Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 1 · Chapter 20 – Chapter 21
Of the doubtfull and vomited Gods of the Maſſe. CHAPTER XX.
ITem ſi hoſtia, vel pars hoſtiae inuenta fuerit ſub palla, vel corporali, et dubitatur ſi eſt conſecrata, vel non, debet eam poſt ſumptionē ſanguinis reuerenter ſumere: vt in titulo, de Celebratione Miſſae plenius inuenies.
Item, ſi corpus Domini infirmo datū, propter infirmitatem, ſiue per aliam qualemcum que cauſam reijcitur: prout diligentius fieri poterit recipiatur.
Et, ſi per humanā fragilitatē nō inuenitur, qui reiectionem illam velit ſumere, aut non poſſit, cō buratur: & combuſtio in Sacrario reponatur.
ITEM, a if the hoſt, or but a peece thereof, be founde vnderunder the paten, or Corporas cloath, and be doubted whether the ſame be conſecrated or not, he ought reuerently receaue it after he hath takē the blood: as thou ſhalt finde it more at large ſet out in the title of the celebration of the Maſſe.
Item, c if the Lordes bodie giuen to a ſicke man or woman, be by him or her caſt vp through infirmitie, or by reaſon of anie other cauſe: yet let it be receaued againe as carefully & as ſpeedily as may be.
And if there can be none found that hath ſo good a ſtomach as to receiue that which the ſicke bodie hath caſt vp, thē let him be burnt, & the aſhes kept in a ſhrine.
a This inſtruction is ſet downe for thoſe that be doubtfull Gods, to wit, of ſuch Gods as are doubted whether they are Gods or not.
b This is meant, by the whole or broken Gods which lie hidden vnderunder the couer of the chalice, which they call the paten, or vnderunder the fine linnencloth vnderunder which they laie their Gods: and therefore is called the Corporas cloth, becauſe the body of their God reſteth him ſelfe vponupon it.
c I will here tell you a tale, for the better vnderſtanding as well of this Cautell, as alſo of all the reſt that followe, which fell out in Auſſerre, in the yeare a thouſand, fiue hundred, twentie ſixe, vponupon Corpus Chriſti day: which was tould me by ſuch men, as are worthy to be beleeued, becauſe ſome of them played a part at that time in that pageant. The tale is thus: There was in thoſe daies an old Fryer Iacobin, in the couēt of the Iacobins of the ſame place, who was almoſt ſo throughlie rotten with the pockes, as that he was readie to fall in peeces. Howbeit I meane here to ſuppreſſe his name, although I right well knowe both his Chriſten and ſurname. This fatherly old Sir hauing forborn ſaying of Maſſe a long time, neither yet hauing either made or eaten any Gods a long ſpace by reaſon of his age and feebleneſſe, meaning to honor his ioly mealy God vponupon his owne feſtiuall day, went to Maſſe. Howbeit his ſtomach was neither able to beare nor yet digeſt either the body of his God which he had eaten, or yet the blood of him which he had dronke. Whereupon, as he thought to returne to his chamber, paſſing through the couent Cloiſter, it ſo fell out, as that he caſt his gorge, right before the Chapter dore. I will here leaue to your conſiderations, what drugges he voyded out of the ſhop of this miſerable rotten pockie ſtomach, and howe this God which he had eaten was dreſt. Hereupon foorthwith aroſe a noiſe and great affray all the couent ouer. And becauſe the Prior was not there, by reaſon he was gone to preach not farre of, all the reſt of the Friers were the more amazed and vnprouided of councell. Neuertheleſſe they were at the laſt aduiſed, after long cōſultatiō, to ſet ouer this holy body, that tabernacle, which they were wō ted to ſet ouer the ſepulchres, when they ſing for the dead, and this was done becauſe none ſhould beſtride this holy vomite, or, for that the dogges ſhould not licke it vp. For this was a meete diſhe of meate to banquet them withall. And to adde more honour to this holy vomite, there were four waxe tapres ſet at the foure corners of the Tabernacle. After this, the nouices were cōmaunded to ſing all the whole day, this verſicle of the Hymne of the ſaid Feaſt, which beginneth thus, Tantum ergo Sacramentum, veneremur cernui, &c. That is to ſay: Let vsus then, enclining and bowing our ſelues to the ground, honour this ſo great and excellent a Sacrament: which was aſmuch to ſay at that time, as this vomit of this olde fatherly Iakrum: which no doubt, was a very noble and moſt famous ſacrament. They ſong alſo the Antiphone of the ſame day, which beginneth thus, O Sacrum conuiuium, that is to ſay, O holy Banquet. And in very deede they had great reaſon ſo to ſing. For they were worthie to hauehave it, that ſo honored it. Howbeit there was not one of them all, that would once taſte of it, as holy as it was: For, after they had thus honored it, they were determined to hauehave ſome prieſt or deacon amongeſt them, who ſhould ſlippe downe this holy bāquet into his Gorge, as is their iolly maner & cuſtome, and as the Cautelles, which we preſently hauehave handled, do teach. Howbeit, there was neuer a Iacke of them all that once durſt be ſo bolde and arrogant as to take it in hand, and thinke him ſelfe worthie thereof: in ſo much that they all, could neuer with a better heart hauehave ſaid, Domine, non ſum dignus vt intres ſub tectum meum, when as they meane to eate their God as at that time they ſaid: to wit, Lord, I am not worthy that thou ſhouldeſt come vnderunder my houſe rouſe: to wit, to be ſwallowed downe and lodged in his ſtomach. Thus here we ſee,Matth. 8. Luc. 5.6. to what ſence theſe blaſphemers applie theſe holy wordes of this good Centurion, who ſpake vntounto Ieſus Chriſt. Wherefore ſeeing they all ſo vtterly refuſed it, it behoued them to take ſome other counſell: that is to ſay, that this holy vomit ſhould be reuerently ſhoueld together and gathered vp, with the God in the pyxe, and that the ground whereon he laye, ſhould be carefully and ſpeedely pared, and ſo be carried to the church. When they had hereupon concluded, The Suppriour (whoſe name I forbeare to tell, albeit I right well know it) put on his holy veſtmentes, and anon, al the Friers of the couent went to church in a ſolemne proceſſion and two Nouices going before this holy Shrine with candleſtickes and tapres. Which Nouices are preſently here with vsus who can witneſſe the whole matter. And no maruel though they vtterly forſooke ſuch a kind of religion, & ſuch doctrine, when as they had ſeene the ientle practize thereof. For who is he that can abide to heare and thinke of theſe thinges, without great horrour? Howbeit who can not but maruell, that all Chriſtendome, hath not bene plonged tenne millions of times more ouer hed and eares, amongeſt whome ſo horrible and great blaſphemies and abhominations, hauehave ſo long continued, yea euen amongeſt thoſe that were thought to be the very pillers of the church? For here we manifeſtly ſee by theſe Cauteles, that the practize hereof hath bene ſo common, as that it hath bene regiſtred in writing. Who would euer hauehave thought or beleued, that Chriſtian people could hauehave fallen, I will not ſaye into ſuch brutiſhnes, but into ſuch rage and furie? For, what is furie and madneſſe, if theſe be not it? Had they not great reaſon to perſecute and burne all ſuch as would not giuegive credit to ſuch mōſtrous abhominations, and worſhip the vomit of ſuch ſtinking pocky Iackes? O the goodneſſe of God, how couldeſt thou be ſo patient, as once to abide ſuch horrible blaſphemies, againſt the holy maieſtie of thy ſonne Ieſus Chriſt? But ſith theſe abominable wretches are not cōtented onelyonly not to acknowledge their faultes, but that which is worſe, that where as they them ſelues well deſerued to be fleane or roſted a liue, and yet perſecuted & burnt ſuch as would not cōsēt to theſe greuous wickedneſſes, are they not well worthie to be manifeſted to be ſuch as in very deede they are, euen by their owne bookes and deedes? Go to now then, you my maiſters the Iacobins, you I ſay my maiſters the Inquinatours, Inquiſitours I would hauehave ſaid, of the Faith, Go on I ſay and ſtay not to perſecute and burne ſuch as will not worſhippe the Gods, which you and ſuch as you your ſelues are, vomit vp, and honour them in proceſſion with you. But now to make an ende of this hiſtorie. After that my lord Suppriour, and all the whole couent were reueſted, and had ſet them ſelues in order to go on proceſſiō, the ground with all ſpeed was pared, and the holy vomit gathered vp, with iolly holy and anointed fingers. Then began ſome of the Iacobins a freſh to howle vp their notes, & other ſome of the moſt hypocriticall ſort of them, when they ſaw this ſo dolefull & pityfull a ſpectacle began to mourne and wepe. For, this inconuenience greatly troubled their ſolemne feaſt. After that this holy vomit was brought to the church in proceſſion, they fell againe in counſell, to know what ſhould be done with it. Then, ſome of the auncienteſt doctours of the couent were of the opinion, that it ſhould be burnt, and the aſhes of it be put vp and kept in a Shrine. For, they thought it better ſo to deale with it, thē ſuffer it any longer, to rot and corrupt. Wherein they very well obſerued and put in practize that which is appointed by this Cautelle. Now, by this hiſtorie, eueryevery man may the better iudge of the reſt, and conſider with him ſelfe, whether there be any dirtie & filthie dealing in this popiſh religion yea or no.
Of the rotten and burnt Gods. CHAPTER XXI.
THe like is of the inuetered Euchariſte ſet downe by the concell of Orleans in the 5. Chapter. EueryEvery ſacrifice that is caſt awaye through inueteration, is to be burnt, and the aſhes thereof to be beſtowed about the Aultar.
IDem de Euchariſtia inueterata ex Concilio Aureliano, cap, 5. Omne ſacrificiū ſordida vetuſtate perditum, igne comburendum eſt, & cinis iuxta altare cōdēdus.
a The Euchariſte and ſacrifice are here in this Cautele taken againe for the hoſte and body of Chriſt. But I beſeech you tell me, what the iudgement of God hath bene vponupon theſe Apoſtles of the church of Antechriſt? hath there not fallen a meruelous furie amongeſt them, when as by their owne very councels, they hauehave eſtabliſhed lawes, and made decrees & canons for ſuch bald ſtuffe? They may ſoone perceaue what their Gods are which they kepe in their pixe, when as they them ſelues can not kepe them ſelues from rottonneſſe and corruption. And therefore what incorruption & immortalitie may we looke for at their handes? And how may we take theſe rotten round hoſtes, for that true liuely bread which came downe frō heauen, to giuegive life to the world? It is written, the… … …euer waxeth olde: howbeit this God ro…eth euen with very age. But the worſt of all the reſt is this, That, after they hauehave ſuffred him to mo…ld and rotte, or to be vomited vp, they forth with burne him to aſhes. Let them now go to, and diſpute aſmuch as they luſte, and ſay alſo that they burne nothing elſe but rottenneſſe, and Accidentes without ſubſtance. We, will at this time diſpute no more hereof, becauſe we hauehave already, elſe where ſpoke enough of the matter.