Of the institution of the sacrament of the blessed bodie and blood of Christ, (by some called) the masse of Christ eight bookes; discovering the superstitious, sacrilegious, and idolatrous abominations of the Romish masse. Together with the consequent obstinacies, overtures of perjuries, and the heresies discernable in the defenders thereof. By the R. Father in God Thomas L. Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

An Advertisement

To all Romish Priests and Iesuites of the English Seminaries, con∣cerning the Necessity of this ensuing Treatise; as also of the Au∣thors Sincerity, and his Adversaries unconscionable Dealing in their Allegations of Authors.

Grace, Peace, and Trueth in CHRIST IESVS.

AMong all the Controversies held a∣gainst your Romish Religion, none were ever more hot, to draw Pro∣testants violently into the fier, than these two; first the denying of your Romane Church to be The Catho∣like Church, without which there is no Salvation: the second to affirme the Romish Adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar to be Idolatrous. Therefore have I especially vnder∣taken the discussion of both these Questions, that seeing (as S. Augustine truly said) It is not the punishment, but the Cause which maketh a Martyr; it might fully appeare to the world, whether Protestants enduring that fierie triall, for both Cau∣ses, were indeed Heretickes, or true Martyrs: and consequent∣ly whether their Persecutors were iust Executioners of persons then condemned, and not rather damnable Murtherers of the faithfull Servants of Christ. And I doubt not but as the first hath verified the Title of that Booke, to prove your Do∣ctrine of the Necessity of salvation in your Romish Church to be a GRAND IMPOSTVRE: So this second, which I now (according to my promise) present vnto you, will make good, by many Demonstrations, that your Romish MASSE is a very

Masse, or rather a Gulfe of many Superstitious, Sacrilegi∣ous, and Idolatrous Positions and Practises.

And because the very name of Romane Church is common∣ly used as (in it selfe) a powerfull enchantment to stupifie every Romish Disciple, and to strike him deafe and dumbe at once, that he may may neither heare nor utter any thing in Conference concerning the Masse, or any other Controver∣sie in Religion, be the Protestants Defence never so Divine for trueth, or ancient for time, or universall for Consent, or ne∣cessary for beleefe: I therefore held it requisite, in the first place, to discover the falshood of the former Article of your Church, before I would publish the Abominations of the Masse; to the end that (for Idolatrie in Scripture is often ter∣med spirituall Adulterie) the Romish Church, which playeth the Bawd, in patronizing Idolatry, being once outted, your Romish Masse, as the Strumpet, might the more easily either be reformed, or wholly abandoned.

This may satisfie you for the necessity of this Tractate. The next must be to set before you your owne delusorie tricks, in answering, or not answering Bookes written a∣gainst you; especially such as have beene observed from mine owne experience. One is to stangle a Booke in the very birth: so dealt Mr. Breereley long since by a letter writ unto mee, to prevent the publishing of my Answere against the first Editi∣on of his Apologie, when he sent me a second Edition thereof to be answered, which both might and ought to have beene sent a twelve-month sooner; but was purposely reserved to be delivered not untill the very day after my * 1.1 Answere (cal∣led and Appeale) was published. Of which his prevention I have therefore complained as of a most unconscionable Cir∣cumvention. Another device you have, to give out that the Booke (whatsoever) written against your Romish Tenents is in answering, and that an Answere will come out shortly. So dealt Mr. Parsons with me * 1.2 Certifying me and all his cre∣dulous Readers of an Epistle which hee had received from a Scottish Doctor, censuring my Latine Apologies to be both fond and false; and promising that his Answere to them, Printed at Gratz in Austria, should be published before the Michael∣mas

following: whereas there have beene above twenty. Mi∣chaelmasses sithence, every one giving Mr. Parsons his pro∣mise the flatt lie. A third Art is a voluntarie▪ Concealement and thus Maister Brereley, who hauing had knowledge of the fore-mentioned Booke of Appeale, manifesting his manifold Aberrations and Absurdities in doctrine, his ignorances and fraudes in the abuse of his Authors, as in other passages through-out that booke, so more especially the parts concern∣ing the Romish Masse, yet since hath written a large Booke, in defence of the Romish Liturgy or Masse, vrging all the same proofes and Authorities of Fathers; but wisely concealing that they had beene confuted, and his fashoods discouered. Only he and Master Fisher singling out of my Appeale an explanation which I gaue of the testimonie of Gelasius (in condem∣ning the Manichees, concerning their opinion of not admi∣nistring the Eucharist in both kindes) did both of them divulge it in their Bookes and reports also in many parts of this king∣dome, as making for the iustification of their sacrilegious dis∣membring the holy Sacrament, and fora foule Contradiction vnto my selfe: notwithstanding that this their scurrilous iusul∣tation (as is * 1.3 here proued) serueth for nothing rather than to make themselues ridiculous. The last, but most base and de∣uellish, Gullerie is a false imputation of Falshoods in the allea∣ging of Authors, which was the fine sleight of Master Parsons; a man as subtile•• for inuention, as elegant for expression, for obseruation as dextrous and acute, and as politike and per∣swasiue for application, as any of his time. He in an answere to some Treatises written against your Romish blacke art of Aequiuocation by mentall Reseruation, and other Positions fo∣menting Rebellion (to wit) in his bookes of Mitigation and Sober Reckoning, doth commonly leaue the principall Obiections & Reasons, and falleth to his verball skirmishes, concerning false Allegations: and (as turning that Ironicall counsaile into earnest, Audacter & fortiter calumniare &c.) he chargeth mee with no lesse than fiftie Falsifications. All which I spunged out in a Booke entituled an Encounter, and retorted all the same Imputations of falshood upon himselfe, with the inter∣est of above forty more. Which may seeme to verifie that

Cognizance, which your owne Brother-hood of Romish Priests in their Quodlibets have fastened on his sleeue, calling him The Quintessence of Coggerie.

As for mine owne integritie, I have that which may iustifie mee; for howsoever any one or other Error may happen, in mis-alleaging any one Author, yet that I have not erred much; or if at all, yet never against my Con∣science. Heereof I have many witnesses; One within me, a witnesse most Domesticall, yet least partiall, and as good as Thousands, mine owne Conscience: a second is above me, God, who is Greater than the Conscience. A third sort of Wit∣nesses are such as stand by mee, even all they who have beene conversant with mee in the perusall and examinati∣on of Authors Testimonies, by mee alleaged; men of sin∣gular learning and iudgement, who can testifie how much they endeared them-selves vnto mee, when any of them happened to shew mee the least errour in any thing. (Hee that shall say, Non possum errare, must be no man; and hee that will not say, Nolo errare, as hating to erre, can be no Christian man.) The last witnesse for my integritie may be the Bookes of my greatest Adversaries, Mr. Par∣sons, and Mr. Brereley, whose many scores of falshoods have beene laid so open and published for above sixteene yeares past in two Bookes (one called an Encounter against the fore-man, the other an Appeale against the second) yet hath not any one appeared out of your Romish Seminaries for the vindicating of them heerein.

By these Advertisements you may easily conceive with what confidence I may proceede in this worke, where∣in is displayed and layd open, in the discussing of these Eight Words of Christ his Institution of the Blessed Sa∣crament of the Eucharist, [HEE BLESSED; BRAKE; GAVE; TO THEM; SAYING; TAKE; EATE; DRINKE,] your Ten Romish Prevarications, and Trans∣gressions. Afterwards in the following Bookes are re∣veiled the stupendious Paradoxes, Sacrilegiousnes, and Idolatrie of your MASSE; together with the notori∣ous Obstinacies, some fewe Overtures of Periuries (out

of that great Summe, which may afterwards be manifested in your swearing to the other Articles of your new Romane Faith) and the manifold Heresies in the Defenders thereof: as also their indirect and sinister Obiecting and Answering of the Testimonies of ancient Fathers thorow-out, as if they conten∣ded neither from Conscience, nor for Conscience-sake.

To Conclude. Whosoever among you hath beene fascina∣ted (according to your Colliers Catechisme) with that only Ar∣ticle of an Implicite Faith; let him be admonished to submit to that Duety prescribed by the Spirit of God, to Trie all things, and to Hold that which is good. And if any have a purpose to Re∣ioyne, in Confutation either of the Booke of the Romish Im∣posture, or of this, which is against your Masse; I doe adiure him in the name of Christ, whose trueth wee seeke, that a∣voyding all deceitfull Collusions he proceed materially from Point to point, and labour such an Answer, which hee belee∣veth he may answer for before the iudgement seate of Christ. Our Lord Iesus preserve us to the glory of his saving Grace. AMEN,

Tho: Coven: & Lichff.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See the Protestants Appeale in the begin∣ning.
• * 1.2

  In his Sober Rec∣koning.
• * 1.3

  Booke 1. c. 3. §. 7.