Ceremonies of the Monstrous Popish Mass, Part 2 · Chapter 53
Of the ſixt part of the Maſſe, called the Action of thankeſgiuing, and of the communion thereof, and of the pointes that are to be conſidered vponupon theſe matters. CHAPTER LIII.
ET interea dū à miniſtro defertur Miſſale à ſiniſtro latere Altaris in dextrun latus, Sacerdos ebibit guttas, quae remanſerunt in Calice, acdeinde, extergit Calicē, poſtea legit Cōmunionem, dicendo,
In nomine Patris, & Filij, & Spiritus ſancti.
Commun.
Quotieſcun que manduca bitis panem hunc & Calicem bibetis &c. vſus que reus erit Corporis & ſanguinis Domini.
Alleluia
In medio Altaris verſus populum, dicit,
Dominus vobiſcum.
Reſp.
Et cum Spiritu tuo.
Sacerdos.
Oremus.
Flexo vno genu.
Poſt Communio.
Fac nos quaeſumus Domine, diuinitam tuae ſempi…ernae fruitione repleri, quam praecioſi Corporis & ſanguinis tui temporalis perceptio praefigurat, Qui viuis & regnas, &c.
a ANd while the Clarke is carying the Maſſe booke, stāding on the left ſide of the Altar, vntounto the right, The b Prieſt ſuppeth vp the ſmall droppes that are in the Chalice, and then maketh it cleane. c After that, he beginneth to reade the Communiō, ſaying,
In the name of the Father † and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghoſt.
d Communion.
e As often as you ſhall eate this breade,a Gregory. Gelaſius. and drinke this cup, &c. vntounto, He ſhall be guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lorde.
Praiſed be God.
f In the middeſt of the Altar turned towardes the people, he ſaith,
The Lorde be with you.
Aunſwer.
And with thy Spirite.
The Prieſt.
Let vsus pray.
Bowing one of his knees.
g The poſt Communion.
h We beſeech thee, O Lorde, cauſe vsus to be repleniſhed, with the euerlaſting ioy of thie Godhead, which the temporall receauing of thy bodie and blood doth prefigure vntounto vsus, who liueſt and raigneſt, &c.
a Here againe, is another whole turne, from the one ende of the Table to the other. And in all this whole daunce, there are but two of theſe. For, from the firſt beginning of the Maſſe, euen vntounto the Goſpell, he ſtandeth at the right ſide & paſſeth not aboue the midſt of the Table, in all the turnes he maketh, vntil the reading of the Goſpell, and then he goeth further, and carrieth his booke vntounto the left ſide, and there remaineth vntill this time, neuer going beyond the middeſt of the Table.
b It is a pleaſaunt thing to ſee, how this pickpot, rinſeth & toſſeth vpſidowne here, his Chalice and licketh it with his tong and lipps. There is no doubt but that he maketh cleane his plate. For, there was neuer kitchin maide that euer waſhed her ſpoones cleaner.
c Here beginneth the ſixt and laſt part of the Maſſe, called the Action of graces,Nicol. de Plo. De expo. Miſſ. 6. part. becauſe the Prieſt therein ſaith his graces, after he hath dronk vp his wine, and broken his faſt.
d Berno ſaith,Berno de offic. Miſſ. Cap. 18. Mam. de offic. Miſſ. cap. 34. Ex lib. Con. that this peece is called Communion, becauſe it is ſayed whiles the people are receauing of the Communion, which they ſhould receaue immediatlie after the Paxe. Here againe we ſee, a verie euident teſtimonie of the Communion of the auncient Maſſe. Whereof there was a Decree in the fourth Councell of Tolete: wherein mention is made that certaine Prieſtes Communicated immediatlie after the Lordes prayer was ſayed: and after, bleſſed the people. Which thing is there forbidden, and commaundement giuen, to bleſſe the people after the Lords prayer: & beſides, that the Sacrament of the body & blud of the Lorde, ſhould be receiued in this maner, to wit, that the Prieſts and deacons ſhould communicate before the Altar, the Clergie in the Quier, & the people without in the bodie of the church. So that by this decree, there was but one common Supper for them all. And there was no difference in it, but the diſtinction of places, which was done for the auoiding of confuſion in the Church. And becauſe that in all ages, there were alwayes many people, who honoured not, nor reuerenced the Sacramentes, ne yet the Communion of the Supper, as they ought: The auncient Councels made manie ordinaunces about them: as that for one, which hath alreadie bin alleaged, as to communicate thriſe a yeare at the leaſt, if not oftener, which is continued amōgſt the decrees of the Agathens Coūcell:Ex lib. Con. where it was ordained, that they which did it not, ſhould not be taken for Catholiques, nor receaued amongſt them: which is againe renued and confirmed by the Councell of Toures, without exception of anie, ſaue ſuch as were put from it for ſome notorious offences.
e This peece called Communion, and the other following, Poſt-communion, chaunge, euen as the Maſſes doe. I hauehave not ſet downe this, here, at large, becauſe that whatſoeuer is in it, is contained in the Epiſtle alreadie ſet foorth. Wherein we may againe ſe, that theſe offices of the Romiſh Church, hauehave beene made without anie great iudgement, as good as they are. For howe often hauehave they bene amended, and yet to no purpoſe? And beſides, they ſet down this peece as a prayer, and action of thankeſgiuing, neither hath this bin in it a…e long while, as herein we hauehave an example thereof.
f This is the ſixt time that the Prieſt ſaluteth the people, there lacketh now non but the laſt, & that is to cloſe vp the Maſſe withall. The firſt is, before the firſt collect: The ſecond, before the Goſpell: The third, after the Creede: The fourth at the beginning of the preface: The fift, before he ſayeth, The peace of the Lord be with you. In this ſixt, he turneth himſelfe towards the people, as he doeth in the laſt.
g There is greater reaſon to call this peece, the Action of thankeſgiuing, then the other, conſideringe what name it carrieth with it, which ſignifieth, that it ought to be ſaid after the Communion: and the other that goeth before, during the Communion, whereof it carieth the name. For, thanks are properly rendred after that the Cōmunion is done. This word againe, giueth vsus to vnderſtand, that there ought to be a Communion in the Maſſe, and not the Prieſt his breakefaſt alone, which cānot be ſo called. There is a rule ſet down that as many prayers muſt be ſaid for this poſtcō munion, as alreadie hath bene before ſaid, of collectes and ſecrets.
h Me thinketh that there are verie improper and obſcure kinds of ſpeaches in this prayer: although that in the reſt it is to be born withal. For, the taking and receauing of the bodie & blood of Ieſus Chriſt, to ſpeake properly, is not temporall: as wel becauſe we receaue them not onelyonly for the time, wherein we outwardly receaue the ſignes of them in the Supper, neither yet for anie temporal life: but that they ſhould remaine alwayes in vsus, and we by them, be fed and refreſhed. And therefore this ought to be ſaid, of the outward ſignes & adminiſtration of the Supper, which prefigureth that perfect fruition of the Lords Table which is prepared for vsus in heauen, where we ſhall eate of the deſired bread in the kingdome of God: which banquet we begin alreadie here, by a ſpiritual cō municating which we hauehave with Ieſus Chriſt, as is figured to vsus in his Supper.