A Parallel Comparison of the Liturgy with the Mass Book, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Concerning the laſt two parts of the Maſſe, the Communion and Poſt Communion.
BEing now ſomewhat weary with the former collection, I am forced to draw what followes into ſhort bounds: After the conſecration and oblation and the reſt of the Canon, followes in the Maſſe before the Communion ſome preparatory prayers, according to the Rule which Durand in theſe words ſets downes L. 4. fol. 92. Hoc autem breviter notandum eſt, quod ſacerdos ante perceptionem corporis & ſanguinis Chriſti debet dicere orationes à ſanctis patribus inſtitutas.
Our Pater noſter in this place borrowed from the Maſſe.Of theſe Prayers which ſtand at the back of the Canon, the firſt is the Pater Noſter, however wee ſhew before that ſome of the auncients did avow the Apoſtles, and their followers for a time to have uſed no other ſet forme of prayer at the Communion, but only this of our Lord, yet the putting of this prayer at the back of the conſecration & Canon, w…ut a late invention of Pope Gregory, as himſelfe and all the Rationaliſts from him declare; take it in Innocents words, Lib. 5. c. 28. Beatus Gregorius Orationem Dominicam post Canonem ſuper hoſtiam cenſuit recitari: This in him was counted a noveltie, and therefore in his Epiſtles it behoved him to uſe Apologies for it and to ſet before it a Preface to make the reciting of it in this place of the Maſſe to be taken in good part, being ſaid ſometimes before in that ſame action: Praeceptis ſalutaribus moniti, & divi â inſtitutione formati dicimus Pater noſter: To this Preface of Gregory the formers of the Miſſall thereafter put to the word audemus, and as yee heard from Pope Innocent, this is all ſaid ſuper hoſtiam, for their boldneſſe to call God their Father in this place, and that with bold, lowd, and high voice, while as in the whole Canon they ſcarce durſt peep but muttered all in great ſilence: This their boldneſſe now comes from the conſecration and oblation whereby they have Chriſt the Son of God corporally preſent in their hands, and have offered him in a propitiatory ſacrifice to the Father: When this is perfectly done, they are bold to ſay their Pater Noſter. For this heare Heigam, p. 30.5. The Prieſt having gotten as it were a good opportunity, having now before him the Lord and maker of heaven and earth, and that according to his corporall preſence, he exhorteth all the people heartily to pray, ſaying, Oremus Pater noſter: The Engliſh avoyds all theſe ſuperſtitions, they ſay the Lords prayer after the Communion, but Gregories Preface, Praeceptis ſalutaribus moniti, &c. And the latter addition audemus dicere, they ſcrape out. Innocents rule to ſay it on the conſecrate hoſtie they abhorre, and put the prayer in a place where it cannot be poſſibly ſo abuſed, but here we leave the Engliſh Novaliſts theſe Sacramentaries, and put our Pater noſter in that ſame place with the ſame Prefaces, with the ſame boldneſſe of ſpeech which the good old order of Sarum preſcribed before the Sacramentaries of England or their Patrons were borne.
Alſo our Prayers of humble acceſſe.The other prayers wh… …e Prieſt uſes before the Communion are diverſe, one or moe of them to be ſaid according to his good pleaſure, all of them run on two poynts, confeſſion of unworthineſſe to come to Gods table, and a prayer, by the Sacrament to be profited in Soule and Body; ſo yee may ſee in the prayer, Deus qui de indignis dignos facis, & de peccatoribus juſtos, & de immundis mundos; And in that prayer, Domine, non ſum dignus qui intres ſub tectum meum: Our prayer of humble acceſſe is formed plainly out of this, yea it ſpeaks in groſſer tearmes than any of the Maſſe prayers of this place, for the moſt common of the Prieſts prayers of acceſſe is this; Corporis & ſanguinis tui Domine Ieſu Chriſti Sacramentum quod licet indignus accipio, non ſit mihi judicio & condemnationi, ſed tua proſit pietate corporis mei & animae ſaluti, Amen. What they call the taking of the Sacrament of Chriſts body and blood, wee call the eating of Chriſts body and drinking of his blood, they deſire that the receiving of the Sacrament may be profitable to the ſalvation of their ſoule and body, wee pray that our Bodies may be cleanſed by his Body, and Souls waſhed by his blood. The Engliſh have indeed this our prayer word by word, but in a place that puts it out of all ſuſpition, to wit, before the conſecration, but we will have it in the proper place where the Maſſe requires it, and that with a Preface, that its our prayer of acceſſe to the Communion. In this place being ſo tranſpoſed and Prefaced, it may well ſerve the turne of thoſe who profeſſe their deſigne in changing the Engliſh Book in theſe places to cure the diſeaſed mind of Sacramentary Puritans.
There is alſo in the Maſſe before the Communion ſome ceremonies uſed, as the breaking of the Hoſt, the putting of one part of it in the cup, the giving of the Pax and ſome prayers joyned with theſe actions, ſome of them, as the Agnus Dei, wee have word by word in our Morning prayer, the reſt have naught in them that our men will make any ſcruple of, onelyonly there is in the expoſition of the laſt clauſe of the Pater noſter, Libera nos quaeſumus, &c. mention ma… the interceſſion of the bleſſed Virgin and Apoſtles; but how well they like of ſuch interceſſion, Mortague ſhews us, and if he cannot be truſted, as it ſeemes he ought to be, for ſince B. White is removed, he is the principall Writer of that faction wee have to doe with; or if Schelford likewiſe have no credit in his avowing that the keeper of the Saints day obtaines thereby the interceſſion of that Saint, and the neglecter of that ſolemnitie receives a great ſpirituall loſſe, even the deprivation of the heavenly prayers of the neglected Saint: If we can beleeve neither of theſe take a third, Dr. Andrewes in his Stricturae, who muſt be above all exception, eſpecially when he is preſented to the world after his death by my L. of Canterbury: Theſe are his words in the midſt of that little Treatiſe [We celebrate the memories and keep the feaſts of the bleſſed Martyrs, as well for imitation, as that we may be partakers of their interceſſion:] Is not this a cleare enough text put by my Lord of Canterbury in Montague and in Schelfords hands, which may uphold all the Commentars and deductions that they have made upon it.
The worſt ceremonies of the Maſſe avowed.As for the Ceremonies themſelves of breaking the Hoſt, of putting part of it in the Chalice, and taking them out againe for the repreſenting of Chriſts buriall and reſurrection, of their giving their Pax to the people, of their kiſſes and croſſes, and bowings, none of all theſe things in reaſon can trouble our men, for they defend the Churches power in making ſo many ſignificant rites as ſhe thinks expedient: All theſe named and many moe particulars lye under their generall, the power which they give to the Church, will extend it ſelfe to the finding out and impoſing all theſe rites were they yet to be invented, and ſo many moe as can come hereafter in the fancy of any who hath a place and ſpirit for leading in the Church: the moſt of theſe rites they have avowed already to be lawfull, yea the worſt of all the Ceremonies and ſignificant ſignes of the Maſſe they have proclaimed long agoe to be good, to wit, the uſe of Images and proſtration before them; …on this madneſſe a great part of the faction, their zeale is now ſpent, albeit none of all the reformed Churches have kythed more zeale againſt Images both in doctrine and practice, than that of England; the Homilie againſt the Perill of Idolatry, will beare witneſſe, but this now is one of the diſeaſes of this age, whereof Canterbury complaines of to the King in his Preface to Andrewes Poſthum works. This Iconomachian hereſie is one of theſe fevers, a fit of that frenſie, wherein this laſt and moſt corrupt age is fallen, to which his Graces medicinall hand offereth a potion; albeit, as he there profeſſeth, without great hope to get his perverſe Patient by all the craft he can uſe, purged of the inveterate and now deſperate diſeaſe; however, he will ſhew his endeavours that poſterior ages may know and praiſe his labours to relieve the age wherein he lived from theſe epidemick evills whereto the maligne influence of Prior times did make it ſubject. Behold the tablet in hand which his Lo. by the hand of his Apothecary the Montebank Dr. Montague preſents to us to be ſwallowed for our health,We muſt fall downe before Images. Antidiatrib. p. 24. Haeretici nequaquam cenſeri debemus in posterum foreign aſſervamus enim diligenter & cum cura Petri, Pauli, B. Virginis Deiparae, Sanctorum aliorum innumeras imagines praeſertim verò I. Chriſti redemptoris crucifixi — etiam in templorum adytis, cryptis, lararijs, & p. 26. Sunt apud nos quod aliquoties dicendum frequentiſſimae imagines in Eccleſijs perſtallos ut vocant Canonicorum per feneſtras, ambones, vaſa, veſtimenta, & ipſa foreign; he diſallows not the religious uſe of Images but idolatry, p. 27. Tantummodo taxamus foreign uſum & utilitatem non ſollicitamus ullo pacto, the greateſt fault he alleages on the Papiſts here is not idolatry, p. 24. Pergamus ad Romanae Eccleſiae foreign, this fault he chargeth them with but for the faſhion, for he grants the great conveniency of Images in the Church to ſtirre up effectually by their ſight and to invite the hearts of people to ſorrow for ſin, love of Chriſt, joy, and all other holy affections, ibid. He ſayes farther that the honour of the Image is for the architype, and what co…mely is done to the Image, redounds to the perſon whoſe image it is, that thoſe who doe any diſgrace to the image of a Saint are madde and ſhould be puniſhed, p. 128. Veriſſimum omnino eſt foreign, ut Caeſaris imago in numi mate, ut Meletij character in pala annuli, quod ſi quis Caeſarem in charactere & numiſmate ſuo foreign in archetypum tranſit ea contumelia, quod ſi quis Sancti alicujus imaginem d…decore afficiat, illum ego & foreign optaverim & ſuae temeritatis poenas dare: Yea if the old Lawes be not exerciſed upon the breakers of Images which Canterbury makes Heylen to avow to be this day in force as they were in Q Maries dayes, Studley with his Graces approbation hath Printed that the hand of God will be on ſuch profane perſons, for he Prints that he knew a Churchwarden who had taken downe a Croſſe in the Paroch, much frequented by ſome devout people, and that for the taking downe and breaking of that Image the poore mans ſwine were ſtricken with madnes, and that he thereafter in deſpaire did drowne himſelfe. Yea which is wonderfull, Montague leaves not the matter till he bring us to …all down and adore before the Image, juſt as we doe before the Altar, p. 30. Chriſtiani omnes adoramus Chriſtum, imagini & ſimulachro non proſternimur …ram imagine forſan, quid ad rem? Invitatio eſt ad pietatem ex intuitu; tolle ſcandalum ita ſi velis, proſternaris: ante menſam Dominicam inclinamur, in genua procumbimus, venerationem exhibemus, non tamen menſam adoramus. Will any Papiſt require more for the outward act than to fall down before the Image? Yea doth the ſpirit of error ſuffer theſe men to ſtand at an adoration before the Image and before the Table, hath not God given them over to vent their adoration and proſtration not onelyonly before, but unto the Table for the reſpect of the body that lyes on it, unto God, and to his Altar, and ſo by Montague his reaſon to uſe adoration, not onelyonly before Images, but to Images, when the hornes of that Spirit are come out ſo long they deſerve no compaſſion who will be deceived with it.
The Prieſts conſumption of the ſacrifice injoyned.In the Communion we follo… the order of the Maſſe, there the Prieſt muſt communicate, and that in both kinds firſt: if that once be, the ſacrifice of the Maſſe is perfected, though no other communicate, his participation they injoyn as abſolutely neceſſary and alone eſſentiall to this action. This wee ordaine ſtraitly that the Presbyter himſelfe firſt receive in both the kinds, this is the Prieſts conſumption, wherein (as Bellarmine before did ſhew us) the maine part of the life, ſoule, and eſſence of the Maſſe did conſiſt. Of this our Church was never carefull, it was indifferent for our Miniſter to communicate at what time, in what order he thought meet.
A doore opened for removing of the cup from the people, and the putting of the bread in their mouth.Beſide this, we are injoyned to give otherwiſe to the people than we take our ſelves; the Presbyter muſt take it in both kinds, the people muſt get it in due order, not a word of both kinds for them, they have given us juſt occaſion to ſuſpect them of the Popiſh ſacriledge of withdrawing the cup from the people, oft in print of late they have forſaken the grounds whereby wee oppugne this Popiſh crime, they tell us that Scripture doth not command the giving of the cup to the people, that the peoples poſſeſſion of the cup is grounded on ſole tradition, that bibite ex hoc omnes concerned the Apoſtles not as Diſciples or people, but as Prieſts. Heare Doctor Montague in his laſt Treatiſe, Orig. p. 396. Ʋbi jubentur in Scriptura infantes baptizari, aut in coena Domini ſub utraque ſpecie communicantes participare, ſexcenta ſunt ejuſmodi in rebus ſacris à Deo inſtitutis, Eccleſiae mandatis & uſurpatis ab Eccleſia de quibus poſſumus profiteri nihil tale dicit Scriptura, Scriptura hoc non praedicat. D. White of Ely in his Treatiſe of the Sabbath after 73. p. among his traditions reckons the baptiſme of Infants, the right ſanctifying of the Sunday, the ſervice of the Church in a knowne tongue, and the delivery of the communion to the people in both the kinds. Heylen Antidot. about the midſt, tells us that hoc facite belongs to the Prieſt alone, and to the Apoſtles as Prieſts, but hoc edite to the Prieſts and people both, he will not be pleaſed to ſay ſo much of hoc bibite, Canterbury ſets downe in Andr…wes poſthume ſtricturae a little after the beginning the acknowledgement of the ancient cuſtome of the peoples communicating in one kinde in diverſe caſes without any appearance of diſlike of ſuch mutilation of the Sacrament. Theſe are his words [It cannot be denied but reſerving the Sacrament was ſuffered a long time in the Primitive Church, in time of perſecution they were permitted to carry away how great a part they would, to keepe it by them, and to take it at all times for their comfort, and thoſe that lived as Hermits in remote places were likewiſe permitted to take with them ſo much as they thought good, to take it at times — As for the ſick it was alwayes ſent them home were the diſtance never ſo great, and againſt the time of extremitie it was thought not amiſſe to have it reſerved that if the Prieſt ſhould not be in caſe to goe to the ſicke partie and there to conſecrate for him, yet at leaſt it might be ſent him] Yea Dr. Poklington is applauded by Canterbury to praiſe the Church of England, not onelyonly for their Altars, Fonts, Walls, Glaſſe-windowes, Veſtry, Lavatory, Reclinatory for confeſſions within the Chancell, but alſo for their repoſitory; now it is knowne that no part of the Sacrament uſed to be reſerved and put in the cibor or repoſitory for the uſe of the ſick or others, but the bread onelyonly. By this practice the Papiſts vehemently preſſe us with the needleſneſſe of the cup in all theſe caſes: And by theſe preparatives the ſimple needleſneſſe of it for the people in any caſe.
While alſo they ſcrape out of the Engliſh Rubrick the giving to the people the Communion in their hand, and put in for it the giving of it in due order, they make way to another Popiſh abuſe of putting the bread in the peoples mouth,Vide large Supplem. as being too profane to handle that which ſo oft after the conſecration they call the body of the Lord, and by this due order they evidently diſtinguiſh the people from the Clergie that are preſent, the one communicates at the Altar, but the other is more unholy than to get leave to come neere to the Altar, but were he a King he muſt receive the Communion without the rayle. This diverſe of them in their late Writts avowes to have been the practice of antiquitie, which they pretend themſelves deſirous to imitate.
In the delivery of the elements the Engliſh Liturgie is left, and the Maſſe followed.In the Communion it ſeemes the Romiſh Church tyes not preciſely to any one forme of words in the delivery of the Elements; for in the Miſſall there is a diverſitie in the forme of theſe words: My Sarum hath this forme, Corpus Domini noſtri I. Chriſti ſit mihi peccatori via & vita in nomine Patris Filij & Spiritus Sancti, Amen. But the moſt common forme I ſee is that of the Roman Miſſall Corpus Domini noſtri Ieſu Chriſti cuſtodiat animam meam in vitam aeternam. This our Book followes adſtricting to one onelyonly forme of words, and that of the Roman Miſſall, correcting as it were but moſt unhappily the Engliſh Liturgie, for both we adde a Rubrick here [the partie receiving ſhall ſay, Amen] and repeat it alſo at the other element, for this ſentence ſavouring ſo much as words may do of their corporall preſence, they will therfore have it much heeded, and the people to ſeale it with their Amen. Alſo that golden ſentence of the Engliſh Liturgy, that ſerved much to hinder what ever evill imagination people might have taken of a groſſe corporall preſence of Chriſts body and blood in the elements or on the Altar, either from the words in hand or any other that golden ſaying [Take, eat this in remembrance that Chriſt dyed for thee, by faith eat him in thy heart with thankeſgiving] they ſcore out by their new Index leaſt ſuch a firme pillar ſhould ſtand for theſe vile heretickes the Sacramentarians to leane upon.
At the taking of the other element the Prieſt ſayes, Sanguis Jeſu Chriſti cuſtodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. This our Booke borrowes [the blood of the Lord Jeſus which was ſhed for thee, preſerve thy body and ſoule to life eternall] for feare of Popiſh tranſubſtantiation; the Engliſh put to this ſentence [Drinke this in remembrance that Chriſts blood was ſhed for thee, and give thanks] But our men have ſpunged this away, propter Sacramentarios, leaſt any thing ſhould be here to hinder our returne to our old faith of the reall preſence within the elements, and that to this faith we might the more be haſtened immediately they ſubjoyne a Rubrick, to cover the remaines of the conſecrate elements with a corporall. Now Pope Innocent tells us that corporaeles pall…e ſignificant linteamina quibus corpus Chriſti involutum ſuit, this linnen is not called a corporall till after the conſecration, for onelyonly then it doth involve and lye about the body of Chriſt, before the conſecration the corpus was not preſent, and ſo before they will not give the linnen the ſtyle of the Corporall.
The Poſt communion is approved.The Poſt-Communion is ſome prayers which the Prieſt ſayes after the participation: Theſe in the ordina…y Maſſe are thankeſgivings to God that hath given the bleſſed food of Chriſts body and blood, and deſires to find the fruit of that bleſſing in ſundry formes of words, the ſame in ſubſtance with our Collect of Thankeſgiving. The moſt common forme is this, Gratias tibi ago Domine ſancte Pater, omnipotens aeterne Deus, qui m… refeciſti de ſacroſancto corpore & ſanguine filij tui Domini noſtri J. Chriſti, & precor ut hoc ſacramentum ſalutis nostrae quod ſumſi indignus peccator non veniat mihi ad judicium, ne que ad condemnationem pro meritis meis, ſed ad profectum corporis meè & animae ſalutem in vitam aeternam, Amen. The onelyonly thing that any would except againſt this or any other of the Poſt Communions is the termes which may import the corporall preſence, but theſe wee leave to take in as groſſe words as the Miſſall doth uſe. The Engliſh have in this place the Lords prayer, and another prayer of thankeſgiving; but our Book muſt rather be diſſonant from the Engliſh than from the Roman Liturgie; theſe prayers muſt not ſtand here but be put to ſuch places and ranked in ſuch an order as Sarum of old preſcribed, onelyonly in one thing we follow the Engliſh order in ſinging their Gloria in excelſis, which the Maſſe had long before as we ſhew in the proper place.
After all, while the Prieſt puts off his cloths, there are read ſundry Pſalmes, and Scriptures, and prayers, none whereof our men will get refuſed, and all is cloſed with the Biſhops or Prieſts bleſſing, the ſame which we uſe, as for the firſt part of it, it was in the Maſſe before the giving the pax or peace to the people, but the laſt part the Maſſe ſo expreſſeth it, Benedictio Dei patris omnipotentis deſcendat ſuper nos, & maneat ſemper in nomine Patris, Filij, & Spiritus Sancti, Amen: which we turne [The bleſſing of God Almightie, the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt, be amongſt you, and remaine with you alwayes, Amen.]
Nothing in the Maſſe at all which our men will not imbrace if it were preſſed on them by authoritie.It remaines that wee ſhould paralell with our Booke the accidentall parts of the Maſſe ſo to call them, the moſt of theſe we have actually, their veſtments, hoods, ſurplices, rotchets, miters, copes of all colours filled with numbers of images, palls, corporalls, challices, patins, offertory baſins, wax candles, vailes, railes, ſtalls, lavatories, repoſitories, reclinatories, bowings, duckings, croſſings, kiſſings, courſings, perfumings. Theſe wee have already, and what of the ceremonies we want, it were eaſie to fetch teſtimonies from our parties writs for their lawfulneſſe, or at leaſt to ſhew the neceſſitie of taking them when ever they ſhall be impoſed by our Biſhops upon as good grounds as we have taken the reſt.
As for the parts ſubjective, the diverſe kinds of Maſſes our Book hath enough of them, it ſpends 78 leaves on them alone, it hath of them above an hundreth and ſeven, all borrowed from the Miſſall almoſt word by word; ſome from the Sanctorall, but moſt from the temporall, the changes that are be not conſiderable. What in the particular Maſſes the order of Sarum joynes to the Collects, Epiſtles and Goſpels, to wit, the Office, Oration, Tractus, Sequentia, Communio, poſt Communio, there is no ſyllable in them to my memory which croſſeth the wrins of our partie, but my preſent wearineſſe and neceſſary a vocation to other ſtudies; alſo the hopes now we heare by the great mercy of God, and goodneſſe of our Prince, to be quite of this unhappy Book, ſuffer me not to proceed any farther. I muſt alſo upon the ſame reaſons leave at this time my i…ended Paralell of the Breviarie with our Mattins and Even-ſong, alſo the Ceremoniall with our Order of Baptiſme, Putrification, Buriall, &c. in all theſe will be found betwixt the Romiſh Orders and our Book too great an identitie.