FOR the sanctifying the Lords day, or any other which they count holy, all that is necessary, is the worship of the Mass only, with abstaining from servile works: (t)this is enough on any festival for the avoiding of mortal sin. It is their common Doctrine, and there is not any thing wherein they more generally agree. So it is to be observed, that the total sum of all the holiness, which is necessary for these Catholics; even at those times, when it should appear if ever, and all which they themselves are obliged to exercise, consists in their being at Mass, and avoiding servile work. What holy attendance at the Mass they count necessary, we saw before, they may spend the time in sleeping, or talking, or laughing, or scoffing; only with some little intermissions; that they may stand at the Gospel, and kneel at the Consecration, and how at the Elevation; but therein no inward (u)act being necessary, all the holiness requisite, lies in their legs, which should be ordered, as the Priest gives the signal; yet even this, they are not obliged to, who neither hear, nor see what is done; and it is not needful at the Mass, for any of the people, so much as to use their senses. When the Mass (which (x)may begin at break of day or before) is dispatched in such a holy manner, (with such attendance as would scarce be counted civil, at least sufficient, at a stage-Play) they ⟨p. 224⟩may spend the rest of the day, according to this beginning. Th• (says Cajetan) (y)who after Mass vainly consume the rest of these d• in sports, in jesting, in idle vagaries, in hunting, in seeing Shows • Plays, and any thing of this nature: by such acts, because they are • servile works, (upon which account they say, that no other acts of, wickedness are a profaning of these days, or a breach of that Precept they incur no mortal sin. But then he (who is more precise herein, that the generality of their Divines), brings an after-reckoning: Yet, say• he, (z)hereby because they neglect that divine Worship, for which these days were instituted, they sin greatly; How can that be, since he said immediately before, that they sin not mortally? why there is a latitude in their venial Faults, some are great, and some less; and so wi• him, to neglect all Worship but the Mass, is a great sin of the little size:
FOR the sanctifying the Lords day, or any other which they count holy, all that is necessary, is the worship of the Mass only, with abstaining from servile works: (t)this is enough on any festival for the avoiding of mortal sin. It is their common Doctrine, and there is not any thing wherein they more generally agree. So it is to be observed, that the total sum of all the holiness, which is necessary for these Catholicks; even at those times, when it should appear if ever, and all which they themselves are obliged to exercise, consists in their being at Mass, and evoiding servile work. What holy attendance at the Mass they count necessary, we saw before, they may spend the time in sleeping, or talking, or laughing, or scoffing; only with some little intermissions; that they may stand at the Gospel, and kneel at the Consecration, and how at the Elevation; but therein no inward (u)act being necessary, all the holiness requisite, lies in their legs, which should be ordered, as the Priest gives the signal; yet even this, they are not obliged to, who neither hear, nor see what is done; and it is not needful at the Mass, for any of the people, so much as to use their senses. When the Mass (which (x)may begin at break of day or before) is dispatched in such a holy manner, (with such attendance as would scarce be counted civil, at least sufficient, at a stage-Play) they ⟨p. 224⟩may spend the rest of the day, according to this beginning. Th• (says Cajetan) (y)who after Mass vainly consume the rest of these d• in sports, in jesting, in idle vagaries, in hunting, in seeing Shows • Plays, and any thing of this nature: by such acts, because they are • servile works, (upon which account they say, that no other acts of, wickedness are a prophaning of these days, or a breach of that Precep• they incur no mortal sin. But then he (who is more precise herein, that the generality of their Divines), brings an after-reckoning: Yet, say• he, (z)
- (t)Licet cum abstinentia a servilibus, solius missae cultus sufficiat in festo ad evitandum mortale peccatum. Cajetan. sum. v. fest. p. 316. Regula generalis est; hoc praeceptum colendi deum in die sesto, quatenus affirmativum est, non obligare ad exercendum intra illum diem alium actum divini cultus, sive internum sive externum, praeter missam—Assertio est communis—Ratio unica est, quia ecclesia nihil aliud praecipit. Suur. l. 2. de festis, c. 16. n. 1.
- (u)Vid. Bellarm. de miss. l. c. p. 837.
- (x)Secundum Paludanum semper licet. missam facere, ita ut finis missae incidat in initium aurorae. vid. infra.
- (y)Qui festos dies post missam vanè consumunt ludendo, jocando, otioseque vagando, • venando, sportaculis intendendo, et hujusmodi, licèt ex ipsis operibus, utpote non ser• libus, mortale non incurrant, sum. v. fest. de actibus corporalibus Musicae—ut agitationibus corporum, quae in saltationibus, choreis & tripudiis fiunt. Vid. Angel. Sylvest. Rosall. Abulens. Suarez, l. 2. de fest. c. 27. n. 4. aliqui addunt, si totus dies festus, etiam auditâ missâ, in his actibus consumatur, graviter peccare, quia festa Christiana ridiculo exponuntur.—non intelligunt autem esse mortale, sed veniale, ut disertè declarant—non refert quod intentio est vana, vel turpis, vel principalis, ibid.
- (z)Ex omissione tamen divini oultûs ad quem festa instituta sunt graviter peccant: quia non redaunt quae sunt Dei Deo; & quia quantum in se est, ridiculo exponunt Christiana festa: juxta illud, viderunt cam hosts, & direserunt sabbata ejus. Ibid. Armill. v. fest. n. 23.Ex omissione tamen divini oultûs ad quem festa instituta sunt graviter peccant: quia non redaunt quae sunt Dei Deo; & quia quantum in se est, ridiculo exponunt Christiana festa: juxta illud, viderunt cam hostes, & direserunt sabbata ejus. Ibid. Armill. v. fest. n. 23.
