John Knox

“ The Mass is Idolatry. All worshipping, honouring, or service invented by the brain of man in the religion of God, without his own express commandment, is idolatry. The Mass is invented by the brain of man, without any commandment of God; therefore it is idolatry.
[Part One: All Worship Invented by Man is Idolatry]
For probation of the first part, I will adduce none of the Gentiles' sacrifices, in which, notwithstanding, was less abomination than has been in the Mass; but of God's scriptures I will bring forth the witnesses of my words. ”

“ Here the prophet plainly witnesses that no external work, how excellent ever it be, does purge or make satisfaction for sin. And so of the precedents, it is plain that a wicked opinion added to the very work, sacrifice, or ceremony commanded to be done and used by God, makes it abomination and idolatry. For idolatry is not only to worship that thing which is not God, but also to trust or lean unto that thing which is not God, and has not in itself all sufficiency. ”

“ In the beginning of the canon, the proud priest, lifting up his eyes, as that he had God even always bound to his commandment, says, "We beseech thee, most merciful Father, by Jesus Christ our Lord, that you receive and bless this untasted sacrifice which we offer to thee for thine universal church."
O proud and perverse prelates and priests! who gave you that authority? Is it not expressly forbidden by the apostle Paul that any man should usurp the honour to make sacrifice, except he be called by God, as was Aaron? ”

“ Your clamour and crying was, "Come, come to the Mass; buy with money, substance, and possessions, remission of your sins. We have the merits of Christ's passion. We may offer Jesus Christ unto the Father, whom he must needs receive for an acceptable sacrifice and satisfaction of all your sins." Think not, brethren that I allege anything upon them which they themselves do not speak, as their own law and Mass shall testify. ”

“ The Supper of the Lord is the gift of Jesus Christ, in which we should laud the infinite mercy of God. The Mass is a sacrifice which we offer unto God, for doing whereof we allege God should love and commend us.
In the Supper of the Lord, we confess ourselves redeemed from sin by the death and blood of Jesus Christ only. In the Mass, we crave remission of sins ­ yea, and whatsoever thing we list ­ by working of that same work, which we presently do ourselves. ”

“ For the devil may speak the words of God, and his false prophets also, and yet thereby are they neither better nor more holy. The epistle and evangel are God's words, I confess, but there they are spoken for no edification of the people, but for to be a cloak unto the body of that mischievous idolatry. All the action is abominable, because it is the invention of man; and so a few or certain good words cannot sanctify that whole Mass and body of abomination. ”

“ A sacrifice for sin was never perfect until the beast offered was slain. If in your Mass you offer Jesus Christ for sin, then necessarily in your Mass must you needs kill Jesus Christ. Do not esteem, beloved brethren, these words shortly spoken, to be vain or of small effect. They are collected of the very ground of scriptures, for they plainly testify that Christ to be offered, Christ to suffer, and Christ to shed his blood or die, are all one thing. ”

“ The Spirit of truth and knowledge, working in the apostles with all abundance, showed them that nothing was more profitable, and more might advance the glory of God, and increase the kirk of Christ, than that the Jews and Gentiles should use together in familiarity and daily conversation, that by mutual company, love might increase. One thing was easy to be espied: the Jews could not hastily be persuaded that the eating of meats forbidden in Moses' law was no sin before God. For difficult it is to pull forth of the heart that which is planted by God's own word ”

“ Dolourous it were daily to commit manslaughter, and oftentimes to crucify the King of Glory. Be not afraid; you do it not; for Jesus Christ may suffer no more, shed his blood no more, nor die no more. For he has died ­ he so died for sin ­ and that once; and now he lives, and death may not prevail against him. And so you do not slay Christ, for no power have you to do the same. Only you have deceived the people, causing them [to] believe that you offered Jesus Christ in sacrifice for sin in your Mass ­ which is frivolous and false, for Jesus Christ may not be offered, because he may not die. ”

“ There is nothing that God more requires of man than obedience to the commandment; yea, he prefers obedience to the selfsame sacrifice ordained by himself, and no sin is more odious in God's presence than to disobey his voice; for God esteems that so odious that he does compare it to the two sins most abominable, incantation and idolatry ­ so that disobedience to his voice is very idolatry. ”

“ Secondly, I would ask if Jesus Christ is not King and Head of his kirk? This will no man deny. If he is King, then he must do the office of a king; which is not only to guide, rule, and defend his subjects, but also to make and statute laws, which laws only are his subjects bound to obey, and not the laws of any foreign princes. ”

“ The Papists attribute this to the contagious air and vehemence of the plague; but it was no other thing but a manifest declaration of God's wrath for inventing and bringing into the church a false and diabolical religion. For while we desire saints to make intercession and to pray for us, [by] what other thing do we then esteem the advocacy of Jesus Christ not to be sufficient for us? And what can be more devilish?
Of these precedents, it is plain that no man in earth has power nor authority to statute anything to the honour of God not commanded by his own word. ”

“ For unless I evidently prove my intent by God's holy scriptures, I will recant it as wicked doctrine, and confess myself most worthy of grievous punishment.
How difficult it is to pull forth of the hearts of the people the thing wherein [their] opinion of holiness stands, declares the great tumult and uproar moved against Paul by Demetrius and his fellows, who, by idolatry, got great advantage, as our priests have done by the Mass in time past. ”

“ The nature of God is to be free, and thrall unto nothing. For although he is bound and obliged to fulfill all that his word promises to faithful believers, yet is that neither subjection nor thralldom; for freely he made his promises, and freely he does fulfill the same. I desire to be certified where God made his promises unto you Papist priests, that you should have power to apply the merits of Christ's passion to all and sundry who told or numbered money to you for that purpose? ”

“ Mark well, that Paul makes to offer and to suffer both one thing, and therefore he proves that Christ made but one sacrifice, because he once did suffer the death. Jesus Christ says, as it is written in Matthew, "This is my blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for you and for many, in remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28) . Mark, that remission of sins is attributed to the shedding of Christ's blood. And Paul says, "Christ is dead for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3) . And in another place, "By one oblation or sacrifice hath he made us perfect forever" (Heb. 10:14) . ”

“ If any man might have offered Jesus Christ but himself only, in vain had it been to him to have suffered so cruel torment in his own person by oblation of himself. And so to affirm that mortal man may offer him who is immortal God, in my opinion is malapert proudness.
But let us hear more. Paul says, "By one oblation hath he made perfect forever them which are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14) . And also, "Remission of sins once gotten, there resteth no more sacrifice" (Heb. 10:18) . They will not avoid Paul's words, although they say Paul speaks of the Levitical sacrifice. No, Papists! ”

“ I most gently exhort all desiring to object against these precedents, ripely to consider the ground thereof, which stands not upon the opinion of man, but upon the infallible word of God; and to resume every part of their arguments and lay them to the whole body of God's scriptures. ”

“ And I affirm that no more profit receives the soul in beholding another eat and drink the Lord's very Supper, than the body does in beholding another eat and drink, and though receiving no part thereof. ”

“ And here I call my God to record that neither profit to myself, hatred of any person or persons, nor affection or favour that I bear towards any private man, causes me this day to speak as you have heard ”

“ Then it becomes the kirk of Jesus Christ to advert what he speaks, to receive and embrace his laws; and where he makes end of speaking or law-giving, here to rest; so that all the power of the kirk is subject to God's word. And that is most evident by the commandment given of God unto Joshua, his chosen captain and leader of his people, in these words, "Be strong and valiant that they may do according to the holy law, which my servant Moses commanded unto thee. ”

“ For they which did eat the sin of the people, as our priests have long done, for the more wicked men were, the more desire they had of the Mass, thinking by virtue thereof all was purged. The pestilent priests of Moses' law, as witness the prophets, caused the people to believe that by oblation of the sacrifice, they were just and innocent ”

“ For who used to make mention of a man in his prayers before he is born? And masteris memorie is made in the canon of such men and women whose holiness and godly life credible histories make little mention [of] , which is an evident testimony that your holy canon is vain and of none effect. And if any will take upon him to defend the same, I will prove that therein is indigestible, barbarous, foolish congestion of words, imperfection of sentences, ungodly invocations, and diabolical conjurations. All this is that holy canon whose authority excels all scripture. ”

“ In punishment of these two aforesaid is to be observed, that Nadab and Abihu were the principal priests next to Aaron, their father; and that they were comprehended neither in adultery, covetousness, nor desire of worldly honour, but of a good zeal and simple intent were making sacrifice ­ desiring no profit of the people thereby, but to honour God and to mitigate his wrath. And yet in the doing of this selfsame act and sacrifice were they consumed away with fire. ”

“ Such doctrine as was taught in your audience, upon Sunday before noon, I will prove, as opportunity shall permit, by God's scriptures, not only unprofitable, but also erroneous and deceitful. But first, according to my promise, I will send unto the teacher the extract thereof, to add or diminish as by his wisdom shall be thought most expedient. For God knows my mind is not captiously to trap men in words, but my only desire being that you, my audience, be instructed in the verity ”

“ But they say, "All these ceremonies are not the substance of the Mass, but are added for good causes." What commandment have they received to add anything to the ordinance of God, for any cause appearing to them? ”

“ And first, let us hear Samuel speaking unto Saul, after he had sacrificed unto the Lord upon Mt. Gilgal, what time his enemies approached against him. "Thou art become foolish," says Samuel, "thou hast not observed the precepts of the Lord, which he commanded thee. Truly the Lord had prepared to have established this kingdom above Israel for ever ”