The female duel, or The ladies looking glass.: Representing a Scripture combate about business of religion, fairly carried on, between a Roman Catholick lady, and the wife of a dignified person in the Church of England. Together with their joynt answer to an Anabaptists paper sent in defiance of them both: entitled the Dipper drowned. / Now published by Tho. Toll Gent.

Now give me leave again to return you some proofes out of the Scriptures, of the congruity, and necessity, that the Mass should bee a Sa∣crifice.

First, it is manifest that in the Old Law there was to be an offering for the sins of the people, and it was alwaies the duty of the Priests to offer for their ignorances and sins, and for their cleansing: And what Religion was there ever so stupid, as to pretend to the service of a Deity, without some Sacrifice, except some novel Christians, to the very scandal of Jews and Turks.

Secondly: The Prophet Malachy does most plainly Prophesie of our great Sacrifice, when he brings the Lord speaking to Israel, I have no plea∣sure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts, neither will I accept any offering at your hand: for from the ri∣sing of the Sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great amongst the Gentiles; and in every place Incense shal be offered unto my name, & a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. Is not this

a most plain Prediction of the Cessation of the Sacrifices of the old Law, and the Institution of the Sacrifice of the new Law? Nor can this be meant of that Sacrifice which Christ offered once upon the Cross, because the Prophet speaks of a Sacrifice to be offered in every place, and speaks but only of one oblation; and that is nothing, nor can be, but the pure Sacrifice of the body of Christ, so often repeared upon in our Masses, and upon our Christian Altars.

Nay yet examine a little further in this great Prophet, and you will finde yet a clearer evi∣dence for our Christian sacrifice; for being about his prophecies of the Messiah to come, and ha∣ving foretold the coming of the Baptist before him, says plainly that the Lord shall suddenly come to his Temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom you delight in, saith the Lord of Hosts, &c. And he shall sit as a refiner and puri∣fier of silver; and he shall purifie the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righ∣teousness: Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. What can be more plain then this Prophecy, that the Savi∣our of the world should purifie his Priests, that is, our Evangelical ones, to offer Sacrifices, not in blood, but in righteousness; which can be no∣thing but our most holy Eucharist.

The Prophet Daniel comes, yet if possible, clo∣ser to the purpose, saying, Many shall be purifi∣ed, and made white and tryed, but the wicked

shal do wickedly, & none of the wicked shall under∣stand, but the wise shall understand: And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, & the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand, two hundred and ninety days. This is a clear Prophecy of the coming of Anti∣christ, and how long he shall reign, during which time the continual, or daily Sacrifice, and this our Saviour himself affirms shall be sulfilled, that upon the coming of Antichrist, there shall be an uni∣versal Cessation of our great sacrifice, for almost four years, and nothing but desolation of Chur∣ches. Let them look to it therefore, that are hinderers of this glorious and continual Sacri∣fice from being offered in private Churches, least they be convinced to be the forerunners of An∣tichrist.

But yet more plainly let us hear what St. Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews; For every High Priest taken from amongst men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts, and sacrifices for sins. Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity: And by reason hereof, he ought as for the people; so also for himself, to offer for sins. Can any thing be more plain? here the Apostle being to define the duty of a Priest; declares it to be principally to offer for sins; and whereas you say, that no one man can offer for another; St. Paul sure was of another Religion; for he says the Priest ought to offer for the Peoples, as well as for his own sins; and to

this purpose I have been told by those that are skil'd in Antiquity, that it has been call'd the Sacrifice of the Mass, ever since the beginning of Christianity: So enough I conceive said, as to this point.

Notes

• Lev. 5.6.9.14.
• Malach. 1.10, 11.
• Malath. 3.1, 2, 3.
• Malach. 3.1, 2, 3.
• Matth. 24.
• Heb. 5.1, 2, 3.