By his Apostolike authoritie he appointeth publike praiers to be made for al men without
exception: 8. also men to pray in al places. 9. and women also in seemly attire, 11. to learne
of men, and not to be Teachers in any wise, but to seeke saluation by that which to them
belongeth.
1. I Desire therfore first of al things that
Obsecrations.
The praiers and petitions in the Masse, deduced out of the Apostles wordes by S.
Augustin, & other fathers.
This order of the Apostle S. Augustin (ep. 59.) findeth to be fulfilled specially
in the holy celebration of the Masse, which hath al these kinds, expressed here in foure
diuers words pertaining to foure sorts of praiers. The difference wherof he exactly
seeketh out of the proper signification and difference of the Greek words. And he teacheth
vs that the first kind of prayers which here be called, *obsecrations, are those that
the Priest saith before the consecration: that the second called, Praiers, be al those
which are said in and after the Consecration, and about the Receiuing, including specially
the Pater noster, wherwith the whole Church (saith he) in a manner endeth that part,
as S. Hierom also affirmeth, that Christ taught his Apostles to vse the Pater noster in
the Masse. Sic docuit, &c. So taught he his Apostles, that daily in the Sacrifice of his
body the faithful should be bold to say, Pater noster &c. Li. 3. cont. Pelag. cap. 5.
* δεὴσεις πϱοσευχαὶ.
PATER NOSTER in the Masse.
where he alludeth to the very words now vsed in the preface to the said Pater noster
in the said Sacrifice, audemus dicere, Pater noster. The third sort called here in
the text, *Postulations, be those which are vsed after the Communion, as it were for
dimissing of the people with benediction, that is, with the Bishops or Priests blessing.
Finally the last kind, which is **Thankes-giuings, concludeth al, ***when the Priest
and people giue thankes to God for so great a mysterie then offered & receiued. Thus the
said holy father handleth this text ep. 59. to Paulinus.
* ἐντεύξεις.
** ἐυχαϱἰςίαι.
*** Theo. in hunc. loc.
S. Epiphanius also insinuateth these words of the Apostle to pertaine to the Liturgie or
Masse, when he thus writeth to Iohn Bishop of Hierusalem. When we accomplish our praiers
after the rite of the holy Mysteries, we pray both for al others, and for thee also. ep. 60.
c. 2. ad Io. Hierosolim. apud Hieronymum.
Praier in the Masse for Kings and others.
And most of the other Fathers expound the foresaid words, of publike praiers made by the Priest,
which are said in al Liturgies or Masses both Greek and Latin, for the good estate of al that be
in high dignitie, as Kings and others. See S. Chrys. ho. 6. in 1. Tim. & S. Ambr. in hunc loc.
Prosper de vocat. li. 1. c. 4. So exactly doth the practise of the Church agree with the
precepts of the Apostle and the Scriptures, and so profoundly doe the holy Fathers seeke out the
proper sense of the Scriptures, which our Protestants doe so prophanely, popularly, and lightly
skim ouer, that they can neither see nor endure the truth.
obsecrations, praiers, postulations,
thankes-giuings be made for al men,
2.
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Euen for heathen Kings and Emperours by whom the Church suffereth persecution:
much more for al faithful Princes and Powers and people both spiritual and
temporal, for whom as members of Christes body, & therfore ioyning in praier
and oblation with the Ministers of the Church, the Priestes more properly and
particularly offer the holy Sacrifice.
See S. Augustin de orig. anna. li. 1. c. 9.
for Kings and al that are in preeminence: that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable
life in al pietie and chastitie.
3. For this is good and acceptable before our Sauiour God,
4.
Who wil al men.
God wil no mans perdition but the saluation of al.
The perishing or damnation of men must not be imputed to God, who delighteth not in any
man's perdition, but hath prouided a general medicine and redemption to saue al from
perishing that wil accept it, or that haue it applied vnto them by his Sacraments and other
meanes by him ordained, and so would haue al saued by his conditional wil and ordinance:
that is, if men wil themselues, by accepting, doing, or hauing done vnto them al things
requisit by God's law. For God vseth not his absolute wil or power towards al in this
case. But he that list see the manifold senses (al good and true) that these words may
beare, let him see S. Augustin, Ad articul. sibi falso impos. resp. 2. to. 7. Ench. c.
103. Ep. 107. De cor. & grat. c. 15. and S. Damascene. li. 2. de orthod. fide c.
29.
who wil al men to be saued, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5. For there is one God,
One Mediatour.
The Protestants are too peuish and pitifully blind, that charge the Catholike Church and
Catholikes, with making more Mediatours then one, which is Christ our Sauiour, in that
they desire the Saints to pray for them, or to be their patrones and intercessours before
God.
How there is but one Mediatour, Christ, & what it is to be such a Mediatour.
We tel them therfore that they vnderstand not what it is to be a Mediatour, in this sense
that S. Paul taketh the word, and in which it is properly and only attributed to Christ.
For, to be thus a Mediatour, is, by *nature to be truely both God and man, to be that one
eternal Priest and Redeemer, which by his Sacrifice and death vpon the Crosse hath
reconciled vs to God, and paied his bloud as a ful and sufficient ransom for al our sinnes,
himself without need of any redemption, neuer subiect to possibilitie of sinning: againe,
to be the singular Aduocate and Patrone of mankind, that by himself alone and by his owne
merits procureth al grace and mercie to mankind in the sight of his Father, none making
any intercession for him, nor geuing any grace or force to his praiers, but he to al: none
asking or obtaining either grace in this life, or glorie in the next, but by him. In this
sort then (as S. Augustine truely saith, Cont. ep. Parm. lib. 2. c. 8.) neither Peter nor
Paul, no nor our B. Lady, nor any creature whatsoeuer, can be our Mediatour. The Aduersaries
thinke too basely of Christes mediation, if they imagine this to be his only prerogatiue, to
pray for vs, or that we make the Saints our Mediatours in that sort as Christ is, when we
desire them to pray for vs.
* Aug. li. 9. de Ciu. ca. 15. De fid. ad Pet. c. 2.
The different manner of praying to Christ, and to Saints.
Which is so farre inferiour to the singular mediation of him, that no Catholike euer can
or dare thinke or speake so basely vnto him, as to desire him to pray for vs: but we say,
*Lord haue mercie vpon vs, Christ haue mercie vpon vs: and not, Christ pray for
vs, as we say to our Ladie and the rest. Therfore to inuocate Saints in that sort as
the Catholike Church doth, can not make them our Mediatours as Christ is, whom we must not
inuocate in that sort. And as wel make we the faithful yet liuing, our Mediatours (by the
Aduersaries arguments) when we desire their praiers, as the departed Saints.
* Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison.
How there be many Mediatours, as there be many Sauiours, and Redeemers, euen in the
Scriptures.
But now touching the word Mediatour, though in that singular sense proper to our Sauiour, it
agreeth to no mere creature in Heauen or earth, yet taken in more large and common sort by the
vse of Scriptures, Doctours, and vulgar speach, not only the Saints, but good men liuing, that
pray for vs and help vs in the way of saluation, may and are rightly called Mediatours. As S. Cyril
li. 12. Thesaur. c. 10 proueth, that Moyses according to the Scriptures, and Ieremie, and the
Apostles, and others be Mediatours. Read his owne words, for they plainely refute al the Aduersaries
cauillations in this case. And if the name of *Sauiour and Redeemer be in the Scriptures giuen to
men, without derogation to him that is in a more excellent and incomparable manner the only
Sauiour of the world: what can they say, why there may not be many Mediatours, in an inferiour
degree to the only and singular Mediatour? S. Bernard saith, Opus est mediatore ad Mediatorem
Christum, nec alter nobis vrilior quam Maria; that is, we haue need of a mediatour to Christ
the Mediatour, and there is none more for our profit then our Ladie. Bernard. Serm qui incipit,
Signum magnum apparuit &c. post Ser. 5 de Assumpt. S. Basil also in the same sense, writing
to Iulian the Apostata, desireth the mediation of our Ladie, of the Apostles, Prophets and
Martyrs, for procuring of God's mercie and remission of his sinnes. His words are cited in Conc.
Nic. 2. act. 4. pag. 110 & 111. Thus did and thus beleeued al the holy Fathers, most agreably
to the Scriptures, and thus must al the children of the Church doe, be the Aduersaries neuer so
importunate and wilfully blind in these matters.
* Iud. 3,9.
2. Esdr. 9,27
Act. 7,35.
one also Mediatour of God and men, man Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ:
6. who gaue himself a redemption for al,
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' a testimonie.
whose testimonie in due times in confirmed.
7.
*
2. Tim. 1,11.
Wherin I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle (I say the truth, I lie not)
Doctour of the Gentils in faith and truth.
8. I wil therfore that men pray in euery place: lifting vp pure hands, without
anger and altercation.
9. In like manner
*
1. Pet. 3,3.
woman also in comely attire: with demurenesse and sobrietie
adorning themselues, not in plaited haire, or gold, or pretious stones, or gorgeous apparel,
10. but that which becommeth women professing pietie by good workes.
11. Let a woman learne in silence, with al subiection.
12. But
*
1. Cor. 14,34.
to teach
I permit not.
Women great talkers of Scripture, and promoters of heresie.
In times of licentiousnes, libertie, and heresie, women are much giuen to reading,
disputing, chatting, and iangling of the holy Scriptures, yea and to teach also if they
might be permitted. But S. Paul vtterly forbiddeth it, & the *Greek Doctours vpon this
place note that the woman taught but once, that was when after her reasoning with
Satan, she persuaded her husband to transgression, and so she vndid al mankind. And in
the Ecclesiastical Writers we find that women haue been great promoters of euery sort
of heresie (wherof see a notable discourse in S. Hierom Epist. ad Ctesiph. cont.
Pelag. c. 2.) which they would not haue done, if they had according to the
Apostles rule, followed pietie and good workes, and liued in silence and subiection to
their husbands.
* S. Chrys. ho. 9. in 1. Tim.
I permit not vnto a woman, nor to haue dominion
ouer the man: but to be in silence.
13. For
*
Gen. 1,27. 3,6.
Adam was formed first; then Eue.
14. And Adam was not seduced: but the woman being seduced, was in preuarication.
15. Yet she shal be saued by generation of children: if
✟
' she.
they continue in faith and
loue and sanctification with sobrietie.