That the Romish Church lesseneth the due estimation of Christ's Passion, in her Applying of it to others, for the increasing of falsly-devised and unjust Gaine in behalfe of the Priest; without all warrant of Antiquity.
SECT. IV.
HItherto we have expected some Reasons, which might move your Church so to lessen the proportion of Christ's Passion, in the Application thereof for remission either of sinnes or pu∣nishments. And now at length your Iesuit Salmeron commeth to resolve us, saying, a If the Sacrifice of Christ's Body and Blood were of infinite value, then one Masse being said for all the soules in the Dungeon of Purgatory would evacuate and empty the whole place, and then should it be in vaine to say many Masses for one soule. So he. We may not so farre digresse, as to enter into this Con∣troversie of Purgatory, because we are to finish that which wee have now in hand. Else were it easie to shew, that the infinite gaine, which your Alchemists worke out of your forge of Purga∣tory-fire, hath occasioned this Heterodoxe and gracelesse Do∣ctrine of disannulling the infinite efficacy of Christ's Blood: which is so utterly forlorne of all approbation from Antiquity, that your Disputers have not alleaged so much as one Iota, out of any Fa∣ther, for warrant thereof.
Next, in the Sacrifice of your Masse, there is (say b you) a Por∣tion thereof appropriated to the Priest alone, which is a power to apply, by his Memento, the same Sacrifice to whom he will, so farre forth that he extend his Memento upon any one, to whom he shall be pleased to intend it, upon Condition to receive money therfore: in so much that It will be more availeable for that one, than if it were extended to many. So you. Very well, but by what Law came your Priests to this peculiar power of dispensing a Portion for their owne advantage? Cardinall c Alan (your Advocate) is ready Page 71 to answer for you, and we are attentive to heare what he saith; There is not either any Scripture (saith he) or Father shewing any such thing for such a manner of esteeming the fruit of Christ's Sa∣crifice. So he.
In the third place, whiles we are in this speculation, we heare one of you putting this Case. If the Priest shall receive a stipend of Peter, upon Condition that he shall apply his Memento and Intention upon the soule of Iohn, departed this life, and he not∣withstanding doth apply it unto the good of the soule of Paul, whether now the Priests Memento should worke for the good of the soule of Iohn, according to the Priest's Obligation upon the Condition made with Peter, or else for the good of the soule of Paul, according to the Priest's immediate Intention. Here, al∣though some of you stand for the justice of the d Priest's Obligati∣on, yet some others Resolution is, that the Priest's intention (albeit unjust) must stand for good. We have done.
CHALLENGE.
WHereas it is now evident, that your Romish Masse serveth so well for your no small gaine, by appropriating of a Priestly portion to be dispensed for some one or other soule for money, as it were the Cookes fee, and that but onely for the paines of a Spiri∣tuall Intention; yea, though it be to the Injury of the Purchaser: It can be no marvell, that we heare so often, and as loud shouts for your magnifying of the Romane Masse, as ever Demetrius, and his fellow Crafts-mates made for Diana, the Goddesse of the E∣phesians.
It remaineth, that we deliver unto you a Synopsis of the Abomi∣nations of your Romish Sacrifice, which we have reserved to be discovered in the eighth Booke. We hasten to the last Exami∣nation, which is of Protestants.
