this Sacrifice / We graunte indeede / that the fathers do often tymes speake so as thoughe that the lorde wer offered in this administracion of the Sacrament / or sacrificed: But they vsed this worde / Sacrifice, improperly / for by that kinde of speaking they did onderstonde / the offringes of praise / and sacrifices of thanckes made and gyuen for christes sacrifice done vppon the crosse / This they called to sacrifice. Our sacrificing prests ar not content with this / for they will haue their own worcke to be an vnwonted worcke / belonging to them alone / which neither the scriptures / nor the fathers do teache: ffor to offer this Sacrifice of whiche the fathers do speake / partayneth not to the preist alone / but to the whole poeple that stondith by / and doth communicate / And so it is a common oblacion and sacrifice of all / not of the preiste more then of the poeple / but this only that the preist both in wordes and action / doth go before the poeple.

[[de Ciuitate dei. lib. 10. cap. 6.]]

Augustine doth saye / that the churche is offered in that offeringe which it doth offer. For all which do communicate / they do offer them selues vnto godd / and do testifie that their will is / to abide in christe.

The papistes do holde also that the breade is turned into the substaunce of christes bodie / and that ther remaynith nothing but the qualitie and accidence of breade as whitenes / &c. for the substaunce / saye they / is christes bodie. But the scripture saith that christe in his laste supper did gyue breade vnto his disciples /

[[1. Cor. 11.]]

and paule callith it breade also / yeat in the Masse the papistes saye that it is otherwise.

The vse of the breade and wyne by christis institucion is only / that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke therof in the remembrance of christe / But the papistes in their Masse do most shamefully abuse them both. For wheare as the worde of godd saythe:

[[Deutron 6]]
[[math. 4.]]

Thow shalt worshipp the Lorde thy godd and hym only shalt thow serue / They in ther masse do lyfte vpp the breade and wyne / and euen in the rowme of godd they sett them furthe to be adored and worshipped of the poeple: now how farr this differrith from the vse of christes supper eich man may se. Yea what can be more vile and filthie Idolatrie / then to adore and worshipp a peace of brede and cupp of wyne / as godd? Be not offended that I do vse theise bare names. I do confes / that whosoeuer acording to the Lordes Institucion doth communicate with the congregacion and dothe eate the breade and drinke of the cupp of the Lorde / beholding the deathe of christe with Lyuely faithe / the same man is in sprete and after his manier / made partaker of the body and bludd of the lorde. Contrari wise if thow do not vse the breade and wyne acordinge to the ordinaunce of christe / but gase vppon them / then ar they nothinge els to the / but breade and wyne: But if in a popishe Masse / or in the popishe hanging / heauing / carying / or handelinge of them / thow do worshipp them / then ar they vnto the a false Idoll / and thow indeede a filthie Idolatror. If therfor thow wilt be partaker of the body and bludd of christe in the holy supper / then eate the breade and drincke the cupp as the lorde hathe instituted. Godd wold haue the poeple in the vse of the holy Supper to ascend vppwarde into heauen in mynde and affection / that they might ther cleaue fast vnto christe. And therfor the true ministers of the churche do labour to the vttermost of their poure / thus to lifte vpp the poeples mynde into heauen / that they shuld not seeke christe in the worlde / that they shuld not thinck ony fleshly or earthely thinge of hym: Theise men clean contrarie in the order of their Sacrament and Masse do miserably detayn the poeple in the earthe / bynding and holding them to the visible signes.

[[1. Cor. 14]]

The apostle commaundith that thinges shuld not be doone in the congregacion in a straunge tongue / except ther wer an Interpretour / that the thing being vnderstonded of all / the hearers might saye / Amen / and that the edifyinge of them shuld be sought. Now theise men in their masse do all in the Laten tongue / which is to the common poeple vnknown / and they do defend this theyr doing euen against the worde of godd. But it is most certayn that christe our sauiour in his administration / and after him all his apostles and disciples which wer hebrues / vsed theyr vulgare hebrue tongue / the Grecians also their greke tonge. And euen vnto this daye the Sclauonians in their churches vse their vulgare and commen speache.

Those wordes of our greate and singuler consolation / in wich the partakinge of Christes bodye and bloude is promised / the papistes in their Masse speake secretlie / they whisper them so that euen they which knowe the Latine tonge can neither heare them nor vnderstande them. And so do they rumble them vp to their owne selues as thoughe the people were vnworthie to heare them: But christ in his super spake them openlie. And so the greke churche and the Churche of India / do yet speake them with an audible voice And the auncient manier was / as Ambrose and Augustine among other of the fathers do testifie that the people dyd answer vnto those words. Amen. But as I suppose the papistes do thus murmure and speake these words in secrete / bicause they wolde not haue their Lies knowen / for they do saye / Take ye and eate / and this so often as ye do / do yt in the remembraunce of me. But who taketh / or to whom do they giue? The wordes be spoken to the people: And yet they them selues do eate and drike vp all alone / and do distribute vnto no man ells. Is not this to make a lie? To lie alwaies is taken to be an euill thinge / but before god to lie / is a moste shamles and wiked thinge: who dothe eate (o ye lyyng papistes) or who doth drinke wyth you? If ye do distribute at any tyme to ony other ye do yt not when ye your selues receyue / but ye chose for them an other time / yea and another kinde also / for to them ye do minister but the breade onlye. Thus ye se that all theise thinges which these massers do in their masse / ar contrarye to the institution of Christe. Ther masse then and Christes supper ar not lyke.

The papistes saye that by their Action (I meane ther handeling of ther breade and wyne) they do applie vnto others the profitt of Christs bloudie sacrifice and passion. Of a Sacrament they saye that they make sacrifices to profit the quicke and the Deade. and this do they in ther masse. But the scripture teacheth / that there is but one only propiciatorie sacrifice / able and auaylable to take awaie synnes / whiche Christe Iesus offered in his owne fleshe vpon the Crosse. And that euerie man muste applie vnto him selfe by liuelie faythe the benefite of that same sacrifice of christe / as the scripture teacheth likewise / that eche man is iustified by his own faithe, and that eche man in his owne righteousnes or vnrighteousnes / doth liue / or die. It teachithe also that christe did institute the sacrament only to this end that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke it in the rememberaunce of that same his Sacrifice. And that eiche one in the drincking therof shuld apply vnto himself by faithe / the fruite of that Sacrifice. Now compare the doctrine of the scriptures and of the papistes in this pointe together / and thou shalt se that their Masse is contrarie to christes Institucion. But as they haue / so still will they saye:

That aswell the liuing as the deade be helped by this their acte applied at their pleasure. If they wolde saie that thei profyt others by praier / that were tollerable. But they go further and saie / that ther verye massinge worcke it selfe / hathe so moche vertue / power and strenghthe in it / that it shall profit not only all kyndes of men / but all such creatures and beastes for whom they do say ther masse / bicause in it they do applye the benefite of christes passion: but ye must vnderstond when they be payed for ther labor. This is an horrible error in no wise to be suffered / for as I sayed / ther is but one only sacrifice propiciatorie to take awaye synne / which one sacrifice eiche one of vs must applie vnto our selues by liuelie faythe / And this applyinge faithe is the only gifte of god: But on this grounde buylde they their purgatorie and mutch other such pelf / by which they do pycke mens purses. They saye ther Masses also in the honor of this / or of that saincte. And of what saintes? suche verylie whose histories are not certaynlie knowen / and are of none authoritie / yea many of them are no better then poetes fables / of whom not vnworthelie we doubte whether they be sainctes or no: But be it that they were true sainctes / yet this their doinge is moste contrarie to christes ordinance / for Christe did institute his supper to this ende that it sholde be vsed in the remembrance of his deathe and not of other mens / weare they neuer so holye.

In their masse they haue also diuers and sundrie rytes and customs / clothes / signes / gestures / tornes / remouinges / and blissinges / of and with the breade and wine / but christe vsed none of all theis in his supper: And what they do meane by these thinges the poeple doth not knowe / neither can the priestes them selues for the most part tell what is ment by them: for if ye aske the meaninge of them / either can they saye nothinge at all / or if they do saie owghte / they do not saye all one thinge / but thinges that be moste contrarie / wherby a man maie iudge that there is no truithe at all in their wordes. But here they do saie. Thinkest thou that the foolishe vnlearned people in the olde Lawe dyd vnderstand all the legall ceremonies? no it was not requisite / no more is yt nowe: To this I answer / Althoughe that all the poeple dyd not knowe what was mente by them in the olde lawe / It sufficed yet that they hade the worde of god for them / Nowe do yee shewe vnto vs the worde of god for theise your signes and it shall suffice vs.

Agayne the godly and lerned preistes could shew what was ment by the rites and ceremonies of the lawe / and that by the word of godd: but ye can do neyther of theis: for ye haue enuented theis toyes in your own braynes: signes ye do call them but ye do not know what thinges they do signifie. And therfor as in rites your Masse doth differ from christes supper / so when ye saye your pleasure of your rites / ye ar not to be beleaued: for faith hath no place where goddes worde doth not shew it selfe. I saide that massemungers in their masse do committ Idolatrie. Their bready god hanged vp in a pix / and their Images / vnto which they turne them selues and do make their moste vncleane seruice and sacrifice do proue this true: Neither do they accompte it sufficient to behold theis their Idols when they saye their Masses / but also they so offer vnto them / they cense them / they bowe the knee vnto them: let them nowe denye whilest they will that they do not worship the breade / nor the Images / yet this worship they do them / This kinde of worship (I saye) which is giuen customabilie vnto god alone / as the lawe of god teacheth. But seing they giue this vnto these Idols / are they not Idolatrors? yes truly. And howe then dare ony christian be present there / to vncouer the heade to bowe the kne to offer and do such like thinges with them?

They saye that ther Masse is christes Institution / And our men (of whom I now haue spoken) do saye that the Masse hath sum affinitie with christes institucion of the holy supper.

But I saye that the olde heathens myghte wyth more coloure of truithe / excuse and defende their sacrifices by that maner / then these men maye do their masse. ffor verylye the sacrifices of the heathen haue lesse departed from the maner which the fathers vsed in sacrificinge before the lawe giuen / which also the lorde approued in the lawe / then these massers do frome the supper which Christe / and the Apostle paule hathe prescribed. In bothe their sacrifices was the inuocation of god / a Temple / an Aultar / slayne sacrifices / sacrificinge priestes / sleynge of beastes / sheddinge of bloude / salte / wine / oyle / mele / an holy feaste / holy garmentes / washinge / censinge / fyer / singinge / prophecies / and suche other thinges / all which to repeate it were to longe: let our Massers (if they can) shewe so many thinges which Christe did in the holye supper: Which thinge if they can not do / then let them cease to boaste that their Masse is the institution of Christ and the Apostles / from which it differethe so farre that if the Apostles and fathers of the primatyue churche were nowe here to beholde this masse / they sholde not knowe it to be the lords supper / but wolde surlie marueyle at suche a monstruous mahometrie.

I omytte also that in and with their Masse they haue many Anniuersaries yearemyndes / diriges done for the deade: But The Lord did not institute ony of them. If they saye that Cyprian and others of the fathers do speake of suche Annyuersaries: I answer that those of which the fathers do make mencyon / were nothinge els but thanckfull remembraunces of the Martirs departed / in which they did gyue thancks to godd for them. They also in their Masses do call vppon the saintes and holy men departed / which is a thing most contrarie to true godlynes / and vtterly vnknown and vnpracticed in the administracion of the Lordes supper.

And to be shorte all their thinges which they do in their Masses / they do choppe and chaunge / they bye and sell and sett them furthe to most vile and filthie gayne. Wherfor / my most Louing Brethern take ye diligent heede / les whilest ye pretend to worshipp godd in your going to Masses / and to entreate hym to be mercifull vnto yow / ye do not most mightyly kindle his wrathe against you by hearinge of theise Masses: which as ye playnly do se / ar nothing els but a shamfull deuise sett vpp to deface the deathe of christe / a pestilent practise fownde out to ouerthrowe the true vse of the Lordes supper / and an Idolatrie inuented to infect the poeple and to make them Idolatrors. whearby eich man may easily iudge / how great a synne it is / to be partaker of a Masse.

But notwithstondinge all this which is spoken / yeat theise men whiche thincke that they maye dissemble at the Masse / cease not to saye / That thoughe the Masse be not the Lords supper / but an Idolatrie / yet is not the presence at it so earnestly to be forbidden / seing that such thinges haue been graunted vnto the Infirmities of men: If a man do aske them wheare:

[[Naman.]]

They do bringe forth the Example of Naaman the Syrian / and by it they will neades haue it made Lawfull vnto them to communicate with wicked supersticions.

[[4. Reg. 5.]]

for he prayed Heliseus / saye they / that he might be suffred to kneele in the temple of Rymmon that Idoll / when the kinge did worshipp / and leane vppon his arme. whom the prophet answered / goo in peace. And that / saye they / which was permitted vnto Naaman / whi do ye forbyd vnto vs? ffurst theise men shuld weye with them selues / whether that we only haue redde this Example of Naaman / or not. So we thincke that the holy Apostles and Martirs of the olde churche which wer occupied nighte and daye in the holy scriptures / did not consider this acte and Example? Truly they wer not ignorant of the historie / yet did they neuer knowe this vnderstandinge of it: for if they did / whi then wolde they not folow this example / especially when they might therby haue saued their lyues?

But these holy and godly learned men did see that thinge in this historie / which our men do not consider / namely this / that Naaman now newly conuerted to the faithe was a smoking flaxe which was not to be putt out / a weake and shaken reade which was not to be brosed in peices / and that as yet he was very weake / for he was not yet prepared and readye to denye and forsake hymself and all that was his for goddes sake. He thought that it might comme to pas that he shuld together with the knowledge of the Lyuing godd / easili holde and keape still his old place / office / and dignitie / if he coulde happen to haue that / which he desired of the prophet: And when he did well perceyue that this was his infirmitie and synne / it trobled himso that therfor he desired the prayers and helpe of Heliseus: he desired hym / that if he shuld happen to fall into this euill / yeat that he might be fauored / that he mighte finde mercie / and that Heliseus wold praye that the Lorde wolde forgyue hym. Who doth at ony tyme aske forgyuenes for that which he accomptithe Lawfull? forgyuenes is asked for synnes only / Naaman therfor acknowledged this his acte to be a synne: And if I so fall (quod he) then praye the Lorde to forgyue me. This place therfor doth make most against our men / and euen the same wayes which they go about to excuse their facte / by the same it is most playnly proued to be synne. Let them aknowledge therfor in their doinge that thinge / which Naaman the Sirian did. And let them begg the mercie of godd / and the prayers of godly men / that the same thing which they haue euell doone / and do / maye be pardoned them. Neither did Eliseus / as our men do thincke / graunte Naaman licence or libertie to do so as he hadd sayde / but only he saide vnto hym / goo in peace: which manier of speaking was a kind of takinge leaue vsed in that age. And as for any other thinge ther can none be gathered out of thos wordes / onles it be this that he promised to do that which Naaman required: goo thy wayes (saithe he) I will do as thow desirest / I shall praye for the. The prophet doth not reiect hym / if he shuld fall into this euell. As we do not vtterly reiect nor shutt theise men from grace which thus do fall: Yeat must we sharply reproue their doinges that they may acknowledge their fault and synne / and vnfaynedly lament and repent the same. And we ought also hartily to praye that they may be raysed vpp agayn. They do obiect also certayn wordes out of the Epistle of Ieremie / which is entitled Baruch. The wordes ar theise.

[[Bar. 6.]]