â—â—e Euangelist wryteth speaking of Christ Matt. 1. not â—â—en borne he shall saue his people from there sinÌ„es â—â—e meaneth he shall do it and none other Is it not knowen that in his name onely oure sinnes are foâ—…geueÌ„ vs in whiche we be baptised for baptisme â—…gnifieth the remission of sinnes 1. Cor. 1. It is plaine as S. Paule saieth to the Corinthiâ—â— that we be Christened in Chrsts name and noâ—â— any other saincts Are you saith he Christened 〈◊〉 Pauls name 1. Ioan. 2. as though he wold saye no but 〈◊〉 Christs And IhonÌ„ the Euangelist saith I wryteâ—… yow children that youre sinnes are forgeuen yoâ—… by his name that is to say Christes And whâ—… should we nede to alledge mo saings all the scrâ—…pture both new and olde is full of this And whâ—… els saieth Esaias Esa 53. but that Christ hath suffered foâ—… oure sinnes and Christ himself as we haue said before plainely affirmeth Luc. 24. Rom. 3. Ephes. 1. Coloss 2. Hebre. 1. that in his name is wrought remission of sinnes and Paule in this matteâ—… is plentifull aboue all whose saings if I wold bringâ—… furth I should be to long but for that the matter iâ—… so clere to him that is not altogether ignoraunâ—… of Christ and the scriptures I will passe it ouer Semeth this to you a small blasphemie to take away that honoure and that glory that belongeth to Christ onely and geue them to others to whome they belong not Is not this a dishonouring him a dispysing him and a committing of a great sacriledge This prayer is wicked and a great blasphemy nor ye ought not to excuse it with gloses And who that will defind it shall shew himself an enemy to the honoure and glory of Christe And beâ—â—ds all this also it plainli gainsaieth other parts of â—…he Mosse as those two verses of Gloria in ex celsis deo the which say to Christ Qui tol â—…is peccata mundi miserere nobis Qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe de â—…recationem nostraÌ„ It speaketh against â—…he consecration of the cupp and against the ago nus dei the which saings affirme that Christ onely causeth remission of sinnes and not the â—…aints The second chapter THE EXAMINACION OF THE Kyrie cleeson and of the Gloria in excelsis deo and how that many praiers after the gloria in excelsis be wicked and that the epistle and gospell and generally the whole worde of god in the Masse are vnworthely and euell fauoredly handled VVHen the priest is come to the aultar aÌ„d hâ—… opened the Masse book he beginneth 〈◊〉 entrie which commonly is of the old Testameâ—â— and for the most parte it is certeine verses of 〈◊〉 Psalmes When the entrie is ended the Kyrie â—…leeson is sayd which is as much to saye as dâ—… mine miserere that is lord haue mercye 〈◊〉 Master williame Durant in the fourth parte 〈◊〉 his boke called the Rationale diuinoâ—… that is to say a declaration of the causes whie â—â—ry ceremonie is vsed in the common seruice whâ—… he expoundeth the Masse he teacheth and reheâ—…seth the reasons of the things saide or done in 〈◊〉 same and saith that the Kyrie eleeson hâ—… yet an other signification that is Kyri Christ 〈◊〉 god ei haue mercye son vpon vs so that this Kâ—…rie eleeson shal be foure words the first shalâ—… kyri the second el the third ei and the fourth soâ—… which altogether do make the Kyrie eleisoâ—… which hole is as much to say as Christ god haâ—… mercy vpon vs but whye it is sayd nyne tymes â—…gether with Christeleeson the sayd Masteâ—… william doth theach the cause saing that for certein respects it is sayd nyne tymes The first is thâ—… the tenth order which is of men being now reâ—â— â—…yred might accompanie the nyne orders of Anâ—…ls The second that the churche might come to â—…e company of this nyne orders of Angels The â—â—ird is that it may be against these nyne sortes of â—â—nes that is to say oure birth sinne forgeuable â—â—dlye bye thought word dede by frailtie simpliâ—â—ie and maliciouslye behold the goodly reasons 〈◊〉 this Kyrie eleeson whye it should be sayd â—…ne times and you may see how auctenticall they 〈◊〉 He bringeth in also certein other causes which â—â—r shortnes I leaue but among the rest he saieth that this Kyrieleeson is of great power and that 〈◊〉 Basill crieng this Kyrie eleeson wiht a loud â—…oyce the church dores of Pauia were opened â—â—d that at an other time by the crye of Kyrie â—…leeson fiue kings were put to flight And he â—…ddeth that perhappes this Kyrie eleeson â—…etokeneth some other thing then domine miâ—…erere which we do not knowe But I wold first vnderstand to what purpose â—…monge the latines of which the great parte vnâ—…erstandeth onely there naturall tonge and not the â—…atin to what purpose I say should the greek be spoken seing we vse the latine Except that we woâ—â—d saye that the words in greek ether are better vnderstand then in latin which is false or ells that they haue more vertew then the latin which is superstitious Wherfore then is not lord haue mercy on vs said aÌ„d not Kyrie eleeson th one being as much in signification as the other if there were an English preacher that should preach to English meÌ„ who vnderstand not the dutche tonge and wold speake dutch wold not the hearers think that they were mockt by such a preacher Euen so do they that say Masse who speak greek to the latines and that which is worse to them that nether vnderstand greek nor latine Seing then that this Kyrie eleeson meaneth lord haue mercye whye is it not rather and fitlier said onely thre tymes to betokeÌ„ the trinitie the which is prayed vnto by such words and to which belongeth to shew mercye then nyne times for the nyne orders of Aungels which are nether prayed vnto in this Kyrie eleeson nor to haue mercie on vs belongeth not vnto them sewerly it should more conueniently and more fitlye be said oneli thre times for the thre diuine persons because it beloÌ„geth to theÌ„ to shew mercie theÌ„ nyne times for the nyne orders of Aungels which haue not that power TheÌ„ whi is it said rather nine times for â—…he nyne orders of Aungels then seaueÌ„ times seing â—…hat the nomber of seauen is found oftener in the â—…cripture then the nombre of nyne as the places â—…ight be shewed Or els rather then twelue times â—…or the twelue Apostles for the twelue tribes of Isâ—â—ell for the twelue starres in the Apocalipse for â—â—e twelue articles of the faith and for the twelue â—…ones of which is made meÌ„tioÌ„ in Iosue the fourth â—…o what purpose when we praye vnto god should â—…e multiply oure words according to the nombre â—…f the AuÌ„gels or other things this is as we should â—…tye fyue Pater nosters and fyue Aue Maryes in â—…he worship of the fyue woundes or
Epistle the grayle which is certeiâ—… verses of Psalmes and for the most parte with certein alleluiaes orels the tract which is also certeine verses of Psalmes and then is saide the gospell These things are of the holy scripture and good but be vndewâ—…ifully handled because they â—…re vnprofitably spoken Tell me what can the â—…pistle gospel or any of the scripture profit if they â—…e not vnderstand It is plaine that the more parte â—…f the people that here Masse commenly vnderâ—…and not the latine But what speake I of the peopâ—… They themselues that say the Masse for the â—…ost part are ignoraunt and vnderstand not the â—…eaninge of the words they speake but like pyes â—…r popingaies they pronounce the words and the â—…enteÌ„ces and vnderstand not the meaninge of then what an abuse is this And so much the more as that they say softly before the gospell two praiers â—…hat is Clense o almightie god my harte and my â—…ippes that didest clense the lippes of I say the prophet with a burning stone voutsafe eueÌ„ so to clense me with thy pitie that I may worthelie declare this holly gospell by Christ oure lord And after this he saieth the other Oure lord be in my hart and in my lippes that I may worthely aÌ„d sufficieÌ„tly shew forth his gospell After this sorte the priest saieth these prayers when there is no deacon but where the deacon is there he asketh the blessing at the priests hands who speaketh vnto him in the second person sainge The lord be in thy hart and in thy lippes c. The praier ended the deacon then singeth the gospell There is required in these praiers to set furth the gospell worthely and as it ought But how caâ—… the gospell be worthely set furth wheÌ„ it is vttered in such sort as it is nether vnderstand of him thaâ—… hereth it nor him that speaketh it and proffiteth nothinge at all Suerly they mock god and the gospell for on the one parte they desire gods grace to shew forth worthely the gospell and of the other parte they speak it or singe it in such sort as it cannot be vnderstand Is the gospell worthely declareâ—… by reading it onely on the boke Did our sauior câ—…maunde his Apostles when he said vnto them preach the gospel to all creatures that they shoulâ—… preach it in a tong that men vnderstand not Wheâ—…fore gaue he them the gift of tongs But that euen nation might vnderstand them The gospell why iâ—… it preached to the entent to be beleued How caâ—… it be beleued when it is not vnderstand What 〈◊〉 corruption is this of this Masse to say it to all the people whiche are there some time a thousand persons men and women litle and great and the more parte of them heareth onely the voice without vnderstanding any thinge that is saide in the hole Masse O poure people what misorder and abuse is this There is that haue hard Masse aboue fourescore yeres that neuer vnderstode any thinge nor knoweth what they haue done O shepherds that haue the charge of mens soules is this youre gouernement do you handell of this sorte Christs poore shepe which you ought to seede with gods worde and ye feed them with wynde why do you not remedy in youre Councels which to what end you kepe them it is well knowen this horrible abuse and many other as great as this but rather defend them and increase them from day to day as lawes of the churche What excuse shall you haue â—…at the day of iudgement before Christs throne for this youre administration Who hath taught you to speak in the churche before the hole nombre in an vnknowen tonge do you not know that this is against gods commaundement declared by the Apostell Paule 1. Cor. 14. where plainely he willeth that in the church and when the people are gathered together men should speak in a tonge that all men might vnderstand and rebuketh those that speake in an vnknowen tonge because it is without edification and proffit what a destruction is this to make the poore people lose the tyme and to kepe the people so disceaued that they should think it well done onely to here and vnderstand nothinge They know not that to read a thinge and not to vnderstand it is to dispise it as Cato saieth whom euery chilce doth lerne The cause why in the old tyme the latine tong was vsed in the churche was because that then the people did vnderstand it And Gregory at Rome to the people did vse none other tonge but latin as himself doth witnes in the preface to Ezechiell writing to Marian the bishop yea it was commaunded by the Emperours Ciuill law that the minister should speake the words of Consecration with a loud voice that all the people might here and vnderstand which should haue bene done in vaine if the people had not vnderstand the meaning of the words And therfore there was no praier said softly but all were openly spoken with a loud voice to the intent that the people might answer amen Which should haue bene askorne by the witnes of Paule in the said place of his Epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 14. if they had not vnderstand what was said Therfore the minister or the priest when he should say the prayers said and yet saith Oremus prouoking the whole multitude gathered to gother to whom he speaketh that they should pray and make together with him the same peticion that he speaketh which cannot be fitly done if that be not vnderstand that the priest saieth And therfore this saing of the Epistle and gospell and all the rest as it is handeled in the Masse in the latine tonge and being not vnderstanded of the â—…tanders bye is a very great abuse and a begiling of the people of the profit of Gods worde The thirde chapter THere is declared that the prayer which is said in the offering of the host is wicked That the mixting water with wine is mans inuention and not gods That the praier of the offeringe the cupp is wicked as that is of the hoste When the gospell is done the Crede is sayd on holly daies on other daies it is not said After the Crede then is the offertory which is a saing of the Psalmes and some tymes it is some other parte of the scripture brefe and short When the offertory is said or whilest it is saing on holy daies chefely on sonday men offer and kysse the maniple or the paten and there is said to them that offer Centuplum accipies c. The which saing was a promes that Christe made to those that wold forsake father mother wyfe children and there temporall goods for his name and they aplie it to them that offer in this offeringe Behold wheather this be to pull gods word from the purpose and to corrupt it or no As though Christs inteÌ„t had bene to sai in these words whoso euer will kisse the phanel and offer to geue
S. Lucia or of a nother saint How moch shuld it be to the purpos ād conueniēt iff one hauing nede to intreate the Emperor or a king wold goo to a poore mā and on his kneis wold say vnto him I commend my selff to your magestie ād I besech yow that yow wold shewe me this fauor and wold desire of him such things as he could not doo and as were not conuenient to be axed of such a parson shuld not that poore man cownt him selff mocked and scorned Thei doo moch wors becaus thei attribute to a plaine creature that which belōgeth to god only and to Christ who withowt measure doo more excede euery creature thā any earthly estate doth any poore or base parson as to the world And marke that in the councelles of thes owre times their is no worde spokē of thes and manie other so greate ād grosse errors and abuses as Reingne nowe Amonge Christes flock Be thes things deuociōs Men must not touche thē Well it is ynough that thei goo abowt to condēne the Lutherā Heretikes that is christ with all the whole holy scripture as their fathers haue done that is to say the chefe priestes the scribes ād the phariseis Who crucified Christ condemned euelhādled and in the end killed the holi Apostels Euen soo doo they A nother abuse is that they geue to vnderstand that the angels with all the court of heauen be present at the masse This is ouergret a falshode for that the angels ād the sowles of Iust mē can not be but in one place And according to this opiniō we must say that thei be eueri where wher so euer the masse is said For seing that thei must accompany Christ and that Christ as thei think is in all thos places where thei celebrate there must be also the angels and the sowles of saintes ād so the plaine creatures shall be at one time in diuers places the which cānot be we can not say that thei accompany him more in one place thā in a nother seing that Christ as thei think is equally in all places where the sacramēt is Wherfor we must say that eyther thei accōpany him in all places or in none A nother abuse is that thei say the masse for the deade against Christes institutiō The caus is this for that the sacraments auaile for thē for whō thei were instituted and not for other It is clere that thei were instituted for the liuing ād not for the deade therfor thei auaile not for them As for baptisme it is plaine that it auaileth not for the dead seinge the deade be neither baptised thē selues nor ani other for thē And though sōtime it were done as some vnderstand the saing of Paul to the Chorinthes 1 Corin. 15. Vt quid baptisantur pro mortuis This was by error and it was not well done So we will say of the super that it was instituted for the liuing and not for the deade becaus that the deade can not vse it in Christes rememberans nor eate it nor drinck it Some man will say the deade can not vse it but the liuing may vse it for the deade I wold haue of thes men that thei wold alledge me the caus why this sacrament may rather be vsed for the deade than baptisme There is differens betwene baptisme and the supper I know it becaus baptisme is vsed only ones in the life for a man But the holy supper many times I doo confesse that in this point there is a differens and there be also other differencis but this notwithstanding baptisme at thos times that it is vsed may also be taken for the deade such a nomber of childern being baptised as there is for so moch as that in baptisme there is made memory of the passion crossing death and burieng of Christ Roman 6. 2 Coloss 2. as we haue to the romans and to the collossians and mencion is made of the forgiuenes of sinnes Yea iff we shuld speake by the scripture it semeth to attribute more vnto baptisme than to the holy supper Marc. 1. Luc. 3. Act. 2. et 22. Iff we shuld consider many saings according to the letter we haue in Mark ād in Luke that Iohn did baptise in forgeuenes of sinnes We haue in the actes of thapostles how Peter said let euery one off yow be baptised in the forgiuenes of sinnes and Ananias said to Paul Rise vp baptise the and wassh thy sinnes The article off the faith which saith I doo confesse one baptisme in forgeuenes off sinnes c. All thes saings and other which we could bring forth iff we wold seme according to the letter that they shuld attribute more to baptisme as concerning forgeuenes of sinnes than to the supper And yet no one of the catholiks euer said that baptisme shuld help the deade Why than shall the holy supper help for the sinnes off the dead It is certen that where the holy supper is spoken off there is not so offten and so expresse mencion made that it shuld be taken in forgeuenes off sinnes as where the baptisme is spoken of I meane not by this my saing to affirme that by baptisme sinnes be forgeuen I will not affirme this for before we haue proued the contrary that is to say that the baptisme is in dede a signe off the forgeuenes off sinnes and it certifieth vs and maketh vs more sure off the same not that it doth it But I will say that in the writings of theuangelists and Apostles there is more mencion made of the forgeuenes of sinnes whan the baptisme is spoken of than whan the supper is spoken off And that iff the lords supper shuld auayle for the deade baptisme also shuld auaile but baptisme doth not auaile for the deade wherfor also the sacrament of thanks giuing doth not auaile A nother abuse is so gret a variete of gestures of strange dedes now this now that now the prist stoupeth now he standeth vp And this may haue some reason becaus the stouping there is a signe of prayer and in the masse are said diuers prayers But how many gestures and cown enancis be made withowt any purpos Somtime he Ioynith his handes and fingars By and by sondereth them Now he liffteth vp his armes now he putteth them down Now he speaketh now he saith nothing Now he speaketh sofftly now a lowd somtime he standeth at one end of the altare a nother time he standeth at the other and remoueth the masseboke Now he he turnith him to the peple by and by he turneth his back somtime he semith to slepe Oh there be made I can not tell how many crosses and how moche a doo I know well that thei geue to all thes things their significacion Imagined at their pleasure ād fained of their own head The which significaciō neuertheles neither the peple that seith and heareth nor thei thē selues that say the masse doo vnderstād But tell me I pray yow to
wordes of the consecration and not of all the canon Innocentius in the decretallis de celebratione missarum in the chapter Cum marthe willeth and commandeth because he was pope that this canon shuld be receiued as deliuered by the apostels although it were writen at the least v. hondreth yeare affter the apostels time and but a litle before gregory the first Lib. 7. epist cap. 63. as he him selff witnesseth It was written by a certen mā named Scolasticus and is diuided in to xi partis some going before the consecraciō and some folowing Master William durāt in his Rationale diuinorum officiorum that is to say the declaration of the cause of euery thing vsed in gods seruice with great reuerēce expoundeth thes one part affter a nother as a thingful of veri great ād godly misteries And saith that euery point of this canō which we goo abowt to set owt doth very hardly appeare to be of any valewe Wherfor saith he The tong faileth The spech is vnfitt The witt is ouer come And the vnderstonding oppressed Notwithstonding I will knock at the dore that is to say I will pray god that he wil open to me thes great secrettis And yet for all thes there is not in this canon made by scolasticus so moch as one word of the holy scripture except thos of the consecration which are the least of it For the pater noster was added after by Gregory as in the place before rehersed and be christes wordes So that iff he shuld haue declared Iohns gospel or the mistery of the trinitie he wold not haue made such a furniture of wordes And he expowndeth it with so great diligence ād reuerēce as it is meruolose Thes be the worthy expownders that expownd mans wordes with more reuerence and with greater labor than gods So now expownding this canō he saith many things vaine and childish yea many thinges wicked Amongst the rest he saith that parauenture by gods foresight it is brought to passe and not procured by mans labor that the first letter of this canon shuld be T. which in hebrew is called Tau Which Tau in his shape sheweth and expresseth the signe and mistery of the crosse because god saith by Ezechiel print the Tau Ezech. 9. in the forhead of them that sorow and mourne for the abominations of Ierusalē For thes things sayth he be fullfilled by the passion of Christ ād the cross and haue their strenght And he addeth that in certen bokes that is to say massebokes the maiestie of the father ād also the Image of the crucifix is paynted to the intent that the priest might see as it were presently him that he calleth on and with whom he speaketh saing Te igitur c. And that the passion which here is represented may pearce in to the eyes of the hart And he addeth But the priest kisseth the feete of the Image of the same maiestie and is crossed in the forhead geuing vs to vnderstand that he goeth reuerently to the mistery of the redempcion Not withstonding saith he some kisse first the feete of the Image of the fathers maiestie and affter of the crucifix according to the order of the canon Other contrary wise For by the sonn men come to the father And wher hath this honest fellowe fownd that the maiestie of the father can be painted Exod. 20 Deut. 4.5 what shape hath the father who is an highe spirite that we may paint him Seing he himselff hath so straightly in the lawe commanded that there shuld be made no fasshion nor ymage of god Is not this to teach men to committ Idolatry Let no man maruel that I offten alledge William Durant For I doo it to none other end but that it may appeare of what sort the fowndacions of this masse are For this is he that yeldeth and telleth the causes and reasons of the things that are sayd and done in the masse Therfor I alledge him offten But let vs ronne ouer a litle this canon And examining it we shal see in it thes vnexpressable misteries affter master durant The first is this WE therfor O most mercifull father by Iesus Christ thy sonn our lord doo humbly pray and desire the that thow wilt accept these gyfftes these presentys and these vnspotted sacryfices And here must be made iij. crosses ouer the host and the chales likewise And he addeth First that we offer to the for thy holi catholike church which vouchsafe thow to quiet to kepe to Ioyne to gether and to gouerne in euery part of the earthes compasse to gether with thy seruant our Pope and our bisshop And here is the Pope and the bisshop of that dyocesse where the masse is said named by name Or iff thei be friars or mōkes that celebrate thei name their generall or Abbat and affter he addeth this That is to say And for all the right opinioned and kepers of the catholyke and apostolik faith This is the first of the xi partis of the canon In which it is destred that the breade and the wyne may be accepted for the church for the pope for the bisshops for the generals fryars or mōkes and for all the right opinioned and kepers of the catholik and apostolik faith And it is affirmed that that bread and that wyne not yet consecrated are holy and vndefiled sacrifices which are offered to god for the church ād for all thos that are there mencioned And here is no great hardnes for the wordes be plaine inough except that those iij. crosses which are made ouer the breade and wyne shuld betoken some very great misteries Master William durant saith here that thes iij. crosses doo betoken the iij. deliueries of Christ the first when god deliuerid his son to the world the second whē Iudas deliuerid him to the Iewes and the third whē the Iewes deliuerid him to death Iff this reason be good whi make thei not ther 4. crosses Seing that Christ hath deliuered also him selff as Peter saith 1. Pet. 2. Tradebatautem se iudicanti iuste that is he deliuered himselff to him that Iudgith Iustly Is not this Christ as mā and as priest deliuered or offered vnto god Eph. 5. a sacrifice for our sinnes And doth not S. Paul to the Ephes say that Christ deliuered himselff for the church to sāctifie it Heb. 9. ◅0 ād to the hebrews in how many places is ther made mencion Math. 20. that Christ hath offred himselff to god yea Christ him selff doth witnes that he hath geuē his life for vs. Is not this deliuery of as great importan̄ce as that of the Iewes and rather greater And why is ther not mencion made of it in thes crosses He saith also that thes iij. crosses are made in the worship of the trinitie and also in betokening the threfold vnion in the acceptacion of Christ. Also in rememberance of the threfold crucifiēg that is to say In the will
of the altare the most holy body and blood of thy sonn may be fullfilled with euery heuenly blessing and grace thorow the same Iesus Christ our lord And here are made iij. crosses Masse prystes make ij manifest lyes in the canon euen whan thei are most deuoutly at mass which thei can not denie One vp on the host whan the body is named another ouer the cupp whā the same is named the third is made crossing him selff And at this praier the prest boweth him selff a litle but he ought to knele downe seing he saith that he prayeth vp on his kneis and yet he doth not knele but only boweth him selff As in the first part of this canon he saith also that he kneleth and yet he kneleth not And here William Durant vpon thes wordes that is to say command that thes things may be caryed by the handes of thy holy Angel vpon the high altare c sayth that they be of so gret depth that mans vnderstanding is veri hardly sufficyent to enter in to them And minding to expound them he bringeth furth first Gregories wordes registerd in the decree of consecracyon the 5. distinction Cap. Quid sit sanguis And because he semed not satiffyed he bringeth furth iij. other exposityons the first is that that word Hec that is to say thes things may meane not the body and the bloode but the supplicacyons and prayers of the faithfull which prayers the angels offer vnto god And than he geuyth a nother significatyō wich doth not satisfie hym And affter he geueth also the third that is this Command that thes things that is to say the mistycall body of Christ which is gods warfaring church may be caryed to the high altare that is to say to the victorios church and that by the hādes of thy holy angel that is to say of christ who is an āgel of the great coūcel as Esai in the ix saith He addeth yet a nother which for shortnes i will lett passe It is an hard matter surely to defend an vniust cause for a man is constrayned to say many things that be not to the purpos Id nedeth not here that master Durāt shuld find owt so many glooses For the canon speaketh whan it sayth thes things of the host and of the wyne consecrated as it spake before in the other prayer and speketh not neither of the praiers nor of the misticall body ffor it made no mencion neither of the one nor of the other in the tother praier And desyring in this prayer that god wold cōmād thes things to be caried by the hādes of his āgels ther is shewed by thos wordes thes things the selff same off which he spake off in the other prayer immedyately going before And iff he shuld haue ment of other things it shuld not haue bene to the purpos More ouer iff it shuld haue ment of the prayers or of the misticall body thes wordes shuld not haue bene of so gret depth as he sayth Yea they shuld haue bene very easy to vnderstand which is against Durant hym selff Therfor than the canon speaketh of the host and wyne consecrated which be as they thinck the very body and the very blood off Ihesus Christ and desyereth that they may be caryed and presēted vpon gods high altar that is to say in heauen in gods sight What a tale is this that Christ ◅huld be caryed by the hands of angels and pre◅ented in to gods sight Is not Christ now by hym selff present in heauē in the sight of the father withowt being caried ād presented bi the āgels What the article of our faith sayth that he sitteth at the right hand of god and Paul to the Hebrews saith that he sitteth there contynually He. x. what nedeth it than to cary hym where he is allredy Iff any mā wold say that the angels may cary hym so farr as he is in the sacramēt because that affter that sort he is on the earth This saing is a very mōster ād vanytye for Christ so farr as he is in the sacramēt because he is there vnpartably as thei thinck he is there in such sort as he cā not be caried as the scole mē thēselues say More ouer iff he shuld be caried forth affter such sort as he is in the sacrament it were necessary that the angels shuld cari the sacramēt in to heauen which is neuer sene I haue said now that he that hath put in thes ij praiers in to the canō bi the talcke that he maketh doth shewe that he by leueth not Christes corporall presence in the sacrament as we told yow in the former chapter For iff he had bileued it he wold neuer haue said such wordes iff he had had any vnderstōding He than that made thes praiers the opinion of thes scole men standing is an heretike And master Durant to defend the canon because he sawe that thes wordes according to his opinion could not stond he magnifieth them as diuine things but it neded not being mens wordes and not of the holy scripture so moch to magnifie them and to defend expresse errors desiring to make them holy matters as he is forced to doo in that his rationall or reason giuer The x. part is the Memento in which the dead are praied for And thus it saith Also o lord haue in thy rememberance thy seruants men and wemen here is made a particular rememberans for certen particular dead folkes as like him that saith masse and affter is added The which are gone before vs with the signe of faith and slepe in the slepe of peace To thes o lord and to all thos that rest in Christ we pray the that thow wilt grant place of comfort of light and of peace thorough the same Christ our lord Amen Here master Durant in thexposicion of this part saith that on the sonday thorough our lordes resurrectiō it is thought that the sowles shuld haue rest He meanith I think that thei suffer not the paines of purgatory but the other daies thei doo O master Durant it is very honest that the sowles in purgatory also shuld kepe the feastes But I meruel why thei haue not rest also on the friday on which day our sauior suffered to take from vs the paines that we had deserued Esay 53. as the scripture saith in so many places and chefely in Esay the Prophete where it is writton that he hath borne our greffes and that the lord hath layed vpon him all our iniquities and how he was beaten for the wickednes of the peple and other such saings which be there Thapostle Paule wold not that there shuld be difference of dayes in Christes church in this life And rebuked the galathians who obserued dayes Gala. 4. And he wrote to the colossians Let no mā iudge yow in meate or drinck Colos 2. or in part of an holy day or of a newe moone or off the sabboth dayes c. And shall we put
the masse as thei think worketh thes effects And what is it to robb christ of his honor iff this be not That is to say to plucke froÌ„ him the glory of the pristhode of the intreatorship of the only sacrifice and to be short of the only redemer and sauer We haue sene how many falsedes how many supersticions wickednesses and blasphemies be therein shall it not than be a sacrilege shall it not be an abhominacion aboue all other sacrileges and abhominacions seinge it is an heape of sacrilegis aÌ„d abhominacions Yes surely shall it It is therfor clere and plaine that the masse is the gretest sacrilege and the gretest abhominacion that euer was in any world It is an easy things to proue by the things allredy spoken that it is the gret mistery of Antichrist And it foloweth necessarily that iff the masse be the gretest sacrilege and abhominacioÌ„ that euer was in the world that also it is the gret mistery of Antichrist called by Paul for the excellenci of it the mistery of iniquitie Neuertheles for more clerenes and better proffe of the thing we will say also a fewe words to this purpos It is plaine that Antichrist is the chefe child member and elect instrument of sathan 2. Thessa â—… called bi Paul the sonn of perdicion by the which the same sathan with all the meanes and weies that he can and knoweth seketh to withstaÌ„d Christ and to fight against him And this he doth chefely affter ij sortis One is openly that euery man seith The other is secretly and moch wors The open waie is with the persecucions that he doth against the seruants of Iesus Christ afflicting them tormenting them and killing them by meanes of the princes of the worlde and as it is said with the secular powr For surely thes same be no nother but the Armes of Antichrist with the which he fighteth against Christ although that the poore princes be not aware of such things but be deceiued by the Antichristians that be in their cowrtis And this maner off withstanding Christ although it be open to all men neuertheles Antichrist being full off the misteries off iniquities and off deuelissh crafftines with meruelos and most craffty pretensis and colors maketh it to seeme to be of a nother sort than it is For although this maner of persecuting Christ is all wholly wicked and Satanike yet neuertheles he geueth to vnderstand that it is a godly and a religios thing and that it is a defence of Christen religion and a keping of it persuading that Christes seruantes be heretikes and that the faithfull Christians be Lutheranes He geueth to vnderstand that he is Christes lifftenant yea that he is a God on earth and not withstanding he procureth as moch as he can that Christes doctrine shuld not come in to the light becaus it is that that discouereth him and maketh him open to the world And he wold not be knowen for him that he is that is to say for Antichrist which is as moch to say as Christes chefe aduersary Doo yow not think that this is a newe maner off making warr against a prince to serch by all meanes to beate him downe to kill all his and to ouerthrowe him vtterly And than off the other part to giue to vnderstand and make the world bileue that he workith for him that is to say to mainteine him in his state and to kepe him in his dominion What say yow Doth not this seme to be a fine art to make warr vpon one wit his most might and openly to seke to ouerthrow him vtterly and of the other side to make byleue to the world that euery thing that he doth he doth it to serue him and to doo him pleasure Euen so doth Antichrist against Christ For he withstondeth him he is his chefest and most mortal enemy and neuertheles he saith he is his LeefftenaÌ„t and doth euery thing to serue Christ and to mainteine his kingdom that is to say his church Why doo yow not now at length open your eyes Oh Christians Is it not ynough that hetherto yow haue bene so miserably and with so great losse deceiued Rise vp o God and iudge thine own caus Suffer not any longer o lord so great disorder that the peple shuld be of this sort handled Apocal. 13. Deliuer them now at length from so great a bondage from this so hard and long a tiranny The other way of making warr against Christ is more hidden and secret and is not sene as the first but it is withowt comparison moch wors and more hurtfull becaus that the first directly hurteth the bodies but this second hurteth and is deadly to the sowles For somoch as that with more craffti and secret waies he doth falsifie christes doctrine the holy gospell and the truth It taketh Gods own word geuing it fals vnderstaÌ„ding and vseth it for a weapon against Christ and the truth And this withowt feare of persecution persuadeth vnder the shewe of godlines and religion that the falsedis wickednessis and blasphemies be holy and godly things As for example that the pardons which to him that hath eies to see be an open deceite and yet he hath geuen to vnderstand that thei forgeue sinnes with bullis with visitations of churches with stacions with pilgrimagis with cordes with girdles with garmentis and such like trompery and that thes things help to euerlasting liffe And here I might haue to talck a long time and coulde iff I wold geue innumerable examples but becaus I wold not be long I haue only geuen the example of the pardons But to come to our purpos among the whole nomber of doctrines inuencions deceites craffti barterings of Antichrist there is none so wittily done with so great art and conueians as the Masse In the which Antichrist him selff hath bestowed all his witt and all his knowlege in bilding it to make it be cownted and taken for the principall worshipp of Christian religion nor one only hath not laid hand to this doing but many About the bilding off Salomons temple the which surely was done with most high wisdom the bilders were 7. yeares and than thei ended the work But abowt the bilding of the Masse how many hondreth yeares haue bene bestowed and by how many bilders One hath put to one thing a nother a nother according to the diuers Antichristes that folowe done a nother And how shuld one only euer haue bene able I will not say to make but to Imagine so great an hâ—…̄dy work Surely it coulde neuer haue bene possible And all this is done vnder color and shewe off doing a thing most choysefull and thankfull to God for the benifite off the sowles and profite off the bodies And Antichrist hath not withowt gret caus bestowed here all his whole knowlege and labor becaus that he hath well seene that principally his kingdom and rule consisteth in the same Masse as in a strong castell and in a