and Honourable Women which sung Hymns in praise of the deceased Emperor This being done they took up the Bed and carried it out of the City to the Field of Mars where a Pile of Wood was made in form of a great Tent or Tabernacle with three other lesser Tabernacles one on the top of another the lowest having in it dry combustible matter but on the outside richly adorned with Gold Ivory and painted Tables and in the second Tabernacle was the Effigies placed with great solemnities After this the Nobility and Gentry did ride about the Field several times in order and at last the New Emperor set the pile of Wood on fire with a Torch at which time an Eagle was dismissed from the top of it which was supposed to carry the soul of the deceased Emperor into Heaven and ever after He was reputed and worshipped as a god This form of Consecration is also recorded by Rosinus Antiq. Roman lib. 3. cap. 18. and by Hospinian de Origine Festor Christian p. 20. and by Polydor Virgil de Invent. rerum lib. 3. cap. 10. Thus our Romanists canonize those that were eminent for Vertue Miracles c. which Ceremony is thus described by Maiolus dies Caniculares p. 769 ex Authore sacrarum Ceremon And by Hosp de Orig. Fest Christ c. 6. ex lib. 1. Ceremon Rom. Eccles Bul. Leo. 10. After the fame is spread far and near concerning the excellency of life opinion of sanctity and manifestation of Miracles and the Pope informed by Kings Princes or the people and desired that such a person may be received into the Catalogue of Saints and decreed to be worshipped as a Saint his Holiness maturely debateth the matter with his Brethren and if he shall think fit to proceed to an Inquisition a Commission is given to some Bishops in those parts where the person lived and is buried That they use all means to inform themselves touching those things and make their report to his Holiness If this Relation answer the common fame the Pope propounds it to the sacred Colledg and deliberates with them whether this Information be sufficient to proceed upon or a further enquiry ought to be made If this latter be thought necessary a new Commission is sent to the same or some other Bishops and certain Articles or Interrogatories upon which Witnesses are to be strictly examined touching his sanctity of life purity of faith and working of Miracles and to transmit the depositions under hand and seal unto the Court These being received the Pope commits the examination of them to some Auditors of the Sacred Palace whether they be full and satisfactory When all things are sufficiently proved the Pope decrees the Canonization and appoints a day for it In the mean time great preparations are made as 1. A Stage is built in the Church of that largeness that upon it there may be a Chappel with an Altar a Pontifical Throne c. 2. A great Standard or Ensign is made with the Image of the Saint which must be carried before the Religious or those who procure the Canonization 3. Wax Candles are prepared which must be distributed For the Pope two Candles of white Wax of Twelve pounds a piece for Cardinals of Four pounds Also for the elevation of the Sacrament twelve Wax Tapers every one of Six pounds for the Altar Seven Wax Candles and two for the * This Credentia is a Table to set Vessels upon Credentia of Two pounds Also for the Offertory two great Wax Candles of Twelve pounds which the first Cardinal offereth also three Candles of Six pounds which the Orators or Deputies with three Cardinals must offer And all the foresaid Candles must be white besides Eighty Wax Tapers for the Church 4. There must be prepared Candles of common Wax for Bishops Orators and Noblemen of Two pounds for Officials and Singers of One pound and for the Clergy and others as they please On the day of Canonization the Pope with his Cardinals Bishops and Officials all in their proper Robes and Ornaments goes in procession to the Church In the Camera Paramenti the Candles are distributed and all carry them lighted When the Pope comes to the Porch of Saint Peter he is received by the Clergy of the City after the manner of Supplicants His Holiness enters the Church and ascends the stage with the Cardinals and other Officials but the Clergy stand about it And having prayed before an Altar he makes a Speech in which he gives them an account of what hath been done and relates the Life and Miracles of this Saint This being ended his Holiness exhorts all to pour forth their prayers unto God That he would not suffer his Church to err in this matter Then the Litany is sung c. And then after the Proctor hath earnestly requested the Pope in the name of the Prince or people That he would declare blessed N. to be inrolled in the Calendar of Saints and to be worshipped as a Saint by the faithful of Christ I say then the Pope with a loud voice utters these words To the honour of the holy and undivided Trinity the exaltation of the Catholick Faith and encrease of the Christian Religion by the authority of the same Omnipotent God Father Son and Holy Ghost and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and by our own with the advice of our Brethren we decree and ordain N. of blessed memory to be a Saint and to be received into the Catalogue of Saints and we do admit him into this Catalogue and appoint that every year on such a day his Feast and Office as for a Confessor if he be a Confessor or Martyr if he be a Martyr be devoutly and solemnly celebrated by the Vniversal Church After this the Pope begins Te Deum laudamus and then a Deacon on his right hand saith Pray for us O blessed N. Thus you see how their Saints are canonized where I have omitted several things for brevity sake And as the Heathen gods must be deified before they could receive them for gods as you heard and give any worship and adoration to them So the Saints departed must be canonized by the Pope before they can be publickly prayed unto Bellar. de sanctor Beat. lib. 1. cap. 10. CHAP. II. Invocation of SAINTS 1. THE Heathen invocated their Gods or Demons as Mediators and Intercessors to the Supreme God Thales Pythagoras Plato and other Ethnick Philosophers held only one Supream Eternal Being which they called GOD. Now this chief God was as they supposed at such an infinite distance from poor Mortals and Sinners as that there could be no approach to him or communications of good things from him but by some Mediators or Midling-gods these Middle-gods or Mediators were no other than their great Heroes or persons who had been greatly famous in their Age for some noble Exploits saith Minutius Felix or vertuous acts and after their death were by common consent deified
appointed for religious uses and attribute the same vertues to them Take the form of this Consecration as 't is prescribed in their Pontisical The Bell ought to be blessed in this manner before it be hung in the Bell-frey First it must be so hung or placed that it may be conveniently touched and handled within and without then near unto the Bell must be prepared a Seat for the Bishop a Vessel of Water an Aspersory a Vessel with Salt clean Linnen Cloaths to wipe the Bell when there shall be occasion a Vessel of Oyl holy Chrysm Frankincense Myrrhe a Censer with Fire c. These things being prepared the Bishop in the Vestry or some other convenient place puts on his Robes and coming unto the Bell placeth himself in the Seat and saith with the Ministers these following Psalms viz. 50. 53. 56. 66. 69. 85. 129. After this the Bishop riseth up and standing without his Mitre blesseth the Salt and Water and mixeth them Then he begins to wash the Bell with Holy Water the Ministers assisting him within and without and afterwards they wipe it with a clean Linnen Cloth Then they say or sing these Psalms viz. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. These being ended the Bishop riseth up and having dipped the fore-finger of his right Hand in the holy Oyl he makes the sign of the Cross on the outside of the Bell which being done he saith this Prayer O God who didst command Silver-Trumpets to be made by blessed Moses thy Servant which whilst the Levites should sound in the time of Sacrifice the people being excited by the sound of sweetness might prepare themselves to worship thee c. Grant we beseech thee that this Vessel prepar'd for thy holy Church may be sancti †fied by the Holy Ghost that the faithful may be invited to the reward by the sound of it And when the melody of it shall sound in the ears of the people the devotion of faith may increase in them all the Conspiracies of the Enemy the noise of hail the danger of tempests and violence of storms may be driven away the blasts of winds may be wholsom and moderate hurtful thunder may be temper'd that the powers of the Air may fall down by the right hand of thy strength that they hearing this Bell may tremble and flie before the Ensign of the Holy Cross of the Son to whom every knee boweth of things in Heaven of things on Earth and of things under the Earth and every tongue confesseth that our Lord Jesus Christ having conquered death by the Cross reigneth in the glory of God the Father with the same Father and the Holy Ghost throughout all Ages Amen Then the Bishop stands up and makes seven Crosses on the outside of the Bell with holy Oyl and within the Bell four Crosses with Chrysm at an equal distance and at every one he saith O Lord Let this Bell be sanctisi †ed and conse †crated in the Name of the Fa †ther and of the Son †and of the Holy ✚ Ghost in the honour of S. N. After this the Bishop puts off his Mitre and saith this Prayer Omnipotent Everlasting God who before the Ark of the Covenant didst cause the Walls wherewith the Enemy was inviron'd to fall down by the sound of the Trumpets pour upon this Bell thy heavenly bene †diction that at the sound of it the siery Darts of the Enemy the percussion of thunder-bolts the violence of hail-stones the hurt of storms may flye away c. Then the Bishop sits and puts Frankincense and Myrrh into the Censer and that into the Bell that it may receive the smoak and perfume thereof And then to pass by the rest he adds this Prayer O Christ Omnipotent Ruler who sleeping in the Ship according to the assumption of the flesh whilst a storm troubled the Sea but awaking upon thy command did presently cease do thou graciously supply the necessities of thy people pour upon this Bell the dew of thy holy Spirit that the Enemy of the Faithful may flie before the sound of it that Christian people may be invited to faith that the Hostile Army may be affrighted that thy people assembled may be comforted by it in the Lord and that the Holy Spirit as delighted with Davids Harp may descend from above and as Samuel killing a sucking Lamb for an Holocaust of the King of an Eternal Empire the noise drove away all danger of the Air so whilst the sound of this Bell passeth through the Clouds an Angelical hand may conserve the Assembly of thy Church and that an eternal protection may save the fruits minds and bodies of Believers Through Christ c. Pontificale Roman de Benedict Campan p. 371. And further God-fathers and God-mothers are appointed who give a Name to the Bell and cover it with white garments as the custom was in the primitive times when young Children or adult persons were baptized Manuale sec us Sar. p. 162. I remember Bellarmine falls heavy upon us and plainly tells us we lye in saying That they baptize their Bells De Rom. Pontif lib. 4. cap. 12. But why is he so hot Doth not their Durantus say That Bells are baptized and that the baptizing of them is ancient De Rit Eccles lib. 1. cap. 2. n. 6. And in an old Pontifical saith the learned Rivet we have these words Let this commixtion of Salt and Water become a wholsom Sacrament in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Sum. Controv. Tract 2. Quest 17. And Gerhard affirms the same De Baptis cap. 7. sect 1. But these words salutare sacramentum are not to be found in their Pontifical put forth by Clement 8. And since they have called it both Baptism and a Sâ—crament why may not we be allow'd to give â—f the same Name Besides what is here wanting that 's used in baptizing men The whole external form is observed God-fathers and God-mothers are appointed a Name is given to it the Bell is washed with water with invocation of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 't is anointed with Chrism c. I cannot dismiss this head till I have given you an account of the manifold Mysteries which their great Durand hath observed in these Bells and the Ceremonies us'd in the consecration of them They are made of brass and so more shril than Trumpets under the Law because then God was known in Judea only but now thorow the world They are also more durable to signifie that the preaching of the New Testament shall continue longer than the Trumpets and Sacrifices of the old Law even to the end of the world Again these Bells denote Preachers which like to Bells ought to call men to the Faith The Bell it self denotes the mouth of the Preacher according to that of the Apostle I am become as sounding-brass c. The hardness of the metal denotes fortitude in the mind of the Preacher
faithful deceased that they be done piously and devoutly c. And they anathematize every one that shall say The sacrifice of the Mass is a naked commemoration of that Sacrifice on the Cross and not propitiatory or that it only profiteth him that receives it and ought not to be offer'd for the living and the dead for sins punishments satisfactions and other necessities Ses 22. Can. 3. For the further clearing of this I might set down several prayers in their Missals take one or two We beseech thee O Lord mercifully to look upon the sacrifices which we offer unto thee for the souls of thy servants that upon whom thou hast conferr'd the merit of Christian faith to them thou wouldst also give the reward Missale parvum Offic. pro defunct O Lord let the oblation of this present sacrifice satisfie thee for the soul of thy servant and let him find the pardon of his sins which he hath sought and what he could not fulfil with the office of his mouth he may through thy grace reap the fruit of desired penance Through our Lord c. Missal sec us Sar. p. 43. 4. The Heathen had a certain time especially assign'd them every year when they were to offer their Purgatory-sacrifices S. Aust. de Civit. Dei lib. 7. cap. 7. Plutarch tells us That the Romans made their offerings and sacrifices for the dead in the Month of February Roman Question Quest. 34. Hence he calls this Month 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Expiatorie and purgative In vita Romuli When the Romans saith Ovid in the heat of their Wars had for some time omitted these yearly Feasts and Sacrifices for the dead their Ghosts were frequently seen and lamentable howlings heard thorow the City in the night-time Take the whole relation in his own words Fastor lib. 2. At quondam dum longa gerunt pugnacibus armis Bella parentales deseruere dies Non impune fuit nam dicitur omine ab ipso Roma suburbanis incaluisse rogis Vix equidem credo bustis exisse feruntur Et tacitae questi tempore noctis avi Perque vias Vrbis Latiosque ululasse per agros Deformes animas vulgus inane ferunt Post ea praeteriti tumulis redduntur honores Prodigiisque venit funeribusque modus And a little after he adds Hanc quia justa ferunt dixêre Feralia lucem Vltima placandis Manibus illa dies And in another place he tells us That this Month of February anciently the last Month in the year was consecrated to the Infernal Gods because a considerable part of it viz. eleven days was spent in offering Sacrifices to them for the weal of the Dead Qui sacer est imis manibus imus erat Fastor Lib. 2. Thus our Romanists have a certain day every year appointed on which they are to pray and offer Sacrifices for all Souls viz. the second of November There 's a particular Office appointed for this day in their Missals on which there must be two Masses in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches That herein they conform to the Heathen nay that they derive this custom from them is ingenuously confessed by their Polydor Virgil who after he hath discoursed of the yearly Sacrifices which the Pagans offer'd for the Dead saith Vnde omninò factum videtur ut Odiloni in mentem venerit hujus religionis celebrandi anniversarias exequias defunctorum now Odilo was the first Author of these Anniversary Commemorations De Inventor Rerum Lib. 6. cap. 9. 5. Besides the foresaid time the Heathen observ'd certain days every year for particular persons On these Anniversary days saith Natalis Comes they killed black Sheep and having taken the blood of them into a Vessel with prayers poured it into an hole digged in the earth and called upon the souls to drink as Euripides in Hecuba hath expressed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Has mortuorum inferias meas cape Mulcimen adsis ut bibas hunc sanguinem Castae puellae quem tibi donavimus Mythol Lib. 1. cap. 13. And much like to this is that of Virgil. Aeneid Lib. 5. Quinas de more bidentes Totque suos totidem nigrantes terga juvencos Vinaque fundebat pateris animamque vocabat Anchysae magni manesque Acheronte remissos Nec non socii quae cuique copia laeti Dona ferunt onerantque aras mactantque juvencos Thus do Papists observe certain days every year for particular persons These Anniversary days are kept saith Durand for three Reasons 1. That the Dead may pass from the years of calamity to the years of eternity i. e. eternal life 2. Because as we observe an Anniversary day to the honour of Saints and our profit so we observe yearly the day of their Death to their profit and our devotion 3. Anniversary days are kept for the Dead because we know not how 't is with them in the other world and 't is better that our charity to them superabound than be defective Rational divin Offic. lib. 6. cap. 35. And if this Anniversary day for the Dead fall upon a Sunday or any great Festival it must not be put off till the next day as the Festivities of Saints are but be observed the day before that the pains which the deceased suffer in Purgatory may be sooner mitigated Durand ibid. The Church of Rome hath appointed a particular Office for these Anniversaries in which we have several Prayers take one of them Grant we beseech thee O Lord that the souls of thy Servants when 't is kept for more than one the Anniversary day of whose decease we commemorate being purged by these Sacrifices may obtain indulgence and eternal rest Through our Lord c. Missale parvum in Anniversario defunctor CHAP. XIV Consecration of Bells THe Heathen had Trumpets for religious Uses Rosinus Antiq. Rom. Lib. 2. cap. 4. 1. These they purged and hallowed at the Feast of Minerva called Quinquatria and at the Feast of Vulcan and for this reason they were called Tubillustria Of which Ovid writes thus Summa dies quinque tubam lustrare canoram Admonet forti sacrificare Deae Again Proxima Vulcani lux est quam Lustria dicunt Lustrantur purae quas fecit ille tubae Hospinian de Origine Festor Pagan p. 73. 95. And Rosinus out of Varro informs us where these Trumpets for holy uses were consecrated Antiq. Rom. Lib. 4. cap. 7. 2. They taught that these consecrated Trumpets were sovereign Antidotes against Magical Conjurations Apparitions Thunder Tempests c. So much is affirm'd by Ovid. Fast Lib. 5. Rursus aquam tangit Temisaeaque concrepat aera Et rogat ut tectis exeat umbra suis And the words of Arnobius import some extraordinary virtue according to the judgment of the Heathen in these mystical Instruments Etiamne aeris tinnitibus quassationibus cymbalorum Etiamne tympanis quid efficiunt crepitus scabillorum Adv. Gentes Lib. 7. Thus do Papists consecrate Bells