¶ A deuout prayer of s. Ambrose, very expediēt for all suche as prepare them selues to saye Masse, or to receaue ye blessed Sacrament of the very body and bloud of Christ. Englished by Thomas Paynell.
1.5.5.5.
¶ To the reuerende father in god, my Lorde Edmonde Bonor, Bysshope of London, Thomas Paynel wissheth all felicitie.
IN asmuch as there hathe bene, and yet is (most reuerend father) a nūber of leude and vnlearned persones, the which deride and skorne the holy masse, and the blessed sacrifice there of both god and man: and saye that it is a thinge newely forged, and of late dayes inuented of the papistes, as they in dirision doo name the true and catholyke seruauntes, of god: I thought [Page] it very necessary to translate this excellente and deuoute prayer, as a thynge moste expedient for those, which dayly doo prepare them selfes (as euery chaste and good preste shoulde doo) to celebrate and offer vppe vnto god thys heuenlye and blessed sacrifice,Augusti. ad Laur. Cap. 110. for the quycke and the deade. The whyche prayer, as of it selfe it is verye frutefull, contayninge the hole mystery of the sacrament: so it declareth to suche as hereticallye and peruerslye vnto theyr owne destruccion (as wytnesseth, Saynt Peter) doo racke and wrynge scripture:2. Pet. 3. that the sacrifice of the Masse, is no figure, no Idoll (as they ignominiouslye doo terme it) no [Page] breade, nor no signification, but Christ hymselfe, hys very fleshe, and very bloude, bothe god and man, whome yf we worshyppe not in the holy sacrament of the aultare,Ioan. 6. (as a number of wycked personnes refrayne to doo) we shal not escape (as saith,De uerbis domini serm. Ioh. Serm. 58. Saynt Austen) the eternall burning fyer and paynes of hell: for as it is no synne at all to adore and worshyppe Christ being really and presently (as sayeth Saynte Austen) in the sacrament,Super Psal. 98. so it is a moste detestable synne, not to adore and worshippe Christ in the same. And to preach and affirme the Masse (as they doo moste impudently) to be a newe inuencion of the papistes Saynte Ambrose the whiche [Page] was twelue. C. yeares ago) in thys hys godly and vertuous prayer, doth playnely and apertly to theyr great rebuke and shame, confute them, and declare the contrarye. Thys prayer thus rudely englishyd I dedicate vnto youre good Lord eshyppe, as to a mooste puisant protector of thys most excellent sacrament of the reall body and bloude of Christe the very substaūce and sacrifice of the blessed Masse: wisshynge your Lordeshyppe longe lyfe and continuance, aswel for the tuitiō and defense of the same, as of al other articles & poyntes of the catholike faythe, the whyche in thys oure tyme (moste wycked for the worlde, [Page] alas for pitie, as yet stuft with many false and hollowe harted bretherne) hath nede of suche stronge and faythfull champions and defenders, as youre Lordeshyppe is, and to the vttermost of your power hath bene to the great honor & glory of God, to whom be all honour and glory for euer and euer.
¶ A deuoute prayer of S. Ambrose, very expedient for al suche as prepare them selues to saye Masse, or to receaue the blessed Sacrament of the verye bodye and bloude of Christe.
O Iesu Christe, ye high prieste and true bysshop, that hast offered vp thi self vnto god the father,Hebr. 9. a pure hoste and sacrifice vpon the aultre of the crosse, for vs wretched & miserable synners: and haste geuen vnto vs thy flesh to be eaten,Ioan. 6. and thy bloude to be dronken, and hast set the misterye [Page] therof in the vertue of the holy spirite,Luc. 22. sayinge: As ofte as ye shall doe these thinges, ye shall doe them in remembraunce of me. I besech thee for thy pretious bloude sake,1. Cor. 6. &. 7. the great pryce of oure saluation: I pray the for this thy merueylous & vnspeakable charite, wherwith thou hast vouchesaued so to loue vs, vnworthi wretches, that in thy bloude thou myghtest puryfye and washe vs frome oure synnes: teache me thy vnworthy seruaunt, whome amonge other thy gyftes, yu hast vouchesaued (not for anye of my merites, but onely of the lenitie and facilite of thy mercye) to call me to the offyce of a preist. I besech the [Page] to teache me thoroughe thy holye spyryte, with suche reuerence and honour, & with suche deuotion and feare, to handle so great a mistery, as it ought to be handled, and as it becommeth me to doo. Cause me, O Lorde Iesu Christe, thorough thy grace, continuallye to beleue & vnderstande, to iudge, & firmelye to holde, to saye, and to thynke, that thynge of so great a mysterye, that maye please thee, and that is moste expediente for my soule: Let and suffer thy good spirite, enter into my soule, the whiche may sounde there withoute anye sounde or noyse of words. Cause it to pronoūce and speake the hole verytye [Page] and truth of so many greate mysteries, for they are profound and depe, and couered with a certayne holye vayle and couerynge. Graunt me for thy great clemencye and mekenes, this daye & euermore, to celebrate the solemnities of the Masse, with a pure heart and mynde. Delyuer my herte from all vncleane, and vntrue thynges, from vayne and hurteful cogitations and thoughtes. Defende me with the mercifull, and sure defence of thy blessed Aungelles, and with so stronge a custody & garde, that the enemies of all goodnes, throughe the vertue of so great a mysterye, and the hand and power of thy holy [Page] Aungell, maye depart hence confounded. Repell from me O Lorde Iesu Christe, and from al thy seruauntes, that moost euyll spirite of pryde, of vayne glorye, of enuye, of anger, of fornication, of vnclennes, of doubtfulnes, and of blasphemye. Let them be confounded that persecute vs:Psal. 39, let thē perysh that make hast to destroye all thynges. O kynge of all vertue, the louer and God of chastitie, & integritie, extinguyshe, and quenche in my bodye, with ye celestial dewe of thy blessing, all the burnynge fome, and tyklynges of carnall lustes, that the rule of all chastitie, both of body and soule, maye remaine and continue in me. [Page] Mortyfye in me the pryckes and stynges of the fleshe, and of all voluptuous commotions, and geue me, with other thy gyftes, true, and perpetuall chastitie, the whyche in veritie and truth doe please thee, that I maye be hable with a chast bodye, & a chaste soule and hearte, to offer vp vnto thee, the sacrifyce of prayse, and thankesgeuyng. With howe greate contricion, and aboundaunt teares, O Lorde Iesu Christe, with howe greate reuerence, and feare, with howe great chastitie and purenes of mynde, shoulde this diuine sacryfyce be celebrated and honored? where in thy fleshe in verye dede is receaued,Ioan. 6. wherin thy [Page] bloude in very dede is dronken, where that thing which is moste hyghest, and mooste excellent, is annexed to that, that is most bace and lowest, where the presence of thy holy aungels is present and at hande, where thou thy selfe moste wonderfullye and vnspeakeablye arte constituted and ordeined, both the priest and the sacrifice. Who can worthely celebrate, and reuerentlye honour this thynge, excepte thou the God omnipotent do make him worthy that doth offer it? I knowe, and for a surety I know, and confesse it vnto thy mercye and goodnes, that I, for my manifold sinnes, and infinite negligences, am not worthy [Page] to approche vnto suche a greate mystery: but certenly I do knowe, and beleue it wt all my hearte, and wyth my mouth I doo confesse it, that thou maist make me worthi. For thou onely canst mundifie & clense,Iob, 14. that is of vnclene sede conceyued, and of ye synfull canst make both iust and holy. I beseche the for thys thy omnipotent and almighty power, to graunt vnto me a synner, to celebrate & offer this heauenly sacrifice wyth feare and tremblynge, with a pure heart, and aboundant teares, with spiritual ioye & celestial gladnes. Cause my mynde to fele and perceiue ye swetenes of thy blessed presence, & the daye and nyght-watchinges [Page] of thy holy aungelles aboute me. For I (O Lorde) hauynge thy mooste reuerente passion in remembraunce, doo approche and come vnto thy aulter (althoughe I be a synner) to offer vnto thee that sacrifyce, the whiche thou thy self diddest institute, and commaūde to be offered for our saluatiō in the remembraunce of the.Luc. 22 Therefore, O moost hyghe God, and mooste sweeteste Christ Iesu, receaue this sacrifyce for thy holye churche, and for al thy people, the whiche thou haste redemed and saued wt thy precious bloud. And forasmuche as it is thy wyll and pleasure, that I a synner should be a meane betwyxte [Page] thee and thy people: thou shalte not (albeit thou doest not fynde in me the testimony of good workes) refuse the office of thy dispensation vnto me cōmitted. Nor the pryce of theyr saluation shall not perysh thorough me thy vnworthy seruaunte,Col. 3. for whome, beynge made a salutiferous hoste and sacrifyce, thou wast content to be their redemption. Therefore. O Lorde, here I set before thee (yf thou disdayne not mercifully to beholde vs) the tribulations and perilles of thy people, the sorowefulnes of those that be in captiuite, the miseries of the fatherlesse, the necessities of pylgrimes, the pouertie of the weke and [Page] feble, ye desperations of those that be sycke, the feblenes of the aged, the sythynges of those whiche are yonge, the vowes of virgins, and the lamentations of wydowes. Thou arte mercifull O lord, vnto all men,Sap. 11. nor thou hatest nothynge that thou hast created and made. Remember what and whereof oure substaunce is.Mala. 2 Thou art our father, be not muche angrye, nor holde not the multitude of thy bowelles and wrathe vpon vs, for we laye, nor present not oure prayers before thy face in oure owne ryghteousnes, but in thi manifold and greate mercies. Take from vs, O Lorde, oure iniquities, and mekelye kyndle [Page] the fyer of thy holy spirite in vs. Remoue from our fleshe a stony herte, and geue vs a fleshly and a softe hearte, the whiche maye feare,Ezec. 11. &. 36. loue, and honoure thee, delite in thee, folow thee, and haue the fruition of thee. O Lorde we beseche thy clemency, with a fauorable countenaunce to beholde thy familye, that doth attende and wayte for the offyce and duetye of thy holy name. And that no mans vowe be voyde, no mans petition be frustrate, infude, and put thou suche orations, and prayers into oure myndes, as thou thy selfe, which arte merciful, shalte delite to heare and graunte. Also we praye the, O holy father, for [Page] the spirites & soules of those whiche are departed,He prayeth for the deade yt thys great and hygh sacrifyce of pitie may be vnto them eternall saluatiō, continual helth and ioye, and an euerlasting recreation and refreshynge. O my lorde God, suffer and let them haue a greate and a full ioye this day in thee, the lyuing and true breade, that dyddest descend from heauē, and takyng away the sinnes of the worlde, doest geue lyfe vnto the world,Ioan. 6. with ye holye and blessed fleshe of the immaculate lambe: And yt they beyng thus satisfyed & comforted with the fountayne of pitie,Ioan. 19. the whiche thoroughe Longes speare gusshed out of the syde of oure Lorde [Page] whiche was crucified, maye reioyce in thy holye lawde & glorye. O lorde I desyre thy clemencye, that the fulnes of thy diuinite and godheade, may descend vpō this bread and wyne: and furthermore that the inuisible forme, and incomprehensible maiestie of thy inuisible spirite maye descend vpon it, as it descended in tymes past, vpō the hostes and sacrifice of oure forefathers, the whiche shall effectuously, make oure oblation thy very body and bloude, & teache me thy vnworthye preist and minister, so to handle so great and so excellente a sacrifice, that mekelye, and benignly thou mayst receaue it at my hande, to the saluation [Page] of all men, both quycke and deade.
I besech the O lorde for the most holy misterie of the body and bloud sake, wherewyth we be dayly fedde, nourished, wasshed, and sanctified in thy holy churche, and made partakers of thy onely & mooste excellent godhed, to graunte and geue me thy holy vertuous, that replenished wyth them, I maye with a good conscience approche vnto thy aultare, so that these thy celestiall and heauenlye Sacramentes maye be vnto me lyfe and saluation. Thou dydest say with thy holy and blessed mouth,Ioan. 6. ye bread which I shall geue for the lyfe of the worlde, is my fleshe. And he [Page] that eateth me, shall lyue for me, he shall dwell in me, and I in hym, I am the lyuynge breade that descendyd from heauen, he that shall eate of thys breade, shall lyue eternally. O most swetest breade make hole the palate of my herte, that I may fele & taste the swetnes of thy loue, heale it from all diseses, that I loue nothyng that is fayre & bewtifull besydes thee. O mooste goodly breade, contaynynge in the all the delectation and swetenes of tastes, that doth continually recreate & refreshe vs, let my heart eate the, and the bowells of my soule be replenished with the swetnes of thy taste & sauer. The angel dothe eate the wt [Page] a full mouthe, and the stranger (as he may) shal eate the, that he refresshed by the way with such ecclesiastical foode, faynte not. O holy breade, ye breade of lyfe. O moste fayre breade. O moste cleane bread that didest discend, and come from heauen,Ioan. 6. and doest geue life to the worlde, enter into my heart, and purge me of all filthines both of body & soule, enter into my soule, heale me and sanctifie me both wyth in and without, be thou a defence and a perpetuall helthe both of my bodye and soule. Reiecte those from me, that doo laye wayte for me. Repell my ennemyes farre from my presence, that I bothe inwardly and outwardly, by [Page] the defendyd, maye come the strayte way vnto thy kyngedome, where no mysteryes as in this time are vsed wher we whan thou shalt resigne & delyuer vp the kyngedome,1. Cor. 15. vnto god, shal se ye face to face and god shalbe al in al. Then thou shalt in suche wyse fede me and with a munthely saciate so saciate me with thy self that I shall neuermore be hūgry nor thrusty, the which doest lyue and raygne with the selfe same god the father and the holy gost for euer.
¶ Imprynted at London in Paules churcheyarde, at the signe of the holy Goste, by Ihon Cawood, Prynter to the Queenes highnes,
Cum priuelegio Regiae Maiestatis.