joyn together that this may be done meetly and justly to receive the Eucharist And doest thou wonder that the people speak with the Priest when they sound out these Holy Hymns in common consent with the Cherubins and supernatural powers Finally St. Augustine thus explicates it This follows that for this so great a good of raised hearts we should not attribute the glory to our selves as of our own Forces but give thanks to our Lord for of this we are forthwith admonished because it is meet and just Which is the answer we are then to give to the Priest Dignum justum est It is meet and just meet because he is our Lord just because we are his people meet and just together that we his Servants together with the Priest give thanks to God from whom we have received all things Meet in respect of his manifold benefits Just in respect of our obliged gratitude for that we are partakers of the Treasures of his mercy in this holy Sacrifice I wish that each one for the comfort of their Souls would consider these words and learn them either in Latin or English that with heart and mouth they might answer to the Priest for if they did I am confident great Comfort and Devotion would arise thereby The words are short but full of Energie and Vertue 7. Of the Preface Q. What say you of the Preface A. Those who understand Latin may do well to attend to the Preface which savours of much Piety and yields abundant matter of Devotion for those who are ignorant thereof I will draw the most considerable motives for their Devotion and for this end I shall divide it into Five Considerations The First Consideration is that the Priest confirms the answer which we make concerning our giving thanks to God telling us verily it is Meet and Just Right and wholesome to do so Meet for the benefits here propounded and Just for God made Man by this Eucharist here communicates his goodness and mercy Right for its weight and merit wholesome as the cause of our Salvation or Meet because he is good Just because he is beneficient Right because he is merciful wholesome because he is our Souls Medicine Again Meet because out of his mercy and pleasure he has created us Just because out of pure goodness he has Redeemed us Right because he has freely and gratis justified us Wholesome because he has predestinated us to glory and he invites us alwayes to praise God by declaring that he is our Holy Lord Omnipotent Father and Eternal God for all Sanctity comes from him and by his power alone this Sacrifice was instituted whose fruit is Eternity and then tells the means to do it effectually by our Lord Jesus Christ The Second Consideration is that the Angels and all the whole Court of Heaven do adore and with mutual concord and consent by inflamed layes of Charity do celebrate God's praise and glory this the Church propounds unto us for imitation for if these Heavenly Spirits do continually praise God because they are alwayes in his presence The Church insinuates thereby the great Reverence Adoration and Honour we ought to give to our God in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist which if we do all these supernal Spirits will help us in this action that as they perpetually rejoyce in God by inflaming Love so we ought to rejoyce and exult with ardent love of him who has manifested his infinite love to us in this Holy Sacrament Thirdly We may consider that the Church Militant desires to joyn with the Church Triumphant to make one Quire and the faithful people present knowing their own frailty and indignity make humble supplication that God would give them Grace to make them worthy to make a part with the Heavenly Quire in this holy Sacrifice for as Florus sayes The Holy Church is to be associated to the Quires of Angels and with the Angels persist in the praises of God for ever and ever And now in this holy Sacrifice as St. Chrysostome teaches The Angels are ready to joyn with us at that time sayes he The Angels accompany the Priest and the whole Orders of Celestial powers cry out the whole place near the Altar in his honour who is there immolated is full of Angelical Quires Fourthly We may devoutly consider how the Church here specifies the Song or Canticle which the Angels continually sing in Heaven declared by the Prophet Isay and St. John Evangelist by the Greeks called Teisagion a thrice holy Canticle that is Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts all the Earth is full of thy glory St. Ambrose affirms that we cannot give to God a more precious Title or more sutable to his Glory than to call him Holy for it is to say in one word all the substantial and incomprehensible perfections of his Deity and by this term holy in this place we understand God to be the Abiss of Sanctity from whence Angels and Men participate all their Sanctity as the Sun beams receive light from the Sun As therefore the Seraphins and Angels do thrice repeat this Holy so ought we in this place for as St. Damascene sayes The Deity is thrice declared Holy and Glorified when Sanctus or Holy is said three times whence Procopius tells us that the Seraphins do not only once sing the praises of God but reiterate them often yea infinite times For by the number of three we may understand a multitude so that by saying that they sing holy three times we may take it all times for this is their continual song whereto we hope to add our parts with them in Heaven as they joyn with us in this holy Sacrifice wherefore it is added Lord God of Sabaoth which is one of the names the Israelites did give to God and is not Translated in the Latin Church for that the word Sabaoth is an exceeding expression in any other Language but by many it is interpreted Lord God of Hosts or Armies which is fitly said here for in these words both Angels and Men do make Homage to their God acknowledging him for their Lord with this Canticle wherein the Host or Army of the Celestial Spirits and the Host or Army of Christ's Church at this time made one makeing an Army of a Camp set in array do joyntly and in due order Praise Magnifie and adore God whence consequently it is said all the Earth is full of his Glory the Heavens are full of it already now it is fitting that the Earth also should be full of the same all Men on Earth ought to sing his Glory even as the Angels do in Heaven The Fifth consideration may be of the Hymn which St. Mathew relates when the multitude that went before and followed cryed saying Hosanna to the Son of David blessed is he that comes in the name of our Lord Hosanna in the Highest which are the same words the Priest sayes here now since Heaven and Earth are to be
full of Gods Glory it is convenient that both Angels and Men should sing the praises of God as therefore in conjunction with the Angels we did sing Holy holy holy so in this Hymn we invite them to assist us or rather following their example we sing another Hymn or Canticle of praise Hosanna which signifies Triumph and has a certain kind of exultation and joy Blessed or praised be he that comes in the name of our Lord Blessed be he who by his infinite goodness came into the World to Redeem us by his passion in which sense the Priest signs himself with the sign of the Cross praised and blessed be he who comes to feed us in this holy Sacrament and Blessed be he who out of his infinite love is coming to us in this holy Sacrifice Hosanna all praise honour and glory be to God not only amongst us on Earth but also in the highest Heaven amongst the Celestial Spirits or in the highest manner we can give it Moved by all these Titles and Reasons let us bless and praise our Lord with Thanksgiving imitating the Prophet David who said I will bless our Lord at all times his praises are alwayes in my mouth Secondly Let us devoutly joyn with the Angels and all the Celestial Spirits in praising and adoring our God but then we ought to take good heed lest any thing be dissonant on our parts for if the strings of the heart be out of Tune or not sutable to them our voice will also be untunable one jar spoils the whole Consort we may also reflect that as David sayes we are here to sing to our Lord in the sight of Angels and that not only in their sight but we are to unite our hearts and voyces with them and that in the presence of God and withall we take their own words for as St. Gregory sayes We now praise God on Earth with the same voices or words wherewith the Holy Angels do praise him in Heaven not by pride of presumption but by humble Confession Thirdly Hearing the Seraphical and Cherubical Hymn Holy holy holy we ought to raise our minds to praise the blessed Trinity and with all Reverence adore and tremble before so great a Majesty Fourthly We may reflect on the Jews and their Children who praised our Lord as he was coming to Hierusalem where afterward he suffered his passion and Death And think with our selves that with greater reason we ought to rejoyce and praise our Saviour who now comes to apply unto us his passion as completed and here in the Masse presented unto us The Jews strew their Garments in the ways and cut boughs from the Trees and strew them in the way and shall not we with all submissive Reverence expect and attend the coming of our Saviour though in an invisible manner shall we not cast our Vestments that is our Bodies with all external Reverence possible and above all carry the boughs and branches of interiour Devotion and Piety that in true faith lively hope and inflamed charity in Tranquillity of Spirit we may be prepared for the coming of our Lord or to meet our God coming unto us Q. But why is there a litte Bell rung at this time A. It is and has been a custome among Catholicks to ring a little Bell and in Catholick Countryes to ring out the great Bell when the Priest sayes Sanctus or to make some other sign as by Mallets or Wooden Hammers as on Good-Fryday or by cryes or by singing Alleluja whereof Baronius makes mention to give warning to the faithful of this Solemn action to the end that in a special manner they may raise their hearts to more fervent Devotion and Reverence We have a figure of this in the Law where God ordained little Bells in the Hem of the Priest's Tunick to the end as the Text sayes That the Sound may be heard when he goes in and comes out of the Sanctuary in the sight of our Lord which was to move both Priest and People to a due Reverence to the Priest's Function and to an humble Adoration of Gods Majesty in that Holy place The Church does use here these little Bells for the same ends which here in England we call Sanctus Bel. SECT III. Of the Third part of the Masse which is from the Preface unto the Pater Noster 1. Of the Canon Q. WHat means the Canon A. Canon is a Greek word properly signifying a Rule or Order to be observed in any thing we are to do applyed by St. Gregory to this part of the Masse because it is constantly observed in all Masses according to the Churches Order whence St. Ambrose calls it the Ecclesiastical Rule and Optatus a Law or Ordinance established by the Church In the Missal it is called Action which name comes from St. Denis and is so called by way of Excellency for it contains the Consecration and Conversion of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of our Saviour and for the same reason it is called Sacrifice for in it the Sacrifice of the Masse is principally accomplished St. Basil calls it Secretum a secret or private mystery belonging only to the Priest and St. Irenaeus sayes that it is called Canon because the Priest therein follows the prescript and Rule of Christ in the Consecration and performs his Sacrifice and Sacrament in memory of Christs passion which in a more particular manner is therein presented and expressed in signs and actions It is true that before the Consecration there are other prayers and dispositions or preparations thereto and what follows are but applications of it to our comfort and consolation ordained for the better representation of the passion as in each particular shall be declared And here we may note that although the Masse be principally ordained as a representation of Christ's passion in whose memory it was first instituted yet there is in the Canon a Renovation of Christ's last Supper whence Durand notes with Pope Innocent 3. That in the Canon the Words signifie one thing and the Signs or Ceremonies another for the words principally belong to the Consecration of the Eucharist but the signs principally appertain to the remembrance of Christ's passion The words are in order to the Conversion of the Bread and Wine but the signs here before the Elevation in regard of what happened before his Crucifying and after in regard of what he suffered on the Cross which Pope Alexander the 1. confirms saying In the Sacramental Oblations which are offered amidst the Solemnity of the Masse to our Lord our Lords passion is to be mingled that the passion of him whose body and blood is made may be Celebrated or Remembered Now because this part of the Masse which solely belongs to the Priest is said all in silence I shall content my self to give a general notion of what the Priest is then doing that Christians may apply their Devotion to what occurs in the Canon and explicate the Signs or
is made a confession to Salvation In the second sence the Psalmist often uses it as I will confess to thee O Lord with all my heart with the confession of praise So Christ also sayes I confess to thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that is I praise and give thanks to thee these Two Confessions run generally in the Masse for Faith is necessary to this Sacrifice which is of praise and glory to God So that in this place the confession which is made is of our Sins Now this confession is either private or publick particular or general The first is Sacramental or made in the Sacrament of pennance of which here we have nothing to say and therefore we speak only here of general or publick confession which by order of the Church is used for Remission of our daily and continual Sins defects and imperfections Q. Are not those Sins to be expiated by the Sacrament of Pennance A. The Sacrament of Pennance is ordained to take away mortal Sins as its principal effect and may be used for Venial Sins but in some way or other we daily and hourly offend God Venially and we being now to offer Sacrifice which requires all purity and innocency in as much as humane frailty will permit we make this humble confession thereby to obtain Remission of our daily Sins and Remission of the pain due to them and so to be more purely disposed to this Sacred Action Q. To whom do we make this Confession A. Principally and chiefly to God from whom alone we expect pardon and Remission of our Sins Q. Why then is it made to the Blessed Virgin and Saints A. We confess to the Saints in other respects for we confess to them when we have offended in that we have offended God even as the prodigal Child who said Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee which the Glosse and St. Augustine Interprets as if he had said I confess that I have offended against the Angels and Saints Secondly We confess to the Angels and Saints as witnesses of our sorrow and Repentance of our Sins even as St. Paul 1. Tim 5. did charge Timothy I testifie before God and Christ Jesus and the Elect Angels and so we confess before God his Angels and Saints Thirdly As the Prophet David said I will sing to thee in the sight of Angels and I will render my vows to our Lord in the sight of the People that is in the sight and protection of the Angels I will praise thee my God and before all present confess my sins that as they have seen and known my wickedness so also they may see my Repentance that as I have made them sad by my manifold impurities so I may rejoyce them in my Conversion Lastly We manifest our sins and iniquities to the Blessed Virgin Mary Angels and Saints as also to all there present at Masse that out of compassion and charity they would pray for us as is plainly declared in the latter end where we desire them to pray for us that we may obtain of God Remission and pardon for our sins and afterward we ask for Mercy and Indulgence of them of Almighty God 4. Of some Remarkable things in saying the Confiteor Q. Why does the Priest say Peccavi A. To declare that he is a Sinner and the more to express himself he sayes I have sinned exceedingly By the way we may note how powerful this Peccavi I have sinned is if it come from the Heart for when the Children of Israel had offended God as they often did their only redress was Peccavimus we have sinned and the Mercy of God was not wanting David offended and with his Peccavi I have sinned he obtained Remission Salomon taught the People when they came into the Temple as a remedy for all evils and a means to obtain their Petition to cry out Peccavimus we have sinned leaving us a perfect Model of praying in the Church Q. Why does he say in thought word and deed A. That is as much to say in all manner of Sin for although sin proceed from the will take away the will and there is no sin yet this Will finds matter of sin in our thoughts words and deeds It was said of old even by God himself that all the cogitations of Mens hearts were bent to evil at all times great was the malice of Mens hearts in those times near to the beginning of the World which since rather make encrease than decrease for the waters of Iniquity have very small ebbs but huge great Spring-Tides and do so frequently overflow on the Field of our Souls that very few flowers of vertue or piety do grow there but innumerable Brambles and Briars which perhaps in quantity are not so great but bring great hurt to the Soul and if they be perverse they separate us from God and the best we can say or imagine without the grace of God all our cogitations or thoughts are unprofitable In like manner we offend daily in words for the Tongue is a Sea of evil or as St. James sayes a world of Iniquity yea the Iniquity of the Tongue fills the whole World There is no place or person of what quality soever but some way or other have the offending Tongue The Prophet Jeremy complained saying I attended and hearkned no Man speaks that which is good would God this were all the Apostle St. Paul speaking of young Widdows they learned to go about from House to House speaking things which they ought not But if we look almost upon all sorts of People we shall find them going from this place to that place from company to company full of words swearing of vanity curiosity too too frequently speaking things which they ought not in detraction and back-biting words of Iniquity as David sayes The words of their mouth are iniquity and guile Our deeds are conformable for as St. John sayes The whole World is set to Iniquity and David All have declined they are become unprofitable together there is not that doth good there is not one There is so great a multitude of those who do no good that scarce any one is to be found to do good and too too many that do evil for as St. James sayes We all offend in many things and St. Augustine avers that even the just do not live without some sins whence the Priest well sayes and so may every Man say I have sinned in thought word and deed Q. Why does he say Three times through my fault A. In this Repetition he expresses the vehement sorrow of his mind and therefore to the last he adds through my most grievous fault which is not unfrequent in the Scriptures So King David said My Son Absolon Absolon my Son who would grant that I might dye for thee Absolon my Son my Son Absolon and naturally we reiterate the cause of any grief We may also say that this Repetition is correspondent to the Three
Symbole of Charity for as Charity covers a multitude of sins and contains all the Commandements of the Law So this Chasule covers all the other Vestments and hanging in Two parts before and behind may fitly represent the Two Tables of the Law or the Two Laws the part behind the old Law and the part before the new Law The Two sides open signifie Christian liberty or the open execution of the Law St. German and others commonly do say that this Chasule represents unto us the Purple Garment which the Souldiers did put on Christ the Priest therefore in Imitation of Christ puts on this Garment which for the most part on the back hath a Cross and before the form of a Pillar as if the Priest were between the Pillar and the Cross for the Pillar before represents the Pillar whereto Christ was bound and Scourged and the Cross behind represents our Saviour carrying the Cross and that very properly that the People beholding it may have the Cross and Passion before their eyes and continue in the contemplation thereof I will conclude with the Animadversion which Bishop Ivo gives saying These Vestments are not vertues but marks or signs of vertues whereby the users or beholders are admonished as by written Books what they ought to desire and what to shun and to whom they ought to direct their Actions Pope Innocent will give another Let the Priest attend diligently that he bears not the sign without what is signified and that he carry not the Vestment without vertue lest he be like to a Sepulcher outwardly whitened and inwardly full of uncleaness 3. Of Priest's Function Q. What do you mean by Priests A. I will not stand about the word Priest which comes from the word Presbyter But his office according to the custome of the Church is principally to offer Sacrifice as all Ages and Laws do declare for as in the Law of Nature and in the written Law their duty was to offer Sacrifice for themselves and others So in the new Law Priests had charge to offer the Sacrifice of the Masse for as the Altar and Sacrifice are correlatives so Sacrifice and Priest who in his Ordination is Consecrated by this form Receive power of offering Sacrifice in the Church for the Living and Dead St. Clement in his Constitutions puts this form O Almighty God give unto him by Christ the participation of the Holy Ghost that he may have power to remit sins according to thy command and loose all bonds according to the power which thou hast given to the Apostles and of pleasing thee in meekness and purity of heart by alwayes offering to thee without spot or stain the pure and unbloody Sacrifice which by Christ thou hast established as the Mystery of the New Testament The Canons of the Apostles suppose it to be the office of Priests as also the First General Council of Nice Can. 18. So most of the Councels and Fathers Q. Are Priests to be Honoured A. For many reasons they are but principally for Four to wit their Dignity Vtility Mediation and Power First for their Dignity for they are God's Vicars on Earth to feed cure and keep his People whence St. Augustine saith There is no greater under Heaven than God's Priests Consecrated to deliver the Heavenly Sacraments and humble St. Francis tells us that we ought to honour and reverence God's Priests who are higher and worthyer than all Men and he would sooner give reverence to a Priest than to an Angel St. Athanasius relates That the great Abbot Anthony as often as he met with a Priest would fall on his knees and would not rise from the ground until he had kissed his hand and obtained his Benediction Secondly For Vtility for by Priests the faithful are received into the Church and by their Function many spiritual graces are communicated unto them besides the benefits they receive by the Priests Preaching Instruction and Ministration of the Sacraments the Holy Scripture bids us to honour the Physitian for our necessity for the Highest hath created him how much more ought we to honour Priests who are Spiritual Physitians of our Souls for as they by their Office do make us Members of the Church so they cure us of all the Diseases of our Souls and preserve our spiritual lives and bring us to Eternal Life Thirdly For their Mediation for they are Mediatours between us and God for it is his charge to pray for the People and he obtains blessings for them Num. 6. Our Lord speaking to Moises and Aaron of Priests said They shall invocate my Name upon the Children of Israel and I the Lord will bless them The wise Man therefore advises us saying In all thy Soul fear our Lord and Sanctifie his Priests with all thy strength love him that made thee and forsake not his Ministers honour God with all thy Soul and honour the Priests and purge thy self with the arms of Grace to wit the grace that God communicates unto us by the Ministery of the Priest Lastly In consideration of the power which God hath given to them especially in Remission of sins and Consecrating of the Holy Eucharist for brevity sake I will cite One or Two of the Holy Fathers and so conclude for the first Let us hear the words of St. Chrysostome To those who live on Earth and are Conversant therein it is committed to dispose of those things which are in Heaven To them it is given to have that power which our Lord would not give to Angels nor Arch-Angels for it was not said to them whatsoever thou shalt bind upon Earth it shall be bound in Heaven Indeed the Princes on Earth have also power of binding but the bodies only but the bonds which I speak of in Priests concerns the Soul and reaches even to the Heavens in so much that what the Priest doth beneath the self-same God ratifies and our Lord confirms the sentence of his Servants what therefore other thing can you say but that all power of Celestial things is granted to them by God for he sayes whose sins ye retain are retained what power can be greater than this The Father gave all power to the Son and I see this power given to Priests by God the Son For the other let us hear what St. Augustine sayes At this so honourable a priviledge Heaven is amazed the Earth admires Man is terrified Hell dreads the Devils tremble and the Angels worship St. Bernard admires it saying O excellent and honourable power of Priests to which nothing in Heaven nothing on Earth can be compared in fine St. Francis gives us an Admonition saying We Catholicks ought to Worship and Reverence Priests for their Office and Administration of the most Holy Body and Blood of Christ which they Consecrate and receive and Administer to others The end of the First Part. The Second Part Containing a Brief Explication of the Masse SECT I. Of the First Part of the Masse from the beginning to
kind of sins before expressed many do say that this number of Three carries with it a certain kind of Universality So this Triple Repetition imports a confession of a multitude of Sins as if he should say I have sinned innumerable wayes each time he knocks his breast imitating therein the Publican who as the Sacred Text sayes stood afar off and would not so much as lift up his eyes towards Heaven but knocked his breast saying Lord be merciful to me a sinner All which is to be seen in the Priest's action for as is said before he stands afar off from the Altar and in saying his Confiteor he stands bowing his head towards the Earth as not daring to lift up his eyes to Heaven and knocks his breast esteeming as Theodoret sayes of the Publican himself altogether unworthy to behold the Heavens who had placed his affections on the Earth and Earthly things and in holding his hands joyned before his breast and saying Mea culpa my fault my fault my most grievous fault he tacitly cryes out our Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Q. What means the knocking of the Breast A. It hath been and is the custome of all God's Servants nay it seems to be a natural propension to express the grief or sorrow of the mind by striking the breast which St. Augustine declares what is it sayes he to knock or strike the breast but to declare what lyes hid in the breast and by an evident or manifest stroke to chastise the hidden Sin Or as he sayes in another place to chastise our flesh because we have offended God and again he sayes The striking of the breast is the contrition of the heart that is it is a sign or manifestation of the hearts contrition St. Cyprian sayes We strike our breast as declaring the sins enclosed inwardly in our hearts St. Hierome as if we would expel our evil thoughts from the heart Pope Nicholas 1. In striking the breast we signifie that we strike our selves before God strikes us or that we confess our selves to be worthy of stripes or punishment St. Chrysostome we take revenge of our selves to pacifie our Judge In fine we strike or knock our breast as if we would do it to our heart or will which has been the Original cause of our sins or as if we would open our hearts to give vent to our sorrow and grief for that we have offended so good a God and we do it thrice in correspondence to the Triple kind of sin wherein we have offended God in thought word and deed or to express the multitude of our sins What is said in Confession may proportionably be applyed to the Hearers who I suppose have learnt the Confiteor either in Latin or in English that besides the use of it in other occasions they may joyn themselves with the Priest in this Confession for he beggs it of them in acknowledging his sin before them and desiring them to pray for him sure it is as necessary for them they stand in as much need at least as he and I know not how they can be better employed in order to a preparation to the more beneficial hearing of Masse 5. Of what follows in the Masse until the Priest goes to the Altar Q. What follows the Confiteor A. The Clark or he that serves at Masse prayes for the Priest that God would shew his mercy to him pardon his sins to the end that he may worthily celebrate the Holy Sacrifice and by it come to life everlasting whose prayers are as we may piously believe accompanied with the intercession of the Angels and Saints whose help he has also invocated It is a pious action in the standers by to add their Votes which the Priest also requires to all which the Priest sayes Amen When all as the Priest supposes have said the Confiteor the Priest makes the same prayer for them who saying Amen do attend for the general Absolution which the Priest gives saying Indulgentiam Absolutionem c. in saying whereof the Priest makes the sign of the Cross on himself thereby tacitly professes that he gives this Absolution and Remission by vertue of Christ's Cross and Passion which Communicated by the Church the Assistants may also with Devotion sign themselves with the same sign and devoutly say Amen Q. What Absolution is this here given A. I said before that the Confession here made was not properly Sacramental as in the Sacrament of Pennance in like manner this Absolution is no other but Sacerdotal and has its effects by way of deprecation or prayer which is more available because it is done by a Priest of whom St. Chrysostome sayes His Throne is placed in Heaven and he has Authority to pronounce and declare Celestial things and whom as St. Paul teaches we are to esteem as the Ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God and therefore all present ought with Humility bow their heads to receive it signing themselves with the sign of the Cross as before is said Q. What follows the Absolution A. The Priest after this makes some Jaculatory prayers reciting some verses of the Psalms expressing his confidence in God's mercy and goodness by which he presumes to go to the Altar and that his prayer will be heard which he assures us by Dominus vobiscum our Lord is with you and therefore let us proceed to the performance of this Sacrifice for having before declared that God is turned unto us he beggs his mercy in this his action and makes his humble petition that his prayer which he is to make therein may be heard It is very convenient that those who understand Latin should answer to the Priest with correspondent affections those who do not may consider God's goodness in giving such power to Priests and with Devotion expect the grace and benefit of the Absolution and seriously attending to the Admonition that the Priest gives them in saying Dominus vobiscum our Lord is with you I am now going to the Altar to offer Sacrifice for you and our Lord will be with us in correspondence thereto they may devoutly say Et cum spiritu tuo and with thy spirit which because it occurs frequently in the Masse every one ought to learn that they may shew their minds to be attentive to what the Priest does all along in this Sacrifice After that the Priest sayes Oremus let us pray as if he should say since our Lord is with us and that he hath shewen his mercy and goodness in pardoning our sins let us now settle our hearts to prayer with confidence believing that whatsoever we shall ask by vertue of this Sacrifice we shall obtain Now because this Dominus vobiscum and Oremus do frequently occur in the Masse I shall speak of them in the next Paragraph 6. Of the Dominus vobiscum and Oremus Q. Why is Dominus vobiscum so often used in the Masse A. The Church uses this
unto us that by the Oblation of his Body and effusion of his Blood alone we must come to receive the effects of celestial Benediction We may here contemplate our Saviour on the Cross or the Oblation which Christ made of himself in the Sacrifice of the Cross for as the Apostle saith the blood of Christ who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God cleanses our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God we are Sanctifyed by the Oblation of the body of Jesus once he offering one Host for our sins and by one Oblation he hath consummated for ever them that are Sanctified for on the Cross he gave a consummate Oblation an absolute and compleat price of our Redemption and Sanctification which Oblation is here represented unto us and therefore with a lively faith and confidence we unite our selves in heart and affection to this Oblation which the Priest here makes We may also call to mind what the Apostle propounds as a Law saying As often as you shall eat this Bread and drink this Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord. The Priest represents unto us by the Crosses the manifold afflictions and torments of our Saviour and herein particular his dolours and pains in his five senses and five wounds which we ought to have always in our memory for as St. Bernard sayes The daily lecture of a Christian ought to be the remembrance of our Lord's passion Christ always retains in his body the scars and wounds of his passion whereof we shall have a perpetual joy in Heaven Christians then ought to keep them in their heart by a continual remembrance of them here on Earth Christ keeps his wounds in Heaven the Church represents them in the Masse let us keep them in our hearts 9. Of the second Memento Q. What means the Memento here A. This is called the second Memento wherein as in the first Memento we prayed for the living so here the Pirest prayes for the dead according to the ancient custome of the Church in all her Liturgies But we may add that the Church only prayes for such who in this life had the sign of Faith that is who were Baptized and have made profession thereof to their death or at least dyed in the true faith being truly repented for their sins and dying in the state of grace which St. Augustine thus expresses When Sacrifices either of the Altar or of whatsoever Alms are offered for the dead who have been Baptized for those who are very good they are but thanksgivings for those who are not very evil they are propitiations for those who are very evil they are no helps when they are dead whatsoever the living do for them but to whom they are profitable they profit to this that they may have full Remission or that their punishment may be made more tollerable Q. Does he pray for any in particular A. In the same manner as he prayed for the living in the other Memento for whom here he prayes for their eternal rest or the fruition of God in Heaven which with the wise man the Church calls the place of refreshment for delivery from a place of Torments to the place of peace from a place of darkness to a place of light in being perfectly reconciled to God Q. But why does the Church pray for the dead in this place A. It might suffice to say that such is the custome of the Church as appears in all her Liturgies and to question this according to St. Augustin's verdict is insolent madness but to satisfie your curiosity I will give a rational motive if first you call to mind the Article of our Faith concerning the Communion of Saints which extends it self not only to the faithful on Earth but also to the Angels and Saints in Heaven and in some manner to the Souls in purgatory who partake of this Communion by reason of their Faith Devotion and piety in this life for accordingly they are more or less capable to receive the Suffrages and prayers of the living and of this Oblation whence the Church having represented the Communion of them for men who in their several degrees concur to the Oblation of this Sacrifice makes remembrance of those who cannot actively concur thereto but by the mercy of God are capable to receive proportionably to their State the effects of this Sacrifice and therefore after that the Oblation is compleated she makes it for the Dead We may also give another reason for that the Masse is a representation of Christ's passion as in each part has been observed so in this the Church represents Christs descention he being now dead according to another Article of our Creed he descended into Hell that is into Limbo Patrum yea Purgatory it self as many Divines hold to deliver the Holy Fathers and others from the Prisons wherein they were detained For as St. Ireneus sayes Christ descended to them to draw them out and save them In memory whereof the Church prayes here for the delivery or releasement of the Souls in Purgatory by making application of this Sacrafice to them which is all one and to apply unto them the passion and death of Christ Although we may in charity or obligation offer up the whole Masse for the comfort of the dead or for some particular friends yet here is the proper place to do it in union with the prayer of the Church which is more profitable to the Souls in Purgatory and conformable to the Churches institution Here then we may pray for our dead Parents Relations Friends and Benefactors even as we did in the Memento for such living imagining with our selves that such do cry out with 〈◊〉 Have mercy on me have mercy on me at least ye my friends because the hand of our Lord hath touched me 10. Of Nobis quoque Peccatoribus Q. What follows after this praying for the Dead A. The Church having prayed for the living and dead now goes to pray for sinners wherefore the Priest now returns to pray for himself and for all who communicate with him in this Sacrifice under the notion of sinners who in some manner are less capable of the benefit of this Sacrifice for the dead for whom the Church prayes are in state of grace and consequently more apt to receive the effects thereof whereas sinners as such are in an opposite disposition However the Priest here prayes for himself and for all present or rather for all sinners whereof he esteems himself one It is indeed one of the most proper Titles we can give to our selâ—â—s If the Priest or any other present should esteem themselves other wise they should not be worthy of this Holy Sacrament for as St. John sayes If we shall say that we have no sin we seduce our selves and the truth is not in us The Priest then in his own person so acknowledges himself and presumes the same humility to be in all who are there present
for our sins and rose again for our justification The Resurrection was the term and accomplishment of the passion merits and of all Christs oeconomie Whence the Resurrection and passion are esteemed as one work of our Redemption and one moral compleat action whereby together and at once Christ merited Remission of our sins and our justification which we may believe was the occasion that the Church in this place adds the representation of the Resurrection the rather because as St. Paul sayes if Christ be not risen again vain is our faith for Christs death would not have been efficacious if he had remained in Death Death would have been victorious Let us therefore joyn with the Church in joy and exultation for so happy Tydings Thirdly we may consider how earnestly the Church in this place prays for peace both in the precedent as also in the following prayers let us joyn ours humbly begging the peace of mind which is a perfect disposition towards the receiving of the Eucharist and spiritual grace for as St. Chrysostome sayes where peace is there all things will prosper and surely without fraternal peace according to our Saviours Decree we are not in a fitting disposition to offer Sacrifice and the Eucharist devoutly taken will bring us to the peace of Eternity 3. Of the Agnus Dei and what follows Q. What means the Agnus Dei A. After that the Priest kneels down and rising layes his joyned hands on the Altar to shew that his whole intention is conformable to his words and in exteriour action of submissive inclination as a poor captive Sinner before Christ Jesus and joyntly with the people he asks mercy of Almighty God in token whereof he and all present knocks their breasts saying O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World have mercy on us That as Alphonsus de Pisa sayes raising up our minds by faith we may understand that the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World is placed on the holy Altar and incruently Sacrificed by the Priest for by this faith we adore and beseech the Lamb of God to release our miseries which consists in the bond of sin Q. Why is Christ called Lamb of God A. St. John Baptist when he saw Christ coming to him said Behold the Lamb of God behold him that takes away the sins of the World from whom the Church has taken these words The Interpreters of these words do give four Reasons applicable to our Subject First he is so called because as a Lamb he was offered on the Cross for the Redemption of the World so the Prophet Jeremy in the person of Christ sayes I am a mild Lamb that is carried to slaughter and St. John stiles him the Lamb that was slain Secondly He is so called because of his Innocency Meekness Patience and Obedience whereof the Lamb is an Emblem all which he manifested in his whole life but principally in his passion wherein as Esay sayes he was offered bccause himself would and not opened his mouth as a Sheep to slaughter shall he be led and as a Lamb before his Shearers he shall be dumb and shall not open his mouth Thirdly St. Epiphanius and St. Gregory Nazian will have him so called because by Christ we are cloathed as with a Lambs Fleece And St. Hierome He has not only redeemed us with his blood but also cloathed us with his Wool that whereas we were cold by infidelity he might make us warm by his Garment according to that of the Apostle as many of you as are Baptized have put on Christ that as St. Anselm sayes our conversation as in a splendant Garment may be in the Sanctity of Christ by which we have Sanctity or Christianity Lastly and most properly to this place the Sacred Text testifies that the Israelites by Gods command among other Sacrifices had one which was called the daily Sacrifice and was of two Lambs one in the morning the other in the evening which did figuratively represent the true Lamb Christ Jesus who is our daily Sacrifice and as such is here invocated also by the morning Lamb is understood Christ on the Cross and the evening Sacrifice is the same passion in the Masse which is to endure to the end of the World Q. But why is it said three times A. Bishop Ivo will have it in correspondence to the three particles of the Host Durand gives another signification to wit to declare that this Lamb Christ Jesus was sent by the holy Trinity according to the Prophet Esay send forth O Lord the Lamb the Dominatour of the Earth Christ the Lamb which takes away the sins of the World and rules the whole Church have mercy on us or we may say that it is said thrice for a deeper expression of our Faith Adoration Supplication in thought word and deed Q. But why is it said in the end grant us peace A. Gavant sayes that formerly it was said have mercy on us then also conformable to what is said in the beginning of the Masse Kyrie Eleison but divers persecutions arising Durand sayes many adversities happening it was changed into grant us peace which he confirms with an example of the Prophet Joel spare O Lord spare thy people and give not thy Inheritance to repreach Here we may with the Seniors in the Apocalips that is with all faithful Christians adore the Lamb Christ Jesus and bowing our selves say To him who sits in the Throne and to the Lamb be Benediction and Honour and glory and power for ever and ever and then make our Supplication O Lamb of God who dyedst for us on the Cross take away our sins have mercy upon us according to the multitude of thy mercies O Lamb of God who by thy meekness innocency and patience hast animated us to come with confidence unto thee we humbly beseech thee mercifully to look down upon us sinners and have mercy upon us O Lamb of God we come unto thee no way presuming of our Justice and merits which we know to be wanting in us but cloathed with thy merits whereof we are partakers by this daily Sacrifice wherein thou art daily offered in the whole Church grant us thy peace and be unto us a pacifique Host a peace offering grant us the effects of this holy Sacrifice and so dispose our Souls that in true peace of Conscience we may approach to this holy Sacrament Q. Is it said alwayes in this manner A. The verse O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World is said in all Masses except only Easter-Eve because it represents our Saviour not yet risen but in Masses of the dead instead of Lord have mercy upon us the Church uses grant them rest and in the last grant them rest everlasting Where we may note that the Church supposes them to be in peace for that they are now freed from all the miseries of this World from all Temptations of the Flesh and illusions