Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 2 · Chapter 43 – Chapter 44
Of the ninth part of the Canon, which alſo appertaineth vntounto the Sacrifice of the Maſſe. CHAPTER XLIII.
Let him here bowe him ſe…fe downe verie lowe and ſay.
O Almightie God, wee moſt humblie beſeech thee, commaunde theſe thinges to be borne vp by the handes of thine holie Angell, vntounto thine high Altar, before thy diuine Maieſtie.
b Here let him riſe vp, and kiſſe the Altar, when he ſaith.
To the ende, that as manie of vsus as hauehave bene partakets at this Altar, of the holy and ſacred bodie and blood of thy Sonne, may be filled with all heauenly bleſſing & grace, through the ſame Chriſt Ieſus our Lord, So be it.
Here is to be noted, that the first of the former croſſes is made onelyonly ouer the hoſt, the ſeconde onelyonly ouer the Chalice, and with the thirde the Prieſt muſt croſſe him ſe…fe.
Hic inclinet ſe profundè & dicat.
SVpplices to rogamus omnipotens Deus, iube haec perferri per manus ſancti Angeli tui, in ſubline Altare tuū, in conſpectu diuinae Maieſtatis tuae
Hic cl…uet ſe & oſculetur altare, quādo dicit
Vt quotquot ex hac Altaris participatione ſacroſanctum fi…ij tui † corpus et ſanguinem ſumpſcrimus, omni † gratia repleamur. Per eundem Chriſtum Dominum noſtrum. Amen. Nota, quod praecedétiū prima crux fit tantū ſuper hoſtiā, ſecunda tantum ſuper Calicē, tertia ſeipſum Sacerdos ſignet
a What is the meaning here, of our yōg Maiſter, by theſe things which he would hauehave the Angels, by the commaundement of God, cary vp into heauen? Surely, we can vnderſtand it to be none other thing, but onelyonly this bodie & blood which he ſaith he offreth, and the ſame which he calleth the bread of euerlaſting life, and the Cup of euerlaſting ſaluatiō. Howbeit, Thomas of Aquin perceauing that this carieth no reaſon with it, interpreteth theſe wordes,Lib. 4. Sen. d…ſt. 13 Ni…l. de Plo. De expo. M…ſſ. 3. part. Can. to be the vowes & prayers as well of the Prieſt which ſayeth the Maſſe, as of the people who are preſent at it: ſaying that it is not in the power of the Angelles to conſecrate the bodie and blood of Ieſus Chriſt. Whereupon he would conclude, as I take it, that it appertaineth not vntounto them neither, to carie them vp into heauen. Some there are alſo who make other kindes of gloſes hereon, whereon are grounded far weaker reaſons. Now, if it be meete that we thus vnderſtand the matter of the bodie and blood of Ieſus Chriſt, as in verie deede we ought, according as they teach, if we will not wreaſt the wordes of the Text, then muſt wee of neceſſitie make an other conſecration, to bring them againe out of heauen, if we will ſo often eate and drinke them, as here it is ſayed immediatlie after.Nichol. de. Plo. de expoſ. Miſſ. 3. part. Can. Marc. 16. Luke 24 Act. 13. Hebr. 9.10. Our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt is aſcended vp into heauen alone, without the helpe of the Angelles, where he now is in the high Sanctuarie of God, makinge interceſſion for vsus: But here in this place, the Angelles muſt carie him vp thether: for they would deale with him in heauen, euen as they deale with him here vponupon earth: For, as they muſt nedes carie their God, becauſe he is of him ſelf neither able to foot it, or yet ride, without they cary him & hold him: they wold hauehave the Angels cary him vp into heauen, bicauſe they thēſelues ar not able to do it.
b Here, gentle Sir Iohn playeth the partes both of Ieſus Chriſt, & of Iudas alſo, if we wil beleue our venerable Maiſters: For, they ſay, that here he riſeth vp, repreſenting thereby Ieſus Chriſt when he roſe vp, after he had prayed in the Garden: and then playeth Iudas parte, kiſſing the Aultare, as Iudas at that time kiſſed Chriſt. Wherein theyre Mayſterſhippes VVorſhipfulneſſe, duplicate page duplicate page obſerue no great good order. For, firſt of all, they crucifie him in their Sacrifice, and afterward put him into the Garden to betray him, and then play Iudas his part, thruſting him into the hands of the Iewes.
c Theſe wordes manifeſtly declare, that they were not appointed for ſuch Maſſes as are celebrated at this day, but for a generall Supper and Communion, which was made vntounto all the people. For, to what purpoſe ſhould ſuch a prayer ſerue, if there ſhould be none to communicate but the Prieſt him ſelfe that ſayeth the Maſſe? For, according to the meaning of this prayer, it extēdeth it ſelfe no further, but to as manie as are partakers of the bodie and blood of Ieſus Chriſt who communicate in the Sacrament of the Supper, in ſuch ſort, as we hauehave often heretofore ſaid. Wherupon it followeth, that the Maſſe alſo ſerueth for none, but for ſuch as there communicate, and receaue at the Supper as the Prieſt doth. I ſpeake thus much becauſe hee him ſelfe beleeueth that the Maſſe ſhould be receaued for the Supper of Ieſus Chriſt. For, he there commaundeth, all thoſe to take and eate the bread, and alſo drinke the wine, which there ar offred, who according to the Lords ordinance, meane to be partakers of the things by thē ſignified, after ſuch manner as he had appointed.
d Here, Maſt Perſonne croſſeth him ſelfe, for feare he ſhould loſe him ſelf, if he were not croſſed and marked.
Of the commemoration for the dead, which is the tenth part of the Canon. CHAPTER XLIIII.
Commemoratio pro defunctis.
MEmento etiam Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum. N. qui nos praeceſſerunt cum ſigno fidei, & dormiunt in ſomno pacis: † ipſis Domine, & omnibus in Chriſto quieſ…entibus, locum refrigerij lucis & pacis vt in dulgeas deprecamur, per cundem Chriſtum Dominū noſtrum. Amen.
a The commemoration for the dead.Pelagius.
b REmember alſo, O Lord, thoſe thy holy men and women ſeruauntes. N. which are gone before vsus, with the ſigne of faith, and do ſleepe, in the ſleepe of pea…e: † to them O Lord, and to as manie as reſt in Chriſt Ieſus, wee beſeech thee graunt place of refreſhing of light and peace, through the ſame Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde.
So bee it.
a It was forbidden by the firſt Bracarien Coū cell, celebrated about the dayes of Pope Honorius, that there ſhould be no cōmemoration made in the oblation (that is to ſay, in the Supper, by the auncient Fathers ſo named, and now amongſt the Papiſtes called the Maſſe) for thoſe that violently killed themſelues, either by the ſword, poiſoning, hanging, or breaking of their neckes, or by anie other meane whatſoeuer, and that their bodies ſhould not be buried with ſinging of Pſalmes, as they do in ſome places. The like alſo was eſtabliſhed for all ſuch as were puniſhed for their offences, and for the Catechumeni who died vnbaptized. VVhichWhich ordinaunce confirmeth that which we hauehave alreadie ſpoken of, elſewhere, of thoſe cauſes for which the commemoration of the dead was in olde time brought in amongeſt the Eccleſiaſticall aſſemblies, and eſpeciallie about the duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page adminiſtration of the Supper, making thereby a difference betwixt thoſe that died in the vnion & doctrine of the Church, and others that were ſeparated from the ſame, or that had giuen occaſion of offence thereunto.
b This Memento, and the Prayer therein contained for the deade, greatlie ſerueth their turnes, who giuegive money for the ſaying of Maſſes, for the deliuering of poore ſoules out of Purgatorie: For, he ſpeaketh but of thoſe which are alreadie in heauen: for whome Maiſter Nicholas prayeth, that they might enioy that, which they alreadie enioye. For, what is it to ſleepe, and reſt in the ſleepe of peace and in Chriſt, but to reſt with Ieſus Chriſt in his Kingedome? And what other refreſhing of light and peace can they hauehave, ſeeing they hauehave the ſame alreadie? And therfore doe we not here, manifeſtly ſee, howe theſe ſcoffers mocke and ieſt at poore, abuſed, and blinde Chriſtians, and vnderunder what colour, they ſpoyle and robbe them? For, they thinke it not enough that they hauehave falſlie counterfaited their Purgatorie, to roſt and frie poore ſoules: But alſo, if all that they ſay were true, they more and more deceaue the miſerable people, making them beleue that they pray in theire Memento, for the ſoules, that are detained in the paines of Purgatorie, and yet do nothing leſſe, as their owne Canon wel teſtifieth: if they will not expound the words contained in this commemoration, in a cleane contrarie ſenſe, and otherwiſe, then the meaning of thoſe wordes import.