The Relics of Rome, Part 50

The Relics of Rome · Part 50

Of Holy dayes, and of Feastes of Sainctes with such like.

Easter dayPOpe Pius the fyrst ordayned y^t Easter daye shoulde be celebrated and kept holy euer on the Sondaye. In the yere of our Lorde. 147. Libro. Concil. Polyd. D. Barns, Pantal.

Pope Gregory the fyrst approued and allowed the feast of the Trinitie:Trinitie Sonday. which Pope Alexander woulde by no meanes admit. For, sayth he, as there ought to be no feast of y^e Vnitie: no more oughte there to be any feast of the Trinitie. In p. 174the yeare, &c. 590. Guilielmus. Durandus.

Pope Vrban the fourth ordained the feast of the Sacramente of the Altare,The feast of Corpus Christi. otherwyse called, The feaste of Corpus Christi, with pardons and indulgences greate plentye, to allure the foolyshe and simple people to commit spiritual whoredome with that Sacrament by adoryng and worshipping it as theyre God, Maker and Sauioure: and willed it to bee kepte holy the Thursdaye after Trinitie Sonday. In the yeare, &c. 1254. Christianus. Massaeus. Ioan. Stella. Polyd. Pantal.

The beginning of thys feaste was thys In the countrey of the Leodicenses there was a certayne Recluse or Anckresse called Eua, whiche of a vayne, foolyshe, and superstitious deuotion and louelove towarde the Sacramente of the altare,The beginning of the feast of Corpus Christi as they terme it, procured thorowe earneste sute of Pope Vrban the fourthe, that the Sacramente of the Altare, commonly called Corpus Christi, might also hauehave a feast and holy day, being as wel worthye as the Gallowe tree or crosse y^t Christ was hāged on, which was alredy celebrated in the Church: and y^t the same feaste of Corpus Christi myghte with all solemnitye bee kepte holy thorowoute the whole worlde. Pope Vrban being an holy and deuoute Father, doubte ye not, consideryng the greate deuotion, earneste zeale and Godlye mynde of thys holy and religious woman, accomplyshed fo…le graciouslye her tender requeste, and dyd not onelyonly ordayne that thys feast of Corpus Christi shuld be kept holy, but he also graunted plenarye Indulgence, and large pardon to so many as eyther do say or heare the seruice belonging to y^t feast which Thomas Aquinas the Blacke fryer made, Arnoldus Bostius. Guili. Durand. Chron.

Before that time there was no such feaste knowen in the church of Christ. But thys is moste certayne that thorowe thys feaste greate Idolatrye and muche spirituall whoredome is daylye cōmitted with the Masse bredde in all those places, where the true doctryne of the sacrament is not knowen. Pope Innocent y^e thyrde, sayth Theodorus Bibliander in the Councell Lateranense, placed y^e fond fansye of Monke Lanfranke p. 175concernyng Transubstantiation amonge the articles of the faith of the most high Trinitie. In the yeare. &c. 1215. And bicause nothing should want to the worshippynge of the newe founde God of bread and wine: and that the bishop of Rome myght hauehave his God Mazin, as Aaron with the idolatrous Israelites had the goldē Calfe in the wildernesse: Pope Vrban the fourthe ordayned the feast of Corpus Chr…sti with large pardons. Concil. sa…, dom.

Of this feast we read in the English festiuall on this maner.The doctrine of the festiual concerning the feaste of Corpus Christi. Good frendes, ye shall vnderstand, that this day is an highe and solemne feast in holy church and is the feast of Corpus Christi: It is the feast of our Lordes owne body the whiche is offered to the highe father in heauen at the altare for the remission of our sinnes for all Christen people y^t liue here in perfect louelove and charitie, & for the great succour and helpe in releuing them that bene in paines of Purgatorye, there abidyng the mercye of God. Ye shall vnderstād, that this feast was founde by a Pope, that was called Vrban, the whiche had great grace and deuotion in the holy Sacrament of the altar, considering the great nede helpe and succour to mans soule and to the …urdering of liuing to all Christen people here in this present worlde. Therfore he did establishe and ordayne thys present feast to be halowed in the next thursday after the feast of the holy Trinitie. For all christen people that will be saued, must hauehave sad beliefe in the holy Sacrament, whiche is Gods own body in fourme of breade, made by the vertue of Christes wordes that the priest sayth, and by working of the holy Ghoste.Pardon be longyng to the feast of Corpus Christi. Then for this holye Pope thought to drawe people to more deuotion and better wil to this holy Sacrament, and to do the seruice this day: he graunteth to all that be worhy (that is to say) that be very contrit & cōfessed of their sinnes, and be in the Church at both euēsongs, at Mattens, & at masse, for eche an hundred dayes of pardon, & for eche houre of the daye. xl. dayes of pardon, & eueryevery day of the Vtas an hundred dayes of pardon in remission of al their sinnes for euermore enduring. &c In serm. de corpore. christi.

p. 176Pope Gregorye the ninth appoynted y^e feast of y^e Natiuity of S. Iohn Baptiste, whiche we commonly call Mydsommerday, to kept holy. In the yeare. &c. 1225. Chron. Germ.

Pope Siluester the firste at the desire of the Emperour Cōstātine instituted y^e feast of Lāmasse, Midsommer day.called Ad vincula Sancti Petri. In the yeare. &c. 315. Grat. Polid.

Pope Eusebius ordayned the feast of the Inuētion of the crosse.The Inuē tion of the Crosse. The exaltacion of the Crosse. The transfiguration of oure Lorde. In the yeare &c. 309. Crat. Guil. Durandus.

Pope Honorius deuised the feaste of the Exaltatiō of the crosse. In the yere of our Lord. 622. Plat. Pant.

Some attribute these feastes to Pope Vrban the fourth▪ Pol. Virgil.

Pope Calixte the thirde inuented the feaste of the Transfiguration of oure Lord, and commaunded, that it should be celebrated and kepte holye with as large indulgences and pardons, as the feaste of Corpus Christi. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 1455. Matth. Palmer. Ioan. Stella. Pantaleon.

This feast (as the festiual reporteth) is greatly priuileged in holy Churche,The doctrine of the festiuall. in so much that orders be geuē this day thorow out all Christendome, & great pardons be graunted to this day in diuerses places, as in Syon plenare remission, and all is to the weale and cō forte of man, and for a purueaunce to sanctifie his soule, that in the last resurrection the said soule ioyned to the body, may together be glorified and transfigured in clerenesse more brighter thā is the Sunne, and so euer to endure.

Thassmu…ion of our Lady.Pope Leo the fourthe instituted the Feast of the Assumption of the blessed Uirgine Mary, and commaunded that it shoulde in all places be kept hye and holy by the space of right dayes. In the yeare▪ &c. 858. Lib. Concil. Sigebert. Ioan. Functius.

Michelmasse day.Pope Innocent the fourth ordayned y^e Feast of the Natiuitie of Mary the Uirgine with the Octaues thereof. In the yeare, &c. 1242. Volat. Sabel. Pant.

Dedicatiō daye or Churche holy day.Pope Felix the thyrd appoynted the Feast of the Archaungel Michaell, to be kept holy. In the yere of our Lord. 486. Lib. Concil. Chron.

Pope Felix the thirde ordayned also the Feaste of the Dedicacion of the Temple, commonly called Church holy day, p. 177and cōmaunded y^t eueryevery Citie, Town, or village should yerely kepe for euer y^• day, wheron y^e Churche was halowed. Volat. Plat. Polid. Albertus. Krantzius.

Pope Boniface the fourth ordayned the Feast of all Saintes,The feaste of al saint… called, All Halowes. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 606. Plat. Volat, Polid.

Pope Gregory the fourth afterwarde willed,The feaste of al soules that the Feaste of all Sainctes should be kept the first day of Nouember. In the yeare of our Lord. 486. Plat. Sabel. Polid. D. Barns.

Pope Iohn the .xviii. confirmed the Feast of all soules, whiche was begōn by a certayne Monke called Oclilo, and commaunded that it should be kept …oly in eueryevery Churche the day followyng the Feast of all Saintes. In the yeare of our Lord. 999. Petrus. Damianus. Christianus. Massaeus. Volat. Fascicu…us. Temporum. Ioan. Stella. Polid.

This Feast, as they write, toke the begynnyng on this manner.The beginnyng of the feast of all Soules. A certain Monke named Oclilo prouinciall of the Monkes of Clun…acensis order, vponupon an occasion that he hearde about Etna the mountaine of Sicilie oftentimes great weping, lamenting, and crying, which he supposed to be the yellynge of euill spirites that wailed bicause the soules of dead men were taken out of Purgatory from thē by the peticiōs, prayers, suffrages, and sacrifices of well disposed Christen people, persuaded his Couent to make a generall Obite for all soules the daye next after the feaste of all Sainctes, and desired Pope Iohn the xviii. to set it forth by his authoritie, and to commaund it to be obserued generally as a godly Institution full of louyng, tender, and pitifull charitie. Whiche thinge Pope Iohn did with all expedition: so that of this Monkes foolishe supposition, there hath sprong vp muche vayne superstition. Volat. Polid. Ioan. Laziard.

The cōceptiō and presentatiō of mary, with the feastes of Aun…, Ioseph, & Fraunces. The visitacion of Marye.Pope Sixtus the fourth ordayned the feastes of the Conception, and presentation of Marye the Uirgine: and the Feastes of Anne her Mother, and of Ioseph her husband, and also of Fraunces. In the yeare. &c. 1469. Decret. Extravagant. Ioan. Laziard.

Pope Vrban the sixt made the visitation of Mary holyday. In the yeare. &c. p. 1781390. Christ. Mass. Chron. Germ.

Pope Sergius, otherwise called Popes Swinesnoute,Candelmasseday confirmed the feast of the Purification of Mary, commonly called Candelmassedaye, whiche before was instituted at Constantinople, Pope Vigilius beyng Byshop of Rome. In the yeare of our Lord. 684. Sigeb. Pantal. And he commaūded that all the people shoulde on that daye go procession, & cary brennyng candels about with them in their hands. Chron. Germ. Guil. Durand.

Pope Boniface the eyght ordayned that the feastes of the foure Euangelistes,The feasts of the foure Euangelistes and of the foure Doctours. Sonday. Mathew, Marke, Luke and Iohn: agayne, that the feastes of the foure Doctours, Ambrose, Hierome, Austen, and Gregorye shoulde be double feastes in holye Churche. In the yeare of our Lorde. 1286. Fasciculus Temp. Christ. Massaeus. Ioan. Stella.

Pope Leo the firste commaunded,A godlye lawe and worthy to be obserued that the Sonday shoulde be kept holy, and that all Christians should behaue themselues Godlye and vertuously all the daye long, in praying, in hearyng & readyng the worde of God, in visityng the sicke and poore, and in comforting the comfortlesse. In the yeare of our Lord. 444. Volat. Sabel. Pantal.

This godly decree is s…lenderly obserued in Englande.Pope Leo the thirde bearyng rule, a Coūcell was holden at Magontia in Germany, where it was decreed, that al Sō dayes should be kept holy with al reuerence, and that all men on those dayes should abstayne from al seruice, worke and worldly businesse: and that there shoulde be no Markets, no Faires, no bying nor selling on the Sonday: Againe, that no man on that daye shoulde be iudged either vntounto death, or vntounto any payne. In the yeare. &c. 817. Lib. Concil. Barth. Carranza.

A generall rule for holy dayes.Pope Innocent y^e fourth bearing rule, it was agreed in a certain councel holdē at Lyons, what holydayes should specially be obserued and kept: where it was decreed that the Sondayes should be kept holy from Saterday at noone, till Sonday at night. Item, the feastes following should also be halowed and kept holy, that is to say: the feastes of the Natiuitie of Christ, of S. Stephen of S. Ihon the Euangeliste, of the Innocentes, of S. Siluester, of the Circū cision, p. 179of y^e Epiphanye, of Easter, with the whole weekes y^t go before & after, of the Rogation dayes, of the Ascention of Christ, of Whitsontide with the two daies following, of S. Iohn Baptiste, of the xxii. Apostles, of S. Laurence, of blessed Marye, of S. Michaell of the Dedication of the Temple, of al Saints, of S. Martine, and to be short, all such feastes of Canonised Saintes as eueryevery Byshop in his diocesse with y^e consent of the Clergye and the people, hauehave determined to kepe holy. As for all other feastes y^t are in the yeare: the people ought neither to be compelled to kepe them holy day nor yet to be forbidden, but eueryevery man to do according to hys deuotiō. In the yere of our lord. 1242. Libro. Concil. Polydor. Guilielmus. Durandus.

This decree also was made in a coū cell holden at Maguntia. Bartholom. Carrantz.

A councell holden at Basille confyrmed the feast of the Conception of Mary the Uirgine:The cōceptiō of mary and graunted to so many as deuoutlye kepe it holy daye, and bee presente at the seruice, an hundred and fyftye dayes of pardon. Lib Concil.

The Annunciation of Mary.In y^e councel Toletane it was decreed, y^t the feast of the Annunciation of Mary should be kept holy the fyftene daye of the Calendes of Ianuarye, and that the feast of the Natiuitye of her sonne, that is to saye, Christmasse, should bee celebrated and kepte holye the eyghts daye of the Calendes of Ianuarye. Lib. Concil.

The visitatiō of maryItem in a councell holden at Basille the feast of the visitation of Mary was confyrmed, & an hundred dayes of pardon graunted to all them, y^e with good deuotion be present at the seruice of y^e day. Lib. Concil.