Pietas Romana et Parisiensis, or, A faithful relation of the several sorts of charitable and pious works eminent in the cities of Rome and Paris the one taken out of the book written by Theodorus Amydenus ; the other out of that by Mr. Carr.

CHAP. I. Of the Piety of the Priests and People in the dayly Service of God: and of the extra∣ordinary care taken in their Ordination. (Book 1)

THE Pastors of Paris are all, generally, known to be men of exemplary lives, and sound learning, being, the most of them, Batchelors, Licentiates, or Doctors of the famous faculty of Sorbonne. These calling to mind what St. Paul hath taught, and look∣ing upon it with a venerable astonishment, that every high Priest taken from among men is appointed for men, in those things which appertain to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, as well for the people as also for himself, use all care and industry to apply the merits and medicinal grace pur∣chased by our Lord's painful passion to the poor sinful Souls of their flocks, by deriving into them those fountains of grace which are conferred by their ministery in the Sacraments of Baptisme, Penance, the blessed Eucharist, &c. Therefore also besides themselves (not sufficient for the necessities of those great multitude of people under their charge,) a great number of

other Priests, which these good Pastors take into their Societies and Communities (some forty or fifty, some an hundred, some more, some fewer, according to the vast numbers of their parishioners) approach daily to the sacred Altars from morning till noon with humble re∣verence and veneration to answer their peoples expectations and devotions, who concur with them in a sweet harmony to offer up their Vows and Prayers. So this true, clean, and unbloody Sacrifice (which the Prophet Malachi fore∣told) being offered to God in every place, and seconded by the sacrifice of the lips and hearts of the pious people, serves for the happy imployment of the whole forenoon. The af∣ternoon wants not its parts neither, which is dayly performed in the evensong and com∣pline, so that the Church doors are rarely shut up in Paris all the week long. Besides these general pious practices of the people, which they exercise every day in the week all Paris over, there is scarce one day in the year in which there is not some particular solem∣nity, at one Church or Monastery or another, (to which there is great confluence of people, by reason of some eminent Preacher:) or the exposing of the Blessed Sacrament, and pardons to be gained; as it appears by a certain Al∣manack, made of set purpose to direct pious people to the said Solemnities.

And as there is no day passes without publick Service done to God: so there is no hour of the day or night in which God's praises are

not sung in Paris. The Oratorians begin the divine office at Seven a clock in the evening. At St. Geneviefues at Eight. The Penitents at Nine. The Carmelites at Ten. The Carthu∣sians at Eleven. St. Victors, our Ladies, and others till Two. From Two till Four at the Benedictines, Bernardins, and divers others. From Four, till Five, Six and Seven; this done at all Collegial and Parish Churches. So that what the royal Prophet foretold, is perfectly accomplished: From the rising of the Sun to the seting of the same, God's holy name is praise worthy, praised and magnified.

Thus is Piety practised all the working days of the week, all the year long. To which on Holidays is added a Sermon, and upon Sun∣days Holy Bread, Holy Water, the Procession and Prone (that is a familiar explication upon the Gospel of the day) for the forenoon, to∣gether with a formal Sermon and Catechisme for the afternoon: This is the ordinary pra∣ctice all Paris over. But the Pastors zeal for the instruction and inflamation of the people's hearts stays not here, but further by himself, or his order, there are most eloquent Sermons made all the days of Advent and Lent (save Saturdays) by the same Preachers, who are followed with a wonderful concourse of Audi∣tors, and a no less admirable quiet attention of so great a multitude. Can then our Adver∣saries, without affected malice, pretend that the Papists are nousled up in ignorance? which with the proud Manicheans they impudently

object against them. And as the dignity of Priests and height of pastoral functions is most venerable and dreadful; so is their care as great, as far as humanly can be devised, to make a hopeful provision of young Priests to assist them in their life time, and so to suc∣ceed in their places after their deaths. And to this effect a Secular Priest, and a great ser∣vant of God (whose admirable works of Cha∣rity have made him famous all the world over, as here below you shall see.) F. Vincent de Paul suggested an effectual means to the most illustrious and most reverend Arch-Bishop of Paris, then being (to wit, above thirty years ago;) who highly approved and confirmed it, and ordered it to be observed by all who should pretend for holy orders at his hands: and it is still continued with like approbation, by his command who doth now illustrate the said See. viz. That all who should take holy or∣ders, should be obliged to make a spiritual re∣treat at St. Lazares (where this Father Vin∣cent governed) for the space of ten days; that none should rashly intrude themselves into so dreadful a Ministery. And whereas this is a thing as worthy the approbation as imitation of all Bishops, it may be of good use and edifi∣cation to put down here the exercises in that holy retreat in particular.

Ten days then before the Collation of holy orders, all the Ordinandi repair to St. Lazars, sometimes fifty or sixty, sometimes to the num∣ber of one hundred, where they find bed and

board, and all things ready by God's provi∣dence without their care or cost; and they are all most humanely and charitably received not so much into the house, as into the bosome, of the pious Inhabitants.

Two different Entertainments are made to them every day, the one in the morning, upon the chief heads of moral Divinity: the other towards the evening, of the vertues, and qua∣lities proper to their intended function.

There are Ten made in all of either kind.

The Forenoons Entertainment.

The first day, They speak of the censures of the Church in general.

The second, Of the said censures in parti∣cular; as of excommunication, suspension, in∣terdicts, and irregularity.

The third, Of the Sacrament of Penance; as of its institution, form, effects, and of the conditions necessary in the Confessor.

The fourth, Dispositions to the Sacrament of Penance; to wit, contrition, confession and satisfaction, with indulgences.

The fifth, Of divine and humane laws; and of sin in general, with the division thereof, the circumstances, the kinds, causes, effects, de∣grees and remedies.

The sixth, Of the three first commandments which contain man's duty to God; and of the three Theological vertues, with the vertue of Religion, and its Acts.

The seventh, Is an explication of the other seven commandments, which concern our neigh∣bour.

The eighth, Of the Sacraments in general, and of confirmation, and the Eucharist in quality of a Sacrament.

The ninth, Of the Eucharist as it is a Sacri∣fice, and of extream Unction and Marriage.

The tenth is the explication of the Creed, with what is necessary to be known by every Priest, and what they may teach the people thereupon with profit.

The Afternoons Entertainment.

The first day is of mental Prayer. First the motives to it for Clergy-men. Secondly wherein it consists. Thirdly the method and means to perform it. And in this they are exercised every day for some time.

The second day the Speech is of ones Voca∣tion, and of the state of a Church-man. That this Vocation should be had before one pre∣sents himself to Orders; wherein it consists, and which are the marks of it, with the means to know it, and to correspond with it.

The third speaks of the spirit of a Clergy-man: and shews how he is to enter into this spirit: wherein it consists: the marks of it, the means to acquire it, and to grow perfect in it.

The fourth treats of orders in general: of their institution, necessity, matter, form, effects, and differences, with the dispositions necessary to receive them.

The fifth, Of the first Tonsure, with an ex∣plication of the doctrine of that Ceremony, The obligations contracted by it, The dispo∣sitions and qualities required.

The sixth, A discourse of the lesser orders in particular: their definition, the matter, form and functions, with the vertues required to comply with them worthily.

The seventh, Of the office of Subdeacon, and the vertues proper to this order, and par∣ticularly of Chastity.

The eighth, Of the office of Deacon, and the vertues proper to it, particularly of Chari∣ty to our neighbour.

The ninth, Of Priesthood, and of the know∣ledge necessary for Priests, to acquit themselves of their duty.

In the tenth is a discourse of the life of a Clergy-man, wherein it is made appear, that they who have received holy orders ought to lead a much more holy life than that of Lay-men, with many advices to help towards such a life. All these things they repeat in their conferences made afterwards, the better to commit them to memory.

They make every day about half an hour of mental Prayer, and conferences upon it after∣wards, to instruct such as are less exercised therein, how to use considerations, to move affections, and to make resolutions. They are dayly exercised in the functions of the or∣ders which they are to take, and in the Cere∣monies of the holy Mass. They are made to recite the office altogether, and to observe the stops &c.

They are disposed to make their general con∣fessions, at least from their last general one;

and the next day they communicate high Mass.

They have seven hours to repose in by night, and two hours of holy conversation every day, this is after dinner and supper. In which time they read the holy Scriptures, and Molina of the dignity and sanctity of Priest-hood. Upon Sunday, after they have taken orders, they assist at high Mass, and communicate in thanks∣giving for their holy ordination, and so return to their own homes.

Thus they are most substantially and piously prepared; which good dispositions are visibly observed to be followed with such blessed ef∣fects, that great benedictions of admirable re∣formations in the whole Clergy of France are seen every where.