their liues according to the rule of Gods worde that the Elders of Christes Churche seyng their repentaunce and amendement of life might thereby be occasioned to restore vnto them the holy and blessed communion which is the partaking of the body and bloud of Christ. Thus were the ceremonies not altogether vnprofitable to the people of y t age But it is in these our dayes farre otherwise For the ceremonies in the Popish Churches are stil retained but who knoweth the signification and meanyng of theÌ„ The bread is euery Sonday distributed and the water sprinckled but howe ofte is the death of Christe preached But as touching y e ceremonye of holy bread wherof we now speake it is become a vayne tradition and vtterly vnprofytable yea wicked and abhominable as all other popyshe ceremonyes are lykewise For where as it was instituted to put the people in remembrauÌ„ce of Christes body breakyng the priestes deale it vnto thys ende y t the people eating thereof shuld beleue to receaue health and saluation both of body and soule For these are the wordes which they vse in halowing the bread as they terme it takyng vpon them by thys meanes to make the creatures of God more holy than euer God made them Benedic domine hanc creaturam panis qui benedixisti quinque panâ—s in deserto vt omnes gustantes ex his recipeant tam corporis quaÌ„ animae sanitatem That is to say Blesse O Lorde thys creature of bread which didst blesse fyue Loaues in the wildernesse that al that taste of them may receaue healthe both of body and soule What other thyng is thys than to attribute the vertue of oure saluation to a pylde beggarly ceremony which alone commeth of y e meere mercye and gracious goodnesse of God to al men that repent and beleue in Christ Iesu hys onely begotten Sonne and oure alone Sauioureâ— If we maye obtayne health both of bodye and soule by their be witched bread then was Christ promised geuen conceaued borne circumcised persecuted and put to death for oure synnes in vayne yea then was Christ without cause made of God the Father vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctifying and redemption y t as it is written He that reioyceth shoulde reioyce in the Lorde We knowe sayth the Apostle y t man is not iustifyed by the workes of the law but by the fayth of Iesu Christ and wee haue beleued in Christ Iesu that wee myght be iustifyed by y e faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe bicause no fleshe shall be iustifyed by the workes of the law If we be not iustifyed by the workes of that lawe which God hymselfe commaunded shall we hope to bee made ryghteous by the obseruaunces of mennes triflyng traditions croked constitutions idle inuentions drousye dreames fonde fantasyes antichristian actes deuilysh decrees 〈◊〉 O blasphemous Papistes Of Procession POpe Agapetus the fyrst commaunded the people to goe procession solemnely on sondayes other feastiual daies In the yeare c. 533. Platina Polyd. D. Barnes Guilielmus Durandus writeth that when the people goe a Procession the Belles are ronge to thys ende euen to make the deuills afrayde and to chase them awaye For sayeth he the deuills are wonderfully afrayde when they heare the trompettes of the church militaunt I meane the Belles euen as a Tyraunte is greatlye afrayde when he heareth in hys owne land the trompets of some myghtye Kyng that is his enemye And thys is also the cause why the church when there is any great tempest ringeth the Belles y t the deuills hearyng the trompets of y e euerlasting King shuld be afrayde and trudge away and cause no more tempestes to aryse c. Rat. di off Of Sensing POpe Leo the thyrde brought Sensing into the church In the yeare c. 796. Pol. D. Barns Pantal. Of Candles bearing on Candelmassedaye POpe Sergius otherwise called Pope Swinesnoute coÌ„maunded y t al the people shuld go on procession vpon Candelmasse day and cary candels about with them brenning in their handes In the yeare c. 684. Durand G. Achilles Howe thys candle bearyng on candlemasse day came first vp y t author of our english festiual declareth on thys maÌ„ner Somtyme sayeth he when the Romaines by greate myght and royall power conquered all the worlde for they had great dominion they were so proude y t they forgat God made them diuerse Gods after their own luste And so among al they had a God y t they called Mars that had beene to fore a notable Knight in battayle And so they prayed to hym for helpe and for that they woulde spede y t better of this Knyght the people prayed dyd great worship to his mother y t was called Februa after whiche woman muche people haue opinion that y e moneth February is called Wherfore y e second day of thys moneth is candlemasseday The Romaines thys nyghte went aboute the citie of Rome wyth Torches Candles brennyng in worship of thys woman Februa for hope to haue y e more helpe and succoure of her sonne Mars Then was there a Pope y t was called Sergius and wheÌ„ he sawe Christen people drawe to thys false Maumetrye and vntrue beliefe He thought to vndoe thys foule vse and custome and turne it into Gods worship and our Ladyes gaue coÌ„maundement y t all Christen people shoulde come to Churche and offer vp a candle brennyng in the worship y t they dyd to thys woman Februa doe worship to our lady to her sonne our Lord Iesu Christ. So y t now this feast is solemnely halowed thorowe al Christendome And euery Christen man and woman of couenable age is bounde to come to church and offer vp their candles as though they were bodily with our Ladye hopyng for this reuerence worship y t they do to our Ladye to haue a greate rewarde in heauen and of her sonne our lord Iesu Christ and so they may be syker and it be done in cleane lyfe and with good deuotion c. Of Ashes sprincklyng POpe Gregory the fyrst ordained y t the people on Ashe wednisday shuld be sprinckled with halowed Ashes to put theÌ„ in remembraunce y t they are but earth duste and Ashes In the yeare c. 590. Anselmus Ryd Of Palmes bearyng POpe Gregorye the fyrst also appoynted y t Palmes shoulde bee borne aboute in procession on Palme Sonday Ansel. Ryd Of halowing Palmes Ashes Candles c. POpe Gregorye the fyrste in lyke manner deuised the halowing of Palmes Ashes Candles c. Durand Antonin Of Crepyng to the Crosse. POpe Gregorye the fyrst likewyse broughte into the Churche the Crepyng vnto the Crosse. Sigesb Antoninus Of the halowing of the Paschal POpe Zozimus ordayned that the Paschall Taper shoulde be halowed on Easter euen and set vp in euery paryshe church In y e yere of oure Lorde 414.
both monasteries for euerye saulter saying on these beades is xxvi M.vi C. yeares and fyftye dayes totiens quotiens Therefore let no man nor woman presume to carye away or to conueye the aforesayd beades but hang them agayn where ye fynde theÌ„ For if they doe they are accursed foure tymes in the yeare in the generall sentence And at euery saulters and prayâ— for al Christen soules Pope Clement the seuenth 〈…〉 other holy fathers popes of Rome hys predecessoures of theyr paternall holynesse and abundaunt graces haue graunted to all the brethren sisterne of the sayde gylde that nowe bee and to all other y e will bee ful power and authoritie to chuse theÌ„ any able prieste to theyr confessoure seculare or religious whiche maye heare theyr confessions and geue vnto them once in their life and in the article of death plenary and full remission of al their synnes excesses offences and trespasses howe greuous and enorme so euer they bee A paena culpa c. Also euery Prieste chosen by the sayde brother or sister to be hys confessoure may release al maÌ„ner of othes so y t it be not preiudiciall to any other mans ryght may change all manner vowes in to other good vertuous deedes of mercy totiens quotiens the visiting of Sainte Peter and Saint Paule in the Church of Rome S. Iames in Compostell the vowe of religion and chastitye only excepte He maye also dispense with all spirituall men and women being brethren and sisterne of the sayde gylde totiens quotiens for y e forgetting of deuine seruices as houres canonicalls or penaunce enioyned whether it happen by debilitye or feblenesse of body negligence or obliuion or for defaute of bokes Agayn the brethren and sisterne of the aforesayd gylde may say or cause to be sayd masses and al other diuine seruices before daye light incontinent after three of the clocke after mydnight not only in halowed places but also in vnhalowed places though thei be suspensed or interdited by ordinarye authoritye Also euery brother and sister y t wil say any Wednisday Friday or Saterdayâ— one Pater Noster one Aue Maria and a Credo in any church or chappell where they do dwell and put to their helping hande to the sustentation and maintenaunce of the charges of the said gilde â–ª as ofte as they shall so doe shall haue cleane remission A paena culpa and the same remission as if they had visited the chappell of Scala caeli of Rome and y e church of S. Iohn Lateranense when the stations there be celebrated for quâ—ck and dead The aforesaid brethreÌ„ and sisterne also causing masse to be sayd either on the Wednisday Friday or Saterday in church or chappell for y e dead shal deliuer what soules thei wil and as ofte as they wil out of purgatorye prouided alway so y t thei geue somwhat to the aforesaid gilde Again they saying deuoutlye one Pater Noster and one Aue Maria at these feastes following y t is to saye Easterday Witsontyde Corpus Christi day Mihelmas day the fyrst sonday in cleane lent and eyght dayes folowing euery of y e sayde feastes as oft as they shall so doe shall haue cleane remissioÌ„ of al their sinnes They maye also lawfullye in tyme of Lent and other times of the yeare in y e whiche white meates be prohibite and forbidden eate Egges Cheese Milke Butter al other white meates freely and without scrupulositie or grudge of conscience and if they be sicke they also may eate flesh with councell of their gostly father and their Phisition And whosoeuer shall procure any man or woman to be brother or sister of the aforesayd gylde shal haue for hys Godly trauayle .v. C. yeares of pardon Also euery brother and sister with theyr fathers and mothers departed shall be made partakers of all Masses Mattenses Prayers Suffrages almesse dede holy liuinges pilgrimes and all other good dedes and workes of pitie charitie y t which be done and shal be done throughout y e whole vniuersal church Militant and all the members of the same for euer Agayne they may be buryed in time of interdiction in Christen buryall of whatsoeuer death it shal happen them to dye yea in places interdited by ordinarye authoritye also And furthermore our sayd holy father hath graunted to all Christen people being trulyâ— penitent confessed or hauing purposed to be confessed at such tymes as the lawe hath determined there deuoutly do visite the chappel of our ladye in Boston also do visite thre tymes .vii. altares there assigned in the paryshe church at the feastes of the glorious assumption Natiuitye al other feastes of y e same our blessed lady or w t in viii dayes following after euery of y e same feastes or any day of the said Vtas putting to their helping hands to y e maintenaunce of y e charges of the same gild shal haue and enioy al and singular indulgences remissions of their sinnes as if thei had personallye visited the churche of the holy Apostâ—es Peter and Paul at Rome and other the vii principall churches there in the yeare of Iubile and Grace and also shall haue all the same indulgences and remissions of their sinnes as thei shoulde haue if thei had personally visited the Church of S. Iames in Composâ—el in Spaine and had done or caused to be done â—here any other thing for the obtayning of the indulgences of the said yeare of Iubile at Rome and Compostell Also our holy father hath declared and decreed y t these said remissions faculties indulgences and dispensations shall neuer be reuoked suspended nor denulled but euer to stande in full strength and vertue from henceforth notwithstanding y e yeare of grace or Iubile at Rome or any other manner of cause whatsoeuer shal happen in tyme to come And euery man or woman may be made a brother and sister of Boston gilde and enioye all remissions priuileges liberties c if thei will paye euerye one of them at their entring vi shillings viii â—ens and euery yeare after during his or her life .viii. pens or elles .xiii. shillinges iiii pens for the whole for euery singulare person towardes y e mainteining sustentation of priests clerks poore beadmen which daily be fouÌ„d with the charges of the same gilde Pope Clement the fifte graunted to so many as geue ought to the sustentation of the order of Saint Trinitie of Houndeslowe his blessing for euer twelue yeares clx daies of pardoÌ„ with relaxations of the thyrde parte of their penaunce and of y e payne due for their sinnes Pope Alexander the fourthe to all the brethren sisterne of the aforesayd order that geueth some good portion of theyr goodes yerely to the brethren or Massengers of the said order or in their will and testament do geue and bequeth some honest portioÌ„ of substaunce
purgatorye is the Masse For when any soule appeareth to any maÌ„ to haue any helpe he desireth masses prayeth to haue masses songen for him Right as meate and drinke comforteth a maÌ„ when he is feble so the sacrament of y e altare coÌ„forteth y e soules y e masses bene done for It is written in Legenda aurea how a Byshop suspended a prieste bycause he coulde saye none other masse but of Requiem whiche he song euery day deuoutly after hys coÌ„ning Then on a day as the byshop went towards mattens it semed to hym y e dead bodies rose came about hym and sayd Thou haste sayd no masse for vs. And moreouer thou haste taken our priest awaye froÌ„ vs. Loke y t thys be amended or els God will in shorte tyme take vengeance on thee for our sake Then was y e byshop greatly afeard and anon he â—ad the priest syng masse of Requiem as he dyd tofore And so he dyd as ofte as he myghte Also we fynde y e fyshers set their nets in haruest and they tooke vp a great pece of Ise and y t was the coldeste Ise that euer they felte and it woulde not melte for the Sunne And so brought they y e Ise to y e Byshop For he had a great brennyng heate in his foote and it was the coldest y t euer he felte Then spake there a voyce to hym oute of the Ise and sayd I am a soule y e suffereth my penaunce here in thys Ise. For I haue no frendes y t will doe masses for me I shall be deliuered of my penance and y u shalt be whole of thy sickenesse if thou wilt say masse for me And he sayd he woulde sing for him and bad tell hym hys name And euer while he was at masse he layd the Ise vnder his foote and euer as he sayd masse the Ise melted away And so within a while y t Ise was molten and y e soule was deliuered froÌ„ pain and y e bishop was whole of hys sicknesse Then the soule appeared to him w t much ioy sayd With y e masses singing I am brought oute of payne into euerlasting blesse The like fables many diuerse are tolde of Gregorius Magnus of Petrus Cluniacensis of Iacobus de Voragine c. But y e author of y e booke entituled Sermones discipuli rehearseth ten maÌ„ner of things wherwith y e soules y t are in purgatorye maye be deliuered oute of their paynes The fyrst is the setting vp of candles at massetime before y e sacrament or before Images in y e honor prayse of God and of his Saintes The seconde is Sensyng of the Altare when Masse of Requiem is songen for the soules departed with thys inwarde desyre that God will deliuer y e soule from the stenche of purgatorie where it is now punyshed The thyrd is sprinckling of holy water vpon the Sepulchres or graues vpon y e bones of the dead And here must they desyre y t as the heate of thys present fyre is cooled by y e sprinckling of water so likewyse the heate of y e fire of purgatory may be tempered cooled for y e soule y t we praye for thorowe the deaw of the heauenly grace mercye The fourth is Prayer for the dead And here must we direct our praiers vnto saints in heauen for the soules y t are in purgatorye y t they may make intercession for theÌ„ vnto God for they may do much with God And for thys cause we send y e saints vnto y e heauenly king as massengers y t they may obtayne of that King indulgence pardon and fauour for those soules Therfore must we in thys behalfe deuoutly pray to s. Mary to S. Peter c. The fyft is oblations and offeryngs for y e soules departed y t they may be deliuered from the dets which they owe vnto God â–ª The sixt is fastings watchings afflictions knelings for y e soules departed as it is specifyed in the popes decrees Ieiunia viuentium sunt auxilia defunctorum The fasting of y t liuing ar y e helpes of the dead The seuenth is paying of y e dets of the dead This profiteth y e soules y t are in purgatorye beyond al measure For while y e dettes are vnpayd y e soules are greuously punyshed in purgatorye The eyght is offering vp of bread wine y t it may please God likewise to feede y e hungry soule and to geue drink to y e thirstye soule y t is in purgatorye Likewyse y e exercisyng of the works of mercy for the soules departed as in geuing meate to y e hungry drinke to the thirstye lodging to the harbourlesse clothes to the naked c. The nynth is when a man accomplisheth fulfilleth y e penaunce for the soules departed whiche y e soules themselues were bounde to do in this world when they were yet liuing For the more any man doth for them in thys world the lesse haue they to suffer in the paynes of purgatorye The tenth is the celebratioÌ„ of masses And thys is the greatest and most principall remedye and helpe that can bee deuised for the deliueraunce of soules out of Purgatorye For we reade y t a certayne soule was appoynted of God to ligh in Purgatorye xv yeares which notwithstandyng thorowe one Masse was deliuered oute of all those paynes For thys worde Missa whiche we in Englyshe call Masse is deriued a Mittendo y t is of sendyng For in the Masse grace is sente to a synner being in synne and to y e soules a playne deliueraunce from all payne Therefore sayth Austen y t there is no masse celebrated but y e two vertuous workes do concurre and ar brought to passe The one is a conuersion of a synner from his sinne The other is a deliueraunce of a soule out of purgatorye But some maÌ„ peraduenture wil here demaunde howe it commeth to passe y t the soules which are in purgatorye do knowe the suffrages which are here done for the I answere the Aungels which do here abide tary with vs do many times visite y e soules in purgatory declare vnto theÌ„ y e suffrages which we do for theÌ„ here so comfort theÌ„ O how ioyfull a thyng is this to them Serm. 41. de anim Besydes these remedies aforesaid against the troublous torments of painful purgatorye which the selye simple soules suffer for y e satisfaction of Gods iustice as the papists teach there is an other remedye which I of late founde in y e latter end of an old written boke And this is of so great vertue y t whosoeuer deuoutly practiseth it shal w tout doubte as it is there specifyed deliuer one soule out of purgatory at the least yea and that within .ix. dayes Probatum est Fyrst on the sonday cause a masse to be song or said in
y e worship of y e Trinity Set also .iii. candles burning before y e sacrament al y e masse tyme. Fede also three poore men or geue three almesses to the nedye Secondly on y e monday cause a masse to be song or sayde in y e worship of all Aungels Light also .ix. candles in the honoure of the â–ª ix orders of Aungells Fede .ix. pore meÌ„ or geue .ix. almosses Thirdly on y â— twesday cause a masse to be song or sayde in the honoure of S. Spirite and lighten .vii. candles in the worship of the .vii. giftes which he geueth Fede also .vii. poore men or geue .vii. almosses Fourthly on the Wednisday cause a masse to be song or said in the worship of S. Ihon Baptiste and of all the patriarches Light foure candles feede foure poore meÌ„ or geue foure almosses Fiftlye on the Thursdaye cause a Masse to be song or sayde of S. Peter and of the .xii. Apostles Lighten .xii. candles fede .xii. poore men or geue xii almosses Sixtly on the Fryday cause a masse to be song or sayd in the worship of S. Crosse. Lighten .v. candles Feede .v. poore men or geue v. almosses Seuenthly and finally on the Saterday cause a masse to be song or sayde in the honour of our lady and al virgines Lighten v. candles Fede .v. poore meÌ„ or geue v. almosses He y t thus doth truste to it verelye for he shall deliuer shortlye any soule that he will oute of purgatorye Ita est Probatum est Amen Fiat Fiat Iesu mercy Lady helpe Of Trentales for soules departed and howe they firste began THere was somtime at Rome a certaine Pope called Gregory whiche had a mother whome he loued aboue all thinges and chiefly for her goodnesse and vertue It chauÌ„ced thorow misfortune that the aforesaid womaÌ„ was big with child which for feare of her sonne shame of the people wheÌ„ the time of her labour drew nye killed the childe So like did she at an other time also no man knowing of it After ward â—t so chaunced that the aforesayd woman fell sicke and died The Pope and al the people did greatly reioyse of her for they thought her to be a good woman to be saued But afterwarde when the aforesayde Pope song masse he saw iust by him a certain darknesse so that it semed rather night than day and in the same darknesse he behelde a certayne moste miserable creature to whom he said O thou creature I coniure thee in Gods behalfe that thou declare vnto me what thou art She auÌ„swered O most derely beloued sonne I am thy Mother The Pope maruellyng greatlye at the matter sayd vnto her We hoped that thou haddest bene a good woman and placed in the kingdome of Heauen Howe commeth it to passe that thou art now in such payne She opened vnto him all thinges that she had done in this worlde and tolde him y t therfore she suffred such paynes y t the very flames of fyre came oute of the mouth of her The Pope being moued with sorowe and payne of his mother said vnto her O mine owne mother caÌ„ any thing in the world deliuer thee out of this paine She said If any maÌ„ would sing a trentall of masses for me I should be deliuered out of all my paines be saued He said What masses shoulde they be She aunswered Thre masses of y e Natiuity of our lord Thre masses of y e Epiphanie of our lord Three of the Purification of our Lady Thre of the AnnuÌ„ciation of our Lady Thre of the Resurrection of our Lord. Thre of the ascensioÌ„ of our Lord. Thre of Penthecost Three of the Trinitie Thre of the AssuÌ„ption of our Lady and thre of her Natiuitie so y t these masses be celebrated within y e Octaues of y e said feasts as on the first day with the same Kirie eleyson Gloria in excelsis Credo also the same SequeÌ„ce Preface with Communicantes Hane igitur Sanctus and Agnus as it is contained in y e Canon of the Masse also with these prayers folowyng so that the prayers that folowe be sayde with the collecte of the Feast vnder one Oremus and vnder one Per dominum There must also be sayde euery daye thorowout the yeare Placebo and Dirige with ix Psalmes and ix lessons and ix Anthemes excepte it be at the tyme of Easter when it shal be said dayly with thre lessons only The commeÌ„dation also must be sayd as often so that both at Placebo and at Dirige the first collect or prayer shall be Deus summaspes c. also at the commeÌ„dacioÌ„ Againe at the masse of the day y e aforesayd prayer shall be sayde of him that celebrateth the masse thorowout the whole yeare The Collecte shall be alwayes Deus summaspes The secretes Omnipotens sempiterne Deus The post CoÌ„munion Deus cuius misericordia c. If any man wil doe thus much for me quod she I shall be deliuered from my paine And y e sonne said that he would gladly do that for his mother And he commaunded her that she should come againe vnto him at the very same time the yeare folowing All these thynges that she desired were done When the time drewe nighe that y e Pope appointed of her returne the Pope hymselfe song masse and sawe a great light and in it two Aungels commyng downe and a most goodly faire and beautifull Lady betwene them He beyng afraide thought her to be the Queene of Heauen and fell downe at the feete of her â–ª saying O Regina coeli miserere animae matris meae O Queene of Heauen haue mercye on my mothers soule But she aunswered O my most deare sonne I am thy mother Blessed be the houre y t I bare thee For of suche one as thou didst se me in tymes paste hath God made me as thou nowe seest thorowe thy masses and prayers And all they for whom the aforesayd Masses shalbe longe shalbe lykewise saued euen as I am Ex missali manuscripto Anno domini 1354. Of the vertues of the Masse THe masse hath xii vertues as it is specified in a certaine booke called The signification of the Masse imprinted in the Englishe tounge by Robert Wier Cum priuilegio regali ad imprimendum solum The first vertue or frute of the masse is as some doctours do write y t a man doth merite more whiles that he doth beare masse deuoutly than if he should geue for gods sake as muche grounde and lande as he coulde passe go ouer y e space of y e same masse O what may be then deserue which doth heare euery daye .iii. or .iiii. masses And what doth he lese and what compte shall he make afore God at the daye of iudgement whiche hath not so greate businesse but that he may heare one masse at the least euery daye O what shall it greue you that ye haue lost so muche This ye shal