Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	dead_a	pray_v	purgatory_n	2,466	5	10.6300	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52184	The liturgical-discourse of the holy sacrifice of the masse by omission of controversial questions; abridged and accommodated to the pious use of devout Christians in hearing masse, by A.F. the authour of the same at the instance of some devout friends.	Angelus à Sancto Francisco, 1601-1678.	1675 (1675)	Wing M938; ESTC R217659	145,436	447

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 sel●●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

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