The precept for observing Mass-days, as Sylvester (a)tells us, requires not the end, that is, waiting upon God, nor what is necessarily requisite thereto, but the hearing of Mass: Not waiting on God, but hearing Mass! These are distinct things, and disjoined in the sense of the Roman Doctors, the one is commanded, the other is not; so that they may duly hear Mass all their lives: and yet not wait on God one moment, the former they must do, the latter they are not obliged to regard, nor any thing that necessarily belongs to it. (b)Navarre asserts this, and would prove it by reason and the Authority of Aquinas herein generally followed. In short, if there be any worship required in the Mass it is merely external, and that disjoined from the inward service of the Soul, is, but a mere show or visor of worship, as they themselves confess in their lightsomer intervals. well, but is it worship in any sense? is there any thing Religious required of the people herein? for this they tell us it is enough, if it be an humane act, no more is enjoined, (c)the precept obligeth not, but to hear so, that it may be an humane act, saith (*)Soto, and (d)others, and if it suffice that it be a humane act, it needs not be Religious. Let it be deliberate, that is enough to make it a humane act; and then though there be no Religious ⟨p. 31⟩motion or intention in it, the precept is fulfilled. Sylvester confirms us herein, the precept (saith he) is given unto men, and therefore the work must not be the issue only of the imagination, which is common to us with Beasts, it must proceed from deliberation, which requires some attention. (a)So that there is something more required of one that goes to Mass than of a Beast; but that is before he comes there, if he advance but to it as a man, he may be excused even from humane acts, when he is at it, he needs neither exercise his understanding nor his senses. He needs not (b)understand it, that is far from being a duty, they have made it impossible, it's no sin either for Priests (c)or people not to know what they do; so reasonable is their service. The Latin makes it unintelligible enough, but if it were in a Language less known, if in (d)Mozarabic or Greek, those who are present without any but their Mother-Tongue, fulfil the precept. As (e)Victorel tells us after Soto and others. He needs not see (f)what is done, he may do all that is requisite in the Mass blindfold.
The precept for observing Masse-dayes, as Sylvester (a)tells us, requires not the end, that is, waiting upon God, nor what is necessarily requisite thereto, but the hearing of Masse: Not waiting on God, but hearing Masse! These are distinct things, and disjoyned in the sense of the Roman Doctors, the one is commanded, the other is not; so that they may duly hear Masse all their lives: and yet not wait on God one moment, the former they must do, the latter they are not obliged to regard, nor any thing that necessarily belongs to it. (b)Navar asserts this, and would prove it by reason and the Authority of Aquinas herein generally followed. In short, if there be any worship required in the Masse it is merely external, and that disjoyned from the inward service of the Soul, is, but a mere shew or vizour of worship, as they themselves confess in their lightsomer intervals. well, but is it worship in any sense? is there any thing Religious required of the people herein? for this they tell us it is enough, if it be an humane act, no more is enjoyned, (c)the precept obligeth not, but to hear so, that it may be an humane act, saith (*)Soto, and (d)others, and if it suffice that it be a humane act, it needs not be Religious. Let it be deliberate, that is enough to make it a humane act; and then though there be no Religious ⟨p. 31⟩motion or intention in it, the precept is fulfilled. Sylvester confirms us herein, the precept (saith he) is given unto men, and therefore the work must not be the issue only of the imagination, which is common to us with Beasts, it must proceed from deliberation, which requires some attention. (a)So that there is something more required of one that goes to Masse than of a Beast; but that is before he comes there, if he advance but to it as a man, he may be excused even from humane acts, when he is at it, he needs neither exercise his understanding nor his senses. He needs not (b)understand it, that is far from being a duty, they have made it impossible, it's no sin either for Priests
- (a)Non est simpliciter de sine i. e. ipsa vacatione circa Deum, vel necessario requisitis ad illam: sed de abstinentia a servilibus, & audition missa v. Dominic. n. 8.Non est simpliciter de sine i. e. ipsa vacatione circa Deum, vel necessario requisitis ad illam: sed de abstinentia a servilibus, & auditione missa v. Dominic. n. 8.
- (b)Quamvis finis hujus praecepti sit, ut homo Deo vacet, ipsoque fruatur, & in eo quiescat, ut docuit. S. Thomas: quando tamen finis praecepti est aliud a re praecepta, tunc non cadit sub praeceptum sicut idem S. Thomas Communiter receptus. c. 13. n. 2. p. 198.Quamvis finis hujus praecepti sit, vt homo Deo vacet, ipsoque fruatur, & in eo quiescat, ut docuit. S. Thomas: quando tamen finis praecepti est aliud a re praecepta, tunc non cadit sub praeceptum sicut idem S. Thomas Communiter receptus. c. 13. n. 2. p. 198.
- (c)Neque tale praeceptum obligat ad alium actum interiorem, quam ad illum qui propter exteriorem est necessarius, scil. vere audire missam ea attentione, ut sit actus humanus Soto. ibid. p. 51.
- (*)Praeceptum audiendi missam non obligat nisi taliter, audire ut sit actus humanus. Idem. l. 10. q. 5. art. 5. p. 341.
- (d)Sa• est, quod sit actus humanus. Jac. de Graff. l. 2. c. 34. n. 8. Satis est, sit actus humanus. Lopez. c. 52. p. 271.
- (a)Praeceptum datur hominibus, ideoque oportet ut non procedat opus ex sola imaginatione quae communis nobis est cum bestiis sed ex deliberatione quae attentionem requirit, &c. v. hora n. 13. vid. Angelus v. hor. n. 27.
- (b)Nemo teneatur ex praecepto audire, & minus intelligere verba sacerdotis, quia satis est vel ex longinquo missanti adesse Navarre. c. 21. n. 8.Nemo teneatur ex praecepto audire, & minus intelligere verba sacerdotis, quia satis est vel ex longinquo missanti adesse Navar. c. 21. n. 8.
- (c)Clerici vel laici qui Divinis intersunt, si non intelligunt quae dicunt, non peccant Jac. de Graff. l. 2. c. 51. n. 12.
- (d)Si audiret missam Mocaravem, compleret. Lopez. c. 42.
