Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
SEQVVNTVR informationes & cautelae, obſeruandae presbytero volenti diuina celebrate.
PRima cautela est, vt Sacerdos Miſſam celebraturus, conſcientiam ſuam per puram confeſonē optimè praeparet ſacramentum vehementer deſideret, & conficere 1 intendat.
Notulam de modo agendi officium, memoriter & bene ſciat.
Geſtus valde compoſitos ac deuotos habeat. Cū enim quilibet teneatur Deum diligere ex toto corde, & ex tota anima, & ex totis viribus ſuis: hic, Deum diligere non probatur, qui in menſa Altaris, vbi R…x Regum, & Dominus omniū tractatur & ſumitur, irreligioſus, indeuotus, impudicus, diſtractus, 2. vagus, aut deſidioſus apparuerit.
Attendat igitur vnuſquiſ que quòd ad menſam magnam ſedeat, cogitet qualiter eum preparari oporteat: ſit cautus & circumſpectus.
Stet erectus non iacēs in Altari, cubitos iungat lateribus: manus mediocriter exaltet, vt extremitates digitorū modicū circa humeros videātur, non tamen humeros excedant. Intellectū ſignis & verbis coaptet, quoniam magna latent in ſignis, maiora in verbis, maxima vero in intentione.
Tres digitos iungat, quibus ſigna faciat, reliquos duos in manu componat.
Signa faciet directe▪ non oblique: aliè ſatis, ne calicem euertat: non circulos pro crucibus faciat.
Cum vero inclinandū fuerit, non oblique, ſed directe ante Altare toto curuatus corpor eſe inclinet.
NOVVE FOLLOVV THE conning inſtructions, which the Prieſt that will celebrate this diuine office, muſt obſerue.
THE firſt Cautel or fine deuiſe is this: that the Prieſt which intendeth to ſay Maſſe, a ought to prepare his ſoule and conſcience thereto, by pure and ſincere confeſſion: b Let him earneſtly deſire to receaue the Sacrament,1 VponUpon this occaſion this verſe was made, Cū ſatur eſt vent…r, Monachorū ſufficienter: Tūc ſurgunt lente. m ſ…r…re canunt ſi…e mente. and fully purpoſe to make it.
c Next let him perfectly vnderſtand without booke, after what ſort he is to performe that office.
d Let him thē forſooth, ſet a very deuout coūtenāce vpō the matter. For ſeing euerymā is boūd to louelove God with all his hart, with all his ſoule, and with all his power: hee ſurely is not to be thought to louelove God, who ſhall ſhewe him ſelfe to be a ſhameleſſe, mad, in conſtant or idle perſonne, e to be irreligious & deuoutles, f at the Sacramēt of the Alter:VVhereupon, this verſe of Chordigeris was made. Chordula nodoſa, mens vaga, lingua doloſa. Haec tria nudipe dem ducunt ad daemonis aedem. where the King of kinges & Lord of all the world is taken and handled.
Let eueryevery man therefore conſider that he ſitteth at an honorable Table, and for that cauſe let him thinke how he ought to come prepared: and therein accordinglie, both wiſely and circumſpectly behaue him ſelfe.
b Let him alſo ſtand bolt vpright and not leaning againſt the Altar: & ſet both his elbowes to his ſides: and then lift vp his hands faire and eaſily, ſo that his fingers ends may be ſeene euen with his ſhoulders, and no whit aboue. i Let him frame his whole minde and intent to the croſſes and works. k For vnderunder the croſſings are great thinges hidden, greater matters vnderunder the wordes, but the moſt notable in his mind and intent.
l He muſt ioyne his three fingers togither wherewith he maketh the ſignes of the croſſes, and foulde the other two within his hand.
m He muſt make foreright croſſes, and not thwart: and make them high enough aboue the Chalice, for feare of ouerthrowing it: and beware that he make not circles o in ſteed of croſſes.
P And when he ducketh, he muſt ducke foreright, and not thwart, but bowe his whole bodie directly before the Altar.
a The confeſſion which the Prieſt maketh,1. Cor. 11. is in ſtead of the probations which S. Paule requireth of thoſe that will come to the Supper. But becauſe the Prieſt prepareth him ſelfe to renoūce Ieſus Chriſt in his Maſſe, he alſo oftētims purgeth his conſcience in his preparation, by great blaſphemies: as herafter ſhall be ſhewed in his place.
b For, if he hath not this purpoſe and intent, all is nothing that he doth. And ſo by this meanes as many as worſhip the hoſt that is betweene his hāds, commit flat idolatry. For according to their doctrine, without it, it is no God. Now the people can neuer be able to aſſure them ſelues what the Prieſts minde is. For, none knoweth his heart but God alone. Whereupon enſueth, that they which are at Maſſe, are alwayes vncertaine what to beleeue: and ſo conſequently can hauehave no true faith. For; faith & doubting can in no wiſe dwell together.
c That is to ſay, he muſt hauehave his part by hart, that he may be the better able to play it.
d To wit, he muſt hauehave very good skill howe to play the munky or Iacke-napes.
e The Romiſh religion and deuotion wholy conſiſteth in Apiſh and bobtailde toyes, as here may appeare. For he is accompted the moſt deuout Sir Iohn that can beſt play at hey paſſe and repaſſe, Iupiter, Saturnus hey.
f It is not amiſſe done of them in calling it… table: bycauſe they are thereat ſlaall fed, as witneſſe vntounto vsus their double chynnes and fat lunchious of fleſh on their bodies.
g This is a goodly king, for he can not defen… him ſelfe from miſe, neither yet from wormes and ſpiders, as hereafter ſhalbe declared.
h Thus here we ſee the ſine deuiſes of the morris, ſhewes and contenances of the play which herein he muſt obſerue for a teſtimonie of hi… deuotion and louelove towardes God, of whom n… word hath once bene ſpoken.
i And this is the chiefe and principall parte… for, ſeeing the landleapar or rogge ſpeaketh hers of fingers, handes, feete, armes, ſhoulders, head backe, and belly: we are therefore here throughly to cōſider what is meant by this kind of ſpeach which conſiſteth altogether in dumbe ſhewes, a if it were a mummery.
k Theſe, no doubt of it, muſt needes be wonderfull great heauenly miſteries which are vſed it theſe iuggling paſtimes, being meete diſporte… worthy ſuch puppies.
l This is for the driuing away of the flyes, bycauſe they ſhould hauehave no parte of the Prieſte▪ breakfaſt: and bycauſe alſo, that his God of him ſelfe, is not able to driue them away, as it is ſai… of the Idoles.
m It were no ſmall danger, if in ſtead of fore right croſſes, they ſhould make Saint Androwe… croſſes, eſpecially if it ſhould be in time of warre betweene the French and the Burgonions.
n There might alſo ſome danger fall out euen in a ſippe of wine, which afterward might hinder the lifting vp of the chalice.
o As for the circles let him leaue them, to the Mathematiciens and Cowpers.
p There are in it alſo, French, Italian, Spanniſh, courtlike, Bald, clowniſh, and maidenlike duckinges and Bowinges, and many other ſortes wherein ſome vaine muſt be had, for the iolly leading of this friſcaball morris, which they may learne from women and maides.