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
Apostoli a plenary 71 Friday at Sancta Maria Rotunda 72 Saturday at S. Iohn Lateran a Plenary twise 73 Low Sonday at S. Pācratius a plenary twise 74 On S. Marks day at S. Peter 75 Monday in Rogation weeke at Sancta Maria Maior 76 Twesday at S. Iohn Lateran 77 Wednesday at S. Peter 78 Ascention day at S. Peter 79 Whitson Eue at S. Iohn Lateran a Plenary 80 Whitsonday at S. Peter infinite Indulgences a Plenary 81 Monday at S. Peter in vinculis a plenary 82 Twesday at S. Anastasia 83 Wednesday at Sāsta Maria Maior 84 Thursday at S. Laurence extra muros a soule out of Purgatory 85 Friday at SS Apostoli a plenary 86 Saturday at S. Peter a soule out of Purgatory 87 Wednesdaye of the Imber weeke in September at Sancta Maria Maior 88 Friday of the same weeke at SS Apostoli a Plenary 89 Saturday following at Saint Peter THE FIFTEEN MISteries of the holy Rosary Cap. 5. THIS deuout kind of Psalter or Rosary of our B. Lady cōtaine 15. principall mysteries of the life of Christ our Lady for euery parte of the life of our Sauiour did very specially appertaine vnto his holy mother Luc. 2. as who did ponder in her hart and diligently weigh whatsoeuer her most beloued sonne wrought in the worlde and whose soule was perced with euery dent of that most sharppe sword which caused greife and so row to him whō she had lodged in her affection for euer no lesse thē harboured for some monthes in her sacred wombe Rom. 12 and who finally had learned that lesson of S. PAVL to morne with the morners to reioice with the ioifull This Psalter I saye of 15 Pater nosters and 150 Aues is first deuided into three partes euery one of which may be recited a part by it selfe as we haue said aboue representeth vnto vs as well one of the most holy persons of the B. Trinitie as one of the three kindes of misteries of Christ and our Ladies life that is either ioifull or dolorous or glorious Euery one of these partes first very fitly represēteth vnto vs both the woundes of our Sauiour and the spirituall libertie which we obtained therby the number of fiftie signifying a perfect Iubiley release of all bondage as we will shew hereafter Leuit. 25 then doth it also containe fiue mysteries which whilest we are saying euery tenne Aues with the Pater noster belōging therunto going before are deuoutly to be laid before the eies of our mind affectuously imagining that we are kneeling in the closet of our Blessed Lady before her sacred person where she talketh with the Angell or in Zacharies house where Iohn Baptist by her voice is sāctified in his mothers wombe and leapeth for ioy or in the Cribbe where the sonne of God in a new shape manifesteth him selfe vnto the world and is honoured of the wholle multitude of Angells shepheardes and Sages And the like of other so holy deuout misteries although they which haue more leasure fealing of so heauēly matters may with more fruit spend some litle time in meditating of euery mistery not saying any thing then afterward saye the Pater Aues thereunto belonging or hauing first rehearsed them afterwarde meditate which beeing doone they may go forward to an other mistery Neither yet doe I thinke that the simpler sort whose capacity cannot reach to the remembrance of so many seuerall misteries is bound for the obtaining of the graces appertaining to this Society to thinke actually of euery mistery although it be the more sure way and more profitable and not very difficult to remember if they first cause euery misterve to be expoūded vnto them by some more skilfull then them selues Which now although I woulde willingly do yet am I not by my other busines permitted Wherfore for the larger explication of these misteries I refer euery one to a very profitable booke extant in our tong and with great frut practised by diuerse in our countrey of the misteries of the Rosary yet will I not euery place where in the holy scripture each misterye may be reade at large These are therfore the misteries of the holy Rosary The fiue Ioifull Mysteries 1 The Annunciatiō of our Lady Luc. 1 2 The visitation of S. Elizabeth Luc. 1 3 The natiuitie of Christ Luc. 2 4 The purification Luc. 2 5 The inuention or findinge of Christ among the Doctors in the Temple Luc. 2 The fiue dolorous Masteries 1 The praier in the Garden Luc. 22 2 The whipping Ioan. 19. 3 The crowning with Thorne Mat. 27. 4 The carying of the Crosse Ioan. 19. 5 The Crucifying and death of Christ Mat. 27. The fiue glorious Misteries 1 The Resurrection of Christ Mat. 1◠2 The Ascention Act. 1. 3 The sending of the holy Ghost 4 The Assumption of our Lady into heauen Act. 2. Cant. 8 5 The Coronation and exaltatiō of our Lady aboue all Angels and Saintes Thus much haue I thought necessary to be heere declared for the perfect information of whosoeuer desireth to knowe what belongeth vnto this deuout Society and to be pertaker of the benefite therof Now before I proceed any farther I haue iudged it very cōuenient to ad here two briefe admonitions of two things which may greatly appertaine vnto the knowledge and vse of this so greate a treasure First that albeit as we saide aboue in the first chapter What benefite one which is in deadly sinne may reape hereby no maner of persō being out of the blessed fauour of Almightie God and in the miserable estate of mortall sinne can either enioy these Indulgences or any other or be partaker of the good workes and satisfactiō of others yet ought not any man which for human frailty may perhaps either sometime fall into deadly sinne or remain most lamētably in the same be therby terrified from this most holesome medicine cōfortable sanctuary of the Blessed Virgins protection For first cōcerning the entry into this Confraternity although it be desired that euery one at that time dispose him selfe to Gods grace by receauing the holy Sacramēts and there is as hath bene said aspeciall Indulgence graunted to that end yet that this is not altogither necessary the very practise of this Society doth shew which receiueth those which are absent and not in case or possibility to receaue holy Sacramentes neither euer exacteth the same as necessary of such when they are admitted As for the being afterward in estate of sinne true it is that it hindereth those benefittes as we said before yet doth it not hinder but that so long as one remaineth in the vnitie of holy Church and saieth his Rosarye or our Ladies Psalter euery weeke the commō praiers suffrages of this wholle Society are applied vnto him also as a member therof Wherfore although he haue not that infallible measure of fruit of their
and that the Popes benediction is annexed with most ample Indulgences and that sometime they are set out with medalls or Crosses of siluer brasse or wood these thinges haue not as some doe cauell increased superstition but Religion 16 For as Iosue the Captaine of the holy hoast Ios 4 at what time the children of Israell passed ouer Iordane dry footed commanded that twelue great stones should be deuoutly and religiously caried out of the chanel of the Riuer into the Tents to this end that if any should aske of the posterity what mean these stones the perpetuall tumemory of there wonderfull passage might be recorded So haue our auncestors deuoutly religiously annexed fiue beads in euery Rosary that are greater then the rest that the Heretickes laughing therat and asking what meane these fiue beades what meaneth the wholle Rosary Answere may be made that they are significatiōs of the fiue wounds which Christ suffered for them and vs. And that the Rosary is a certaine summe or abridgmēt of the new Testament Christian doctrine 17 For they that haue knowne the manifolde vse of the Rosary are not ignorant that the number of beads therin contained do serue to renue the memorie of all the misteries of the life of Christ and of the blessed Virgin and of the principall pointes of the Catholicke religion as of the B. Trinitie the Incarnation and Passiō of Christ the worship of God his Saintes the ten Commandementes Iustificatiō and life euerlasting Which briefe summe or abridgmēt is doubtlesse so much the more profitable amongst the common people by how much farther the vse therof is extended then the vse of books For it may be read euen of the vnlearned of the blind of those that trauaile on horse backe or in wagons or such like finally in most darke obscure places 18 And the benediction of the POPE doth nothing els but with solemne wordes consecrate the beades The benedictiō of the Pope otherwise prophane of them selues to the deuoute and holsome vse of the faithfull as by auncient custome of the Church Water Salte Chalices Candles Herbes and the Churches them selues are by the benediction of a Preist consecrated to an holy vse For sanctified saith the Apostle is euery creature by the word of god and praier 1. Tim. 4 The Indulgences anexed 19 And that the Indulgences annexed to the benediction are very profitable there is no doubt for by these the faithfull people being incouraged doe in greater number and with greater zeale and feruencie pray vnto Almightie God for most waightie causes For the increase of the Catho licke Church for the concord of Christian Princes for the rooting out of heresies For these are the points that for the most part are mentioned in the forme of all Indulgences 20 And as for the Images of gold siluer Crosses and Me dalles or wood annexed vnto the beades they haue neither any misticall significatiō nor vse other then the very Images in Churches that is to put vs in mind of the actes of Christ his Saints that in or before thē we may reuerence and call vpon that which by them is represented vnto vs. A BREIFE EXPLIcation of our Lordes Praier Cap. 12 THe Preface of this Praier Franciscus Costerus hath fewe wordes full of misteries Father is a name of loue signifying first of all that he which goeth about to pray must not be the enimie but the frend yea the child of Almighty God hauing laid aside all will to sinne hereafter and being sorowfull penitent for his sinnes past Secondly that he must come to Almighty God with great cōfidence because that of a Father all thinges are to be expected Our thou dost not say mine but our which is a name cōmon to all for God is the Father of all as wel one as an other respecting all indifferently as well poore as riche Therfore with this Praier must cōcur first charity towards neighbours wherby thou maiest loue all the children of God and wish well vnto them then Humility that thou preferrest not thy selfe before any other which arte in heauen Here first is signified that vnto this praier must be brought a mind lifte vp to heauenly thinges excluding earthly cogitations Secondly a greate reuerence of the wholle man as well externall as internall because he is an heauenly not an earthly Father Thirdly that nothing is to be demāded of an heauenly Father but heauēly things Here after do folow the 7 petitions wherof the 4 first do pray for good thinges to be graunted the 3 later for euels to be remoued Hallowed be thy name that is to say I giue thee thanks for thy benefits and I desire that thy name goodnes Maiesty may be well knowen vnto all men praised of all men and published in all places and especially I beseech thee that I in all my actions wordes may seeke thy glory referre all that I haue to thy honour the profite of my neighbours 2 Thy Kingdome come That is I wishe that thou O Lord maiest raigne all the world ouer that all dominion of the Deuell being abandoned thou maiest possesse all the Kingdomes of the world and especially that sinne may not raigne in my mortall body but that thou maiest rule gouerne all my powers and forces directe and bring me to the kingdome of heauen 3 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauē that is Grant I besech thee grace vnto thy people that they may obey thy commaundements Furthermore in euery of our acttiōs do thou make known vnto vs thy will Finally my selfe O Lord I do resigne wholly to thy will so that thy name may be praised and sanctified by me thou hauing excluded the kingdome of sinne maiest only and wholly raigne in me thou maiest do with me and dispose of me as it shall stand best with thy most holy will and pleasure 4 Giue vs this day our daiely bread that is nourish and feede my soule and my body with conuenient food my soule with thy word that I may alwaies haue a tast and feeling therof when it is by preaching or praier or by any other meanes proposed vnto me Moreouer with thy most sacred body also vnto the oftē and deuoutreceauing wherof I doe desire to be moued stirred vp and my body with daily food sustinance and with thinges not superfluous but necessary not wrōgfully gotten but with dew labour iustice and equity Here foloweth the three euels which we desire to be remoued 5 And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. that is the euells past to witt the sines wherby we haue offended thee by the Passion of thy Sonne do thou gratis frely forgiue the veniall quotidian sinnes by sorow and the vertue of this Praier instituted by thy selfe and the more greeuous or mortall sinnes by the Sacrament of penance to which Sacrament that wee may come
receiued from ADAM not only in her conceiuing of CHRIST but also from her first immaculate conception when beeing free from Originall sinne shee was also exempted from the sequell therof which the Diuines call fomes peccati so that in all her life the inferior powers of her soule coulde neuer be moued without the direction of reason 9 As her life was more holy thē euer of any other creature so did she abound with more heauenly visitations then euer was graunted vnto any being cōtinually garded waited vpon with Angells yea Exe. 33. 2. Cor. 12 if vnto S. PAVL MOISES was shewed in this life the very essence and glory of God as the Diuines after S. AVGVSTINE other holy Fathers doe more probably iudge then must we also for the rule aforesaid not doubt but vnto this Virgin the same priuiledge at some time or other was graunted which so great gifts of God she alwaies concealed with vnspeakeable humilitie preferring her selfe to no creature but alwaies ready to become the seruant of all 10 She was the first which vowed vnto God her virginity that without any insttuctions of any as well as without example 11 She had by the special work of God ioined with her vnspeakable virginitie the fecunditie of a mother and whatsoeuer is perfit in mariage vnto which she yeelded her selfe not purposing to diminish her sacred puritie but by most certaine reulation assuringe her selfe of the perpetuety therof that so the sonne of God might be borne in wedlocke shee preserued from infamie and so great a misterie of the incarnatiō of our Sauiour Christ concealed from the Deuill and there should not wāt vnto her selfe and her sonne in this miserable life the necessarie comfort of a fosterer Saint IOSEPH her spouse whō presently after the mariage shee caused to vow also virginitie making them selues a perfect paterne of so many couples as by theire example haue in the Church of Christ vndertaken the same 12 She by her holines and singuler perfectiō deserued that the sonne of God should be incarnat and take flesh in her immaculate wombe for this word of deseruing or meriting doth S. AVGVSTINE vse when he yeeldeth the reasons why shee was euery way free from sinne Lib. de nat grat 1. 36. Quia concipere ac parere meruit eum quem constat nullum habuisse peccatū Because she deserued to conceiue bring forth him whom it is manifest to haue had no sinne yet this merite do we not so vnderstād as thogh the worke of the incarnation it selfe could be deserued but that supposing that God of his meere liberallitie and goodnes determined the same she might deserue of God with an imperfite kind of merite which the Diuines call de congruo that what he was determined to do he shold do both the sooner and take her as an instrument of his goodnes gratiousnes in the same And yet such was her base conceit of her selfe that so farre she was from the expectation or imagination of soe great a benefite that she desired to be the handmaid and slaue of whatsoeuer woman were to bee the Mother of the MESSIAS of the worlde whom shee knew by the profoundest intelligēce of the holye Scriptures which euer any creature had of which she was a continuall student to be borne of a woman a Virgin Esa 5 For as she had learned most highly to conceiue of God and his appointed Mother so had she also vsed her selfe with sinceritie to humble her self in the fight of God that he might exalte her therfore dare I boldly say that if this most absolute Virgin Iac. 4 1. Pet. 5 had not bene so worthely disposed as in deed shee was for so great a sacrament Almightie God would not haue sent his Sonne For as he had ordained before all the world the most holy incarnation of his only sonne so had he also ordaind togither with the priuiledges of the humane nature of his sonne the dignitie of her from whō he was to take the same Yet do I not say that Gods prouidence coulde be deceaued herin but that he would with the same foresight prouide both the end and the means of so great an end And as our sauiour him selfe whatsoeuer he did for our saluation although he did it with order and commaundmēt from his Father yet he did it voluntarily and freelye Euen so shee which was thought fitte of God him selfe for so greate a worke although Almightie God him selfe was the chiefe author of her worthinesse yet did she freely and voluntarily concurre vnto our redēption by making her selfe with Gods especiall grace a fitte mother for our Redeemer Whereby we learne what deuotion reuerence and gratfulnes we shoulde carry to so great a benefactrice 13 The plenitude of time which God in his eternall wisdome had ordained beeing now come the Angell GABRIEL commeth to bring her these ioifull tidings with great reuerence as not presuming to call her by her proper name saith vnto her Haile full of grace when she nothing frighted with the sight of a yong man for such figure the Angell bore as one much accustomed to the conuersation of Angells was only amazed with such honorable speaches yet beeing certified by the Angell of what God had determined of her of the saftie and securitie of her vowed Virginitie she freely gaue her consent But what consent Such a consent as brought the Sonne of God into the world He. 4. super Missus est For as S. BERNARD saith shee spake a word which was Behold the handmaid of our Lord be it vnto me according vnto thy word and presently she receaued in her most chast wombe the eternall word of God equall vnto the Father the holy Ghost When as shee had alwaies bene the Temple of the holy Ghost so now she was first made the work-house of the same eternall spirite framinge within her an eternall house for the wisdome of GOD Prou. 9 which was Christ our Lord and secondly the Mother Temple of the sonne of God who corporally dwelled within her for the space of nine monthes A moste happy consent and most glorious sonne wherein Almightie God him selfe made his Tabernacle for the redemption of the wholle world Psa 18 And ô base and vngratefull hart who wilt not acknowledge and reuerence so greate a benefite 14 Presently after the conceiuing of Christ as though neither she her selfe nor Christ our Sauiour newly come into the worlde could be idle not attend to the worke of our redemptiō she wēt to her cosen Elizabeth although in shew to visite her beeing great with child yet also to sanctify her burden which she had within her For he which now dwelled within MARY by her sacred voice as by an instrument sanctified him which was to be the Precursor of the true Messias endewed him with those vertuous habits which brought forth afterward such holy actions as the scripture yeldeth