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A07609 A treatise of the holy sacrifice of the masse, and excellencies therof. Written in Spanish by the R. F. Ant. de Molina, a Carthusian monke, & translated into English by I.R. of the Society of Iesus. VVith order, hovv to be present at the said Holy Mystery, vvith deuotion & profit Molina, Antonio de, d. 1619?; Floyd, John, 1572-1649, attributed name.; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645? 1623 (1623) STC 18001; ESTC S112780 50,509 307

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of all which it is sufficiently proued that this one Sacrifice of the new Testament contaynes in it most excellētly with great excesse all the perfection sanctity and efficacy of all the Sacrifices of the old as the same afornamed Saint doth elegātly briefly set down in these words It is cleere that no Sacrifice can be offered more acceptable vnto God eyther to giue him honour or to render him thankes or to obtayne pardon or to deserue glory then the most holy Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Christ. The Masse is the thing most Venerable that is in the Church CHAP. XI OVT of that which hath byn sayd we may cōclude that the Masse is a thing of greater reuerence grauity and sanctity then any other in the Catholicke Church there being nothing eyther equall or comparable to it So that neyther the Benediction of the Agnus Dei which the Pope doth with so great solemnity nor the Consecration of a Bishop which with so many graue and solemne ceremonyes is performed all which of necessity three Bishops are to present besides him that is consecrated nor the Dedicatiō of a Church nor any other thing done with the greatest and solemnest Rites none of these thinges are comparable for Reuerence Grauity Sanctity with the Masse This is the reason that the Saints adorne this Sacrifice with so many choice exquisite Epiphets and tearmes calling it a Mystery Dreadfull Terrible Diuine Deificall Sacro-saynt full of Diuinity Honorable Supreme Singular and other such Names that euery where occurre in the writings of the Holy Fathers Out of whome omitting many very excellent thinges which they say of the dignity of the Masse I will only set down two or three short sentēces which to me seeme most notable S. Chrysostome writes that being present at Masse we must not imagine we are vpon earth but that we are carryed vp into Heauen that we are seated amongst the Quires of Angels and Seraphims His wordes are these When thou doest behold our Lord sacrificed the Priest performing his office therin and the people bedewed and as it were grained and purpled with his pretious Bloud do not thinke that thou art amongst men nor that thou dost abide vpon earth but rather that thou art transtated into Heauen and so casting away all carnall imaginations and earthly thoughts with a pure minde contemplate the things of that Celestiall Court Oh Miracle Oh Benignity of God! who sitting aloft with the Father at the same tyme is taken into the handes of men and giues himselfe vnto such as will receaue him To the same purpose S. Gregory wryteth in this sort What Christian can doubt but that in the tyme of Consecration the Heauens open at the voyce of the Priest and at this very Mysterie of Christ Iesus the Quires of Angels assist Earth is conioyned with Heauen this wale of teares with the pallace of Blisse and that visible and inuisible things meete togeather in one A wonderfull dreadfull venerable thing that at the voyce of a Priest the Heauens should open that the glorious Court should come down vnto earth that with the Faythfull of the Militant Church though poore and sinfull the Triumphant Church should ioyne the King of glory and his Courtiers descēding so that of Heauen and earth is made one Company and Church What thinge of greater veneration or more strange then that when the Priest is at the Aultar many millions of Angells kneele with greate reuerence about the same adoring the most holy Sacrifice the handes of the Priest that holds it acknowledging his dignity in this regard to be greater then theirs seeing to none of them such power and authority was euer giuē praysing our Lord giuing him the thankes which wee through our grosnes do not render vnto him and supplying other defects which we in this duty commit Oh holy Angels how often am I ashamed do I blush to consider that you are present seeing you shall be at the day of Iudgment witnesses of our vngratitude rudenes that God hauing placed vs in so high a state of honour we do neyther know it nor esteeme it nor exercise it with the decency and reuerence that is due In fine that quires of Angells assist at the time that Masse is sayd is a most setled and receaued doctrine of the Saynts namely of S. Ambrose in his Bookes written of the dignity of Priest-hood And S. Chrysost. deposeth to haue heard the same of venerable and holy men to whome God granted the fauour to see this euen with corporall eyes S. Cyrill in the life of S. Euthimius relates of him that at the tyme when he sayd Masse he saw Angels assisting about the Aultar some ministring vnto the Priest some prostrate adoring the Sacrament and all shewing great reuerēce And the Apostle S. Paul may seeme to insinuate this thing making a comparison and differēce betweene the Mysteries of the old Testament and these of the new and betweene the Maiesty wherwith God descended to giue the Law on the Mount Sina that Maiesty wherwith now he comes downe vpon the holy Aultar in an inuisible manner he sayth thus You are come not vnto a Mountayne that is felt with the handes nor vnto a fire which is seene with the eyes nor vnto stormes and mystes tempests the sound of trumpets but you are come to the Mount Sion and the Citty of the liuing God and the Heauenly Ierusalem and vnto the company of many thousand Angels and vnto the Mediatour of the new Testament Iesus and the sprinkling of his Bloud speaking in better manner then that of Abel And without doubt if God should opē our eyes as he did vnto the seruant of Elizeus we might there behold celestiall Armyes and we should learne the veneration and reuerence wherwith they assist vnto their King and Lord perceaue how much they are offēded at our irreuerence and rudenes And to conclude this point omitting many other sayings of the Saints concerning the veneration and reuerence due to the holy Sacrifice of the Masse I will only relate the words of the most deuout learned and elegant Father Saint Laurence Patriarch of Venice who wrytes in this manner There is not any oblation greater none more profitable none more amiable none more gracious in the sight of the Diuine Maiesty then the holy Sacrifice of the Masse which restores honour vnto God company vnto Angels Heauen vnto banished men which causeth the worship of Religion the right of Iustice the rule of Sanctity the obedience of the Law giues Fayth vnto Nations ioy vnto the World comfort vnto Belieuers peace vnto People light vnto the minde hope vnto them that trauayle the sight of God vnto them that runne out their race For by the celebration of these Diuine Mysteries is renewed the memory of the tormēts of our Sauiour the contumelies he endured the scourges he receaued the drafts of vinager and gall the woundes
repeated the very same Sacrifice he offered on the Crosse being offered a new vnto the Eternall Father with the same valew merit and powerfulnes as it then had and as able to giue him pleasure content glory and honour This we doe when we celebrate Masse and consequently we yield vnto Christ our Lord the greatest pleasure and cōtent and we doe him the best seruice that can possibly be giuen vnto him and if we may so speake we doe him the greatest charity that may be herein shew ourselues to be his seruants and friends more then in doing for him all other thinges in the world And verily we should esteeme this as a great felicity and treasure and our selues herein most fortunate that we haue some thinges wherein we may do seruice and yield pleasure and content vnto our most louing Lord and Master Christ Iesus specially a thing that we may haue so good cheape a thing so dew vnto him who with so much payne and at the deare rate of his pretious Bloud procured the same for vs not sparing any labour nor stying any difficulty to make the same profitable vnto vs. And what is sayd of the most Sacred Humanity of our Lord Iesus Christ may be extended vnto and with a kind of proportion vnderstood of the most sacred Virgin his Mother and euery other Saynt that we can do them no better seruice we can giue them nothing of greater content nothing can we more shew that we are their most affection at friēds then in offering vnto God the holy Sacrifice of the Masse in their name honour For though we may not offer Sacrifice vnto any Saynt no not to the most Glorious Virgin Mother Queene of Heauen for this the sacred Councell of Trēt declareth to be vnlawfull yet we may make commemoration of their merits giue thankes vnto God for the benefits he bestowed on them and for the glory wherwith now they are made Blessed offering also their meritts vnto GOD which they togeather with vs also offer vnto our common Lord and Maister to supply our defects in their name as the aforesayd most deuout and contemplatiue Authour declareth in these wordes If we be as it is reason we should be desirous to giue vnto the most glorious Queene of the Angels as much honour and glory as is due vnto her we must coming from the Masse or holy Communion with the like ardent charity humility and reuerence offer vnto her most pure armes her most sweet louing Sonn whome we haue in our custody For this Oblation she receaueth with more content the same is to her of more honour and glory thē any whatsoeuer other that eyther all men or all Angels can offer vnto her if it be not likewise the gift and oblation of God and of her Sonne as this is And thus we may at any tyme so longe as we haue our Sauiour within our breast that is vntill the Sacramentall formes of bread and wine be consumed by the naturall heate of the stomacke The like Oblation may be made vnto any Saynt or vnto all the Saynts in the aforesayd manner in their honour and the honour of God Wherefore it being a thing cleere what great glory honour prayse and content Priests all other Christians may giue vnto God vnto the soueraign Virgin Empresse of Heauē and the other Saynts of the Celestiall Ierusalem by meanes of the most holy Sacrament of the Aultar Let all that haue notice hereof consider what great cause they haue to spend themselues and to doe the vttermost of their power to be continually so prepared and disposed that no day may passe wherin they do not eyther celebrate the holy Masse or receaue the most holy Mysteries Whereunto besides what hath byn sayd this consideration may likewise encourage them that they may assure themselues that by the meanes of this rich present sooner then by any other they shal obtayne of the Father of Mercyes of the Blessed Virgin Mary our B. Lady all the Saints of the Heauēly citty whatsoeuer they shall demande Which confidence may iustly be the greater in this respect that by this Oblation made in the manner aforesayd vnto the Saynts we get thē to be our Aduocats and Friends obliged to pray and intercede for vs. All these are the words of the afore-mentioned Authour worthy that all consider practise the things counselled therein and benefit themselues by an aduise so important facile and profitable Other innumerable dignityes excellencyes and magnificencies may be sayd of the holy Masse and are gathered of the former definitions declarations and explications giuen thereof which if we should particularly declare this Treatise would grow of too great a bignes For example that the Masse is of greater glory ioy and comfort vnto the Saynts and Angels of Heauen thē any other thing that is don or can be don in this world That the same is of greater profit and vtility to the Militāt Church of greater force to helpe relieue the soules in Purgatory of greater importance and efficacy for our spirituall progresse and increase in perfection and this with so great excesse that if we put in one side of the balance all that we doe in the day and night supposing we spend them wholly in vertuous and holy Exercises all this togeather weigheth not so much as a drame in comparison of one Masse that we say with the due required disposition Wherefore though for no other reason yet at least in respect of our interest and profit and to spare greater paynes and labour and to enrich our pouerty to supply our wants out of treasury of the merits of our Lord Iesus Christ we ought to procure with all diligence to dispose our selues to celebrate and to assist at the most sacred Mysteries of the Masse and to receaue the most Diuine Sacrament with all purity and perfection possible The externall Reuerence and Worship to be vsed in the holy Masse CHAP. XIIII HITHERTO we haue set downe considerations that may stirre vp in vs inward reuerence and deuotion towardes the holy Sacrifice of the Masse aswell in Priests that celebrat as in other Christians that assist thereat And although where inward reuerēce and worship is found there externall Reuerence Grauity Composition and all other decent gate will not be wāting yet to make this Treatise more full it will be cōuenient to adde something also concerning this second kind of Reuerence the wāt whereof is scandalous and occasion to many to thinke lesse reuerently of the holy Mysteries Also the time we liue in may seeme to require both of Priests and Laymen that in this externall Reuerēce they be most punctuall and exact concerning the sacred ceremonies and externall Rites of this Diuine Oblation because the Heretickes of our tyme do oppose specially against these Ceremonies impugne the Externall Rite and Worship vsed by the Catholike Church in the Diuine seruice Wherfore it is good