Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	prayer_n	read_v	word_n	2,960	5	4.5557	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52184	The liturgical-discourse of the holy sacrifice of the masse by omission of controversial questions; abridged and accommodated to the pious use of devout Christians in hearing masse, by A.F. the authour of the same at the instance of some devout friends.	Angelus à Sancto Francisco, 1601-1678.	1675 (1675)	Wing M938; ESTC R217659	145,436	447

the Gospel for going from the right side of the Altar and coming to the middle he humbly makes prayer that he may worthily and competently denounce the Gospel with a clean heart Thirdly When he is come to the Book he Solemnly pronounces Dominus vobiscum to give us notice that he is now to read the words of God and to move our attention because our Lord by his word is with us and to make us more decile and apt to give ear to the good Tydings brought unto us of the Kingdom of Heaven and for our instruction he names the Evangelist from whom the Gospel is taken and in saying it signs the Book with the sign of the Cross to signifie that the Gospel contains the work of our Redemption or that by the Cross we have received the benefit of the Evangelical Doctrine Fourthly The Priest also signs his forehead mouth and breast with the same sign of the Cross on his forehead to manifest his faith on his mouth and his breast to intimate the charity or love of his heart by signing his forehead he recalls his memory from all other things by signing his mouth he expells all other thoughts from his heart from whence the mouth speaks by signing his breast he purifies by vertue of the Cross the affections of his will Again he imprints the Cross on his forehead to shew that he is not ashamed to profess the Gospel but would have all to know that he is a servant of Christ Jesus and a lover of the Cross he also seals his mouth or lips mentally saying with the Psalmist I will confess to our Lord exceedingly with my mouth and in the midst of many I will praise him in declaring his Holy Gospel and lastly he signs his breast to declare that what he professes and declares with his mouth that he believes in Heart and Soul Fifthly We may consider how Reverently the Priest standeth before the Book with joyned hands bowing his Head in the beginning and end as also at the Holy name of Jesus Lastly he kisses the Missal in token of Reverence to Gods word or as a gage o promise of the observance thereof and then briefly prayes that the Evangelical words may take effect in his Soul In all which we may see the great Reverence that the Church of God has alwayes had to the Holy Scriptures Q. But what are we to do then A. Standing devoutly as is said before we receive the Priest's Salutation answering Et cum spiritu tuo intimating that they are attentive to what he is to read and when he sayes Sequentia Sancti Evangelij c. We make Reverence by bended knee or bowed head or both towards the Altar and with a joyful and grateful acclamation say Gloria tibi Domine Glory be unto thee O Lord signing our selves after the example of the Priest and for the same consideration on the forehead mouth and breast of which we have now spoken all which we may apply to our selves and in like manner bow at the Sacred name of Jesus When the Priest has ended the Gospel we say Laus tibi Christe Praise be to thee O Christ to give thanks and praise to Christ who revealed this his word unto us and with humble submission and bended knee as in the beginning in like manner signing our selves on the forehead professing our selves to be ready to perform what is declared unto us on the mouth making it known to others and on the breast to conserve and keep what they have learned and heard in their hearts and minds We may reflect on the great happiness of those who heard our Saviour Preaching and Teaching the People and imitate the example of these who followed him and glorified him in all his works We may also call to mind Christ's sentence Every one that heareth these my words and doth them shall be likened to a wise man that built his House upon a Rock and every one that heareth these my words and doth them not shall be like a foolish man that built his House upon the Sand and then remember the words of St. Paul That we ought to observe those things which we hear Note here what is said concerning the reading of the Epistle and apply it to the Gospel 14. Of the Creed Q. What means the Creed A. We English have taken this word Creed from the Latin word Credo which is the first word and signifies I believe and is commonly called the Symbole of our Faith St. Denis terms it a Signal or token of our Faith and Piety Optatus an Vniversal character of our Faith whereby as St. Ambrose sayes we are known to be Catholicks St. Ireneus calls it the Rule of Faith and Verity the Rule whereby we are regulated in our belief To omit others I will conclude with St. Leo It is a brief and perfect confession of our Faith which is signed by so many sentences of the Twelve Apostles and so well composed by Divine power that with this Sword alone all the opinions of Hereticks are cut up Q. Why is it said in the Masse A. The Gospel is the Code of Christ's Law and the Creed is an Abridgment thereof or a short Declaration of our belief thereto The Gospel is a publick Proclamation or Declaration of Christ's Doctrine and the Creed is an acceptance thereof by which we manifest with heart and mouth that we profess and confess that Doctrine and Law of Jesus Christ and is congruously said in this place for besides that it is a profession of our Faith which is required to the better performance of the Sacrifice which the Holy Fathers commonly call the Mystery of Faith it is also a Hymn of Divine praise wherein with heart and mouth we give thanks to God for the benefits we have received by his Holy Gospel Durand sayes that the Creed doth aptly follow the Gospel to shew that we receive the Evangelical word or Preaching which we manifest by effect The Symbole after the Gospel Faith after Preaching according to the words of St. John when he spoke these words many believed in him Finally as the Gospel does signifie Christ's Preaching and Teaching so the Creed doth represent the Conversion of the World to the Faith of Christ Jesus Q. Do the People stand or kneel at the Creed A. Durand affirms that all ought to stand because it is all one with the Gospel or the principal heads of the Gospel certainly there is as much reason for standing at the Creed in the Masse as at Benedictus Magnificat nunc Dimittis as the general custome of the Church Teaches us in the Divine Office as also at the Te Deum and at St. Athanasius his Creed which are but Canticles of praise as professions of our Faith Moreover this posture of standing shews a promptitude and readiness of mind to put in execution what is propounded in the Creed which is Mystically commended unto us by St. Paul Stand therefore having your Loyns girded

to the People saluting them with Dominus Vobiscum inviting us to joyn with him therein we may suppose that there is none who comes to Masse but that he desires the Priest should pray for him and the Priest intends to pray for them and therefore is willing to put us in mind that he is now to do it and for this end he turns to us and bids us attend thereto and lest we should mistake he tells us what we are to do with this Oremus Let us pray come and joyn with me that is with the Church in whose name the prayers are made whence we may gather how commendable it is that all there present should in heart and affection joyn their Votes with the Priest in so powerful a Sacrifice done by God's Ministers in the name of the Church which certainly is more Meritorious and more pleasing to God than any private prayers Q. What are those Prayers A. We may consider their Matter Form and end as for the matter St. Paul advises us that first of all things Obsecrations Prayers Postulations and Thanks giving be made for all men which words the Holy Fathers do apply particularly to the Sacrifice of the Masse St. Augustine applyes them to several parts of the Masse as is to be seen in the Rhemish Annotations on this place Others attribute them to the diversity of Prayers which are used in the Church according to the Four sorts of Prayer for the Church in these Prayers sometimes makes Supplication to be delivered from Evils as in time of persecution or other afflictions or Temptations Sometimes prayes for Spiritual gifts and benefits as of Pennance Patience and such like sometimes also makes Postulations for some particular favour as for the Conversion of Sinners or of those who go astray and to give thanks for benefits received As for the form of them whosoeever considers it will admire the oeconomy of God's Church which has so pithily and substantially couched in few words all whatsoever the faithful may ask of God however the prayers are short yet full in substance and Devotion for the true practise of prayer is to have a greater heart than mouth greater Devotion than Tongue and a full Intention rather than multitude of words This doth not derogate in anywise to perseverance in prayer for Christ prayed whole nights and in his Agony as St. Luke sayes he prayed longer although we read but few words where fervent Devotion gives Gale and Grace is Pilot the Soul may lanch forth and fail securely yet sometimes for order and decency in the Church and commodity of others they may and ought to strike fail that is abbreviate their vocal prayer especially if by Office or Ministerial duty it is required for therein they are not to follow their own proper Devotion but exactly follow the Rules and Ordinances of their Superiours or Prelates Moreover the principal thing here intended is to offer Sacrifice to God whence it suffices to the Church in those prayers to express her intentions in few words in order to the application of this or that Masse to such and such ends So that although the prayers be short in words yet virtually they extend themselves to the whole Sacrifice of the Masse having correspondence with the Churches intention and consequently is more efficacious than any other private prayer The chief end of this prayer is to obtain the desired effects by vertue of this Sacrifice which is for the general good of God's Church and for what the Priest or People present do intend by this Masse Q. Why is this called Collect A. These prayers are so called for that the People are collected or gathered together or rather for that they are said over them or for them so collected or assembled Some will have it because the Priest doth collect or gather the prayers vows or desires of all there present uniting them in one with his including in his prayer the Petitions or desires of all St. Bonaventure will give another reason because all who are present may or ought to recollect themselves and unite their intentions with the Priests in that prayer It may also be said that they are called so for that such prayers are collected and gathered by the Church to be said in the Masse and accommodated to the Times Feasts or Subject Now these Prayers or Collects do end either expresly in these words Through our Lord Jesus Christ c. Or with others importing the same So Innocent the Third sayes We end our Collect through the Lord Jesus Christ for we implore the Fathers help and succour for the love of his Son for Christ himself has said Amen Amen I say to you if you ask the Father any thing in my name he will give it you All that we have to do is to joyn our Intentions or offer up our Petitions in union to the Priest's prayers for as Durand notes The Priest alone sayes the prayer whilst those who are present are silent and pray only in Spirit thereby to attend and joyn their hearts that they may justly say Amen The prayer is not private but publick common to all but performed and presented by the Priest who makes it in the Churches name wherefore although People perhaps do not know the words yet they know the end of the prayers and for the most part know the Conclusion and can answer if they attend Amen as well as the learned 11. Of the Epistle Q. What means the Epistle A. The Holy Scripture is not unproperly said to be an Epistle for the Divine Books thereof are as Epistles or missive Letters sent from God as Testimonies of his Sacred Will unto mankind for their Salvation teaching the way to Heaven and how to please and serve his Divine Majesty and after what manner we ought to live and dye In this sense the Church takes the word Epistle here for to this end she ordains some selected parts of the Scripture to be read to the People and was used in primitive times for the instruction of the Cathecumens and newly converted we may also say that it takes the name of Epistle from the custome of reading for the most part out of the Epistles of St. Paul and other Apostles Q. Why is the Epistle read before the Gospel A. The Epistle of the Masse is as I said before as a missive Letter sent from God by the Pen of the Prophets and Apostles to dispose us for the reception of the Gospel The Church in this for our instruction in the Mysteries of our Salvation preceeds according to natures order from less perfect to more perfect as God in the Creation did by degrees create the more imperfect Creatures in order to the perfect knowing of Man and the Old Testament preceded the New whence Walfride sayes that it is so done that the minds of the hearers might go from lesser to greater things and by degrees ascend from lower things to higher or as Cabasilus sayes to