that whosoeuer affirmeth that à Mother is Mother of the flesh but not Mother of the soule speaketh very superfluously the like we conceiue in the generation of Christ For the word of God is borne of the substance of God the Father but because he hath assumed flesh it is necessary that we confesse that he is borne of a woman according to the flesh Our of which words â—e coÌ„cludeth that the B. Virgin is called the Mother of God not because she is Mother of the diuinitie but because she iâ— Mother according to the humanâ—tie of the person hauing diuinitie and humanitie Praie for vs sinners now and at the hower of our Death Amen S. Thomas alleadgeth three reasons why 2. 2. q. 83 a. 4. it should seeme that we ought to praie to God alone The first is because praier is an act of religion and God alone is to be worshiped in that sort The Second is because it is proper to God alone to know our praier especially wheÌ„ we praie mentally The Third is because if we doe praie to any of the SS it is not but onely in regard they are conioyned to God but there are some that yet liue in this world and others that remaine in Purgatory who are nearely conioyned to God by grace vnto whome notwithstanding we are not to praie nor consequently to the SS in Paradise Neuerthelesse this holy Sâ— holdeth the contrary to be true which he confirmeth by that of Iob Iob. 5. Call therefore if there be that will answere thee and turne to some of the Saincts Next he explicateth the state of the question as followeth We offer our praier saieth he to any one in à two fold manner the one as to be fulfilled by him the other as to be impetrated by him In the first manner we offer our praier to God alone for that all our praiers ought to be ordained to obtaine grace and glory which God alone doth giue according to that of the Psalme Our Lord will giue Psal 83 grace and glory But in the Second mauâ—er we offer our praiers to the holie Angells and men not that God maie know our requests by them but that our praiers maie haue their desired effect graunted by their intercession and merits And therefore it is saied in the Apocalipse that Apocal. 83. The smoke of the incenses of the praiers of the Saints ascended from the hand of the Angell before God This is cleare alsoe by the forme of praier vsed by the holy Church for we beseech the blessed Trinitie to be mercifull vnto vs but we desire the Saints of what degree of glory soeuer to praie for vs. Finally this holy Sâ— Answereth the former obiections as followeth To the first he saieth that we by our praier exhibit religious worship to him alone from whome we seâ—kâ— to obtaine what we praie for because in soe doing we acknowledge him to be the author of all our good but this we doe not to them whome we request to be our intercessors betweene him and vs. To the Second he saiet that the dead if we consider their naturall condition doe not know those things that passe in this world and especially the interiour motious 12. Moral of the heart but as Si Gregory affirmeth that which is meet for the Blessed to know conterning the things that are done in this world is manifested vnto them in the Word yea the very internall motions of the heart and indeed is doth exceedingly benefitt their excellencie to know such petitions as are exhibited vnto them whether they be made vocally or mentally and therefore they doe know the petitions we exhibit God manifesting them To the last obiection he answereth that those who are in this world or in Purgatory doe not as yet enioy the cleare vision of the Word that thereby they might know what â—e thinke or saie and therefore we doe not by praier implore their suffrages but of those that liue we aske by way of conference Hauing shewed that it is lawfull to praie to Saints and in what manner we ought to addresse our Petitions vnto them it will be needfull alsoe to proue that they both maie and doe praie for vs for otherwise if they neither could nor would interceed for vs it were in vaine to implore their assistance Concerning which S. Thomas aboue named frameth Fiue reasons why it should seeme that the Saints now in glory neither maie nor doe praie for vs. The First is because an act of any one is more meritorious for himself then for others but the Saints now in glory doe not merit nor praie for themselues because they are constituted in the end for which they were created nor consequently doe they praie for vs. The Second is because the Saints doe conforme their will perfectly to the will of God soe that they desire nothing but what God will but that which God will is alwaies fulfilled wherefore it seemeth in vaine that the Saints should praie for vs. The Third is because as the Saints in glory are in a more eminent degree then we soe likewise are those that are in Purgatory because they cannot now sinne but those that are in Purgatory doe not praie for vs but rather we for them nor consequently the Saints in glory The Fourth is because if the Saints in glory did praie for vs the praier of the superiour Saints would be of greatest efficacie and consequently we ought not to implore the suffrage of the praiers of the inferiour saints but onely of the superiour The Fift is because the soule of Peter is not Peter and therefore if the soules of the Saints did praie for vs whilest they are seperated from their bodies we should not intreat S. Peter but his soule to praie for vs the contrary whereof the holy Church doth practise and therefore it should seeme that the Saints at least before the resurrection doe not praie for vs. Notwithstanding this holy Saint doth hold the contrary to be true which he confirmeth by that of the Machabees This is he that praieth much for the people and for the whole Citie Ieremie the Prophet of God Afterwards he explicateth the state of the question as followeth S. Ierome saieth he doth affirme that it was the error of Vigilantius the heretike That whilest we liue we maie mutually praie for one an other but after we are departed this life no mans praier for an other is heard especially since that the Martyrs doe desire to haue their bloud reuenged and can not obtaine it But this opinion is altogether false for since that Praier exhibited for aÌ„other doth proceed from Charitie by how much the Saints in the celestiall countrey are of more perfect charitie by soe much the more doe they praie for vs that are but vpon the way to beatitude and maie haue help by their praier and by how much they are more immediatly vnited to God by soe much the more are their praiers of greater efficacie
praise to thy eternall Father I desire to performe these howers Another praier or oblation after the diuine office BEnigne Iesus I with humble confidence recommend all that I haue here vndeuoutly done in thyne and thy deare Mothers praise to thy sweet heart there to be rectified and perfected I offer it in vnion of that immense loue wherewith thou didst accomplish the admirable worke of our Redemption desiring that it maie redound to the eternall praise of thy holie name to the increase of glorie of thy immaculate Mother to the increase of glorie of my Angell Guardian and all the Angells and Saints and in particular of N. N. and to the soules health of all the liuing and of the faithfull departed according to thy holie will Amen HERE BEGINNETH THE EXPLICATION OF THE OFFICE HAuing now by Gods grace performed one part of what I promised in my Preface to this worke I will proceed to the other and explicate according to my poore talent euery part of this holie office as they occurre in their seuerall order wherein if I seeme ouer tedious I desire it maie be imputed to the care I haue taken to make all things cleare and plaine sutable to the capacities of them for whose sake I haue spared for noe paines to procure their comfort and satisfaction The two first Verses O Lord thou wilt open my lipps And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Lord intend vnto my help Lord make hast to help me IN the Roman Breuiarie which is Lib. 2. offic Eccles cap. 6. vsed by the secular Clergy these Verses are placed as they are here in this office of the B. Virgin Which Hugh of S. Victor saieth was soe ordained because in Compline we haue recommended ourselues to God and shutt vp our mouthes remaining euery one as it were at rest in our sepulchers attending to God alone vnto whome we need not words to expresse our affections but now for that we againe conuert ourselues to praise him with our lipps we beseech him to open them This forme of praier is very auÌ„cient as maie appeare by the booke of the Iewes intituled Berachoth where it is declared that the Iewes did vsually recite the verse O Lord thou wilt open my lipps c. before all and euery of their praiers Notwithstanding our holie Father S. Benedict prescribing à forme of the diuine office for all such as wage spirituall warre vnder his holie standard placed the second verse O Lord intend c. in the forefront of the office and appointed the first verse to be repeated three tymes afterwards The reason which seemed In Rationa li. 5. c. 2. num 8. to moue him thereunto is set downe by Durandus vdzt because we are not able to open neither our heart nor our mouth to praise almightie God with out aide from him which reason agreeth with that of the Apostle No man can saie 1. Cor. 12. our Lord Iesu Christ but in the holie Ghost Both these waies are very good and approued by the Sea Apostolike and by both of them we desire that we maie be assisted by Gods grace to begin and prosecute our praier to his honour for without his aide as S. Iohn saieth we can Ioh. 15. can doe nothing and moreouer that he will be pleased to repell the deceits of the euâ—ll enimie for as the Glosse well In Psal 69. noteth when we set ourselues to praie then doe the deuills cheifly goe about to molest vs like to flies which corrupt the sweetnes of an odoriferous ointment Abulensis Durandus and others doe affirme that the holie Church in prescribing In 10. num loco cit n. 7. the beginning of tâ—e diuine office and the beginning of Compline by which hower the office is consummated doth imitate the custome which we read of Moyses who when the Arke was lifted vp saied Arise Lord and be thy enimies Li. num cap. 10. dispersed and let them flie that hate thee from thy face when it was set downe he saied Returne Lord to the multitude of thy host of Israel By which forme of praier Moyses did beseech God who seemed before as it were to rest with the Arke and Campe of the Hebrews to arise and direct them on their waie and by his omnipotent power to disperse and put to flight their enimies which were vpon the frontier on all sides and afterwards when they fixed their tents that he would conuert himself vnto them that they might remaine in safegard vnder the shadow of his wings But what reason soeuer moued the holie Church thereunto it is certaine that those Verses in the beginning of the office and in the beginning of Compline being pronounced with sincere affection and confidence in Gods goodnes are of wery great power to profligate the euill enimies and frustrate Colla. 10. c. 10. Tom. 3. in 16. Iunâ— their machinations as doth appeare by what maie be read clegantly expressed in Cassian and Surius vnto whome for breuitie sake I remitt the studious reader Glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost c. AFTER the diuine assistance hath beene thus implored this Hymne of glorification doth follow in good order as à thanksgiuing considing that our Lord hath heard and graunted our petition Our Lord hath heard the desire of Psal 9. Psal 144. the poore saieth the Prophet he hath heard the preparation of their heart in another place He will doe the will of them that feare him and will heare their praier When therefore this Hymne is recited it is the custome to bow downe and adore God then and there present for the Prophet affirmeth God is neare to all that Ibidem inuocate him S. Ierome in his Epistle to Pope Damasus which is registred amongst the acts of the saied Pope in the first Tome of Councells did desire him to ordaine that this Hymne might be recited at the end of euery Psalme in the diuine office that soe the faith of Three hundred and eighteene Bishops in the Nicene Councell might be declared by his voice alsoe which was accordingly performed by the decree of the saied Pope in à Councell held at Rome Some are of opinion that this Hymne was composed by the saied Nicene Councell to distinguish li. de Sp. Sancto c. 29. thereby the true beleeuers from the Arians but S. Basill affirmeth that the author thereof is not certainly knowne Baronius saieth that this Hymne was vsed Tom. 4. in A. D. 382. euen from the tyme of the Apostles which maie be confirmed by the Litburgy of S. Iames where the Preist coming to the Aulter beginneth with these words Glorie be to the Father and the Sonne and the holie Ghost three and one that it was recited by the orientall Church at the end of their Hymnes as now it is in the Hymnes of the diuine office which were composed for the greatest part by S. Ambrose in imitation of
there bee many mansions The exaltations to witt the highest praises of God in their throate If this bee vnderstood of the corporall throate it seemeth to follow that in the celestiall countrey there shall bee vocall praises which Dionysius the Carthusian doth most probably coniecture Yet saieth he it maie bee expounded of the spirituall throate of which we read in the Canticles His fruit was sweet vnto Cant. 2. Prouerb 8. my throate and in the Prouerbs of Salomon My throate shall meditate truth This is the throate by which the word of the heart is vttered and in which spirituall sweetnesse is tasted and two edged swords in their hands By these two edged swords is vnderstood the sentence of reprobation which shall bee pronounced against the impious in the daie of iudgement by the Saints of God especially by the holy Apostles such as haue for Gods sake giuen all they had to the poore and haue followed Christ our Lord not contenting themselues to obserue the commaundements onely but alsoe the Euangelicall counsells of which number are many of the Primitiue Church and all Religious that haue liued according to their holie Institutes labouring for perfection in the best manner they could of which our Sauiour saieth You which haue Math. 19. followed me in the regeneration when the sonne of man shall sit in the seate of his Maiestie you alsoe shall sit vpon twelue seats iudging the twelue tribes of Israel To doe reuenge in the nations chastisements among the peoples These words and the rest following in this Psalme doe shew to what end the Saints haue such swords in their hands to witt that together with Christ they maie take reuenge on peruerse people for the sinnes and iniuries done against God and themselues inflict due punishement vpon them Moreouer To binde their Kings to witt the vniust Kings of the impious in fetters and their nobles in iron manicles by saying with our Sauiour Bind his hands and feete and Math. 22. cast him into vtter darknesse And finally That they maie doe in them the iudgement written to witt that they maie soe iudge the impious as it is decreed in the diuine prescience ordered in the holie scriptures whence is that promise of our Lord to the iust You shall goe forth and Malac. 4. shall leape as Calues of the heard And you shall tread the impious when they shall bee ashes vnder the sole of your feete in the daie that I doe saieth the Lord of hostes This glory to witt to sit with Christ in iudgement and denounce sentence against the world and the princes thereof is to all the Saints belongeth to all the Saints by the ordinance of almighty God Behold here à Psalme inuiting vs to the diuine praise and spirituall gladnesse In it the beatitude of the elect is discribed and the paines of the reptobate are profitably set before vs that we maie bee excited thereby to doe our best to attaine to the society of the Saints and to abhorre the workes and flie the torments of the impious The title and argument of the 150. Psalme and last in the Laudes THe title is Aleluia The Prophet doth by the insueing Psalme inuite all creatures but principally those of the triumphant Church to praise the fountaine of their beatitude and author of their saluation In the precedent Psalme he hath vnfolded the translation of the Saints into the celestiall countrey and therefore he doth with good reason in this exhort the same societie to render thankes to our Lord for soe ineffable à benefit with all sorts of musicall instruments thereby expressing the ardour of his affection to haue the praises of God set forth by all the best meanes possible The exposition of the Psalme O Yee celestiall Cltizens Praise yee our Lord the obiect and cause of your felicity in his holies to witt in his heauenly sanctuary and in the blessed spirits which are his sacred temples rendring the tribute of thankes vnto him for the ineffable benefits he hath bestowed on them and ascribing vnto him all the dowers of blisse and glory where with they are happily inriched Praise yee him in the firmament of his strength to witt in the Imperiall heauen or in the stability of fortitude which he hath giuen to the blessed confirming them in grace and goodnesse Praise yee him in his powers to witt in his holie Angells which are called Vertues or powers or in his potent effects who hath done and suffered soe great things for men and hath soe wonderfully exalted his saints in iudgement in the celestiall countrey Praise yee him according to the multitude of his greatnesse according as he is diuersly great in himselfe and in his workes He is great in wisdome Psal 1â—9 Luc. 1. of which there is noe number He is alsoe great in power because there shall not be impossible with him any word Moreouer he is great in Mercy great in Iustice great yea immense in all perfection But here ariseth à doubt how any man can praise God according to the multitude of his greatnesse in regard that he is infinitely greater and more worthy then all the praise that any creature can exhibite vnto him To which maie be answered That to praise God according to the multitude of his greatnesse is to praise him in the best manner wee can and with all our forces humbly acknowledging our selues altogether insufficient to sett forth his praise and this will suffice on our part that we maie be reputed to haue praised him in that sort The Prophet doth here nominate Seauen instruments wherewith he desireth the Saints should praise our Lord not that musticall instruments haue place in heauen but to designe the ineffable and manifold delectation and iollitie of the blessed in their praysing of God and therefore they are to bee vnderstood in à spirituall sense Praise yee him in the sound of the trumpet to witt with à magnificent praise as being the King of Kings and the giuer of all triumph by whose gracious assistance you haue happily passed the warfare with the world the Diuell and the flesh and obtained à full victory ouer them Praise yee him on Psalter to witt in thankfulnesse for that he hath effected by his grace that you haue been able to keepe his commaundements the obseruance whereof is the Psalter and Harpe to witt in thanksgiuing for the mortification of our flesh in this world Praise yee him on tymbrell to witt for the gift of immortalitie bestowed vpon your bodies sometymes corruptibile and in quire to witt in the quire or order of Angells whereunto you are vnited praise yee our Lord who hath made you equall to them praise yee him on strings to witt with the consonances of Vertues and Organ to witt â—n the sweet harmony of all things conducing to the diuine praise Praise yee him on well sounding Cymballs to witt with heart and mouth Praise yee him on Cymballs of iubilation to witt in the
wrath to witt wilt thou continue thy reuenge from generation to generation vpon all the race of men from the Father to the Sonne for euer Noe truely for thy mercies are aboue all thy workes It is thy property to spare and shew pitie as thou hast declared by thy Prophet saying I know the cogitations that I intend vnto you Ierem. 29. cogitations of peace and not of affliction to giue you an end and patience Therefore O God thou being turned towards vs by the Incarnation and corporall presence of thy onely Sonne shalt quicken vs who lye dead in the guilt of sinne by the life of grace in present and by the life of glorie hereafter Whence our Sauiour saieth I came that they maie haue life and Ioh. 10. maie haue more aboundantly c. And thy people soe quickned shall reioyce not in carnall vaine and vnlawfull things but in thee congratulating with thee in thy goodnesse perfection and beatitude and exulting at thy singular benefits and promisses Of this ioy the Prophet Isaie speaketh in the person of the Christians Loe this is our God we haue expected him Isa 25. and he will saue vs this is our Lord we haue patiently waited for him we shall reioyce and be ioyfull in his saluation Shew vs o Lord thy mercie let Christ thy beloued Sonne the fountaine of mercie manifestly appeare vnto vs thy poore creatures who liue in this hope and giue vs thy saluation to witt Christ by whome thou doest saue vs and whome thou doest giue vnto vs gratis of thy owne immense charitie and goodnesse not in respect of our iustice I will heare I will obserue attentiuely with the eares of my mind VVhat our Lord will speake in me by internall inspiration or Angelicall illustration because by such internall discourse he will speake peace vpon his people he will inspire such things as conduce to the peace of his people things concerning the Incarnation Passion and death of Christ whereby the whole world hath acquired true celestiall peace for Christ is called the Prince of Isa 9. Luc. 2. peace at whose birth the Angells sung In earth peace to men of good will whence it followeth here Peace vpon his saints and vpon them that are conuerted to the heart This manner of expression of peace doth not onely extend it selfe to the perfecter sort of peoples but to all sinners who from Idolatrie sensualitie and peruerse iudgement doe returne to the heart to witt to the vse of reason becoÌ„ming obedient to the diuine law and what solide and sincere reason doth dictate Wee are taught here to obserue diligently what our Lord God doth speake in vs that wee maie condescend to his holie inspirations for therefore it is that Abacuc saieth I will Abacus 2. stand vpon my watch and I will contemplate to see what maie be saied to mee but to this it is requisite that wee be able to discerne which is à diuine which an Angelicall which à naturall and which à diabolicall instinct But yet his saluation Christ the Sauiour is nigh to them that feare him All men will not cooperate with his grace nor consequently participate of the merits of our Sauiours Passion but onely such as feare our Lord. The Prophet saieth not that the saluation of God is nigh to all men but onely to them that feare him with a filiall feare for such will freely and gratefully accept of his mercie and cooperate with his grace endeuoring the best they can to decline from euill and doe good according to that of Ecclesiasticus They that Eccles 2. feare our Lord will prepare their hearts and in his sight will sanctifie their soules c and by this meanes detaine Christ in their hearts who saieth If any loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come to him and abide with him His saluation then shall be nigh to them that feare him That glorie to witt Christ the King of glorie who is the image of the liuing God the splendor of his glorie and figure of his substance maie inhabite in our land in the land of Iuda where be conuersed corporally amongst men as the Prophet Zachary witnesseth saying Praise and reioyce o daughter of Sion because loe I come and will dwell in the middest of thee Mercie and truth haue met each other in Christ for the mercie of God appeared in his Incarnation because â—t was effected by the ineffable mercie of God that he should assume humane flesh and the truth of God shined therein because he fulfilled in the Incarnation of Christ what he had foretold and promised by his Prophets Iustice and peace haue kissed to witt The iust satisfaction wherewith Christ satisfied for vs by waie of iustice sustaining paine for our faults and the confederation of mankind with God accompanying this satisfaction are most amorously vnited in Christ for he according to the Apostle is made vnto vs 1 Cor. 1 Ephes 2 from God iustice and redemption He is alsoe our peace who hath made both one c. This iustice and pâ—ace doe alsoe mutually kisse in vs who are redeemed by him for immediatly vpon this iustification there followeth peace in vs whereby we are reconciled to God and set at vnitie and concord with him S. Bernard vpon these words saieth that The Mercie Truth of God did seeme in à sort to contradict one another about the mysterie of the Redemption of man Mercie exacting that the miserable should be freed but Truth dictating that the guilty should be damned yet in this meeting together Iustice and peace haue kisled because the miserable is redeemed and his fault was not vnpunished Truth to witt Christ who saieth of Ioh. 14. himselfe I am the waie and the veritie and the life is risen out of the earth hath assumed flesh in the wombe of the most glorious Virgin by beiÌ„g borne of her did spring forth as out of the earth of which Prophet Isa 45. Isaie saieth Bee the earth opened and bud forth à Sauiour c. And iustice hath looked downe from heauen at the birth of Christ both because then true iustice did descend from heauen iustifying men by faith as alsoe because then the wrath of Roma 1 God was reuealed vpon iniquitie For it had neuer been knowne how great the wrath of God is against sinne but that he was pleased to expiate it by the death of his onely Sonne neither had it euer been fully knowne how great the indignation of God will bee in the daie of iudgement against the vniust had we not seene how exceeding greeuous the Passion of Christ hath been to satisfie for the sinnes of others For if in the greene Luc. 23. wood they doe such things in the daie of iudgement what shall bee done The blessed Virgin is fitly designed by the earth as S. Bernard sheweth For as à feild saieth he or the earth without all humane labour