Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 1 · Chapter 12
In what eſtate the prieſt ſtandeth, which ſayeth Maſſe, who hath either broken his faſt, or is in deadly ſinne. CHAPTER XII.
ITem ſi ſacerdos poſt cō ſecrationē recordetur ſe non eſſe ieiunum, vel cōmiſiſſe aliquod mortale peccatū, vel eſſe excommunicatū, debet conteri, vel ſaltē hanc gratiā cō tritionis expetere: & nihilominus procedere cū propoſito ſatisfaciendi, & abſolutionē impetrandi.
Si autem ante conſe. crationē recordetur praedictorum, tutius eſt Miſſam inceptam deſerere, & abſolutionem petere, niſi inde ſcandalum oriatur.
Now, if the prieſt, after conſecratiō, remembreth him ſelfe, that he hath a broken his faſt, or committed any deadly b ſinne, or is excommunicated, he ought to be c contrite, or at the leaſt, deſier to hauehave the grace of contrition: and then he may well enough goe on, ſo he purpoſe to make ſatisfaction, and craue to be abſolued.
Howbeit, if he remember him ſelfe before the conſecration, of the thinges aforeſaid, it were better for him to leaue of the Maſſe which he hath begon, and craue pardon, d except haply by leauing of the ſaying of Maſſe, and vnclothing of him ſelfe, ſome offence thereby ſhould ariſe.
a There was a canon in the Salegauſtadien Counſell, celebrated in the dayes of Pope Benedict the eight, and of the Emperour Henry the ſecond, by which was decreed, that that prieſt which ſhould hauehave dranke after the cocke crowe, if he had not done it vponupon ſome neceſſitie, ſhould not once hauehave dared to hauehave bene ſo bolde, as to hauehave ſaid Maſſe the day following. Now, if there ſhalbe ſo great danger onelyonly by the ſwallowing downe of a droppe of water, when he waſheth his mouth and cleanſeth his teeth,The third Aphri can. Councell Chap. 8. about which, there hauehave bene ſo great diſputations amongeſt the Popiſh doctours: how greatly is it to be doubled, if that maſte perſon ſhall hauehave wittingly and willingly well wet his whiſcle, and that with no water? Moreouer, there was an other Canon made in the third Councell holden at Carthage,Wal. of the firſt beginning. C. 19. about the time of Pade Syrice, wherein was ordeined, That the Sacrament of the Aultar (meaning the Lordes Supper) ſhould not be celebrated but by ſuch as were faſting: ſauing at one time of the yeare, and that was on Corpus Chriſti day, and vponupon holy or mawndy Thurſday. Which Tolleration was afterward aboliſhed by the firſt Bracarien Councell,A Councell Wal. of the firſt beginning. C. 19. holden about the dayes of Pope Honorius the firſt, and in the third yeare of king Ariamire. It is not to be doubted that theſe ordenaunces were made by theſe Councells for ſuperſtitions ſake, as though the Sacrament and communion were blemiſhed, if a man had eaten any thing before, as they of the Romiſh church at this preſent holde, making conſcience to communicate, if ſo be a man ſhould ſwallow downe but one drop of water, in waſhing of his mouth, as before hath bene ſaid. For, to aunſwere the firſt, all men know, that our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt did not adminiſter his firſt ſupper to his diſciples, after they had ſupped.The 9. Booke of the Tripartite Hiſtorie Cha. 18. Furthermore ouer and beſides this, which we hauehave lately heard out of the Councell of Carthage, we reade alſo in the Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtories, that in olde time, ſome celebrated the Supper in many places, in the morning, after they had broken their faſt, and other ſome, in the euening: and this they did weekely. But bycauſe many abuſed it, and exceeded herein, it was not thought amiſſe to induce the people to communicate the Supper faſting, by reaſon they might more ſoberly and reuerently receaue it. And yet it therefore followeth not, that we are to obſerue theſe decrees ſo ſuperſtitiouſly, as they of the Romiſh church doe.
b Theſe miſerable ignoraunt ſoules know not what difference there is betweene deadly ſinne, and veniall ſinne. And therefore they make bu… ſeauen of thē, with all their braunches. Howbeit▪ we will not at this preſent ſpeake any more … this matter, aſwell for that the place requireth… not, as alſo for that we hauehave both very largely & familiarly handled it in our firſt dialogue vponupon the expoſition of the commaundements.
c The Romaniſtes deuide their Sacrament o… penaunce, into three principall heades or parte… to wit, into contrition, confeſſion, and ſatisfaction. And afterward they ioyne with contritiō, two other kindes, the one called atrition, and the other, contuſion. Now, they ſay that contrition, is ſo great and greuous a ſorrow & heauines for the ſinnes cōmitted, as that the hart is therwith torne and broken, as if a man ſhould break a ſtone with an yron mawle all to fetters. And that attrytion i… a great deale leſſe, as if a man had onelyonly taynted or broken but a peece of it. And this kind ſerueth for all ſuch, as can not ſo throughly repent them as they would, or ought: and is in ſteade of a litle blaunching, which ſomewhat flattereth their cō ſciences, and ſo riddeth them of the doubt which otherwiſe might torment them. It ſhould ſeeme that this cautell meaneth to ſhew this attritiō, by this deſier of the grace of contrition, whereof it maketh mention: whereas the other kind is called contuſion, which is taken from a word which ſignifieth to brooſe and breake, as a man ſtampeth in a morter a thing that is very great into a nomber of great peeces, and not into powder. For, it would go very hardly with maiſter Iacket, greatly to repēt him that he had dronk in the morning, & then to weepe ſo much withall, as to ſuffer the wine burſt out at his eyes: if peraduenture he had dronke to much: as oftentimes manie hauehave done, whoſe eyes by that meane hauehave bene lined with Venetian ſkarlet. And ſo might the like fall out with anie of the reſt, after they hauehave come from diſpling of their harlots. Wherefore, if they can not hauehave this contrition in them vponupon the ſodeine or preſently, yet let them hauehave at the leaſt attrition or contuſion, and be ſory that they can not be ſo hartely ſory for their ſinnes as they woulde, or ought to be. And this in my opinion, is the remedy which here is noted.
d Theſe holy men are greatly afearde to offend their mother holy Church. For, what were it if the people perceaued theſe thinges? And therefore it were better vtterly to forſake & leaue both confeſſion and abſolution, then fall into ſuch an inconuenience.