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.
THe holy sacrament consecrate of the preest / is in all masses & of all preestes of lyke power and myght / as touchynge the holy sacrament. Yet notwith∣stādynge the fyrste masse is cōmonly more
profytable and merytoryous: than the secon¦de or the thyrde: and yt is for foure reasons. ¶ The fyrst cause is / for in the fyrst masse there be many reuerences and solempnytes done / whiche be not done in other tymes / as to com to offre: to hange the churche with Tapysserye / to cast & sprede herbes in euery place & other ceremonyes / the which be done by deuocyon: & to moue the hertes of catholy¦ke people to feruent prayers and oraysons. ¶ The seconde cause is / for ī the fyrst masse the synnes be more habundaūtly pardoned for certayne pardons and indulgences gy∣uen them / whiche do here the fyrste masse. ¶ The thyrde cause is: for in the fyrst masse the preest{is} be wont to prepare them self mo¦re deuoutly: than at another tyme. And ther¦fore theyr prayers be than more acceptable / deuoute / & feruent to praye for them that do here theyr fyrst masses for to obtayne grace. ¶ The fourth cause is: for in the fyrst masse certayne soules be delyuered from purgato¦rye / the whiche god hath ordeyned to be de∣lyuered at that tyme / and not in none other masses: as it is red of saynt Gregorye / that in his fyrste masse / he delyueryd as many soules as there was folk{is} heryng his masse and of suche examples there be many.