Dominicke was giuen to his barren mother by the prayers of Saint Dominick Abbot of the Order of Saint Benedict whose name for that cause his Parents imposed vpon him Saint Franeis conceiued the first proiect of his religious course in a Monasterie of the Order of Saint Benedict Saint Ignatius for so he is now newly canonized receiued the first sparkes of his religious spirit in a famous Monasterie of Saint Benedict in Spaine called Monteseratta Of this Order there were of canonized or approued Saints Fiftie fiue thousand fiue hundred and ten in the time of Pope Iohn the two and twentieth which was lōg agoe besides infinite others holy Men and reputed Saints And we haue had fiue or sixe glorious Martyrs in these our dayes of our small number here in England Father Roberts one of the first that were sent hither in Mission being one so happily did they begin neither did any one hitherto thankes bee to God fall or miscarry so happily haue they gone forwards The glorie of the children is to bee attributed a great part of it to the Parents The branches buds blossoms and fruit of a Tree vnto the Roote Of all these aforesaid infinite others our most blessed Patrone Saint Benedict is the Father the Founder the Roote All these went the way of blessed Saint Benedict so doe likewise all those who ioyne themselues vnto him in this holy Fraternitie or Societie of his ordayned for lay people that are deuoutly affected vnto the Order as I vnderstād you are one Reioyce therefore and bee glad in our Lord Iesus and in his glorious seruant Saint Benedict that you are a blossome or bud of such a Tree that hath so replenished Heauen and Earth with such noble Fruit that you are a Childe of such a Father and haue such and so many worthy Brethren and Sisters in heauen and earth those in Heauen being readie to draw you vnto them by the golden chaines of their intercession merits and those on Earth to lift you vp with their charitable and brotherly assistāce in what they cā these on Earth being bound so to doe as long as you are of their fraternitie walke with them in the way that our blessed Father Saint Benedict did and they in Heauen out of their respectiue charitie can doe no lesse The office of the holy Father S. BENEDICT At Matins Thou O Lord wilt open my lips And my mouth shall declare thy praise O God incline vnto mine ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie bee to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and euer shall be world without end Amen A Hymne A Vrora faire vnmask's her face And smiles vpon the earth to see Saint Benedicts soule adorn'ed with grace Ascend to Heauen so gloriously How gracious is he there aboue Who here on earth did shine so bright Whose wonders stonie hearts did moue And gaue to all the World his light Praise honour glorie without end To thee O sacred Trinitie Which Benedict thy faithfull frend Enioyeth for all Eternitie An Antheme There was a man of venerable life blessed in grace and name who euen from his Chilhood bearing a graue minde and transcending his age in vertuous conuersation gaue his minde to no voluptuousnesse Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may be made worthy of the promises of Crist A Prayer O God who didst call the blessed Father and Law maker Saint Benedict from all worldly tumults to serue thee alone graunt to all specially such as serue vnder his discipline constant perseuerance in vertue and perfect victorie vnto their end Through Iesus-Christ thy Sonne who with thee liueth and raigneth world without end Amen At Prime O God incline vnto my ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie be to the Father c. A Hymne GReat Conductor in sacred Warre Who neuer conquer'd wert by might Defend vs with thy holy prayer And strengthen vs when we doe fight Protect vs from all sinnes disgrace Who mad'st the Black-bird to retire Which fluttering came about thy face To tempt thee with vnchaste desire Praise honour glorie c. An Antheme Our powerfull Lord did so great a fauour to blessed Benedict that vnder one Sun-beame he did see the whole world Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may be made worthy c. A Prayer MAke vs we beseech thee O Lord to imitate here the labours of the blessed Father Saint Benedict that there we may be partakers of his glorie through Iesus-Christ our Lord Amen At the third houre O God incline vnto my ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie be to the Father c. A Hymne TO free thee from vnchaste desire Thy flesh the wounds of thornes indur'd And thus fire quenched was with fire And one woūd with another cur'd With signe of Crosse a poysoned Cup Thou brak'st in two with power Diuine Which poysō thou hadst supped vp But Death was weaker then lif 's signe Praise honour glorie c. An Antheme The man of our Lord Benedict was of a pleasant countenance and adorned with Angelicall gray haires and so great was the brightnesse that shined about him that being yet vpon the Earth he seemed to dwell in Heauen Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may bee made worthy of the promise of Christ A Prayer VVE beseech thee O Lord that the intercessiō of the blessed Abbot Saint Benedict may so recommend vs that what by our owne merits wee cānot by his patronage wee may obtayne through Christ our Lord. Amen At the sixt houre O God incline vnto my ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie be to the Father c. A Hymne A Monke there was when others pray'd Oft pull'd away from seruing God Who afterwards became most stay'd When he was touched with thy rod. The Earth their bones did vomit out Who did in thy disfauour die But those to thee that were deuout Did walke vpon the wathers drie Praise honour glorie c. An Antheme The glorious Confessor of our Lord Bénedict leading an Angelicall life vpon earth was made a mirour of good workes to the world and therefore reioyceth in heauen without end Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may be made Worthy c. A Prayer O God in whose power holy Saint Benedict made the dead mēbers of a childe to reuiue graunt we beseech thee that for is merits wee may by the breath of thy Spirit bee quickned from the death of our Soules through Christ our Lord. Amen At the ninth houre O God incline vnto my ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie be to the Father c. A Hymne THe compasse of the World so round He in a Sunne-beame did discrye Nothing on earth so strange was found That was concealed from his eye O holy Saint O heauenly Man To whom God
and night that so they may seeme to pray alwayes or without intermission as aforesaid But because it were hard and ouer burdensome to pray euery naturall houre of the day and night which are in number twentie foure Shee hath put three naturall houres into one houre (a) Psal 54. vers 18. calling it a Canonicall or Ecclesiasticall houre and of these there are but eight in a day and night For euery of which eight houres Shee hath ordayned a seuerall Seruice or Office of prayer and praysing of God At mid-night Shee hath ordained that to bee said which we call the Matins At three a clocke after midnight the Laudes At sixe a clocke in the moning the Prime At nine a clocke the Third At twelue the Ninth At six the Euen-song At nine the Compline so that by this meanes they seeme to pray alwayes or without intermission according to the exhortation of the holy Scripture as aforesaid Thus doe Religious Ecclesiasticall persons serue God night and day and doe by their profession binde themselues thereunto and this is the publike or common Seruice and prayer of the whole Church dispersed thorowout the world whereof all such as are members of the Church are partakers wheresoeuer they are though not present thereat but more especially and effectually if they bee corporally present And that is the reason why denout people resort to Churches vpon Sundayes and Holy dayes and many weeke dayes also not onely to heare Masse but also Matins and Euen-song Lay people are not bound to anie such forme of continuall prayer or seruice but because it is a godly and deuout exercise to imitate Religious and Ecclesiasticall persons herein and maketh them so much the more effectually partakers thereof it being the publike Prayer or Seruice of the Church by how much the more deuoutly they imitate the same Therefore the Church hath also ordained a certaine short but verie sweet Office or Seruice for them to say also after the same method or order called the Office of our blessed Lady or the Primmer consisting of those seuerall eight houres aforesaid to wit Matins Laudes Prime Third Sixt Ninth Euensong Compline Such a booke deare sister I haue sent you whereby you may serue our Lord Iesus Christ and his blessed Mother the glorious Virgin Mary euery our of the day and night as aforesaid and so purchase the daily and hourely blessings of God Not that I would haue you say these seuerall Seruices in their proper seuerall houtes but to say them all at two times in the day in the Morning and Euening for your Matins and Euen-song as the custome is Or if you cannot conueniently say them at those times then at such times as you can And if you cannot conueniently say thē at all make no scruple to omit thē for none are boūd but such as binde themselues Moreouer besides the saying of these houres to the imitation of Religious persons that so you may seeme to pray alwayes or without intermission as aforesaid you may make another singular benefit by way of Meditation according to the Pictures set downe and prefixed at the beginning of euery houre to which end they are set there At your Matins you may meditate of the Annunciation or Salutation of our blessed Ladie by the Archangell Gabriel At Laudes of our blessed Ladies visitation of her cousin Saint Elizabeth At Prime of the Natiuitie or birth of Christ At Third of the Circumcision of Christ and of his blessed Name Iesus At Sixt of the Purification of our blessed Ladie and Presentation of Christ in the Temple At Ninth of the Adoration of the three Kings and their gifts At Euen-song of the flight of our blessed Ladie and Saint Ioseph into Egypt with little Iesus At Compline of our blessed Ladies glorious Assumption body and soule into Heauen These with the seuerall circumstances thereof are most sweet Meditations fit to be vsed euery day and would be very comfortable vnto you if you knew them perfectly and were well instructed therein And in these exercises you shew your selfe as it were one of our blessed Ladies especiall Hand-maides or Wayting-women attending vpon her daily and hourely in this Office or Seruice of hers for such Shee hath and must haue as appeareth in the first Psalme of the second Nocturne at Matins vers 15.16 and 17. and it is the fourth Psalme in your Primmer Another Letter to his Sister concerning the Order of Saint Benedict together with a little Office of Saint BENEDICT According to the houres of the Primmer as aforesaid VVHen our blessed Father Saint Benedict departed this life the very same time two religious men saw him ascend into heauen in a rich Robe with bright Lamps shining round about him a Man of a bright and venerable aspect standing ouer him who said vnto them while they were gazing on him This is the way which the beloued of our Lord Benedict ascendeth into Heauen By this way mystically is vnderstood his religious Rule or course of life which he instituted and began and prescribed vnto his Disciples In this way not onely Saint Benedict himselfe but also all his Disciples and Followers haue walked and doe still walke as in a most readie and beaten way to heauen In this way haue walked fortie sixe Popes for so many haue theree beene of this holy Order or Rule Emperors foure Empresses twentie two Archbishops one thousand sixe hundred Kings fortie Queens fiftie one Children of Kings one hundred fortie sixe Abbots being Doctors fifteene thousand seuen hundred Dukes Marquesses and Earles two hundred fortie fiue Apostles or Cōuerters of Kingdomes and Countries thirtie whereof our England was one Saint Gregorie the Great Pope and one of the foure principall Doctors of the Church sending thirtie Religious Monkes of the Order of Saint Benedict who conuerted it and established Catholike Religion therein in that perfection that it was called the Garden of Christendome and Dowrie of our blessed Lady the most glorious Virgin Mary Saint Gregorie being of the same Order himselfe and the glorie not onely of his owne Order but of the vniuersall Church and for that cause was surnamed the Great and of venerable Bede called the Apostle of the English Nation Of this holy Order of Saint Benedict were also of militarie Orders of Knights for the defence of the Gospell by the sword sixe Of Religious Orders twelue principall besides diuers other lesser all branches of the holy Order of Saint Benedict whereof there were in the world of Monasteries of Men thirtie thousand of Women one thousand and fiue hundred who illuminated filled all the westerne Church with learning and vertue it being the onely Religious Order that was extant in the westerne Church the first fixe hundred yeeres after their beginning which was about eleuen or twelue hundred yeeres agoe Vnto this Religious Order the Dominicans Franciscans and Iesuites three famous Orders of Religion are in some part to attribute their beginnings Saint
did his secrets tell Who saw the soule of Saint German Ascend the Heauens for aye to dwell Praise honour glorie c. An Antheme The man of God Benedict was replenished with the spirit of all righteous men pray hee for all Professors of the Catholike Religion Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may be made worhy c. A Prayer GRaunt vs wee beseech thee O Lord that with cheerefull minde Wee may daily celebrate the memorie of thy blessed Confessor Benedict whose life graced with many miracles did well please thee through Christ our Lord. Amen At Euen-song O God incline vnto my ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie be to the Father c. A Hymne HIs sisters soule from sinne most free And Beautified with heauenly loue Flie vp to heauens Throne hee see In likenesse of a milke white Doue O blessed Saints of God belou'd Who lye in tomb'd both in one graue One heart you had while here yee mou'd One glorie now in Heauen haue Praise honour glorie c. An Antheme Towards the East appeared a straight way reaching from his Cell euen vnto Heauen and a Man of venerable feature shining in brightnesse standing thereby demanded wose way that was which they confessing they did not know hee said vnto them This is the way by which Benedict the beloued of our Lord ascended to Heauen Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may be made worthy c. A Prayer VVE beseech thee O almightie God by the merits and prayers of the most blessed Father Sainct Benedict and of his disciples Saint Placidus and Saint Maurus and of the Virgin his sister Saint Scholastica and of all holy Monkes and Nunnes which vnder his Banner and conduct fought for thee that thou wouldest renew in vs thy holy Spirit by whose inspiratiō wee may make warre against the Flesh the World and the Deuill and because the Palme of victorie cannot be atchieued without laborious battell giue vs in aduersitie patience in temptation constancy in perils Counsell giue vs the puritie of Chastitie the desire of Pouertie the fruit of Obedience and a firme purpose to obserue thy Commandements so that being strengned with thy Consolation and linked in brotherly Charitie wee may serue thee with one heart and so passe ouer these temporall things that being crowned for our victories we may deserue at last in the cōpagnie of those Religious troupes to attaine vnto those eternall good things Through Christ our Lord. Amen A Cōmpline Conuert vs O Lord our Sauiour And auert thy wrath from vs O God incline vnto my ayde O Lord make haste to helpe me Glorie be to the Father c. A Hymne BLessed Patriarch wee thee pray And also craue in humble wise That vnto Heauen thou shew's the Way Whom thou the earth taught'st to despise Grant we may seeke those ioye aboue And mend in vs what is amisse That liuing here in Christian loue We may hereafter liue in blisse Praise honour glorie without end To thee O sacred Trinitie Which Benedict thy faithfull frend Enioyeth for all eternitie Amen An Antheme Let the whole compagnie of all the faithfull reioyce for the glorie of the blessed Abbot Saint Benedict let the troupes of Religious persons chiefly exult celebrating is memorie vpon earth for whose societie the Saints doe ioy in Heauen Vers Pray for vs O blessed Father Benedict Resp That we may be made worthy c. A Prayer PVrifie O God the hearts of all those who forsaking worldly vanities thou hast encouraged to aspire to the reward of a higher vocation vnder the discipline of their holy Patriarch and founder Saint Benedict and powre thy grace into them whereby they may perseuer in thee and by thy assistance accomplish what by thy inspiration they haue promised that so atchieuing the perfectiō which they professe they may also merit to attaine to the reward by thee proposed to such as should perseuer in thee Through our Lord Iesus-Christ who with thee liueth and raigneth in vnitie of the holy Ghost Amen A filiall recommendation to the most blessed Father Saint Benedict O Most glorious Father Saint Benedict the Gouernour and Leader of such as professe Monasticall discipline hope and solace of all them that heartily implore thy assistance I humbly recommend mee to thy holy protection that for the excellency of thy merits thou wilt vouchsafe to defend me from all euills hurtfull to my soule and that out of the aboundance of thy pietie thou wilt obtayne for mee the gift of compunction and teares that I may worthily and abundantly bewaile my great wickednesse and offences whereby I haue oftētimes euen from my child-hood prouoked to anger my louing and gracious Lord Iesus-Christ and that I may also worthily praise and reuerence thee O most precious Oliue and fruitfull Vine in the house of God O most solid vessel adorned with all kindes of precious stones chosen according to Gods owne heart most sweet and with innumerable gifts of graces like so many glistring Pearles embellized thee I beseech thee I pray thee with all the affection of my heart with all the desires of my soule I implore that thou wilt vouchsafe to be mindfull of me wretched sinner with Almightie God that of his infinite goodnesse he will bee pleased to forgiue mee all my sinnes and conserue me in vertues and that for no cause or necessitie whatsoeuer he will suffer mee to depart from him but that together with thee O louing Father hee will admit mee into the companie of his Saints and to that blissefull vision of himselfe where together with thee and that glorious Armie of Religious persons who fought vnder thy Banner I may for euer enioy the presence of my God and my Lord Iesus Christ who with the Father and the holy Ghost liueth and raigneth for euer and euer Amen FINIS