and Aue Maria nor any more charge thē the price of a paire of Beades nor any choice of place or situation of body but as it shall like the partie either to stand site lye walke or kneele especially hauing no burden of conscience or charge of sinne if it be omitted who seeth not thē how easie it is and with what facilitie it may be obserued yea who seeth not how great and carelesse a negligence and how contemptuous a singularitie it were to omit so generall a profession This facilitie is also the greater for that there beeing diuers Societies of our LADY Diuers Societies of our Lady euery one of which doth laudably endeuour to aduaunce the honor of so holye a creature to theire owne singuler great gaine of deuotion vertue and merite in euery one are diuerse bondes either of rehearsing some certaine praiers euery day or of ofte Confessing and Receiuing or of some more stricte obseruance then is necessarie or easie and expedient for euery Christian But in this of the Rosary that it may the rather be imbraced of all though there be spirituall rewardes almost for euery godly action in which euery man according to his deuotiō may exercise him self yet is there no generall bond but only to the rehearsing of the Beades thrice a weeke as shall be shewed hereafter One only necessarie bond in this Society and that without the incurring of any sinne by the omission therof as hath bene saide before yea and that also may be supplied by an other who performeth the due exercise for his brother being either sicke or otherwise hindered as afterward shall appeare But besides the facilitie there are other more singuler commodities herein For secondly there is the speciall patronage and protectiō of the same most blessed and glorious Virgin The patronage of our Lady For although she be worthely called a most louing aduocate of all faithfull Christians yet there no doubt doth her care more aboūd where she hath most mercifully chosen gathered knit togither such as she meaneth singulerly to tender she hauing declared by sundry miracles the familiar rpouidēce which she carieth ouer this her familie Godly meditation Thirdly in this deuotion of the Rosary is daily with great fruit remembred the principall pointes of the life of our Sauiour and of his holy Mother in so much that the daunger of which the Prophet complaineth when he saith that the wholle earth was brought to desolation Hier. 12 because there was not who did meditate or ponder in his hart by this deuout exercise of Christian duety is by all estates of men vtterly auoided whilest euery deuout Catholicke dailye when he saieth his beades doth as it were in a booke read and reuerentlye laieth before his eies Christ our Sauiour incarnat in his Mother The 15. misteries of the Rosary sanctifying IOHN Baptist his holy Precursor lying in a manager offered vp to his Father in the Temple teaching the Doctors praying in the Garden cruelly whipped crowned with thornes carying his Crosse and exalted theron for our redemption rising againe ascending into heauen sending his holy Spirite and gratious giftes vnto men taking vp with childly affection his most holy Mother euen corporally vnto heauen and exalting and crowning her ouer all his holy Saintes and Angells Wherof what gratitude what humilitie what charitie what spurres vnto all vertue may be ingendered in Christian mindes let euery one consider it is not our purpose now to expoūd And although this manner of remembring the life of Christ may be practised by any one which is not of this Society yet both this maner of deuiding religiously honouringe these holy misteries was first commended of S. DOMINICKE to this holy confraternitie not without a speciall reuelation as it is credibly thought of the B. Virgin and such vertuous practise will then be more acceptable when it is performed with a relation and respect as of one of this so fauored a Societie 4 Fourthlye this holy Societie hath many Indulgences or Pardons annexed vnto the saying of the Rosary Indulgences as shall hereafter appeare Of the profit wherof as it is not lawfull for any Catholicke to doubt so were it to long here to intreate Only this will I say that although there be perhapps many greater Indulgences graunted vnto diuerse Graines then these of this confraternity yet are not these to be neglected but rather greatly to be esteemed for to causes First for so many other commodities as are in this Societye which cannot be obtained without saying once a weeke the Rosary for respecte of this Society Wherfore although one would for desire of greater Indulgence applye the saying of his Beades vnto other graines yet is it verye expediēt thrise a weeke to apply his intention vnto the Society of the Rosary saying his beades as a member therof for than is he sufficiently disposed to receaue the fruites of the same Societie although he should neuer so often besides by saying the same seeke the INDVLGENCES of halowed graines Secondly for that a sufficient cause beeing required for the valew of an Indulgēce as the Diuines do teach these Indulgēces being confirmed by so diuers Popes and hauing the valew of a cause from the influence of so diuers members which in this Society euery where tend vnto one end of the seruice and honour of God and his blessed Mother must of necessitie haue an vndoubted and more aboundant effect 5 Fifthly there is in this confraternitie an inestimable treasure of the mutuall participation of all the good works done by the persons of the same The participation of spirituall good of the wholle order of S. Dominick as wel Freers as Nunnes So that besids the generall influence which for the cōmuniō of Saints in the Church of God is from one mēber of Christ his misticall body vnto another by which one member reioiceth with another suffereth with and for an other and the aboundāce of one supplieth the want and pouertie of an other so that both be in gods grace without the which neither Indulgences may be obtained nor the participation of good workes either giuen or receiued There is a more speciall benefite and participation in this Society by the particuler application of those which may by authoritie distribute so great a treasure of all that Fasting Praying Watching Almes other works of Christian pietie as are by so many so godly so farre dispersed persons euery day and moment performed 6 Last of all the benefitte of this Society lasteth after death also as shall be shewed also hereafter The benefite after death For when the Soules departed in the flames of Purgatorie yeldeth satisfaction for sinnes not perfectly remitted in this world it may by the ordinary suffrages of Gods Church be releeued as vnto all Christians departed in Gods grace is common But hee which for a soule departed of this SOCIETY offereth the vsuall deuotions of the same besides
vnto whosoeuer of neuer so greate knowledge with a certain spice of hereticall pride will not contemne ordinarye Catholicke helpes of deuotion Accept therfore gentle Reader this my present with conuenient diligēce and study vse the same Which if thou doest I doubt not but howsoeuer it may displease curiouse eies it will not be displeasing to our B. Lady not without vnspeakable profite to our wholle countrey thē the which two things next vnto Gods glory I desire nothing more Fare-well A BRIEFE DIScourse of the Deuotion of our B. LADY EVEN as with all manner of deceitful subtelties and blasphemous vntruthes heresie doth euer go about to derogate vnto the glory of the most soueraigne Queene of heauen and earth so is it the part of euery zealous Catholicke with as much care and diligence to procure to set forth amplifie and increase her wonderfull praises and most deserued honour Wheras therfore in this litle treatise we are to set downe one of the most speciall deuotions and seruices that the holye Church vseth vnto the glorie of this B. Virgin I thinke it necessarie that before we enter into the principall discourse it selfe wee briefly for the behoofe of the vnlearned set downe wherein the deuotion and seruice of so high a creature doth consist Two thinges therfore are required for the wholle perfection of that which we call the deuotiō of our Lady First for to haue a deepe and setled conceit of her worthines and greatnes next vnto Almightie God him selfe aboue all spirituall and corporall creatures Secondly to deriue frō such due estimation an earnest study and endeuour for her honour the glorie of God our owne profite of doing and performing whatsoeuer may becom vs. Concerning the first therfore I will here only touch amongest her infinite priuileges only a few and such as either without heresie cannot be doubted of or are by the firme consent of the wholle Church most constantly beleeued or may with godly deuotion be gathered out of the holy scriptures and auncient Fathers leauing the large proofes therof vnto many learned books which of this point are euery where extant 25 singular priuiledges of our Blessed Lady 1 That as she is in all maner of vertues and dignities farre exceeding all other creatures so was she before all worlds appointed and chosen to so great highnes in so much that ab eterno Almightie God considering and beholding so singular a worke of his hand next vnto him selfe and the humanitie of our Sauiour had a speciall delight and repose in her 2 When the time came that so excellent a creature shoulde bee brought into the world she was foretold by Angelicall reuelation vnto both her barren parents euē as before euen from the begining of the world she had in sundrie waies bene both prefigured and promised 3 Her Body although it were conceiued according to the naturall order of mans generation yet was both the matter ministered therunto with such deuotion as became so holye parents and there wanted not the speciall cooperation of the holy Ghost preparing as the Church singeth the habitation of the sonne of God Whence it did proceed that in perfection of bewtie and complection she was such as is credibly to be thought neuer to haue bene subiect to such particular defects of body as are either caused by the euilnes of complection or inflicted for punishment of sinne or procured by disordered life and that in her person she did cary such a shew of heauenly comelines and maiestie that a greate Saint beholding her said Dion Areop that if he had not other wise ben taught by his faith he would haue deemed her to haue some Godhead within her 4 When the time came that her Body should be quickned with a reasonable soule which in all others in the very creating within a body by carnall generation descending from ADAM cōtracteth originall sinne and geueth life and beeing to a child of wrath shee only was exempted frō such deformitie and presently made the child of God and euer from that time full of grace and of all vertue although in the processe of her most holy life she continually increased the same especially at the conceauing of the sonne of God and the comming of the holy Ghost vnto all the Apostles 5 She had then such abundāce of grace bestowed on her from God D. Tho 5. Par. q 27. ar 5 Psa 86. that she farre exceeded the grace of all Angels holy soules so that she laying her foundatiōs aboue so many high hills we may not any way conceiue vnto what a hight so perfite a sāctuarie grew before her death Neither wanted shee any grace or gifte of the HOLY GHOST as of Prophesie working miracles and such like although whilest she liued in this world it was conuenient for the confirmation of the doctrine of Christ that he only and his Apostles shold worke miracles But she hath aboue all other Saintes since her assumption into heauen receiued that power of her sonne and daily in all countreies practised the same 6 As diuers holy Fathers do testifie Amb. Beda in Luc. vide Aug. ep 57 that S. IHON Baptist when he was sanctified in his mothers wombe had the vse of his free-will voluntarily cōcurring to the acceptation of that grace which hee then receaued which is not obscurely signified vnto vs in the Gospell it selfe where we read that the Infant exulted in ioye which argueth knowledge of the cause of so great ioy so is it also most worthely to be thought of this Virgin for that generall rule of all Diuines and holy Fathers that whatsoeuer priuiledge hath bene granted vnto any pure creature is to be in a higher degree attributed vnto her And it were very agreable vnto her other priuileges to thinke the same vse of reason to haue still continued in her especially wheras the wholle Church attributeth such discretion vnto her as well the space of her infancie being with her Parents as also when beeing three yeere olde she went of her owne accord to present her selfe with great deuotion to the seruice of God in the Tēple And the giftes of God Rom. 11. as S. PAVL teacheth vs being alwaies without repentāce it was not conuenient that she aboue all other should euer loose that which she once receiued 7 Her holy natiuitie and presentation were vnto the holy persōs which were by the inspiration of God made priuie vnto her greatnes and to the hope of the redēption of Israel now at hand a cause of such ioy as neuer before had bene in the world all being full of Gods miracles and heauenly comfortes 8 The bolines of her life euen from the beginning vnto the end therof was such that it was voide from all sinne not onely mortall but also venial Aug. lib. de nat grat c. 36. Yea she was wholy deliuered from that inclinatiō vnto euill and difficultie in that which is good which we all
descend into Purgatorye and yeeld refreshing vnto all the soules Aue Maria. 5. O my Lorde Iesus Christ I adore thee blesse thee and giue thee thankes that rising from death didest appeare gloriouse first vnto thy mother then vnto Mary Magdalene and the Apostles O most sweet Iesu graunt me perfectly to die to all vices passions and disordered manners to liue vnto thee to please thee and to taste and desire heauenly thinges only Aue Maria. 6 O my Lord Iesus Christ I adore thee blesse thee and geue thee thankes that didest ascend into heauen with the triumphe of Angells the cōpany of the Fathers I humblye beseech thee that my minde may alaies languishe in thy loue loath all worldly things and feruently hunger and thirst thee alone and that nothing may delighte me nothing make me glad but thou ô my Lord Cod. Aue Maria. 7. O my Lorde Iesus Christ I adore thee blesse thee and giue thee thankes that hast geuen the holy ghost sent thy Disciples to cōuert the worlde geue mee most pure simplicity of harte and perpetuall stablenes of minde geue me most feruent most faithfull constant charitie that the holye ghost may fill gouerne posesse me to the end that he may make me worthy to be more and more replenished with the giftes of his grace Aue Maria. 8. O my Lorde Iesus Christ I adore thee blesse thee and giue thee thankes that hast glorified thy Mother assumpted in bodie and soule and hast geuen her vnto vs most mightie and mercifull By her merittes graunt me thy grace and perseuerance in all goodnes that I may neuer relent in thy seruice nor by indiscretion euer exceed Aue Maria. 9 O my Lord Iesus Christ I adore thee blesse thee and geue thee thanks that art to come as Iudge and to giue either punishment or reward O most mercifull Iesus graunt me so to finish my wholle life accordinge to thy pleasure that my soule departing out of the bodie may goe immediately vnto thee her Creator with great loue towardes thee where shee may praise blesse thee for euer in thy glory with all thy Saintes Amen Aue Maria. 10. ANOTHER MANER OF deuiding the Rosary of 150. Aue Maries according to the misteries of the life of our Sauiour taken out of the Italian booke of the Rosary Cap. 10. Contemplations vpon the first ioifull Misteries Of the Annunciation Pater noster MISSVS est Angelus Gabriel a Deo in ciuitatem Galileae cui nomen Nazareth Luc. 1. The Angell Gabriell was sent of God into a citie of Galilee called Nazareth Aue Maria. Ad virginem desponsatam viro cui nomen erat Ioseph Luc. 1. de domo Dauid et nomen Virginis Maria. To a Virgin dispoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the Virgins name was MARIE Aue Maria. Et ingressus Angelus ad eam dixit Aue gratia plena dominus teeum benedicta tu in mulieribus Luc. 1. And the Angell being entred in saide vnto her Haile full of grace our Lord is with thee bles sed art thou among women Aue Maria. Quae cum audisset turbata est in Sermone eius et cogitabat qualis esset ista Salutatio Luc. 1. Who hauing heard was troubled at his saying thought what maner of Salutatiō this should be Aue Maria. Et ait Angelus ei ne time as Maria inuenisti enim gratiam apud Deum And the Angell said to her Luc. 1 feare not Mary for thou hast foūd grace with God Aue Maria. Ecce concipies in vtero et paries filiū et vocabis nomen eius Iesum Behold thou shalt conceiue in thy womb Luc. 1 shalt beare a sonne thou shalt call his name Iesus Aue Maria. Hic erit magnus filius Altissimi vocabitur He shall be greate Luc. 1 shall be called the Son of the most High Aue Maria. Dabit illi Dominus Deus Sedem Dauid patris eius regnabit in domo Iacob in aeternum et regni eius non erit finis Luc. 1 Our Lord God shall giue him the Seate of Dauid his father he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdom there shall be no end Aue Maria. Dixit autem Maria ad Angelum quomodo fiet istud quoniam virum non cognosco Luc. 1 And Mary said to the Angell How shall this be done because I know not man Aue Maria. Et respondens Angelus dixit ei Spiritus Sanctus superueniet in te et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi ideoque quod nascetur ex te Sanctum vocabitur filius Dei Luc. 1 And the Angell answering saide to her The holy ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee And therfore also that which of thee shal be borne holy shall be called the sonne of God Aue Maria. Dixit autem Maria ad Angelum ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum Luc. 1. And Mary said to the Angell Behold the hādmaid of our Lord be it done to me according to thy word Contemplations vppon the Second ioyfull mistery Pater noster EXVRGENS Maria in diebus illis abijt in montana cum festi natione in ciuitatem Iuda Luc. 1. And Mary rising vp in those daies went vnto the hill countrie with speed into a citie of Iuda Aue Maria. Luc. 1. Et intrauit in domū Zachariae et salutauit Elizabeth And she entred into the house of Zacharie saluted Elisabeth Aue Maria. Et factum est vt audiuit salutationem Mariae Elizabeth Luc. 1. And it came to passe as Elisabeth heard the salutatiō of Mary Aue Maria. Exultauit infans in vtero eius Luc. 1 The infant did leape in her wōbe Aue Maria. Et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elizabeth et exclamauit voce magna et dixit Luc. 1. And Elisabeth was replenished with the holy Ghost and she cried out with a loude voice said Aue Maria. Benedicta tu inter mulieres et benedictus fructus ventris tui Blessed art thou among womē and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Luc. 1. Aue Maria. Et vnde hoc mihi vt veniat mater Domini mei ad me Luc. 1 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lorde doth come to me Aue Maria. Ecce enim vt facta est vox salutationis tuae in auribus meis exultauit in gaudio infans in vtero meo For behold as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares Luc. 1 the infant in my womb did leape for ioy Aue Maria. Et beata quae credidisti quoniā perficientur ea quae dicta sunt tibi a Domino And blessed art thou that beleeued Luc. 1 because those things shal be accomplished that were spokē to thee by our Lord. Aue Maria. Et ait Maria