8.34 2. This Goddess expects also after your Praiers your daily Praises and herein this is the Method which great men of the Papal Communion b Joh. Mauburnes in Roseto Exerc. Spirit Tit. 4. c. 6. mind you to observe Meditate say they upon the Munday those Things that preceded Her Birth how she was conceived without original Sin how she was adored by Angels and how c S. Bernardin Serm. De Nativ B. M. a. 1. c. 2. she had sublimer thoughts and a better use of her Reason being yet in her Mothers womb then men and women use to have when they are come to a full age Upon Tuesday you must mind her Education and Course of life how she was at three years of age brought to the Temple how there she was shut up like a Nun how there in the Sanctuary where by Gods Law the very High Priest is not suffered to come in oftener then once in a year She was fed by the Cherubims till she was fit for a Husband then how much the Priests were perplexed about either keeping her there any longer against the Law or marrying her against her Vow and how being ravishingly fair such a bright Light d Dionys Carthus l. 1. de Land Mariae c. 39. sparkled about her Face that without some help from above no mans Eies durst look upon her On the Wednesday your task is her Fulness of Grace and how she is an unfathomable Abysse whence all Angels and Saints and sinners must draw whatever they want On Thursday you must admire her singular Priviledges her Immaculate Conception her Impossibility of sinning her Dominion over all the world Men and Angels Saints and Devils c. On Friday make it your business to meditate on her Passion and on her concurring with our Savior while he was upon the Cross towards the Redemtion of Mankind On Saturday admire all her Joies upon Earth when the Archangel fell on his knees and sung to her Ave Maria c. but remember that this joiful Devotion must not excuse you from one Syllable of her weekly Sabbatin Office On Sunday you have a fit time to admire her Assumtion and all her glorious Joies in Heaven What these are she may best tell you them her self First saies e Henriquez Menol. Cestero 3. Jun. she to S. Arnalphus a huge great mignion of this Ghost my first joy is that at my Assumtion there I found a greater Glory then can be uttered or thought of and that my Glorious fulness goes beyond that of both Saints and Angels My second Joy is when I do see the whole Celestial Hierarchy irradiated about by me just as the day is by the Sun My third Joy is to see both the Hosts of Heaven to obey me and the whole Trinity to agree kindly with me My fift Joy is for my Author hath not the fourth to see my devout worshippers thriving both in this and the other life according to my hearts desire My sixt Joy is to find my self highly exalted above all Angels and by a singular Priviledg set close to the Trinity My seventh Joy is to be sure that this great Glory of mine shall never fail She confirmed the self same thing f Chronic. Deip. an 1228. to S. Thomas of Canturbury So upon the credit of two distinct Apparitions all this is as true as the rest and you have work enough for a whole week 3. But here is more when you have sufficiently discharged all the Duties which belong to the Year to the Week and to the Day you must think of the Seven Hours In former times of twelve hours in the day the Church had appointed Seven called the seven Canonical hours for the public Service of God and now since Mary is come abroad and the Monks g Dominic à Soto l. 10. de Justit à Jure q. 5. a. 4. are in request The Roman Church thinks it no robbery to make her Lady as to this tho with lesser obligation equal to God Pope Vrban the second is the first that as their h Baron Tom. 11 an 1095. best Historians say instituted a proper Office to her honor upon these hours and if you believe their best Divines in these matters it were great pity we should do less For since the Psalmist saies i Al. Gazaeus de Offic. B. M. pag. 69. 70. Gazaeus did bless himself for praising the Lord seven times a day because of his Righteous Judgments Psal 119. why should not Roman Catholics do as much for their Lady their good Mother and Protectrix because of her loving Mercies knowing this that the Eternal God as well as the King Ahasuerus Esther 6. will have her whom he honors thus honored that is at his seven Canonical hours And plain Catholic Reason say their great k Quell Durand Ration l. 5 c. 1. sub fin Masters of Mysteries will have it so 1. At Night that is very early in the Morning because then appears in Heaven a certain Star which they do call Transmontana which guides Sea-men in the Right way and so doth the Virgin Roman Sailers the true Sea l Missal Paris An. Domin Star Stella Maris who if they praise her devoutly will steer them safe out of this World into the Haven where they would be 2. At prime when there appears another called Diana that goes before the Sun and so doth also the Virgin Mary 3. At Tierce ad Tertiam that is in our account about nine of the Clock because we then begin to be hungry and t is she as they say that provides for us the Bread of life 4. At the sixth that is at Noon because then the Sun is very hot and therefore we must then praise her and pray to her but why not him that she be pleased to inflame us with Charity 5. At Nine that is at three in the Afternoon because the Sun declines then towards setting and t is she that takes care of us when we decay 6. At Vespers after Sun-set because cur life being at an end they say she then mainly succors her Worshippers at the dangerous time of death 7. Lastly at Completory when t is quite dark because when our life is quite gon then she intercedes for her dead Servants and procures them good admittance into her heavenly Mansions So by this which they call officium parvum hourly Office the Marian and the Christian Service like so many Veins and Arteries run both together through all the Parts of the Roman life Night and day and at every hour the Praiers and Praises of the Virgin Mary never must depart from their hearts nor if it be possible from their Mouths too And in the Monasteries the great Scholes of Piety there is no Service for God Almighty nor any time left for his worship but the Lady hath a share in it And here learn from a Saint and a Cardinal besides how far this Marianism for it is no
Soul thirst after her and do not leave her till she hath blessed thee Let thy mouth be filled with her praise and sing of her greatness all the day long That of the same Moses at the red Sea Exod. 15. Let us sing to our glorious Lady the Virgin Mary Our Lady is Almighty Her name is next to God She hath thrown into the Sea the Chariots of Pharaoh his Host c. O Lady thou hast delivered my Soul from the Lion O my dearest Lady cover thou me as a Hen doth c. I am all thine and all I have is thine I will put thee as a signet upon my heart c. That of Isaiah 12. I will sing to thee O Lady c. for thou hast comforted me my Lady is my Savior I will trust in thee and will not fear Thou art my strength in the Lord and art become my Salvation with joy will I draw Waters out of thy brook and I will call upon thy name alwaies c. That of King Hezekias in the same Prophet 38.9 when he was recovered from his mortal Disease I said in the midst of my daies I will go to Mary c. Father Mother and Friends did forsake me but Mary hath holden me up I will put my trust in her in the morning in the evening and at noon-day God had as it were a Lion broken my bones but thou our Lady hast delivered my Soul from perishing my Darling from the hand of the Dog c. That of the three Children commonly so called All the works of the Lord bless our Lady praise and magnifie her for ever O ye Angels bless our Lady c. Blessed be thou O Crown of Kings Let every knee in Heaven in Earth and in Hell bow unto thy Name c. That of Zachary Luke 1.38 Blessed be thou Lady Mother c. Save us from all our Enemies c. and perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and us that we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies may serve thee without fear c. And thou Mary shalt be called the Prophetess of the Highest by whom he hath given the knowledg of Salvation c. By the Bowels of thy Mercy O Morning Star do thou visit us from on high To complete Idolatry with absurdity that very Hymn wherewith she adored once her God is with some parcels of the Song of Annah 1 Sam. 2. now turned into an Office to adore her My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in my Lady c. There is no Saint like our Lady c. Let Sion and Jerusalem rejoice and praise Mary for she is the greatest among the Ladies of Israel She makes poor and she makes rich She brings low and she lifts up on high This Lady of ours is higher then the Heavens broader then the Earth and purer then the very Stars 6. Sixthly She is adored with the most solemn and elevated Office that the ancient Church could worship God with namely Te Deum We praise thee O Mary we a Melch. Inchofern Ep. B.M. ad finem acknowledg thee to be the Lady All the Earth doth worship thee as the Spouse of the everlasting Father To thee all Angels c. continually do cry Holy holy holy Mary the Mother of God The holy Church thro out all the world doth acknowledg thee Mother of an Infinite Majesty Thou art the Queen of Glory O Mary the Ark of Grace and the Ladder of Heaven Thou art the hope of all the world the Salvation of them that call on thee the Teacheress of the Apostles the strength of the Martyrs c. O Lady save thy People c. Vouchsafe O Lady to keep us this day and for ever O Lady have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lady let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust in thee c. Lastly there is added to her Honor that Praier which belongs to the Holy Ghost Veni Creator and which some say the Council of Constance at their meeting were pleased to present the Virgin with Come Mother of Grace Spring of Mercy Light of the Church Queen Star c. come to defend the Church to destroy Heresie and to make peace c. And in a word to do any thing that an honest and pious Council may better expect of the holy Ghost 7. Seventhly There is a whole Bible made and Printed to her Honor Biblia Mariae Albertus Magnus both a great Scholar and a great Bishop and a kind of Roman Saint is the Prophet who as it is thought composed it This Holy Book gives the Virgin all or b Biblia Mariae Tit. Pag. Omnia fere most part of what was in the true Bible either said or intended for God and Christ As for Example in Genesis She is the truth both of the Altar which Noah built and of the Sacrifice which he offered and the Sweet savor which there was smelled is nothing else then her Praier She is the Ladder which Jacob saw Gen. 28. wherewith Christ is to come down to us and we are to come up to him In Exodus she is said to be both the true Mercy-seat and the great Altar of Burnt-offerings In Leviticus and Numbers she is the Ark of the Covenant the Rock whence flow the Waters of Grace and the Star which Balaam saw c. In Joshuah she is the Border of our Heavenly Inheritance the Window through which we must escape and be saved from Jericho that is from perishing in and with the World the Ark which marches before us to Canaan that is Heaven there to prepare us a resting place the City of Refuge where those must seek shelter whosoever flee from the Wrath of God c. In the Book of Judges she is the true and great Captain in whose hand our Celestial Father puts the whole Land Heaven all Power and Himself Therefore take heed saies this Godly Bible from going to war without her In Ruth she is the true Ruth with more probability then the Captain who goes to the Field that is the Church there to glean ears of corn left in the Field by the Reapers that is some few which she rescues from Devils Thus she gleans whomsoever she pleases for Boaz hath charged the reaping Angels not to to touch her Ruth 2.9.15 16. When she hath gleaned them she takes them up into the Bosom of her Mercy and carries them into the City v. 8. that is into the Celestial Jerusalem In the 1. Kings 1.2 3. She is the fair and young Virgin who is to lie in the Kings or Gods Bosom and inflames him to love and compassion towards his People Thus this Bible running all along to the Revelation after this rate at last ends with this Praier instead of the Grace of our Lord c. O Queen of Mercy Grace and Glory Emperess of all the Creatures blot out all my Transgressions and lead me to the life everlasting 8. The Virgin
put them in again both so fast and so dexterously where they had bin that he was well of them ever after At another time she came to his Bed and finding him lying on that side where he had bin let Blood in the Arm she turned him upon the other and shew'd him how to lie and sleep without fear of farther danger If these evil Spirits dare thus appear under the name of Christs blessed Mother whereof Scripture gives no warning it is no wonder if they do it under the name of Christ himself after so many Prophecies It is not the true Christ certainly that being Immortal in Heaven comes down either at every Mass there to lie as if he were dead under the hand of any Priest or to shew tricks of Activity under the shape of a young Child and act among Nuns and Novices twenty silly Pranks in their Churches We are not bound to believe all but it were hard to believe nothing when so many and great Doctors and among them some great Saints too aver for truth one and the same thing One saies he hath seen this little Child creeping out s Matth. Paris in vita S. Godric at the mouth of a Crucifix 't is all that a Sparrow could do but the Devil can do much more and thence jumping into the Lap of an Image and thence flying up again the way that he came Another saies That St Ida t Menol. Cisters 29 Octob. had him and kissed him and embraced him ut sponsa sponsum that is as you may think as a young Wife kisses and embraces her young Husband The worst is that once when being to sing and by her order to stretch out her arm she was put to a great distress lest he should fall Cogitate c. Look to it my Lord saies the young Nun to the Baby for I must obey my Order but the Baby was a strong Child and so twisted himself about her neck that he had no need of her holding him till she had don with her Anthemn and so she took him in her Lap. St Agnes u Bov. 14. Annal. an 1317. n. 2. had him too witness the little Cross which in a loving way she stole at the same time out of his bosom And so had St Catharine of the Order of St. Clara x Flamin in vita S. Cathar being brought to her by his own Mother to kiss upon a Christmas Eve St Boniface y Henriquez Fascicul SS had him likewise brought to his Bed in Swadling-clothes by the same Dame As for St. Lucia of the Order of St Dominic z Chronic. Ord. Praedic she had him three daies and three nights during which time it is remarkable that the Virgin Maries Image had no Baby on its left Arm. At last Dominus Jesus the Lord Jesus God have mercy on the Blasphemer took her to Wife when he look'd as if he had bin but seven years old in the presence of all his Saints What shall I say of St. Hostradus and others who mistook these enchanting Devils for real Appearances of the Infant Christ and upon this Illusion a Henriquez 3. Jan. some did offer him as we do to Children something to eat some did take him b Chronic. Deip. an 1285. upon their knees others did c Ibid. an 1235. play with him and with St. John who was his Companion at it These few Instances may serve the turn to let pious Souls see with grief that as according to the Prophesies Jerusalem was troden and danced upon by ugly Owles and wild Satyrs Isa 13.21 So the Roman Church is made a Stage for vile Spirits to act upon If some say these were Visions I grant they were and Divelish ones too For where are the good Saints or Angels that will represent much lest act Christ and the Blessed Virgin under such shameful Personages If you are for sounder Miracles tho good Catholics must take these for very real and true ones or most of their Saints are but Cheats go to the Founders of their Orders you shall find about St. Francis d S. Bonavent In vita S. Francisci Sheep and Asses running to hear his Sermon Swine falling dead under his Curse for having hurt a poor Lamb all sorts of Cattel recovering with the Water he washt his feet in Women presently eas'd of the hardest Travel by applying to them some of the Hay which his Mule was used to eat This don go to St. Dominic you shall find him either at Mass e Joh. Gargo in vita S. Dominic ac Lipom. hanging in the Air like a Bird or at the Bed-side of a sick Woman transubstantiating Worms into Pearls or by the Water-side raising the River into a Flood or at his Devotions forcing the Devil to hold a light and to burn his Fingers in that Service or it may be changing the Sex of a young Girl into a Boy Lastly If you will know what Feats Women also can do sometimes read me but the Life f Tho Cantapr in vita S. Christinae ap Sur. Jun. an 1160. item Jacob. de Vitriaco in vita S. Mariae Oeigniar of Saint Christina to say nothing of St. Brigitta St. Juliana St. Clara Saint Vrsula with hundreds more known and famous in the Roman Church This great Saint arose from the dead twice before she died for good and all and so died thrice All her Life long she had a very extraordinary gift of Miracles for having taken upon her to save Souls from Purgatory by suffering here what they did there she loved to throw her self into all the hot Ovens or burning Fires she could find yet met with none that could burn her she would attone for Gluttons by resolving to starve her self and while she felt the great pains of a sharp hunger this Virgin got Milk in her Paps and so found ease by sucking her self she did satisfie for proud Souls by applying her self to the worst way of common Begging and herein she had this comfort that when honest Men did give her Bread it tasted in her mouth like Bread otherwise it tasted like Toads flesh To expiate all sorts of Sins contracted by much company this Saint resolved to forsake Man-kind and to come near none but Beasts and at last that she might be the safer from all Contagion of Flesh and Blood she parch'd her self on the tops of Trees There her thin Body being made thinner both by continual Fasting and great fervency of Spirit she did at her Praier contract her self into a round form that was somwhat like a Hedg-hog She could climb up the highest Trees like a Squirrel and swim in Rivers like a Fish till her Friends barbarous it seems and not believing all these Miracles put her in Chains as a mad Woman and there she tore sadly her poor Body with strugling hard to free her self and this strugling in her Prison gave occasion to more Miracles for the Milk she
a Mountain That when he put his hand to the making of Creatures Heaven and Earth Stars Angels and Thrones x Ibid. v. 22. n. 269. he had still this woman in his thought to pick and chuse out of every Creature as it came out the very best of it for this true Pandora and true Abbreviate of all his works That then she was the very y Ard. Hierosolymit Serm. de Annunc Perspective thro which from all Eternity God both foresaw and predestinated all Christians S. Peter S. Paul and all the rest because they were not predestinated to any Grace but such as should be conveied to them thro her hands That when God did order the Springs and course of Water z Salazar c. 8. v. 27. n. 363. then he but studied what way it were possible to make Mary an Aqueduct of all Blessings upon Mankind That God had not set up so many Princes in the world nor so many a Rupert ap Salaz p. 246. Kings in Israel had it not bin to procure her a more Roial Extraction And finally that he made Eve b Salaz Prov. c. 31. n. 418. the Ark the Tabernacle and other Ceremonial Figures to pass his time in those Images and Representations of Mary and so to amuse as well as he could the extreme longing that he had to possess the Original At last this blessed Creature being come forth she appears at her very c Idem c. 8. v. 25. n. 321. Birth when she was lying in her Cradle above all both Angels and Saints like a Mountain above small Hills far holier as they say then Mount d Joh. Damascen Sina but somwhat like e Bernard Serm. de Annunc the Mount Sion in which God was pleased to dwell all the Angells f Gabr. Biel. in Can. lect 80. that are in Heaven all the Souls that are in Hell all the Saints and Prophets that ever were and all men that are or shall be must by all means look towards Her as the Center and Support of the whole world as the very Ark of God as the Cause of all Creatures as the g Bonavent in Psalter founder of all Blessings as the Fountain h Bernard apud Salaz c. 8. v. 35. n. 450. and Vein of life and the Author of i Petr. Dam. Serm. 1. de Annunciat Salvation Now lest you should think that these great Titles as great as God himself and our Savior can ever have are given her chiefly upon the account of Christ whose Mother she was after the Flesh thorough Catholics will tell you that before she was the Mother of Christ she k Anselm de Excell Virg. c. 12. had deserved to be so that by her own Goodness l Ozor Tom. 3. Conc. 1. in Annunc Conc. 1. in Nativ and Grace she had drawn God down towards her and induced him m Bernardin de Bust 2. part Serm. 2. de Coronat Mariae to take her Flesh and that being as commonly they do term her Negotium omnium Seculorum the work of four thousand years and possessing eminently within her self all the Perfections that lie scattered up and down in all Celestial and subcelestial Creatures such a complete Hostess could not but procure or o Salaz Proverb c. 8. v. 16. n. 106. at least hasten the coming in of the best Guest The Founder of the Jesuites did commonly p Salaz Prov c. 9. v. 4. 5. n. 144. bless himself whensoever it came to his mind that swallowing down Christ at Mass he had also by the same means some of the Flesh of this Goddess And they say that on this same account Christ takes delight q Judoc Clictov Serm. de Visitat to lie hidden under transubstantiated wafers and to fall down into mens stomacs because it represents and reminds him of his Ancient being in her womb and that therefore she r Anâ—nymus apud Metaphrast would not miss a day without taking the Sacrament after her Son was in Heaven that he might have that sweet satisfaction every day But when at the Salutation of Gabriel she opened her Heart and her Breast to take him in and therein to make him her Son that one Act of humble Obedience expressed in nine Latin words Ecce Ancilla c. Behold the Handmaid of the Lord c. that one Act of hers they say is more Meritorious then God himself in a manner can recompense Christians may think 't was no Merit of hers but rather a favor of God and that all which she could do towards it was her Duty but Roman Catholic Authors and Saints too teach otherwise 1. That by that one Act she had fully s Stellarum Coronâ— B. V. l. 11. part 2. c. 11. repaied to God for n Bernard Serm. 2. de Pentecost all the things that he ever bestowed upon men and this they call Retribution and take it for the eleventh of those twelve Stars which shine continually about her Head 2. That by that Act she repaied more then she ever received her self and so that t Methodius Constantin Serm. de Purificat God is in her debt 3. That by that Act she hath done more u S. Bernardin Serm. 61. Bernardin de Bust Marial part 6. Serm. 2. de Visitatione Mar. for God or as much at the least then God for her and all Mankind and that men may say to their comfort rather blaspheme to their confusion that upon the Virgins account God is more obliged to them then they to God This is the most stupendous Merit which they say x Salazar Prov. 4. v. 13. n. 53. Christ insisted upon to shelter himself against the wrath of his own Father when after their interpretation he praied thus upon the Cross O turn thee unto me and have mercy on me give the Kingdom to thy Servant and save the Son of thy Handmaid that is if thou wilt not save me from off this Cross for thy sake or for my sake save me for her great Merits sake who said Behold the Handmaid of the Lord and give me also that Kingdom the Monarchy of the whole World which she hath y Ildelph Serm. de Assumt deserved by that Act and which devolves to me as being her Son So let all men here consider both how admirable those Merits must be which Christ makes his own shelter of and how useful to a poor sinner since they are thus needful to Christ We have not yet don The Virgin Mary appears as great at her Sons Death as at his Conception and if some talk of her saving men only because she hath brought forth their Savior thorough Catholics will inform you that z Quir. Salazar c 8. v. 19. n. 207. Conceiving and Bringing forth are two Acts which of themselves being Natural and not Voluntary cannot be much Meritorious and therefore besides all what she contributes either by her
mouths possessed me in the beginning of his waies I was set up from everlasting when he prepared the Heavens I was there c. and so all along They scruple not o Bust Marial Serm. de Nomin Mariae to say of her what God Almighty saies of himself Malach. 1.11 From the rising up of the Sun unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentils And that of Christ Matth. 28.18 * Novarin Vmbra Virgin l. 4. excurs 122. n. 1149. All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth and what John the Baptist saies p Antonin 4. part tit 15. c. 6. sect 3. of her Fulness have all received c. namely q Salazar Prov. c. 3. v. 29. n. 200. the Sinner Pardon the Righteous Grace the Angels joy and the whole Trinity Glory And therefore r Idiot Contempl. 1. say they as blasphemously God hath highly exalted her and given her a name above all names that in her name all knees should bow c. Phil. 2.9 10. And after the same rate what God saies of his only begotten Son Heb. 1.6 Let s Vitis Florig Lect. 27. all the Angels of God worship her and let Men boldly come unto the Throne of Grace from him to her that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need Hebr. 4.16 It were endless to rehearse all 4. Fourthly They allow her a whole Psalter * Vid. Psalter S. Bondvent as the Church doth to God Almighty And whatever David could say in the Highest strein of his Zeal towards the magnifying of Gods Glory or the imploring of his Mercy or the expressing his Faith in him Gods name being out and that of the Virgin in they both transfer and improve it towards the magnifying of this Lady For Example in the first Psalm instead of Blessed be the Man c. it begins thus Blessed be the Man that loves thy name O Virgin Mary Thy mercy shall comfort his Soul c. The second Why do the Heathen c hath it thus Why do our Enemies imagine vain things against us Thy right hand O Mother of God shall protect us Come ye to her all ye that Travel and are heavy laden and you shall find rest for your Souls c. The fourth thus When I did call thou O Lady heardest me Thou wert pleased to remember me out of thy high Throne for thy mercy is on all them that call upon thy holy Name and thy Majesty be blessed thro out all Generations Glorifie her O all ye Nations c. The 16. thus Save me O Lady for I have put my trust in thee c. The 19. thus The Heavens do declare thy glory O Virgin c. The 29. thus Bring to our Lady O ye Sons of God bring praise and worship to our Lady Give strength to thy Servants O holy Mother and bless them that magnifie thee Let Heaven and Earth bless thee the Sea and all the corners of the World c. The 42. thus Like as the Hart desires the water Brooks so longs my Soul after thy love O holy Virgin for thou art the Mother of my life the Nurse and restauration of my flesh and both the beginning and end of my Salvation c. The 44. thus We have heard with our ears O Lady and our Fathers have told us that thy Merits are ineffable and thy Miracles wonderful Thy Virtues are innumerable and thy Mercies inestimable Rejoice in her O my soul for many good things are laid up for them that praise her Blessed be thou O Queen of Angels c. The 51. thus Have mercy on me Lady who art call'd the Mother of Mercies and according to the Bowels of thy Compassions make me clean from all mine Iniquities Pour thy Grace upon me and withdraw not thy usual Mercies from me c. The 68. thus Let Mary arise and let all her Enemies be crush'd under her feet c. The 72. thus Give the King thy judgments O Lord and thy Mercy to the Queen his Mother Salvation and life O Lady are in thy hand perpetual Joy and glorious Eternity c. The 73. thus Truly God is loving unto Israel even to such as worship his Mother c. The 84. O how amiable are thy Dwellings O Lady of Hosts c. The 92. It is a good thing to give thanks and confess to the Virgin Mary and to sing Praises to her Glory to tell of her Merits that rejoice the heart and to imitate her Works which rejoice the Angels c. The 94. It is the Lord God to whom Vengeance belongs but thou art the Mother of Mercy who turnest him to compassion The 95. thus O come let us sing to our Lady let us heartily rejoice in the Virgin our she Savior The 103. Praise the Virgin Mary O my Soul and all that is in me praise and glorifie her name c. The 110. thus The Lord said unto my Lady Mother sit thou at my right hand Be thou reigning with me Have mercy upon me O Lady Mother of splendor enlighten me O thou Mother of Truth and Virtue c. The 117. O praise the Lady all ye Heathen glorifie her all ye Nations for her Merciful kindness remains upon us for ever whosoever will serve her shall be justified but whosoever neglects her shall die in his sins c. The 144. begins thus Blessed be our Lady who teaches her Servants to fight c. The 148. thus O praise our Lady of Heaven praise her in the height Praise her Sun and Moon And so all along to the very last O praise the Lady in her Holiness praise her in her Virtues and Miracles Let every Spirit or every thing that hath breath praise our Lady This Service goes under the name of a Superangelical and Seraphical Doctor a Roman Saint and a Cardinal besides whom they call St. Bonaventura Give this Worship what name you please it is all that David and Moses and other Prophets could bestow on the Lord God of Israel Now when the same is bestowed upon a holy Creature how great and holy soever yet a Creature judge what it is 5. Fifthly Lest the Lord God of Israel should receive any kind of honor from Men where the Lady had not her share what ever more eminent pieces of Divine Service they can find scattered in Holy Scripture they will be sure to give it her For example that of Moses Deut. 32. Give ear O ye Heavens to what I will speak of the Virgin Mary Magnifie her with me c. O perverse and crooked Generation acknowledg our Lady for thy she Savior Is she not thy Mother that hath begotten thee in Faith If thou forsakest her thou art no friend unto our Soveraign Cesar O that thou wert wise and wouldest consider thy last end As an Infant cannot live without his Nurse no more canst thou be saved without this our Lady Therefore let thy
with 150 Psalms and because as Davids Psalter was an Instrument wherewith he could ease the Spirit of Saul when it was troubled by the Devil so do Catholics with these Aves defend themselves and charm all the Powers of Hell from doing any harm to their Souls 3. It is call'd the Rosary because as with Roses you make Rose-water Oil Sugar and Hony Rosal so do the Brethren and Sisters of the Rosary make with it admirable Confections Drugs and Syrops to Physic their poor sick Souls to soften the hardness of sin to dispose Roman Catholic Hearts towards all Graces and to say all with them Caelum ridet c. that is the Heavens laugh the Angels dance the Church keeps her joiful Festivals Hell trembles and all the Devils run away when they say or sing Ave Maria. I much wonder they should excuse or exclude all the prisoners in Purgatory from jumping or cutting Capers since they hold that the Dead are as much concerned as the Living Therefore when one goes to enter a Name he may Å¿ Caraccio De Rosar Part. 1. c. 13. put in as well any Soul of Father Son Uncle or any other Relation as his own Only thereby he binds himself to say the holy Rosary and to perform all other Duties for them he puts in that so they may wheresoever they be above or under ground receive all the Profits and Pardons of the Society And if he put in two Names he must perform the Duty twice once for himself and once for his Friend This double work is less troublesom because you may speed it away at any time you have little else to do as when m Id. parte 3. c. 3. you dress and undress your self when you walk stand sit ride abroad or wait and for more ease and more Merit too you may join more hands to one work when for example you are with two or three Neighbors walking and travelling together I did forget another Duty which you must by no means forget it being as indispensable as it is easie and it is this both the Poorest and the Richest must needs contribute to the Charges of setting up a near Altar n Id. part 3. c. 12. and adorning it with a Standard bearing the Picture both of our Lady giving and S. Dominic receiving on the other side the holy Psalter from her Hand They must be likewise at the Charges of having the fifteen great Mysteries fairly painted both over and on each side of the great Altar Besides you must pay your small share for both the wax and the Oil that burns night and day before the Rosary Lady and least you should grumble at such expenses be you sure that one Mass upon or one Ave or one Pater before such a privileged Altar especially on solemn Daies is better worth then a thousand whether Masses or Aves that you may hear or say elsewhere This being done you may confidently look for all sorts of Blessings and Privileges must needs from all parts flow towards you 1. Rome opens in your behalf her whole Celestial Tresure a full Pardon of all your sins at your first coming to this Society at your going out when you dy at all and every holy Day kept to the Ladies Honor through the whole year at all and every solemn Day kept for any one of the fifteen great Mysteries at Christmas the Sunday before Epiphany holy Thursday and good Friday the 3 holy daies at Easter at the Ascension the three Holy Daies at Whitsuntide all the first Sundaies of every Month c. And all this both for sick and sound for the absent as well as present at Sea or Land in prison and at Liberty so that there be a just Impediment that detains you from the Duty and from visiting the Altar you can hardly make three or four steps or open the o Caraccius de Rosar part 2. c. 7. Mouth to say Jesu or Maria but you shall get by it a considerable Indulgence When you devoutly * Ibid. c. 8. take your Beads When you hear Salve Regina t is a short song to the Ladies Honor when you walk after the Procession when you march after the Banner at a Burial when you visit a sick Brother or Sister when you wait upon the Host in the street c. you gain hundreds of Daies of years and some Quarantains or Quadragenes to boot And if all this be not enough all the Stations and daily Indulgences of Rome are at your command and mercy if you will but visit a Rosary Church with saying three Aves in it or in case of too much throng stand at a distance before one or the five Rosary Altars and you may stand sometimes before them five tho you do not stir from one Place however my Italian p Ibid. c. 10. Author assures me that divers Popes have granted all these huge Pardons both by Bulls and by word of Mouth Oraculo vivae vocis which is the Roman Church's Oracle upon these terms I hope that by this time you have enough for your own use But if you please also to plesure your Friends you may weekly rescue out of Purgatory two of their Souls one on the Sunday q Ibid. c. 5. the other upon the Wednesday following and Eleven other souls more upon other special daies which I leave out to spare you trouble Only you must take the pains to visit the Rosary Altar and of saying at it this short praier O Lord I pray you to accept of the Indulgence which hath bin granted by your High Priest the Steward of the holy Tresure to the soul of John or James or if he the said John or James have none or little use of it to such a soul in Purgatory which I am most obliged to concluding all with a Requiescant in pace thereupon let them rest in peace This way one may help in one year some 115 souls and she is a woman of large correspondence that hath more friends yearly to care for 2. Besides this incredible abundance of Privileges and Pardons coming upon you from without they say that this Rosary Confraternity enjoies within it self the greatest Tresure of the whole World namely a real and perpetual Participation of the Merits and Penances of all and every one of the greatest Saints since Adam Consider what vast Abundance of Good works S. Dominic left in this Magazine by whipping r Caraccio De Rosario Part. 1. c. 3. himself to the Blood thrice every day once for his own sins which it is verily thought he had none once for the sins of the World and once for the sins of the souls burning in Purgatory Calculate what Saint Vincent might hoard up for the use of his Brethren by converting 8000 Turks and 25000 Jews Think what Tresure might Agnes bequeath to her Society with those incomparable Jewels which s Bov. Tom. 13. Annal. an 1317. n. 9. she had partly received from the Virgin