The summe of Christian religion: deliuered by Zacharias Vrsinus in his lectures vpon the Catechism autorised by the noble Prince Frederick, throughout his dominions: wherein are debated and resolued the questions of whatsoeuer points of moment, which haue beene or are controuersed in diuinitie. Translated into English by Henrie Parrie, out of the last & best Latin editions, together with some supplie of wa[n]ts out of his discourses of diuinitie, and with correction of sundrie faults & imperfections, which ar [sic] as yet remaining in the best corrected Latine.

5 What is the difference betweene the Lords supper, and the popish Masse.

THIS question is necessary, by reason of errours which haue c••ept into the church. It is otherwise demanded, Why the Masse is to be abolished ••ut here this questiō is also conteined and comprehended: because these differences and contrarieties of the Lordes supper and the Masse, are the causes why the Masse is to bee abolished. First let vs speake a few woordes of the name of the Masse, or, Missa. The word Missa seemeth to haue his name from an ancient custome of Ecclesiastical rites & actions,* 1.1 in the end whereof leaue was giuen of departure to the Catechumenes, the posses∣sed with spirites, and the excommunicated persons: and so the woord Missa seemeth to be vsed, as it were a mission or sending awaie, because it was the last part of diuine seruice. Others wil haue it to be so called from a dimission, or from the manner of dimissing them; because they were demised with these words, ••te, Missa est, that is, go, you may depart: or, as others interprete it, goe, now is the collection or alms, which they will haue to be called Missa, of the sending it in (as we may so speak) or throwing or casting it in for the poore. Some wil therefore haue it deriued from the Hebrue Masah, that is, tributes, which was wont to be paied of euery one. The word is found Deut. 16.10. Missach, nidbath i••decha, A free gift of thine hand. Nowe that offering was called so, beeing as it were a yearely tribute, which yet was no exaction, but gi∣uen freely. Others interprete it to bee a sufficiency, which is, that there shoulde bee giuen so much as was sufficient, and perhaps this is the truer: because. Deut. 15. The Lord com∣maunded the Jsraelites, that they shoulde open their hande vnto the poore, and should lend him sufficient for his neede. This the Chaldee Paraphrast interpreteth to be Missah.

Hereof our men thinke that it was called Missa, as if it were a tribute, and free offering which shoulde bee euerie where offered vnto God in the church for the liuing and the dead. But this is not of any likelihood to be true. It is manifest indeede that the church hath borrowed some words from the Hebrews,

as, Satan, Osanna, Sabaot, Halleluia, Pascha, and such like. But those words came not to the Latin church, but by the greeke church, and those woordes are found in the greeke testament, when first it was written in greeke. And there∣fore we haue no Hebrue woords deriued vnto our Church, which the greeke church had not before vs. If also wee will search the greeke Fathers, the woorde Missa will neuer be found to haue bin vsed by them. Therefore I think not that the woord Missa was taken from the Hebrewes. But Missa, which doubtlesse is a latin woorde by original,* 1.2 seemeth to haue beene taken from the Fathers, who vsed Remissa, for Remissio, as Tertullian; We haue spoken, saith he, ofa 1.3remission of sinnes. And Cyprian: He that was to giueb 1.4remission of sinnes, did not disdaine to bee baptized. And againe hee vseth the same word: Hee that blasphemeth against the holie ghost, hath not re∣mission of sinnes. Wherefore as they said Remissa for Remissio, so they seeme also to haue said Missa for Missio. And there∣fore they called that Missa, which was don after the missiō or sending away of the catechuments. We reiect both the name and the thing. For this woorde dooth not agree vnto the Lords Supper; because the Lords Supper hath nothing com∣mon and agreeing with the name of Missa, albeit it was v∣sed of the auncient writers. Moreouer we haue no need of this name. For we haue other words for this pvrpose most con∣uenient and agreeable.

* 1.5NOW let vs see the differences of the Supper & the Masse, & those most contrarie one to another, & such as in re∣spect whereof the Masse ought to be abolished.

1 The Popish Masse is a manifold, chaunging or abolishing rather of the rite instituted by Christ. For it taketh away the cup from the people, and addeth manie toies, when as notwithstanding no creature hath anie power to institute anie sacraments, or to change or abolish the constitutions and ordinances of God.

2 The Masse transformeth the signe into the thing signified. For it denieth that there is anie breade and wine remaining; but saith, it is the flesh and bloud of Christ substantiallie, which is flat repugnant to the nature of the Lords supper.

3 In the Masse the Papists make other heauenlie gifts to be, than which are found in the word and other sacraments, or in the promise annexed vnto them. As where the Masse-Priestes faigne

that the Masse doth merite, euen by the work it selfe wrought, that is through the external rite and action, both for him that celebra∣teth, and for others, not onelie remission of sinnes, but the healing also of men, oxen, swine, and cattle diseased. and so withall they coine this too, that forsooth those signs of bread and wine are a sa∣crament euen without the vse also and administration. Likewise they wil haue other things to be in the Masse, than are in anie sa∣crament, which is the very carnal descending & abiding of Christs bodie therein, which is contrarie to the nature of al sacraments.

4 The Masse is repugnant to the sacrifice of Christ: the sup∣per confirmeth and testifieth that we are iustified, for the alone sa∣crifice of Christ wrought and finished on the Crosse: but the Masse contrarie to the testimonies of scripture maketh moe propitiatorie sacrifices: this is their treading and trampling Christs bloud vnder foote, when they say it hath not merited perfect re∣mission of our sinnes. Obiection. The Masse is called a sa∣crifice of the Papistes, and likewise the supper is called a sacrifice by the Fathers: therefore the Fathers were Papists. Auns. The Papists call the M sse a propitiatorie sacrifice. The fathers cal the supper a sacrifice, and so it is, but an Eucharistical or thankesgiuing sacrifice. Againe, it is euen that same sacri∣fice which Christ offered, in such sort, as the bread is the bodie of Christ The Papists will haue it to bee a diuers sa∣crifice, whereby is obtained remission of sinnes. Nowe it is one thing for the same sacrifice to bee often offered: and an other thing for one sacrifice to bee once offered, and that sufficient to take away all sinnes. This sacrifice alone is sufficient for remission of sinnes, and, this sacrifice with others is offered for sinnes; these speeches are contradi∣ctorie.

5 The Masse is repugnant to Christes Priesthoode▪ because hee is the onely high Priest who hath power to offer him∣selfe. The Pope with his companions most impudently pulleth this honor to himselfe. For these deceiuers and ly∣ing men feigne with great contumely and despite to christ, that they offer again christ vnto the Father, and that they alone are worthy men to offer christ vnto his Father: when yet no man, no Angel, neither any creature is of that dig∣nity and worthines, as that hee may sacrifice the sonne of God. For the Priest is abooue the sacrifice: they therefore

who will bee the Priestes to offer christ, mount and lift themselues aboue him. Obiection. The Pri••st•• staie not, but offer onelie and present the sonne vnto the father, that for his sake he may remit vs our sinnes, and so they onelie applie that one and onelie sacrifice of christ. Aunswere. It is inough that they say, that they offer Christ with their hands. For 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••emai∣neth that they make themselues Priests. Neither is it ma∣teriall, that they deny that they slay Christ. Many thinges were offered of olde by the Priests, which were not slaine, neither were of that qualitie, but were onely offered, as cakes, & liquid offrings, & burnt offrings, & such like. The Iewes indeede slew Christ, but they did not sacrifice him: but Christ himselfe was willingly slaine, & therefore sa∣crificed himselfe. Heb. 9.14. Christ through the eternal spirite offered himselfe without spot to God: and verily hee offered himselfe once a sacrifice vnto his father for vs. Heb. 9.28. Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of manie; and to them that looke for him shall hee appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation. Heb. 10.12. Christ after he had of∣fered one sacrifice for sinnes, sitteth for euer at the right hand of God. Now the Papists contrarie to these manifest places of scripture will haue Christ to be often offered in the Masse.

6 The Masse is repugnant to the doctrine of grace and iu∣stification, which teacheth, that in this life onelie is the time of ob∣teining fauour, by faith alone, for the onelie merite of christ. The papists neglecting faith, which they haue no knowledge of, & reiecting Christs merit, substitute in place thereof this idolatrous inuention. For through and for this sacrifice of the Masse, and so for this worke (as they speake) wrought, they main∣taine that the dead also obtaine remission of sinnes.

7 The Masse is repugnant vnto the articles of our faith con∣cerning the true humanitie of christ, concerning his true ascension into heauen, and his returning from thence, at the day of iudge∣ment. For they make a corporal presence of christ in the Masse, say∣ing that christ is inuisible present vnder the forme of breade and wine, the substance of the bread and wine beeing abolished, as of∣ten as the Masse is celebrated, and this presence of Christ is corporal, when the accidents onely of the signe remaine. Jt is contrarie also to the nature of sacraments, which permit∣teth not the substance of the signs to be abolished, neither

requireth any naturall connexion of the signes and things: and therefore neither is it required in the Supper, which leadeth vs to christ crucified; and raigning in heauen, and from thence communicating himselfe vnto vs.

8 The Masse is contrarie to the communion of Saintes with Christ. For it imagineth an execrable inuention, which is, that Christes bodie doth descend into our bodies, and remaineth as long within our bodies as the formes remaine of bread and wine. But the supper reacheth that wee are made members of Christ by the holy gh st. and ingraffed into him.

9 The Masse is repugnaunt to the true worship of God, be∣cause it maketh Christ to be there corporally present, & so by con∣sequent there to bee worshipped. Euen as of ould before his as∣cension it was not onely lawful, but in duty required; that Christ should be worshipped in whatsoeuer place hee was, and so also did his Disciples alwaies worship him, when he was present, as also when he ascended from them: but after his ascension they did not from that time adore & worship him, turning vnto any one particular place more than o∣ther. Wherfore seing the Papists in their Masse tie the wor∣ship and adoration of christ vnto a thing, whereunto christ himselfe by expresse word hath not tied it; they professe them selues to be idolaters, and doe no lesse absurdly and impiously in this, than if they should worship Christ at a wal, or if they should worship a piller falling downe before it. Which we prooue, 1. Because no creature hath power to ty the woorshippe of God to anie thing or place, wherein God hath not commaunded by expresse word himselfe to be worshipped, and wherein God hath not promised to hear vs. And hereby is the cause of that diffe∣rence plainly scene, why the Iewes directing their praier to the propitiatorie or mercy seat did notwithstanding withall in spirite worship the true God, and were by promise from him assured to bee head: but worshipping in Dan, and in Bethel, and in the high pla∣ces, and in the temple of Samaria, were idolaters not knowing what they worshipped. Ioh. 4 22. Yee worship that which yee knowe not: we worship that which we know: for saluation is of the Iewes: and the cause of this thing is more at large declared in the se∣cond of Kinges cap. 17. 2. Because in the newe testament all worshippe which is tied to anie certaine place on earth is vtterlie taken awaie, and spiritual worship onlie required, stirred and kin∣dled

by the holy ghost, and doone with a true faith, and knowledge of God Ioh. 4.21. The houre commeth, when ye shal neither in this mountaine, nor at Jerusalem worship the Father. In these words Christ doth plainely take away worship tied and restrained to any certaine place on earth. Wherefore wee must also take away and haue in detestation this impious inuention of christs corporal presence in the Masse, or in the breade and wine. For this being but, that christ is in bodie present in the bread (whether it be said to be done by transubstan∣tiation, or by consubstantiation) the popish adoration stan∣deth fast: and of the contrarie side the presence of Christs body in the breade is taken away, if wee take away this foule and shamefull Popish adoration of Christs bodie ly∣ing couertly by their iudgement vnder the formes of bread and wine. Now withall wee are here to obserue, What it is, to worship christ in the bread, namelie, to direct our worshippe in soule, minde, cogitation, and, as much as may be, in the motion of our bodies to the place in which the bread is, and turning thereto to yeelde reuerence vnto christ, as if hee were present there m re than else-where. So of olde they worshipped God at the Arke, turning thereto with their mindes, and as much as might be, with their external grace and inclination of bodie.

1 OBiection. The Masse is an application of Christes sacrifice: Therefore it is not to be taken away. Aunsw. I denie the Antecedent: because wee applie Christs merit by faith onely. Obiect. 2. There must bee a perpetuall sacri∣fice in the Church, because Jsai foretold••, that it should bee from sabbath to sabbath. Aunswere. There must indeed be a per∣petuall sacrifice in the church, which is the sacrifice of thankes-giuing. 1. Because it is a remembraunce of Christes sa∣crifice. 2. Because almes were giuen in the primitiue church, af∣ter the supper was ended, which were a sacrifice. 3. The supper also is an Eucharistical or thankesgiuing sacrifice. For a propitiato∣ry sacrifice, the Fathers neuer dreamt of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The originall of the woord Mis∣sa, which we call the Masse.
• * 1.2

  Tertul. li. 4. con∣tra Mar. Cypr. de bono patient. & epist. 4. li. 3.
• a 1.3

  de remissa peccatorum.
• b 1.4

  daturus remis∣sam peccato∣rum.
• * 1.5

  The repugnan∣cie of the Masse with the Lords supper.