then that we so pray our sinnes to be forgeuen of god as we our selues forgeue them that sinne against vs. Which if we do not we make our selues guilty before god by our owne wordes the scripture saying A stronge snare is to man his owne lippes Whereupon Salomon not vnworthily also not ignorant by the holy ghost of the forme of this our Lordes praier forwarned vs saying Thou shalt not lye a word in thy praier For what man can or dareth to lye vnto God in praier except peraduenture he which according to our Lordes praier asking pardon for his sinnes of god doth not forgeue them that sinne against him Moreouer he saith And leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euil There is a dooble reason and diuers causes of this temptation Because by sinne temptation is brought in to soÌ„me for their amendement to others for proofe of their faith to others for their glory as blessed Iames witnessith in his Epistle saying Blessed is he which Iac. 1. haith suffered temptation because being made blessed he shal receaue the crowne of life which god haith promised to al that loue him Therefore we do not pray that we be not tempted at al but â—hat we be not geuen ouer to temptation aboue that which the power of our faith doth suffer The Apostle that he might shew the same haith witnessed so saying But god is faithfull who wil not suffer you to be teÌ„pted aboue that which you are 1. Cor. iâ— able but wil make with temptation also an ouergoing that you may be able to sustaine Therefore we do not pray to haue that temptation which may be profitable vnto vs taken away but that which excedeth the measure of our infirmity And therefore fitly and necessarily in the end of the praier we pray to be deliuered from euil which doth not geue ouer daly to assault our faith with diuers temptations from which to be deliuered we iustly daily pray lest hindered by his suggestions we can not kepe the commaundements of god Therefore al The excellâ—cy of our loâ—des Praier thinges necessary to our faith saluation are contained in this short praier of our Lord while we professe the profession of the name of Father while we aske that the signification of his name be in vs while we â—treate that the kingdome of god may come while we pray that his wil be done in vs while we besech for daily foode earthly or heauenly for the hope of our saluation while we craue pardon of our sinnes while we pray to haue greauous temptation taken from vs last of al when we desire continually of our Lord to be deliuered from that euil which is authour of al sinne which thing how it was to come to passe the holy Ghost foretould long agoe by Isay saying Our lord Isay 10. wil make abreuiated word through â—l the world to whom is honour pâ—aise and glory together with the holy Ghost before al worldes and now and euer world without end Amen Meditations praiers vpon that petition giue vs this day our supersubstantial or dayly bread out of scripture and may be vsed before receauing Io. 6. I Am the liuing bread which haue descended from heauen if any man shal eate of this bread he shal liue for euer the bread which I wil geue is my flesh for the life of the world Iesus tooke bread blessed brake Mat. 26. gaue to his disciples and said take and eate this is my body c. this is my bloud of the new testament to be shed for many to remission of sinnes Take this is my body c. this is my Mar. 14. bloud of the new testament which shal be shed for many This is my body which is geuen for Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. you c. This is my body c. Meditations of this supersubstaÌ„tial bread out of the fathers S. Iustin Apol. 2. ad Anton. WE do not take these thinges as common meate or common drinke but euen as by the word of god Iesus Christ our preseruer being made man had both flesh and bloud for our saluation so also we haue receaued that the meate which is consecrated by the praiers of the speach which we receaued of him is both the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ that was made man For the Apostles in their Commentaries which are called Gospels haue deliuered that Christ so coÌ„maunded them that he taking bread when he had geuen thankes said doe this in memory of me this is my body S. Ciprianus L. de caena Domini The supper being ordered among the sacramental banquets the old and new institutions met together and the lambe which the old tradition proposed being consumed the maister setteth before his disciples food inconsumbale the foode of immortalitie is geuen differing froÌ„ common meates retaining the species of corporal substance but by inuisible efficacy of the diuine power prouing the presence to be there Sacraments signified longe agoe from the time of Melchizedech come forth and to the children of Abraham doing his workes the highest Preist bringeth forth bread wyne This is saith he my body They had eateÌ„ drunk of the same bread according to the visible forme but before those wordes that common meate was onely fit to norish the body and ministred helpe to the corporal life but after it was said of our lord Do this in my commemoration This is my flesh this is my bloud So often as with these wordes and this faith the matter is haÌ„dled that supersubstantial bread and Chalice consecrated by solemne benediction doth profit to the life and saluation of the whole man both a medicine and holocaust to heale our infirmities purge iniquities The bread which our Lord gaue vnto his Disciples chaÌ„ged not in outward shew but in nature by the omnipoteÌ„cy of the word is made flesh And as in the person of Christ the humanity was seene and the diuinity lay hid So the diuine essense vnspeakably haith infused it self to the visible sacrament As the comon bread which we daily eat is the life of the body so this supersubstantial bread is the life of the soule and health of the minde S. Saluianus lib. 2. ad Eccl. SOme man perhaps wil demaund why god requireth more of christians by the gospel theÌ„ before of the Iewes by the law there is a manifest reason of these thinges we pay greater thinges now to our lord because we owe greater thinges The Iewes had the shadow of thinges we the truth the Iewes were seruantes we are addopted children the Iewes receaued the yoke we haue receaued freedome the Iewes malediction we grace the Iâ—wes receaued the killing letter we haue receaued the quickning spirit To the Iewes the seruant was sent for a maister to vs the Sonne The Iewes by the sea went into the wildernesse we by baptisine enter into the kingdome The Iewes did eate Manna we Christ The Iewes the
flesh of birdes we the flesh of god The Iewes the dew of heauen we the god of heauen S. Ciril Hierosolim catech mistag 4. WHen Christ him self doth so affirme and say of bread This is my body who after dareth to doubt of it And when the same affirmeth and saith This is my bloud who would doubt and say it is not his bloud S. Chrisost hom 60. ad pop Antioch Let vs obey god in al thinges and not contradict him although that which is spoken seemeth to be otherwyse to our cogitations eyes but let his word be more worthie then our thought and sight and so let vs behaue our selues in misteries and let vs not onely haue respect to thinges put before our eyes but let vs hould his wordes for his word is infallible and our sence easie to be seduced that doth neuer faile but this doth verie oftē err Therefore because the word saith This is my body let vs obey him beleeue him and behould him with intellectual eyes He doth graunt vnto thee not onely to see him but also to eat him touch him receaue him within thee But no smal punishment is proposed to the vnworthie receauers Consider how thou art offended against him that betrayed him against those that crucified him and therefore beware lest thou also beguiltie of the body and bloud of christ they killed his most sacred body but thou after so many benefits receauest it with a polluted soule It was not enough for him to be made man to be beaten with bufets but he doth mingle him selfe with vs and not onely by faith but in very deede doth make vs his body Therfore then what ought he not to be more pure that enioyeth such a sacrifice what beame of the sonne is there that the hād which deuideth this flesh ought not to be more bright then it the mouth that is filled with spiritual fyer the tong that is embrued with that exceeding dreadful bloud Bethinke thy selfe with what honour thou art adorned what table thou dost enioy that wich the Angels seeing doe tremble at nor freely dare behould for the brightnes shyning from thēce with this we are fed to this we are vnited Primasius in cap. 10. Heb. This is one sacrifice and not many how is it one and not many whē it is offered of many in dyuers places and dyuers tymes Therefore we must most aptly consider that the diuinity of the word of god which is one and filleth al thinges is wholly every where that causeth that it be not many but one sacrifice though it be offered of many and be one body of Christ with that which he receaued in the virgins wombe not many bodyes Neither that we offer now an other great an other lesse an other to day an other to morow but alwayes the same hauing equal greatnes Therfore this is one sacrifice of Christ not diuers as the Iewes sacrifices were for if it should be otherwyse because it is offered in many places there should be many Christes which god forbid to thinke therfore he is one in al those places existing whole here and there hauing one whole body in al the places And as he that is offered euerie where is one body and not many bodies so also one sacrifice S. Casarius ep Arelaten hom 7. de pascha The heauenly authority confirmeth My flesh is truly meate my blood truly drīk Therefore let al doubt of infidelitie depart for he that is authour of the guift he also is witnesse of the truth For the inuisible preist by the power of his secret word doth chaung the visible creatures into the substance of his body and bloud Whē the creatures that are to be blessed with the celestial wordes are laid vpon the Altar before they are consecrated by inuocation of the holy name there is the substance of bread and wyne but after the wordes of Christ there is the body and bloud of Christ And what meruaile is it if those thinges which he could create with his word being created he could chaung thē with his word Yea it seemeth now lesse miracle if that which he is knowen to haue made of nothing now being made he can chaung it into a better Examine what can be difficult to him to whom it was easie by the power of his wil to make visible and inuisible thinges Prayers before receauing the B. Sacrament Math. 6. Our father which art in heauen c. giue vs this day our supersubstantial bread S. Dion Areopag l. cael hier c. 3. contem O diuine and most holy Sacrament those as it were vayles and coueringes drawen over thee by signes of obscurity being opened shew thinges clearely vnto vs and replenish the eyes of our mynd with asingular light and such as can not be couered S. Ambro. orat praeparator O Lord thou hast said with thy holy and blessed mouth The bread which I wil geue is my flesh for the life of the world I am the liuing bread which descended from heauen if any man shal eate of this bread he shal liue for euer O most sweete bread heale the taist of my heart that I may feele the sweetenesse of thy loue Cure it from sicknesse that I may perceaue no sweetenesse besides thee O most white bread hauing al delight and al taist who dost alwayes refresh vs and neuer feelest defect in thy self Let my heart eate thee let al the bowels of my soule be filled with the sweetenesse of thy taist O holy bread o liuely bread o pure bread which descendedst from heauen and geuest light vnto the world come into my heart and clense me from al infection of flesh and spirit Enter into my soule heale and clense me inwardly and without Be thou a defence continual health of my soule and body Driue from me the enemies that lye in waite for me Let them depart farre from the presence of thy power that I being both without and within defended by thee may come in the right path to thy kingdome where it is not delt in misteries as in this time but we shal see thee face to face when thou shalt deliuer the kingdome to god and the Father and god shal be al thinges in al. For then thou shalt fil me of thee with a meruelous satiety so that I shal neuer after hunger nor thirst thou who with the same god the Father and holy Ghost liuest and reignest world without end Amen S. Iacobus in Missa recept in Synod 6. general TAist and see how bountiful our Lord is who is distributed into Partes and is not diuided and geuen to the faithful and is not consumed for remission of sinnes and for life euerlasting now and euer foreuer In rhe peace of Christ let vs singe Taist see how bountiful our Lord is o Psal 33. Lord our god heauenly bread the life of al. I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and I am not worthy to be partaker of thine immaculate
before shal be blessed now and euer Amen A prayer meditating vpon the Maiestie of God out of S. Augustine CoÌ„f. l. 1. c. 4. WHat art thou o my God what art thou I besech thee but my lord God for who is lord but our lord and who is god but our God O highest o best o most mighty most omnipoteÌ„t most merciful and most iust most secret and most preseÌ„t most beutiful most strong stabâ—e and incoÌ„preheÌ„sible immutable chauÌ„ging al thinges neuer new neuer old renuing al things bringing the proud into ould age and they are ignorant alwayes doing euer quiet gathering and not wanting bearing and filling and protecting creating and norishing and perfecting seeking when nothing is wanting vnto thee thou louest yet art not truobled thou art ieleous and art secure thou repentest and greuest not thou art angry art quiet thou chaÌ„gest thy workes yet chaungest not thy counsaile thou receauest what thou findest neuer lost thou art neuer poore yet reioycest with gaine neuer couetous and yet exactest vsery There is largely bestowed vpon thee that thou mightest be in debt yet who haith any thing that is not thyne Thou payest debtes owing nothing giuest debtes loosing nothing And what do we say my god my life my holy sweetnesse or what doth any man say when he speaketh of thee and woe to theÌ„ that speake not of thee A prayer for al people out of S. Clement Const l. 8. c. 18. WE besech thee o lord for thy holy church which is dispersed through al places which thou hast gotteÌ„ with the precious bloud of thy Christ that thou wil vouchsaif to keepe it â—uiet and in tranquillity to the end of the world And we also intreat thee for al Episcopal order rightly handling the word of truth for al preisthood for deacons the whole Cleargy that being taught of thee thou wilt replenish them with the holy Ghost Also we besech thee o Lord for our King and al that are placed in authority that by them we may peaceably liue and perseuering in quietnesse and coÌ„cord through al the time of our life may glorify thee by Iesus Christ which is our hope For Bishops Preists Deacons Subdeacons Lectors Singers Virgins Widowes Lay people for al whose names thou knowest Also we besech thee for this Citie al that dwel in it For those that be sicke that suffer cruel seruitude for banished persoÌ„s such as haue suffered forfaiture of their goodes For al that trauel by sea and vndertaking farre iournaies that thou wilt be an assister helper aider of them al. Also we besech thee for them that hate persecute vs for thy names sake for those that be forth and in errour that thou wilt bring theÌ„ to good and appease their fury Also we besech thee for the Cathecumens of the Church and such as be vexed of the aduersary and for our brethren that be penitents that thou wilt perfect these in faith deliuer the other from vexation of the euil receaue the penance of these and pardon them and vs our offences Also we pray for them that are letted by iust cause or absent that keping vs al in godlinesse thou wilt gather vs together into the Kingdome of thy Christ god of al sensitiue and intellectual nature and our King constant in good inculpable and without sinne because vnto thee is al glory worship thankes-geuing honour adoration to the Father and Sonne and the holy Ghost both now and euer world without end Amen Out of the same S. Clement Const l. 7. c. 4 7. so by him appointed A prayer for morning Athanas l. de virg When day appeareth say the Himn Gloria in excelsis c. GLory in the highest to god and in earth peace to men of good wil we praise thee we celebrate thee we blesse thee we glorify thee by the great high preist we adoare thee god vnbegotten one vnaccessible alone for thy great glory o Lord heauenly king God Father omnipoteÌ„t o Lord god Father of Christ the immaculate LaÌ„be which taketh away the sinnes of the world receaue our prayer thou that sittest vpon the Cherubim Because thou alone art holy thou alone Lord Iesus Christ of god of al created nature of our king by whom glory honour and worship is vnto thee A Praier out of S. Ciprian Tom. 3. HAgios Hagios Hagios Holy Holy Holy O holy of holies Father of our Fathers God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Iacob God of Apostles God of Prophets God of Virgins God of the wel liuing God of the faithful God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ we humble cal vpon thee and also besech thee o only begotten Sonne who was begotten of the mouth of the highest before the disposing of the world and by mistery brought forh of the wombe of Mary the holy Virgin Vouchsaif to bestow vpoÌ„ vs that pray spiritual encrease of holy desire and integrity of heart that our brest by holy baptisme renewed may perseuer saife from carnal sinnes We aske with an vnspotted faith an vncorrupted mind with a strong deuotion loue continual that thou wilt suffer vs to florish in thy holy Church because vnto thee we bend our knees and bow downe our neckes to whom Angels and Archangels thousandes of thousandes of Martyrs the queare of the Apostles and glory of Prophets â—o make ioy to whom al birdes do singe praises whom the tongues confesse of thinges celestial terrestrial and infernal Al waters in heauen and vnder heauen confesse thee the insensible thinges perceaue thee Thou art alone and besides thee and without thee there is none We besech thee o Lord Father omnipotent who art conspicable to the onely Sonne whose Angels and Archangels obey thee O Lord Father we pray to thee to geue vs a sound mind a pure innocency deuout sincerity holy coÌ„science pure sober chast walking in glorious faith against al deceipts of the world Graunt vs a brest defended against al threatninges of the deuil carnal inticements that we may cary sounde the signe of euerlasting saluation lest we be entangled with the deadly snares of the violent and cruel enemy Put away from vs al vncleannes of the world and al perswasion of the deuil let him be snared throwne downe and ouercome and put away from vs as froÌ„ Sara thy seruant Asmodeus the most Tob. 8. wicked deuil suppressed by the holy Angel Raphael And as thou wert present with Tobias so vouchsaife to be present vnto me And as thou shewed mercy vnto Dan. 3. et 14. the three children in the fornace and to Daniel so vouchsaife to deale with vs thy seruantes Thou which hast raised the dead lightâ—ed the blynd geuen hearing to the deafe speach to the duÌ„me going to the lame soundnesse vnto leepers so also geue to vs thy seruaÌ„tes who with al the power of our mynd beleeue that thou wert borne suffered art to come to iudge the quick dead Assist vs as
was crucified the suÌ„ne darkned and lightned againe for it behoueth creatures to compassionate with there creatour The veale was cutte water bloud flowed out of his side the earth quaked the rockes were rent the dead rysing do testify the faith of the last and common resurrection Al which thinges who is able worthily to praise But none was such as the miracle of my saluation a few droppes of bloud reforming al the world But o great and holy pasouer and expurgation of al the world O word of God and light and life and wisdome and power for I ioy at al thy names O Issue and cogitation seale of that great minde o word intelligible and man visible who bearest al thinges crowned with the word of power let vs suffer noe euil stay the tiranny which the body beareth against vs. Thou seest o Lord whom how it beareth downe except we be purged by thy suffrage or by thy self But if we shal worthily be dissolued from this desire and receaued in the celestial tabernacles peraduenture there also we shal acceptabâ—y sacrifice vnto thee on thy holy Altare o Father and worde and holy Ghost because al glory honour and power is to thee for euer Amen PRAIERS DAYLY To be vsed for the Euening The Meditation or Preparation to Praier out of S. Cesarius Bishop of Arles Hom. 31. LEt vs pray with sighing forceable crying or groaÌ„ing according to that prophetical saying I did roare for the groaning of my heart Ps 37. Let vs pray not with a sounding voice but with a conscience crying vnto our Lord. When we pray so much as we are able Let vs labour by the helpe of god that noe extrauagant cogitation creepe into vs lest peraduenture we may haue one thing in our heart and vtter an other with our mouth lest by chaunce while our tongue praieth vnto god our cogitation occupied with diuers thinges may goe away from the meaning of our praier so from thence procure sinne from whence it might haue had remedy For if before any mighty persoÌ„ thou wouldest pleade any necessary cause sodainly turning from him breaking of thy speach in the middest thou shouldest busy thy self with some scurrilities what iniury thinkest thou thou should doe vnto that person with whom thou didest speake or how shouldest thou procure his anger against thee If therfore speaking with a man we laboure with al intention of mind lest thinking on any other thing we may be thought to doe a wrong to him vnto whom we speake When we speake vnto god in praier and alledg the miseries of our sinnes before so great a Maiesty are we not ashamed do we not blush our senses being made captiues to runne about hither and thither and with many businesse to abstracte our vnhappy minde from behoulding the diuine Maiesty And therefore euery one before he kneleth downe in praier by the helpe of god let him put away al superfluous cogitations from the intention of his minde that our soule being inflamed with the feruour of the holy Ghost may consume al vice with the fyre of compunction or praier and disperse farre of al wauering and wandering cogitations that onely vâ—rtue and holy Meditations may alwaies finde place in our heartes Meditations praiers for Euening LEt euery one take a Lambe throughout their families or houses Exod. 12. And the whole multitude of Israel shal offer it in sacrifice at the Euening Let my praier be directed as incense Ps 140. in thy sight the lifting vp of my handes an euening sacrifice While it was euen he sate downe Math. 26. Marâ— 14. Luc. 22. with his twelue Disciples And whiles they were at supper Iesus tooke bread and blessed brake and he gaue to his Disciples and said Take ye eate This is my body And taking the Chalice he gaue thankes and gaue vnto them saying Drinke ye al of this for This is my bloud of the new TestameÌ„t which shal be shed for many vnto remission of sinnes When it was euening there came a Math. 27. certaine riche man of Arimathea named Ioseph who also himself was Disciple to Iesus He went to Pilaâ—e and asked the body of Iesus Then Pilate commaunded that the body should be deliuered Watch therefore for you know not Marc. 13â— when the Lord of the house may come whether late in the euening c. I haue cryed to god and our Lord Ps 54. wil saue me In the euening I wil declare shew he wil heare my voice A Meditation of S. Basile orat in S. Iulittam When the day is ended geue thaÌ„kes vnto him who haith geuen the same vnto vs to serue our daily laboures fyre to lighten night and for the rest of the necessities of life And let the night propose vnto vs other argumentes of praier When thou shalt looke vp vnto heauen and haue thine eyes fixed on the bewtie of the starres pray vnto the Lord of visible thinges and adore god the best workman of al creatures who made al thinges in wisdom when thou shalt see al nature of liuing creatures detained in sleepe Againe adore him that looseth vs though against our wil by sleepe from the continuance of laboures by a litle rest reduceth vs againe to the force of our strength S. Clem. Const Apost lib. 8. cap. 4. Make your praiers at the euening geuing thankes because our Lord haith geuen vs the night for a rest of our day laboures Daily come together in the morning l. 2. c. 63. euening singing praying in Churches in the euening saying the 140. psalme O Lord I haue cryed vnto thee Ps 140. heare me Harken vnto my voice when I shal crye vnto thee Let my praier be directed as incense in thy sight the lifting vp of my handes an euening sacrifice O Lord put a watch to my mouth and a doare of standing about to my lippes Decline not my heart into wordes of malice to excuse excuses in sinnes With men that worke iniquity and I wil not communicate with the chosen of them The iust shal correct me in mercie and rebuke me but the oyle of a sinner shal not annoint my head Because as yet also my praier in thinges of their delight their Iudges are swallowed vp ioyned to the rocke They shal heare my wordes because they were able as the thicknesse of the earth is broken out vpon the earth Our bones are scattered abroade neare to hel because to thee o Lord o Lord mine eyes in thee I haue trusted take not away my soule Keepe me from the snare which they haue laid for me and from the scandals of those that worke iniquity Sinners shal fal in his nette I am alone til I passe away Glory be to the Father c. Clem. Const Ap. l. 8. c. 41. RAise vp and saue vs o God by thy Christ lifting vp our selues let vs desire the mercies of our lord and his commiserations the