Against Popery, Addition · Part 4
THE FOVRTH PART.
1 AFter thoſe ſermons followeth officium beate virginis, that is, a ſeruice for the bleſſed virgin. This ſeruice conſiſteth of many diſhes of meat made readie for the virgin by the former cooke. But before this ſeruice, according to the manner of Princes, is ſounded a trumpet of great commendation, by no meaner perſon then the moſt bleſſed father Pope Sixtus the 4. For the foreſaid ſeruice beeing preſented to his holines, The ſeruice muſt be honourable that hath ſuch a trumpet ſounded before it, & that by ſuch a trumpottour.that he might appoint ſome other of his wiſeſt and graueſt diuines to examine the ſame, and vponupon examination taken to be trū pettours for the proclaiming of the praiſes thereof, he anſwered that he himſelfe would doe it. Hauing therefore examined it, he allowed it, firſt by his word of mouth commā ding it to be publiſhed, and ſecondly by a ſhort apoſtolicall writing, ratifying and confirming the ſame, with theſe word… in the end of that …a…ification and confirmation, for the better credit thereof, Non obſtantibus conſtitutionibus & ordinationibus apoſtolicis, ceteris que contrar…is quibuſcunque. The meaning whereof is this, that no other conſtitutions and ordinations apoſtolicall, neither any other co… trarie ſeruices whatſoeuer, ſhould let or hinder the ſame, leafe 49. B. Then followeth a… other ſolemne commendation of that ſe… uice in the inſcription or title thereof: and after all this ſolemnitie commeth …he ſerui… it ſelfe to the table, the firſt diſh where… is this:
2 Dixit dominus dominemee, ſede a dextr… innocentie mee: that is, The Lord ſaid vntounto m… ladie, ſit thou on the right hand of my innocencie. Again, Laudate pueridominā ſuper omnes gentes in conceptu glorioſam. O childre… praiſe ye the ladie aboue all nations, gloriou… in her conception. Againe, Letatus ſum in … que dicta ſunt mih…, concepta eſt hodie regina ce…. I reioyced in thoſe things that were ſaide vntounto me, to daie is conceiued the queene of heauen. Againe, Laudate Hieruſalem dominam, quia non fecit taliter vlli nationi, ſicut fecit dilectiſſime matri. Praiſe the Lord, O Ieruſalem, becauſe he hath not dealt ſo with any nation, as with his moſt beloued mother.
3 The ſecond diſh is this. Dominus poſſedit me in initio viarum ſuarum, antequam quicquam faceret a principio. ab eterno ordinata ſum, & ex antiquis antequam terra fieret. nec dum erant abyſſi cum ego tam concepta eram. The Lord poſſeſſed me in the beginning of his waies, before he made any thing at the beginning. From euerlaſting was I ordained, from of old before the earth was made. There were no depths, and I was now conceiued.
4 Betwixt theſe diſhes and thoſe that follow, our ladie muſt hauehave a little muſicke, and there is the hymne or ſong:
Gaude mater ſaluatoris
magni vell…s Gedeonis;
Rubus igne qui non vris
verum templum Salomonis.
Sponſa dei, ſtella maris
porta celi tu v…caris;
Mundi ſalus ſeuientis
caput cedens Holofernis.
Mare ſicco calle tranſis
currus mergens Pharaonis;
In que S…on dominaris
pulſis inde Iebuſeis.
Aſuexi regis ſceptrum
Caput tangens virgo tuum;
mori fecit laqueatum
Aman ſanctis inimicum.
Babilonis rex in predam
non abduxit te captivam;
Philiſtei nec Golie
es transfixus pugione.
Sicut ſuum ſol nitorem
nunqūaem per dit nec decorem;
Primipatris ſic tu labem
nullam ſentis nec fetorem.
Tu ſoloccaſum neſciens
Iuna que ſemper rutilans;
Tuſydus lucem pariens,
delicti nubes profugans.
Nūllus in te con…identes
vnquam vidit infelices;
Vere tibi nam deuotus
est neceſſe ſit beatus.
Ad te ergo nos clamantes
in hac valle lacrymantes;
Adnuptias eternales
fac venire triumphantes.
Reioyce of Ieſus mother deere
Thou fleece of noble Gedeon:
Thou buſh that burneſt not with fire,
Thou temple of true Salomon.
Of God the ſpouſe, of ſea the ſtarre,
Of heauen the gate thou called art.
To raging world thou didſt giuegive health,
To Holofernes deadly ſmart.
In ſea thou walkeſt as on drie land,
Drowning Pharao with his rout:
In S…on alſo doſt thou raigne,
By chaſing Iebuſites thence out.
The ſcepter of king Aſſuere,
Touching, O virgin, head of thine;
Did cauſe proud Haman hangd to be,
Who againſt thy ſaints did ſtill repine.
Of Babylon the king in praie
Did not away thee captiue lead:
No Philiſtine Goliah ſtout,
With ſword could kill or lay the dead.
As ſunne his brightnes doth not looſe,
But ſtill his beautie keepeth well:
So thou of firſt father no ſtaine
Doſt feele, or any filthie ſmell.
Thou art the ſunne that goeſt not downe,
Thou art that moone which ſtil giuſt light:
Thou art the ſtarre which alwaies ſhines,
Thou cloudes of ſinne driueſt out of ſight.
None ſuch as once doe truſt in thee,
Did euer ſee vnhappie man:
But he to thee that is deuout,
Muſt bleſſed be as any can.
To thee therefore we loud doe call,
And in this vale with teares doe crie:
That to the eternall marriage
We may once come triumphantly.
5 Then followeth an other diſh with an other fitte of mirth: after which follow many other diſhes, which they call by the name of leſſons, becauſe they were to be read vponupon the ſeueral daies of the feaſt of the conception of the virgin, as we read certaine portions of ſcripture for ſeuerall leſſons of ſeuerall daies. Theſe leſſons I had thought to hauehave ſet down both in latin and engliſh for the better credit of them, but becauſe I ſee they would be too long I wil therefore make choice of ſome of the moſt daintie of them, and thoſe al…o I will ſet downe but partly in latin, and wholly in engliſh for breuitie ſake.
6 This therefore following was the fifth leſſon for the ſecond daie of the feaſt of her conception. Beatus Bern. poſt mortem ſuam, &c. that is in engliſh, Bleſſed Bern. an abbot after his death appeared all ſhining to one of his brethren. Now all his apparrell beeing The word tranſlated brethren, may alſo be trā …ted …riars, &c.white in his breaſt onelyonly there ſeemed a ſpot of a very blacke colour. His brother inquiring where he had receiued that blacke ſpot, he anſwered; I thought good to appeare vntounto thee with ſuch a ſpot, becauſe whilſt I liued, I was in an errour, thinking the mother of our In quadam exti… non vir… op…nion…Lord to hauehave receiued the Originall ſtaine. Therefore my ſonne, tell vntounto the faithfull people, what things thou haſt ſeene.
7 The ſixt leſſon for the ſame daie is this, In reuelationibus beate Brig…tte habetur, &c. that is in engliſh. In the reuelations of b…eſſed Bridgit it is reported, that a certaine chaplin of hers, a famous doctour of ſacred diuinitie named Mathias, entreated bleſſed Bridgit, Si benedicta virgo Maria ab originali fu… vi…io detur pata.ſaying. I beſeech thee, O daughter, vouchſafe to reueale vntounto me, if the bleſſed virgin Marie were defiled with originall ſinne. Bleſſed Bridgit anſwered, I did once deſire the moſt pure virgin to ſhew me the māner of her moſt holy conception, and ſhe anſwered; Know that I cōming of my parents Ioachim & Anna… was preſerued from all pollutiō of ſinnes. The foreſaide brother hearing theſe things, preſently laied aſide his opinion, and yearely preaching, he did moſt deuoutly celebrate the feaſt of the immaculate conception.
8 For the fourth leſſon of the third day of her conception, they read this: Legitur in quodam beati dominici opuſculo, quod cum regularis eſſet canonicus, &c. that is, It is read in a certain work of bleſſed Dominick that when he was a regular Canon in the Biſhoprick of Tholoſſa, he diſputed with certaine heretiks, which affirmed many concluſions contrary to truth. Now amongſt other opinions they preached this vntounto the people, namely that the virgin was not preſerued from original ſinne. When bleſſed Dominicke ſaw that he could not perſwade them the truth, he tooke this order with them; that both ſides ſhould put their concluſions together in a burning ouen, and Taliter cum …is conuenit.that thoſe ſhould be accounted for true, which ſhould not be conſumed by the heate of the fire. They put therefore their concluſions in the middeſt of the fire, amongſt many other things, ſaying that the virgin Mary was defiled with originall pollution. Bleſſed Dominick affirmed the contrarie. Preſently therefore the deuouring flame conſumed the falſe concluſions of the hereticks. But the moſt true ſayings of bleſſed Dominick, remained in the middes of the burning flame, for three daies togither without any hurt at all, and no ſigne of fire appeared in them.
9 For the fifth leſſon of the ſame day they read this tale following. In regno Vngarie quidam This might well herfor the papiſts hauehave a thouſand waies to poiſon and ſecretly to murther their owne catholike Kings▪ yea and their own popes. Might not they therefore much more ſecretly take away the life of one that ſo openly oppugned ſuch a chiefe principle of their religion.theologie magiſter, &c. that is, In the kingdome of Hungarie a certaine maſter of diuinitie, preached before the King againſt the cō ception of the vndefiled virgin, ſaying, that ſhee was ſanctified, but not conceiued without ſtaine: who ſo ſoone as he had thus vnreuerently ſpoken theſe things, receiued the puniſhment of this boldnes, and preſently gaue vp the ghoſt. In the citie alſo of Tholoſa a certaine frier feared not to preach in like manner. But hauing ended his ſermon, he came to a certaine chappell to ſay maſſe. In this chappell there was an image of the glorious virgin grauen in marble. When therefore the f…ier preſumed to goe vp to the altar, the bleſſed mother of God the virgin ſhewed him a very terrible and angrie countenāce, and turned (aWas this poſſible in the ladie of pitie. Here ſeeme to want theſe words, from ſinne: but this defect is in their latine it ſelfe.) her face from him: and ſo ſhee continueth to this daie.
10 For the ſixth leſſon of the ſame day, they read this, In ducatu Subaudienſi iuxta mō tem ſancti Bernardi, &c. that is, In the duc hie of Subaudia, by the mount of S. Bernard, a certaine frier ſeeing the women going to the preaching of the conception, rebuked them, ſaying, that the moſt pure virgin was not in her conception preſerued by her beloued ſonne: and he addeth, If it be ſo, I deſire this miracle to be ſhewed vponupon me by the bleſſed virgin, that I may die before the euening. So therefore it came to paſſe. For in the ſame houre the other friers found him hanged by the feete and dead.
11 In the fourth daies ſeruice for the fourth leſſon, there is a trimme tale of a very eloquent frier in Tholoſa, who for preaching againſt the conception of the virgin, was preſently rent in ſunder & deuoured of a wolfe, &c.
12 In the fift and ſixt leſſons for the ſame day, there is a long tale out of Anſelmus for iuſtifying the immaculate conception of the virgin. This tale beeing too long to ſet downe word for word, I hauehave thought good to ſet downe the ſumme onelyonly th…reof in this manner. The Danes taking it grieuouſly that William the Conquerour had taken England from them, and that ſo they were as it were depriued of their inheritance, made all preparation that might be for expelling the …aide William and his forces. VVilliam the Conquerour therefore hearing thereof, ſent one Elfinus a man of excellent wit, abbot of the monaſterie of Rhemes, into Danske to enquire the truth. This Elfinus hauing diſpatched his maſters buſines, in his returne homeward, was with his whole companie in great daunger vponupon the ſea. In the middes of which daunger, hauing commended themſelues to the bleſſed Virgin, and expecting nothing but death, ſuddenly amongſt the waues nere vntounto the ſhippe, they did ſee a very *Venerabilem virum pontiſiciali inſuls decoratum conſpexere. The deuill can transforme himſelfe into the likenes of an angel of light, much more into the likenes o… a biſhop.reuerend man, adorned with a Biſhops mytre, who ſaid vntounto the Abbat thus, Vis periculum euadere? vis ſanus ad patriam redire? wilt thou eſcape this danger? wilt thou returne in ſafetie to th… countrey? To whome when the abbat had anſwered with teares, that that was his deſire, then he that had ſo appeared ſpake further. Scias (in quit) me ad… a domina noſtra Dei genetrice M…ria directum, quam dulciter reclamaſti: & ſi dictis meis obtemperare volueris, ſanus cum comitibus tuis euades ſeuientis periculum maris. Promitte ergo Deo & mihi, quod conceptionem puriſſime virginis Marie ſolenniter celebrabis & celebrandum predicabis. that is. Knowe thou (ſaide he) that I was directed vntounto thee by our Ladie Marie God his mother, whome thou haſt ſweetely called vntounto: and if thou wilt obey my ſayings, thou with all thy companions ſhall ſafely eſcape the daunger of the raging ſea. Promiſe therefore vntounto God and vntounto me, that thou wilt ſolemnly celebrate and preach to be celebrated the conception of the moſt pure Virgine Marie. VVhen Elfinus had promiſed to performe that before enioyned him, preſently the ſea was calme, and he with his companie ſafely ariued in England.
13 For the ſeruice of the fifth daie, and for the fourth and fifth leſſons they read theſe toyes following. For the fourth leſſon this, In pago gallico canonicus erat quidam, &c. that This miracle is the 60. example in the booke of miracles: yet ſome difference there is betwixt the narration of it there & here.is, In a countrey parriſh of Fraunce, there was a certaine man, by order a canonicall prieſt, which was wont with no ſmall affection to ſing the night houres of the bleſſed Virgin. This prieſt in a certaine village ioyned himſelfe in fornication with another man his wife. Once therefore hauing ſatisfied his ſacrilegious luſt, when in the deade of the night he made haſt to returne to the towne in which he aboad, beeing deſirous to croſſe a certaine ſea, and entring alone into a ſhippe, in ſayling hee be ganne to ſing the houres of the bleſſed Virgine the mother of our Lord. Now whilſt he ſaid the inuitation, Ha…le Marie full of grace, the Lord be with thee, and he was now come to the middes of the ſtreame, behold a multitude of deuills Whether of theſe ſpeake truth? Bernardine that ſaith he had deſerued this, or the virgin which rebuketh theſe deuils, as hauing dealt vniuſtly therein?threw him and his boat headlong to the bottome of the ſea, and ſo tooke his ſoule (as he had deſerued) vntounto torments. The third day commeth God his mother Marie accompanied with innumerable lights of the ſaints, vntounto the place where thoſe maligne ſpirits did vexe him with diuers torments, (aEſt que talibus iniquos demones conu…iis all…cu…a. The virgin is not afraid to goe downe to h…ll it ſelfe and chide and rate the deuils at their owne dores and in their owne houſes.) and with theſe reproches ſpake vntounto thoſe vniuſt ſpirits. Why doe yee vniuſtly afflict the ſoule of one that ſerued me? The deuils anſwered, we (ſaide they) ought to hauehave it, becauſe we found it occupied in our workes. If (ſaide the virgin) it be his whoſe works it did, then certenly it is manifeſt to be mine, becauſe it ſang my matters when yee tooke him: wherefore yee are guiltie of a great crime, becauſe yee hauehave dealt ſo vnrighteouſly towards me.
14 Then it followeth in the fifth leſſon, His ita que dictis, demon…buſ que huc illuc fugientibus, &c. that is, The deuils hauing heard theſe things, and taking them to their heeles, ſome this waie and ſome that waie, the moſt holy virgin reduced the ſoule of that prieſt vntounto his bodie, and the man beeing raiſed from both graues ſhee toke from the bottom of the ſea, and brought him to the port. But he beeing full of ioy and exceeding gladnes, preſently fell downe proſtrate at her feete. My verie good Ladie (ſaide he) and moſt gracious virgin▪ what ſhall I giuegive vntounto you for the great benefits you hauehave beſtowed vponupon me? I praie thee, ſaid Marie God his mother, fall no more into the ſinne of adulterie, and declaring the feaſt of my immaculate conception, procure it to be kept yearely with all ſolemnitie. After that the moſt bleſſed virgin had ſaid theſe Ad …thereas polorum ſedes (angelis com… tata) prorexit. a loftie phraſe.words, ſhee departed (beeing waited on by the angels) into the heauens. But that canonicall prieſt liuing an heremitic all and ſingle life, tolde what things had befalne him to all that were deſirous to heare: and his whole life-time he ceaſed not with ſpeciall ſolemnities to celebrate the conception of the virgine.
15 Many other the like iunkats follow in the ſame booke, which I doe the rather here omit, becauſe I purpoſe in the ende of this booke, to be ſo bolde with our ladie, as to make the reader a ſhort banket with a few of the choiſeſt of her miracles, which I hope I may the better doe, becauſe I thinke they hauehave ſtoode ſo long vponupon the table before her, and ſhee hath beene fedde ſo often with them, that now ſhee careth not greatly for them: or if ſhee make any account of them, yet there is ſuch great ſtore, that if there be neuer a blabbe and pickthanke to tell her, ſhee will not greatly miſſe the taking away of a few of them: or if ſhee doe it, yet ſuch is her liberalitie and bountie, that ſhee will not grutch them: yea ſuch is her power and authoritie, that ſhee can quickly commaund new dainties as good as thoſe for her ſeruice.