A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

CHAP. 19.

Of preaching the Mass: And the Sacrifice of it. Transubstantiation. Service of the Church.

WE are arrived at length unto the Consideration of those particulars in your Roman faith, which in your Fiat you chose out either to adorn and set off the way in Religion which you invite your Countrymen to embrace, or so to gild it, as that they may not take any prejudice from them against the whole of what you profess. The first of these is that which you entitled Meshach, which you now inform us to be a Saxon word, the same with Mass. But why you make use of such an obsolete word to amuse your Readers withal, you give us no account. Will you give me leave to guess? for if I mistake not▪ I am not far from your fancy. Plain downright Mass is a thing that hath gotten a very ill name amongst your Countrymen, especially since so many of their forefathers were burned to death for refusing to resort unto it. Hence it ⟨p. 453⟩may be you thought meet to wave that name, which both the thing known to be signified by it in its own nature, and your procedure about it had rendered obnoxious to suspicion. So you call it by a new old name, or an old new name, that men might not at first know what you intended upon your invitation to entertain them withal: and yet it may be, that they would like it under a new dress, which the old name might have startled them from the Consideration of. But Mass or Meshach let it be as you please, we shall now consider what it is, that you offer afresh concerning it, and hear you speak out your own words. Thus you say, p. 81.