can humble himself no more We have examples of this in the Israelites who in the time of Supplication and times of necessity did use it as is to be seen in Judith the Machabites and others sometimes by way of Humiliation as Abraham Moses and Aaron as also Josue Lastly by way of Adoration as Salomon the Priests and the whole multitude the like is to be seen in Esdreas and Tobias So the Leper St. Luke saith did magnifie God and fell on his face before Christ St. Mary Magdalene but above all examples that of our Saviour prostrating himself in the Garden Q. What say you of Genuflection or kneeling A. This much depends upon Custome however kneeling in time of Prayer is very ancient for we read of it in the Old Testament and it was practised by the Apostles yea by our Saviour himself Baronius sayes that praying on the knees was the usual posture of Christians and sometimes they did cast themselves prostrate on the Earth It is reported of the Apostle St. James that by frequent and long Genuflection his knees were as hard as a Camels skin Now this Genuflection carries with it a confession of our Infirmity and testifies our submission to God importing the interiour humility of our Heart and although Prostration may seem to be a greater sign of Humility yet for this action of hearing Masse the kneeling is more proper because we are to attend to the Mysteries there represented whence it is the common Custome at Masse that all good Catholicks do kneel Q. What say you of Station or standing A. The Church ordains standing to all at the Gospel and Creed in the Masse and that with great reason for the posture of standing is proper for Consideration and Attention as he that stands sees further so the Soul in this posture considers more attentively and is more prompt and elevated by a more vehement application the standing also shews Promptitude in the Hearing and execution of what is declared as is the proper Posture of our Ministers whence the Priest as being in continual Action at his Ministery stands for the most part of the Masse for otherwise he could not perform the Rites and Ceremonies the nature of a Sacrifice requires it Q. What of Inclination or Bowing A. The wise Man gives this Counsel To the ancient humble thy Soul and to a great Man bow thy Head as a Token of Reverence and sign of Humility and Submission But none more properly used this Ceremony than Christ himself who bowing or inclining his Head gave up the Ghost to shew his Humility and Reverence to the Father This the Church used many times in the Masse and with inclination we reverence the Altar Bishops and Holy things as a manifestation of the respect we bear to them Q. What means the Posture of our Hands A. In this we may consider that sometimes the Priest joyns his Hands and sometimes opens them again Now in Prayer to joyn our Hands is a fitting Posture of one who makes Supplication and Petition for we in Prayer make Supplication to God for Mercy and humble Petition for his Grace and benefits and by directing our Hands to Heaven we manifest that our hope is only in God and in joyning our Hands also we make profession that we are able to do nothing of ourselves and as St. Cyprian and St. Hierome say by this Posture we profess the merits of Christ acknowledging our selves altogether unable to do and unworthy to deserve any good and therefore in this humble manner we offer up Christ's merits to God the Father as a most efficacious means to obtain what we desire Briefly in this manner we desire Briefly in this manner we present our selves as Captives or as labouring with extreme want and necessity Now the Hands extended do represent the extension of our Saviour's Hands on the Cross and is a fitting posture for the Priest who in the Masse represents Christ's Passion It may also signifie the elevation of the mind to God and shews a desire to have the Heart go with the Hands as laid open to dart Lances of love into the Court of Heaven or to receive the influence of God's Grace We have a fitting Embleme of this in the example of one who being like to be drowned stretched forth his Hands to catch hold of any thing for his Succour even so do we poor Sinners being in danger to be drowned in Sin and iniquity stretch forth our Hands and with them the affection of our Hearts and knowing that there is no help in Earth or Earthly things we stretch out our hands to Heaven from whence we expect Relief saying with the Prophet Jeremy Let us lift up our Hearts with our hands to Heaven I will conclude with the words of St. Cyprian The pious Priest whom the Holy Ghost stirs up moves and Sanctifies representing the Mystery of the Cross by the Elevation of his hands prayes for his own and the Peoples Sins Q. What means the lifting up of the eyes to Heaven A. Whensoever the Priest joyns his hands or shuts them for the most part he lifts up his eyes to Heaven and this congruously for nature teaches us that the eye followeth the Heart and it is a common saying where love is there the eye is there is no sense more betrayes our interiour Affections and Passions The lifting up then of the eyes represents the intention of the mind or understanding and the affection of the Heart or will of this we have many examples in the Scripture in Sarah Tobias his Wife and King David who often mentions it in the Psalms but principally in the actions of our Saviour 3. Of the Reverence we ought to have to the Holy name of Jesus Q. May we use any Reverence to the Holy name of Jesus A. If the Jews might lawfully honour the name Jehovah it is lawful for Christians to honour the name of Jesus but the Jews did lawfully honour the name of Jehovah ergo the Minor is proved by God's command and by practise of the Jews for where the Negative is forbid the Affirmative is proved now in the Decalogue there is a Negative precept Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain thou shalt no way prophane his name the Affirmative therefore to wit thou shalt Honour and Reverence his name is both lawful good and commendable as the precept thou shalt have no other Gods but me imports that we should Love and Honour only God Such also hath been the Tradition Practise and Custome of the Jews who hold this name Jehovah highly to be Worshiped esteeming it as the Primary and Essential name of God because it did signifie his Immense Essence and incomprehensible Majesty wherefore they did bear so great Reverence and Honour to that Name that if in Reading of the Scripture or otherwise they did find it they would not utter it in voice but conceive it in mind judging themselves unworthy to pronounce that Holy Name
kind of sins before expressed many do say that this number of Three carries with it a certain kind of Universality So this Triple Repetition imports a confession of a multitude of Sins as if he should say I have sinned innumerable wayes each time he knocks his breast imitating therein the Publican who as the Sacred Text sayes stood afar off and would not so much as lift up his eyes towards Heaven but knocked his breast saying Lord be merciful to me a sinner All which is to be seen in the Priest's action for as is said before he stands afar off from the Altar and in saying his Confiteor he stands bowing his head towards the Earth as not daring to lift up his eyes to Heaven and knocks his breast esteeming as Theodoret sayes of the Publican himself altogether unworthy to behold the Heavens who had placed his affections on the Earth and Earthly things and in holding his hands joyned before his breast and saying Mea culpa my fault my fault my most grievous fault he tacitly cryes out our Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Q. What means the knocking of the Breast A. It hath been and is the custome of all God's Servants nay it seems to be a natural propension to express the grief or sorrow of the mind by striking the breast which St. Augustine declares what is it sayes he to knock or strike the breast but to declare what lyes hid in the breast and by an evident or manifest stroke to chastise the hidden Sin Or as he sayes in another place to chastise our flesh because we have offended God and again he sayes The striking of the breast is the contrition of the heart that is it is a sign or manifestation of the hearts contrition St. Cyprian sayes We strike our breast as declaring the sins enclosed inwardly in our hearts St. Hierome as if we would expel our evil thoughts from the heart Pope Nicholas 1. In striking the breast we signifie that we strike our selves before God strikes us or that we confess our selves to be worthy of stripes or punishment St. Chrysostome we take revenge of our selves to pacifie our Judge In fine we strike or knock our breast as if we would do it to our heart or will which has been the Original cause of our sins or as if we would open our hearts to give vent to our sorrow and grief for that we have offended so good a God and we do it thrice in correspondence to the Triple kind of sin wherein we have offended God in thought word and deed or to express the multitude of our sins What is said in Confession may proportionably be applyed to the Hearers who I suppose have learnt the Confiteor either in Latin or in English that besides the use of it in other occasions they may joyn themselves with the Priest in this Confession for he beggs it of them in acknowledging his sin before them and desiring them to pray for him sure it is as necessary for them they stand in as much need at least as he and I know not how they can be better employed in order to a preparation to the more beneficial hearing of Masse 5. Of what follows in the Masse until the Priest goes to the Altar Q. What follows the Confiteor A. The Clark or he that serves at Masse prayes for the Priest that God would shew his mercy to him pardon his sins to the end that he may worthily celebrate the Holy Sacrifice and by it come to life everlasting whose prayers are as we may piously believe accompanied with the intercession of the Angels and Saints whose help he has also invocated It is a pious action in the standers by to add their Votes which the Priest also requires to all which the Priest sayes Amen When all as the Priest supposes have said the Confiteor the Priest makes the same prayer for them who saying Amen do attend for the general Absolution which the Priest gives saying Indulgentiam Absolutionem c. in saying whereof the Priest makes the sign of the Cross on himself thereby tacitly professes that he gives this Absolution and Remission by vertue of Christ's Cross and Passion which Communicated by the Church the Assistants may also with Devotion sign themselves with the same sign and devoutly say Amen Q. What Absolution is this here given A. I said before that the Confession here made was not properly Sacramental as in the Sacrament of Pennance in like manner this Absolution is no other but Sacerdotal and has its effects by way of deprecation or prayer which is more available because it is done by a Priest of whom St. Chrysostome sayes His Throne is placed in Heaven and he has Authority to pronounce and declare Celestial things and whom as St. Paul teaches we are to esteem as the Ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God and therefore all present ought with Humility bow their heads to receive it signing themselves with the sign of the Cross as before is said Q. What follows the Absolution A. The Priest after this makes some Jaculatory prayers reciting some verses of the Psalms expressing his confidence in God's mercy and goodness by which he presumes to go to the Altar and that his prayer will be heard which he assures us by Dominus vobiscum our Lord is with you and therefore let us proceed to the performance of this Sacrifice for having before declared that God is turned unto us he beggs his mercy in this his action and makes his humble petition that his prayer which he is to make therein may be heard It is very convenient that those who understand Latin should answer to the Priest with correspondent affections those who do not may consider God's goodness in giving such power to Priests and with Devotion expect the grace and benefit of the Absolution and seriously attending to the Admonition that the Priest gives them in saying Dominus vobiscum our Lord is with you I am now going to the Altar to offer Sacrifice for you and our Lord will be with us in correspondence thereto they may devoutly say Et cum spiritu tuo and with thy spirit which because it occurs frequently in the Masse every one ought to learn that they may shew their minds to be attentive to what the Priest does all along in this Sacrifice After that the Priest sayes Oremus let us pray as if he should say since our Lord is with us and that he hath shewen his mercy and goodness in pardoning our sins let us now settle our hearts to prayer with confidence believing that whatsoever we shall ask by vertue of this Sacrifice we shall obtain Now because this Dominus vobiscum and Oremus do frequently occur in the Masse I shall speak of them in the next Paragraph 6. Of the Dominus vobiscum and Oremus Q. Why is Dominus vobiscum so often used in the Masse A. The Church uses this
Holy Judith praying in tears of compunction and moving his lips in silence and represents the prayer of our Saviour in the Garden where he prayed alone without his Disciples All should do well to learn this answer which the Clark makes in their name and say it Devoutly in Latin or English and praising God in example of those Holy Women in silent prayer 6. Of what follows this secret Prayer Q. What follows this Prayer A. The Priest and People having prepared their hearts in silence for the better execution of this Sacrifice do proceed to the holy action contained in the Cannon and as in excess of spirit does break forth with a raised voice in the Preface which is a preparatory disposition to the great work of this Sacrifice and is so called because it goes before the principal part of the Masse for it is but a Prelocution or foregoing Speech of what follows wherein the Priest raises his and others hearts to grateful thanks and joyful praises to God that they may be the better prepared with due Reverence to the great mysteries following By some it is called the Angelical Song because it is is full of Angelical praises or because the Angels are thereby invited to praise God Whence Durand sayes that in all those Prefaces Men and Angels do concur together to sing the praises of our King The Grecians call it a Cherubical or Seraphical Hymn It fitly represents the Angels comforting our Saviour when as St. Luke sayes There appeared to him an Angel from Heaven strengthening him Or as another Text has it An Angel appeared exalting and glorifying him Q. Why does the Priest say Per omnia Saecula Saeculorum A. Having ended his prayers in secret he layes his hands on the Altar to signifie he layes aside all temporal Cogitations the better to employ his mind to the Immolation of this Sacrifice or making a pause between his prayer and the Preface then raising his voice sayes for ever and ever or World without end making it the end of his prayer and the beginning of the Preface This suddain elevation of the voice shews that he had prayed secretly for so the Church usually ends her prayers and she supposes all present have done the same as they express by saying Amen as if thâ—â— should say our prayers in secrâ—â— have the same end with yours that is the Priests who hereby conceives the union of all present in Devotion to wit that they have their vows suffrages and intentions joyned with his which they confirm by saying Amen Q. Why does he here say Dominus vobiscum A. As if he should say if your desires be such ye may assure your selves that our Lord is with you according to his promise Where Two or Three be gathered together c. There I am in the midst of them Or as Rupert understands it the Priest by this Dominus vobiscum wishes that all present may be such that our Lord would vouchsafe to be with them Or as Durand sayes The Priest thereby intends to dispose the People in a more particular manner to be attentive to what follows as being the chiefest part of the Masse To this we may-answer Et cum spiritu tuo and with thy spirit reciprocally praying for the Priest that our Lord may be with him for the better performance of this acâ—â—â—â— and hereby we do assure him that we will be attentive to what he shall say Q. Why Sursum Corda A. The Priest then cryes out Let us lift up our hearts to God let us raise up our hearts from all terrene things and apply it to celestial So St. Augustine tells us that the Sursum Corda is an aversion from earthly things and an elevation or raising our mind to God alone And in another place speaking of this place of the Masse he sayes No Man who remains ungrateful to the giver is blessed by these gifts wherefore in the Sacred mysteries we are bidden to have our hearts lifted up he helping us that we may be able to do that which by his command we are admonished to do St. Cyprian will confirm what is said before saying The Priest by this premised Preface prepares the Brethrens minds to the Canon by saying Sursum Corda Briefly The Priest advertises the faithful to have their hearts united with him and in this important affair to prepare themselves with all submissive Reverence for the Solemn coming of the Son of God in his Humanity and Divinity accompanied with his Angels and therefore cryes out Sursum Corda Ye Souls who ordinarily have your hearts set on earth and earthly things rise up and be elevated to Heaven going in Spirit to meet the Son of God who is about to descend to you in the Holy Sacrament In saying whereof whereas before he had his hand laid on the Altar to Symbolize the cares of this World he now lifts up his hands and eyes to conform the exteriour Man to the interiour for hearts hands and eyes must be elevated The heart indeed is principally required for as St. Cyril sayes In the Masse we must have our hearts lifted up to God the elevation of the hands and eyes are as natural expressions thereof the hands as Instruments of the future action and the eyes as messengers to declare the interiour affections and intentions of the Soul Whereto we answer Habemus ad Dominum we have our hearts lifted up to our Lord which St. Cyprian explicates saying When the People answer Habemus ad Dominum they declare that they ought not to think of any other thing but of our Lord. St. Chrysostome discoursing of this answer sayes O man what doest thou do didst not thou promise to the Priest who said lift up thy heart and thou didst say Habemus ad Dominum Art thou not afraid and ashamed that in that very time thou art found a Lyar Good God the Table that is the Altar is replenished with mysteries and the Lamb is immolated for thee the Priest is anxious for thee the spiritual fire gushes forth from the Holy Table and thou hast thy mind on other things I fear it is too true that many say Habemus ad Dominum we have our hearts to our Lord when they have nothing less in their hearts Q Why Gratias agamus Domino A. This follows properly after the Elevation of our hearts to God when hereby we acknowledge him to be our God by giving thanks to him for all his benefits but principally for the Eucharistical Sacrifice whence the Priest sayes Let us give thanks to our Lord God Whereof St Augustine makes mention saying We give thanks to God which is the great Sacrament in the Sacrifice of the New Testament And St. Cyprian Amidst the Holy mysteries we go to give thanks And St Chrysostome These things which belong to the Eucharist that is of Thanksgiving all are common for neither the Priest alone gives thanks but also all the People for First his voice being received then they
Ceremonies therein that they may also have sufficient matter to meditate on most points of the passion Briefly I shall give them sufficient matter of prayer sutable to the Priest's action and set before their eyes the chiefest points of Christ's passion Q. Since this is the chiefest part of the Masse why is it said in secret A. After that the Priest by the Preface has endeavoured to raise our minds to the praise of God with the Angels he returns to his former intentions of offering the Sacrifice and now wholly applyes himself to the chiefest action of his function wherein he alone officiates and therefore as in the Law of Moises the High Priest alone did enter into the Sancta Sanctorum So in the New Law the Priest alone performs this action which concerns the Consecration and Oblation of the Holy of Holies substantial Sanctity the true Body and Blood of Christ Jesus God and man who makes this place far more holy than the Sancta Sanctorum In fine it was well said of old in the Canon there needs no ears but to God nor words for the Priest Sacrificing nor silence but to those who are present Q. Have you no reason for it A. The custome of the Church ever since the Apostles times might suffice any good Christian but as Gavant notes grave Authours give these reasons for it Hugo a Sancto Victore gives his for that it is a secret Mystery not to be divulged to the vulgar People which Alcuinus seconds lest the principal words in this Sacrifice should lose their esteem So that we may say that this manner of secrecy in saying these words of the Canon is rather out of Reverence and respect to the mysterial Action or words of Consecration and to avoid abuses which might happen by the vulgar who hearing those words so often repeated might turn them to some prophane use but the principal reason as I said before is because the Priest turns his mind wholly to God with whom alone he is now to treat imitating herein our Saviours silence in his passion for although he did then act the work of our Redemption yet he did it alone without any to accompany him and was silent for the most part of his passion We may therefore in spirit joyn to the holy Women mentioned by the Evangelists especially with our B. Lady and St. John who in silence and with hearts full of affection and loving compassion did attend to our Saviours passion for such ought to be the Devotion of Christians in this time when the Priest in Christ's person offers and represents the same 2. Of the beginning of the Canon Q. What sayes the Priest in the beginning of the Canon A. From what hath been said in the Preface he infers Therefore as assisted by the Angelical Spirits makes his humble supplication to God that he would accept of what he is now to do and give a blessing to his actions which in a manner is to renew his Oblation and then specifies those for whom he is to offer this Sacrifice which also may represent unto us that as our Saviour freely offered himself to the Jews in order to his passion so he also offered himself to his Heavenly Father secretly in his mind for the Redemption of man-kind for we may suppose that in all his Torments and Afflictions his Souls anguish was more for our Souls good and here with the Priest we may piously joyn our hearts and affections and make our prayer either mentally or vocally that God would be pleased to accept of this Sacrifice and hear the Priest pray for all hereafter mentioned Q. Why immediatly after the Preface doth the Priest open and joyn his hands A. Being to renew his Oblation he opens his hands after his wonted manner in such occasion he holds up his hands as now ready to the execution of his Function and then joyning them shews that he is bound to do God's will to whom he lifts up his eyes expecting power and grace from him to perform this Action in hope whereof he layes his hands on the Altar and with confidence and assurance kisses the Altar Q. Why does he make Three Crosses on the Host and Chalice A. The Priest knowing that what he is to do principally depends on the passion of our Saviour makes the sign of the Cross and that Three times in order to him who is Three in one by whose power only the following work of Consecration or Conversion of Bread and Wine is to be made Or as Bishop Steven sayes to declare that the whole mystery of this Sacrifice is to be wrought by the marvellous power of the most holy Trinity St. Chrysostome St. Basil and St. James have the same Ceremonies in their Liturgies But the principal thing we are to attend to is the mystical signification thereof The learned Bishop of Cambray Odon in his exposition of the Canon tells us that the Three Crosses do signifie the Threefold delivery of our Saviour God the Father delivered his only begotten Son to us by the Incarnation Judas delivered the same to the Jews and the Jews delivered him to Pilate to be Crucified Of the First we read Rom. 8. He spared not his only Son but delivered him for us all Of the Second Matt. 26. What will you give me and I will deliver him unto you Of the Third Matt. 27. They delivered him to Ponce Pilate The First was of Grace whence St. Paul sayes Who loved me and delivered himself for me The Second was of Avarice for Judas asketh What they would give him The Third was of Envy as Pilate judged For he knew that for Envy they had delivered him Others will have it to be in memory of the Threefold Crucifying of Christ First In the will of those who persecuted him of whom it is said the chief Priests and Pharisees gathered a Council to put him to death The Second In word and voice when they cryed Crucifie Crucifie him The Third When indeed they Crucified him So that they Crucified Christ in thought word and deed In beholding the Priest making these Crosses we may enter into contemplation of Christ's passion and humbly beg that we may be partakers of its merits to this end we may sign our selves thrice with the sign of the Cross in Testimony that we offer our Souls to God and present our Bodies before him in this action and Sacrifice the whole man to suffer with Christ according to Gods holy will and pleasure Q Is there any thing else in this Prayer A. Yes the Priest prayes that this Sacrifice may be acceptable to God and profitable to his holy Church in general And first for the Peace Union Protection and Direction of Christ's Church for its Peace that in peace we may serve our God for its Union that it may be free from all Schisms that it may be protected against all Heresies and directed by the Holy Ghost Secondly For the Pope whereof we have an example of