Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	catholic_n	communion_n	schismatic_n	2,982	5	12.0439	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42522	A brief explanation of several mysteries of the Holy Mass, and of the actions of the priest celebrating Very necessary for all Roman Catholics for the better understanding thereof. Together with certain reflections upon the Apostles Creed, touching the blessed Sacrament. And also, divers meditations and prayers both before, and after communion. By T. G. heretofore fellow of New-Colledge in Oxon, deceas'd.	Gawen, Thomas, ca. 1610-1684.	1686 (1686)	Wing G395AA; ESTC R220315	43,939	198

Seale of her Virginity piercing it only as the Sun-beams do the Christal How should it seem incredible that in the Sacrament it needs as little Locality Suffer'd under Pontius Pilate was Crucify'd Dead and Buried He that Lov'd Thee so dearly O my Soul that when he could have sav'd thee with shedding but one drop of his Blood only nay by the least of his Sufferings yet was so willing to expose all his Body to such Torments and Passion and to a most bitter Death too that thou mightest have Life Ah! He it is the very same He who that This life might be preserv'd and maintain'd in thee gives thee That Body to Nourish it too Or is this only so hard to be believ'd from his Love whilst every Mothers Love contents not it self to have brought forth an Infant partaking of the same substance with themselves unless with the same substance they proceed to Feed and Nourish it too The truth is After so many divers Shadows and Representations of that Passion of His wherewith his Servants were once sustain'd as the Paschal Lamb Manna and many others It had been a very lean and hungry Commemoration a cold Entertainment of it for his Children If to that purpose there had been set before them nothing but meer Bread and Wine He descended into Hell the third day He rose again from the Dead Again if he that would have Visited his Friends Descent lodg'd in the Bosom of Abraham many other ways yet had rather Descend in Person and visit them by the Real Presence of His Soul Why should it seem strange if in like manner tho' he could have found out infinite other means to Nourish Vs by yet he made choice of This as the most endearing most Admirable most Amorous even to give his Own Flesh to Us for Food If by his Raising It from the Dead Resurrection he hath quite freed His Body from those grosser Properties of Passibility or suffering violence of Weight of Thickness of Opacousness and the like so that with It he penetrated the Stone of his Sepulchre pass'd through Doors that were shut which could never be done but by causing two Bodies to be so in one place that the One should take up no room made it invisible Vnpalpable Imperceptible and to take up no place at all why can he not make It so in this Sacrament though never so excluded from Room or Sense since he hath affirm'd It to be there Why should we tie him still to the conditions of a mortal and Corruptible Body He Ascended into Heaven Sitteth on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty Can it seem strange to us that This Body of his should come into Our Bodies Really and substantially though supernaturally when as mounting lighter and swifter than any Bird Ascent beyond all the Laws of a Humane Body It soar'd above all the Spheres and sat It Self down at the right Hand of God his Eather far beyond the highest Heavens out of all Place and Where for what Superficies can environ That Body which is above all Bodies And then what hinders but that It may be present here too after the same manner without filling any Place or Vbi And from thence He shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead And so no longer confin'd to Place or Vbi His coming nor subject to Weightiness He shall appear at the last day with His Saints in the Air made Visible to all Men where-ever they are though to divers effects as Miraculously as he is now Invisible to them in the Sacrament And then shall He Judge as Guilty of His Body and Blood those that have participated of this precious and adorable Sacrament unworthily because they discern'd not the Body of their Lord. Of what kind of Meat was it ever said but this that He that eat It unworthily became Guilty of the Blood of Jesus Christ because it being Really the Body of Jesus Christ It makes them too really guilty of It who abuse It and discern it not No such severe Sentence is given about Manna or the Paschal Lamb though that in Eating Them Christ was to be Fed on too Spiritually and by Faith I Believe in the Holy Ghost As all that God has done heretofore he hath done it by Holy Ghost the Operation of the Holy Ghost so doth he now by the same Holy Ghost work these Supernatural Things which none but Faith conceives How shall this thing be said the Blessed Virgin since I know not Man The Angel Gabriel reply'd The Holy Ghost shall come upon Thee and the Power of the most High shall overshaddow Thee So now thou demandest the like How shall the Bread be made the Body of Josus Christ and I I answer then just so The Holy Ghost overshadows and works these things inneffably un-conceivably That Holy Ghost that dictated the Sacred Text would he have ever put in these words there so plain and punctual as are This is my Body were it not the true Body of our Lord would He not have added there some declaration of his meaning had it been other than what those words do bear in their principal and proper acception He that was sent to teach the Church all Truth would He have let it follow an Errrour and a Lye in an Article of such importance and so long together The Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints And in good earnest how could one call the Church Holy which is never but One H. Cath. Church in all times and places where and when it is if it did not maintain the Truth as well in this point as in others in all times in all places and amongst all Nations which it hath not done if the True Body of our Lord be not in the Sacrament Again Communion of Saints is there any more perfect Communion of Sts. than this whereby we are One Bread and One Body for as much as we are all partakers of the same One Bread that came down from Heaven living in It Self and also giving life And how can it be precisely understood that we should all Eat of One and the same Bread if this Bread were not the Body of Jesus Christ otherwise look how many places nay how many Persons so many Breads in strictness of speech there would be And if you understand it so that we Eat all One and the same Spiritual Food by Faith only what greater Communion hereby Saints Christians hath one Christian now with all other Christians than He hath done with those Jews of Old who Fed on Jesus Christ by Faith and consequently on One and the same Spiritual Food The forgiveness of Sins Lord thou hast said that Thy Body and thy Blood in this Sacrament was Given Broken and Shed for many for the Remission of Sins Ah neverlet it enter into my thoughts to Believe that any Other Blood was spilt any Other Body given for the Remission of my Sins than

Messias coming together with the Joy of Men and Angels immediatly upon It. This being the Hymne Sung at His Nativity Very properly therefore is This Angelical Hymne of Joy omitted upon days of Sadness and Penitence such as are days of Commemorations of the Dead and Ordinary Feria's which in going before Sunday the day of the Resurrection sitly shaddow out to us the Time of this Life to be a Time of Repentance and preparing our selves for that Great Lords-day at the General Resurrection And so this Hymn of Glory is Sung still on every Lords-day and the days of the Blessed Virgin and the other Saints now Regnant in the Glory of Christ their Lord. DEVOTION I Humbly Thank Thee my God! That thou hast been pleas'd to give Me my Being Now after thy Incarnation and Nativity Vnder the New-Law and In Thy Holy Church Thus separating me from so many Infidels so many Hereticks and Schismaticks as be without and if I be not Treacherous to my self from so many False Christians that Live even in the midst of It as if they had as little Faith as those I beseech Thee that As the Reflection upon this Transcendent Good is deservedly the Cause of so Great Joy and Jubilation common to All the Angels in Heaven and on Earth to All Men of good Will so It may ever Affect my Soul more sensible and more piercingly then All the Pleasures or then All the Pains that can befall It in this World Make me count it my chiefest Felicity to be One in the Number ber of those Men of Peace and Good-Will that the Angels Saluted and gave the Joy to at Thy Nativity Give me that Peace which the World cannot give and That Good Will which alone gives me back again to Thee There 's no good Good Will but in a True Love of Thee O give me That Dominus Vobiscum HEre the Priest turning about to the People and Blessing Them seems to Communicate to them the Benedictions of Christ Jesus now born in the Flesh for this very purpose to Bless Mankind And therefore his Blessing in particular is That God may continue amongst Vs Exprest in those very words which unfold That Name which the Scripture gives to Christ in order to his Incarnation that is Emanuel as much as to say A God with Vs But before he pronounceth This Blessing He Kisses the Altar as It were taking It in his Mouth first from Jesus Christ himself in whose stead stands the Altar as from whom being an in-exhaustible Spring open'd by God for our refreshment All manner of Blessings Favours and Graces are deriv'd upon Us. DEVOTION VOuchsaefe me the Grace to lead in this Blessed Time of the New-Law and in the Communion of thy Holy Church where thou art still Present with Vs after a special manner such a Life as may render me capable of all thy Blessings that thou mayst still Turn thy Face towards Me and lift up the Light of Thy Countenance upon Me to succour Me and to impart unto Me every day more and more of that Rich Treasure which thou hast provided for Me. V upon the Priest's turning back again and Praying Oratio HAving breath'd forth this Benediction over the People He turns him to Jesus Christ again 1. to the Altar to present to Him some Prayers as the time requires one or more for Confirmation of That Blessing and humbly to testifie his Dependance on him as not being any thing but his Instrument nor able to confer on others the least good but only by way of Humble Petition to his Divine Majesty DEVOTION ENable me to Pray without Ceasing as thy Scriptures Command me since in this Life thou bestowest Nothing upon Us for our good but by being Petition'd first Let me then still be putting up Requests unto Thee often Re-inforcing the Old and Multiplying as Thy Priest at the Altar does New upon every important occasion At the Reading the Epistle NExt is read The Epistle taken sometimes out of the New Testament Sometimes out of the Old This puts me in mind of that Notice which was all along given To the Jews of the Coming of their Messias first by the Prophets fore-told and then exhibited to them by St. John and the Apostles And for this reason I think 't is read on that Corner of the Altar which is on the Priest's Right-hand because the Jews were a Nation chiefly Belov'd of God and at first his chosen People to whom he entrusted his Oracles DEVOTION I Do not a little Wonder at Thy Constant and Vntyr'd Love to the Jews who were the Only People whom Thy Prophets were sent to Save to whom Thou thy Self cam'st and Preached'st the Gospel And though not the Only yet the First to whom Thy Apostles declar'd Thy Resurrection Thy Resurrection A point of such moment that to Represent It the more Lively The Priest who sustains the Person of Thee Risen throughout the Whole Mass even in the Act of Sacrificing and Oblation Celebrates all Standing O my God Permit not Me to Slight Thy Holy Word or to Undervalue its Preachers who come to Vs in Thy Name and on thy Errand As that Stiff-necked Hard-hearted and Rebellious People have rejected the Addresses of the Prophets and Apostles Thy Servants nay of Thy Son Christ Jesus himself Let not thy Holy Commands be a New Occasion and Aggravation of Sin to Me as to Them It was but Improve them to Me into True Gospel and Words of Salvation by Inspiriting me to do That which Thy Law injoyneth and not suffering my Sinful Inclinations to Quench this Spirit and Evacuate Thy Grace Gradual and Alleluja or Tractus Immediately after the Epistle read succeeds the Gradual with either Alleluja or the Tractus IF with the Alleluja I apprehend that thereby Priest and People joyn in Acclamations of Praise and Thanks to God as It were in lieu and Supplement for the Jews Ingratitude Infidelity and great neglect of the Gospel as if therefore by way of Reparation we would shew our selves the more zealous and by certain Degrees of Versicles and Benedictions raise our selves to be more Attentive to what they slighted Or if in the place of Alleluja a Tractus be annex'd which being a Mournful Ditty therefore appointed for days of Penitence and Sorrow and to be read more Gravely and drawn out more leasurely and Sadly We are admonish'd thereby to compose our selves to ask Pardon of God for Those Sins which we also no less than the Jews have committed in our Great Neglect of the Gospel and to look on our selves as partakers of their Guilt and to be Penitent for It. DEVOTION LEt Thy Goodness prevent me from such Jewish Ingratitude and more Now I have received from thee so many more and Greater Favours than They. As particularly The Light of the Gospel the Grace of Baptism and then a greater Portion of Thy Holy Spirit Confirming Me and Even Thine Own Body and Blood for Nourishment Be It the Business to

will be of no profit 2. And when the People Answer that They have their Hearts so Elevated and dispos'd and set upon God as he desires them to have 3. The Priest rests not therewith Content unless They make present Reflection upon This and Consider that it is not They themselves but God that hath rais'd their Hearts and drawn them towards Himself and therefore that they ought Instantly to make their Acknowledgement thereof by publick Thanks before they go any further 4. Gratias Agamus c. 5. To which they Reply that this is very fitting and just and so they proceed to do it by the Priest in publick and in private by their own particular Resentments moving their Hearts according to the Words which they hear from him For so now he begins here in a Louder Tone 6. To acknowledge the Mercies and Blessings that God showers down on Men at all Times and in all places and in particular those which at that very occasion the Churches Order recommends to be Commemorated 7. But then She by great Modesty Conscious to her self how mean a Thing Her Laudes and Praises are to be tender'd to Gods Supreme Majesty she makes haste to joyn her Self in this Action to her Lord and Spouse Jesus Christ and by Him to present her Praises and Thanks to the Father Offering up withall joyntly those Infinite and Eternal Benedictions that he uses to give him 8. And not t● omit any Hymnes of this Nature she endeavours to make one too in the Consort of Angels Cherubims and Seraphims that Magnify Adore and tremblingly Reverence through Jesus Christ The Majesty of God Hence It is that she joynes her self to Them under Him as under the common Patron of Men and Angels That so All together by their chief Head may Worship and Glorisie the Deity And therefore now useth she here upon Earth That very Ditty which the Scripture hath reveal'd to be us'd by the Angels in Heaven in their Honouring of God Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus 9. And to It adjoyns another Triumphantly Sung by Men of Jerusalem to Jesus Christ Benedictus qui venit c. Testifying hereby the Unity of Spirit moving Angels and Men to Praise the Divine Majesty for the Approach and Coming of his Son DEVOTION Raise up my Spirit at this Instant Great God far above all the things of this World to fasten It upon and make It Conceive both the Variety and Greatness of Thy Blessings especially those conferr'd upon us by Thy Son Jesus Christ his Assuming and Uniting our Nature into Himself I must needs acknowledge that my single Abilities are much too Weak to perform this as I ought and therefore cannot Thank and Praise Thee as I should Vouchsafe to permit and help Me to joyn the very best I have to those of the Choire of Angels above borrowing from and using with them those Transcendent Acclamations wherewith they Adore Thee to all Eternity that so I may begin to Honour Thee here on Earth as they do in Heaven and imping my Wings with Theirs mount not according to My feebleness but Their force Enrich me also with a Part of the Innocence and almost Angelical Purity of those Souls who Sung to Thee that Triumphant Jubilee at thy Entrance into this lower Jerusalem that so the Song that I would now take Thee with might be more perfectly made up of all its parts especially that Canterelle of Angels and This Base of Men. Why not prepare my Self in this Solemn manner To certainly the greatest Action upon Earth The Sacrificing of Thy Son By as much as I can procure The Holyest Hosanna 's and highest Ravishments of Spirit that Mortality can bear up with In this Elevation and Extasie such as 't is Thee I adore My Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at the Right Hand of Thy Father To Thee as High-Priest and prime Sacrificer I joyn this Wretch my Self though Infinite Infinitely unworthy to be not only in thy Company but here among the Angels and Blessed Saints now Assembled at this Sacrifice of a God O amaze me with that Confusion that belongs to me for not being such as I ought at this Solemnity For the Entrance into the Canon The Canon NExt succeeds the Canon of the Mass so term'd because 't is the Rule and Constant Order which the Church observes in the Celebration of this Sacrifice This is alone never to be alter'd as the other parts of the Mass are which use to be vary'd according to the diversity of several Mysteries and the Feasts by which they are Celebrated But this being the chief part becomes as the Sacrifice it self Immutable Te igitur c. ANd 't is considerable That it begins with an Address to the Father presenting to Him the Sacrifice as being the Prime Principle and Beginning not only of all Creatures but also of the Divine Persons in the Holy Trinity We Offer up this Sacrifice to Him by and through Jesus Christ His Son our Lord. That is By Jesus Christ as our Only Mediator taking part of the Father in being His Son and so God from all Eternity and taking part with Us in being made Man by his Humanity wherein He hath receiv'd the Power and Dominion over Heaven and Earth and always Offers up A Sacrifice to His Father as the only High-Priest to whom all other Priests here in the Church are but subservient Officers and Ministers Offering up the same with Him For That which the Son of God in Heaven and This which the Priest here below Offers however it differ in the manner is in Reality and Substance but One and the same Sacrifice And it is Offer'd here principally for the Whole Catholick Church in whose Name the Priest presents himself before God to do Homage For though this here and that Sacrifice there as 't is said differ not in the Substance of the Thing yet in the manner of Offering it does and accordingly this is offer'd but for the Church Only and all the Faithful within its Communion though the other of which This yet is Commemorative be for the whole World as the Scripture testifies DEVOTION O God the Father 1. I Here Worship and pay Homage to Thee as to the prime Principle of all Things both in Earth and Heaven too of all Sanctity in Men and Angels of all the Persons in the God-head of the whole Trinity and of all the Deity it self also as far as Thy Church taught by Thee can and doth though but Lispingly speak it It is to Thee I acknowledge in this quality of prime Principle that this Sacrifice is due and so to Thee is It Now Offer'd by Thy Church and by Thine own Son who is prime Priest as Thou art the prime Principle 2. I Worship Thee also as the chiefest and last End of all Creatures recurring and Ebbing into Thee as They flow'd from Thee 3. Vouchsafe me the Grace to Reflect upon Thee always after this manner as well by the Motions of my