Why the Mass is Idolatry 2 | Born-Again-Christian.Org

by John Knox 1550

Part Two Read Part 1

Précised by Colin Melbourne into contemporary English from; Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises and Expositions to the year 1559

All Service or Honouring of God Done With an Evil Intent or Purpose is an Abomination

The Mass is performed with evil purpose and is therefore an abomination.

It is not enough to offer the right sacrifice to God, it must also be done with right intent and purpose or it is detestable to Him.

As in Isaiah 1:13-14;

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

They did the specified things, but their attitude was wrong.

And Amos 5:21-23;

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

Why did God reject the offerings and procedures that He had instituted? Because as Isaiah 66:3 KJV says;
Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

Note these sacrifices were not the invention of man, but the command of God, yet their performance was done with an intent and attitude that made them abominable to God.

What was the evil attitude?

It was that in the outward work of fulfilling God’s command they could purchase favour with God and pay for their sins by these sacrifices.

They missed the vital truth that these sacrifices were a foreshadowing of the only sacrifice God accepts for sin, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

The Lord in His forbearance, forgave sins committed under the Old Covenant, knowing their full payment would be met only under the New Covenant.

The intent of the people was wicked because they truly believed their sins to have been remitted by virtue of their sacrifice.

A payment for their guilt, not reliant upon God’s mercy and His Sacrifice.

So they sinned, bought sacrifices, offered them as prescribed, thought they were absolved, then continued to sin, and repeat the sequence.

Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

Jer. 7:8-10 KJV

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Is. 55:2 KJV

Their false prophets taught them to cry; “Peace, peace!” But they had no peace in their consciences. (Jer. 6:14, 8:11) Micah 6:6-7 KJV plainly teaches us that no outward work, no matter how perfect, will cleanse from sin and give us peace.

Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

So an evil intent added to what God commands is abomination to God.

Idolatry is not only to worship something that is not God, but also to trust or depend upon something that is not God, and is therefore insufficient.

That is why Paul calls covetousness, idolatry, because then confidence is in riches, not God.

How much more idolatrous then it is for people to offer sacrifices to pay for their sins.

The Mass is Performed with Evil Intent and Purpose

Is the intent and purpose of the Mass evil?

Catholic law declares, also the words of the Mass proclaim, and participants understand, that the purpose of the Mass is to make sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead. And that in performing it, these sins are remitted by God following the priest’s actions.

The words of the prophets in the previous section confirm the Mass to be abomination because they show that remission of sins comes only by the mercy of God without any deserving or work on our part. As Isaiah wrote in Is. 43:25 KJV;

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Do long Catholic traditions, or multitudes of popes, cardinals and priests nullify the clear evidence of God’s word, and sanctify idolatry?

Of course not!

In the Roman Catholic Mass, who offers the sacrifice, and what is it? “The priest offers Jesus Christ to the Father.” They reply.

Then I ask, “Can a man offer God anything more precious than Himself?”

Paul thinks not for he says in Ro. 12:1 KJV;

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Likewise, Jesus had nothing more precious to offer than Himself.

If Paul was aware of another sacrifice we should make more acceptable to God, than the putting to death of our sinful natures by faith in Christ, would he not have told us?

Jesus offered Himself a Sacrifice to God for us, and to claim any mortal man may offer Christ again is blatant pride.

God declares, Heb. 10:14 KJV;

For by one offering he (Jesus) hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

In Heb. 10:18 God states,

Now where remission of these (sins) is, there is no more offering for sin.

It is plain enough… there’s no need of any further sacrifice for our sin. God says so.

Catholics may claim this means no more need for the Levitical sacrifices, but God denies this:

No more offering for sin.

Jesus endorsed this Gospel fact in His dying words on the Cross, Jn. 19:30 KJV;

It is finished:

Meaning, whatever is required by the Father for reconciling man to God is completely finished, paid for, and no more sacrifice is needed for sin.

Listen Catholics!

Two witnesses speak against your Mass that you falsely and vainly claim is a sacrifice for sins.

The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ together affirm that the death of Christ is sufficient, and no more is needed.

What do you say?

Answer! Repent or be condemned.

Sometimes they plead it is not another sacrifice, but the same one repeated and renewed. But this the Holy Spirit proves false by stating not only that there’s no other sacrifice for sin, but that the one Sacrifice (Christ) who was offered once and for all, and may never be offered again, Heb. 10:12 KJV;

But this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.

If it were to be offered again, it would show it was no better than the blood of bulls and goats offered under the Law.

The Levitical priests were mortal, and needed successors to continually offer blood sacrifices. Our High Priest, Christ, is eternal and needs no successor.

Levitical priests needed to repeat their sacrifices because they could not remove sins, but the sacrifice of Christ is perfect, and needs no repeating. To claim that it needs be, is a blasphemy, implying imperfection of the Saviour and His finished work of redemption.

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Heb. 7:26-28 KJV

What could be plainer? The Holy Spirit confirms that Christ need never be offered again.

Some say, ‘It does no harm to offer Christ again.

But the text is clear, that only Christ can offer Himself, and that Sacrifice is sufficient, and never needs offering again.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Heb. 9:24-26 KJV

“Ah, but men sin every day, so sacrifice must be offered daily.” Is the papist’s plea.
Not so!

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Heb. 10:14 KJV

His death is the only, and sufficient, sacrifice required to make any believer perfect forever.

That is God’s opinion.

To contradict this is blasphemy.

God plainly speaks against the Mass, declaring that there is no other sacrifice for sin other than Christ’s death, and that nobody can offer Him, nor may He offer Himself any more.

In excuse, Rome claims that the Mass is a memorial sacrifice, offering Christ again to the Father. What?

Has God forgotten that He gave His own Son to pay for your sins, such that you need to remind Him?

Consider how Satan has blinded you Catholics. You clearly lie and do not see it.

You blaspheme God’s own word, and refuse to repent.

You cry, “Come, come to the Mass, buy with money and possessions remission of your sins. We will offer Christ to the Father as an acceptable sacrifice for your sins.”

This is the Catholic Church’s teaching, and it is utter blasphemy and abomination before God.

So decide for yourself if the purpose and intent of the Mass is not vain, false and deceitful. Priests caused you to believe, dear Catholics, that it was a sacrifice by which you obtain remission of sins. But now you can clearly see that there never was, nor ever need be any other sacrifice for sin but the death and blood of Jesus Christ.

The sacrifices of the Levitical Law were mere figures of the true sacrifice of Christ, and they did not remit or purge sin in any way.

The Blood of Christ once offered, remains forever for the cleansing of sins, and so there remains no sacrifice in the Mass

So what will you do Catholic priests? There is no sacrifice still to be offered for sin. That which you perform being blasphemy and idolatrous.

For when God’s own word is the final authority, you can never resolve these arguments.

Further Points

If, as the Catholics claim, the Mass is a sacrifice for sin, in which they offer Jesus Christ to God, then what follows from this reasoning?

If Christ be offered in sacrifice, He must be killed again.

If alive, there is no sacrifice.

For remission of sins, the Scriptures plainly teach that Christ had to suffer, shed His blood, and die.

So each time a priest performs the Mass, he must therefore be slaying Jesus Christ again.

It is useless to say that you do not mean to harm Christ.

The doctrine of the Mass necessitates this repeated slaughter of the Messiah, when God’s word says He can die no more. (See Heb. 7:25, 9:27-28, 10:14)

Be not alarmed dear Catholics, for no man has the power to slay Christ, death can never prevail over the resurrected Lord of Glory.

But you have been deceived by the priests. Let not your eternal destiny hang on the opinion of man, but trust only in the eternal word of God.

Repent and embrace the true Gospel!

The Mass is Not the Lord’s Supper

Do not confuse the Mass with the Lord’s Supper, they are in express conflict.

The Mass being blasphemy against the death of Christ.

First; The Lord’s Supper was instituted to be a perpetual reminder of the benefits of Christ’s death to believers.

Second; Only by God’s mercy and goodness in offering His Perfect Son in our place have we been redeemed. Which the Lord’s Supper reminds us of, and causes us to love Him who first so loved us.

In contrast, the Mass is instituted to be the actual sacrifice for sins of adherents. By the ritual of man, they claim God is bound to remit our sins, and give us whatever we ask. Masses being performed for all manner of favours. For peace in war-time, rain in drought, even to cure ailments of farm stock. Such perversity, vain priests!

The Lord’s Supper is the gift of Jesus Christ to remind us of His death until He returns, and the riches of God’s loving mercy to us who despised Him so.

In contrast, the Mass is a sacrifice that we offer to God, so that God will love and help us.

The Mass is blasphemous in that it makes Christ’s work imperfect and unfinished unless made perfect and finished by the Mass finally purging sins.

How this disgraces the Lord Jesus Christ who made perfect sacrifice for sins once and for all. (See Heb. 7:25, 9:28, 10:10-14)

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb. 10:11-12 KJV

Finally, in the Lord’s Supper we recognize our eternal debt to God, and know that we can never repay for His infinite blessings.

But in the Mass, we make God the debtor, obliging Him to grant our requests of forgiveness of sins by the performance of the diabolical invention.

In the Lord’s Supper there’s no difference between the minister and the congregation, all sit at the same table, no pre-eminence of rank. But in the Mass, the ‘priests’ gather at one altar with no Scriptural basis. They wear special clothes, ornaments, and even have shaven heads [(in Knox’s day, priest’s heads were shaved. Ed] of which no mention is made in the Scriptures.

Consider also, in the Lord’s Supper, we offer thanks for the benefits we receive from God.

In the Mass, the priest compels God to grant all that the priest asks of Him, on the basis of the sacrifice offered, implying God should thank the priest!

In the Lord’s Supper, participants claim themselves redeemed only by Christ’s blood, once offered. In the Mass, the priest claims to make a sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead.

Conclusion

The Mass in its greatest purity is nothing but the invention and creation of man, set up to honour God without any authority of God’s word, and so it is idolatry.

To it is added an evil purpose and intent, which is, that by it remission of sins is obtained.

Therefore it is an abomination before God.

It is contrary to the Lord’s Supper, distorting the sole purpose of the Lord’s Supper, which is, remembrance of Christ’s death and finished sacrifice once and for all.

Therefore it is blasphemous to Christ’s death.

Notice, I have not even mentioned the wickedness of buying and selling of the Mass by priests, but only of it in its ‘purest’ form as said by Pope Gregory.

I declare before God, and you, that I have recorded these facts plainly, not for personal gain, nor honour, nor malice or hatred of any person, but I act only out of obedience to God, proclaiming His word in love for all men, so that they may be saved.

For I know the Catholic Mass to be so abominable to God, that unless you stop partaking in it, you cannot obtain eternal life. I implore you to flee from such idolatry, and escape God’s wrath.

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 Co. 10:14 KJV

Précised by Colin Melbourne into contemporary English from; Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises and Expositions to the year 1559

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