the Sacramentall wyne after consecration the frute of the vyne what other thing is that to saye than to call it wine Nynthly The naturall corporall substantiall and reall body of Christ whiche he receaued of Marye the Uirgin is denyed to be in the Sacrament of the altare I aunswere The Sacrament is an holy signe of the body and bloud of Christ whiche whosoeuer receaueth worthely and accordyng to Christes institution receaueth the very bodye and bloude of Christe yea whole Christ thorow faith which is the mouth of y e soule so y t he is incorporate made one w t Christ fleshe of his flesh and bone of hys bones Tenthly The mariage of Pristes is admitted I answere It is in the word of God no where denyed Gods Priests in the olde lawe were al maryed men and had wyues The Apostles of Christ and the Byshops and Ministers of the Primatiue Church and many hundred yeares after til the Bishop of Rome playd the tyraunt and right Antichrist in forbydding and condemning the mariage of Priestes were all maryed men At this present also in all the congregations of God whersoeuer the pope is not admitted to be supreme head the Bishops and Ministers of the Churche do freely marye wiues Neither was the mariage of Priestes euer forbydden in any nation till the Byshop of Rome and hys adherentes brought in that deuilyshe decree of the single lyfe of Priestes that thys Prophecie of Saint Paule myght be fulfilled The spirite speaketh euidently that in the later tymes some shall departe from the fayth and shall geue hede vnto spirites of errour and deuelyshe doctrines of them whiche speake false through hypocrisye and haue their consciences marked with an hoate yron forbidding to marye and commaundyng to abstayne from meates whiche God hath created to be receaued with geuyng thankes of them whiche beleue and know the truth For all the creatures of God are good c. Are not these the wordes of the holy Apostle To auoyde fornication let euery man haue his owne wyse and euery woman her owne husband Agayne Wedlocke is honourable among all persons ▪ and the bed vndefiled That God hath made free ▪ no man ought to make bonde Eleuenthly The vowes of obedience pouertie and chastitie are broken and not obserued of the Cloisterers Monkes Friers Chanons Nunnes Anckers Anckeresses c. I aunswere with the Preacher A foolish and an vnfaithful vow displeaseth God Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne sayth the Apostle But these monasticall vowes are not of fayth for they haue no grounde in the worde of God therfore are they sinne What Godlynesse can there be in the vowe of pouertye seyng that the vowers thereof caste awaye all laboure contrarye to the commaundement of God and lyue idlely vnder the pretence of long prayer and are fedde lyke Epicures and belly-gods of the laboures of other mens handes and of the sweat of other mens browes And what poynte of holynesse is in their vowe of obedience seyng they vowe it to the Pope and to their Abbotes and Prioures and vtterlye denye to be obedience to the temporall Princes and Rulers to whome they owe obedience by the worde of God vnder payne of dānation As touching their vow of chastitie who knoweth not that it is both foolishe and presumptuous Can there be any greater folly or presumption in the worlde than to worshippe God with our own inuentions to vowe that vnto him whyche lyeth not in power to fulfill Oure Sauiour Christ sayth All can not awaye with this saying That is to liue vnmaryed but they to whom it is geuen The wise man also sayeth I knowe that I can not lyue chaste except God geue me the gyfte To striue againste God and nature is mere madnesse Twelfthly The fasting dayes are not so religiously with such abstinēce obserued ▪ as heretofore they haue bene I answere the people in times yast haue ben taught of their curates ▪ on those dayes whiche the Church that is to say the Pope and the Byshops hath commaunded to be fasted that they should faste vnder payne of deadly sinne abstayne from fleshe and eate but one meale that daye To make that sinne whiche is not contrary to the worde of God is the doctrine of Antichrist To thynke it more acceptable to God for to catelfishe than to eate flesh is mere madnesse and plaine superstition seyng that all the creatures of God are good nothynge is to be cast alwaye that is receaued with thankes geuing All thynges are pure to them that are pure And those thinges whiche God hath made cleane no man ought to iudge vncleane Notwithstāding such dayes of abstinence as are commaunded by the Prince and receaued by publique order are still with great reuerence and high deuotion religiously obserued and keept when notwithstanding we right well knowe that the true and Christen faste is to abstayne from sinne and to practise vertue to cease to do our owne will and to accomplishe the good pleasure of God and at all tymes to lyue temperatly and soberly as our Sauioure Christ sayth Take heede to your selues least any tyme your heartes be ouercome with surfetting and droncknesse and cares of this lyfe Thyrtenthly Iustification is taught by fayth alone without workes I aunswere The Prophet saith A ryghteous man shall lyue by hys owne fayth And the holye Apostle sayth We playnly affirme that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Agayne we haue beleued on Iesus Christ that we myght be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deedes of the lawe bicause by the deedes of the lawe no fleshe shall be iustified Faith bicause it alone apprehendeth and layeth hande on the mercifull promises of God is counted alone to iustifie when notwithstanding it is God alone that iustifieth as s. Paul sayth It is God that iustifieth This faith is no dead and idle worke of the holy Ghost in the hearts of the faithfull but liuely and mightie in operation as Sainct Paule sayth Faith whiche worketh mightely by loue And this loue whiche issueth out of a pure heart and out of a good conscience and out of a faith vnfayned is so feruent and stronge that it brasteth out into good workes and can no more cease to worke ▪ than fyre can cease to burne when mete matter is ministred vnto it or the Sunne cease to shyne when the tyme of the cleere daye requireth Therfore a faythfull man is compared to a tree planted by the riuer side whiche bringeth forth her frute in due tyme. For whensoeuer occasion is offered to a faythfull man to worke he worketh strayghtwayes yea and that freely and willingly with out any compulsion or feare And yet doth not he these good workes to be iustified by thē for he is already iustified by fayth but to shewe that his faith is true
him out draweth and al thoe y t therto procure or assente And all thoe y e purchasen letters of any Lordes court y e processe of righte maye not bee determined nor ended And all thoe y t the peace of y e land distrouble And al thoe y e bloude drawe of man or woman in violence or in vilonye or make to bee drawen in Churche or Churchyard wherefore the Church or Churchyarde is interdicted or suspended and thoe y t be against right of our Lord the King and al thoe that warre sustaine against the King wrongfullye And all thoe y t be common robbers rouers or man-slayers but it bee themselfe defendyng And thoe that beene agaynst the great Charter of the Kyng that is confyrmed of the Courte of Rome And all thoe y e false witnesse beare wronglye namely in cause of Matrimonye in what court so it be or out of court And all that false witnesse bring forth in righte of Matrimonye for to destroye man or woman or for to disherite any man of land or tenement or any other cattell And all false aduocates that for mede put forth any false exceptions or quarels through the which right of Matrimony is fordone or any other manner of right in steade of iudgement and al thoe y t for mede or fauour or for any other encheson maliciously mā or womā bryng out of their good fame into wicked or make them for to leese their worldly goods or honour or them put wrongfully to their purgation of the whiche was none before And al thoe y e maliciously distrouble or letten the right presentement of holy Churche there the very Patrone should present and all that therto procure with worde or deede or with false enquest or with other power And all that maliciously despisen the maūdement of the kyng to take a cursed man fro the time y t he hath lyen in cursyng lx dayes no remedie will seeke And all those y t their liueraunce purchase agaynst the right of holy Churche And that mede take for to distrouble peace there loue shuld be or charitie or strife maintaine with worde or dede and till they haue yelded again their mede that they toke of them they may neuer be assoiled And al those that hold houses māners gronges of parsons vicares or any other man of holye Churche against their wil or their attornies wil. And al thoe that any manner good moueable or vnmoueable awaye beare w t strength or wrongfully away draw or waste of the whiche cursing they may not be assoiled til they haue made satisfaction to whom the wronge is done And al thoe that any manner of goods with violēce or malice beare out of holy Churche stede or Abbeye or house of Religion whiche that therein is layde or done for warrandise or succoure or for to be kepte And all thoe that therto procure or assent and all thoe that them maintayne or sustayne and all thoe that haue layde hande on priest or clarke with malice but it be himselfe defendynge And all thoe that Sarrazens Coūce◠or helpe against Christendome And all thoe that their children wrongfully father wittingly or their children wittē any other mā with malice And al thoe y t wearry or slea their generations or their children destroye with drinkes or with any other crafte And al thoe that false money clippe or sheere them to aduauntage to disceaue any man with And all thoe that false the Popes Bull or counterfaite the Kings seale And al thoe that bye or sel with false measures or false waights that is to saye to bye with one sell w t an other And all thoe that false the kings standard themselfe witing And all thoe that any testament distrouble or therto procure with worde or with deede wherefore the deades will is not fulfilled And all thoe that forsweare them vpon the holydome willyng or witing for mede or for hate for to doe any man or womā to lose their worldly goods or honor And all robbers or rouers openly or priuily by daye or by night or any mans good steale wherefore they were worthye to haue iudgemēt And all thoe y t withhold any mās good that haue bene spered axed for thrice in holy church themself weting And all those that distrouble the peace of holy Churche or of the land and all fellons and thoe that them maintaine And all false conspiratoures al false forswearers in assises or in any other court And al those y t any false plaints put forth against the fraunchise of holy Church or of the king or of the realme And all those that offringes that bene offred in holy Churche or in any other sted within the prouince of Caūterbury witholden put away in any other place agaynst the wil of the parson or vicare or theyr attourney in the parishe y t it is offered in And al those that their goodes awaye geue for dread of death in fraude of holye Churche or to forbeare their debts paying al those that such giftes take or therto helpe or Councel And all those that let or hinder prelates or Ordinaries for to hold consistory Session or chapiters for to enquire of sinnes of excesse in good amendemente of mans soule And all witches and all that on them beleue al heretikes that beleue not in the Sacrament of the altare that it is gods owne body in flesh and bloud in forme of bread and al other Sacraments that touchen health of mans soule And all iuglars vsurars that is to say y t if any man or woman lend their cattell vnto man or woman for any auauntage to take by couenaūt more thā their own and if there be any such found in town or citie the citie or the towne should be enterdited by the old law and nouther done their Masse nor Sacrament vsed til he were out thereof And al thoe y t withhold tithes or withdraw theyr tithes witingly or maliciouslye to the harme of holy Church or tithes letten to be geuen of the goods which y t bene commaunded to be geuen by the lawe of holy Church y t is to say of al fruites of yardes cornes herbes that waxe fruites of trees of all manner beastes y t be newing of wolle lambe these in time of yeare of swannes gees dowes duckes of bees hony waxe of hay also as often as it neweth of flaxe hemp of windmils and of all manner mils of all manner of marchaundise of chaffaryng men and of men of craft And all those that maliciously or wittingly any other withhold the which ought to be giuen to holy church and thoe that therto procure in word or in dede Modus fulminandi sententiam PRaelatus Alba indutus cum ceteris sacerdotibus in ecclesia existentibus cruce erecta candelis accensis stans in pulpito pronuncient verba quae sequūtur Whiche is thus in Englishe The manner
of thundring the senteÌ„ce THe Prelate hauyng on hys Albe with the other Priestes that are in the Churche the Crosse beyng lyft vp and the candels lyght standing in the pulpit let them pronounâ—e the wordes that folowe EX authoritate dei patris omnipotentis beatae Mariae Virginis omnium sanctorum excommunicamus anathematizamus diabolo commendamus omnes supradictos malefactores Excommunicati sint anathematizati diabolo commendati Maledicti sunt in villis in campis in vijs in semitis in domibus extra domos in omnibus alijs locis stando iacendo surgendo ambulando currendo vigilando dormiendo comedendo bibendo aliud opus faciendo illos a luminibus omnibus bonis ecclesie sequestramus diabolo damnamus in paenis inferni animas eorum extinguamus sicut extinguitur ista candela nisi resipiscant ad satisfactionem veniant That is to saye By the authoritye of God y e father almyghtie and of the blessed Uirgyne Marye and of all Sainctes we excommunicate we cursse and committe to the Deuyll all the aforesayde malefectoures and euyl doers Excommunicate mought they be curssed and giuen ouer to the Deuill Cursed be they in Townes in Fieldes in Wayes in Pathes in Houses out of Houses and in all other places Standyng Lighyng Rysyng Walkyng Runnyng Watchyng Sleaping Eatyng Drinkyng and whatsoeuer thynge they doe besydes We sequester them from the thresholdes and all the goodes of the Churche and we giue them ouer to the Deuill And let vs quenche their soules in the paynes of hell as this candle is now quenched and put out except they amende and come vnto satisfaction Finita sententia extinguat lumen ad terrorâ— pulsatis caÌ„panis That is to say When the senteÌ„ce is ended let him put out the candle to make the people the more afraide and ring the belles In an olde written boke I find thus written The Articles of the generall senteÌ„ce must be read foure times in the yeare openly in the Churche before all the people yea and that in the mother tong that is to say the first sonday of Aduent and the first sonday of Lent Trinitie sondaye and on the sondaye whiche is within the Octaues of the Assumption of the blessed virgine Mary And when the Priest hath read the Articles of y e general sentence let hym with all hast put out the candle which he holdeth in his hand and with great violence cast it away from him saying Auctoritate dei patris omnipotentis filij Spiritus sancti sanctae Mariae Matris domini nostri Iesu Christi sanctoruÌ„ Apostolorum Petri Pauli omnium Sanctorum sanctorum Canonum nostri Ministerij excommunicamus anathematizamus a Sacramentis sanctae ecclesiae a coÌ„munione corporis sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi sequestramus omnes illos vel illas qui praenominati sunt Et sicut extinguitur haec lucerna hominum ita extinguatur lumen eorum in secula seculorum nisi ad emendationem satisfactionem venerint Fiat fiat Amen That is to saye By the authoritie of God the father almightye and the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and of S. Marye the Mo of our Lorde Iesu Christ and of y e holy Apostles Peter and Paule and of al Saintes and of the holy Canons and of our ministerie we excommunicate we curse and we sequester from the sacramentes of holy church and froÌ„ y e coÌ„munion of the bodye and bloud of oure Lorde Iesu Christ al those men or women that are to fore named And as thys candle which meÌ„ vse is quenched and put oute so let their light be quenched and put oute worldes withoute ende excepte they amende and make satisfaction So be it So be it AMEN The priest must take hede sayth the olde written boke that he reade not on the foresayde sondayes the generall sentence at masse time after y e Gospel as certain vndiscrete priests do by this meanes interrupting the masse but he shal read it either immediatly after the aspersion or sprinckling of y e holy water or els after the procession Hereafter followeth a treatise of the articles of the generall greater curse found among other old bokes at Cantorbury in the parishe church of S Paule In the yeare c 1562. GOod men and women it is ordayned by the councell of al holy church fyrst of oure holy father the pope of Rome and his Cardinalls and by all hys councel and sithen of al Archbyshops and Byshops and by all the Clergye of holye church y t euery man of holy churche y t hath cure of mans soule that is to say persons vicares and paryshe priests should shewe among hys parishoners foure tymes of the yeare the articles that bene written in the generall sentence that is to saye the poyntes that longen to the greate curse The one daye is the fyrst sondaye of Aduente The second day is the fyrst Sonday in cleane lenton The thirde daye is the sondaye next after Whitsontide And the fourth day is the next sonday after the Assumption of our Ladye And the poyntes muste openly bee taught and shewed to the people or leude men y t they maye knowe the greate mischiefe and disease thereof y t no man or womaÌ„ should be perished for defaulte of learning ne haue matter to excuse hem by Wherefore ye shoullen vnderstande at the beginning y t thys worde Curse is thus much to say as departing fro god and al good workes Of two manner of cursing holy church telleth The one is cleped the lesse curse The other is cleped the more curse That we clepen the lesse curse is of this strength y t euery man and woman y t falleth therin it departeth hym froe al the Sacraments y t beene in holy Churche y t they maye none of hem receaue tyll they bee assoyled for ryghte as a swearde departeth y e head or y e lyfe from y e body right so as to saye ghostlich Curse departeth mans soule fro god fro al good workes The more curse is much worse is of this strength for to departe a man fro God and fro all holy church and also fro y e company of all Christen folke neuer to be saued by y e passion of Christ ne to bee holpen by the Sacramentes that bene done in holy Churche ne to haue parte with any Christen man â— Clerkes sayen that a childe before that he is christened it hath a wicked spirite dwelling within hym in hys soule the whiche wicked spirite is halsed or coniured or caste out of hym thorowe the prayer of the prieste before the churche dore when it shall be christened The which sacrament of baptisme is grouÌ„ded in holy writ and is beginning of al other sacramentes and was veriliche betokened in the passion of oure Lord Iesu Christ by water that ranne oute of hys side from
drinke is made fleshe and bloud by the meanes of nature It followeth therfore much more stronglye y t the self nature y t is to saye God is able immediatly to make y e bread should be tourned into hys bodye and y e wine into hys bloud The second miracle is y t the bread is daily transsubstantiated into the bodye of God yet there is no augmentation or increasing in God Reason proueth this thing to be true For al though I know any secret matter which I publish to many although al they thorowe my declaration know it yet in me alone or in my mynd there is neuer the more augmentation for al this The thyrde miracle is y t the body of God is dayly receaued and eaten yet is there made no dimunicion or lesing therof The reason If a thousand candles be lighted at my candle yet is there neuer the lesse light in my candle The widowe of Sarepta also did eate yet was there neuer the lesse meale in her pot nor oyle in her pytcher The fourth miracle is y t the thyng which is indiuisible and can not bee deuided is notwithstanding deuided remayneth whole perfect in euery part of y e sacrament This is proued by reasō In a glasse wherin any thing is represented shewed although it be deuided by parts yet in euery one of thē is y e same thing represented The fift miracle is y t the body of God taken receaued of the wicked is not defiled The reasō is this For neither is the sunne shining vpō fylthy places defiled or made anye thing y t worse The sixt miracle is y t the body of Christ which is the meate of life bringeth death to sinners Reasō proueth this to be true For those meats which ar good wholesome as capons good wine are hurtfull to thē y t are sicke feble in body The seuenth miracle is y t the bodye of Christ being receaued of the priest or of any other y ◠mouth of the receauer being shut is taken vp into heauē Reasō proueth this For Christ came out of the body of the virgine vncorrupt He rose also out of the graue being shut Agayn he came into the house where y e Disciples wer gathered the doores being shut The eyght miracle is y t although the body of Christ bee in comprehensible cannot be measured yet it is contayned in so little an hoste This maye be proued by this reasō Theapple of y e eye which is very little comprehendeth a great thing The ninthe miracle is y t one the self same whole bodye is in diuerse places and is receaued of diuerse at one time The reason For the word of mā also once vttered spokē according to the nature of the voyce is al whole together in y e eares of diuerse Moreouer he y t made the body the place maketh both to be in the one as he willeth Agayne the Moone the Sunne the light are in diuerse places are seene of diuerse The tenth miracle is y t the bread being transubstātiated turned into the substance of y e body of Christ y e accidentes of the bread do remayne y t is to say the weight y e coloure the sauor To shewe a reason in this behalfe by any similitude we can not The leuenth miracle is y t vnder the kinde of bread both is is receaued the body bloud of Christ yea whole Christ. Likewise vnder the kinde of wine is receaued both the body and bloud of Christ. The reason is thys Although at one dinner I eate both before I drinke after yet am I not coūted to dine twice Durand in Rat. If it be demaunded what it is y t the mouse eateth when shee knaweth and byteth the sacrament or what is consumed to ashes when the sacrament is burnt Pope Innocent the thyrd answereth and saith euen as the substance of bread is miraculously turned conuerted into the body of our Lord when it beginneth to be vnder y e sacrament so likewise after a certayn manner miraculously it retourneth and commeth agayne when the same body ceaseth to be there not y t that substance of breade cōmeth agayne which was turned into the fleshe of Christ but in the stead thereof an other thyng miraculouslye is made although suche accidentes might be without a subiecte and so eaten Guilielmus Durandus In. Rat. di offi Libro 4. Both the good and the euil eate the bodye of Christ but the good vnto saluation the euell vnto condemnation For excepte the euill also dyd eate the body of Christ the Apostle woulde not haue sayd He y t eateth vnworthely eateth hys owne damnation bicause he maketh no difference of the Lordes bodye Ibidem But what becommeth of the bodye of Christ when it is receaued and eaten It may be aunswered That if the corporall presence bee sought it muste bee sought in heauen where Christ is sitting on the ryght hand of God Notwithstanding for a tyme he dyd exhibite hys corporal presence y t he myght prouoke allure the Communicantes vnto the spirituall presence Therfore when y e sacrament is holdē tasted and eaten Christ is corporally present in sight in touching in sauour And so long as y e corporal sense is affected the corporal presence is not taken away But after y ◠the corporall sense in receauing fayleth the corporall presence is no more to be soughte but y e spirituall presence is to be retayned For whē y e dispensation is ended Christ goeth frō y e mouth to the heart For it is better that he goeth forth vnto the minde than that he shoulde goe downe vnto the bellye For he is not the meate of the fleshe but of the soule He cōmeth to be eaten not to be cōsumed to be tasted not to be incorporated He is eaten w t the mouth but he is not digested in the stomacke he refresheth the minde but he goeth not oute into the draught Ibidem The host is lifted vp of the priest at masse that the people not comming before the consecratiō but by this knowing that it is done may fal prostrate vpon the groūd worship Christ which is come doun vpō the altare according to this saying of y e Apostle In y e name of Iesus let euery knee bow c. Again that they should honour him with hart mouth as the apostle saith with the hart it is beleued vnto righteousnesse but with the mouth confessiō is made vnto saluation Ibidem Although vnder the kinde of bread y e bloude is receaued w t the body vnder the kinde of wine the body is taken w t the bloud yet after y e minde of pope Innocent the thirde neither the bloud vnder the kinde of bread nor the body vnder the kinde of wine is dronken or eaten For as neither the bloud is eaten nor the body dronken so is
neither of theÌ„ vnder the kinde of bread dronkeÌ„ or vnder y e kinde of wine eaten although it may seme a matter to be graunted y t the body in drinking and the bloude in eating is receaued Ibidem One the same both theÌ„ now both here there is sacrificed of all He is whole in heauen he is whole on y e altare also He both sitteth on the ryghts hand of the father remaineth vnder the kinde of the sacrament Ibidem These consecrations are made with the signe of the crosse For thorow the vertue of the crosse of the wordes transsubstantiation of the natures of bread and wine is made As water can not be consecrated without wine so likewise caÌ„ not wine with out water be transsubstantiated turned into y e substance of Christes bloud For oute of Christes side flowed both bloud and water Ibidem This is to be noted y e if the wine be frosen in the chalice the priest must so long breath vpon it til it be molten the Vse disolued If it can not be done so let him put fyre vnto it He y t hath communicated if he may conueniently and without hurting of nature he ought to abstayne froÌ„ spitting Notwithstanding after a coÌ„uenient time he may spit so y t he spit there where y e spittle may not be trodeÌ„ vpon For a spirituall maÌ„ iudgeth al things he is iudged of no maÌ„ And al things are cleane to them y t are cleane This is the difference betwene y e sacramentes of the law of the Gospell y t the sacraments of the lawe signified only but the sacraments of the Gospel do both signifye and iustifye Ibidem The sacrament may not be chawed as other meate is but it must be torne with the former teeth and made softe with y e tongue discretly moderatly and softlye y t no percell thereof cleane to y e teeth which paraduenture afterwarde it might chaunce to be cast out by spitting or hemmyng Ibidem It is to be noted y t whosoeuer will receaue the body of Christ he must bee â—asting from al corporall meates For seing y t the soules ar spirituall and immortall they ought fyrste of all to receaue the nourishments of euerlasting life Ibidem The oblations of the Masse bycause of y e excellency of so great a sacrament whiche is made in it is aboue all other prayses and it is a prayse by it self neither is it comprehended vnder the nuÌ„ber of other prayers Durand In. Rat. di off Lib. 5. That blessed Uirgine is the verye Lodestarre For if we which ar in this world wil prayse her worthely she wil lede vs vnto the heauen of saluation The blessed Uirgin also is to be praysed and prayed y t shee will make vs that are colde warme in charitie thorowe the Sonne Christ whome shee brought forth In the church nothyng is to be song or red but y t is canonised autorized approued and expressely set forth or at y e leaste suffered of the holye Churche of Rome So long as we lyue in thys worlde we are set in a slipperye place and are impugned of deuills Therefore haue we alwayes neede of the Suffrages helpes intercessions and meditations of Saintes To eate before the houre of eating before masse bee ended and done in appoynted and necessary fastes the holy Canons doe affyrme y t it is deadly sinne Rat. di off Lib. 6. The crosse whiche is made on oure forehead is our banner wherwith we ouercome the deuill For there is none other signe made but the crosse that in this signe alone y e deuil knowing y t he is ouercome may shake for feare flee Although a simple priest may minister vnctions or annoylinges yet thys annoynting of the children in the forehead wheÌ„ thei be bishopped none may geue but the hie priest y t is to saye the Byshop â–ª For it is redde of the Apostles alone whose vicares the byshops are y t they by the imposition of hands gaue the holy ghost In the confyrmation or bishopping of children the fulnesse of the mysterye of the whole Christen religion is made perfect In baptisme remissioÌ„ of sinnes is geuen by the holy ghost But here y e holy ghost is called vpon to come y t he may vouchesafe to come downe and inhabite y e house which he hath sanctified And the holy ghost is poured vpon y e childe at y e inuocation of y e bishop Therefore sayth Pope Vrban By the imposition or laying on of the byshops hande the holy ghost is geueÌ„ whereby a faythful heart is made wide opeÌ„ to receaue wisedome constancye y t a maÌ„ may be a full and a perfect Christian. The byshop in bishopping children doth two things Fyrst he annoynteth the yong childe in y e forehead Secondly he striketh him on the face The annoynting signifyeth the encrease of grace y t he shuld be bolde to take those things in hand whiche pertayne vnto the fayth He striketh him on the face to put him in remeÌ„braunce y â— he should not from henceforth bee ashamed or afrayde to confesse the name of Christ. As though the Byshop should say to y e person confyrmed Bee so strong valiaunt couragious stoute in the fayth of Christ in the confession of y e same y t whosoeuer shal thus strike thee or any otherwise seke to displease or hurte thee bicause thou confessest the faith of Christ thou notwithstanding be not abashed at all these thinges For they y â— are striken are wonte to be abashed Rat. di off Lib. 6. Among all the saintes the glorious Mother of God Mary y e perpetual Uirgin is the chiefe principal We ought at al times to haue her in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce which without ceasing maketh intercession for vs sinners vnto her Sonne Durand in Rat. di off Lib. 7. There be .iii. degrees of the soules departed some are Valde bonae maruelously good Some ar Valde malae maruelously euill Some are Mediocriter bonae meanely good Now note y t the suffrages which are made in the churches for the dead y t are maruelously good ar thankes geuings For those â—oules y t are perfectlye good when they departe froÌ„ their bodies flye streyghtwaies vnto heauen neither haue they any neede of our helpe For the soules y t are maruelouslye euill there are also done certayn consolations after a sort For our helpes do not profit them bicause their soules go streyghtwayes downe vnto hel For the soules y t ar meanely good which are in purgatory there are expiatorye sacrifices wherwith they maye be releued and holpen For the soules y t are meanely euil whiche are in hell there are also propitiations or mitigations of their paines For after the minde of Austen whom our prayers good dedes profyt either they profytte them y t they may haue full remissioÌ„ of their
ought by their office to haue giuen their minde to the preaching of the gospell and the prouision making for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caryng how they liued afore god so that with their voyces they might please y e world He was therefore compelled to make a decree that all suche as be in the holy ministery should from thenceforth vnder the payne of excommunicatioÌ„ geue their minds no more to singing but apply themselues to the studies of the holy scriptures and the reading of the gospell In Regist. part 5. cap. 44. Undoubtedly sayth S. Gregory true prayer câ—Ì„sisteth not in the voyce of the mouth but in the thoughts of y e heart For our words do not make the voices the pithier of y e greater force to come vnto the most secret eares of God but our desire and affections Therefore sayth the Lord in the gospel Enter into thy closette sparre the doore He sparreth the doore and prayeth in hys closet whiche holdeth his peace with his mouth poureth out the affection of his minde in the sight of god aboue Moral Lib. 22. cap. 18. S. Iohn Chrisostome also writeth on this maner It is the duty of a deuout mynde to praye to God not with the voice or with the souÌ„d of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the fayth of the heart Agayne he saith the crieng of the voyce is not the worke in prayer vnto god whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secretes of the heart but the crieng of faith and the deuotion of a godly and pure mind Therfore the beste waye to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule and and inwarde man HoÌ„ 44. de Ioan. Paul Festo The Emperoure Iustiniane made a law that all byshops and priestes both in the time of diuine seruice and also in the ministration of the holy sacrameÌ„ts should with so open and cleare voyce pronounce all thynges in the tounge which the people vnderstand that they might therby be the better edified and also be the more feruently stirred vnto deuotion and prayinge to God For sayth he so doth the holy Apostle teache in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying If thou geue thankes onely in the spirite that is to say in an vnknowen tounge howe shall he that occupyeth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen at thy thankes geuinge seynge he vnderstaÌ„deth not what thou sayest Thou verely geuest thankes well but y e other is not edifiedâ— And again in his Epistle to the Romans he sayth on thys manner to beleue with the heart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouthe maketh a man safe In consideration whereof sayth that Godly Emperoure it is conuenient that amonge other prayers those thynges also whiche are sayde in the holy oblation that is to saye in the ministration of the Lordes super or the hloy communioÌ„ of the body and bloud of Christ be vttered spoken with a loude voice of the deuout Byshops priest to our Lord Iesu Christ one God with the father and the holy ghost willyng theÌ„ to know that if they neglect any of these things they shall not only geue accoÌ„pt therof in y e dreadeful iudgement of the great God our sauiour Iesu Christ but we also hauing knowledge herof wil not be coÌ„tent nor leaue the things vnreuenged In constitut Authen 123. Guilihelmus Durandus sayth that the vse of singing was ordained for carnal and fleshlye men and not for spirituall and godly minded men Rat. di off Polidorus â—ergilius writeth on thys manner Howe greatly that ordinauÌ„ce of singyng brought into the Churche by Pope Damasus and Sainct Ambrose began euen in those dayes to be profitable Sainct Austen declareth euidentlye in the booke of hys Confessions where he asketh forgeuenesse of God bicause he had giuen more heede and better eare to the singing than to the weighty matter of y e holy wordes But now adayes saith Polidore it appereth euidently y t it is much lesse profitable for our commen wealth seyng our singers make such a chattering charme in the teÌ„ples that nothyng can be heard but the voice and they that are present they are present so many as are in the Citie being content with such a noyse as delight their eares care nothyng at all for the vertue pithe and strength of the wordes so that nowe it is come to this point that with the common sort of people all the worshippyng of God semeth to be set in these singsters although generally there is no kynde of people more light nor more leud And yet the greater parte of the people for to heare them boing bleating and yelling â—locke into the Churches as into a common gameplace They hire them with money they cherishe and feede them yea to be short they thinke them alone to be the ornamentes and precious iewels of Gods house c. Wherefore without doubt it were better for religion to cast out â—f y e churches suche chatteryng and â—anglyng â—ayes or els so to appoynt them that when they sing they should rather rehearse the songes after the manner of such as reade than followe the fashion of chatteryng charmers whiche thyng S. Austen in his aforesayde booke doth witnesse that S. Athanasius Byshop of Alexandria dyd in hys diocesse and he commendeth him greatly for it Lib. 6. de inuent rerum Cap. 2. Cornelius Agrippa writeth of singing in churches on this manner Athanasius dyd forbyd singing in hys Churches bycause of the vanitye thereof But Ambrose as one more desyrous of Ceremonyes and pompe ordayned the vse of singing and makyng melodye in Churches Austen as a man indifferent betwixt both in hys booke de confessionibus graunteth that by this meanes he was in a greate perplexitie and doubt concernyng thys matter But nowe a dayes Musicke is growne to such and so greate licentiousnesse that euen at the ministration of y e holy Sacramente all kynde of wanton leude trifelyng songes with pipyng of Organs haue theyr place and course As for the diuine seruice and common prayer it is so chaunted mynsed and mangled of oure costlye hired curious and nise Musitions not to instructe the audience withall nor to stirre vp mens mindes vnto deuotion but with an whoryshe armonye to tickle theyr eares that it may iustly seme not to be a noyse made of men but rather a bleating of brute beastes while y e children ney discant as it were a sorte of coltes other bellowe a tenoure as it were a companye of oxen other barke a counterpoynt as it were a number of dogges other roare out a treble lyke a sort of bulles other grunte out a base as it were a number of hogges so that a foule euel fauoured noyse is made but as for the wordes and sentences and the very matter it selfe is nothing vnderstranded at all but the authoritye and power of iudgemente is taken
papacie is confyrmed and stablished by the Masse So long as y e Masse endureth so long shall papisme continue y e Pope with his Cardinalls Monkes Fryers Chanons Nunnes Ankers Ankresses with all their superstition and Idolatrye But if y e masse once fal then fal they also down to the ground I will not say down to hel froÌ„ whence all these their false worshipping of god fyrst of all came and had their beginning according to y e Prophecye which thou redest in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn And albeit y t the tirauntes of this worlde and the hipocrites of the same whose God is their bellye striue neuer so much for y e defence and vpholding of this their popish masse they w c sweard fyre haltar these w c fained holinesse crafty persuasions paynted eloquence false allegatioÌ„s of y e holy scriptures auÌ„cient writers mony bribes gifts supplicatioÌ„s lameÌ„tatioÌ„s c. Yet shall it perishe and come to noughte with al the wicked patrons defenders â—autors of y e same according to this prophecy of our sauiour Christ Euery plante y t my heauenlye faÌ„ther hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rootes And s. Paule sayth y t the Lord shal slay y e Antichrist that sonne of perditioÌ„ with the breath of his mouth that is to say with hys holy worde Of certayne decrees appertayning vnto the Masse POpe Vigilius ordayned y t priests when they syng masse shoulde turne their faces to y e east In y e yeare c. 553. Petrus de nat D. Barns Pope Gelasius the fyrst coÌ„maunded y t y e priests should stretch out their armes holde vp their hands in their masses but specially wheÌ„ they say the secrets the Canon the prefaces In the yere c. 498. Chron. Germ. Pope Alexander the fyrst made a decree y t one prieste shoulde saye but one masse in one daye In the yeare c. 119. Grat. Plat. Sabel Lib. Concil Pope Telesphorus notwithstanding coÌ„maunded y t on Christmasse day euery priest mighte sing three masses one at midnight an other at the cockcrowing and y e third when it is fayre day light agayne y t on all other dayes no priest shal sing masse before three of y e clocke in y e morning In the yeare c. 139. Lib. Concil Plat. Sabell Pant. Pope Felix the fyrste decreed y t the priests shuld say masse in no place but in y t which is halowed The same pope also ordayned y t none should say masse but priestes only except necessitye enforced to the contrary agayn y e masses shuld be sayd for the memorye of martirs In the yere c. 269. Plat. Phil. Bergom Sabel D. Barns Chron. Angl. Pope Pius y e fyrst made a decree that those priestes whiche negligently and without due deuotion say masse shuld be extremely punished In the yere c. 147. Lib. Concil Sigesbert D. Barns Pope Leo the fourthe enacted that a laye man shoulde not presume to come into the chauncell while the prieste is at Masse In the yeare c. 858. Sigisbert Platina Pope Sotherus ordayned y t a prieste shoulde not saye masse except two at y e least were present In y e yeare c. 168. Volat. Punctius D. Barns Pope Simmachus appoynted y e Gloria in excelsis shoulde bee song at masse vpon sondayes principall feastes saintes daies but specially in y e feastes of martirs In the yere c. 499. Plat. Durand Ranulph Cestrens Pope Nicolas the fyrst made a decree y e Gloria in excelsis shoulde bee song on mauÌ„dy thursday although it be in lent In the yere c. 871. De cons. 1. Cap. Gloria Ioan. Laziard Cel. And this he appoynted for the solemnitie of y e institution of y e sacrament of Christs body bloud Ioannes Stella Pope Gregorye y e thirde ordayned y t the Christians shoulde offer Dirige Grotes and Masse Pens for their frendes soules departed and y e priests shuld remember the dead in their masses and offer sacrifice for them In the yere c. 740. Ioannes Nauclerus D. Barns Pope Nicolas the fyrst appoynted y t no man should heare the masse of any priest y t is an whoremonger In the yeare c. 871. Lib. Concil Gratian. Volat. D. Barnes The same was also decreed in a certayne councel holden at Mantua vnder pope Alexander the second In the yere c. 1062. Dist. 32. Praeter Et Capit. 18. Siquis ammodo Dist. 56. Capi. Apostolica authoritate Pope Gregorye y e seuenth otherwise called Hyldebrand excommunicated all those priestes y t were whorehunters and made a decree y t no man shoulde heare the masse of an whoremonging priest and y t if any maÌ„ contrarye to his ordinaunce would presume to heare y e masse of suche a filthye incontinente priest the same shoulde be taken for an Idolatoure In the yeare c. 1073. Dist. 16. Quaest. 7. Chron Pope Vigilius commaunded y t the Canon of the Masse shoulde be read in no place but at y e altare and of no man but of a priest yea and y t when he hath on his backe his halowed vestures In the yeare c. 535. Chronic. Germani Achilles Pope Martine the fyrst commauÌ„ded that the masse should be song openlye with a loude voice In the yere c. 643. Guili Durand Pope Telesphorus ordayned y â— Alleluya shoulde not be song in the temples froÌ„ Septuagesima vnto Easâ—er euen but y t in the steade thereof Laus tibi shuld bee â—ong at Matâ—ens Prime and Houres Euen song and at Masse a Traâ—e In the yeare of oure Lorde 139. Chronic. â—uili Durand Pope Stephan the fyrst decreed y t the 〈◊〉 of y e church should be put â—â— no prophane vses and y t none shuld touc◠〈◊〉 but such as ar holy annoyntâ—d 〈◊〉 y â— vengeaunce punyshment y ◠〈◊〉 on Balthazar King of Babilon fal 〈◊〉 thâ— also â—hat presume to touch holy 〈◊〉 with their vnholy handes In the 〈◊〉 of our Lorde 261. Lib. Concil Guili â–ª Durand 〈…〉 the fyrst commaunded 〈…〉 euen so many as are 〈◊〉 â—oly annoynted should by no meanes touch y e chalice nor the paten therof with their bare hands Hereof came it to passe y t the Laye people were not suffered to touche the bare chalice wheÌ„ they came vnto the Lordes table in the 〈◊〉 of papiâ—â—rye In the yeare c. 129. Chron. Germ. Lib. Concil Pope Gregory the first commaunded that priestes should haue light at their masse and that there should be set vppon the altare a candle breÌ„nyng all the Masse time In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Nauclerus Primeus Chron. Pope Clement ordained that if the altare clothes or Corteynes or Corpoporasse clothes be so worne that they can no longer doe seruice that theÌ„ they shall be brent and the ashes of theÌ„ buried in sanctuarye
of the Aungels hath God geuen that whiche he hath geuen to the priest I meane Whatsoeuer ye bynde on earth shal be bounde also in heauen Note there are two keyes that is to say of knowledge and of power geuen of the Lord to blessed Peter and to other men not to al meÌ„ but to Priestes alone and to their successoures For althoughe God alone forgeue synne yet neuer or verye seldome dothe he forgeue synne withoute his ministers that is to say Priestes Whiche thyng may be proued by the Lepers to whome when the Lorde had healed them he sald Go shewe your selues to the priestes and humbly obey them And whyle they were goyng they were made cleane It maye also bee proued by Lazarus whom when the Lorde had raysed vp he sayd to hys Disciples Loose hym and let hym go But wherfore dyd not the Lorde hymselfe loosen hym from y t knots of the byndings which had losoned hym froÌ„ y e bondes of death And wherfore dyd he not commaunde Mary and Martha hys systers to loose him or hys kynnesfolke the Iewes whiche were nerer vnto hym by the course of nature than the Disciples of y e Lord Verelye to declare manifestlye and to proue playnly that the power to loose and to bynde is geuen of the Lorde to priestes alone Beholde how great the goodnesse of God and the worthinesse of priestes is For the Lorde himselfe worketh good somtime euen by them y e are euell and that to thys ende bycause the keyes of the Churche should not be despised or set at nought of the faythfull For although priestes sometime haue not thys power ex merito yet haue they it ex officio dignitatis And if any priest â—e vnworthye which god forbid y t hurteth hymselfe it hyndreth thee nothyng at all Beholde what greate power is geuen to you priestes For your tounges are made the keyes of heauen O how great dignitie saith Bernard hath god geuen to you How great and excellent is y e prerogatiue of y e priestes order He hath preferred you aboue the Kynges of y e earth He hath exalted thys order of priestes aboue all men Yea as I may speake more highly he hath preferred you before Aungells thrones and powers For as he toke not Aungels but Abrahams sede to bryng to passe redemption so lykewyse hath he committed y e consecration of his body and bloude not to Aungells but to men that is to saye to priestes only Seing then y t a priest is of so greate dignitie y t he is the maker of hys maker him to destroy or to condemne it is not conuenient c. This is a very heauenly priuilege this is an exceding great glory this is a grace excelling all grace a priest to holde God in hys hands We beleue are thorowly perswaded y t the celebration of so noble a mysterye is committed to none of the Aungels to none of the Archeaungels nor to any other heauenly spirites but to your order onely c. For on the altare thorowe the mouthe and the handes of y e priestes the bodye of Christ is made euen that very bodye whiche is on the right hand of God c. O ye priestes howe greate a thing is this that at the lifting vp of your handes Kynges bowe down their heades yea Kings and Queenes offer giftes to you All the Churche or congregation confesseth calleth you fathers and desireth you to praye for them c. O the worshipfull holynesse of priestes handes O blessed and happie exercise O the true ioye of the worlde where lowe things ar ioyned to y e most high thinges when Christ handleth Christ y e priest y e sonne of God Thou hast a delight to be with the sonnes of men Therefore sayth Peter speakyng of priests ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthoode an holy Nation a wonne people c. O ye priests consider the excellencye of your moste noble dignitye For the lord hath enriched beautified you before al other his creatures Verely priestes ar worthy to be honoured seing y e the Lord hath geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ passing al other so greate grace and honoure in the worlde Ex lib cui titulus est Stella Clericorum Of the ceremonies of the popyshe Churche Of holy water POpe Alexander the fyrst as y e papistes fayne ordayned water mingled with salte to bee halowed afterward sprinckled vpon the people to put away their sinnes and to make theÌ„ holy and pure He also commaunded y t it shoulde bee kept both in churches and in houses to chase and dryue away deuills and wicked spirites not onely oute of houses wher meÌ„dwel but also out of y e hearts of the faythfull as though fayth and y e deuel could dwel together in one heart In the yere c. 110. Grat. Plat. Sabel Lib. Concil D. Barns Pâ—antal The wordes of pope Alexanders canon ar these We blesse y e water mingled with salte for thys purpose that all that bee sprinckled therewith may bee made holy and pure whiche thyng we commaunde all Priestes lykewyse to doe For sayeth he if the ashes of an heyfer sprinckled made holy and clensed the people from veniall synnes Muche more water sprynckled wyth salte and halowed with holye prayers doth sanctifye make holye and clense the people from veniall synnes And if the salte being sprynckled by Helizeus the barennesse of theâ— water was healed Howe muche more salte being halowed with Godlye prayers taketh awaye the barennesse of such thynges as appertayne to man and sanctifyeth and pourgeth them y t are defiled and multiplyeth suche goodes as we haue nede of and turneth away y e disceates of the deuill and defendeth men from al naughty and wicked fansies c. De conse Dist. 3. Cap. Aquam sale conspersam Lib. Concil Is not this good stuffe is not this worthy to be called gods seruice Oughte not y e people to ryse vp make curtesy to the Popyshe shauelynge when he sprinckleth theÌ„ with water of so great vertue Are not the scriptures here wel applied Doth not this ceremony make Christ Iacke out of office with all hys workes and merites God haue mercy on vs and shortly confouÌ„d Antichrist Guilihelmus DuraÌ„dus sayth y t the holy water hath deserued to haue of God so great vertue that as outwardly it washeâ—h the body from filthynesse so inwardly cleÌ„seth the soules from sinnes O blasphemye intollerable This is y e goodly Godlye Catholyke doctrine wherwith the vngoodly vngodly Papistes infecte the mindes of such Christians as are simple and light of belief yea wherwith they caste the soules of all suche as put their confidence and trust in these pylde begarly and lousy ceremonyes into euerlastyng damnation And yet must they be called laudable ceremonies well worthy and God will to be frequented and vsed in the Churche of Christ. And the teachers of thys doctrine the ministers of these
their liues according to the rule of Gods worde that the Elders of Christes Churche seyng their repentaunce and amendement of life might thereby be occasioned to restore vnto them the holy and blessed communion which is the partaking of the body and bloud of Christ. Thus were the ceremonies not altogether vnprofitable to the people of y t age But it is in these our dayes farre otherwise For the ceremonies in the Popish Churches are stil retained but who knoweth the signification and meanyng of theÌ„ The bread is euery Sonday distributed and the water sprinckled but howe ofte is the death of Christe preached But as touching y e ceremonye of holy bread wherof we now speake it is become a vayne tradition and vtterly vnprofytable yea wicked and abhominable as all other popyshe ceremonyes are lykewise For where as it was instituted to put the people in remembrauÌ„ce of Christes body breakyng the priestes deale it vnto thys ende y t the people eating thereof shuld beleue to receaue health and saluation both of body and soule For these are the wordes which they vse in halowing the bread as they terme it takyng vpon them by thys meanes to make the creatures of God more holy than euer God made them Benedic domine hanc creaturam panis qui benedixisti quinque panâ—s in deserto vt omnes gustantes ex his recipeant tam corporis quaÌ„ animae sanitatem That is to say Blesse O Lorde thys creature of bread which didst blesse fyue Loaues in the wildernesse that al that taste of them may receaue healthe both of body and soule What other thyng is thys than to attribute the vertue of oure saluation to a pylde beggarly ceremony which alone commeth of y e meere mercye and gracious goodnesse of God to al men that repent and beleue in Christ Iesu hys onely begotten Sonne and oure alone Sauioureâ— If we maye obtayne health both of bodye and soule by their be witched bread then was Christ promised geuen conceaued borne circumcised persecuted and put to death for oure synnes in vayne yea then was Christ without cause made of God the Father vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctifying and redemption y t as it is written He that reioyceth shoulde reioyce in the Lorde We knowe sayth the Apostle y t man is not iustifyed by the workes of the law but by the fayth of Iesu Christ and wee haue beleued in Christ Iesu that wee myght be iustifyed by y e faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe bicause no fleshe shall be iustifyed by the workes of the law If we be not iustifyed by the workes of that lawe which God hymselfe commaunded shall we hope to bee made ryghteous by the obseruaunces of mennes triflyng traditions croked constitutions idle inuentions drousye dreames fonde fantasyes antichristian actes deuilysh decrees 〈◊〉 O blasphemous Papistes Of Procession POpe Agapetus the fyrst commaunded the people to goe procession solemnely on sondayes other feastiual daies In the yeare c. 533. Platina Polyd. D. Barnes Guilielmus Durandus writeth that when the people goe a Procession the Belles are ronge to thys ende euen to make the deuills afrayde and to chase them awaye For sayeth he the deuills are wonderfully afrayde when they heare the trompettes of the church militaunt I meane the Belles euen as a Tyraunte is greatlye afrayde when he heareth in hys owne land the trompets of some myghtye Kyng that is his enemye And thys is also the cause why the church when there is any great tempest ringeth the Belles y t the deuills hearyng the trompets of y e euerlasting King shuld be afrayde and trudge away and cause no more tempestes to aryse c. Rat. di off Of Sensing POpe Leo the thyrde brought Sensing into the church In the yeare c. 796. Pol. D. Barns Pantal. Of Candles bearing on Candelmassedaye POpe Sergius otherwise called Pope Swinesnoute coÌ„maunded y t al the people shuld go on procession vpon Candelmasse day and cary candels about with them brenning in their handes In the yeare c. 684. Durand G. Achilles Howe thys candle bearyng on candlemasse day came first vp y t author of our english festiual declareth on thys maÌ„ner Somtyme sayeth he when the Romaines by greate myght and royall power conquered all the worlde for they had great dominion they were so proude y t they forgat God made them diuerse Gods after their own luste And so among al they had a God y t they called Mars that had beene to fore a notable Knight in battayle And so they prayed to hym for helpe and for that they woulde spede y t better of this Knyght the people prayed dyd great worship to his mother y t was called Februa after whiche woman muche people haue opinion that y e moneth February is called Wherfore y e second day of thys moneth is candlemasseday The Romaines thys nyghte went aboute the citie of Rome wyth Torches Candles brennyng in worship of thys woman Februa for hope to haue y e more helpe and succoure of her sonne Mars Then was there a Pope y t was called Sergius and wheÌ„ he sawe Christen people drawe to thys false Maumetrye and vntrue beliefe He thought to vndoe thys foule vse and custome and turne it into Gods worship and our Ladyes gaue coÌ„maundement y t all Christen people shoulde come to Churche and offer vp a candle brennyng in the worship y t they dyd to thys woman Februa doe worship to our lady to her sonne our Lord Iesu Christ. So y t now this feast is solemnely halowed thorowe al Christendome And euery Christen man and woman of couenable age is bounde to come to church and offer vp their candles as though they were bodily with our Ladye hopyng for this reuerence worship y t they do to our Ladye to haue a greate rewarde in heauen and of her sonne our lord Iesu Christ and so they may be syker and it be done in cleane lyfe and with good deuotion c. Of Ashes sprincklyng POpe Gregory the fyrst ordained y t the people on Ashe wednisday shuld be sprinckled with halowed Ashes to put theÌ„ in remembraunce y t they are but earth duste and Ashes In the yeare c. 590. Anselmus Ryd Of Palmes bearyng POpe Gregorye the fyrst also appoynted y t Palmes shoulde bee borne aboute in procession on Palme Sonday Ansel. Ryd Of halowing Palmes Ashes Candles c. POpe Gregorye the fyrste in lyke manner deuised the halowing of Palmes Ashes Candles c. Durand Antonin Of Crepyng to the Crosse. POpe Gregorye the fyrst likewyse broughte into the Churche the Crepyng vnto the Crosse. Sigesb Antoninus Of the halowing of the Paschal POpe Zozimus ordayned that the Paschall Taper shoulde be halowed on Easter euen and set vp in euery paryshe church In y e yere of oure Lorde 414.
children we must fast and folow the same rule that they vsed And therfore we fast foure times First in march The secōd at Whitsontyde The third betwene haruest seedetyme And the fourth before Christmasse Marche is a time that drieth vp the moysture that is in the earth Wherefore we fast that time to drie the earth of our body of the humours that be noyous to the bodye and to the soule For that tyme the humours of letchery tempteth a mā most of any time of the yeare Also we do fast at Whitsontyde to get grace of the holy Ghost that we may be in loue and charitie to God and to all the worlde ▪ Charitas cooperit multitudinem peccatorum Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Also we must faste for to haue meekenesse in oure heartes and to put awaye all pride y t renueth within vs. Also we faste betwene haruest and sede time for to haue grace to gather frutes of good workes into the house of oure conscience and so by ensample of good liuing among the people that we bee common with both ryche and poore Also we faste in winter for to slea all stinckyng weedes of sinne and of foule earth and fleshly lustes y t maketh good Angells good people to withdrawe them from vs. For ryghte as a nettle brenneth roses and other flowers that growe nie him In the same wyse a vicious man or woman styrreth and setteth on fyre them y t bene in his companye And for these causes we faste foure times in the yeare euery tyme three dayes y e betokeneth three speciall vertues that helpeth a man to grace y t is fasting deuoute praying and almesse dede doing And by opiniō of much people these daies bene called Imber daies bicause y t our elder Fathers would on these dayes eate no breade but cakes made vnder ashes So y t by the eatyng of y t thei reduced into their minde that they were but ashes and so shoulde turne agayne and wiste not how sone and by that tourned away from all delicious meates and drinkes and tooke none heede but y t they had easye sustenaunce This caused them to thynke on death and y ◠wil cause a man to desire no more thā him nedeth and to abstayne hymselfe frō al manner of bodily lusts to encrease in vertues wherby we may come to euerlasting blesse And at a councell holden at Magonce it was decreed y t when those Imberdayes come they shoulde bee fasted of all people and that they shoulde on those daies come deuoutly vnto church and heare Masse and geue themselues to prayer and deuotion Libro Concil Pope Innocent the thyrde made a decree that all the Apostles euens should be fasted excepte the euens of Phillip and Iacob and of Iohn the Euangeliste In the yere c. 1195. Lib. 3. accretal Gregorij Cap. 2. de obseruatione ieiunij Chron. Germani The same pope also appoynted that the euen of Mathias shoulde also bee fasted as one of y e Apostles euens and y t if the daye of Mathias be on the monday y e euen shall be fasted on the saterday and not on the sonday Ibidem Pope Vrban the syxt commaunded y e the euens of these feasts of our Lady y t is to say the visitation y e assumption natiuitye should be fasted In the yere c. 1371. Lib. Concil Chron. Germ. Pope Boniface the fyrst ordayned y e saints euens shuld be solemnely fasted In the yeare c. 425. The same ordinaunce is also ascribed to pope Gregorye y e second Chron Germa Pope Honorius the thirde made a decree y t if y e feast of y e natiuitye of Christ chaunce to fall vpon the Friday yet it shall be lawful for al men to eate flesh on that day excepte it be suche as haue vowed to the contrary In the yere c. 1214. Lib 3. decret Gregorij de obseruatione ieiunij Pope Gregory the fyrst cōmaunded y t neyther fleshe nor any thyng y t hath affinitye with fleshe as Chese Milke Egges c shoulde bee eaten on suche dayes as are appoynted to bee fasted In the yeare c. 560. Grat. Pol. Pantale Pope Eusebius made a lawe y t all suche feastes as are commaunded of priests in the Church to be fasted shuld in no condition bee broken excepte necessitie compell any man to the contrarye In the yeare c. 309. Lib. Concil Chron. Germ. In the festiuall we reade that these sortes of people be priuileged and exempted from the lawe of fastyng that is to say Children y t bene within age Women y t bee with childe Olde people y t bene myghtlesse weake and impotente And finally labouryng people as pilgrimes and like people those that the lawe dispenseth with vppon theyre conscience Dominica prima in quadragesima In the Councell Gangrense it was decreed y t if any person of presumption woulde despyse to faste suche dayes as were cōmaunded of holy churche he shuld be excommunicate and be taken of the Christen congregation as an Ethnike and Publicane Libro Concil Barthol Carrantz The Popes decrees affirme playnly as Guilielmus Durandus testifyeth that whosoeuer eateth any thyng beefore Masse bee done on suche dayes as are appoynted by holy church to be fasted the same committeth deadly synne In Rat. di off Lib. Concil In the Councell Braccarense it was agreed y t al the Apostles euens shoulde be fasted excepte the euens of these Apostles Phillip and Iacob and Iohn the Euangeliste as we to fore heard oute of the decree of Pope Innocent y e thyrde For the feast of Phillip and Iacob is betwene Easter and Witsontide which is a tyme of ioye and gladnesse therfore is there no fastyng accordyng to thys old rule Inter Pen et Pa◠non est Dirige neque fasting day And y e feast of ◠Iohn the Euangelist is at Christmasse whē men muste make good cheere and bee frolyke and mery Guilielmus Durandus Lib. Concil The Councell Chalcedonense made a decree y t they should be counted by no meanes to faste which taste any meate or drinke before euenyng prayer bee done Lib. Concil Iacobus de Voragine in his boke entituled Historia Longobardica sheweth a reason whye the Imberdayes bee rather fasted on the Wednisday Friday and Saterdaye than on the Mondaye Tuesday and Thursday For saith he the Lorde Iesus was betrayde of Iudas on the Wednisday And on y e Fridaye he was crucified And on the Saterday following he lay in hys sepulchre and the Apostles were very sadde for the death of their Lorde Of Holy dayes and of Feastes of Sainctes with such like POpe Pius the fyrst ordayned y t Easter daye shoulde be celebrated and kept holy euer on the Sondaye In the yere of our Lorde 147. Libro Concil Polyd. D. Barns Pantal. Pope Gregory the fyrst approued and allowed the feast of the Trinitie which Pope Alexander woulde by
a sainte In the yeare c. 1336. Volat Christ. Massae Pope Sixtus the fourthe made Bonauenture the Grayfryer a saint In the yeare c. 1471. Chron. Chronica Pope Alexander the thyrd made Barnarde the Monke a saint In the yeare c. 1161. Iacobus Meyer Pope Innocent the eyght made Heliopolde sometyme Duke of Austria a Saint In the yeare c. 1484. Chroni Ioannes Stella Pope Innocent the thyrd made Hughe of Lincolne a saint In the yeare c. 1195 Fasciculus Temporum Pope Clement the fourth made Hedwigis sometime Duchesse of Polonia a saint In the yeare c. 1165. Ioannes Laziardus Fasciculus Temporum Ioannes Stella Pope Boniface the nynth made Brigite the Nunne a saint In the yere c. 1379 Ioan. Laziardus Chron. Pope Leo the nynth made Vuolfgange Byshop of Ratisbone a sainte In the yeare c. 1049. Chron. Pope Gregory the seuenth made Iohn Gaulbert the Monk a saint In the yere 1073. Chron. Pope Innocent the second made Hughe the Charterhouse Monke a sainte In the yeare c 113 â–ª Chron. Pope Boniface the eyght made Lewes Kyng of Fraunce a saint In the yere 1290. Ioan. Laziard Chron. Pope Innocent the fourth made Edmunde Archebishop of Cantorburye a saint and Peter de verona the Blackfryer he canonised also for a saint willed hym to be taken for a confessour saint In the yere c. 1242. Sabell Ioan. Stella Ioan. LaZiard Chron. Pope Eugenius the fourth made Nicolas de Toleto an Austen frier a sainte In the yeare c. 1430. Ioan. Stella Chron. Pope Clement the fyfte made Pope Celestine a saint vnder the name of Peter In the yeare c. 1304. Ioan. Laziard Pope Paschalis made Charles y e great a Sainte In the yeare c. 1164. Christi Massaeus Pope Leo the tenthe made Fraunces the Heremite a saint In the yere 1507 â–ª Christ. Massae Pope Alexander the thyrde which I had almost forgotteÌ„ made Thomas Becket Archbishop of Cantorbury a saint In the yeare c. 1161. Plat. D. Barns Pope Alexander sayth the Englishe Festiuall sent letters into England to the Archbishop Stephen and to other Abbottes and Prelates commaunding them to take vp Thomas Beckettes bones and to lay them in a shryne and to set it where it might be worshipped of all Christen people Then the Byshop ordayned a day when y t should be done So ouer euen while they might haue space he toke with hym the Byshop of Salisburye and other monkes and Clerkes many and wente to the place where Thomas had layen fyftye yeres Then they kneled al on y e earth praying to Thomas deuoutly of help Then foure tooke vp the tombe with great dreade and quakyng and there they founde a little writing whiche was thys Here lyeth and resteth Thomas Archebyshop of Cantorburye Primate of Englande and the Popes Legate slayne for the ryghte of holye Churche the fyfte daye of Christmasse Then for greate deuotion that they had of the syghte all cryed Sainte Thomas Saint Thomas And then they toke the head to the Archebyshop to kysse and so they kyssed it al. And then they beheld his woundes and sayd They were vngratious that wounded thee thus And so layde hym in a shryne and couered it with clothe of golde and set torches aboute it brennyng and the people to watche it all nyght Then on the morowe came all the states of thys lande and bare the shryne to the place there as it is nowe with all reuerence and worship that they coulde The author of the festiuall sayeth y t thys Thomas did weare harde hayre next his bodye and a breche of y e same the whiche was so full of vermyn y t it was an horrible syght to see And yet he chaunged but once in fortye dayes The same author also writeth that the aforesayde Thomas Beckette made hys Confessoure euerye Wednisdaye and Fryday to beate him with a rodde vpon his bare body as a childe is beaten in the Schole that is to say on the arsse that he myghte suffer worthye penaunce Ranulphus Cestrensis in his Chronicle writeth that when Thomas Becket was translated Stephen Archbishop of Cantorburye duryng the said solemnitie founde haye and prouender to all men that would aske it in the way betwene London and Cantorbury Also in the day of the Translation he made wyne to runne in pypes continuallye in diuerse places of the Citye and so y e coste that Stephen made in thys solemnitie his fourth successour Bonifacius hardly payed it In Polichron Lib. 7. Cap. 34. Pope Alexander the thyrde ordained y t none shoulde be taken for a saint except he wer fyrst canonised and admitted to be a saint by y e byshop of Romes bull In the yeare 1161. Dec. 3. Tit. 46. Ca Reliquijs Polydor. Pantaleon From the tyme that the Popes began fyrst to canonyse to make saints vnto the reygne of Pope Iohn the .xxii. there are founde to be canonysed fyue thousande fyue hundred fyftye and fyue Saintes y t the Popes haue made as writteth the author of the Chronicle entitled Fasciculus Temporum Isuardus the French Monke diligently searching out the number of saintes found that euery day in the yeare there are moe than CCC Saintes to be serued suche a multitude of newe saintes haue the Popes of Rome brought into the Churche of their owne authoritye whom they haue sainted partly for fauour partly for mony partly of a blind zeale and partly for the satisfying of other mens corrupte affections And these must we take for saints worship pray vnto call vpon make our Intercessours Mediatours and Aduocates and yet know we not for all the popes canonisation whether they be saintes in heauen or deuils in hell It is much to be feared least this common saying be founde true in a greate number of our Popishe saintes The bodies of many are worshipped on earth whose soules are tormented in hell fier Of the Reliques of Saintes POpe Paschalis the firste deuised first of al the glorious setting out to sale of saints Reliques In the yeare c. 820. Fasciâ— Temp. Chron. Germ. Pope Clement the first commaunded that the Reliques of Saints should be reuerently kepte and had in greate honour In y e yeare c. 1300. Clement Lib. 3. Tit. 16. Capi. 1. Volat. Pantal. Pope Gregory y e fourth made a decree y e masse should be sayd ouer the bodyes of the Martyrs In y e yeare c. 831. Pol. Pope Boniface the fifth decreed that such as were but Benet Colet should not touch the Reliques of Saints but they onelye whiche are Subdeacons Deacons and Priestes In the yeare of our Lord. 617. Onuphrius Panuimus â—ac Phil. Bergom Pope Sergius y e first deuised the gorgious shrines of saintes to kepe Reliques in In the yeare c. 684.
purgatorye is the Masse For when any soule appeareth to any maÌ„ to haue any helpe he desireth masses prayeth to haue masses songen for him Right as meate and drinke comforteth a maÌ„ when he is feble so the sacrament of y e altare coÌ„forteth y e soules y e masses bene done for It is written in Legenda aurea how a Byshop suspended a prieste bycause he coulde saye none other masse but of Requiem whiche he song euery day deuoutly after hys coÌ„ning Then on a day as the byshop went towards mattens it semed to hym y e dead bodies rose came about hym and sayd Thou haste sayd no masse for vs. And moreouer thou haste taken our priest awaye froÌ„ vs. Loke y t thys be amended or els God will in shorte tyme take vengeance on thee for our sake Then was y e byshop greatly afeard and anon he â—ad the priest syng masse of Requiem as he dyd tofore And so he dyd as ofte as he myghte Also we fynde y e fyshers set their nets in haruest and they tooke vp a great pece of Ise and y t was the coldeste Ise that euer they felte and it woulde not melte for the Sunne And so brought they y e Ise to y e Byshop For he had a great brennyng heate in his foote and it was the coldest y t euer he felte Then spake there a voyce to hym oute of the Ise and sayd I am a soule y e suffereth my penaunce here in thys Ise. For I haue no frendes y t will doe masses for me I shall be deliuered of my penance and y u shalt be whole of thy sickenesse if thou wilt say masse for me And he sayd he woulde sing for him and bad tell hym hys name And euer while he was at masse he layd the Ise vnder his foote and euer as he sayd masse the Ise melted away And so within a while y t Ise was molten and y e soule was deliuered froÌ„ pain and y e bishop was whole of hys sicknesse Then the soule appeared to him w t much ioy sayd With y e masses singing I am brought oute of payne into euerlasting blesse The like fables many diuerse are tolde of Gregorius Magnus of Petrus Cluniacensis of Iacobus de Voragine c. But y e author of y e booke entituled Sermones discipuli rehearseth ten maÌ„ner of things wherwith y e soules y t are in purgatorye maye be deliuered oute of their paynes The fyrst is the setting vp of candles at massetime before y e sacrament or before Images in y e honor prayse of God and of his Saintes The seconde is Sensyng of the Altare when Masse of Requiem is songen for the soules departed with thys inwarde desyre that God will deliuer y e soule from the stenche of purgatorie where it is now punyshed The thyrd is sprinckling of holy water vpon the Sepulchres or graues vpon y e bones of the dead And here must they desyre y t as the heate of thys present fyre is cooled by y e sprinckling of water so likewyse the heate of y e fire of purgatory may be tempered cooled for y e soule y t we praye for thorowe the deaw of the heauenly grace mercye The fourth is Prayer for the dead And here must we direct our praiers vnto saints in heauen for the soules y t are in purgatorye y t they may make intercession for theÌ„ vnto God for they may do much with God And for thys cause we send y e saints vnto y e heauenly king as massengers y t they may obtayne of that King indulgence pardon and fauour for those soules Therfore must we in thys behalfe deuoutly pray to s. Mary to S. Peter c. The fyft is oblations and offeryngs for y e soules departed y t they may be deliuered from the dets which they owe vnto God â–ª The sixt is fastings watchings afflictions knelings for y e soules departed as it is specifyed in the popes decrees Ieiunia viuentium sunt auxilia defunctorum The fasting of y t liuing ar y e helpes of the dead The seuenth is paying of y e dets of the dead This profiteth y e soules y t are in purgatorye beyond al measure For while y e dettes are vnpayd y e soules are greuously punyshed in purgatorye The eyght is offering vp of bread wine y t it may please God likewise to feede y e hungry soule and to geue drink to y e thirstye soule y t is in purgatorye Likewyse y e exercisyng of the works of mercy for the soules departed as in geuing meate to y e hungry drinke to the thirstye lodging to the harbourlesse clothes to the naked c. The nynth is when a man accomplisheth fulfilleth y e penaunce for the soules departed whiche y e soules themselues were bounde to do in this world when they were yet liuing For the more any man doth for them in thys world the lesse haue they to suffer in the paynes of purgatorye The tenth is the celebratioÌ„ of masses And thys is the greatest and most principall remedye and helpe that can bee deuised for the deliueraunce of soules out of Purgatorye For we reade y t a certayne soule was appoynted of God to ligh in Purgatorye xv yeares which notwithstandyng thorowe one Masse was deliuered oute of all those paynes For thys worde Missa whiche we in Englyshe call Masse is deriued a Mittendo y t is of sendyng For in the Masse grace is sente to a synner being in synne and to y e soules a playne deliueraunce from all payne Therefore sayth Austen y t there is no masse celebrated but y e two vertuous workes do concurre and ar brought to passe The one is a conuersion of a synner from his sinne The other is a deliueraunce of a soule out of purgatorye But some maÌ„ peraduenture wil here demaunde howe it commeth to passe y t the soules which are in purgatorye do knowe the suffrages which are here done for the I answere the Aungels which do here abide tary with vs do many times visite y e soules in purgatory declare vnto theÌ„ y e suffrages which we do for theÌ„ here so comfort theÌ„ O how ioyfull a thyng is this to them Serm. 41. de anim Besydes these remedies aforesaid against the troublous torments of painful purgatorye which the selye simple soules suffer for y e satisfaction of Gods iustice as the papists teach there is an other remedye which I of late founde in y e latter end of an old written boke And this is of so great vertue y t whosoeuer deuoutly practiseth it shal w tout doubte as it is there specifyed deliuer one soule out of purgatory at the least yea and that within .ix. dayes Probatum est Fyrst on the sonday cause a masse to be song or said in
bonde of sinne that thei being resuscitate or raised vp in y e glorie of the resurrection maye liue among y e saintes and chosen people Thorowe Christ our Lord. So be it A shorter forme or manner of bidding the beades MAsters and frendes as for holy dayes and fasting dayes ye shal haue none thys weke but y t ye maye doe all manner of good workes y t shall bee to the honoure of God and y e profyt of your own soules And therefore after a laudable consuetude and a lawfull custome of our mother holy Churche ye shal knele down mouyng your heartes vnto almightye God and makyng your speciall prayers for the .iii. estates concernyng all Christen people that is to saye for the Spiritualtye the Temporaltie and y e soules being in the paynes of purgatorye Fyrst for our holy father the Pope with all hys Cardinalls for all Archebyshops and Byshops and in especiall for my Lorde Archbishop of Cantorburye your Metropolitane and also my Lorde Bishop of this diocesse N. and in generall for all persons vicares parishe priests hauing cure of mannes soule with the ministers of Christes church as wel religious as not religious Secondly ye shal pray for y e vnitie and peace of al Christen Realmes and specially for the noble Realme of England for our soueraigne Lord y e King for the Prince for my Ladye y e Kinges Mother with all their progenye and for al y e Lords of y e councel and al other of the nobilitie whiche dwell in the countreyes hauing protection and gouernaunce of y e same y t almightie God may sende them grace so to gouerne rule the lande y t it maye bee pleasing vnto almightye God wealth and profyte to the lande and saluation to their soules Also ye shall praye for all those that haue honoured the church wyth light Lampe Uestmente or Bell or with any ornamentes by the whiche the seruice of almightye God is the better maintayned and kepte Furthermore ye shall praye for all true trauailers tillers of the earth y t trulye and duelye done their dutye to God holye church as they be bounde to do Also ye shal pray for al manner of frutes y t be done vppon the grounde or shal be y t almightye God of hys greate pitye and mercye maye sende suche wederynges y t they maye come to the sustenaunce of man Ye shall praye also for al those y t be in debt or deadly sinne y t almightye GOD maye geue them grace to come oute thereof and the soner by our prayer Also ye shall praye for all those y t bee sicke or diseased eyther in bodye or in soule y ◠almyghtye God maye sende them y e thing whiche is moste profitable aswel bodilye as ghostly Also ye shall praye for all pilgrimes and Palmers y t haue taken the waye to Rome to S. Iames or Ierusalem or to any other place y t almightye God maye geue them grace to go safe and come safe and geue vs grace to haue parte of their prayers and they parte of oures Also ye shal praye for y e holy Crosse y t is in the possession and hands of vnryghtful people y e almightye God may sende it into y e possession of Christen people when it pleaseth hym Furthermore I commit vnto your deuoute prayers all women y t be in our ladyes bondes y t almighty God may sende thē grace y e childe to receaue y e sacrament of baptisme and y e mother purification Also ye shall praye for the good man or woman y t thys daye geueth bread to make the holy lofe and for all those y t fyrste began it and them y e longest continue For these and for al true Christen people euery man and womā say a Pater noster an Aue. Deu◠misereatur nostri c cum Gloria patri c. Thirdly ye shal pray for your frends soules as your fathers soule your mothers soule your brethrens soule your sisters soule your Godfathers soule your Godmothers soule for all those soules whose bones rest in this church or Churchyarde or in any other holye place for al y e soules being in paines of purgatorye but specially and aboue al for those soules whose names be accustomed to be rehearsed in y e beadrolle as I shall rehearse them vnto you by y e grace of God c. For these in speciall and for all other in generall that it is needefull to praye for for euery man and woman saie a Pater Noster and an Aue. De profūdis c cum Oremus Absolue quesumus c. The general sentence taken out of the Englyshe Festiuall GOod men and women I doe you to vnderstande y t we that haue cure of your soules bee commaunded of oure ordinaryes and by the constitutions lawes of holy church to shewe to you foure tymes in the yeare in eche quarter of y e yeare once when the people is moste plenarye in the church the articles of the sentence So y t not for our default no man nor woman fal therein And if any be therin fallen he may through the helpe of God almightye and al holy church with shrifte and penaunce makyng good for his sinne vprise and hym amende ▪ Wherefore I doe you to vnderstande y t cursing is such a vengeaunce takyng that it departeth a man from the blysse of heauen from housel shrifte and all the Sacramentes of holye Churche and betaketh hym to the deuill and to the paynes of hell wythoute ende but if he haue grace of hym to amende But therefore see y t no man nor woman saye that I curse them For it longeth not to me but to shewe the pointes and y e articles of the sentence of cursyng For I doe you wel to wite who so doth agaynste any of y e pointes y t I shall shewe you he is accursed in the deede doing of the Pope Archebyshop Byshop and of al holy Church And y t god almighty geue you grace to kepe you out of cursing listen and heare and I shal thorowe y e helpe of God the father almighty to you thē tell and shewe By the authoritye of God y e Sonne and the holy Ghost and hys glorious Mother and mayden oure Lady Saint Marye and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and all Apostles Martyrs Confessours and virgines and the halowes of God I denounce and shewe for accursed all thoe that fraūches of holye Churche breake or distrouble or beene agaynst the state of holy church or thereto assente wyth deede or councell And also all thoe that depriue holy Churche of any ryghte or make of holy churche any Laye fee y t is halowed or sanctified And all thoe y t withholde the rites of holy church y t is for to say offringes tithes rents or fredome of holye Churche let or distrouble or breake that is to saye if any man flee to the Churche or Churchyarde Who so
hys harte when al his bloud was agone shed for our sakes And so by sacrament of Christening he is ful made Christes childe and he receaueth there parte of the passion of Christ and part of all the Sacraments and prayers that beene done in holye churche Also he receaueth parte of all good deedes y t beene done among all Christen people And if he holde mekely the couenaunt y t he maketh there to god he may be sure for to haue a dwelling place for euer in y e blysse of heauē But what tyme y t he trespasseth so agaynst the law of God y t he falleth into curse by sinne or y t he is worthye to be cursed of holy church then he is departed from God and al good works till he come to amendment And he is than deliuered againe to y e fende of hel for to put him for his sinne into the payne of hell withouten ende but he hym amend therof be assoyled or he hence passe And therefore there is nothing in al this world y t a Christen mā or woman ought so griselich to dread as for to fall into sinne y t bringeth him into the sentence of curse the which departeth him from God y t is his father from holy church that is his mother Also as holy scripture or the lawe beareth witnesse Cursing is cleped the sweard of holy church For right as we seen y t the stroke of the sweard it sleaeth and departeth the life fro the body right so y e stroke of this ghostly sweard Cursing departeth and doth away our Lord God from man woman which is accursed the which Lord God is life of her soules withouten him all her workes bene dead euermore after but thei haue special grace of God for to amende hem here ere they passe oute of this world For as many Clerkes preuen at y e day of dumme would our lady S. Marye and S. Iohn Baptiste al saints y t bene in heauen knele down at once before y e blessed face of almightye God they shoullen not in y t time thorowe the prayer of them all deliuer the soule of man or woman y t dyeth in deadly sinne For trulich it were expresselich agaynste the holy Gospell where Christ sayth thus that he shall trulich geue to euery man and womā their ryghte there as he hath deserued here And if the day of dumme shall bee so harde to all thoe y t dyen in any deadly sinne by al reason ful myche harder shall it bee at y e tyme with all these y t be founden openly cursed of God and of holye Churche In thys perillous waye of dampnation beene all thylke men and women that I shall speake of And therefore I beseeche you and charge you for the loue of god almighty and for the saluation of your soules that ye vnderstand wel al these points And if any of you fele hym giltye in any of all y t he amende hym by sorow of hearte shrifte and penaunce and that betimes Fyrst and formest we denouncen accursed all that holy Churche falsely depriuen of any ryghte or profyt that it falleth to haue eyther by law written or elles by good custome whiche that hath bene holden and vsed of old time And in thys poynte fallen three manner of folke Fyrst all thoe y t stelen any Churchegoodes in what place so that they bee done to kepe or ells that stelen vnhalowed thyng oute of holye place or thynges that beene halowed oute of place vnhalowed And all thoe y t wittingly breaken or destroyen anye poynt of freedome that longeth to holy Churche And thys is not alonely vnderstande of the fredomes y t longen generally to all holy Churche but also of other speciall freedomes which y t some church hath more thā an other temporal or spiritual whether so it be The thyrd poynte is y t al thoe bene accursed that purchasen writtes or letters of any leude courte for to let the processe of the lawe of holy churche of causes y t longen skilfully vnto Christē courte the which shoulde not be demed by none other lawe All thoe also that breaken or distroublen the fraunches and the fredome of holy church And al y t bene agaynst the peace and y e ryghte state of holy church or therto assenten with worde dede or counsayle And al y t maliciouslye biriuen holy churche of her right or maken holy churche Lay-fee y t is halowed and blessed And all thoe that letten Archebyshop or Byshop or any other y t hath iurisdiction and power by the lawe of holy Church that they may not visite her sugettes or dare not vse her lawe for to amende the soules of hem y t they haue to kepe And all thoe that falsely fleen awaye from one place to an other that holye church may not chastyse them ne rule thē as she shuld Also god holy church accursen al thoe y t laye hand in malice on priest or clerke on man or woman learned or leude w tin church or churchyarde or man or woman of Religion but it be hemself defendaunt so y t they may not els saue hemself or els that it be in certaine pointes that the lawe geueth licence and all that therto procuren or mainteinen such dedes by coūsayle or strength Also all yilke bene accursed that drawen out any mā or woman in violence out of holy Church to haue succour and helpe or els out of any holy place that is halowed but and it be in certaine poyntes as the lawe geueth leaue or letten them to haue sustenaunce the while they bene there And also all thoe that for malice or wrath of person vicare or priest or of any other or for wrongfull couetise of himselfe withholden rightfull tythes offerings rentes or mortuaries frō her owne parishe Churche and by waye of couetyse falselyche agayne takynge to God the worsse and to himself the better or els turne him into an other vse than him oweth or done him in other place after their owne will so y t they be not done to the same place that they shoulde be or let by worde or by deede any man or woman for to do her good will and her deuotion to god and to holy church For all Christen mē womē ben hard bound vpō pain of deadly sin not onlich by the ordinaūce of mā but both in the olde lawe and also in the newe lawe for to paye truliche to God and holy church the tithe part of al maner encrease that they winnē trulich by the grace of god both with her trauel and also with her craftes what so they be truliche gotten Also the tith part of al manner fishes and foules beasts both wild tame And al maner of frutes that growen out of the earth Also all that wittingly or wilfully tithen falsly that is to say that geuē not to god and to holy church the tēth part
longeth to And all secular iustices or iudges y t bene in offices and han the lawe to kepe when they be proued and required to doe her office in helping of the people y t han suffered wronges and harme but if they do rightfulnesse and truth by her coÌ„ming be they learned meÌ„ or leude els they ben accursed And al thoe y t ben wedded together against the lawe of God and of holy churche in degrees that bene forbidden as in consanguinitie or in affinity or gossibred And all that bene professed in any religion and broken out of her order and become wedded men or women Also priestes y t beene within holy orders forsaken her order and be comen wedded and al y t procuren helpen or assenten therto And al that knowen in matrimonye when it shall be made anye great defaulte or letting but if they by some way doe holy church to know it And when any churche or chappell is suspended or interdited by lawe they bene accursed openly that constreynen any priest for to sing therin or by ringing of bells or by any other waye maken hem to heare masse that beene openliche accursed by name And also when any man of holy church by commission doeth oute of holy Churche or curseth any man or woman and nameth hym by name on holy church behalfe that he goe oute of the Churche while masse gods seruice is in doing but if he do his bidding he is accursed And also al y t maynteynen hem or bidden hem holde them stil in the church and none of them may be assoyled but by y e court of Rome And al y t her goods geuen in drede of death in fraude of holy church or to forbarre her dettes and al thoe also y â— such giftes taken or couÌ„celen or helpen thereto bene accursed Also al thoe y t letten Prelates or Ordinaries or Chapiter for to enquire of synne there nede is for helpe or health of mans soule And al thoe y t against y e lawe of holy church byen or sellen any benefice of holy church And all y t byen or sellen holy orders or falsely stelen 〈◊〉 thoe bene accursed y t maken any â—ate or plee in y e patronage wherethorowe the very patrone is let of hys ryght And al y t breken any point of the Kings great Charter or els any point of the Charter of the forest in whiche bene writteÌ„ the fredomes of this land y e diuerse Kings han graunted both to learned to leude In the great Charter bene contayned .xxxv. poyntes and y e Charter of the forest comprehendeth xv points vt in tractatu vocato Pars oculi in prima parte et in tract vocat Regimen animarum in prima sui parte plenius continetur Also al men and women y t which in perill of death bene assoyled or in any other perils of hym y t hath not power by lawe oute of peril of death to assoyle hem assone as they be recouered but they take absolution of hym that hath power to assoyle hem they turneÌ„ agayn bene in the same curse as thei wer before worse forâ— vnbuxumnesse Al y t bene open lechouris open aduouteris coÌ„mon wemen all thoe y t wittingly and quietly defend them y t they be not punished by the law after monishing vpon paine of cursing y t no man let them house to hire ne receaue hem into her house after the time that they be knowen Also al that comynen with hem that bene accursed in eating drinking in receauing in helping in fauouring but only in hope to bring hem to amendment And all Okereris and vsureris that is to say if man or woman lende good or cattell to her neighbour for to take aduauÌ„tage for her lending and thoe y t it maintaine assenten to such geuing or taking or filling y e derer therfore And if there wer such one in a city y e citye should be interdited and no masse ne sacramente done therein till he were out of the citie And all thoe y e maken when vsurye is taken that it bee not restored agayne And al that beleuen on witchecraftes or vsen it And all that wilfully sleen hemselfe or ells any man woman or childe and all witches and all y t on witchecrafte beleuen maynteinen or vsen Also al that heresye maynteinen or sustaynen and all heretikes that beleuen not in the sacrament of the alter the whiche is Christes owne bodye hys fleshe and bloud in forme of bread and in other Sacramentes of holye Churche y t touchen health of soule And all thoe women that distroyen her owne children or any other womans children wyth drinkes or with any other witchcraft eyther wercke vnleefull And all y e fadren her children wrongfulliche on any man for malice or couetesie And all y t her children wilfulliche sleen or casteÌ„ awaye or leyen at churches or Church doores or at hospitalls or in fieldes or in high wayes or leauen her children christened or vnchristened and goen away from hem and forsaken hem And all thor that offeringes that bene offered in holy Church or in chappels or in oratories or in any other stead within a paryshe with holden or putten away into other places agaynst the will of y e person vicarye or curate but if thei be priuileged Also Iohn Stratford sometime Archbyshop of Cantorburye hauing regarde to muche harme of mans soule and default of deuotion thorowe vilanye and synne y t weren vsed done about dead bodyes ligging vp yet is vsed about in many places or the body be borne to church there y t sometyme weren vsed and ordained about a corse for holy prayers for the soule now it is forbidden by constitution vpoÌ„ paine of y e great curse that no maÌ„ vndirsong or take any folke into his house where the dead bodies bene watched to make any maÌ„ner plaies but pray for y e soule And al y t there ought ells done or thither comen than to bidde for the soule thei mowen drede of y e same curse And al y e vsen simonye or geuen or vndersongen in way of simonie Al sacrilegiers y t is to say al y e wrongfulliche doen away any thing halowed or geuen to holy church ligging to be kept where 〈◊〉 it be or that any thing w t violence beare out of holy church al y t this procuren or assenteÌ„ Also al thoe y â— doen in holy church or in holy place any foule sinne wherfore it hath nede to be newly halowed or reconciled Also all thoe y t withholden any mans good vniustly wetingly that hath bene axed openly in holy church three times And al that in violence lien hand or drawen bloud on father or mother and y t is to vnderstand both of bodilich ghostlich but it be himself defendaÌ„t And al y t helpeÌ„ the Sarazens against ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ in warre of armes or in
Corpus Christi The beginning of the feast of Corpus Christi The doctrine of the festiual concerning the feaste of Corpus Christi Pardon be longyng to the feast of Corpus Christi Midsommer day The InueÌ„tion of the Crosse. The exaltacion of the Crosse. The transfiguration of oure Lorde The doctrine of the festiuall Thassmuâ—ion of our Lady Michelmasse day DedicatioÌ„ daye or Churche holy day The feaste of al saintâ— The feaste of al soules The beginnyng of the feast of all Soules The coÌ„ceptioÌ„ and presentatioÌ„ of mary with the feastes of Aunâ— Ioseph Fraunces The visitacion of Marye Candelmasseday The feasts of the foure Euangelistes and of the foure Doctours Sonday A godlye lawe and worthy to be obserued This godly decree is sâ—lenderly obserued in Englande A generall rule for holy dayes The coÌ„ceptioÌ„ of mary The Annunciation of Mary The visitatioÌ„ of mary The beginning of saintes making Dominikâ— Fraunces Anthonye de padua Fryers Elizabeth â–ª Saintes Clara Peter Marter Stanislaus Saintes Lewes byshop of Colossa Tâ—of Aquine Thomas byshop of Hereforde Saintes Bernardine the Grayfrier sainted Uincent Edmundeâ— Osmunde saintes Katerine sainted Iuo a saint Bonauenture a saint Bernarde a saint Heliopolde a saint Hughe of Lincolne a saint Hedwigis a saint Brigit a saint Vuolfgang a saint Iohn Gaulbert a saint Hughe the Monke a saint Lewes King of Fraunce a saint Edmund Peter de verona sainted Nicolas de Toleto a saint Pope Celestine a saint Charles y e great sainted Fraunces a sainte Thomas Becket sainted Of Beckettes translation Note A new idol set vp Becket the popes martyr saint A lousye saint an vnclenly Beckets penaunce very homely None saintes but such as the pope admi Swarmes of saintes The popes Sainctes ☜ Reliques set out to sale Reliques honoured Sainctes bones honored with Masses Hands of Shrines A good and godly acte but not profitable for the Popes market The anauÌ„ceâ— of Pilgrimages Pilgrimages maâ—e not be hindred Pilgrimes may not be euill entreated Gregorye the firste a greate promoter of pardons Popes pardons nets for money and allurements vnto vice The yeâ—â—â— of Iubile A prophecye The yeare of Iubile altered ☞ Stations Christes natles worshipped Greate giftes for so litle labour Pardon beades Stringing of beades Note these scholepoiÌ„ts The fyue Pardons beades The pardoÌ„ that beloÌ„g to y e â—eads BostoÌ„ pardon Ghostly father Uowes chaunged Seruice neglected pardoned An ante diâ— The chappel of Scalâ— caeli Purgatoâ—â— White meates Fleshe Buriall Large promises They al at â—ow by the word of god brought to nought according to 〈◊〉 prophecy of christ Euery plaÌ„t that my heauenly â—ather hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes The price of y e pardon The pardoÌ„ of s Trinitye of houÌ„deslowe PardoÌ„s innumerable and good cheape â–ª Graciously considered Pardon of the Austen Friers Burton Lazare â–ª The pardoÌ„ of Sainet Mary of â—unciuall ☞ Giue and it shall be giuen to you Giue money and the smoke of Rome shall be giueÌ„ to you The pardoÌ„ of Saint Iohn of Beuerlay ☞ The pardâ—â— of Saint Cornelis at Weâ—â—minster The sepulchre pardonÌ„ S. Erasmus pardon Fiue special giftes Money is the Marchant in all the popes affayres What is to be done that wee may haue true pardoÌ„ What the popes pardons are Esay lv Math. xi Apoc. xxii Iere. ii Psal. xi The inuetour of the popes purgatory is not knoweÌ„ The studie of Sathan The true purgatorye is y e bloud of Christ. The popes purgatorye diuersely maintained Where purgatorye is Luke xv The varietye of papists in placing of purgatorye The tormentes of Purgatory 1. Cor. iii. Psal. 66. Dist. 7. cap. Nullus ☞ Serm. 41. de animabus What most greuous paynes there are in Purgatory Example Howe is this proued The infinite multitude of soules in Purgatorye ☜ Iob. xix Remedies deuised by the papists agaynst the tormeÌ„â—s of Purgatory The churches Church militant Church trinuâ—phant Church expectant Prayer for soules in Purgatory ☞ Prayer almosse Fasting pilgrimage pardons and Masses deliuer soules out of Purgatorye The profit of euerye Masse The doctrine of the festiuall coÌ„cerning soules in Porgatory Of prayer for soules A narratioÌ„ A straunge sight Well proued substauncially of Almosse deedes for soules A narratioÌ„ Of Masses for soules â–ª ☜ A narratioÌ„ An other narration prodicious woÌ„derful The great vertue of the masse Ten remedies to deliuer soules out of purgatorye Candles Sensing of the altare Sprinckeling of holy water Prayer for the dead Oblations for y e soules departed Fastinges â–ª watchings c. Q. xiii c. ii Animae Paying the dets of the dead Offering vp of bread and wine Fulfilling of y e deades penaunce The celebration of masses A narratioÌ„ Monstri simili Missa wherof it is deriued The vertues of the masse ☞ A fond fansye of the papistes Spedy deliueraunce of soules out of purgatorye Note this tale All is not golde that glistereth A trentall of Masses and what they are Trinities of Masses The .xii. vertues of the masse Psal. 9â— Luke xxiii Luke vii ☞ ☜ Math. vii The vertues of the masse out of y â— Festiual The vertue of the masse out of Stella Clericorum No couÌ„cell of force without y e consent of the Pope Al bishops must be at a general councell A good anâ— necessary deuice Sene twice in the yere ☜ No couÌ„cell lauful with out the consent of the Pope What is to be done if matters caÌ„not be quietly coÌ„posed in y e lesser Sinodes Appeare or elsaccursed The authoritie of the popes decrees Popes decrees equal w t the word of God All thinges ar subiect to the pope Popeiudge of al â–ª iudged of none ☜ A lawful general couÌ„cel is abouâ— the pope The preeminence of the pope Heretikes banished Heretikes put to death by the secular power The temporall offices the â—opyshe Byshops butchers Ioan. viii ☜ Fraunces Martyrs Of the state of the faithful after this life Heretikes expelled out of the Churche A good law Note well The coÌ„panie of Heretikes is to be eschued auoyded The great councell Laterane Heretikes condemned to be committed to the seculer powers so put to death Priests degraded Priesteâ— goodes Laye menâ— goodes Suspect of heresie The temporall rulers sworn to roote out heretikes Note O tyranny A newe kinde of Heresie Heresiarch â–ª Dead men excommunicate The company of heretiques is to be eschued UnderstaÌ„d by heretikes all suche as in anye point resiste the pope or his decrees No coÌ„pany with excoÌ„municate persons Ioan. Ep. ii Spoylers of y e church excommunicate A good a godly law ☞ The names of excoÌ„municate persons published One excoÌ„municate person may not excommunicate an other Hinderers of pilgrimages or spoylers of pilgrimes accursed Smiters of byshops or priestes â–ª spoylers or burners of churches accursed Spoylers of pilgrimes Chaplens â–ª Clarkes monks c â–ª accursed DisobedieÌ„t to bishops accursed This pope mitigateth y â— rigor of y e ecclesiastical censure A frendly decree Thys is wicked Neither baâ—â—el better her ring The pope deposeth Princes Practise â–ª Destroyers of Abbeies excommunicate Preachers not authorised by the Pope or some bishop accursed No man ought to be excoÌ„municate before his matter be knoweÌ„ Paiment of tythes ☞ The penaunce of him that hath slayne his mother What opinion of mariage had this Pope thinke ye A Pope more reasonable Note how loth the Popes are to go from their olde Mumsimê° A foolishe diuine of so wise a head 1. Cor. vii The penaunce of them that are negligent about the Sacrament of the Altare Beholde hys curiositye ☜ The penaÌ„ce of the Clergy coÌ„uicte of great fauts Penaunce dispensed with Penaunce enioyned of the ghostly Father A rule for penaunce A greate priuilege A reasonable order Note thys well Ioan. xi Sed perquaÌ„â—egulam A decree not to be despised Absolution must be receaued knelyng Pope The colledge of Cardinals Holy lande Holy crosse Bishops Abbotâ— prâ—ours moÌ„ks Chanons Friers nuÌ„nes c. Curates â–ª Persons Uicares Priestes Clarks c. The king Quene c. Duke Earles BaroÌ„s c Parisheners True tithers Tillers Shipmen MarchaÌ„ts Benefactors of the Churche Pilgrimes and Palmers Sicke persons Women in our Ladies bondes The holye bread giuer Prayeng for soules departed The three estates of holy church The generall seÌ„tence red foure tymes in the yeare What cursing is Enemies to holy church are fyrst accursed as most greuous offendours â–ª ☜ ☞ In Popish Churches all thynges are in Latib besydes surfyng ☞ A Caueat What this word cursâ— signifyeth Two manner of curses The lesser curse ☜ The more curse Note ☜ Wakings Reasons why the sacramental wine is not reserued in churches as y e sacramentall bread is Buriall The order of halowing churches The vertue of holy water The order of halowing altares The popes power The pope is Melchizedech Ioan i Psa cxlviii â–ª Gene xix Exod. vii Ioan ii â–ª Miracles This man for lacke of scripture to proue hys popysh traÌ„substantiation fleeth to carnall reasons fleshly similitudes as al other papistes doe A wise reason and a cupstantial 4 Reg. iiii The â—biquâ—â—ty of christs bodye The monstrous and vnreasonable doctrine of transubstantiation Fabula sinâ— capite An homely shifte and a soule Corin. xii Why y e host is lifted vp aboue the priests head Phil ii Rom x AmoÌ„strous kinde of doctrine Chebbiquity of christâ—â— bodye The signe of the crosse helpeth forward transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ ☜ What is to be done if gods bloud be frosen in the chalice An hâ—e point in a lowe house i. Corin. ii Titus i. Sacramentes iustifye after the doctrine of the papists Howe the sacrament is to be eaten The masse excelleth al prayses done to god Mary ledeth to heauen Prayer vnto Marye the Uirgin Suffrages of saintes Fasting Crosse. Confirmation or smering of the infantes forehead The greate vertue of coÌ„firmation Note Mary oure intercessour Three degrees of soules Soules maruelouslye good Soules maruelously euill Soules meanely euill Soules in purgatorye knowe what is done for theÌ„ in thys worlde Soules in heauen know what is done here
Agayn in the treatise called in Latin Stella Clericorum we finde this written The fyre and other paynes that are in Purgatorye are more greuous and more bytter than all the paynes of the Martyrs and all kyndes of tormentes that coulde be imagyned and inuented of the Tyrauntes in thys worlde And the soules of them that are thus punished do farre excell the multitude of all them that lyue in this worlde And therefore sayth Austen He knoweth not what he asketh whiche desyreth Purgatorye O God howe swete a thing shall it be to make satisfaction in thys world I say y t it is more greuous to be in Purgatory one twyncklyng of an eye than all y e paine whiche blessed Laurence had vpon the Gredyron Therfore one teare issuing out of a pure hearte doth purge more thā ten yeares in Purgatory yet betwene two euils the lessest is to be chosen And therfore the soules that are in Purgatorye cry with Iob on this māner and say Miseremini mei Miseremini mei saltem vos amici mei Quia manus domini tetigit me That is to say Haue pitie on me haue pitie on me at the least ye that are my frendes for the hande of the Lord hath touched me After that the Papistes had thus fained Purgatory and the moste horrible dredeful paynes therof they thought it also good to deuise some thing to relieue these paynes and to ease the bitter tormentes whiche the sely soules suffer in that most greuous fyre of purgatorye by this their deuise nothyng doubting but that no small aduauntage shoulde ryse vnto them whiche in dede hath had hitherto fortunate successe Diuerse inuented diuerse remedies against these fyry tormēts Which thyng hath bene brought to passe by y e cōstitutions ordinaūces of men partly as we may see in y e Coūcels Florentine and Constantiense and partly by the bookes and writings of the Sophisticall Papistes Some of their deuyses here to recite I thinke it not vnfitting nor out of the way The author of the booke entitled Stella Clericorum sayeth that there are iii. Churches The first is in this world and that is called Ecclesia Militans that is y e Militant or warrefayring church The secōd is in heauen and it is called Ecclesia Triumphans that is to say The Triumphant Churche The third is in Purgatory and it is called Ecclesia Expectans that is The Churche Expectant and that loketh for and abydeth deliueraunce This latter Church is in great paines from the which they may be deliuered saith he foure manner of wayes Vnde Versus Missa preces dona ieiunia quatuor ista Absoluūt animas quas purgās detinet ignis That is to saye Masse Prayers Giftes Fastings These foure thinges set at libertie y e soules that are in Purgatorye And a little after he sayeth The deuice to praye for them that are dead is holy and wholesome It is holy by the compassion of the deare frendes It is wholesome thorowe geuyng of almosse and the prayer of the faithfull and specially of the Priestes to whom the soules are committed For almosse is the meate of soules and prayer is the drinke Fastings also of the faithfull is a great refection bāket for the soules and pilgrimage goynge of frendes is the dispatche and deliuerāce of paynes As for pardons they also profite the soules in purgatorye euen so farre as they deserued while they liued in thys world But before al remedies wherewith y e soule being in Purgatory may be holpen the masse farre excelleth Therfore saith Gregory Oh how great and liuely gifte of God is this For the diuine mysteries are neuer celebrated He meaneth that the masse is neuer songe or sayd but that two vertuous workes do concurre and are brought to passe that is to saye the conuersion of one sinner and the deliueraūce of one soule at the lest out of Purgatorye The like doctrine doth the author of the festiuall teache on thys manner Ye shall vnderstande that there bene foure thinges that greatly holpen soules that bene in Purgatorye and that bene these Fidelium amicorum oratio eleemosynarum largitio salutaris hostia ieiuniorum obseruatio That is prayers of frendes deuoutly sayd almosse deede doying and masses singing and abstinence in fasting That prayers helpe much a soule that is in Purgatory the authour proueth for lacke of the testimonies of holye scripture with thys narracion or tale that followeth We find written sayth he in Legenda aureae how there was a man y t had his house fast by a churchyarde side y t his doore opened to the Churche And he vsed by custome as oft as he wēt or came to say euery time De profūdis for al christē soules Thē it happened so on a time that he was pursued with ennemyes as he went homewards But when he came into the churchyarde he kneled downe and thought to saye De profundis But his ennemies came after Anone the dead bodyes rose euery chone with instruments as they wrought with by theyr liues and anone they droue away his enemies But when they saw that they cried God mercy and this man euer after prayde and did almosse dedes for them that were in payne Thus I may well proue sayth he that deuoute prayers helpen many a soule that bene in Purgatory Also almesse deedes helpen many a soule Sicut aqua extinguit ignem ita eleemosyna extinguit peccatum Right as water quencheth fire so almesse deede quencheth the fire y t brenneth them that bene in Purgatorye if they bene in good lyfe and in perfecte charity that done it c. Nowe to proue that almesse deedes done for soules in Purgatorye profite thē greatly he bringeth in this narratiō or tale We rede saith he y t in olde tyme good people woulde on all hollowen day bake bread deale it for all christē soules And yet there ben some but all to fewe We rede In Legenda aurea of a knight that should go to a battayle and had a cosen that he loued passing well and sayde to him thus If he were slayne in the battayle he shoulde sel his horse deale the value to poore people in almesse to pray for al christē soules So it hapned y t he was slayne and his cosin loued wel y e horse tooke him to his own vse Then soone after this Knight appeared to hys cosin and said thus to him These eyght daies for my horse thou hast made me to burn in purgatorye and therfore God wil take vengeaunce on thee Forsoth quod he this day thy soule shal be in hel with y e fende Ego purgatus vado in regnum dei And I am purged and go to the kingdome of heauen And anon an horrible noyse was heard in the ayre of fendes which caught this man and bare hym awaye The thyrd thyng y ◠helpeth soules in
y e worship of y e Trinity Set also .iii. candles burning before y e sacrament al y e masse tyme. Fede also three poore men or geue three almesses to the nedye Secondly on y e monday cause a masse to be song or sayde in y e worship of all Aungels Light also .ix. candles in the honoure of the â–ª ix orders of Aungells Fede .ix. pore meÌ„ or geue .ix. almosses Thirdly on y â— twesday cause a masse to be song or sayde in the honoure of S. Spirite and lighten .vii. candles in the worship of the .vii. giftes which he geueth Fede also .vii. poore men or geue .vii. almosses Fourthly on the Wednisday cause a masse to be song or said in the worship of S. Ihon Baptiste and of all the patriarches Light foure candles feede foure poore meÌ„ or geue foure almosses Fiftlye on the Thursdaye cause a Masse to be song or sayde of S. Peter and of the .xii. Apostles Lighten .xii. candles fede .xii. poore men or geue xii almosses Sixtly on the Fryday cause a masse to be song or sayd in the worship of S. Crosse. Lighten .v. candles Feede .v. poore men or geue v. almosses Seuenthly and finally on the Saterday cause a masse to be song or sayde in the honour of our lady and al virgines Lighten v. candles Fede .v. poore meÌ„ or geue v. almosses He y t thus doth truste to it verelye for he shall deliuer shortlye any soule that he will oute of purgatorye Ita est Probatum est Amen Fiat Fiat Iesu mercy Lady helpe Of Trentales for soules departed and howe they firste began THere was somtime at Rome a certaine Pope called Gregory whiche had a mother whome he loued aboue all thinges and chiefly for her goodnesse and vertue It chauÌ„ced thorow misfortune that the aforesaid womaÌ„ was big with child which for feare of her sonne shame of the people wheÌ„ the time of her labour drew nye killed the childe So like did she at an other time also no man knowing of it After ward â—t so chaunced that the aforesayd woman fell sicke and died The Pope and al the people did greatly reioyse of her for they thought her to be a good woman to be saued But afterwarde when the aforesayde Pope song masse he saw iust by him a certain darknesse so that it semed rather night than day and in the same darknesse he behelde a certayne moste miserable creature to whom he said O thou creature I coniure thee in Gods behalfe that thou declare vnto me what thou art She auÌ„swered O most derely beloued sonne I am thy Mother The Pope maruellyng greatlye at the matter sayd vnto her We hoped that thou haddest bene a good woman and placed in the kingdome of Heauen Howe commeth it to passe that thou art now in such payne She opened vnto him all thinges that she had done in this worlde and tolde him y t therfore she suffred such paynes y t the very flames of fyre came oute of the mouth of her The Pope being moued with sorowe and payne of his mother said vnto her O mine owne mother caÌ„ any thing in the world deliuer thee out of this paine She said If any maÌ„ would sing a trentall of masses for me I should be deliuered out of all my paines be saued He said What masses shoulde they be She aunswered Thre masses of y e Natiuity of our lord Thre masses of y e Epiphanie of our lord Three of the Purification of our Lady Thre of the AnnuÌ„ciation of our Lady Thre of the Resurrection of our Lord. Thre of the ascensioÌ„ of our Lord. Thre of Penthecost Three of the Trinitie Thre of the AssuÌ„ption of our Lady and thre of her Natiuitie so y t these masses be celebrated within y e Octaues of y e said feasts as on the first day with the same Kirie eleyson Gloria in excelsis Credo also the same SequeÌ„ce Preface with Communicantes Hane igitur Sanctus and Agnus as it is contained in y e Canon of the Masse also with these prayers folowyng so that the prayers that folowe be sayde with the collecte of the Feast vnder one Oremus and vnder one Per dominum There must also be sayde euery daye thorowout the yeare Placebo and Dirige with ix Psalmes and ix lessons and ix Anthemes excepte it be at the tyme of Easter when it shal be said dayly with thre lessons only The commeÌ„dation also must be sayd as often so that both at Placebo and at Dirige the first collect or prayer shall be Deus summaspes c. also at the commeÌ„dacioÌ„ Againe at the masse of the day y e aforesayd prayer shall be sayde of him that celebrateth the masse thorowout the whole yeare The Collecte shall be alwayes Deus summaspes The secretes Omnipotens sempiterne Deus The post CoÌ„munion Deus cuius misericordia c. If any man wil doe thus much for me quod she I shall be deliuered from my paine And y e sonne said that he would gladly do that for his mother And he commaunded her that she should come againe vnto him at the very same time the yeare folowing All these thynges that she desired were done When the time drewe nighe that y e Pope appointed of her returne the Pope hymselfe song masse and sawe a great light and in it two Aungels commyng downe and a most goodly faire and beautifull Lady betwene them He beyng afraide thought her to be the Queene of Heauen and fell downe at the feete of her â–ª saying O Regina coeli miserere animae matris meae O Queene of Heauen haue mercye on my mothers soule But she aunswered O my most deare sonne I am thy mother Blessed be the houre y t I bare thee For of suche one as thou didst se me in tymes paste hath God made me as thou nowe seest thorowe thy masses and prayers And all they for whom the aforesayd Masses shalbe longe shalbe lykewise saued euen as I am Ex missali manuscripto Anno domini 1354. Of the vertues of the Masse THe masse hath xii vertues as it is specified in a certaine booke called The signification of the Masse imprinted in the Englishe tounge by Robert Wier Cum priuilegio regali ad imprimendum solum The first vertue or frute of the masse is as some doctours do write y t a man doth merite more whiles that he doth beare masse deuoutly than if he should geue for gods sake as muche grounde and lande as he coulde passe go ouer y e space of y e same masse O what may be then deserue which doth heare euery daye .iii. or .iiii. masses And what doth he lese and what compte shall he make afore God at the daye of iudgement whiche hath not so greate businesse but that he may heare one masse at the least euery daye O what shall it greue you that ye haue lost so muche This ye shal