Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The. xij. Common place. Of the sacrifice of the Masse.

The. xlviij. Question.

Whether they doe beleue that the true bodie & bloud of Christ in the sacrament of the aultar be a true and an acceptable sa∣crifice vnto God, whiche ought to be offered in the Churche of Christ in the blessed office of the Masse vncessantly for the quick & the dead, vntyll the comming of Chryst?

The Answere.

SIth we haue sufficient∣ly* 1.1 before proued that the true body and bloude of Christ, is not in the Sa∣cramente corporally, it foloweth of necessitie y^t the same canne not be offered vp in the

Masse by the priestes. But yet the Ro∣mishe churche teacheth that the bodye and bloude of Christe is corporally and substantially present, and in the office of their Masse offered vp to God by the Priestes, for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead, and therefore oughte to be woorshipped. But the form of the Masse dothe not agrée with the institution of the Lordes supper, but is encreased by the long continuaunce of time wyth di∣uers additions, rights, & Ceremonies, so as Gregorius the seuenth Pope doth confesse that in his time the Masse was not celebrated in all places of y^e world after one manner: wherefore without all doute the Apostles, Peter, James, and Mathewe did neuer celebrate the Masse vsed in the Churche of Rome, but were altogyther ignoraunte there∣of. Therefore the Churches of the gos∣pell haue by good right putte away and abolished the Romishe Masse, and in the stead therof, haue rightly and godly ordained the supper of oure Lord Jesus Christe, which was godly celebrated in the old Apostolical church, without any

of the Popes, or mannes traditions, or additions. And therfore, to the foresaide question we answer: that we do not ac∣knowledge nor receiue the Masse, for the institution of God, but flée from it, as being contrary to oure profession, partly for causes already shewed, and partly for such causes as héereafter we shall shewe.

But that we may the better knowe* 1.2 what sacrifices are, we will héere vnto adde a few words. There are amongst the Christians chéefely, two kindes of sacrifices, the one propiciatorie for the reconciliation and remission of sinnes, and the other of thāks geuing, in which we exercise our faith, serue God, & geue him thankes, bothe wyth wordes and déedes, for his benefits bestowed vpon vs. In the olde Testament, the sacrifice propitiatorie, was shadowed and figu∣red by many figures, yet was there but one thing, which they all did signifie, to wit, the body and bloud of Christe offe∣red on the crosse. Wherefore, after that Christ came into the world, and remai∣ned héere a certaine time, that he might

offer his body and bloude on the crosse, for the remission of sinnes, he ordained ••n his supper, the Sacrament of the ge∣••ing of his body, and the shedding of his ••loud, calling it the cuppe of the Newe ••estament in his bloud. Wherfore this Sacrament ought from hence forth on∣•••• to be in stead of all the Sacraments of the Olde testament which were fi∣gures, and to witnesse that as Christe by the Sacraments of the Olde testa∣ment, was promised a sauiour, so in the ••ewe testament he is come, and hathe ••••rformed it, and so by the sacrifice of his body and bloud, hathe taken away for euer, all the sinnes of the faythfull: Wherefore, when our Lord would of∣••••r* 1.3 himselfe vppon the crosse, and that 〈…〉〈…〉 houre was come in which he would ••••liuer vp his spirite, & so by his deathe ••ll sinne, death, and hell, he cried with ••••oud voice: It is finished. As who shuld ••••y that sacrifice is nowe ended and ful∣••••lled, in which all the figures and pro∣••isses of the fathers are accomplished, 〈…〉〈…〉ne fréely pardoned, and eternal righ∣••••ousnesse, is obtained vnto euerlasting

life. And therefore so soone as our Lord was deade, and had in this sorte offered vp him selfe a sacrifice to God his hea∣uenly father, the vaile of the Temple rente in two péeces, greate myracles were séene bothe in the liuing and in the deade, yea in heauen and in earthe. And thus did the olde Testament, the Leuiticall priesthoode, and all the other Sacrifices take their ende whereunto they were ordained.

Therfore nowe resteth but the one only and euerlasting sacrifice of Christ, as the chéefest, holyest, and moste per∣fecte.

And suche is the propretie of this Sacrifice, that it neither coulde, nor yet can, be offered of any liuing man, bicause not onely for the excellencie and holynesse thereof, but also bicause of the imperfection of manne. And therefore Christe offered vp him selfe, that is to say, gaue him self vnto death, and so became the one and euerlasting Bishop, after the order of Melchisedech as onely Bishop and sacrifice offered to God by him selfe onely. Yea this sa∣crifice

which he offered, is but one, that is to say once offered, neither can it any more be offered againe. For that hys one sacrifice is hys deathe once made effectuall, that it onely, and for euer, mighte be sufficiente for all ages, for the reconciliation and remission of sinnes. And bicause Christe hathe suf∣fered for vs, dyed, was buryed, and arose againe from the deade, and as∣cended into Heauen, appearing for e∣uer euen vnto the laste daye as one sufficient sacrifice in the sight of God, for the full and perfecte redemption of all the Faithfull, that is sufficient, nei∣ther néedeth there any other Sacrifice to be offered in the Churche for the re∣mission of sinnes.

Wherefore, if there be any that wil offer a Sacrifice for his sinnes, he dothe manifestly héereby declare, that hée dothe not beléeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him by the onely Sacrifice of Christe. For if he stedfastly beléeue, that they are washed away, why then dothe he séeke a newe Sacrifice to be offered?

And therfore it followeth, that the holy church, euen to the ende of the worlde, doth acknowledge none other sacrifice propitiatorie for sinnes, but the deathe and passion of Christe alone. And that which of this only sacrifice of Christe I haue hither vnto spoken, is most truely and manifestly confirmed by the euidēt testimony of holy scripture, as Leui. 16. Zach. 3. Hebr. 5. 7. 8. 9. and 10. chapters.

But to returne to the Lords supper,* 1.4 it is not in that respecte that we do mi∣nister it a propitiatorie Sacrifice, that by the doing and celebrating of it, we should be deliuered from sinne. For the deathe and sacrifice of Christe vpon the crosse (if we haue faithe) hathe deliue∣red and purged vs from oure sinnes. Neyther is Christe in his supper cruci∣fied againe, or his body offered in the same againe, for why, no Priest is able to offer it: but there is onely celebrated a remembraunce of his Sacrifice once perfected, and that not by the Priest a∣lone, but by the whole churche. For so our sauioure Christ commaunded, say∣ing: Doc this in the remembraunce of

me, wherefore S. Augustine (very a∣greeable with the holy scripture) wry∣teth againste the Manachees, saying: That before the comming of Christe, the Sacrifice of his body and bloud vvas promised by the figured sacrifices of the olde Testamente: but by his comming and passion it is finished: and that after his ascention, the remembrance thereof is celebrated. Wherefore the opinion of those which say that the body and bloud of Christe is offered in the Masse for the quicke and the deade vnto the ende of the worlde, can in no wise be confir∣med by any testimonies of holy Scrip∣ture. And to passe ouer, that the deade haue already receiued their iudgement, as it is already saide in the thirtie foure and thirtie fiue Questions: they besides can not any more be made partakers of the Lords supper: for the Lord saith, Take and eate, which thing the deade can not doe. But in that they say the priest eateth for the deade, they doe it contrary to the commaundemente of Christe. To conclude, the supper of the Lorde is onely the remembrance of the

sacrifice of Christ once finished, and not the sacrifice it selfe, and that done only by those which héere doe liue. The sa∣crifice of praise and thanks giuing com∣prehendeth* 1.5 first the praise and thankes which they offer to God by a pure faith for all his benefites bestowed on them. And bicause in the Lordes Supper, we chéefely make a remembrance of Chri∣stes death, and our redemption, & ther∣fore praise God, and geue thankes vnto him, the fathers haue called the same supper a sacrifice: and we also doe wil∣lingly acknowledge that this sacramēt in this sorte, is an acceptable Sacrifice vnto God: and yet not bicause the priest offereth the body and bloud, or prayers for to merite or gaine thereby, but bi∣cause the whole congregation in theyr prayers offer vnto God praise & thanks geuing for the benefite of Christes sa∣crifice which once offered vp him selfe vppon the crosse. Many things in déede are spoken of this Sacrifice in the holy scriptures, as in the Psalmes, the Pro∣phets, the Epistles of Paul, and chéefe∣ly in the thirtienth chapter to the He∣brewes.

Yea also of the Fathers, as Ireneus, and Tertullian, vppon the woordes of Malachie in his firste Chap∣ter. &c.

Furthermore, the studie to obey the commaundemente of God, to the en∣crease of oure faithe, and the prouoking of others vnto good, the forgeuing of of∣fences and mutuall loue, yea the studie of righteousnesse and holinesse, the offe∣ring of oure bodies and soules, is an ac∣ceptable sacrifice vnto God. Like as the Psalmes, Prophetes, Euangelists and Apostles doe eche where exhort•• vs, and chéefely in the twelfthe chapter to the Romaines.

And we thincke it more necessary and profitable that men be wel instru∣cted touching this Sacrifice, and that these things shoulde be taughte them, than to force them to beléeue the sacri∣fice of the Masse: by the marchaundise whereof, those which call them selues spirituall, doe rather encrease & enlarge their owne riches, than the glorye of Christ, and the saluation of the faithful. Therefore lette euery good man well

consider with him self, the doctrine con∣cerning the sacrifices of the Christians whereof we haue hither vnto spoken, and leaning neither the one way nor the other, let them due••y cōsider which is best for their saluation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christes bo∣dy is offered no more.
• * 1.2

  Of the sacri∣fices of Chri∣stians.
• * 1.3

  Christ is the onely sacrifice that taketh a∣vvay sinne.
• * 1.4

  In the Lordes supper ther is onely a remē∣brance of his only sacrifice.
• * 1.5

  The sacrifice of praise & thanks giuing.