assured by that infallible verity of diuine Faith of the reall and substantiall presence both of the diuinity and humanity of IESVS-CHRIST true God and man accompanied with all the diuine Attributes belonging vnto the infinit Maiesty of our heauenly eternall and Almighty God Secondly we ought there to behaue our selues with all exteriour reuerence and verie carefully to auoyde all needlesse words and lookes still keeping the eyes of our soule firmely fixed vpon the Altar and our mindes wholy busied with deuout attention vnto these most sacred Mysteries of the life and death of IESVS-CHRIST which in that dreadfull sacrifice are so verie liuely there represented vnto vs and to this verie end it was instituted by him For as often as you shall eate this bread and drink the chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. A Prayer to be saide at the beginning of the Masse DEate IESVS my most mercifull Redeemer who dayly to renew in vs both the happie fruit and memory of thy most bitter death and Passion didst institute this holy sacrifice of the Masse vouchsafe I beseech thee that I may not only by my presence assist thereat but also partake of those diuine Mysteries wherein thou art the vnspotted lambe and gratefull victime offered for the sinnes of the world And grant I befeech thee that I may with a true repentant hart and attentiue reuerence so assist at this great Mystery of thy diuine power wisdome and goodnesse that I may effectually participate of the self-same gratefull sacrifice as it was offered by thee in that bloody forme vpon the Crosse for the Redemption of the world to thy Eternall Father for this is the infinit treasure wherein only I confide and the inestimable price which I offer in expiation of all my grieuous sinnes and vnder this shelter of thy sacred merits only it is that I dare presume to present my selfe before thee as a poore captiue slaue redeemed with the price of thy most precious blood who liuest and raignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost world without end Amen What we are to consider at the Priests descending to the foote of the Altar and makeing a low reuerence there A Declaration of the Mystery THe Priest being ascended to the Altar and hauing placed there the Chalice and opened the booke he immediately descends againe to the lower step to signifie that though by the happie state of our first creation we had been vnited to God in Adam by the holy vnion of his grace yet we were soone separated from him by sinne which in our verie conception we all contract and are cast downe to the lowest degree of abiection and become obiects of the wrath of God as the Priest at the lowest step of the Altar by his bowing with profound reuerence represents to vs. Here in the true spirit of humiliation make this your petition as followeth The Petition O Most infinitly good and mercifull God who to preserue thy trayterous rebellious and vngratefull seruant from eternall punishment didst condemne thy only deare sonne to a reproachfull death vpon the Crosse vouchsafe I beseech thee to interpose his most sacred death and Passion betwixt my sinfull soule and thy most dreadfull iudgement both now and in the houre of my death Amen What is signified by the Priests makeing the signe of the Crosse when he beginnes the Introibo The Declaration THe Priest erecting himselfe againe makes the signe of the holy Crosse in the name of the blessed Trinity humbly acknowledging that by the bitter death Passion of our souueraine Lord vpō the Crosse we are redeemed raised vp againe to the happie state of reconciliation and to the right of our heauenly inheritance in humble and assured hope whereof the Priest proceedes saying with the Royall Prophet I will appreach to the Altar of my God to the God who much reioyceth me c. Psal 45. Here disposing your hart to gratitude and humble confusion say The petition MY most gracious Lord IESVS how often by separating my selfe from thee by grieuous sinne had I been cast into the lowest Hell had not thy infinitt goodnesse and great mercy reserued me to rise by holy penance and to make my happie peace againe with thee Grant me the sense of true gratitude and thy holy grace so truly to detest all sinne as I may much rather choose to dye then by anie deliberate consent to offend thee greuously anie more Amen What is signified by the Confiteor The Declaration A Tributing here all good vnto God and nothing but sinne with the iust confufion and punishment thereof vnto our selues the Priest makes profound reuerence and from a contrite and humble hart he vtters the publike and generall Confession of his sinnes committed by thought word or deed which the people with like contrition accompanying the clerke are also to say Knock here your breast with the contrite and humble Publican of the Gospel saying The petition GOd be mercifull to me a most wretched sinner Grant me I beseech thee true repētāce that being purified thereby from sinne I may become more gratefull to offer vp to thee this holy sacrifice both for the liuing and dead What is signified by the following verses vntill the Priest ascends vp to the Altar and kisseth it The Declaration THis humble confession thus mutually made both by the Priest and people they now likewise encourage each other in the aboundant mercy of so great a God by these confortable ensueing verses of the Psal 86. O God thou being reconciled to me wilt giue me life and thy people will reioyce in thee Shew fourth to vs o Lord thy mercy giue vs thy saluation O Lord heare my prayer and let my crye come vnto thee c. And soe the Priest ascending to the Altar kisseth it in testimonie of our happie reconciliation with God by the Incarnation of his only sonne IESVS-CHRIST in whom we are also tobe vnited by perfect charity to our neighbour all the world The petition LOrd IESVS who in thy infinite loue didst shed thy most precious blood to reconcile vs vngratefull sinners to thy Eternall Fathers peace vouchsafe that we may liue and dye in that blessed triple peace first with thee by holy grace secondly with our selues by the enioyment of a good conscience and thirdly with our neighbour by imitation and in honour and hommage of thy diuine and infinite Charity Amen At the Introite and Kyries The Declaration THe Introite puts vs in mind of the great desires which the holy Fathers and Patriarches had of their Redeemers comming And the Kyries of their earnest cryes for his speedy approach With whome we must ioyne our harty desires to the Blessed Trinity for his speedy comming by grace into our soules whereby to be fortified against our three ghostly enemies the world the flesh and the Diuell And to this purpose say The petition COme Lord IESVS come prepare an Altar in my
in verie manie things which he will not grant vs but by constant perseuerance and long demaund thereby the more to exercise our humility as also to make his gracious guifts to bee the more esteemed by vs. In fine the qualities and due properties accompanying true holy and fruitfull prayer are these Respect Attention Feruency Faith Hope Charity Resignation and constant perseuerance in the greatest barreness and sterility of all Deuotion yea should we be as it were ouerwhelmed with great distractioÌ„s dissipatioÌ„s of the minde wherin perchaunce the vertuous soule may greatly be afflicted through feare of offeÌ„ding whereas by her patient suffering holy conformity shee becomes more gratefull vnto God then by the most feruent praier bedewed with many teares of verie sensible and tender deuotion for in that our nature receiues both solace and reward but by holie patience and fidelitie in seruing God in that insipid drinesse and want of all sensible consolation shee serues him for pure loue and much more generously it being without all present recompence But now for the better comfort and direction also of the timerous soule desirous to performe her faithful duty to God I conceiue it verie requisite here to add this ensuing aduertisement Concerning comfort in inuoluntary distractions in Prayer and the remedy against them For the comfort of such as are afflicted with importunate and inuoluntary distractions in Prayer S. Basil assures vs that God is only offended by such as be volunluntary with sufficient aduertisement and consent staying wittingly and on set purpose in such distractions in our prayer which is indeed sinfull irreuerence and disrespect to Gods diuine presence to which they pretended to approach by Prayer And therefore according to S. Chrysostome vnto such we may iustly say How canst thou expect that God should heare or harken vnto thee seeing that thou dost not harken vnto thy selfe But if vsing our best endeauour to resist such euill distractions they yet returne and that through our naturall infirmity we remaine wholy distracted voide of all actuall attention in our praier God is not offended thereby but mooued much rather to compassion he well knowing our infirmity and the great frailty of humaine nature For as a louing Father compassionateth the naturall maladies of his children much more tender is our Heauenly Father to all such as loue and serue him for he well knows of what fraile mettle we are made Psal 108. and therefore he will not be angry in seeing vs fall into those our naturall miseries and imperfections against our will which we striuing to resist they are but as a combat to cause vs much merit to make our praier so much the more gratefull by how much wee suffered therein with holy Patience those troublesome disttactions whereby Almighty God made tryal of our fidelity for we make a most excellent Prayer when wee offer to God the amorous affections of our loue with actuall sufferance for his sake of those things which much displease vs yea then it best appeares that we truly loue him for his owne sake and not for his comforts and spirituall gusts which he often communicats at other times and the happy soule which in this sort shall rise humbly froÌ„ her prayers yea though euen ouerwhelmed with such inuoluntary distractioÌ„s shee may rejoice and be greatly coÌ„forted for hauing made to God so gratefull a prayer and more profitable also peraduenture then it would haue been without the least distraction God being greatly delighted with an humble and resigned will and of this we may make some little iudgmeÌ„t by the practise of a charitable person who by the humble and modest perseuerance of a poore quiet beggar expecting his almes is powerfully moued to releeue him And now although by this the timorours soule may be comforted in all her importante inuoluntary distractions in praier yet I will not omit to giue this one good remedy more by a feruent ejaculation composed in this manner out of the very words of that great Maister of spirituallity blessed Auila which the troubled soule as prostrate at the feet of IESVS-CHRIST may rehearse My Souueraine deare Lord so farr as this my greatest sterility and distracted minde proceeds from any fault and negligence of mine I am hartely sorry for giuing the occasion thereof but if it hath been thy diuine pleasure to permit them for due punishment of my sinne I most willingly receiue them as a most fauorable chastisement from thy most holy hand only grant me thy grace sweet IESVS I beseech thee that I nowaise offende thee thereby nor be depriued of the holy fruit of my praier Say this from a sincere louing hart doubt not but by your patience Humility and Resignation perseuering the best you can in holy prayer you shal receaue both profit and consolation nor will you loose your reward which he hath promissed to all them who vse diligence and their best endeauour to deserue it Dart vp your hart vnto God and say to him in milde and humble cofidence Iesu the Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me Mark 10. knock your breast and in the repentant spirit of the humble Publican say God be mercifull to me a most wretched sinner that I am doe therefore most iustly experieÌ„ce that my soule is like drie and barren earth before thee without one drop of the water of deuotion where with to moisten it Psal 142. And finally in vnion of that great dereliction which our deare Redeemer suffered vpon the Crosse cry also out with him for heauenly succour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math 27. And if after all this peraduenture you finde â—o remedie nor anie increase of feruour in your soule be then no further troubled but faithfully continue your accustomed praier the best you can with a quiet and peaceable minde in all true humilitie accompting it sufficieÌ„t happines for you to be admitted to the presence of the highest Majestie there freelie to propose your chiefe necessities and to be both heard and looked vpon by him although he speake not to you then with such familiar conuersation as you desire that being a fauour not granted to all but to such and at such times as is best pleasing to himselfe Finally let these distractions in prayer be neuer so importunate and this spirituall desolation neuer so anxious yea although we should conceiue probably that they proceeded from our owne sinfull negligence and infidelity yet we must not disquiet our hart for them but we ought rather with true humble patience to receiue them as due punishment of our former sinne for by so doing we may be certainly assured in the great mercy of God that he will turne all to our greater good supposing that wee faithfully obserue these three following things First that we take occasion thence to humble our selues the more Secondly that no trouble nor deiection caused thereby driue vs from the practise of our accustomed and
sinfull soule whereon I may make to thee an oblation of a contrite and humble hart that gratefull sacrifice which is neuer reiected by thee Psal 50. It greeues me from the bottome of my hart for hauing of fended thee but grant deare Lord I beseech thee that no sinne may hinder thy comming by holy grace vnto me nor euer haue the power to separate me from thy most blessed presence Amen At the Gloria in excelsis Deo The Declaration AT the saying of Gloria in excelsis imagin that you see the blessed child IESVS new borne and layd in a manger and to heare the Angels in melodious harmonie to sing the same With whome we are to ioyne our most gratefull thankes to the glorious Trinity for all graces and mercies bestowed vpon mankind and in particular for all those which we our selues haue receiued Salute him with a ioyfull hart saying The petition ALl haile o most diuine and well-come Babe descending from thy glorious Throne to be layd for my sake in a contemptible manger there destitute of all humane commodity Grant me by thy example to despise all worldly vanity and with an humble spirit of true conformity to thy heauenly will to set forth by all my actions together with the whole quire of thy celestiall Angels all praise benediction and glory all wisdome thankes-giuing honour and power to our God and to our souueraigne Lord IESVS for euer and euer Amen Apoc. 7. At the Priests kissing the Altar and saying the first Dominus vohiscum THis Dominus vobiscum signifies Christ his manifestation to the Kings at his Epiphanie And the Priest kisseth the Altar before he salutes the people with those words to shew that he himselfe is first to take the Benediction from our blessed sauiour represented by the Altar from whom all grace and blessing doth flow Here with an humble hart addresse your feruent petition to him as followeth The petition LOrd IESVS who by manifesting thy selfe to the Kings didst denounce happie peace to the Gentils by their future Faith in thee Grant likewise we beseech thee that thou remayning euer with vs by holy grace we may not need to feare the dangerous assaults of our Ghostly Enemies Amen At the Collects or Prayers and why the Priest holdes his hands open and eleuated in saying them AFter Dominns vobiscum the Priest returnes to the Altar to say one or more prayers according to the office of the feast or feria shewing thereby that by prayer we are to obtayne both our spirituall and temporall wants and that chiefly which the present Prayer of the Church there mentions to which we must also direct our intention for the greater glory of God and for the vniuersall good of his beloued spouse the holy Catholike Church The Priest prayes with his hands open and eleuated to signifie that as a publike Minister of the Church he collecteth and gathereth the gratefull offerings of all their zealous Prayers and with an eleuated hart accompanied with the rest he offers them vp to God as an acceptable sacrifice of thanksgiuing to his honour and the saluation of our owne soules At the end of the Prayer he ioyneth his hands to shew the vnity of nature in the Blessed Trinity to whom we pray as to one diuine power and also to signifie the vnion of our harts in one firme faith of the Catholike Church And in fine all prayers are concluded through ou Lord IESVS-CHRIST because all benefits are granted through him who said if you aske the Father anie thing in my name he will grant it you And therefore in all humble confidence say The petition OEternall Father of my Lord IESVS-CHRIST I here in perfect vnion with the holy spirit of his beloued spouse the Cath. Church most humbly offer the selfe-same petition which by this common prayer shee presents for thy glory and for the chiefe necessities of all her true childrens soules Grant we beseech thee for thy deare sonne IESVS his sake that we may so loue and serue thee in this world as by his sacred meritts we may enioy and glorifie thee in the other world without end Amen At the Epistle The Declaration CAll here to minde S. Iohn Baptist his preaching Pennance and good-workes Confound your selfe for the small profitt or amendment of your life after so manie good examples exhortations spirituall bookes and holy inspirations which God hath so fauorably afforded you for your aduancement in vertue and correction of vice Resolue to be more carefull for the tyme to come And say The petition LOrd giue me grace to follow the happie instructions giuen me by thy holy Apostles and Pastors of the Catholike Church and not to neglect thy heauenly inspirations Incline my hart o God to thy holy law and to a detestation of all cursed sinne At the Graduell and Alleluya The Declaration THe Graduell signifies the conuersion of the Iewes by the preaching of S. Io. Baptist and the Alleluya the ioy which the Saints receiue at the true repentance of a sinner Wherefore to contribute on our partes to the ioy of those blessed spirits we must firmely resolue the amendment of our liues Endeauour here to stirr vp in your hart an act of true repentance and in the spiritt of holy King Dauid Psal 78. say The petition REmember not o Lord our old iniquities let thy mercies quickly preuent vs because we are become exceeding poore afflicted and dispised helpe vs o Lord our Sauiour and for the glory of thy names sake o Lord deliuer vs and be propitious to our sinnes Grant vs grace to amend and by deliberate consent neuer more to offend thee Amen At remouing the booke to the other side of the Altar And reading the Gospel The Declaration THe transporting the booke from the left hand of the Altar to the right to reade the Gospel represents to vs the Iewes reiecting the holy Gospel of IESVS-CHRIST which being declared to the Gentils they were thereby transported from sinne to Grace and from temporall desires to Eternall We signe thenalso our forehead to signifie that we are not asshamed to professe our selues disciples of CHRIST crucified vpon the Crosse we also signe our mouth to testifie that we are readie to confesse our Faith to Saluation and by signing our breast we declare that with our harts we beleeue vnto iustice as the Apostle commands vs. Rom. 10. and that with affection we embrace what that holy Gospel doth teach vs to beleeue Raise here your hart to an act of firme Faith and with a generous constancy and humble hope say The petition ENlighten my vnderstanding o Lord and soe inflame my affection by thy heauenly grace as that I may be enabled to put in execution thy diuine inspirations and to follow that doctrine which we are taught by thy holy word Depriue me not I beseech thee through my great vnworthinesse of thy diuine and needfull fauours whereby to strengthen and support me in the finall perseuerance of thy
MeditatioÌ„ thâ—oughout the whole tyme of that your spirituall Retreate I then againe as earnestly once more exhort you to draw from thence a prefixed Rule which may serue you as a constant set order for all your actions and as a distribution also for your tyme as may best agree to your condition and present occasions All which you hauing with freedome and confidence communicated to your ghostly Father and had his aduise and approbation for your more securely proceeding with true prudence vertue therein I would then wish you to obserue it as your Rule with all conuenient punctuality And what now lastly I desire of you is that you please to accept in good part this my ill polished worke drawne from some notes vpon former obseruations as they then conduced to my owne practise vpon seuerall occasions Your vertue I hope will make much better vse of them then I haue done because the fault was myne and not the Rule which being right it cannot faile And if such as vse it shall draw but the line of their Conuersation thereby it must needs be right both in the sight of God and Man Finally my proposing this Rule to you may prooue I hope not voyde of my owne proper interest whilst by renewing my former reflexions with some more seriousnesse for your sake a better impression may be made in my owne soule to liue my selfe hereafter with more conformity to these holy Rules which I here propose to you and whereby if we shall but truly regulate our future liues and actions we may humbly confide Gods holy grace assisting vs that they will rightly direct vs through the perillous labyrinth of this mortall life vnto the secure port of Eternall Felicity For which I once more begg hartely your prayers and therevpon conclude with what blessed S. Iames the Apostle recommendeth vnto vs. c. 5. that we pray one for an other to the end we may be saued through the blessed meritts of his most deare Sonne IESVS and by the grace of the holy Ghost Which God of his infinit mercy grant FINIS Ianuier 10. Anno Domini 1659. Praysed and for euer glorifi'd be the most sacred Trinity Courteous Reader these deuotions not being permitted to be printed at home no diligence in the Corrector was able to auoyde the manie faults which the Printer not vnderstanding our language must needs be very subiect to commit His ignorance deserueth pardon and my paines your prayers which I doe hartely craue submitting entyrely all the rest to the correction of the holy Cath. Church and desire you to amende by these following corrections of the principall faults what you finde most amisse in the booke Errours in the Print p 20. l. 25 Christians cor Christian Pa. 97. li. 16. sel cor selues pa. 111. l. 22. him cor them pa. 130. li. 10. wo cor no pa. 131. li. 1. leasing cor pleasing pa. 135. li. 26. hat cor that pa. 141. li. 26. is cor it pa. 157. li. 25. and without cor and as pa. 189. li. 25 light cor right pa. 194. li. 2. or cor for pa. 201. li. 2. it cor it 's pa. 204. li. 14. saying cor laying pa. 212 li. 23. ccessary cor accessary pa. 251. li. 26. orme c. informe pa. 261. li. 18. themc then p. 275. li. 26. biection c. obiection pa. 295. li. 11. which cor to which pa. 358. li. 2. treasures cor creatures pa. 374. li. 4. carefull cor carefully pa. 382. li. 25. fleckes cor flockes pa. 384. li. 26. aae cor are pa. 400. li. 15. hereby cor thereby APPROBATION Wee vnderwritten Doctours of Diuinity of the vniuersity of Paris doe certifie that hauing reade ouer this pious treatise intituled Christian Rules proposed to a vertuous soule aspiring to holy Perfection c. written by W.C. we haue not only found that all things therein contained are consonant and conforme to the Diuine Faith and Beleefe of the Cathol Church but also we hope that it will verie much contribute to the great aduantage of Christian Piety and edification of such deuout and religious soules as shall reade and practise it In witnesse whereof we haue here vnto subscribed our names at Paris this 9. of December 1655. H. HOLDEN E. TIREL