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Queene Mary. The originall of this word Missa after sundry mens iudgementes.
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Queene Mary. The originall of this word Missa after sundry mens iudgementes.
The beginning of the tenth booke conteyning the horrible and bloudy tyme of QVEENE MARY.
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The Preface to the Reader.
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F
ORASMVCH AS WE ARE come now to the tyme of Queene Mary, when as so many were put to death for the cause especially of the Masse, and the sacramente of the Altar (as they cal it) I thought it conuenient vppon the occasion geuen, in the ingresse of this foresayd story, first to prefixe before, by the way of Preface, some declaration collected out of dyuers writers and Authors, whereby to set foorth to the Reader the great absurditie, wicked abuse, and perillous idolatry of the popish Masse, declaring how and by whom it came in, clouted and patched vp of diuers additions, to the intent that the Reader, seeing the vayne institution thereof, and waying the true causes why it is to be exploded out of all Churches, may the better thereby iudge of their death, which gaue their liues for the testimonie and the word of truth.
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First, concerning the origine of this word Missa,
whether it came of Missath in Hebrue. Deut. 16.
or Mincha, Leuit. 6.
which signifieth oblation: or whether it came of sending away the Catechumeni, and persons vnwoorthy, out of the place of ministration, (as certayne Writers
suppose) or else, Ex missis donarijs & symbolis quæ in offertorio proponebantur: that is, of gifts and oblations wont to be offred before the Communion: or whether Missa is deriued of Remissa, which in the former writers was vsed pro remissione: or whether Missa, pro licentia dimittendi populum, is taken of sending away the congregation by the words of the Deacon, Ite missa est: or whether Missa hath his denomination of that which the Grecians call ἄφεοιο τομ λὰον, dimission of the people, alluding to the story of the Hebrues, licensed of Pharao to depart out of captiuitie after the eating of the Pasche Lambe, as I read in an old popish booke intituled De Sacramentis Sacerdotalibus: or what tearme soeuer it be else, either Latin, Syrian, Dutch, or French: or howsoeuer else it taketh his appellation, as there is no certaintie amongst themselues that most magnifie the Masse, so it is no matter to vs that stand against it. To my iudgemente and coniecture this latter exposition of the word seemeth more probable, both for that it is ioined with the word Ite, which signifieth departing: and also the time and order in speaking the same, agreeth well thereunto. For as the old Hebrues, after the supper of the Lamb, and not before, were set at liberty streight way, to departe out of captiuitie: so belike to declare our mysticall deliuerance by Christ, offred and slaine for vs, first goeth before the action of the holy supper: that done, then the Priest or Deacon sayth, Ite missa est: meaning thereby the deliuerance and liberty which is spiritually wrought in vs, after that the body of Christ hath bene offered for vs. Or else, if Missa otherwise should signifie the celebration or the action of the supper, it woulde not be saide Ite, but venite, missa est, &c. Moreouer, besides other arguments, there be certayne places in Cassianus
Cassianus de canonicis orationibus. lib. 3. c. 7.
which seeme to declare, that Missa signifieth dimission of the congregation: as where he writeth of him which commeth not in time to the howers of prayer, saying it not to be lawfull for him to enter into the oratory, Sed stantem præ foribus congregationis, missam præstolari debere. i. that he ought standing without the dores, to waite for the misse of the congregation. And againe in the next Chapter following, he inferreth the same vocable Missa in like sense: Contenti, inquit somno qui nobis post vigiliarum missam vsque ad lucis indulgetur aduentum. i. Contented (sayeth he) with so muche sleepe as serueth vs for the misse, or breaking vp of the night vigill,
Vigils were called in the olde tyme the assemblies of the congregation in the night, in common prayer and fasting.
vnto the comming of the day, &c.
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Isidorus libr. 6. Etym. Hugo in speculo eccles. Tertull. contra Marc. lib. 3. Cypria, de bono patient.
Cassianus de canonicis orationibus. lib. 3. c. 7.
Vigils were called in the olde tyme the assemblies of the congregation in the night, in common prayer and fasting.
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But to let passe these coniectures, this by the way I geue to the Reader to note and vnderstande, that as thys
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word Missa neuer yet entred into the Church nor vsage among the Greekes: so it is to be obserued among our Latin interpretors, such as haue translated of old time the ancient Greeke Authours, as Eusebius, and the Tripartite history, and others: that where the Greeke Writers haue these tearmes σμνὰγειν, σμνὰξει and ποὶεῖν εχχλκσιὰςειν,
that is, to call the congregation, to conuent assemblies, and so frequent together, the old translator of Epiphanius, and other translate vppon the same Missas facere, collectas agere, missas celebrare, &c. wherby it is not obscure to be seene, that this word Masse in the olde time, was not onely and peculiarly applied to the action of consecration, but as wel to all Christen assemblies collected, or congregations conuented, according as in the Dutch language this name (Messe) signifieth any solemne frequency, or panagyrie, or gathering together of the people. But of the name inough, and too much.
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Socra, Eccl. hist. l. 2. c. 13
Epiph, trip. hist. li. 4. c. 13.
Sozom. li. 2. cap. 32..
Epiph. trip. hist. l. 3. c. 11.
Socrat. l. 3. cap. 9.
Epiph. trip. hist. l. 6. c. 23.
Socrat. l. 5. cap. 15.
Χαὶ χαδξ αυτὃς εχχλκοὶαςεὶν
Epiph. trip. hist. li. 7. ca. 13. & apud se iposos missarum celebrare solēnia. &c.
Item collectas agūt &c. quod Socrates grece. li. 5. cap 22. inquit. ῶερὶ δὲ συ νάξεὶον συνάξοὶςπο ιὃσιν. &c.
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To expresse now the absurditie of the saide Masse, and the irreligious application thereof, vnseemely, and perilous for Christians to vse, I will bring two or three reasons of the worthy seruaunt and Martyr of God, Iohn Bradford, to which many more may be also added out of others.
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The Masse a double enemy against Christ
The Masse iniurious to the Priesthood of Christ.
First the Masse, sayeth he, is a most subtile and pernicious enemie against Christ, and that double wayes: namely, against his Priesthode, and against his sacrifice, which he prooueth by this way. For the Priesthoode of Christe, (sayeth he) is an euerlasting Priesthoode, and such an one as can not go to another. But the Masse vtterly putteth him out of place, as though he were dead for euer: and so God were a lier, which said that Christ should be a Priest for euer: which briefly commeth vnto this Argument.
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The Masse a double enemy against Christ
The Masse iniurious to the Priesthood of Christ.
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Fes-
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That thing is not perpetuall, nor standeth not alone,
which admitteth succession of other to do the same thing
that was done before. |
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ti-
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But the Masse Priests succeede after Christ, doing the
same sacrifice (as they say) which he did before. |
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no.
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Ergo,the Masse Priests make Christs Priesthode not
to be perpetuall. |
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Ba-
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All Priests eyther be after the order of Aaron, or after
the order of Melchisedech, or after the order of the A-
postles, or after that spirituall sort whereof it is writ-
ten,Vos estis spirituale sacerdotium, &c.
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Maior.
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ro-
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But our Masse Priests neither be after the order of
Aaron, (for that is to resume that which Christ hath a-
bolished:) neither after the order of Melchisedech (for
that is peculiar only to Christ:) neither after the order
of the Apostles (for then should they be Ministers, not
Maisters, not Priests, but Preachers: (and which of
the Apostles was euer named by the title of a Priest?)
Againe, neither are they after the generall sorte of the
spirituall priesthoode. For after that prerogatiue, eue-
ry true Christian is a spirituall Priest as well as they,
offering vp spirituall, not bodily sacrifice, as prayers,
thankesgeuing, obedience, mortification of the bodie
framed to the obedience of his commaundements. |
Minor.
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co.
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Ergo,our Masse Priests are no Priests (vnlesse it be
after the order of the Priestes of Baal.) |
Conclusio.
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Maior.
Minor.
Conclusio.
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The Masse iniurious to the sacrifice or death of Christ.
Secondlye, concerning the sacrifice of Christ aboue mentioned, hee reasoneth in lyke manner: whyche wee haue reduced in the waye of Argumente, as followeth:
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The Masse iniurious to the sacrifice or death of Christ.
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Da-
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To reiterate a thing once done, for the atteining or
accomplishing of the ende wherefore it was begon, de-
clareth the imperfection of the same thing before. |
Maior.
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ri-
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The Masses Priestes do reiterate the sacrifice of Christ
once done for the end wherefore it was begonne (that
is, for propitiation and remission à pœna & culpa pro
viuis & pro defunctis:)
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Minor.
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j.
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Ergo, Masse Priestes make the sacrifice of Christe to
be vnperfect, and so are they iniurious to the sacrifice of
Christ. |
Conclusio.
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Maior.
Minor.
Conclusio.
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