A Parallel Comparison of the Liturgy with the Mass Book, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Proving the Inſtruction or ſecond part of the Maſſe with all the particular portions thereof, to wit, the Epiſtle, Goſpel, Homilie, Credo, tractus, Gradual, ſequentia, to be in our Booke either actually or virtually.
The Eight parts of the Inſtruction, are to be found in our Booke.THe ſecond part of the Maſſe, which Aquinas and others after him call the Inſtruction, is ſubdivided into eight portions, the firſt foure onelyonly principall are the Epiſtle, Goſpel, Creede, and Homilie, thes wee have all from the Maſſe: the next foure are leſſe principall and of ſmall conſideration, to wit, the Graduall, Halelujah, tractus, and ſequentia, theſe the Papiſts will diſpenſe with, though they bee left out, and our Book-men may not oppoſe, though they be put in, but let us goe through all the eight in order.
1. The Epiſtle.The firſt is the Epiſtle, the putting of this peece in the Maſſe is aſcribed to Pope Alexander, and Damaſus, ſo Gemma Animae. cap. 88. [Epiſtolam & Evangelium Alexander Papa ad Miſſam legi inſtituit, Hieronymus autem Presbyter Lectionarium, & Evangeliarium, ut hodiè habet Eccleſia, collegit, ſed Damaſus Papa, ut nunc moris eſt, legi cenſuit:] but who ever have put the Epiſtle in the Maſſe it ſeemes incredible, that the abuſes of the Epiſtle, which this day are in the Maſſe, and in our Booke from it, can have any very ancient, or yet very judicious authour. Why againſt the order of the New Teſtament are the Epiſtles ſet before the Goſpel, the reaſon which the Rationaliſts give, is that the Epiſtles are baſer then the Goſpel, Alcuin indeed denies this, but Walafridus and the reſt after him avow it: alſo becauſe that the Epiſtle hath the office of Iohn the Baptiſt, making way for the Goſpel of Chriſt, they containe morall inſtructions, and are but like to the Law, and ſo their doctrine is of leſſe worth then the doctrine of the Goſpel: the Epiſtle is read by a Subdeacon in a lower place, the people ſitting; but the Goſpel muſt bee read at leaſt by a Deacon in a high place all reverently ſtanding, ſee Innoc. Lib. 3. c. 29. Durand, Lib. 4. fol. 53. I cite but one paſſage of Rupertus de divinis officijs. Lib. 1. c. 32. [Epiſtola vox legis eſt ſuam in Joanne imperfectionem profitentis, & ad perfectionem Evangelicam ſuos auditores tranſmittentis. Quam vis autem ſaepè de Apoſtolicis ſumatur literis, tamen in eo gradu eſt, ac ſi ſemper de lege ſit ac Prophetis, ſemper enim moralitatem vitámque activam magis quàm contemplativae ſublimitatem, quae in Evangelio radiat, inſtruit. Igitur morale Legis officium agit Epiſtola, tantum diſtans ab eo quod in officio Miſſae praecedit ſancto Evangelio, quantum ſervus à Domino, praeco à judice, legatus ab eo qui miſit illum, quapropter cum legitur non injuriâ ſedemus, cum tamen ſanctum Evangelium audimus demiſſis reverenter aſpectihus ſicunt Domino noſtro aſſiſtimus.
Another evident abuſe there is, that in the Maſſe and our Booke, the Acts of the Apoſtles, the Revelation, the Prophets, any booke of the old Teſtament ſhould bee called the Epiſtle except onelyonly the five bookes of Moſes. Walafridus points at the noveltie of this corruption in theſe words, cap. 22. [Videtur autem non alias lectiones ante Evangelium fuiſſe tunc poſitas, niſi tantùm Apostoli Pauli quod S. Damaſus Papa ad Hieronymum ſcribens ostendit, & fortaſſe inprimis ſolius Pauli lectiones eo loco legebantur, poſteà autem omnibus latius augmentatis aliae lectiones non tantùm de Novo, verùm etiam de veteri intermixtae ſunt Testamento. To this Durandus addes, Epiſtola tamen non legitur de quinque libris Moſis, quia in illis temporalia promittebantur, fol. 53.
A third abuſe in the Epiſtle is, that never a full paſſage is read but a ſhread, beginning after the beginning of a Chapter, and cutting before the end, chuſing out parts moſt impertinent for the purpoſe, and very oft directed to colour ſome idle or ſuperſtitious conceit: To theſe and other ſuch faults, the Epiſtles of our booke are ſubject, as well as theſe of the Maſſe; for commonly in both bookes, the ſame paſſages of Scripture are ſet downe for Epiſtles, as on S. Stephens day the ſeventh of the Acts, upon Innocents day the 14. of the Revelations, 1. of Lent, 2. of Ioel, the Tueſday before Eaſters, the 50. of Iſaiah.
The ſecond is the Goſpel.The next portion of the inſtruction is the Goſpel, here we follow the paterne of Sarum as much as in the Epiſtles, as the Miſſals reade the Goſpels without any order, but that which the ſole pleaſure of ſome Popes in the latter times hath given to them, beginning at the end of a booke, at the midſt of a Chapter, ending with the beginning of a booke, looping every day heere and there without any reaſon or example of antiquity which can be ſhowne, ſo does our Booke follow preciſelie, looke for example the firſt foure Sundayes in Advent, wherein the firſt Sunday our Goſpel is Mat. 21. v. 1. in the ſecond, chap. 21. verſ. 25. in the 3. Matth. 11. verſ. 2. in the 4. Iohn 1. verſ. 19. of ſuch courſing what reaſon can be given, but a conformity with Sarum in times of Popery.
As in the matter of our Goſpel we follow rhe Miſſall ſo in our formes. The Epiſtle was contumeliouſly debaſed, but the Goſpel is ſuperſtitiouſly exalted, Rupertus Lib. 1. c. 37. and from him Durand, Evangelium principale eſt omnium quae dicuntur ad Miſſae officium, ſicut enim caput praeeminet corpori, & illi caetera membra ſubſerviunt, ſic Evangelium toti officio praeeminet. For this cauſe Pope Anaſtaſius ordained, that when the Goſpel was in reading, all ſhould ſtand on their feet, and that with their head and eyes bowed to the ground for reverence. Anaſtaſius Papa decrevit ut dum Evangelium legitur, nullus ſedeat: Alſo the people muſt ſay before the Goſpel Gloria tibi Domine, and after it is ended, they muſt ſay Deo gratias: The reaſons ſee in Durand, Lib. 4. fol. 59. This we are injoyned twiſe, leaſt we ſhould forget it, both at the Communion, and in the Collects, Epiſtles, and Goſpels for the whole yeere, we get leave to ſit at the Epiſtle, to be ſilent when it beginnes, and ſilent when it ends, but all the time of the Goſpel we muſt ſtand, and uſe our exclamations both at the beginning and end of it.
The Booke of the Goſpel muſt ſtand upon the Altar to ſignifie that with the preaching of the Goſpel ever muſt be conjoyned the ſacrifice of the Altar, and when it is to be read, the Deacon muſt come, and lift the booke from the Altar, to ſignifie that the ſenſe of holy Scriptures muſt be taken alone from the warrant of the holy Church, ſee Heigam. pag. 122. In the ceremonies and ſignifications it ſeemes we muſt agree with Rome, for wee ſee that among the decent furniture wherewith our Altar is adorned, the text of the Goſpel is a chiefe part, alſo the neceſſity of the Altars and ſacrifices, where ever the Goſpel is preached, and the taking of the ſenſe of Scripture from the hand of the Church, yee may ſee expreſſe paſſages from Heylen, Montagu, and White, in Canterbury-ſelfe-conviction.
Farther, when the Deacon hath lifted the text of the Goſpel from the Altar, hee gives it to the Subdeacon to carry at his backe, two waxe candles are lifted from the Altar by two Acolytes, to bee carried burning before him ſo long as the Goſpel is in reading, the croſſe or crucifix is alſo on Feſtivall dayes carried before the Goſpel, alſo a Cenſer with fire and Incenſe, the booke is croſſed, and perfumed, and when the leſſon is ended, the Booke by the Deacon is kiſſed, the reaſon of all theſe ceremonies, ſee in the forenamed places of Durand and Jnnocent, from none of theſe ſuperſtitions we can be long ſecured: Our Deacons are begun already to bee conſecrate, the chiefe part of their office is their Service at the Sacrament, and their reading of Scripture; the orders of Subdeacon and Acolytes are proclaimed to be convenient, if the Church had maintenance for them, by Andrewes: the wax Candles are ſtanding on the Altars already: the ſilver Crucifix is avowed by Pocklington to have a meet ſtanding upon the ſame Altar; the croſſings and perfumings and lights are maintained by Andrewes, as Canterbury ſets him forth, the kiſſing of the Booke is now daily practiſed.
3. The Creed of Conſtantinople.The third portion of the inſtruction is the Creede of Constantinople, Credo in unum, &c. This is put in the Maſſe by Pope Mark according to Durand, or by Pope Damaſus according to Innocentius. Damaſus Papa conſtituit, utſymbolum cantaretur ad Miſſam, Lib. 2. c. 49. or rather it was put in the Maſſe long thereafter, for Walafridus tells that the Latines learned this part of the Maſſe from the Grecians, and that after the Councell of Conſtantinople, cap. 22. This Bellarmine approves de Miſſa, Lib. 2. c. 17. as alſo Walafridus addition, that the French and Dutch Church received not this part of the Maſſe, till the dayes of Charlemaine and that through the occaſion of the hereſies of Felix.
This part of the Maſſe wee have word by word from the Miſſall of Sarum, fol. 143. yea, the Romiſh ceremonies about it, put out of the Engliſh Liturgie, wee ſeeme to reſume, the Engliſh ſayes no more, but that the Creede ſhall follow the Goſpel; the reaſon of which order the Rationaliſts give at length, but our Rubricke before the Creede ſayes farther, to wit, this Creede ſhall be ſaid or ſung all reverently ſtanding up, importing firſt that at the reciting of the Creede of Conſtantinople, not that of Nice, nor that of the Apoſtles, we muſt uſe much more reverence, then at the reciting of the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles, or writings of the Prophets, even the ſame reverence wee uſe at the reading of the Goſpell, of this Durand gives a good reaſon; [Quia ſymbolum verbum eſt Evangelicum, ideò ſtando illud audire, ſicut & Evangelium debemus, Lib. 4. fol. 60. col. 3.] Next our Booke imports the ſinging of the Creede, and that according to the reaſons of the Maſſe, which at this place takes rather in that of Constantinople, then the Creede of the Apoſtles or of Nice, becauſe it agrees better to the ſong by muſicall voices or inſtruments then theſe; ſo ſpeakes Walafridus, c. 22. [Et notandum, Graecos illud ſymbolum, quod nos ad imitationē eorum intra Miſſas adfumimus potiùs quàm alia in cantilenae dulcedinē ideò tranſtuliſſe, quia Constantinopolitani Concilij proprium eſt, & fortaſſe aptius videbatur modulis ſonorum quam Nicenum, quod tempore prius eſt] Thirdly, the ſaying or ſinging of the Creede is given in our Booke, neither to the Prieſt, nor to the people, as the Goſpel immediately before was injoyned to bee read only by the Prieſt, and the acclamations to be ſaid onelyonly by the people, but the Creede is to bee ſaid neither by the Prieſt, nor by the people, but it is to bee begun by the Prieſt, and to be ſung through by the Quiriſters, for the myſterious reaſons ye may ſee in Durandus: after the Creede is ſung, the Prieſt bowing downe kiſſes the Altar as we have in Heigam. pag. 162. This ceremonie Heylen in his Epiſtle to the King before his antidotum commends in the perſon of theſe, who did fall downe and reverence with affectionate kiſſing of the Altar.
4. The Predication.The fourth part of the inſtruction is the predication, this was a principall part of the Sacrament, which was much regarded not onelyonly by the auncients, as wee may ſee in the order of celebration ſet downe by Iuſtine Martyr, and Dionyſius Areopagita, as alſo in manifold Sermons yet extant of Cyprian, Baſile, Ambroſe, Auguſtine, and others, which they delivered at ſuch occaſions, but even in the later times in the ſecond Councell of Toledo. c. 2. and the firſt of Lateran, c. 10. where ſtrict order is taken for Preaching of the word, that is, as the place makes cleare for the expoſition and application of the Scriptures before read to the reproofe, inſtruction, comfort, admonition of the people, as their preſent ſtate did require. This part of the Maſſe is acknowledged by Durand, Lib. 4. fol. 224. col. 2. yea, in the Roman pontifical there are ſundry rubricks ſpent upon it, among the reſt we have theſe words, fol. 224. col. 4. Si autem poſt Evangelium ut plerumque fit in curia ſit praedicandum, Pontifex ſedet & accipit mitram à Diacono, tum ille qui eſt praedicaturus accedit ad eum, & pontifex benedicens ei, dicit, Dominus ſit incorde tuo, & in labijs tuis ut dignè & fructuoſe annuncies verba ſancta ſua, tum ſurgit praedicator & accedit ad pulpitum & exequitur officiū finitâ praedicatione expectat in pulpito praedicator, &c. It is moſt cleare that in all antiquity, to the very lateſt and moſt corrupt times, the care not of reading only, but preaching was ſeriouſly recommended to all Biſhops and Presbyters, as we may ſee in their orders of conſecration yet ſtanding in the Pontificall, yet at laſt the ignorance and careleſneſſe of the Clergy grew ſo great, that this duty was all utterly neglected for ſundry ages, as we may ſee acknowledged by the Councell of Trent, the hiſtory of it printed at London in Italian, fo. 165. ſo in the Miſſals of Sarum, this part of the Maſſe is omitted, and how ever the Engliſh Rubrick have an expreſſe command for a Sermon, Evangelio lecto ſequitur concio, and the very Councell of Trent have ſtrict acts for reforming the old neglect of Sermons, injoyning to the B. himſelfe, let be to other Presbyters the dutie of preaching, at leaſt every Sunday, and all holy dayes, as the chiefe part of the Epiſcopall office, to feed the Soules of their flock with the bread of the Word preached; yet our Booke ſeems to like better of the old order of Sarum, which according to the cuſtome of theſe dark times, did neglect Sermons, ſo our Rubrick is conceived, [After the Creed if there be no Sermon] directly abſteining to give any injunction for Sermon at the Communion. How great enemies our Bookmen are to Sermons, it is ſhewen at large in the Canterb. ſelf-conviction, The Papiſts even at Trent makes it needfull to preach every Sabbath; yea the Popiſh Princes this day, who have any taſte of devotion, be their affaires never ſo weightie, will have two Sermons every Sabbath; ſo we ſee in the life of the late Emperour Ferdinand; but our men at moſt will admit but of one, yea, they thinke that one in a monethmonth is enough, and all that their Canons doe require, and that one muſt be very ſhort, without any prayer either before or after. What ſpite they carry at the preaching which this day is uſed in England, may be ſeene in the words which Canterbury makes Andrewes uſe after his death, and which himſelfe uſeth before the Starre Chamber in his late Speech; yea, theſe men are now brought to avow in Print the great expediency to put downe preaching, by bringing us back to that order which was uſed in England in the time of Popery, where the want of our preſent kinde of preaching, did keepe the people in their ancient ſimplicitie, and ſo in that old laudable integritie and devotion; ſee paſſages for all this in the Self-conviction.
As for the Homilies which are ordained to be read in place of Sermons, their forme is taken from the Roman Breviarie, which after the reading of the Leſſons from Scripture, ordaines the reading of many Homilies; the Engliſh Liturgie alſo permits the reading of Homilies, printed by the Reformers of Religion, in theſe places of the Land, where maintenance cannot be had for a preaching Miniſter; but here our Booke ſeemes to be worſe than either the Roman Breviary, or the Engliſh Liturgie; for the Homilies which are in the Breviary, were compoſed of old by the ancient Fathers, and theſe Homilies of England are moſt orthodox, and compoſed by the moſt ſound Fathers of that Church ſince the Reformation; but our Homilies which we are obliged to receive are not yet extant, and the compoſition of them, as of all our Books is committed to the hands of that faction, who of late in their printed Sermons, have vented all the points of Arminianiſme, and the farre moſt and groſſeſt poynts of Popery, if not all without any exception, as the Self-conviction makes good; when they have ſtuffed their Homilies ſo full as they thinke good, of Arminianiſme and Popery, we muſt approve, ſubſcribe, and uſe them daily, as the publike doctrine of our Church, or elſe be excommunicate as rebellious ſchiſmaticks without any remedy; for the compoſers of theſe Homilies take to themſelves in this act the title and authoritie of our Church repreſentative, whoſe dictates muſt be embraced under the higheſt paines both civill and ſpirituall. Yea, beſide the burthen of Homilies, it ſeemes we muſt lay downe our back to beare the Legends alſo, whether they be of gold, or of lead, or of droſſe; for as the Breviary puts their fabulous Legends and Martyrologies at the back of their Homilies, ſo our Bookmen are beginning to print the great conveniency of reading in the Church to the people the lives and hiſtories of the Martyrs, ſee Quaeres.
The foure leſſe principal parts of the Inſtruction.As for the foure leſſe principall parts of the Inſtruction, to wit, the Graduall, Halelujah, tractus, and ſequentia, which are ſung betwixt the Epiſtle and the Goſpell, the Papiſts will grant that they are put in onelyonly of late, to hold up the muſicall harmony, and ſo may well be omitted, yea, they are diſcharged by the Councell of Toledo, and came in only by cuſtome; heare Walafridus Confeſſion of the Graduall and Halelujah, as for the tractus & ſequentia, they were not heard of even in his dayes, cap. 22. [Reſponſoria & halelujah quae ante Evangelium cantantur, deinde adjuncta videntur & prohibita canonibus Hiſpanorum, in illis enim jubetur ne aliquis hymnus inter lectionem Apoſtolicam & Evangelium in ordine Miſſae ponatur, ex quo intelligitur id aliquos tentaſſe tunc temporis, ſed propter novitatem rei ſtudium eorum non fuiſſe receptum, quod tamen poſtea uſu Romano commendatum ad omnes Latinorum pervenit Eccleſias] This Bellarmine cannot deny, de Miſſa, l. 2. c. 17. yea all the foure parts are of ſo ſmall importance, that the Papiſts themſelves would be quit of them; ſo ſpeaks Spalato of them as they ſtand in the Breviary, l. 7. c. 12. art. 96. [Antiphonae, reſponſoria, verſiculi & ejuſmodi minuta, quae ut puto, cantus & modulationis gratia intermiſceri lectioni ſolita fuerunt ad tollendum faſtidium ubi Muſicae locus non eſt, non videntur neceſſaria, impediunt enim curſum piae & utilis lectionis] This Spalato did learne from Cardinall Quignonius, who did print the ſame adviſe with the good liking both of Pope Paul the third and Clement the ſeventh. The Cardinalls words are theſe in Spalatoes next ſection, giving a reaſon why in his Breviary he put out all theſe foure things which were in uſe to be ſung betwixt the Epiſtle and the Goſpel [Verſiculos reſponſoria & capitula omittere idcirco viſum eſt, quoniam cum introducta ſint ad cantus potiſſimum modulandos, & legentes ſaepè morentur, cum moleſtia quaeritandi locum, relinquere voluimus, nec enim ad precandum cuncta ſalubria & utilia congeri debent ne clerici graventur iniquiori pondere] yee ſee how with the Pope and Cardinalls good leave, we may leave out of our Book all theſe particles in hand.
But ſuppoſe that the Pope this day would be more preciſe, and require ſtrictly the uſe of them all, our men would eaſily yeeld to this his rigorous importunitie; for conſider,1. The Graduall. if in all theſe foure parts of the Maſſe there be any thing which their ſtomacks could not well digeſt, the graduall or reſponſory is nought but two verſes of a Pſalme ſung on the gradus or ſteps of the Altar, the firſt by two Queriſter boyes in their Surplices, the other in way of anſwer by the whole Quire, as we ſee on the firſt Sunday of Advent, where the graduall is the third verſe of the 25 Pſalme, Ʋniverſi qui te exſpectant non confundentur Domine, the Verſicle reſponſory to this is the fourth verſe, Vias tuas Domine notas fac mihi & ſemitas tuas edoce me.
2. The Halelujah.The Halelujah is nought but this Hebrew ſentence, which we reade oft in Scripture, uſed on feſtivall dayes.
3. The tractus.The tractus is but a line of other Scriptures, which on faſting dayes in times of ſorrow is put in the place of Halelujah and ſung tractim heavily, laſerly, in ſad, grave, and long notes, as the firſt Sunday of Lent the tractus is the firſt verſe of the 91 Pſalme, Qui habitat in adjutorio altiſſimi in protectione Dei coeli commorabitur. The verſicle or reſponſory, is the ſecond verſe of that ſame Pſalme, Dicet Domino ſuſceptor meus es tu & refugium meum Deus meus, ſperabo in eum.
4. The ſequentia.The ſequentia or proſa, is a ſong of praiſe put at the back of Halelujah, a long rithme in proſe uſed at ſome few high feſtivals, invented firſt by Nocherius a dutch Abbot, and put in the Maſſe by Pope Nicolaus, as Durand tells us, l. 4. fol. 56. col. 3. Here is nothing which our men will oppoſe, as in that famous ſequency of Pentecoſt S. Spiritus adſit nobis gratia, quae corda nostra ſibi faciat habitacula, expulſis inde cunctis vitijs ſpiritalibus &c. In ſome of their ſequencies, I grant, there are contained praiſes of the B. Virgin and other Saints, but no wayes ſo groſſe as theſe which followes in the Canon, and are defended by our men as lawfull, as ſhortly wee ſhall heare: So then the foure little and leſſe principall parts of the Inſtruction, will not be refuſed by us upon any reaſon, if wee keepe the grounds of our Book, when ever it ſhall be the will of our Clergy to put them in, with the other foure large and principall parts of the ſame Inſtruction.