of this life to be despised and contemned Confiteor tibi I will confesse vnto thee Where note that this word Confesse hath in holie Scripture sundrie significations Somtimes it is taken for an humble acknowledging of a mans offences before the maiestie of almightie God as in Mat. 11. Luc. 1. Somtimes for inuocation of his holie name as Psal 144. Somtimes for thanksgeuing for his benefits as psl 74. 29. And in this place it is taken for the laudes and praises which we desire to offer vp and rēder vnto him as also it is in the psalme 66. and many others places Worthelie therfore after the contemplation of that former ioy followeth next I will confesse vnto thee As if the soule should say that she much desireth and longeth to be there personallie to praise and reioyce in that ineffable beautie which now she doth contemplat a far off In cithara Deus Deus meus Vpon the harp ô God my God Rightly in this place is mention made of the prophets harpe for that as Dauid with this instrument did coniure the euill spirits of his father in-law Saule 1. Reg 16. euen so this heauenlie harpe of the Catholique church which is this holie Sacrifice doth speciallie terrifie and put to flight all malignant infernal spirits Quare tristis es anima mea Why art thou sad o my soule This rhetorical apostrophe the prophet maketh to his owne soule the part inferiour to the part superour For because in this life the bodie can not be free from temptation the spirit though fighting against the flesh remayneth heauie And all such so fighting our Lord vouchsafed to represent in him selfe when he sayed My soule is heauie vnto death Mat. 26. Et quare conturbas me And why dost thou trouble me This is the difference and disparitie betwixt the good and the bad For the soules of the good doe afflict and trouble their bodies to wit by prayer fasting and other austerities and contrarie wise the bodies of the wicked doe trouble their soules to wit by vnlawfull desires sinfull concupiscence infinit other disordinat appetits Spera in Deo Trust in God Why art thou sad o my soule and why doost thou trouble me Is it for the greatnes and multitude of thy sinnes Trust in God abissus abissum inuocat one bottomles depth caleth vp another the botomles depth of thy miserie vpon the bottomles depth of Gods infinite mercie Is it because thou canst not shunne all sinne whatsoeuer Trust in God who knoweth thy weaknes better then thy selfe and to thy comfort hath saied that the iust man faleth seauen times a day Pro. 24. Quoniam adhuc confitebor illi Because I will yet confesse vnto him Yet that is vntil I come to perfect saluation and to that perfect glorificatiō where the iust shal shine like the sunne in the kingdome of theire Father Yea as holie Iob saieth althoughe he should kill me yet wil I hope in him Salutare vultus mei The sauing health of my countenance And why the health of my countenance Because the hart being wounded with sinne maketh the countenance sad and mornefull but he healing my hart from the woundes both of sinne and sorrowe shall make mirth and gladnes to shine in my face and therfore I wil call him the health of my countenance Et Deus meus And my God In which wordes he sheweth the reason of his former confidence hope in him to wit because he is our God For naturallie euery woorkman doth loue his woork and therfore there can be no dout but that the creator doth loue his creature and especiallie almightie God Man whom he hath made to his owne likenes Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui sancto Sicut erat c. Glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost As it was c. Vpon the former consideration of many secret mysteries of our creation saluation and redemption and of manie other especiall benefits receaued from the bountifull hand of almightie God we doe here pronounce a short but most singular Canticle in the honor and homage of all the blessed Trinitie in which the high maiestie of all the three parsons the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost is vniformelie lauded praised glorified and adored Introibo ad Altare Dei I will enter in to the Altar of God These three repetitions of the Introibo may signifie the feruent desires of three sortes of people for the coming and entrance of Christ into the world First of those in the law of nature Secondly of those in the lawe written And thirdly of those in the begining or entrance of the law of grace as of holie Simeon who receaued an answere that he should not dye til first he had seene the Sauiour of the world Ad Deum quiletificat iuuentutem meam To God who maketh ioyful my youth Likewise the threefould repetition of this letificat may signifie vnto vs three wonderfull ioyes concerning the comming of our Lorde into the worlde The 1. the ioye of his Anuntiation which the Angell of God announced before hand to the virgin Marie The 2 the ioye of his Incarnation when he him selfe hir consent first giuen therto forthwith entred into hir womb The 3. ioy the ioy of his Natiuity when issuing out of his mothers wombe he was corporallie borne into the world Which ioy was so surpassing greate that it resounded at once in to heauen earth Limbo patrum or part of hell In heauen it reioyced the holie Angels in earth it reioyced all sorowfull sinners and in Limbo it wonderfullie reioyced the holie fathers Adiutoriū nostrum in nomine Domini Our helpe is in the name of our Lord. The priest vndertaking this holie mysterie and no way confiding in his owne forces but in the help and asistance of almightie God saieth Our helpe is in the name of our Lord. For without his helpe though he had the helpe both of men and Angells neuer were he able to bringe to passe this vnspeakable worke Qui fecit coelum et terram Who made heaven and earth The people also vnderstandinge the greatnesse of this worke which the priest vndertaketh farre surmounting all human reason to imprint in them selues a stedfast beliefe of so sublime a mystery confirme their faithes heerein by an other moste miraculous woorke of almightie God to witte the creation of heauen and earth meerelie of nothing by his only omnipotēt and almightie powre as the psalmist testifieth sayinge Ipse dixit facta sunt Psal 148. Hee spake the worde and they were made To conclude Pope Celestinus according to some authors was the first who instituted the singing of this psalme in Antieme wise as now we recite it before the begining of the Masse Of the Confiteor And how the same is a protestation that we are all sinners THis Confiteor is a protestation which we make before God that we are all sinners and that before the priest
all order of iustice and let loose the bridle to the popular insolencie was him selfe ouerwhelmed with so many miseries that in punishment of this wicked fact he killed him selfe with his owne hands much after the example of the traitor Iudas who hanged him selfe for hauing betrayed his innocent master Euseb Eccles hist lib. 2. cap. 2 Passus Suffered In this his sufferinge is comprehended all that which he endured to accompish the mysterie of our redemption vnto his death whereunto he offered him selfe voluntarilie and of his owne accord to satisfie the diuine iustce and irreuocable decree of his eternall Father which could not otherwise be accomplished but that the innocent must dye for the nocent the obedient for the disobedient Et sepultus est And was buried Expresse mētion is heere made of his buriall for an infallible argument and proofe of his passion Which some with that execrable hereticke Basilides did denye maintayning that he came into the world in à phantasie and that it was not he that was crucified but one named Simion and that therefore he was not to be adored As is testified by Tertulian de praescrip aduers heret Et resurrexit And he rose agayne By this Article is declared the glorious mysterie of our Lords resurrection which poinct is so necessarie that all our fayth were otherwise meerelie in vayne as testifieth the Apostle 1. These 4. Neyther is there any one thing which may more comfort and confirme our hope then to beleeue that our head is risen for our Iustification as he was dead for our transgression No resurrection of any person whatsoeuer is to be compared to his he being raysed by his owne proper power without any ayde or asistance of others We reade amongst other examples of holie Scripture 4. Reg. 13. that the bodie of him who was cast into the Sepulcher of Helias was raysed to lyfe but this came to passe by touching the bones of the holie prophett for whose sake God restored life to that dead man and not by the proper force of him that was deceased This therfore was only reserued to our Lord Iesus Christ to returne from death to life by the only power vertu of him selfe Tertia die The third day To the end we may beleeue that this his death was true and not fayned he was not refuscitated incontinentlye but remayned truly dead vntill the third day after which was a time more then sufficient to make assured proofe and to remoue away all dout ambiguity of the truth of his death Yet was he not in his sepulchre the space of three whole and compleate dayes but one day only entire part of the day precedent and part of the day subsequent which by the figure Synecdoche are called three dayes three nightes Secundum Scripturas According to the Scriptures This clause was necessarilye annexed by the Fathers of the Church for as much as at the beginning it was verie harde especially for men of grosse capacitie and as yet not thoroughly instructed in the Christian faith to comprehend so great a mystery as is the resurrectiō of the dead which far surpassed the lawes of nature and therefore this was added as an infallible argument why we oughte to beleeue the same Et ascendit ad coelum And he ascended to heauen Where the questtion may be demanded how he ascended vp to heauen True it is that as God he neuer was absent from thence but alwayes filled it and all other places with his diuinitie but as man he mounted thither in body and soule leading with him captiuitie captiue as the Apostle saith which he placed and set in liberty by his excellent victorie ouer death the diuell and hell it selfe Ephes 4. Sedet ad dextram Patris He siteth at the right hand of the Father In which wordes the holy scripture doth accomodate it selfe to our weake vnderstanding vsing a metaphoricall speech or locution to instruct vs that Iesus Christ hath receaued of God his Father all honor and aduancement of glorie in his humanitie euē as we esteeme here amongst men the greatest honor to be done vnto those to whom we giue the vpper hand And it was moste expedient that hee should be most highly exalted who had soe greatly depressed and humbled him selfe as to indure so manifould diffamations opprobries and iniurious intreatments for our sakes Et iterum venturus est And he is to come againe Hauing made mention of our Sauiours first comming into the world to repaire the fall and ruine of man his second coming is next proposed wherin he shall sit in iudgment and manifestlye declare to all the worlde both his powre and iustice rendring to euery one according to his deserts And as his first cominge was in great meeknes so on the contrarie shall his second comming be in great maiestie and glorie Iudicare viuos et mortuos To iudg both the quick and the dead That is to say the good the bad the one to blisse and perpetuall ioye the other to woe and euerlasting paine Wherein they shall both the one and the other perpetuallie abide so longe as God shall be God without intermission of ioy or paine Cuius regni non erit finis Of whose kingdome there shall be no end This is the kingdome which as Daniel declared to Nabuchodonosor and Balthasar kinges of Babilon should neuer haue end Dan. 2.7 This is that kingdome which the Angell fortould to the virgin Marie should euer endure Luc 1. This is that kingdome prepared for the blessed from the begining of the worlde as testifieth S. Mat. 25. This is that kingdom into the which the good theefe acknowledging his misdeeds desired to enter Luc. 23. This is that kingdom wherof none can haue part vnles he be borne anew and be without al blemishe and spot of sinne Ioh 3. This is that kingdom which is celestial and heauenlie not terrene and worldlie as our Sauiour shewed vnto Pilat when he had suspition that he would make some attempt against the estate and Romane Empire Ioh. 18. Finallie of this kingdom there shall be no end for as much as then al thinges shal be perpetuallie established and shal neuer be afterwards chaunged againe Et in Spiritum sanctum And I beleeue in the Holie Ghost By the name of holie Ghost is expressed the third person of the B. Trinitie who is also caled by diuers other names as Paraclet Gift of God liuelie Fountaine Fire Charitie spiritual Vnction the finger of the right hand of God his promise c. ex hymno veni creator spiritus He is caled Paraclet which signifieth a defender an aduocate a Patron an Intercessor a Teacher and a Comforter He is caled the Gift of God for that he doth communicate and impart freelie to euerie one as he pleaseth his gifts and graces He is called A liuelie fountaine for that he is the source and springe of all diuine and celestial graces which neuer drieth He is called Fyre
carnall father and companie of fishers They were so greatlie beloued of our Lord that their mother douted not to require seates for them on ether side of him in his kingdome He tooke them with him for witnesses of his glorious transfiguration Also at the raysing of the daughter of the prince of the Sinagouge Iairus for proofe of the inward loue which he bore vnto them He was put to the death of the sworde by Herod in the time of the Emperor Claudius He was the first of the Apostles who exposed his life for the loue and faith of his master Christ Our Lady and all the Apostles were present at his martyrdome Ioannis S. Iohn Iesus Christ did most dearlie loue for this respect he was called his Euāgelist He was sent with S Peter to prepare the Passouer He onlie leaned vpon the breast of our Sauiour at his last supper from whence he sucked those diuine mysteries which he hath left written vnto vs. At the point of the death of Iesus Christ he recommended vnto him his mother for an assured argument of his confidence and amitie After his resurrection he ran the first of the Apostles to enioy the fight of him His martyrdome was to be put into a vessel of hoat oyle but by the prouidēce of God it could not hurt him Hauing religiously preached the gospell in the lesser Asia he entred at the age of 99. yeares into a sepulcher which he was accustomed to frequent and was neuer since seene in earth Thomae This Thomas was also called Dydimus which is interpreted doutfull because he douted of our Lords resurrection vntil he first had touched his woundes and therby hath taken from vs all woundes and doutfulnes of infidellitie in such sort that since then the groundes of the Resurrection were layd in him He preached to the Parthians Meedes Perses Hircans Brachmans and Indes After he had well deserued of Christendom he was thrust thorough the side His memorie is yet very much reuerenced in the Indes not onlie of the Christians which dwell there but of the Iewes Mahumetans and Paynimns as is declared in the historie of the conquest of the east Indes written by the Bishop of Sylues li. 3. Iacobi To wit the Lesse who was called the brother of our Lord. He was held for iust from his mothers wombe because of his excellent vertue He did neuer eare flesh drinke wine nor euer clothed him selfe with cloth drest or shorne Moreouer he was so assiduous in prayer that he had his knees as hard as a Camels He asisted at the first Coūcel held by the Apostles The Iewes angry at his innocent life for hatred cast him downe from the top of the temple He had his head cleft with a Fullers booke The citie of Ierusalem being sackt by Titus Vespasian this heauie disastre was imputed by some to the cruell and inhuman massacre committed vpon the person of this blessed Apostle Phillipi S. Phillip receaued expresse commandement from Iesus Christ to follow him wherin the blessed Apostle promptlie obeyed He also brought Nathaniel with him to see our Lord of whom he was presently acknowledged for the Sonne of God kinge of Israell He instantly besought him to shew him his Father Of him our Sauiour asked the fiue loaues wherwith he miraculously fed so many thousandes of people in the desert He preached in Samaria and after in Heropolis of Phrigia which he cleansed and purged from the worship of Idols yea of the impure and venemous viper there reserued In the end the vulgar people rose vp against him hunge him on a piller but after acknowledging him honored him with a goodlie sepulcher and embraced with vnspeakeable feruour the faith and religion which he had preachead Bartholomaei Who onlie amongst the Apostles is said to haue bin of noble birth and a philosopher He preached to the Indians the Gospell of Christ which he tourned into the vulgar tongue as it was written by S. Mathew He passed vnto the great Armenia and there conuerted the king his wife and twelue cities to the true worship of almightie God VVhere vpon the brother of the kinge being enraged against him caused him cruellie to be fleane a liue in contempt of Christianitie at the instigation of those which adored the Idols Mathaei S. Mathew called to follow Iesus Christ was a rich man Of a common publican he was made an Apostle And of a receiuer of custome a distributer of spirituall treasures The Indians and Ethiopians were by him and by his prayers conuerted with their kinge and his wife vnto the faith by reason of the miraculous raising of their daughter from death to life Hirtacus displeased that by the Apostles aduise she had vowed vnto God perpetuall virginitie made him passe by the point of the sworde as he was celebrating at the Aultar He wrote the Gospell preached by him in the Hebrew tongue wherof the text written by the hand of S. Barnabe was found vpon his brest at the inuention of his body buried in Cypres Simonis S. Simon was the brother of S. Iames the Lesse The zeale of this Saint was verie great by which hauing carefullie planted the word of God in Egipt Cyrene Afrique Maritaine and all Libia he was put to death in the raigne of the Emperor Traian at the age of fourscore yeares vnder pretence that he was a Christian and of the yssue of the royall lyne of Dauid Euery one maruelled to see a spirit so stoute resolute and coragious in a body so crasie feeble and decrpid by age Et Thadaei S. Thadeus called Iudas was the third brother of Iames the Lesse and of Simon Thadeus is interpreted houlding and this Thadeus most firmlie and constantlie held the faith of Christ He wrote most sharplie against the corrupters of the truth as his Catholique epistle doth very well testifie He animated the faithfull to constancie in the faith once receaued by fearfull examples of the relapsed Angells and commemoration of the future iudgment He announced to Mesopotamia and the adiacent contries the worde of God by the sweetnes wherof he mollified and made tractable the mindes and spirits of the people otherwise fearfullie barbarous feirce and wilde Lini To these twelue Apostles are added the number of twelue glorious Martyrs who in the begining of the Church offered them selues to God liuing hostes shed their bloodes for the Confession of the name and faith of Iesus In the first place is named S. Linus who was the first Pope after S. Peter in the gouerment of the Church of God In which seate he sate vntill his passion Hauing indured sundry kindes of torments for the loue of Christ he rendred vp his holie soule vnto his Sauiour Cleti S. Cletus succeeded Linus in the popedom And albeit the desire to be a Bishop is a thing right laudable not withstanding S. Cletus could not be wonne to accept of the bishoppricke of Rome but by the perswasion of S. Clement deputed by S.
number of thyne elect or blessed To wit thorough him who for our sakes was numbred amongst the wicked Per Christum Dominum nostrum Amen This prayer is concluded through Christ our Lord to the which saith Albertus none doe answere Amen but only the Priest the B. Angells who are present in this ministerie Quam oblationem tu Deus HERE begineth the principall part of all the holie Canō which is the Cōsecratiō where the priest insisteth and beseecheth almightie God that the creatures of bread and wine requisite to the confection of the holie Eucharist may be sanctified and blessed yea changed and conuerted into the pretious body blood of our Sauiour Iesus This part of the Canon is cited by S. Ambrose aboue 1200. yeares agone l. 4 de Sacram. cap. 5. In omnibus quesumus Which wordes In omnibus in all may be diuerslie vnderstood and first thus In all to wit thou ô God being in all creatures and natures without definition in all places without circumscription and in all times without alteration blesse we beseeche thee this oblation Or In all to wit make this obla-blessed in all wayes in all maners and in all circumstances Or In all that is to say vouchsafe to make it blessed aboue all hostes by transferring it into that Host which is blessed aboue all Hostes Or In all to wit blessed in all degrees both cleargie and laytie both in the priest and the people Or In all to wit in all our vnderstandinges in all our powers in all our thoughtes and in all our intentions Bene ✠dictam The priest in this word prayeth that the oblation made in the begning of giftes not blessed God would make blessed to wit by that misticall benedictiō wher with of bread it may be changed into the bodie of Christ the cause of all benediction Or blessed to wit with glorie that it may be made glorious blessed with imortallitie that it may be made immortall Blessed with incorruption that it may be made incorruptible Blessed with diuinitie that it may be deified Adsrip ✠tam. Not finite And in this sence he craueth that his oblation which before Consecratiō is circumscriptible and finite God would make incircumscriptible and infinit For as much as in this most holie Sacrament Christ is incircumscriptiblie as the diuines doe teache and the Catholique Church doth hould Ra ✠tam. We call that ratified which we account for certaine fix and firme Let it therfore be made firme or ratified that is let it not remayne instable and subiect to be altered or changed by corruption Ratio ✠nabilem The blood of Bulbcks and of Calues being vnreasonable creatures was sufficient to purge man from sinne they being much inferior and lesser then man For a reasonable man therfore a reasonable host is requisit to wit Christ that we may offer a true man for men and that so for mans sake God may be propitious and mercifull vnto men Accepta ✠bilemque facere digneris That can not be but acceptable which hath receued the three former species of all sortes of benediction God can not hate God but because God is charitie God loueth God and the host which is God is acceptable to God Why then pray we that to be made acceptable which no way can displease Because though it is acceptable for it selfe yet we may displease in respect of our selues Others againe haue interpreted these wordes in another sence as thus That God would vouchsafe to make our oblation Benedictam blessed whereby all that participat thereof ar made blessed Adsriptam Writtten by the which we are written in the booke of eternall life Ratam Ratified by the which we are incorporated in the bowells of Christ Rationabilem reasonable not vnreasonable by the which we are made cleane from all vncleane and beastlie desires Acceptabilemque and acceptable wherby we who haue displeased him may be made acceptable vnto him in his onlie Sonne Vt nobis That to vs. That is to our health and profit Or to vs for whom he deliuered his bodie to death that he might giue vs the same body in foode to euerlasting life Againe aptlie sayeth he To vs that is to vs worshippers of the Catholike faith to vs communicating to vs worshiping the memorie of the Saints To vs excludeth Pagans Iewes Heretiques and all sorts of Infidels Corpus sanguis The wordes aforegoing were darke obscure and hard to vnderstand but now the gate is opened al is made manifest to wit that there be made to vs the bodie blood of Iesus Christ which onlie is an host in all and aboue all blessed adscript ratified reasonable and acceptable Fiat And worthelie in this place is the word Fiat added because now there is required the same almightie power in this conuersion which was in the incarnation of the almighty Word and in the creation of all the world For God said whē he was to create the world Fiat lux And our Ladie said to the Angell when Christ our Lord was to be incarnat Fiat mihi And the priest therfore in this place Fiat corpus Againe he saith Fiat by way of deprecation to denote that the priest by his owne naturall abilitie cannot worke that supernaturall conuersion And therfore he saith not in his owne person Facio I make but Fiat let be made to wit by the omnipotent power of almightie God Dilectissimi Filij tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi That of the substance of bread and wine which are offered vnto thee may be made by diuine and miraculous transubstantiation the body and blood of thy best beloued Sonne The substance of bread to be conuerted into his blessed body and the substance of wine into his pretious blood Of the fiues Crosses which are made at the prolation of the fiue wordes aforesaid and what the same doe signifie The 1. Reason You are here to vnderstand that there is no ceremonie in all the Catholique Church more proper to represent the mysteries of the death and passion of our Lord then is the signe of the holie Crosse Where it is further to be noted that commonlie the order and number of Crosses which are made vpon the Sacrifice doe represent the order and number of the mysteries of his blessed passion Wherfore if you consider how our Lord and Sauiour was sould for monie you shall see in this sale sundrie persons and sundrie practises You haue the Priestes Scribes and Pharises who were the buyers You haue Iudas who onlie was the seller And you haue our Lord who onlie was sould The three first Crosses therfore signifie the Priestes Scribes and Pharises who bought him The fourth Iudas who sould him And the fift our Lord who was sould by him The 2. Reason Againe some of our Doctors haue marked the very maner of making these Crosses and say that the first three are made together vpon the whole oblation to signifie that the Priestes Scribes and Pharises conspired altogether with one intention
haue his mercifull helpe and asistance here vnto without the which we doe confesse that we cannot as we ought ether beginne continue or end nor euer obtaine the thinge which we desire Et a pecctao simus semper liberi The thinge wherunto we principally require the ayde of his mercie is to be freed frō our sinnes because sinne hath this propertie that it allwayes bringeth three euills with it The first is it maketh vs of free men bond men for as our Sauiour saith he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne Secōdlie it alienateth vs from Gods holy grace Thirdly it iustly wroketh his wrath against vs. And hence it is that S. Bernard saith that so so long as in any creature there is power to sinne it is secure in no place nether in heauen nor in paradise nor in the world For in heauen fell the Angells euen in Gods presence In paradise fell Adam from the place of pleasure in the world fell Iudas from the schoole of our Sauiour Et ab omni perturbatione securi Next to be secure from the perturbations tumultes and troubles of the world because from thence proceedeth the matter of sinne and hinderance that when we approach to this most holy Communion we come not in such puritie as is fit and requisite Of sundrie ceremonies performed by the priest in this part of the Masse The 1. Ceremonie and his signication First he putteth the Paten vnder the Host which as we said before by this roundnes representeth Charitie The Host therfore layed vpon the Paten to be broken and diuided signifieth that Christ of his loue and Charitie exposed his body to suffer death for our redemption The 2. Ceremonie and his signification Next he vncouereth the Chalice By the Chalice is signified the sepulcher And the vncouering of the same is done to signifie how the Angel of our Lord remoued away the stone from the doore of the sepulcher The 3. Ceremonie and his signification After this he deuideth or breaketh the Host into two partes which signifieth the separation of the holie soule of our Lord and Sauiour from his blessed bodie the one descending into hell and the other remayning in the Sepulcher Wherof Innocentius tertius yealdeth another reason saying that therfore the Priest breaketh the Host that in the breaking of bread we may knowe our Lord as the two disciples knew him in breaking of bread to whom he appeared the day of his resurrection as they went to Emaus Per eumdem Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum In diuiding the Hoste he saith Per eumdem Dominum nostrum To wit vnto whom all power is giuen both in heauen earth Iesum Sauiour for he commeth to saue his people from their sinnes Christum Anointed aboue all his fellowes with the oyle of gladnes Filium tuum Naturall and onlie begotten These wordes ended the part of the Host which he houldeth in his right hād he layeth vpon the paten and from the part in his left hand he breaketh of another litle particle and so the Host is deuided into three partes The host thus deuided into three seuerall partes representeth vnto vs the state of the Church in three seuerall places The part held in the right hand which is no more deuided but remayneth entyre representeth the Church triumphant signified by the right hand which hath passed ouer all hir troubles and hath now no more to suffer The other which is helde in the left hand and is againe deuided doth signifie the estate of the Church militant vnderstood by the left hand part wherof remayneth in this life and part in Purgatorie both which are subiect yet to suffer This part held in the left hand is next conioyned to that which lieth vpon the paten and was before helde in the right hand to signifie that those which are in purgatorie shall infallibly after a while haue their part and fruition in glorie and be conioyned with the Church triumphant The part subdiuided from the second held in the right hād put into the Chalice signifieth those which yet remayne in this present life who by doing penaunce for their sinnes may obtaine mercie and remission thorough the merits of Christ before their departure and therfore the part which representeth them is not laid with the other but is put into the sacred blood contained in the Chalice And let it here be noted that this third part of the holy Host is held ouer the Chalice with two fingars to wit with the thumbe which is interpreted Force and vertu and with the second named by the Latins Index interpreted discretion of vnderstanding To declare that this diuine mysterie ought to be considered with force of Faith and with discretion of vnderstanding Qui tecum viuit regnat in vnitate spiritus Sancti Deus In the subdiuision of the second part as aforesaid he saith Qui tecum viuit incessantly in all eternitie Et regnat with all power and maiesty In vnitate in essentiall identitie of the Holy Ghost Spiritus Sancti Deus The third person the Holie Trinitie Per omnia secula seculorum Hauing by sundrie deuout ceremonies set before vs the death and passion of our blessed Sauiour he beginneth now not onlie by signes but also by wordes to set before vs the ioy of his resurrection for which cause he lifteth vp his voice saying Per omnia secula se culorum And the people answere Amen The Priest doth therfore eleuate his voice in this place not only to haue the consent of the people but also to represent the gladnes which the Apostles and Disciples had when they vnderstood the ioyfull newes of the resurrection For as they were in great feare and sorrowe to see their Lord and master in the handes of his enimies and afterwards to suffer his death so were they filled with greate ioy when they saw him restored againe to life Gauisi sunt Discipuli viso Domino The Disciples reioyced hauing seene our Lord. Amen The people answere by this Hebrwe word that they doe firmelie and stedfastlie so beleeue Pax ✠Dominisit ✠semper vobis ✠cum To shew this more euidently the Priest saluteth the people with the same woordes wherwith our Lord saluted his Apostles at his resurrection saying Pax vobis Now ther are three sortes of peace right necessarie for vs to wit spirituall temporall and eternall and according hereunto the Priest maketh the signe of the Crosse three times in pronouncing the wordes aforesaid The spirituall peace is the repose and tranquilitie of conscience which is obtained by the meanes of a virtuous and innocent life The temporall peace is that it would please almightie God so to blesse vs and our labours that we may eate our bread in peace and quietnes that is to preserue vs and all ours from warres misfortunes sicknesses sutes wrongfull molestations detractions diffamations all other sortes of troubles and vexations The peace which is eternall is the chiefe and principall
liuing God naturall consubstantiall and coeternall Qui ex voluntate Patris Who by the will of the Father most liberal bountifull and most mercifull sending thee in the fulnes of time vnto vs for our redemption Cooperante spiritu Sancto The Holy Ghost cooperating who as he hath with thee and the Father one essence so both in will and worke is vnseperable and vndeuided Per mortem To wit the most bitter painfull and opprobrious death of the Crosse which thou patientlie induring didst thereby make thy selfe obedient to the will of thy Father Tuam Thyne to wit put in thyne owne power because thou hadst powre to lay downe thy life and power to take it againe Mundum viuificasti Hast giuen spirituall life to the worlde for thou art the true bread which camest downe from heauen to giue life to the world all the whole world for one onlie sinne being depriued of life Libera me Deliuer me offering this sacrifice as also all other faithful people for whom it is offred that we may be in perfect libertie from all sinne Per hoc sacrosanctum corpus sanguinem tuum Holie aboue all holies holy because it was made in the wombe of the most holie virgin by that high artificer the holie Ghost and holie because it was vnited to the holie word Ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis That is frō all my sinnes wherwith I haue defiled and polluted my soule made after the image of the holie Trinitie Et vniuersis malis To wit ether of body or soule present or future and to be endured ether in this life or in the life to come Et fac me And make me who of my selfe am not able to doe any good deede nor yet so much as to thinke any one good thought vnlesse I be assisted and enabled by thee Tuis semper inherere mandatis Allwayes that is to say that at no time I transgresse thy holy commandements Or alwayes that is that I obey and fulfill them al least offending in one I be made as the Appostle saith guiltie of all Et a te nunquam seperari permittas To wit nether in this worlde by sinne nether in the worlde to come by that horrible sentence to be pronounced against the reprobate Depart yee cursed into euerlasting fire Qui. Who by thy diuine essence Cum eodem Deo Patre Of whom all paternitie both in heauen and earth is denominated Et cum Spiritu Sancto The knot and bond of charitie both of the Father and the Sonne Viuis For as much as one is the life diuinity essēce of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost Et regnas Both in heauen and in earth as absolute Lord ouer all the inhabitants both in the one and in the other Deus True naturall and vndeuided In secula seculorum Amen Infalliblie immutablie and eternallie without all end Amen Perceptio corporis tui The receiuing of thy bodie which verelie and trulie lyeth hid and veyled vnder this diuine and dreadfull Sacrament Domine Iesu Christe O Lord Iesu Christ O Lord who hast created me O Iesu who hast redeemed me O Christ who shalt iudge me Quod ego indignus Vnworthie for my manifould and sundrie sinnes committed Vnworthie for my great defect and want of feruour and deuotion Sumere praesumo Not confiding in myne owne iustice but in thy great benignitie mercie and bountie Which hast promised not to quench smoking flax nor to breake a sunder a brused reede Non mihi proueniat in iudicium condemnationem Which the Apostle threatneth vnto all those who approache vnworthely to the same because they discerne not our Lordes bodie to the end that none which are dead doe presume to take the meate of life Sed pro tua pietate By the which thorough thy onlie goodnes thou hast exalted me to the state of priesthood hitherto hast patientlie borne with my offences and mercifullie expected my repentance Profit mihi ad tutamentum mentis That so it preserue me for time to come that I neuer consent in minde to sinne not any way offend thy gratious presence within my soule Et corporis That nether by the way of my bodie or gates of my senses I euer admit death into my soule nor make the members of my body consecrated vnto thee weapons of sinne to procure the death of soule and bodie Et ad medelam percipiendam Qui viuis regnas c. To the receiuing of medecine to wit of thee who art the true phisitian both of soule and body and onlie canst cure the diseases both of the one and the other Panem coelestem accipiam Then hauing adored he riseth vp to take the healthsome Host saying I will receaue c. To wit I a poore pilgrime in this world will receaue the viaticum and food of this frayle life in the strenght whereof I will walke to the mount of God I sick will receaue the celestiall bread which fortifieth corroborateth the hart of man I hungrie and starued will receaue the bread which who so tasteth shall neuer hunger more I disqueited and anxious wil receaue the bread which establisheth the hart and calmeth the stormes of a troubled conscience I feeble and lame will receaue the bread being inuited of that great kinge vnto the supper whereunto all the feeble and lame were brought in I sinfull and vncleane will receaue the bread which onlie can make cleane that which was conceiued of vncleane seede and of stones can raise vp sonnes to Abraham The celestiall bread not made of the graine of the earth but of the virgins blood The celestiall bread which refresheth the Angells with beatitude The celestiall bread which descendeth from aboue to nourish the hartes of his poore ones aspiring and sighinge after the celestiall ioyes The celestiall bread which changeth the receauer though a sinner into a celestiall creature and a Saint Et nomen Domini inuocabo That is will inuoke or call the name of our Lord vpon my selfe and by the meanes of this celestiall bread will sup with Christ that he may shew mercie vnto me now inhabiting in heauen as he did vnto them that supped with him on earth Or I will call vpon the name of our Lord that he may call me a sinner vnto him place me amongst the number of his elect and for euer reconcile me vnto his Father What the Priest doth before receiuing of the host This done the Priest a litle inclininge his bodie and vniting all his cogitations as much as is possible doth deuoutlie recollect him selfe and directeth not only the corporall eies of his bodie to the outward species formes of the Sacrament but much more the inward eies of his faith to our Lord Iesus Christ trulie contayned vnder those visible formes whom with all reuerence feare deuotion charitie affection of mind and soule he is to receiue Domine The Priest therfore being readie to receiue and harbour with in his soule this sacred Host first sayth Domine
not the thousand part of the mallitious dealings of heretiks against the Masse and of the most remarkable iudgments of Almightie God against them for their horrible abuses of the same O immortall God what is there in all this diuine and dreadfull misterie which may moue any reasonable man to such height of mallice furie mischeif and manifest madnesse Doth the sacred Psalmes of thy seruant Dauid for from them the Masse doth take his beginninge the humble acknowledgment of humane frayltie the asking of mercie for our daylie offences the song of Angells pronounced at thy Natiuitie petitions vnto thee for obtayninge of graces the lecture of thy Prophets the Ghospells of thy Euangelists the Creed of thy Apostles the Sanctus of thy Seraphins supplications for all sorts of persons the Commemoration of thy Passion the prayer of all prayers both made by thy self and taught by thy self to thy Disciples and which is more to be lamented then all the rest doth thy precious bodie and bloud reallie present in this holie sacrifice deserue to be dealt withall in so sauadge a sort Surelie no for such demeanors as these are rather sathannicall then sayntlie rather Mahometan then modest nor so much as beseeming anie Christians in the world saue onlie Caluinists Thou therefore ô Lord who art the sole protector of that which thou thy self hast instituted proâ—… thy self in this blessed sacrifice against thy persecutors Thou Lord of hosts defend thy self in this holie Host against thyne enemyes Permit not I beseech thee thy precious bodie and bloud anie longer to be soe barbarouslie abused Reestablish the same in our Iland mauger the mallice of all thyne enemyes And grant that after fortie yeres wherein thou hast byn greiued with this wicked generation at the last this noble sacrifice may be publiklie cellebrated by vs to thine euerlasting and perpetuall praise 5. And you religious Fathers and reuerend Priests to whome is committed the care of this our deuasted vyniarde and who are vnto vs in this our distresse the sole dispensers of this diuine sacrament venture still I beseeche you as hetherto you haue done the losse of your liues to distribute vnto vs this diuine foode and to break vnto vs this celestiall bread For in your handes onlie it is to geue vnto men this heauenlie Manna In your handes onlie it is in this tyme of death to preserue the lyues of your brethren least they perishe by famine And wee againe my Catholik brethren let vs as boldie aduenture our lyues to geue theÌ„ harbour and entertaynment Imitating herein our noble Patron and Protomartyr of England blessed S. Alban who presented himself yea and gaue his owne life to preserue the life of his Priest Amphibalus Imitating also in some sort herein the glorious virgin S. Catherin of Sienna who beating and afflicting her bodie soe seuerelie that shee drew the bloud the Deuill appearing vnto her and persuading her that it was both foolish and needlesse deuotion shee made him answer that her Lord and Sauiour had geuen his bloud for her and that shee would requite and repay him againe with bloud for bloud Euen soe when either foolish heretiks or timourous frends shall condemne you of follie for loosing your goods or exposing your lyues for to harbour Priests consider with your selues that you harbour him who bringeth vnto you the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ and that if you shed your bloud to receaue him who consecrateth in your houses the bloud of Christ what else doe you but render bloud for bloud and spend your blouds for the bloud of Christ Comfort your selues likewise with this consideration that when our Lord and Sauiour instituted his last supper and consecrated this misterie in the house of a frend euen a fewe dayes before did the traytor Iudas betray and sell the same most innocent bloud for thirtie pence Yow therefore the right Honorable and Worshipfull of our english nation which haue bought the holie sacrifice at a huÌ„dred marks and such as were poorer with the vtter depriuance of all the poore litle they had in the world and further such as haue not had soe much monie as heretiks haue asked for the price of this sacrifice nor no wordlie goods at all to geue them and insteed of monie haue layd to pawne their verie carcasses into sundrie prisons Iayles and loathsome dungeons ô with what great and vnspeakeable reward will our Lord and Sauior one day repay and requite your charitie Verelie neuer was their anie acte in the world so vyle and abhominable as that of Iudas to sell to the Iewes for money the bloud of his master nor neuer can there be amongst Christians anie acte more honorable theÌ„ to buy with such soÌ„mes of mony with such losse of landes and lyuinges the bloud of Christ That cursed creature sold the bloud of his master but onlie for thirtie pence and yet how hatefull is he to all the world as also to heauen you pay for the same aboue threscore poundes ô how gratefull shall you be both to God and his Angells Surelie this sacrifice cannot be estimated by you that loue it at any lowe price sith those that hate it doe value it vnto you at soe high a rate for that thing most needes be pretious which both the Marchant doth set soe high and the Chapman is contented to buy soe deare In a word all the sufferances all all the ignomynies all the iniuryes all the dammages and all the detriments which you shall endure for the defence of this sacrifice will minister matter to all ensueing posteritie of your most noble and heroicall actes which though you dye will euer liue to future memorie resound to your owne immortall glorie and to the euerlasting renowne of our english nation 6. Finallie for as much as I may haue iust occasyon to feare least I haue offended for offering to touch or support with my pen this sacred Arke I therefore here from the bottom of my hart right humblie craue pardon of the blessed Trinitie the maker and worker of this ineffable misterie of Iesus Christ reallie present in this misterie of all the blessed Angells which assist at this misterie of all Catholik Priests the consecrators of this mysterie and of all Catholik people the true worshippers of this ineffable misterie And in further satisfaction for this my presumption I am and euer wil be readie soe long as I liue to cast my self vnder the feet of the meanest Priest in the world and to serue him as his foot stole whilest he celebrateth this sacrifice And lastly if peradueÌ„ture there be any thinge coÌ„tayned in this Treatise which in the iudgmeÌ„t of the Catholique Church the onlie elected Spouse of Iesus-Christ shall seeme contrary either to the fayth or good manners of the same Church I vtterly abiure damne condemne and detest the same protesting my self to be the man that with the same hands wherewith I writ it with the self same handes to be the first
our Sauiour Christ In which fiue prerogatiues these fiue were most notable patternes farre surpassing all other Saintes Why we ioyntlie confesse vnto S. Peter and S. Paul And therfore doe we alwaies ioyntlie confesse vnto these two Saintes together 1. Because these two with their bloodes first foūded that inuinciple rocke the Church of Rome 2. Because that these two princes of the Church as in theire liues they loued on another most entirely euen so in their deaths they were not separated Omnibus Sanctis To all Saintes Next we confesse to all Saintes in generall because it is impossible for vs to displease God but that we must also displease his Saintes by reason of the perfect vnion that is betwixt them And further because God doth vse to pardon sinnes at the intercessiō for the merits of his holy Saintes as witnesseth Iob. cap. 5. Et vobis fratres And to you bretheren Then to our breetheren For this we doe according to the counsell of our Sauiour him selfe saying If thou offer thy gift at the Altar and there thou remember that they brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy offering before the Altar and goe first to be reconciled to thy brother Mat. 5.24 Quia peccaui nimis cogitatione verbo opere Because I haue sinned verie much in thought worde and deede First in this place we accuse our selues of our euil thoughtes because of them proceede euill woordes 2. Of our euill wordes because euill woordes corrupt good maners 3. Of our euill workes because it is written Depart from me all that worke iniquitie Psalme 6. And therfore we saye in thought worde deede not in thoughtes wordes and deedes to admonish vs hereby that when we chance by frailtie to fall into any one mortall sinne either by thought worde or deede wee should foorthwith be sorie for the same and haue recourse vnto God by humble Cōfessiō before we commit or multiplie more Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa My default my default my most greueous default In bewayling our sinnes we knock our breastes three seuerall times at these three wordes mea culpa Wherein three thinges may aptlie be obserued the stroke the sound and the feeling to signifie three thinges verie requisit vnto perfect penance to wit Contrition of hart signified by the stroke Confession of mouth signified by the sounde and satisfaction of worke signified by the hurt or feeling 2. We knock or smite our breastes to shew therby that we are trulie and inwardlie sorrie and that we could finde in our hartes to be reuenged of our selues for our offences 3. Therby to make our hard and stonie hartes more soft by often beating and knocking 4. Therfore we now strike them in our selues that God may not strike them in vs hereafter 5. And Lastlie we knock our breastes after the example of the deuout Publican who knocked his brest saying God be mercifull to me a sinner that so we may depart iustified to our owne houses Luc. 18 13. Ideo precor B. Mariam semper virginem Therfore I pray B. Marie allwaies a virgin The great and generall patrones of all perplexed and poore sinners Beatum Michaelem Archangelum The B. Michaell Archangell The victorious conqueror ouer sinne and sathan Beatum Iohannem Baptistam The blessed Iohn Baptist The firste preacher of penance and of corporall austerity Sanctos Apostolos Petrum The holy Apostles Peter The pastor both of the lambes and sheepe ouer the whole flock of our Sauiour Christ Et Paulum And Paul The zealous reclaimer of misled and deceiued soules Omnes Sanctos All Saintes To wit Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyrs Confessors Virgins c. Et vos fratres And you bretheren And this likewise we doe according to the counsel of the Apostle saying Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that you may be saued Iames. 5.16 Orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum To pray vnto our Lord God for me Wher it is to be noted that both the priest and the people concluding the Confiteor pray vnto all the Saintes not that they should forgiue them their sinnes but that they should pray vnto God for remission for them Thus the priest confesseth himself to God to the Saintes and to the asistants desiring both the Saintes and them to pray for him And the asistants againe confesse them selues to God to the Saintes and to the priest desiring both them and him to pray for them VVhich latter part because it differeth litle or nothing in wordes from the former I shall not neede any further to expound the same This only I will ad for a conclusion to this discourse that the practise of Confession before Masse is and euer hath bene verie ancient in the Catholique Church as appeareth out of Micrologus who plainlie testifieth that Confession was alwayes made at Masse And the Masse of S. Iames the Apostle beginneth from Confession Azor. li. 10. Instit moral pag. 1634. Of the prayer which followeth beginning with Misereatur THe priest hauing humblie acknowledged him selfe before the whole congregation to haue offended almightie God and to be a wretched sinner the people the more to moue the mercie of our Lord towards him hartilie pray vnto God for him that he would fauorablie extende his mercie towards him whom they haue chosen at that this present with ioynt consent to speake vnto his maiestie in their behalfes saying Misereatur tui This short petition beginneth with this consolatorie worde of the mercie of God whereof the prophet sayeth Miserationes eius super omnia opera eius His mercies are aboue all his workes psl 144. whereof S. Chrisostom hom de S. Phylogenio also sayeth That euen as the woman in trauel desireth to be deliuered of hir infant euen such great desire hath our almightie Lord to shed foorth his mercie vpon vs. Omnipotens misericors Dominus Our omnipotent and mercifull Lord haue mercie vpon thee Which two wordes omnipotent merciful are here ioyned together for our vnspeakable comfort to declare vnto vs that God is fullie as great in mercie as he is in might as readie to forgiue as he is able to pardō Who also by his infinit power can forgiue more then we can offend through his infinit mercie will giue much more vnto vs then ether we can desire or deserue at his handes Et dimissis peccatis tuis And forgiueing thee thy sinnes Past or present great or smale against God or man by frailtie or ignorance by committing or omitting in thought in worde or in deed Perducat te ad vitam aeternam Bringe thee to life euerlasting The inticer or seducer to sinne seeketh to bringe the sinner to euerlasting death but contrarie wise the Sauiour of all sinners seeketh to bring them to euerlasting life and from temporall paine to eternall ioy and perpetuall happynesse This done the people likewise doe humblie recite the aforesaid Confiteor after which the Priest
Patri Consubstantiall to the Father To prooue more cleerlie that the Sonne of God was nothing inferior to the Father this holie councell deuised against those Hereticks this word Consubstantiall to prooue and confirme his coequalitie with the Father This also was most cleerlie pronounced out of the mouth of our Sauiour him self vnto the Iewes assuring them that he who saw him saw the Father also Iohn 10. Per quem omnia facta sunt By whome all things are made Also some enimies there were who sayed that the Father was the maker of all thinges and not the Sonne But contrarie to this the Church defended that by the Sonne also all thinges were made not that the Father did ayde him as an extrinsecall instrument to their production but as S. Iohn sayth Io 1. That without him nothing was made noe not the world nor heauens them selues Qui propter nos homines Who for vs men In these wordes the Church proposeth vnto vs the humane nature which the Sonne of God tooke vpon him for our saluation wherof he was so desirous and so carefull that he expreslie descended from heauen into earth to seeke out the strayd wandering sheepe Luc the 19. and by his bloud to reconcile him to his Father What other occasion had he so to doe Take away the woundes saith S. Aug. and what necessitie is there of a Surgean Et propter nostram salutem And for our saluation This also was added by the Church for asmuch as some there were who affirmed that Christ became man not onelie to saue man but also to saue the Diuell and all those Angells who fell from heauen with him by plaine Apostacye For remedie and redresse of which error the Church added these wordes VVho for vs men and for our saluation Descendit de caelis Descended from heauen The better to expresse the beneuolence of our blessed Sauiour towards mankind it is sayed that he descended from heauen not that he abandoned the heauens or that he had neuer bene in earth seeing that by his deuine essence he filleth replenisheth both the one and the other is in all places but for that by taking human nature he was there by a new and miraculous manner of being to wit by hipostaticall vnion and coniunction of the diuinitie with the humanitie in one person after which maner he had neuer bene in earth before Et incarnatus est And was incarnate In which wordes the meanes of his descending is declared to wit by his incarnation Who will not admire saieth Pope Clement the sixt that the same person remayned God as he was from all eternitie and became man which he neuer was he came to be borne in earth whom the Angells adore in heauen cap. 6. de poen remis in extra commnib De Spiritu sancto Of the holie Ghost This article doth confirme vs in the beleefe of the miraculous and supernaturall operation of the holie Ghost by whose vertue was disposed the matter wherof the pretious bodie of Iesus-Christ was organized and formed to witt of the most pure bloud of the chast and holie Virgin his mother S. Marie Luc. 1. Ex Maria. Of Marye Some Heretickes there were who sayed that Christ brought with him a body from heauen and that he tooke not his body of our Blessed Ladye which is refuted by these wordes saying Of Marye Octauius who in his time ruled all the world and therefore of the Romans was reputed as a God did consulte with a prophetesse to know if in all the world there was to be borne a greater then he and in the same day wherin Christ was borne of the virgin Marie in Iudea Sybilla saw a golden circle neere the sunne in which circle a fayre virgin did sitt hauing a most beautifull child in her lapp which she shewed to octauius Caesar and did declare vnto him that at that verye tyme a more mighty king was borne thē he Virgine A Virgin Not onelie Mary but of Mary a Virgin wherein we acknowledg her perpetuall virginitie to haue bin no more hurt by his conception then it was by his natiuitie her chast womb being miraculouslye contergarded with fecunditye in such sort that shee amongst all others obteyneth the title of mother and Virgin which neuer was nor euer shall be graūted to any womā but to her self Et homo factus est And was made man Agayne some Heretickes mantayned that Christ had no soule but that his Godhead was vnited to his bodye in steed of a soule and so they inferred that Christ was not man bycause man is composed of a bodye and soule To refute which error the Creed of the Masse sayeth and was made man For both these opinions are of like danger to beleeue Christ to haue bin only God and not man or to haue beene onlie man and not God Of the genuflexion of the Priest at the reciting these wordes These wordes of the Creede are in effect the same which are reade in that diuine gospell of S. Iohn viz. Et verbum caro factum est And the word was made flesh Wordes trulie full of great maiestie and reuerence and therefore both the priest and the people at the pronunciation of them doe humblie bow downe and incline to the grounde in signe of thankes giuing for soe excellent a benefitt It is recounted of a certayne person who hearing these wordes recited and making no reuerence thereat the diuell gaue him a box on the eare saying If it were reade the worde was made diuell all we diuells wold neuer haue omitted to haue bowed our knees at the pronunciation of these wordes Ludol cap. 18. part 1. Crucifixus etiam Crucified also After his miraculous supernaturall and incomprehensible incarnation mention is made of his deathe and passion with the time maner and order of the same Wherfore euen as our first parents did grieueouslie offend by the wood in eatinge of the fruit of the forbidden tree euen so would our B. Sauiour satisfie by the Crosse vpon the wood whereof he hath borne our sinnes in his owne body and hath restored vs life by the same meanes by which death entred into all the worlde Pro nobis For vs. This punishment of the Crosse was alwayes reputed for a death the most ignominious and infamous that could be deuised as is testified in Deut. 12. And hereon was Iesus Christ fastned for our sinnes O profound wisdome of God how much more easie is it to admire such mysteries then any way to explicate or vtter them with wordes Sub Pontio Pilato Vnder Ponttus Pilat This Pilat beinge gouernour of Iudea vnder the Emperour Tyberius and hauing sundrie times declared Iesus Christ to be innocent of the false accusations which were imposed vpō him by the wicked Iewes yet in the end did abandon him for feare to incurre the disgrace of Ceasar But within a while after this ambitious officer hauinge for his owne aduancement and to the oppression of the innocent partie peruerted
the paines nominated in the holie decrees cap. rebaptizare de consec dist 4 to the end that none may thinke himselfe able to amend the worke of the holie Ghost Which also agreeth with natural reason it selfe according whereunto a man is borne but only once In remissionem peccatorum For the forgiuenes of sinnes Here ensueth the admirable effect of this most wholsome lotion wherin al sinne be it original or actual is pardoned quite extinct and abolished as if it had neuer at all bene committed how enormous and detestable soeuer it were together with the paines due to the same and there is also geuen vs and that in great abundance the infusion of diuine graces to render vs able to al indeuors and offices or Christian pietie Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum And I expect the resurrection of the dead For the more assured establishment of our fayth there is here set before vs the resurrection of the dead without the which we were of all other creatures the most wretched and miserable and al our hope planted in Iesus Christ were vtterlie frustrate Wherfore this article doth reach vs to beleeue that the bodies of al both men and women which euer haue bene borne since the beginning of the world though they be rotten burnt eaten of wormes beasts or foules of the ayre yet shall be raysed againe at the day of iudgement and be truly reunited vnto their soules Et vitam venturi seculi And the life of the world to come This is the marke whervnto all the faithful ought to direct their designes and to prepose vnto them selues as the hyer and recompence of al their labours Without this no man can but iudge him self much more vnhappie and accursed then the bruit beasts Finally if we esteme so much and hould so deere this present life which is so ficle and so short that it may rather be called a death then a life in what estimation ought we to haue the life that is eternal voide of al miserie and replenished with all beatitude and perpetuall felicitie Of which ioy our Lord of his mercie make vs then pertakers what sorrowe soeuer we suffer in this world Amen Of the signe of the Crosse made at Vitam venturi seculi The signe of the holie Crosse is made at the wordes Et vitam venturi seculi Least hauing bene tould of the blisse of the Saintes and of the ioyes of the life euerlasting we should deceaue our selues by thinking to obtaine them without anie trauel whereas Christ him selfe did not enter into the kingdom of his glorie but by the ignominy of his Crosse For from the Church militant vnto the triumphant none can enter but by the Crosse as saith Ludolphus in vita Christi Amen For confirmation of that which is contayned in this present Simbole there is added for conclusion this woord Amen that is to say in veritie trulie certainlie or without doubt we beleeue that which is contayned in the precedent articles Of the kisse of the Altar After this bowing downe him selfe he kisseth the altar testyfiyng by this ceremonie that he willinglie submitteth him selfe vnder the Crosse of Christ and that from the bottom of his hart he imbraceth the same confessing with the Apostle that the miseries of this life and not worthie of the glorie which shal be hereafter reuealed vnto vs. Dominus vobiscum The Creed being ended the Priest turneth to the people saying Dominus vobiscum Praying that our Lord be with them that they may make their profit of that which was repeated and rehearsed in the aforesayd articles And the people answere Et cum spiritu tuo And with thy spirit To the end that being vnited together in the same faith and religion they may feele the effectes of their saluation Amalaricus sayeth that this salutation of the Priest to the people denoteth an entrance to an other office And Gabriel Biel sayth that the Priest now faluteth the assistants with Dominus vobiscum that God may be with them to receiue their oblations Oremus Hauing said Dominus vobiscum next he saith Let vs pray Because vnles our Lord be with vs we can not pray to our soules health And then he turneth him to the altar admonishing hereby that now especially euerie one should returne to him selfe and diligentlie search and discusse his conscience that so he may offer vp himselfe an acceptable sacrifice to Almightie God Of the Offertorie And of the condicions of the Host that is to be offered The 1. Reason FIrst the Offertorie taketh his name Ab offerendo Of offering because in this part of the Masse the people are wont to make their temporall offeringes at the Altar Which in a solemne Masse is most melodiouslie soung because as the Apostle saith Our Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer 2. Cor. 1. Because also it is conuenient that after the gospel there should follow faith in hart praise in mouth and fruit in worke as testifieth Innocentius tertius The 2. Reason Secondly it is called the Offertorie because at this time the priest doth take into his handes and maketh an oblation of the Holies that are to be consecrated As also because it is a most immediate preparation and disposition to the holie Canon Of the condicions of the Host As touching the conditions of the Host that is to be offered sundry notable thinges are signified therby 1. This bread is made of wheate because Christ compared him selfe vnto wheate saying Vnles the graine of wheate falling on the ground doe die it remaineth alone 2. It is made in the forme or maner of mony to signifie that it is the same peny or reward promised by our Lord in the gospel to the labourers in the vyneard Mat 20.9 3. It is rounde to put vs in minde that God is the Creator of all thinges both in heauen and earth Alpha and Omega without begining or ending By which also it denoteth vnto vs the diuinty of our B. Sauiour whereby he filleth the round worlde 4. It is white to represent vnto vs the most pure fleash of our Lord and Sauiour taken of the most holie perfect and most pure Virgin 5. It is thinne to signifie that both the Priest and the communicants ought to come fasting to receiue the same 6. It is made without leuain to signifie that our heartes ought to be made cleane frō all leuain of enuy malice 7. It must be whole not crackt or broken and that to signifie two sundrie mysteries The one that we ought to be allwayes in loue and charitie with our neighbours The other that we ought to liue in the vnitie of the Catholique Church and neuer to be sundred by scisme of herifie 8. In this Hoste is writtē the name and image of our prince and soueraigne to signifie that we ought to acknowledg our selues to be his people and the sheepe of his pasture as also that he hath made vs to his image and likenes Some likewise do forme therin the picture
against our Lord and Sauiour Iesus But the other two are made a sunder the one vpon the bread the other vpon the wine to signifie the different intention betwixt our Sauiour and the traytor Iudas for the intention of our Sauiour was loue and charitie but that of Iudas auarice and treahcerie The 3. Reason Againe by these fiue Crosses may be considered fiue principall places wherein our Lord suffered sundrie torments and abuses In the garden of Gethsmanie where he did sweat blood and water for the great feare and apprehension which he had of death In the house of Annas where he receiued a blowe on the face by a wicked varlet In the house of Caiphas where he receiued many outrages reuylinges hidinge of his eies spittinges in his face and strikinges In the house of Pilat where he was bound to a Pillar lamentablie scourged crowned with thornes and clothed in mocquerie And vpon the mount Caluarie where he was ignominiously crucified betwixt two theeues The 4. Reason Againe these fiue Crosses may be referred to the fiue principall partes of our Lordes body wherein he receiued his holy woundes to wit in both his hands both his feet and his blessed side And the two last Crosses which are made apart the one vpon the bread the other vpon the wine signifie vnto vs that our Lord trulie died for our redemption for the blood seperated from the bodie is a moste true and certaine signe of death The 5. Reason Againe the three first Crosses which are made vpon the oblation may signifie three speciall thinges which our Lord did in his last supper concerning the bread and the wine to wit he tooke blessed and gaue to his Disciples Afterwardes one Crosse is made vpon the bread because he said Comedite hoc est corpus meum Eate this is my body Another vpon the Chalice because he said Bibito ex hoc omnes hic est sanguis meus Drinke yee all of this this is my blood And according hereunto rightly is subioyned that which followeth Qui pridie quam pateretur Who the day before he suffered Qui pridie quam pateretur THE time of the institution of the holie Eucharist is here declared by the ordonance of Pope Alexander the first The day before that is to say the fift feria which was next vnto the holie feast of the passouer vpon which day this blessed Sacrament was first instituted Wherfore the priest celebrating this holie mysterie ought to direct his intention to that end which our Sauiour him self then did sitting in the midst of his Disciples For this veire day Iesus Christ hauing eaten the paschal lambe with his Disciples for the finall accōplishment of the law of Moyses prepared for them a new sort of meate giuing him selfe vnto them in spirituall foode vnder the formes of bread and wine Accepit panem After the obseruation of the time of this institution is expressed the matter which he vsed to wit bread trulie not yet flesh And therfore bread because as the materiall bread comforteth the hart of man aboue all other naturall meates so this holye Eucharist serueth him to the nourishment and sustentatiō of his soule aboue all other spirituall meates In sanctas ac venerabiles manus suas By verie good right the Church doth call the handes of hir spouse Iesus Christ wherewith he touched the blessed Eucharist holy venerable for as much as the deuine and human nature are both in him cōioyned These are those sacred handes by whom the admirable worke of the world was formed without any patterne or example Man made after his deuine image Bread so many times multiplied to his vse The posessed deliuered of malignant spirits The leprous and sick healed The dead raised And we daylie replenished with all deuine benediction Et eleuatis in coelum oculis None of the Euangelists doe testifie that Christ in his last supper lifted vp his eyes to heauen but Apostolicall tradition hath deliuered this to the Church For this hath the Masse of S. Iames the Apostle The Liturgie of S. Basil And also S. Ambrose in his 4. booke de sacramentis Where S. Iames and S. Basil doe not content them selues to say that he lifted vp his eies to God his Father almightie but furthermore that he shewed vnto him the bread which he held betwixt his handes Whereby they would signifie vnto vs that our Lord intended to worke some such great and maruelous thinge as required there vnto the whole omnipotencie and power of almightie God Ad te Deum Patrem suum Our blessed Sauiour about to consecrate his pretious body and blood lifted vp the eies of his humanitie vnto God his Father not those of his diuinitie because he was in nothing vnlike or inferior to his Father who as he is coequall to him in dignity so likewise in his euerlasting vision and comprehension Omnipotentem Where speciall commemoration is made of the almightie and diuine omnipotencie to setle cōfirme our faith that we feare not the consecration to be a thinge impossible nor dout of the truth or veritie therof Tibi gratias agens And hereof it is that this sacrifice is called a sacrifice of prayse or thanksgiuing because the best procurer of benefits is the mindfullnes of benefits ioyned with continuall giuing of thankes Or therfore our Lord gaue thankes being so neere his passion to teache vs to beare all thinges which we suffer with thanksgiuing Or he gaue thankes to his omnipotent Father for so excellent a grace for so effectuall a foode for so woorthie a sacrament and for so profound a mysterie yet not for him selfe but for vs that is for our redemption and reparation which was to be brought to passe by his death and passion wherof this should for euermore remaine a perpetuall commemoration Benedixit After the giuing of thankes he imparted the vertu of his holie benediction vpon the bread and conuerted the substance thereof in to that of his pretious bodie The same likewise he did at the creation of the world when he ordayned the increase multiplicatiō of his creatures euerie one according to his kind Neuer doe we reade that he blessed the bread but that there insued some notable miracle as in the multiplication of the fiue loaues and the two fishes whereof the fragments were twelue baskets after the refection of fiue thousand soules In pronouncing this word the Priest maketh the signe of the Crosse because as S. Aug. saith from the same all Sacraments doe receaue their efficacie and that nothing with out it is decently accomplished Adde that the Crosse is the onlye carecter of all benedictiō euer since it touched the blessed body of our Sauiour Iesus Fregit Which is not so to be vnderstood that Christ did first breake before he did consecrate but after like as in the genalogie of Christ S. Mathew nameth Dauid before Abraham who yet was not before but after Abraham Deditque To wit his B. body vnto his Disciples
as to the wine and to the consecration as wel of the one as of the other Next they may also be vnderstood two maner of wayes First thus So often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this Chalice doe it in the remembrance of my death and passion and this belongeth more generallie to all Secondlie as thus So often as you shall consecrate this bread and this wine according to this my institution doe it in the remembrance of me and this appertayneth particulatlie to priestes And wel is it said in the remembrance of me For this trulie was one cause of the institution of this most holie Sacrifice in the Church militant that it should be a signe representation and remembrance of that high and excellent Sacrifice which Christ offered vp vpon the Crosse Againe In remembrance of me For this last remembrance of him selfe our Lord left and recommended vnto vs. Euen as some one going into a far countrie should leaue some singuler pledge or token of his loue to him whom he loued that as often as he should see the same he should remember his frendship and kindnes because if he loued him perfectlie he can not behould it without verie great motion or affection of mind Vnde memores Domine MIndfull as if he said this we doe according to thy commandement After the example of Elias who praying that God would approue his sacrifice Heate me saith he o Lord because I haue done all these thinges according to thy commandement Mindfull because our Lord him selfe commanded that we should doe this in memorie of him therfore three thinges the Church proposeth in the wordes following to be remembred his blessed Passion his Resurrection and his Ascension Nos serui tui To wit we priestes who according to the degrees receaued of cleargie doe serue thee in the oblation of this sacrifice and doe celebrate the same after thy example and in the memorie of thee For the people performe that onlie in minde which the Priest both performeth in minde and an also inexternall and peculiar maner Sed plebs tua sancta The people also are said to be mindfull because Christ died not onlie for the Priestes but also for the people and ordayned this Sacrament for the comfort as well of the one as of the other and therfore as well the one ought to be mindfull of him as the other And this people is said to be holie because hauing receaued baptisme and Gods holie grace they are therby trulie sanctified how far soeuer they be dispersed being firmelie lincked together in the vnitie of the same Church Eiusdem Christi Filij tui Domeni nostri tam beatae passionis And very rightlie is the passion of our Lord and redeemer Iesus called blessed because by it we are deliuered from all curse and malediction and by it we receiue all blisse benediction Nec non ab inferis Resurectionem Iansonius in his exposition vpon this place hath very well noted that because in the wordes aforegoing mention is made of our Sauiours passion that saith Christ will not haue the later part of his mortall life to he seene but when he passeth that is he will not haue his death to be commemorated vnles we also beleeue in his resurrection Sed in caelos gloriosae Ascensionis The holie Doctors who haue expounded the Misteries of the Masse doe bring sundrie reasons why in making remembrance of our Lord we principallie doe mention his Passion his Resurrection and his Ascension And some say that this is done because by these three meanes principallie he hath wrought and accomplished our Redemption For he died say they to deliuer vs from death He rose again to raise vs to life And he ascended into heauen to glorifie vs euerlastinglie His passion exciteth our Charitie his Resurrection strenghtneth our Faith and his Ascension reioyceth our Hope By his Passion he hath blotted out our sinnes by his Resurrection he hath spoyled hell And by his Ascension he hath shewed vnto vs the way to heauen Offerimus praeclarae maiestati tuae That is to God the Father for often in the Scripture by the titles of omnipotencie glorie maiestie and the like the person of the Father is vnderstood as Heb. 1. and in sundrie other places De tuis donis ac datis The bodie and blood of Christ are offeringes prepared by God for vs yea true offeringes but placed in heauen Offeringes when they are made to God guiftes when they are giuen in earthe to men Yet both here and there trulie the same Hostiam First some explicating this word Host say that it is deriued ab Ostio in English a doore because in the ould law the Hostes were immolated in the porch or entrie of the temple The Christians doe giue it the same denomination because that Iesus Christ Sacramentallie immolated at the Aultar hath opened vnto them the gates of heauen shut thorough the preuarication of Adam Whence the Church at the Eleuation of the Host singeth this verse O salutaris Hostia qui caeli pandis ostium Bella premunt hostilia darobur fer auxilium The Paynims and Gentils haue deriued this terme ab Hoste in English an Enimie because being to make warre against their enimies they did first sacrifice to the end that they might ouer come And after happie successe they ordayned other sacrifices which they called victimes leading their enemies bound euen to the Aultar Wherupon Ouid composed the disticque following Hostia quae cecidit dextra victrice vocatur Hostibus a victis victima nomen habet And Christ Iesus being to fight against the enimie of mankind offered vp his body and blood in an Host wherby he hath deliuered vs out of the bondage and seruitude of the diuel ✠Puram Next this host is called Pure because it is the fountaine of all puritie cleansing vs from all pollution by the force of his vertu contrarie to those of the old Testament which did not cleanse but onlie bodilie foulenes Hostiam ✠sanctam It is also called Holie because it contayneth Iesus Christ the holie of holies and the onlie fountaine of all holynes from whom the graces of the holie Ghost poure downe vpon the faithfull in vnspeakable aboundance Hostiam ✠immaculatam Conceiued and borne without all sinne and liued in this world without all sinne and therfore immaculat Conceiued of a virgin with out the helpe of a man and therfore immaculate Onlie by power diuine and therfore immaculate Panem ✠sanctum Where this holie Host is named Bread not that the substance of bread now any more remayneth after Consecration but because it is instituted or ordayned vnder the same species Adde that in holie Scripture the creatures are called earth and ashes because they are formed of such matter Simon was surnamed leprouse of that which he had bin and was no more c. And this bread is rightlie called sanctum holie because it trulie sanctifieth the receauers Vitae aeternae
Iudas I crie Peccaui tradens sanguinem iustum I haue sinned betraying the innocent blood Keepe my soule from that smitinge and plague of our Lord which smote al the first borne of Egipt whose postes of their houses were not sprinkeled with the blood of the lambe Keepe my soule in spirituall force and vigor that in vertu of this blood I may vndertake to fight against diuels and infernall furies like as the elephāt is encouraged to fight at the sight of blood In vitam aeternam According to the promise of our Sauiour him selfe saying He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the latter day to wit from a temporall death to a perdurable euerlasting and eternall life Of the priestes giuing the holie Sacrament to the assistants when any be to cōmunicate This done the priest as Innocentius saieth communicateth to the people insinuating that Christ after his resurrection did eate with his Disciples as S. Lucke testifieth saying Iesus tooke bread and brake reached vnto them And here let the Christian receauer vnderstand that so much difference as there is betwixt heauen and earth betwixt the Creator and the creature so much difference is there betwixt this sacred viand and al others which euer at any time God gaue to man For in this diuine Sacrament there is to drinke there is to eate there is wine and there is mylke there is bread and there is water Drinke for those that are drie meate for those that are hungrie wine for greate ones and mylke for litle ones bread to fortifie and water to refresh Finallie in this diuine Sacrament our Lord doth nourish vs with him selfe with his owne true and proper substance as well diuine as humane What could he doe more for vs What banquet what feast could he prouide more exquisite or more noble for vs Quod ore sumpsimus Domine Where first let it be noted that the Priest speaketh in the plurall number saying Which we haue receaued c. signifying hereby that he did not consecrate this Sacrament onlie for him selfe but for the whole mysticall bodie of Christ whereof he is a part and as it were the mouth of this body Pura mente capiamus Free from all spot and pollution of sinne from all spirituall drowsines and tepiditie with full faith loue and feruent deuotion to the strenghtning of the soule and to the spirituall sustentation of all good actions Et de munere temporali To wit as touching the visible formes which of thy gentle gift and bountifull liberallitie we haue receaued Fiat nobis remedium sempiternum To wit against all diseases both of soule and bodie that in our last end fortified with this viaticum we may be brought to the true beatifying and sempiternal securitie both of the one and the other Corpus tuum Domine quod sumpsi Vnder the species of bread thy true body thy naturall bodie the same which was borne of the virgin Marie laid in the manger adoted of the Sages borne into Egipt apprehended whipped crowned and crucified of the Iewes Et sanguis quem potaui Which I haue drunke vnder the species of wine thy very true and proper blood the same blood which thou didst shed being circumcised the same which thou didst sweare in the garden the same which thou didst shed being scourged the same which ran out of thy handes and feete beinge nayled the same which gushed out of thy most holie syde being peirced Adhereat visceribus meis The bowels of our soule are hir powers such are our vnderstanding our will c. And here we pray that to these powers of our soule this pretious foode may so adhere that it doe not presentlie passe thorough our mindes like as some liquid corporal meates passe thorough the stomach leauing behind them no succour nor nourishmēt but so to cleaue to our bowels that it make its aboade stay in our soules Et praesta vt in me non remaneat scelerum macula By this spot of wickednes may be vnderstood the guilt of veniall sinne or temporall paine remayning in the soule frō the which he prayeth to be released for that existing remayning in the soule it cannot be admitted to the ioyes of the blessed although it be adorned with grace and charitie Quem tam pura sancta Pure by reason that it purifieth the mind from all impure cogitations And holie because it is sanctification in it selfe and also sanctifieth the receauer replenishing him with all aboundance of grace and sanctification Refecerunt sacramenta Qui viuis c. For this holie Sacrament refresheth the bowels of the soule of the worthie receauer it refresheth the vnderstanding by the illumination of knowledge it refresheth the will by inflammation of loue it refresheth the memorie by excitinge it to the rememoration of the passion and by leauing a certaine spirituall ioy and sweetnes in the whole man Of the washinge of the endes of the priestes fingars after receauing The 1. Reason After the receauing of the holie Eucharist the priest washeth the endes or tippes of his fingars for it were most vnworthie that the handes which haue handled that incorruptible body should touche a corruptible body before they were first dilligentlie washed and cleansed The 2. Reason The triple washing of the priestes handes the first before he begin Masse the second after the Offertorie the third now after Cōmunion or as Innocētius sayeth in the begining in the midest in the ending doth insinuate the clensing of thoughtes of words and of workes Or the purging of originall mortall and veniall sinne And this last ablution may properlie be referred to the ablution of Baptisme the forme whereof Christ instituted after his resurrection saying Going therforce teache yee all nations baptisinge them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost he that beleeueth and is baptised shall be Saued Marc. 16.16 Of the returne of the priest to the right hand of the Aultar Let vs now come to the last point which is of the returne of the priest to the right end of the Aultar after the Communion This is not done for superstition as if the prayer were better at one end then at the other as scoffing heretiques doe calumniate but to signifie some special mysterie comprehended in the holie Scripture to wit the finall conuersion of the Iewes This Hugo de sancto Victore auoucheth most clearelie saying His completis c. These thinges accomplished the priest returneth to the right end of the Aultar signifying that in the end of the world Christ shall returne to the Iewes whom now he hath reiected vntill the fulnes of the Gentils be entred in For then the remaynder of Israell according to the Scriptures shall be saued This he li. de special mis obser cap 4. Of the Anthem or Post Communion The 1. Reason It is more then manifest that the custome and vse of