ord in this specific
sense, such as Aurifaber, and Spalatin. And finally:

We proved that the _Romanists_ used it in this sense at the Diet, in
their pretended Refutation of the Augsburg Confession.

There being no possible doubt of the Reformers using the word mass to
mean the specific mass, in their other writings at that time; the, only
remaining question was, whether Melancthon so used it in the disputed
passages of the Article XXIV. of the Augsburg Confession.

That he did here employ it, in this specific sense, we proved by the
following facts: Because he made two different captions or headings for
two different articles, and in the one headed "Of the Lord's Supper,"
he discusses that subject, and in the other headed "The Mass," he
discusses what is specifically termed mass.

We proved, that Melancthon and all other translators from the Latin or
German copy, have translated these passages, messa, and _mass_, and not
Abendmahl, or Lord's Supper, or Eucharist.

We have proved, that in this very Article XXIV., the mass and sacrament
are spoken of in the same sentence as different things, being connected
together by the word "_and_."

We have proved, that if we substitute the Lord's Supper instead of mass
in this Article, many of the passages will make nonsense.

We have proved, that the Romanists themselves in their Refutation of
the Augsburg Confession, understood this Article XXIV. as speaking of
the Mass proper, and censured it for rejecting private masses, _whilst
it approved of it_ for retaining public masses.

_Finally_, we have proved, that Melancthon, in replying to this Romish
Refutation, does not charge them with having misunderstood the XXIV.
Article; but goes on to refute their arguments, implying that they had
understood him correctly.

In view of all these facts it is impossible for us to doubt, that the
word mass in the objected passages of the Article XXIV., signifies the
mass in its specific sense, and not the Lord's Supper in general: and
that when the Reformers affirm in their Confession, that "they are
unjustly charged with having abolished the mass" they meant that they
retained the mass on sacramental occasions, with the limitations and
altered explanations of the nature and application of it, specified in
different parts of the Confession; whilst they freely admitted, that
they had rejected private and closet, masses, and indeed all masses,
except on occasions when the sacrament was a