網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

CHA P. IV.

Against the Mass.

S we think there is nothing needful to render Popery

biafs'd Chriftian, more than barely to understand it; so we think it expedient in fpeaking against the Mafs, to lay before you its Canon, which the Romanifts hold to be the holiest Part of their Mafs, tho' no Man can tell readily on whom to father it. St. Paul fays, "I know whom I have believed, and am certain." And to Timothy, he faith, "Stand ftcadfaftly in fuch Things as "thou haft learned, knowing of whom thou haft learned

them," But thefe Romith Doctors have no Manner of Certainty in this grand Affair: Some fay Pope Alexander the First made it, fome fay Leo, fome fay Gelafius, fome fay Gregory the Firft; Pope Gregory fays, One Scholafticus; others fay Gregory the Third; but Pope Innocent the Third, to put the Matter quite out of doubt, fays plainly, it came from Chrift and his Apoftles. Who was the first Devifer of it is not very material, but we will enquire into the Particulars of it, in as few Words as poffible, that you may fee what Thing this is, that is efteemed to high, and boly, and what it contains.

The Canon of the Mafs being a Beadrol of Litanies and fuperftitious Prayers: The Prieft after he croffes himself, begins with Prayers for the Pope, which brings him to the first Memento for the Living; wherein the Congre gation fhou'd pray, for all they can remember of their Friends and Benefactors, defiring God (don't forget that

all

all their Prayers are in Latin) that for the Merits of fuch and fuch Saints, they may be faved from Evil: Then again, he croffes the Wafer and Chalice, ftanding. with his Back towards the People, and takes up the Wafer in his Hands, and a Boy rings a Bell, which invites the People to look up, whilft the Prieft lays thefe Words (very softly, and with a low Voice, lo as none may hear him) called the Confecration. "The Day before our "Lord fuffered he took Bread into his holy and adorable "Hands, and lifting up his Eyes unto Heaven to God, "and giving Thanks, he bleffed, (here he croffes the Cake often) Brake, and gave to his Difciples, faying,. "take and eat ye all of this; For it is my Body." (Thele five Words are those which turn the Bread into very Flesh, as they teach) Then with a World of Circum ftances doth the Prieft lift, or heave it up over his Head, for the People to fee it, (which is called the Elevation or Sacring) who immediately fall down on their Knees, and worship it. This done, he takes up the Cup, and with the like low Voice, fays, "In like Manner, after Supper, " he took this noble Chalice into his Holy and Adorable "Hands, and after Thanks to the Father, he blessed, (here he croffes again) And gave to his Difciples, fay"ing, take ye, and drink ye all of this, (mark their impudence! that can write the Command, and at the fame Iaftant break it, by denying the Cup to the People) "For "this is the Cup of my Blood, (here they. fhamefully. add)" A new and everlafting Teftament, a Mystery of "Faith, which fhall be fhed for you, and for many, "for the Remiffion of Sins; fo oft as ye fhall do this, 66 ye fhall do it in Remembrance of me." Then the Prieft holding up the Chalice in his Hand, breathes upon the Wine, and kneels down to it, and the Bread, giving thereby fovereign Adoration to this Imaginary Chrift; then rifing up, he holds the Cup over his Head, that the People may likewife worship it. This done, he fets down the Chalice, and covers it with the Cloath, and then kneels down again to the Bread and Wine, and with out/pread Arms kifles the Altar. All this is done with many Croffings en wings. Then begins the Lecond. Memento, or Prayers for the Dead, wherein they

66

petition

petition for the Souls of all their Friends, in a low Voices Then he takes the Wafer, and shakes it in a dancing Manner up and down about the Chalice, faying, Per ipfum, et cum ipfo, et in ipfo. Taking up the Cover of the Chalice, and eroffing himself on the Breaft, Forehead, and bald Crown, (the uncovering the Cup, is fuppos'd to represent, how at the Death of Chrift, the Vail of the Temple was rent) he croffes the Chalice three Times over the Top, to fhew the three Hours which Chrift hung upon the Crofs; and twice on the Brim, to fhew the overflowing of his Blood; and then laying down the Hoff, or confecrated Wafer, on the Corporal, or Altar-Cloth, pretends thereby, to fhew his taking down from the Crofs. Then with Courage the Prieft tucks up his Sleeve, and takes up the Wafer, which he breaks into three Pieces, two whereof he holds over the Chalice, and the third he puts into it; (but when the Hoft is referved this Ceremony is omitted) however, the Prieft kneels down, and fays the Agnus to the Bread, which is this Pray'r, "O Lamb of God which takest away the Sins of the "World, have Mercy upon us; " which he must repeat

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

three Times: Then he takes the Pax, that is, kiffeth an Image of a Crucifix in the Mafs Book, and faying, "Peace be with thee," gives it to the Clerk, or Boy, who carries it about to the People to kifs. In the mean Time, the Prieft drinks up all, and eats up the Wafer, if broken, (if not, 'tis referv'd for a Proceflion) and then Prays, thus: "Quod ore fumpfimus, &c. That which we have taken with our Mouth, Lord grant we may receive it (mind, he fpeaks in the plural Number, tho' none has received it but himself)` "With's 66 a pure Mind, and that it may, of a temporal Gift, be "made an everlafting Remedy, et." By this Time, the Boy is come back with the Pax; and Domine holds out his Cup for more Wine, which he drinks off at three Times, then wipes his Mouth, licks his Fingers, goes to the lower End of the Altar, wafhes his Hands; returning to the Altar, takes up the Chalice, and licksity which done, he removes to the upper End of the Altar, reads certain Prayers and Collects, and fays to the People a third Time, The Lord be with you: Ite, missa est; "Begone,

"Begone, the Mals is over." Then he kneels down at the Altar, fays a Prayer to the Virgin Mary, and rifing up, repeats after his Fashion, the Beginning of St. John's Gofpel, croffing himself fufficiently: Laftly, Shuts up the Book, folds up the Corporal, fhuts the Chalice, dif robes himself in duc Method, puts out the Candle, makes his Honours, and Exit.

Now, concerning the Mafs.

The Original of it isthis. The Latin Word Miffa, in the Time of Tertullian, and St. Cyprian, fignified a Difmiffing, or Licence to depart, and was particularly apply'd to the Communion upon this Occafion: They that were called Catacumini, that is to fay, Novices in the Faith, and had not been Christ'ned, and fuch as were under Penance, were permitted to be prefent at the Communion only till the Gofpel was ended: Then the Deacon called out to the People, in thefe Words, Ite, miffa eft; depart, ye are difmiffed. Of this difmiffing, or departing forth of the Catechumini, and others, in Pro-cefs of Time, that which was only a preliminary Circumftance of the Lord's Supper, was applied to the whole Office; and the Service was called Missa, or Mafs. A Word, which the Romish Church now-a-days turn into a perfect Charm, and a monstrous Sacrifice, by blaf phemously perverting our Lord's Inftitution of his laft Supper, into a theatrical acting over again his Paffion, wherein the wicked Priest plays the Part of Judas, Herod, Pilate, Jews and all, crucifying afresh our Saviour, as in Effigy, to the great Difparagement of Chrift's Sufferings, and the Benefits that accrue thereby to true Believers.

The Mafs, as it is defin'd by the Romish Doctors at the Council of Trent, is (a) "A Sacrifice of the Body " and Blood of Chrift, propitiatory for the Sins of the

(a) Seff. 22.

"Living

[ocr errors]

Living and the Dead. (a) " A Sacrifice meritorious. "to all Men for whom it is offered, whether they are a. "live or Dead, prefent or abfent, not endued either with "Zeal or Knowledge, but quite destitute of Faith; and "that, ex Opere Operato."

(b) Salmeron the Jefuit, in his Commentaries on the Epistle of St. Paul, makes a Catalogue of unwritten Traditions, in which he puts the ecclefiaffical Hierarchy, the Worship of Images, the Mafs, the Manner of Sacrificing, and the Tradition that Jefus Chrift did offer a Sacrifice in the Bread and Wine. And Cardinal Barronius, in his An-nals on the Year 53, freely confeffes, that the Sacrifice of the Eucharift is an unwritten Tradition.

This new invented Doctrine of the Church of Rome; is in no Sort to be fupported; because Chrift at his last Supper did not facrifice, or offer up h's Body and Blood: to his Father, nor fhewed any Manner of Token of such a Sacrifice as the Mafs, which is evident from these Arguments.

[ocr errors]

Jefus Chrift, at his last Supper, faid to his Difciples, (c) Do ye this, that is, take ye Bread, blefs it, break it, give it in my Remembrance." This is not a ceremonial Accident, but the very End, Purpose, and Subftance of Chrift's Institution. Thefe Words do neceffarily import the Bread in the Sacrament, to be a Memorial of Chrift's crucified Body, or that which is to put us in Mind of it, and confequently, fuppofe that Chrift's real Body is abfent. What Chrift calls doing in Remembranceof him, the Apoftle St. Paul (the beft Interpreter of his Words) (tiles, Shewing forth his Death: Therefore his Death is the Thing that is to be remembred here by all Communicants.

[ocr errors]

2dly, When St. Paul enumerated the Offices which Jefus Chrift left his Church, at his Afcenfion into Heaven, he informs us, (d) "That he gave fome Apoftles, fome

(b) Tom. 13.

(a) Albert. mag. de Sac. Euch. (c) Matt. 26. 26. Luke 22. 19, (d) Eph. 4. 11.

[ocr errors]

Prophets,

« 上一頁繼續 »