fructifie shew in your actions what you have promised in your Orisons you have received the pledge of eternity so walk that you may come to it Some very impertinently would have the custome of saying Ite missa est to have been used in the dismission of the Catechumens for although that after the Gospel they were dismissed because they were not permitted to be present at the holy Mysteries as is to be seen in St. Denis and in the Laodicean Council yet in no place do we find this manner of salutation unto them Only in the Liturgie of St. Basil and St. Chrysostome there is a command given that they should withdraw or go forth Discedite Catechumeni But this Ite missa est was alwayes said in the end of the Masse only to the faithful Christians after they had been partakers of the Mysteries It is true that as St. Clement teaches sometimes the Priest said Ite in pace Go in peace which words Christ did frequently use after some of his miraculous Works and imports as much as the God of peace be with you all not much differing in sence from the Ite missa est for the peace which that presents is that which is to be obtained by the Masse So that in saying it the Priest assures us that peace is imparted unto us by the Sacrifice of the Masse We may piously meditate that at Christs Ascention the Disciples were Devoutly kneeling praying and adoring our Saviour until such time as the Angels did cry out unto them Ye men of Galilee why stand you looking up to Heaven this Jesus who is assumpted from you into Heaven shall so come as you have seen going into Heaven as if they should say go and so lead your lives that ye may come to that glory which is promised us in Christs Ascention and let us Devoutly answer the Priest by saying Deo gratias imitating the Apostles who as St. Luke sayes adoring went back into Hierusalem with great joy and they were alwayes in the Temple praising and blessing God which is conformable to this part of the Mass which as is said before ought to be of praise and thanksgiving whence in Easter-time the Church adds Alleluja as a Canticle of joy and praise joy in our Souls and peace to God Q. What is the second Conclusion A. Sometimes the Church concludes the Mass with Benedicamus Domino which she uses in all penitential times as in Advent Lent The Ember days and Vigils as also in the Ferial days out of Easter time in which times as she omits the Gloria in excelsis which is a Hymn of joy so she omits the Ite missa est and in its place says Benedicamus Domino Let us bless our Lord. Durand gives a plausible reason for it saying that in the primitive Church when there was any solemn Congregation the Priests were wont to conclude with Ite missa est but when there were but a few or none of the faithful people with Benedicamas Domino and consequently to this when he says Ite He remains turned to the people after Dominus vobiscum but when he says Benedicamus he turns to the Altar it is not incongruously said that Ite missa est is used in times of joy in which the people are dismissed but in those primitive times they are referred to prayer for remission of their sins Q. What is the third Conclusion A. That which is only used in Masses for the dead when instead of the other there is said Requiescant in peace Let them rest in peace which is suitable to the whole course of the Masse wherein is no special prayer for the living but what is then said to the living is only to incite them to pray for the dead as the Priest does all along and consequently standing near to the Altar in the end he salutes not the people but prays for the dead and so passes on without giving any Benediction as in all others he does because the Benediction is not given but to them that are present whose part is only to say Amen as devoutly joyning with the Priest 3. Of the Priest's Benediction Q. What Prayer is that which the Priest then makes A. He prays that his service or Sacrifice not done by presumption but in Obedience to Christ and his Church may be pleasing and acceptable to the Divine Majesty as well for himself as for all those for whom he has offered it whereof we have a resemblance in Moses saying to Aaron Approach to the Altar and immolate for thy sin offer the Holocaust and pray for thy self and for the People and when thou hast slain the Peoples Host pray for them as our Lord hath commanded This prayer being made the Priest kisseth the Altar as in confidence of his Sacrifice being accepted by God he turns to the people and saying The Omnipotent God Father and Son and holy Ghost bless you Amen Making the sign of the Cross on all who are present where we may note that as formerly has been declared the Church in all Sacraments and Benedictions invocates the blessed Trinity and that as the Mass begins with the invocation of the holy Trinity so it ends Q. Whence comes the use of this Benediction A. The Church has taken it from the Law of Nature Moses his Law and from the Law of grace In the Law of Nature Melchisedech after he had offered his Sacrifice of Bread and Wine a true figure of the Sacrifice of the Mass as is declared in the first part he blessed Abraham Jacob also blessed Joseph's Children and particularly at the time of his death and when God taught Moses the manner of Consecration and Oblation he determined a set form of blessing the people Our Lord bless thee and keep thee Our Lord shew his face to thee and have mercy on thee our Lord turn his countenance unto thee and give thee Peace Where we may note that the form of the Benediction is virtually the same for in that form there is thrice our Lord presenting the Father Son and holy Ghost and they are but a more ample Declaration of Gods blessings which is sufficiently expressed in what the Priest says Omnipotent God who can by his power give all good gifts bless you Rabanus makes this application of it Our Lord God the Father bless thee and keep thee by his Omnipotency Our Lord God the Son shew his face to thee by his incarnation and have mercy on thee by his passion Our Lord God the holy Ghost turn his countenance unto thee by his gracious inspirations and give thee peace by the infusion of his grace It has been also used in Christ's Church even from the beginning as is to be seen in all antient Liturgies The Grecians who use St. Basils and St. Chrysostomes Liturgies have it to this day for the Priest turning about to the people says Our Lord keep ye all in his grace and goodness perpetually now always and for ever Amen But the
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
the Gospel for going from the right side of the Altar and coming to the middle he humbly makes prayer that he may worthily and competently denounce the Gospel with a clean heart Thirdly When he is come to the Book he Solemnly pronounces Dominus vobiscum to give us notice that he is now to read the words of God and to move our attention because our Lord by his word is with us and to make us more decile and apt to give ear to the good Tydings brought unto us of the Kingdom of Heaven and for our instruction he names the Evangelist from whom the Gospel is taken and in saying it signs the Book with the sign of the Cross to signifie that the Gospel contains the work of our Redemption or that by the Cross we have received the benefit of the Evangelical Doctrine Fourthly The Priest also signs his forehead mouth and breast with the same sign of the Cross on his forehead to manifest his faith on his mouth and his breast to intimate the charity or love of his heart by signing his forehead he recalls his memory from all other things by signing his mouth he expells all other thoughts from his heart from whence the mouth speaks by signing his breast he purifies by vertue of the Cross the affections of his will Again he imprints the Cross on his forehead to shew that he is not ashamed to profess the Gospel but would have all to know that he is a servant of Christ Jesus and a lover of the Cross he also seals his mouth or lips mentally saying with the Psalmist I will confess to our Lord exceedingly with my mouth and in the midst of many I will praise him in declaring his Holy Gospel and lastly he signs his breast to declare that what he professes and declares with his mouth that he believes in Heart and Soul Fifthly We may consider how Reverently the Priest standeth before the Book with joyned hands bowing his Head in the beginning and end as also at the Holy name of Jesus Lastly he kisses the Missal in token of Reverence to Gods word or as a gage o promise of the observance thereof and then briefly prayes that the Evangelical words may take effect in his Soul In all which we may see the great Reverence that the Church of God has alwayes had to the Holy Scriptures Q. But what are we to do then A. Standing devoutly as is said before we receive the Priest's Salutation answering Et cum spiritu tuo intimating that they are attentive to what he is to read and when he sayes Sequentia Sancti Evangelij c. We make Reverence by bended knee or bowed head or both towards the Altar and with a joyful and grateful acclamation say Gloria tibi Domine Glory be unto thee O Lord signing our selves after the example of the Priest and for the same consideration on the forehead mouth and breast of which we have now spoken all which we may apply to our selves and in like manner bow at the Sacred name of Jesus When the Priest has ended the Gospel we say Laus tibi Christe Praise be to thee O Christ to give thanks and praise to Christ who revealed this his word unto us and with humble submission and bended knee as in the beginning in like manner signing our selves on the forehead professing our selves to be ready to perform what is declared unto us on the mouth making it known to others and on the breast to conserve and keep what they have learned and heard in their hearts and minds We may reflect on the great happiness of those who heard our Saviour Preaching and Teaching the People and imitate the example of these who followed him and glorified him in all his works We may also call to mind Christ's sentence Every one that heareth these my words and doth them shall be likened to a wise man that built his House upon a Rock and every one that heareth these my words and doth them not shall be like a foolish man that built his House upon the Sand and then remember the words of St. Paul That we ought to observe those things which we hear Note here what is said concerning the reading of the Epistle and apply it to the Gospel 14. Of the Creed Q. What means the Creed A. We English have taken this word Creed from the Latin word Credo which is the first word and signifies I believe and is commonly called the Symbole of our Faith St. Denis terms it a Signal or token of our Faith and Piety Optatus an Vniversal character of our Faith whereby as St. Ambrose sayes we are known to be Catholicks St. Ireneus calls it the Rule of Faith and Verity the Rule whereby we are regulated in our belief To omit others I will conclude with St. Leo It is a brief and perfect confession of our Faith which is signed by so many sentences of the Twelve Apostles and so well composed by Divine power that with this Sword alone all the opinions of Hereticks are cut up Q. Why is it said in the Masse A. The Gospel is the Code of Christ's Law and the Creed is an Abridgment thereof or a short Declaration of our belief thereto The Gospel is a publick Proclamation or Declaration of Christ's Doctrine and the Creed is an acceptance thereof by which we manifest with heart and mouth that we profess and confess that Doctrine and Law of Jesus Christ and is congruously said in this place for besides that it is a profession of our Faith which is required to the better performance of the Sacrifice which the Holy Fathers commonly call the Mystery of Faith it is also a Hymn of Divine praise wherein with heart and mouth we give thanks to God for the benefits we have received by his Holy Gospel Durand sayes that the Creed doth aptly follow the Gospel to shew that we receive the Evangelical word or Preaching which we manifest by effect The Symbole after the Gospel Faith after Preaching according to the words of St. John when he spoke these words many believed in him Finally as the Gospel does signifie Christ's Preaching and Teaching so the Creed doth represent the Conversion of the World to the Faith of Christ Jesus Q. Do the People stand or kneel at the Creed A. Durand affirms that all ought to stand because it is all one with the Gospel or the principal heads of the Gospel certainly there is as much reason for standing at the Creed in the Masse as at Benedictus Magnificat nunc Dimittis as the general custome of the Church Teaches us in the Divine Office as also at the Te Deum and at St. Athanasius his Creed which are but Canticles of praise as professions of our Faith Moreover this posture of standing shews a promptitude and readiness of mind to put in execution what is propounded in the Creed which is Mystically commended unto us by St. Paul Stand therefore having your Loyns girded