The second part of the Protestants plea, and petition for preists and papists Being an historie of the holy preisthood, and sacrifice of the true Church of Christ. Inuincibly prouing them to be, the present sacrificing preisthood: prouing also the sacrifice of the Masse, vsed in the Catholike Roman church: and that these were promised, and foretold by the Prophets, instituted by Christ, and exercised by all his Apostles. Morouer that they haue euer from the first plantinge of Christianitie in this our Britanye, in the dayes of the Apostles, in euery age, and hundred of yeares, beene continued and preferued here. All for the most part, warranted by the writinges and testimonies of the best learned Protestant doctors, and antiquaries of England, and others.

THE VII. CHAPTER. Wherin the same is proued at large by all ex∣positions and testimonies, euen by our prote∣stants themselues, out of the Pro∣phet Malachy.

MAny of the holy learned Fathers of the primatiue church, demonstrate against the Iewes, Christ to bee the true Messias by this holy sacrifice of Masse, thē offered by the conuerted gentiles, in all the world: for citinge the prophesie of Mala∣chias, of Gods reiectinge the sacrifices of the law of Moyses, and his acceptinge of the pure sacrifice of the gentiles, they pro∣ue therby, that whosoeuer denieth that pro∣phesie to bee fulfilled and verified, in the holy sacrifice of Masse, consequently de∣nieth Christ Iesus to bee the true Messias, and must, as yet the misbeleeuinge Iewes doe, expect an other. S. Augustine saith: Hoc sacrificium per Sacerdotem Christi secun∣dum ordinem Melchisedech, cum in omni loco à solis ortu vsque ad occasum, Deo iam videa∣mus offerri, sacrificiuum autem Iudaeorum qui∣bus

dictum est, non est mihi voluntas in vobis, nec accipiam de manibus vestris munus, cessas∣se, negare non possunt, quid adhuc expectant alium Christum, cum hoc quod Prophetatum legunt, & impletum vident, impleri non po∣tuerit nisi per ipsum. When we see this sacri∣fice to be offered to God by the preisthood of Christ according to the order of Melchi∣sedech, in euery place from the rising of the sunne, euen to the setting therof, and they cannot deny, but the sacrifice of the Iewes to whom it was said, I haue no will in you, neither will I receiue guift from your han∣das, to haue ceased, why doe they yet ex∣pect an other Christ, when this which they reade to haue beene prophesied, and see to bee fulfilled, could not bee fulfilled but by him. Augustin. l. 18. ciuitat. cap. 35. Malach. cap. 1. Augustin. l. 1. cont. aduersar. leg. & Prophet. c. 20. orat. contr. Iudaeos c. 9.

2. The very same argument, and expo∣sition of that prophesie, vse these holy Fa∣thers following (to omit others too many to be cited) within the first 400. yeares: S. Clement, S. Iustine, S. Irenaeus, S. Martial, Tertullian, S. Cyprian, Eusebius, S. Chri∣sostome, Aurelius Bishop of Carthage, and

others, all against the Iewes, therby inuin∣cibly prouing against them, that the sacri∣fices of that people had then ceased, and their Religion euacuated, and the Religion of Christ onely true, because according to that most vndoubted true prophesie, the sacrifice of Christians, the holy Masse was then in their times offered in all the world. And this is so euident in all antiquitie, that both the Magdeburgian protestants, Cal∣uine, and others confesse, that S. Irenaeus, S. Ciprian, S. Athanasius, S. Ambrose, S. Augustine and Arnobius doe soe expound it. And our protestants of England in their newly authorised bible, by his maiestie, doe proue as much: for thus they translate that passage, of the Prophet Malachias: I haue no pleasure in you (the Iewes) saith the Lord of hostes, neither will I accept an offe∣ring at your hand (from your hand) the He∣brue, as they note in the margine, for from the rising of the sunne, euen vnto the goinge downe of the same, my name shall bee greate among the heathens, saith the Lord God of hostes. Clem. l. 7. Const. Apostolic. cap. 31. Iustin. dial. cum Tryphon. Irenaeus l. 4. c. 32. Martial. epistol. ad Burdegal. c. 3. Tertul. l.

3. cont. Marcion. c. 22. Ciprian. l. 1. cont. Iud. c. 16. Eusch. Caesar. l. 1. demonstr. euangelic. cap. 10. Chrysostom. ad psal. 95. Aurel. Carthag. epist. ad Marcellinum. Magdeburg. cent. 2. col. 63. cent. 3. col. 83. Calv. l. de ver. ec∣cles. reform. Protest. Bible Malach. 1. v. 10.11.

3. Where the Prophet expressely maketh this greatnes of the name of God amonge the gentiles and the pure sacrificing which with incense shoulde by them bee offered vnto God in all places, to bee a notion, and distinctiue signe to bee assured by, that the sacrifices of the Iewes were to cease, and determine, and to demonstrate, that as the lawe of Christ is more excellent then the lawe of Moises, so the sacrifice of the same, and the preists which offered the same, ta∣king their dignitie from the worthines of the sacrifice which they should offer, should bee more worthie, then those of the Iewes, which hee did reiect. For so it is in all lan∣guadges, Mincha tehora, a pure oblation in Hebrue: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a pure sacrifice in Greek: in omni loco sacrificatur, & offertur nomini meo oblatio munda. In euery place a cleane o∣blation is sacrificed and offered to my name: in Latine. Fertum purum: a pure sacrifice: as

the protestant Sebastian Castalio readeth: a pure offeringe: as our English Protestants translate. And it is ridiculous, for any man to expound it of prayer, without sacrifice externall, for the Prophet there plainly op∣poseth this the externall sacrifice of Chri∣stians, which was to be receaued, to the o∣thers of the Iewes which were then to cea∣se, & the cheife protestāts haue so expoun∣ded and translated it before: and here hee speaketh of both prayer expressed in the word thymiama in Greeke, Muctar in He∣brue, as the English Protestantes, together with S. Augustine, S. Hierome, Eusebius and others expound it: and externall sacri∣fice in the other as is before recited. protest. of Engl. and Fr. Mason. of consecrat. of Bish. pag. 219.220. Augustin. Hierom. & Euseb. apud Mason. supr.

4. Which being ioyned with the known sacrificing verbe or verball Maggash, can∣not possibly haue any other interpretation, but as plainely and literally expresseth the publicke sacrifice of the Masse, vsed by Christians, as any missale, or Catholicke writer doth, or can doe in generall termes, not descendinge to the particular expres∣sing

of the blessed body and blood of the Messias there offered, which belonged onlie to the time of the lawe of Christ, and not those figuratiue dayes: yet by many attributes and properties so descri∣beth it, that it cannot bee applied to a∣nie other. For it termeth this sacrifice, a pure offering, the pure sacrifice, the sacri∣fice wherein onely God woulde bee pleased, the sacrifice that should succeede the sacrifices of the lawe, and euacuate them, a sacrifice to bee offered in all places, as Christ was to bee honored in all, and to continue for euer. Ne∣uer to be abrogated by any other; all which are before remembred by the Prophet, and cannot by any possibilitie be truely spoken of any other sacrifice, then this of the most blessed body and blood of Christ, offered by his holy preistes in that sacrifice, which from the Hebrues we cal Masse in our lan∣guage.

5. Neither can any thinge be so briefly spoken by God, to confute the friuolous & vaine obiections, of some protestants, all∣most now quite exploded out of the world, by Catholicke arguments, about dimen∣sions, and pluralities of places & locations

of this most blessed Sacrament, and sacri∣fice; for God here by the mouth of his ho∣lie Prophet, assuringe vs that this sacrifice shall bee but one, and no more, as it is be∣fore expressed in all holie languages, He∣brue Greke and Latine, yet so miraculous and extraordinary it shall bee that. Be cal Machom, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in omni loco, in eue∣rie place, by protestant translation out of Hebrue, Greeke and Latine iustifyinge it, this onely pure sacrifice shall bee offered to God: That if these men will either beleeue naturall or supernatural reason, and autho∣ritie, God or man, they may see the vanitie of theire contradiction. For whereas they would persuade their adherēts and others, that one and the same sacrifice cannot bee offered in many places, God himselfe testi∣fieth the quite contrary, that this shall bee offered in all places, and yet bee but one pure sacrifice, as is before declared, by all translations, and the originall text it selfe, from the worde of God by his holie Pro∣phet.

6. And it is as euident, from this onely clause: in euery place: that this could be no other sacrifice, then the sacrifice of Masse,

vsed in the Catholicke church of Christ, now dilated into all nations, and in euery place: for there bee now in the world but foure great professions of Religion, Chri∣stians, Iewes, Mahumetans, and Pagans. No Christian will or may say, that prophe∣sie of the true worshippers of God, & pure sacrifice to bee offered vnto him, is, or can bee vnderstood of any of them; for first the pagans sacrifices were not offered to God, but to Idols: they were not pure and holy, but most wicked and abhominable: they had not any one sacrifice, that was gene∣rally offered in all places. Euseb. Tertul. cont. Iud. Iustin. cont. gent. Aristid. Plutarch. in vit. &c. The Mahumetans haue no ex∣ternall sacrifice at all to offer in any place. Mahum. in Alcor. histor. Turric. and theire whole Religion, by all Christians is dam∣nable, and their sect could neuer yet be cal∣led vniuersall, in all places. And to speake with protestants, as before, in those con∣tries, which the Turke possesseth: The Christians make aboue two third parts of his Emipre. Edw. Grymst. pag. 1064. Auth. of the booke of the estates in the great Turke in Asia. Therfore there is nothing in that Re∣ligion

that can bee called this pure sacrifi∣ce, offered to God in euery place.

7. The sacrifices of the Iewes were ma∣nie, and not one by one, and all of them reiected by God in this place of the Pro∣phet, as our protestants thus translate. (Ma∣lach. cap. 1.10.) I haue no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hostes, neither will I accept an of∣fering at your hand. And then immediatly the conuersion of the Gentiles, and their pure sacrifice to bee offered to God. (vers. 11.) in euery place, is set downe. So that not any one sacrifice of the Iewes, could after this time be acceptable to God, none could bee this pure sacrifice, in any place, much lesse in euery place, when the Iewes Reli∣gion was neuer so extended. And as the holy scriptures and Hieronymus, à Sancta fide a Iewe. (l. 1. contr. Iudaeos cap. 9.) pro∣ueth, the Iewes might neuer offer sacrifice out of Hierusalem, and so this could not possibly be ment of them: ostendit nobis in hoc quod dicit: In omni loco: quod haec oblatio munda, fienda erat per vniuersum mundum, vbicumque per modum esset assignatum: per contrarium sacrificiorum antiquorum, de qui∣bus erat prohibitum ne alibi quàm in Temple

Ierosolymitano fierent. The Prophet sheweth vnto vs, by that hee saith: in euery place: that this pure oblation, was to be made in all the world, wheresoeuer it was assigned in the world: by the contrary of the old sa∣crifices of which it was forbidden, that they should not be offered in any other pla∣ce, then in the Temple of Hierusalem. And proueth there out of the Iewes Thalmud, of∣ten repeating, that their sacrifices were to cease: quaedam locutio saepe in Talmud reite∣rata quae dicit sic: in tempore futuro, vniuersa sacrificia, excepto sacrificio confessionis anni∣hilata erunt. All sacrifices should be anni∣hilated but the sacrifice of confession, cal∣led Thoda in breade and wine: meaninge the sacrifice of Christians, as I haue proued in due place.

8. And Rabbi Samuel. (Marrochian. l. de aduent. Messiae cap. 20.) writing to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Sinagogue, vppon this prophesie of Malachie saith. Timeo Domine mi, quod Deus eiecit nos à se, & sacrificium nostrum, & acceptauit sacrificium gentium, sicut dicit per os Malachiae: ô my Master, I feare, that God hath cast vs away frō him, and our sacrifice also, and hath accepted

the sacrifice of the gentiles, as hee speaketh by the mouth of Malachy. And immediat∣lie citing the wordes of that Prophet, as before, concludeth thus for the sacrifice of Masse vsed by Christians: sacrificium gen∣tium, est mundus quam sacrificium nostrum. The sacrifice of the gentils (so he called Chri∣stians conuerted of the gentiles) is more pure then our sacrifice.

9. Thus commonly also the holy Chri∣stian Fathers, among whom S. Augustine citinge that prophesie of Malachie, thus speaketh to the Iewes. (Augustin. orat con∣tra Iudaeos cap. 9.) Quid ad haec respondetis? aperite oculos tandem aliquando & videte, ab oriente sole vsque ad occidentem, non in vno sicut vobis fuerat constitutum, sed in omni loco sacrificium Christianorum offerri, non cuilibet Deo, sed ei, qui ista praedixit, Deo Israel. What do you answere to these things? open your eyes sometime at the laste, and see, that the sacrifice of Christians is offered from East to West, not in one place as it was appointed vnto you, but in euery pla∣ce, not to euery one that is called God, but to him, the God of Israel, that foretold th•…•…se thinges. Therefore seeing the word of God

proposed by his holy Prophet cannot bee vntrue, but must needs be verified in some sacrifice, offered thus vnto him by some professors of Religion, and all others besi∣des Christians are thus clearely excluded, and Christians haue only one externall sa∣crifice of the Masse, conteining the obla∣tion of Christs most blessed body & blood, the onely most pure sacrifice and accepta∣ble vnto God, and offered in euery place in the whole world, it must needs bee this pure and generall sacrifice.

10. To which our protestants themsel∣ues (to make all sure) do thus giue testimo∣nie. First his Maiestie, as Casaubon hath published by warrāt. (Casaub. Resp. ad Card. Per. pag. 51.52.) neither is the Kinge Igno∣rant, nor denieth, that the Fathers of the primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in Christian Religion, that succeeded in the place of the sacrifice of Moises lawe. And both from our Kinge, and D. Andrewes, the Protestant Bishop now of Winchester, af∣firmeth of this sacrifice. (pag. 50.51. sup.) It is Christs body, the same obiect and thinge which the Roman church beleeueth. An other diuidinge Christians into the Latine and

Greeke church, as the common diuision is, and telling vs, as all acknowledge, that in all contries of the Latine church, remay∣ning still in obedience to the see of Rome, the sacrifice of the Masse is publickly in all places offered, and in the contries that haue reuolted lately from it, the same sacrifice is priuatly with many still celebrated, thus hee writeth of the Greeke church. (Edwine Sands relation of Religion cap. 53. or 54.) with Rome they concur in the opinion of transsub∣stantiation, and generally in the seruice and whole body of the Masse, in praying to Saints, in auricular confession, in offeringe of sacrifice and prayer for the dead. They hold purgatory also, and worshipping of pictures. Their Litur∣gies bee the same, that in the old time, namlie S. Basils, S. Chrisostoms, and S. Gregories (that which the Roman church now vseth) translated without any bendinge them, to that chaunge of language, which theire tongue hath suffered.

11. Chytraeus a German protestant, wri∣tinge de statu Ecclesiae, of the state of the church. (pag. 7.8.11.13.15.18.20.21.) saith: Among all the nations of Greece, Asia, Africa, Ethiopia, Armenia &c. all places are full of

Masses, the sacrifice of the Masse is offered for the liuing and the dead. The Georgians inha∣biting old Iberia, and Albania. The Syrians name S. Basile author of their Masse. The Ar∣menians inhabitinge most large spaces of the earth from the bounds of Cappadocia and Ci∣licia vnto Iberta the Caspian sea, Media and Assiria, are moste like the papists in Religion and ceremonies, in their Masse they remember inuocation, and intercession of Saints, offering vp of the Sacrament. Also euery where in Per∣sia, and all the east, the Christians doe the same. The Maronites at mount Libanus, are conformable to the Latine church in all thin∣ges. The Iacob is in Asia and Africke, are more by much propagated and haue their Masses.

12. Our English Protestant translator of the author of the booke, of the estates, Empires, & principalities of the world. (Edw. Grymston. pref. to the Reader.) although as he confesseth he altereth and addeth at his pleasure, cannot finde out any one prouin∣ce, or contry of note in al the whole world, where hee dareth to affirme, and can proue that this holy sacrifice of Masse is not there offered vnto God. The same proueth. (pag. 102. to pag. 283. in the estate of the K. of Spai∣ne.)

that the Kinge Catholicke of Spaine, by land and Sea in all parts of the worlde Europe, Asia, Africke, and America, is the greatest Emperour and Kinge that now presently is, or euer heretofore hath beene in the world, possessinge more territories, and dominions, then all Turkes, Tartars, Pagans, and enemies of Christianitie, that be, and yet in all these dominions this most holy sacrifice of Masse is publickly offered and celebrated with great honor, and glo∣rie. So that if it were receued no where els, but in his territories, the prophesy of Mala∣chias is fulfilled in his dominions, as well appeareth by this, and all Cosmographers of these dayes, that truely sett downe the estates of great Princes. There is no maine part, ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum, from the risinge of the sunne vnto the setting thereof, nor from the settinge to the rising againe, but he hath some dominion there: as a late verse is of the Enfante Mary of Spaine her Father, and her brother is in the same con∣dition:

Vnto her greatnes witnes giues the sunne, tasked no houre, to shine at any hand, As he his course about the globe doth runne, but on some part of her late Fathers land. An homage which hee neuer did before, to any Prince, nor like to doe no more.

13. And yet besides these so many and vaste countries, our protestants haue told vs before, that all the other three parts of the world, Asia, Africke, and Europe, are full of Masses, and sacrificinge Christian preists. Which this protestant also confir∣meth. (Grymston. supr. in these kingdoms pag. 700. &c.) teaching that not only in the ter∣ritories, but in Tartaria, China, Iapan, Peru, Magor, Calicut, Narsing, Persia, all the Turks estates in Europe, Africk and Asia, Monomo∣tapa, Congo, Moraco, and from the rising to the setting of the sunne, the prophesie of Malachie is iustified and performed, for in all these places, Mincha tehora, thusia Cathara, the pure sacrifice, hee speaketh of, the holy sacrifice of Masse, is offered to the name of God, and his name is great among the Gentiles.

14. This is the state of thinges at this time. Thus it was from the first planting

of christianity in the whole known world, by the holy Fathers before: and appeareth in the most auncient Masse of S. Marke, the Euangelist, vsed among the first Chri∣stians of this nation, as I shall shew hereaf∣ter, in which thus wee finde. Per quem (Christum) offerimns rationabilem & incruen∣tam oblationem hanc, quam offerunt tibi Do∣mine omnes gentes, ab ortu solis vsque ad oc∣casum, à Septentrione ad meridiem: Quia magnum nomen tuum in omnibus gentibus, & in omni loco incēsum offertur nomini tuo San∣cto, & sacrificium & oblatio. By whome (Christ) wee offer this reasonable and vn∣bloody oblation, which ô Lord all nations doe offer vnto thee, from the rising of the sunne, to the setting therof, from North to South, because thy name is great in all na∣tions, and in euery place incense, and sacri∣fice & oblation, is offered to thy holy name. Liturgia. eccl. Alexandr. & S. Marci Euang. M. S. per antiq. tempore Britan.