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.

That the Originall of the word, MASSE, nothing ad∣vantageth the Romish Masse.

SECT. I.

DIvers of your Romish a 1.1 Doctors would haue the word, MASSE, first to be (in the first and primi∣tiue Imposition and vse thereof) Diuine. Secondly, in time, more ancient than Christ. Thirdly, in signification, most Religious, deri∣ued (as They say) from the Hebrew word Missah, which signifieth Ob∣lation and Sacrifice; euen the high∣est homage that can be performed vnto God. And all this to proue (if it may be) that which you call THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASSE.

CHALLENGE.

SO haue these your Doctors taught, notwithstanding many o∣ther Romanists, as well Iesuites as others of principall Note in your Church, enquiring (as it were) after the natiue Countrie, kinred, and age of the Word, MASSE, doe not onely say, but also prooue, first, that It is no Hebrew-borne. Secondly, that it is not of Primitiue antiquitie, because not read of before the dayes of S. Ambrose, who liued about three hundred seuentie three yeeres after Christ. Thirdly, that it is a plaine Latine word, to wit Missa, signifying the Dismission of the Congregation. Which Confessi∣ons being testified (in our b 1.2 Margin) by so large a consent of your owne Doctors, prooued by so cleare Euidence, and deliuered by Authors of so eminent estimation in your owne Church; must not a little lessen the credit of your other Doctors (noted for Neo∣tericks) who haue vainely laboured, vnder the word MASSE, falsely to impose vpon their Readers an opinion of your Romish Sacrificing Masse.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Nomen antiquis∣simum, Missa, (quod quidem fides Chri∣stiana profitetur) ex Hebraica vel Chal∣daica nomenclatu∣ra acceptum esse videtur, Missah, i. e. spontanea obla∣tio, conueniens in∣stituto Sacrificio. Ba∣ron. Cardin. Anno 34. num. 59. Est Hebra∣icum. Tolet. Ies. & Cardin. Instruct. Sa∣cerd. li. 2. c. 4. Qui∣dam, vt Reulin, Al∣cian, Xaintes, Pin∣tus, Pamelius existimant esse Hebraicum. At Azor. Ies. reporteth, in Inst. Moral. par. 1. li. 10. ca. 18.
• b 1.2

  Latinum, non Hebraicum est, vt Neoterici studiosè exquitunt. Binius Tom. 3. Conc. p. 110. E∣odem modo inter∣pretantur cōplures. Durant. de Ritib. l. 2. c. 2. p. 190, 192. Magis spectat ad Latinam phrasin. Salmeron Ies. Epist. ad Canis. de no∣mine Missae. [So also Azor. the Ies. in the place aboue▪ cited.] Multò probabilius esse Latinam; nam si vox Hebraica in vsu a∣pud Apostolos fuis∣fet, certè retinuissent eam Graeci, & Syri, aliae{que} Nationes, vt retinuerunt vocem Hosanna, Allelujah, Pascha, Sabbatum, & similes voces.—Apud Graecos nulla est hujus vocis mentio; pro ea 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dicunt: est autem 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 aeunus, siue ministerium publicum. Bellar. l. 1. de Missa. c. 1. Melius qui Latinam—Suarez Ies. in Thom. Tom. 3. disp. 74. §. 3. [where he alleageth Lindan. Thom. Hug. de Vict.] Leo primus quidem est author, apud quem legerim Missae verbum. Masson. l. 2. de Episc. Rom. in Leon. 1. [And Ambrose is the ancientest that either Bellar. or Binius, in the places before-quoted, could mention.] Missa à Missione dicta est. Salmeron Ies. Tom. 16. pag. 390, 391. [It is the same with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Greeke Church: and with Ilicet amongst the ancient Romanes.] See the Testimonie following.