Of the first ioy the royal prophet Dauid sayth Exultabunt sancti c. The saints shall reioyce in glorie psl 140. Of the second Fulgebunt iusti tanquam sol in regno Patris The iust shall shine like the sunne in the kingdome of their Father Mat. The 6. Reason The vse and custome of this worde first came from the Angels and from certaine holie Prophets And S. Iohn in his Apocalips reciteth that he hearde the voice of the heauenlie armie as the voice of many waters and of great thunders saying Amen and Alleluia foure times Alleluia and once Amen Wherfore the church hath thought good to retaine these wordes in earth and to pronounce them in the Masse by the mouth of the priest as they are pronounced in heauen by the holie Angels The 7. Reason And therfore is it left in an vnknowen language to denote that we may rather signifie obscurelie then any way perfectly expresse the greatnes of the ioyes which our Lord hath promised to all that loue him The 8. Reason Another reason why the Church retaineth this and other like woordes vninterpreted vnto vs is because of the greate difficultie that there is well and truly to translate them being of such vertu and energie that other languages want proper wordes sufficientlie to expresse them and for this cause it is much better to leaue them as they are then to extenuat their force by a strange interpretatiō And S. Aug. in his booke De doctrina Christiana cap. 11. giueth this reason saying that in holy writinges many Hebrue woordes are lefte without interpretation because of a certaine sanctitie that is cōprehended vnder the very wordes them selues Alleluia confirmed by miracle Finallie this Alleluia our Apostle S. Aug. vsed when he first entred into our countrie to conuert the same as witnesseth S. Bede li. 1. cap. 25. whose prayer was in this wise VVe beseeche thee o Lord for thy great mercie sake that thy furie and thine anger may be taken from this cittie to wit Canterburie in Kent and from thy holy house because we haue sinned Alleluia The same Alleluia also vsed S. German bishop of Auxerre in France who being sent by the Popes holines into our countrie to confute the error of the Pelagians gaue cōmandment vnto certaine soldiears whom he had placed in a valley thorough which their enimies resolued to passe that so soone as they perceiued them coming they should all forthwith crie out as they hearde him crie The blessed Bishop sodainlie issuing out before the enimie cried out three seueral times Alleluia and all the rest of the soldiears cryed out aloud the same with him Wherwith the enimies were so affrighted and amazed that they thought not only the hilles but also heauen it selfe to crie out and fighte against them Whereupon they fled with great feare and many of them were drowned in the riuer which they were to passe And so the soldiears that were with the B. Bishop obtained the victory without any battail only by the terror which God strooke into thē by the sound eccho of Allelu Bed li 1 c. 20. Of the Prose And of sundry reasons concerning the same The 1. Reason THe Prose is commonly taken for an ecclesiasticall prayer contayning the prayses of almighty God of the B. Virgin and of the glorious Saints and followeth betwixt the Epistle and and the Gospell The 2. Reason The first inuention therof is attributed to Nocherus Abbot of S. Gaule in Swisse afterwards elected bishop of Liege Durandus li. 4. cap. 22. de ritibus Ecclesiae And Pope Nicolas the first of that name greately moued with the deuotion of this holy man as also with the rithme sound and plesant melodie of the song permitted the vse thereof But amongst many composed also by others the Church of Rome hath especially retayned in the holy Masse four for their excellēcie The 3. Reason 1. The first is Victimae Paschalis laudis The which is sayed vpon Easter day in testimony of the ioyfull resurrection of Iesus Christ thanksgiuing for the redemption of mankind wrought by his blessed and holy death The author is somwhat vncertaine but vndoutedly a man endued with notable pietie and deuotion The 4. Reason 2. The second is Venisancte Spiritus And is sung vpon Whitsunday to craue of the holy Ghost to send from aboue the beames of his celestiall brightnes to illuminate the mindes of those which are couered with darknes Robert King of France surnamed The great Cleark composed it the Church hauing since approued it and sung it vniuersally thoroughout all the partes of christendome As witnesseth Paulus Aemilius writing of his life The 5. Reason The third is Lauda Sion Saluatorem Composed in praise of the most B. Sacrament by S. Thomas of Aquin admirable for his learning to the whole worlde which was rather diuinly infused into him then ether attained vnto by nature trauaile or labour of studie Who treated so sublimely of the holy Eucharist as neuer any since did more set foorth and illustrate the same so that God seemeth purposely to haue chosen this great and learned Doctor for a cōuenient remedy against the heretiques of our time The 6. Reason 4. The fourth is Dies illa dies irae And this is said in the holy Masse for the soules departed The Canticle is verye lamentable and the discourse ful of Christian contemplatiō touching the apprehension and feare of the day of generall iudgment and was composed by a noble famous and religious Cardinall Of the Tract And of the sundrie mysteries and reasons rendred for the same The 1. Reasons THe Tract is so called of this Latin word Tractus à trahendo bycause sayth Durandus li. 4. cap. 41. num 1. it is sung tractim and as with a trayling of the voyce as those may easilie discerne who vnderstand playne-song The 2. Reason This Tract is a spirituall song composed of sundrie verses vsuallie taken out of the plalmes of Dauid and sometimes out of certaine other places of the holie Scripture as that vpon the feast of S. Peeters chayre Tu es Petrus supra hanc Petram edificabo ecclesiam meam Mat. 16. And sometimes also composed by the Church conformable to the holie Scripture as Gaude Maria Virgo cunctas hereses sola interemisti in vniuerso mundo Off B. Virg. The 3. Reason Next it is to be noted that this Tract is alwayes soung eyther after the Alleluia or sometimes onelie in the steede thereof And farther from Septuagesima till Easter the Alleluia which is a song of iubilation alltogeather ceaseth both in the Masse and also in the Canonicall howers the reason wherof is for that by the tyme of Septuagesima the Church wold represent vnto vs the miserable estate of mans nature liuing in this wretched world and therefore ceaseth to sing the song of ioye and onelie singeth the song of sadnesse and sorrow Also to signifie the difference betwixt our estate and the estate of the blessed soules
replenished with diuine grace Or heauen and earth are full of his diuine glorie because his dietie is euerie where aboue all thinges not elated vnder all thinges not prostrated with in all thinges not included without all thinges not excluded Againe heauen and earth are full of his glorie because the selfe same glorie which is in heauen with the Angells is likewise with vs in earth the selfe same glorie which is sitting vpon the throane and right hand of the Father the selfe same glorie is vpon the Altar and therfore both heauen and earth at one and the selfe same time is filled and replenished with the selfe same glorie Hosanna Hosanna in Hebrue is composed of hosiach saue and anna which is an Interiection of beseeching and being put together soundeth as much as saue we beseech thee Which Pope Simachus interpreteth more manifestlie saying Saue me o Lord I beseech thee In excelsis In the highest These other wordes in excelsis ioyned to hosanna doe cleerely shew what this sauing is which is before vnderstood in the word hosanna to wit in exceâ—sis in the highest that is in heauen because Christ came to giue not earthlie but heauenlie not temporal but eternall saluation Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini Blessed is he that cometh in the name of our Lord. Blessed is he which commeth once to offer him selfe for vs in a cruentall oblation vppon the Crosse and blessed is he which commeth daylie to be offered incruentallie for vs vpon the Altar and blessed is he which commeth to replenish vs with aboundance of all spirituall graces and benedictions Hosanna in excelsis Hosanna in the highest This Hosanna is twice repeated for the two parts of glorie the one of the body and the other of the soule or for the saluation of the two people the Iewes and the Gentils Of the signe of the Crosse made at the end of the aforsaid hymne The wordes Benedictus c. were as before was said the prayses and acclamations of the people when our Sauiour returned to Hierusalem at the pronounciation whereof the Priest maketh the signe of the Crosse before his face to signifie that this honorable entry of Christ with all those high acclamations of the people was not to receiue the pompe of a worldly kingdom but by his passion and death to purchase our redemption The vse of singing of sundry Prefaces in the holy Masse is very ancient as appeareth out of Clemens Romanus Cyprianus Chrisostomus Basilius Ambrosius and sundrye others cited by Durant in li. de rit Eccles Cath. li. 2. cap. 30. Of the holy Canon of the Masse and of sundrie notable mysteries contained in the same FIRST Canon is a Greek woord which signifieth a rule or a thing regularly coÌ„posed and this part of the Masse is so called because it containeth certaine prescriptions and ordonances for the consecration of so high a sacrameÌ„t As also because it hath by the authoritie of the Church of Rome obtained the force of a prescript or law Of the holie Canon do make mention most authors which euer tooke vpon them to write of the Masse euen from the Apostles vnto this present and therfore it shall not be needefull in this place or in the discourse ensuinge to fill vp paper with the particular names of anie ether ancient or moderne VVhy the holy Canon of the Masse is said in secret The holy Canon of the Masse is said in secret because that which is performed therein is so hiden and secret that no human reason is able fully to comprehend it Durandus saith that the holy Canon of the Masse is said in secret least otherwise those sacred words should be made ouer common or wax contemtible amongst the simple people who by daylie vse of hearinge them might carelesly recite and sing them in the open stretes and other places not conuenient For as the same author recounteth when in former times the holie Canon of the Masse was pronouÌ„ced publiquelie almost all maner of persons learned it by rote and would singe it in the fieldes and open streetes Wherupon it happened that certaine shepheardes singing it for recreation and laying bread vpon a stone at the prolation of the sacred wordes the bread was turned into flesh but they by Gods iustice were striken with fyre sent downe from heauen For Which cause the holie Fathers of Gods Church haue euer since ordayned that these sacred wordes should alwayes be said in silence The like also happened to three litle boyes who to make them selues sport would seeme to take vpon them to sing Masse Who first placeing a stone insteed of an Altar and then laying their bread theron insteed of an Host and after putting water into a wodden dishe insteed of a Chalice were soddainlie stroken to the earth and their bread and water consumed with fyre which fell from heauen and for the space of three dayes to the great amazement of their parents remayned speechles And after three dayes coming againe vnto them selues recounted openlie all that which had befell them al which is testified more at lardge by Ioannes Moscus and by manie others The premisses therfore considered I am here to pray the gentle Reader to pardon me if I doe not turne the wordes of the sacred Canon immediatlie ensuing into our vulgar tongue as I haue done the former which I protest in regard of their dreadfull venerablenes I dare not to doe Hoping neuertheles sufficientlie to explicate their sence and meaning by another method Now then according to S. Hierom let vs sprinkle our booke and the postes of our houses with blood And with Zara let vs binde a red thrid vpon our fingar that we may set foorth the passion death of our redeemer and sorrowfullie consider the vnspeakable paines which he vouchsafed to suffer for vs. T. E. FOR as much as in the holie Canon of the Masse speciall memorie is made of the passion and death of our redeemer therfore perhaps it was ordained by deuine prouidence and not by humane industrie that the sacred Canon should take his beginning from that letter which by his proper forme doth liuelie expresse the signe of the Crosse in the figure of Thau As the Prophet Ezechiel saith cap. 9. The signe of Thau in the foreheades of the men which sorrow and mourne Igitur Which word Igitur is a particle Illatiue connecting the sacred Canon vnto the Preface before rehearced As if he should say After such preamble of prayers and celebration of prayses at the lenght we enterprise that which hitherto for reuerence we haue deferred Per Iesum Christum Filium tuum In which wordes is clearie alleadged the virtu of the Mediator the which of what maruelous operation and efficacie it is plainlie appeareth by the great propinquitie which he hath with both parties betwene whom he is in the midst as Mediator For first with God he hath propinquitie because he is the Sonne of God also with vs he hath
yea so high that a higher or greater cannot possiblie be inuented or imagined The chiefe and principall end is onlie one the other are diuers The first is the honour of God who being the last and finall end af all things of good right willeth and ordaineth that all things be done and referred to his honour 2. The beter to vnderstand this point it is to be noted that Sacrifice is an act of worship adoration or honour the which is due onlie to God with paine of death to all those who shall attribute the same to anie other Sacrificans Dijs eradicabitur nisi Domino soli Exod. 22. He that shall sacrifice to Gods but onlie to our Lord shal be rooted out The Masse therfore is and ought to be both said and heard chieflie to honour God by and with soe diuine a Sacrifice 3. The other ends are diuers for the which the same maie either be said or heard As for the preseruation of the vniuersall church the propagation of the Catholike Religion for the Popes holines for Bishops Pastors and religious Persons for peace and concord amongst Christian Princes for our parents friends and benefactors for thanksgiuing to God for all his benefits for the preseruation of the fruits of the earth for our tēporall substance and generally for all manner of necessities either of soule or body 4. In saying of Masse there is required of the Priests part a singuler attention and deuotion be it either in regard of the thinge that is offered or in regard of him to whom the same is offered which is almighty God himselfe who is Rex egum Do minus Do minantium Kinge of Kings and Lord of Lords Before whose presence euen the highest powers of Heauen do shake and tremble 5. This S. Chrisostom seriously pondering and wheighing with himself saith He who is a legat to treate for a whole Citty what speake I of a Citty yea for the whole world and is an intercessor to almightie God that he may become propitious vnto al men not only to the liuing but also to the dead what manner of man I pray you ought he to be Trulie I cannot thinke the confidence of Moyses or Elias to be sufficient to dispatch such an embassage or supplication li. ◠de Sacerdotio And againe in the same place he further saith what hāds ought they to be that do administer it what the tōgue that pronoūceth such deuine words How pure and cleane ought that soule to be that doth receiue so worthy a Lord Thus S. Chrisost 6. For further proofe and confirmation hereof the holy Scripture recounteth a fearefull example of the two children of Helie the Priest who were punished by death for that they did not performe the office of Priesthood duly as they ought what then may we thinke shall be the punishment of such Priests as should now approach vnworthely to the Altar of our Lord 7. It is written of S. Marke the Euangelist that he had so great a reuerence of this holy Sacrifice and so greatly feared his owne insufficiencie that he cut off his owne thōbe to the end he might be vncapable and vnfit to be made a Priest which yet was afterwards restored vnto him again by miracle as is to be read Canon si quis a med dist 55. 8. And it is testified of the glorious Father S. Francis that being only a deacon and purposing to be made Priest one appeared vnto him houlding in his hand a violl of water of most admirable clearnes and said vnto him Faancis seest thou this water And the blessed father hauing answeared that he did He further added He that will be a Priest must be like vnto this in purity which words strooke into the holy man such a deepe impression and such a feare and respect of that sacred function that he neuer afterwardes would permit himself to be made a Priest Of the attention and deuotion of the asisttants And how the same may be obteyned by hearing of Masse CHAP. 5. FOR as much as vpon all festiuall daies a man must either saie Masse or at the least heare Masse by the expresse comandement of the Church it is great reason that this worke should be well and orderlie performed according as is conuenient and as the weight and importance of the thing it selfe requireth First then we must procure to haue an ardent and inflamed desire to heare the same with fruit and with the greatest attention that possibly we may which desire ought to be accompanied with a liuely faith of the presence of Iesus Christ our Sauiour who with such exceeding loue vouchsafeth to come to visite vs. 2. Secondlie it will help verie much to thinke vpon the wonderfull greatnes and dignity of this most holy Sacrifice whereof I haue spoken a litle before 3. Thirdly to remember our owne vilenes abiectnes reputing our selues most vnworthy to be present at so excellent and deuine a mistery in the presence whereof the verie Angels do humble and bow downe themselues with most deuine reuerence wherfore with far greater reason ought a wretched sinner to do the same and after the example of the publicā holding doune his head for shame to knock his breast saying Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori God be mercifull to me a sinner 4. Fourthly it is also requisite that a man goe to Masse out of mortall sinne for as much as this greatly hindreth both deuotion and due attention as also the fruit which he might otherwise draw from the same Yet if a man be fallen into anie great sinne he ought not therfore to leaue to heare Masse for albeit it serue him not then to merit eternall life yet it serueth him neuertheles to satisfie the commandement of the Church which is to heare masse on the festiuall daies which if he perfome not he doeth ad another mortall sinne to his former 5. Fiftly that our end or intention be right which is that we purpose to do that which our holy mother the Church doth who in the Sacrifice of the Masse maketh an offring and present to the eternall Father of his only Sonne of his most holie Passion and of his merits in satisfaction of the sinnes of hi◠children Whereupon we ought to accōpany and ioine our desires with those of the Priest and to beseech the deuine Maiesty that it would please him to heare vs and that he would mercifully pardon both our owne offences and those of our neighbours and that he would gratiously assist vs in all our necessities and that in the vertue of this most holie Sacrifice 6. Sixtlie to endeauour to conceaue within our selues a holy feare and a wonderfull reuerence considering that we are present in a place that is holie and speciallie dedicated to the seruice of God remembring how God commaunded Moyses to put off his shooes for reuerence of the place wheron he stood Deut. 7. Seauenthlie besides the sanctity and holines of the place we ought to
conceiue their sense Dost sanctifie to wit according to their sacramentall causes Viuificate by conuerting them into thy flesh and blood Blesse by pouring downe multiplying thy graces vpon them If you refer them to Christ then are they thus to be vnderstood to wit those creatures which before were but earthlie voide of life and of all benediction are by the blessing of Christ made heauenlie liuelie and euerie way most blessed If we applie them vnto ourselues then may they thus be taken to wit that this sacred Host is sanctified in respect of vs that it may be our sanctification from all sinnes viuificated that it may be the life of our soules to quicken vs in spirit to newnes of life Blessed that we may by the same attaine the aboundaÌ„ce of all spiritual grace perfection Of the three Crosses which are made at the three wordes aforsaid As touching the three Crosses which are made in this place vpon the Host and the Chalice together they are made to signifie vnto vs that our redemption wrought by Christ by the vertu of his Crosse was with the consent of all the blessed Trinitie Or according to Albertus Magnus three Crosses are made in this place to signifie that al thinges are saÌ„ctified viuificated blessed by the vertu of the Crosse and passion of our â—…emer Et praestas nobis The thing which in these wordes we desire of God may be giuen vnto vs is the pretious bodie and blood of Christ his Sonne for our refection who lying hid vnder these species giueth him selfe to vs to eate that so he may be in vs and we in him And Titlemanus saith that this holie Host is giuen vs to our vtility and health it is giuen vs in meate it is giuen vs in drinke it is giuen vs in life it is giuen vs in norishment it is giuen vs in preseruation it is giuen vs in defence it is giuen vs in remission of our sinnes it is giuen vs for the obtayning of good thinges it is giuen vs against the assaultes of our enimies it is giuen vs for the subduing of our flesh it is giueÌ„ vs in commemoration of the death of Christ and of all his benifits Per ip ✠sum et cum ip ✠so et in ip ✠so Then vncouering the Chalice bowing his knee and houlding the Host in his right hand and the Chalice in his left he maketh three Crosses from side to side of the Chalice saying Peripsum as by the Mediator betwixte God and man Et cum ipso as euerie way equal with the Father Et in ipso as consubstantiall and coeternal both with him and the holie Ghost Againe per ipsum by whom thou hast created â—hinges Et cum ipso by whom thou gouernest all thinges created Et in ipso in whom thou consummatest all thinges Est tibi Deo patri ✠omnipotenti Not called Father onlie by name honor and veneration as we call our elders and betters fathers but by nature and origin so that trulie and properlie the diuine generation appertayneth vnto him In vnitate spiritus ✠sancti That is to say in the communion of the Holie Ghost who is the knot and loue of the Father and the Sonne in whom they communicate as in one common gift proceeding from both Omnis honor gloria Be all honor as to our Lord and al glorie as to our God Where â—n the same order that God the Father doth send his graces and blessinges vnto vs which is by the meanes of Christ his Sonne euen so in the same order all honor and glorie returneth againe by the meanes of Christ vnto the Father and that euermore in the vnitie of the holie Ghost Of the fiue Crosses which are made at the fiue wordes aforesaid The 1. Reason As touching those three which are made with the Host ouer the Chalice at these wordes Peripsum c. diuers thinges may be signified by the same First they may signifie the three howres wherein our Lord and Sauiour hung vpon the Crosse in most vnspeakable paine aliue The 2. Reason According to S. Thomas these three Crosses are made to signifie the triple prayer of Christ vpon the Crosse First Father forgiue them Secondly My God why hast thou forsaken me Thirdly Into thy handes I commend my spirit The 3. Reason The other two Crosses which he maketh betwixt the Chalice and his breaste at these wordes Est tibi Deo Patri omnipotenti c. doe signifie the misterie of the blood and water which issued out of the side of our B. Sauiour hanging dead vpon the Crosse and the two Sacraments which were instituted in vertue of the same to wit Baptisme and this B. Sacrament of the Altar According to the testimonie of S. Iohn One of the soldiears with a speare opened his side and incontinent there came foorth blood and water Iohn 19.34 The 4. Reason At the wordes Omnis honor gloria the Host is held aboue and the Chalice beneath and both a litle eleuated Which Ceremonie doth verie aptlie signifie the death of our Sauiour to wit how in his passion his blood was truly seperated from his body and consequently also his blessed soule Of other Ceremonies performed after the short eleuation The Priest hauing performed this short elenation layeth the Host downe vppon the Corporal couereth againe the Chalice and then adoreth The 1. Ceremonie and his signification First the Host is laid vpon the Corporall because Ioseph and Nichodemus beging of Pilat the body of Iesus tooke it downe from the Crosse wrapped it in a fine sindon and after buried it The 2. Ceremonie and his signification And because they rouled a great stone before the doore of the sepulcher therfore the Priest with the Palle couereth the Chalice And because those holie men worshiped the bodye of Christ in the sepulchre at their departure therfore the Priest adoreth our Lord in this holy Sacrament The 3. Ceremonie and his signification This done the priest lifteth vp his voice pronouÌ„ceth on highe these wordes saying Per omnia saecula saeculorum And the people answere Amen Our Doctors here doe say that this lifting vp of the voice of the priest representeth the stronge crie of our Lord and Sauiour when he yealded vp his spirit into the handes of the Father And that the answere of the people signifieth the lamentation and pittie of his deuout women which were present at this spectacle In this maner Inno centius tertius interpreteth the same Because Iesus saith he crying with a high voice rendered vp his spirit therfore the priest lifteth vp his voice saying Per omnia saecula saeculorum And because the women lamenting bewayled their Lord all the quyre as lamenting doe answer Amen Per omnia saecula saeculorum By the wordes them selues are commonlie vnderstood one of these two thinges Ether that all honor and glory appertaineth to God world without end Or that the Sonne doth liue with the Father and the holy