Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of the Eucharist · Book V: On the Sacrifice of the Mass (First)
Chapter 26: The Objections of Kemnitz Are Resolved
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. IV, De Sacramento Eucharistiae, Book V: On the Sacrifice of the Mass (First Book). The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Martin Kemnitz, in Part 2 of the Examination, page 800 and following, proposes his arguments under this title: Arguments showing the abomination of the Pontifical Mass. And the arguments are six.
The first is this: To institute worship outside the word and without the word of God is vain, nay is idolatry, since it is written: In vain do they worship me with the commandments and doctrines of men. But the theatrical representation by words, rites, gestures, as is done in the Pontifical Mass, has no testimony of the word, nay not even the example of Christ or of the Apostles. For the Pontifical writers confess that the Apostles used only the Lord's prayer in the celebration of the Supper, and they note which Roman Pontiffs, and at what time, invented the several acts and scenes of the mystic drama: therefore, etc. I answer: Of the major of this argument we have already often treated in other disputations. But in this place, even if that major were most true, yet the argument would conclude nothing; for in the minor also there is a fault. For, as we have often said, our question is not about the ceremonies of the Mass, but about the substance of the sacrifice: and that this was instituted by Christ we demonstrated above by the testimonies of Scripture, and of the Fathers, and of the whole Church.
The second argument of Kemnitz: To transfer the Sacraments beyond the use instituted by Christ into another action wholly diverse in kind is a huge crime. But Christ in the words of the institution prescribed the action of a Sacrament, and not of a sacrifice: therefore the Pontifical Mass is a contumely to the Lord's Supper. I answer: The minor of the argument ought to have been proved: for that it is false we demonstrated above by very many and most clear arguments.
The third argument: Christ, about to die, instituted the administration of the Supper in the form of a testament: but it is a great crime to superadd anything even to a man's testament, when it is ratified and confirmed: it is manifest, therefore, what the Pontifical Mass is, which superadds something to the Testament of the Son of God. I answer: The last clause ought to have been proved. For that the Mass superadds something to the Testament of the Son of God is false, since the Mass is nothing else but the frequenting of that thing which Christ, about to die, commanded to be frequented. But it is easy for the adversaries to pour out words, even when they have nothing whence they can prove their assertions.
The fourth argument: The Pontifical Mass fights with the sacrifice of the cross, etc. The fifth: The Mass fights with the sole priesthood of Christ, etc. The sixth: The Mass obscures the Lord's Supper and the other means instituted by Christ for applying the fruit of the passion of Christ. I answer: All these are taken from the Institutes of Calvin, and were resolved by us a little before.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XXVI. Solvuntur objectiones Kemnitii. Martinus Kemnitius in ir. par. Exam. pag. 800. et seq. proponit argumenta sua sub hoc titulo : Argumenta ostendentia abomi¬ nationem Missa? Pontificia?. Sunt autem ar¬ gumenta sex. Primum tale est : Instituere cultum extra verbum, et sine verbo Dei, vanum est, imo idololatria est, cum scriptum sit: Frustra co¬ lunt me mandatis , et doctrinis hominum. Sed theatrica repraesentatio per verba, ritus, gestus, sicut in Pontificia Missa fit, nullum habet verbi testimonium, imo nec exem¬ plum Christi, aut Apostolorum. Fatentur enim Pontificii scriptores, Apostolos sola Do¬ minica oratione usos in celebratione Ccena?, et notant qui Romani Pontifices, et quo tem¬ pore singulos actus, et scenas mystici dra¬ matis, invenerint : ergo etc. Respondeo : De propositione hujus argumenti sa?pe jam in aliis disputationibus disseruimus. Hoc autem loco, etiamsi ea propositio verissima esset, nihil tamen argumentum concluderet ; nam in Tissuiuptione etiam vitium est. Non enim, ut saepe diximus, qua?stio nostra est, de cae¬ remoniis Missae, sed de substantia sacrifi¬ cii : illam autem a Christo institutam, supra demonstravimus testimoniis Scripturae, et Patrum, et totius Ecclesia?. Secundum argumentum Kemnitii : Sa¬ cramenta extra usum a Christo institutum in aliam actionem toto genere diversam trans- fere, ingens est piaculum. Christus autem 364 LIBER V. Sacramenti ; et non sacrificii actionem in verbis institutionis praescripsit : contumelia igitur coenae Dominicae 'est, Missa Pontificia. Respondeo : Assumptio argumenti probanda fuerat : nam eam falsam esse, supra plu¬ rimis et clarissimis argumentis demonstra¬ vimus. Tertium argumentum : Administrationem coenae Christus moriturus testamenti forma instituit : Magnum autem scelus est, vel ho¬ minis testamento, quando ratum et confir¬ matum est, aliquid superordinare : Mani¬ festum igitur est, quid sit Pontificia Missa, quae Testamento Filii Dei aliquid superordi¬ nat. Respondeo : Ultima particula probanda erat. Quod enim Missa aliquid superordinet Testamento Filii Dei, falsum est, cum nihil sit aliud Missa, nisi frequentatio ejus rei, quam Christus moriturus frequentari man¬ davit. Sed facile est adversariis, verba pro¬ fundere, etiam cum nihil habent, unde sua probare queant. Quartum argumentum : Missa Pontificia, pugnat cum sacrificio crucis etc. Quintum : Missa pugnat cum unico sacerdotio Christi etc. Sextum : Missa obscurat coenam Domi¬ ni, et alia media a Christo instituta, ad ap¬ plicandum fructum passionis Christi. Re¬ spondeo : Haec omnia sumpta sunt ex insti- stitutione Calvini, et a nobis paulo ante so¬ luta.