To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
ANOTHER Excellency of the MASSE that is consequēt out of what hath byn sayd, is, that the Masse is a thing that most pleaseth, & giueth greatest content vnto the most sacred Humanity of our Lord Iesus Christ, and whereby we do him more seruice and honour, then by any other seruice,
or seruices that we can do him. This truth is cleere out of the doctrine that hath been set down. For the will of our Sauiour being so v∣nited and conforme vnto the will of his Father, he knowing that his Father by this Oblation, receaues so much honour and glory; in lyke sort his Blessed Soule cannot but receaue the same pleasure and content, seing that (as he sayd) euen why∣lest he liued in this world, all his pleasure and content was to fulfill the will of his Father.* 1.1
Besides which, there is another speciall reason of this doctrine, to wit, in re∣gard of the representation which is made in the Masse, of the Life, Passion, Death, and all the Mysteries of our sayd Lord Iesus Christ. For declaration we must know, that all the Blessed that are in Heauē receaue great ioy, complacence, and content in all the thinges that plea∣sed God, and gaue him con∣tent in this lyfe, and herein their content is so much the greater, by hovv much the thinges they ioy in, were
more gratefull and accepta∣ble in God his presence. And this is amongst thē so settled an affection, that any of thē if it were possible, would leaue the glory whereof he is possessed, to do, or suffer the same againe and againe many tymes ouer. The Mar∣tyrs reioyce and be glad of their former torments and paynes, the Monkes and He∣remits and the rest of the Confessours of their fasts, watchings, Pennances and Mortifications: and they would all haue done and suffered more for God his
honour. And seing it is not possible now to returne in∣to this World to suffer a∣gaine, they receaue new ioy & accidētall glory, that we vpon earth make Cōmemo∣ration of their Martyrdomes labours and merits: and that we offer them vnto God, & that we giue him thanks that he gaue them such grace as they might do him such excellent seruices.
That which to none of the Saints is grāted, is grāted vn∣to the humanity of our Bles∣sed Sauiour, which being v∣nited vnto the Diuine Persō,
may haue, or do whatsoeuer the same will wish to haue, or do. And he finding that his Passion and Death, so pleased, and gaue such ioy content and glory vnto his Father, he both was able to inuent, and sufficient to af∣fect a meanes, whereby the same may be renewed, and repeated ouer many tymes in such manner, as his Father at euery repetition thereof should receaue no lesse ioy, content, & honour, then he receaued the first tyme the same was suffered and offe∣red on the Crosse: which
manner is this, that seing he now being risen frō death, and glorious in Heauen, cannot returne to suffer and dy againe, he hath ordayned the most sacred Mystery of the Masse, wherein his Pas∣sion and Death is so liuely represented, as if he did euē now suffer and dy againe. And this is not only repre∣sented, but also in mysticall manner performed, effectua∣ted, and repeated the very same Sacrifice he offered on the Crosse, being offered a new vnto the Eternall Fa∣ther, with the same valew,
merit, and powerfulnes as it then had, and as able to giue him pleasure, content, glory, and honour. This we doe when we celebrate Masse, and consequently we yield vnto Christ our Lord the greatest pleasure and cō∣tent, and we doe him the best seruice, that can possi∣bly be giuen vnto him, and (if we may so speake) we doe him the greatest charity that may be, & herein shew ourselues to be his seruants and friends more then in doing for him all other thinges in the world.
And verily we should e∣steeme this, as a great felici∣ty and treasure, and our sel∣ues herein most fortunate, that we haue some thinges wherein we may do seruice, and yield pleasure and con∣tent vnto our most louing Lord and Master Christ Ie∣sus, specially a thing that we may haue so good cheape, a thing so dew vnto him, who with so much payne, and at the deare rate of his pretious Bloud procured the same for vs, not sparing a∣ny labour, nor stying any difficulty to make the same
profitable vnto vs. And what is sayd of the most Sa∣cred Humanity of our Lord Iesus Christ, may be exten∣ded vnto, and with a kind of proportion vnderstood of the most sacred Virgin his Mother, and euery other Saynt, that we can do them no better seruice, we can giue them nothing of grea∣ter content, nothing can we more shew that we are their most affection at friēds, then in offering vnto God the holy Sacrifice of the Masse, in their name & ho∣nour. For though we may
not offer Sacrifice vnto any Saynt, no not to the most Glorious Virgin Mother, Queene of Heauen, for this the sacred Councell of Trēt declareth to be vnlawfull, yet we may make comme∣moration of their merits, & giue thankes vnto God for the benefits he bestowed on them, and for the glory wherwith now they are made Blessed; offering also their meritts vnto GOD, which they togeather with vs also offer vnto our com∣mon Lord and Maister,* 1.2 to supply our defects in their
name, as the aforesayd most deuout and contemplatiue Authour declareth in these wordes.
If we be, (as it is reason we should be) desirous to giue vnto the most glorious Queene of the Angels, as much honour and glory, as is due vnto her, we must coming from the Masse, or holy Communion with the like ardent charity, humili∣ty and reuerence, offer vn∣to her most pure armes her most sweet & louing Sonn, whome we haue in our cu∣stody. For this Oblation she
receaueth with more con∣tent, & the same is to her of more honour and glory, thē any whatsoeuer other, that eyther all men or all Angels can offer vnto her, if it be not likewise the gift and o∣blation of God, and of her Sonne as this is. And thus we may at any tyme so lon∣ge as we haue our Sauiour within our breast, that is, vntill the Sacramentall for∣mes of bread and wine be consumed by the naturall heate of the stomacke.
The like Oblation may be made vnto any Saynt, or
vnto all the Saynts in the aforesayd manner, in their honour, and the honour of God. Wherefore, it being a thing cleere, what great glory, honour, prayse, and content Priests, & all other Christians may giue vnto God, & vnto the soueraign Virgin Empresse of Heauē, and the other Saynts of the Celestiall Ierusalem, by meanes of the most holy Sacrament of the Aultar; Let all that haue notice hereof, consider what great cause they haue to spend themselues, and to doe the
vttermost of their power to be continually so prepared and disposed, that no day may passe, wherin they do not eyther celebrate the ho∣ly Masse, or receaue the most holy Mysteries. Whereunto besides what hath byn sayd, this consideration may like∣wise encourage them, that they may assure themselues, that by the meanes of this rich present, sooner then by any other, they shal obtayne of the Father of Mercyes, & of the Blessed Virgin Mary our B. Lady, & all the Saints of the Heauēly citty, what∣soeuer
they shall demande. Which confidence may iu∣stly be the greater in this re∣spect that by this Oblation made in the manner afore∣sayd vnto the Saynts, we get thē to be our Aduocats, and Friends obliged to pray and intercede for vs. All these are the words of the afore-mentioned Authour, worthy, that all consider & practise the things counsel∣led therein, and benefit themselues by an aduise so important, facile and profi∣table.
Other innumerable di∣gnityes,
excellencyes, and magnificencies, may be sayd of the holy Masse, and are gathered of the former defi∣nitions, declarations, and explications giuen thereof, which if we should particu∣larly declare, this Treatise would grow of too great a bignes. For example, that the Masse is of greater glory ioy, and comfort vnto the Saynts and Angels of Hea∣uen, thē any other thing that is don, or can be don in this world. That the same is of greater profit and vtility, to the Militāt Church, of grea∣ter
force to helpe & relieue the soules in Purgatory, of greater importance and effi∣cacy for our spirituall pro∣gresse and increase in perfe∣ction; and this with so great excesse, that if we put in one side of the balance, all that we doe in the day and night, supposing we spend them wholly in vertuous and holy Exercises, all this togeather weigheth not so much as a drame, in compa∣rison of one Masse, that we say with the due required disposition. Wherefore, though for no other reason,
yet at least in respect of our interest and profit, and to spare greater paynes and la∣bour, and to enrich our po∣uerty, to supply our wants out of treasury of the merits of our Lord Iesus Christ, we ought to procure with all diligence to dispose our sel∣ues, to celebrate, and to as∣sist at the most sacred My∣steries of the Masse, and to receaue the most Diuine Sa∣crament, with all purity and perfection possible.
Ioan. 4.
F. Iohn de An∣gelis. col. citato.