Sacrament of Order Moreover in the absence of the Bishop and Priest he may explain the Gospel but not from the Pulpit that it may be understood that This is not his proper Office Now how great care ought to be us'd that no person unworthy of this Function climbs up to this degree of Order XXXVIII How carefully the Deacons are to be chosen 1 Tim. 3. the Apostle shews when he expounded to Timothy the Manners Vertue and Integrity of the Deacon This XXXIX The Ordination of Deacons the Rites and solemn Ceremonies wherewith he is consecrated by the Bishop sufficiently declare For the Bishop uses more and more holy Prayers at the Ordination of a Deacon than of a Subdeacon And adds other Ornaments of Sacred Vestments Besides he lays his hands upon him Which we read to have bin done by the Apostles when they instituted the first Deacons Lastly he delivers them the Book of the Gospels with these Words Receive thou Power to read the Gospel in the Church of God both for the Living and for the Dead in the name of the Lord. De Diaconis praeter citatos suprà vide Clem. Rom. Constit Apostol lib. 2. cap. 6. Cypr. de Lapsis Amb. lib. 1. Offic. c. 41. Leo 1. Serm. de S. Laurent Clem. Rom. Epist 1. ad Jacob. fratrem Domini Hieron Epist 48. apud Baron Annal. Eccl. an 33. num 41. an 34. num 283 285 287. an 34. num 316. an 44. num 78. 80. an 57. n. 31. n. 195. an 58. n. 102. an 112. n. 7 8 9. an 316. n. 48. an 324. n. 115. an 325. n. 152. an 402. n. 44. 47. an 508. n. 15. an 741. n. 12. The Third and highest Degree of all Sacred Orders XL. The Order of Priests is the Priesthood And those who had this Order the antient Fathers were us'd to call by Two names For sometimes they call'd them Presbyters XLI Why call'd Presbyters which in Greek signifies Elders not only because of their Ripeness of Age which is very necessary to this Order but much rather for the Gravity of their Manners their Doctrin and Prudence Wisd 4. For as it is written Venerable Old-Age is not that which consists in length of Time nor that is measur'd by number of years But the Wisdom of a Man is his Grey-Hair and an unspotted life is Old-Age And sometimes they call them Priests XLII Why Priests both because they are consecrated to God and because it belongs to them to administer the Sacraments and to treat of Sacred and Divine Matters But because the Priesthood is describ'd in Sacred Scripture to be two-fold Priesthood double the one Internal the other External They must each of them be distinguish'd that it may by the Pastors be explain'd of which it is here meant As to the Internal Priesthood XLIII Internal all the Faithful after they have bin wash'd with the saving Water of Baptism are call'd Priests but especially the Just who have the Spirit of God and by benefit of the Divine Grace are made living Members of that most High-Priest Christ Jesus For these by Faith which is inflam'd with Charity offer to God Spiritual Sacrifices upon the Altar of their Mind of which kind are to be accounted all good and honest actions which they do for the Glory of God Wherefore we read in the Apocalyps thus Apoc. 1.5 Christ has wash'd us from our sins in his Blood and made us a Kindom and Priests to God and his Father According to which Sense it was said by the Prince of Apostles 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye as living Stones are built up a Spiritual House an Holy Priesthood offering up Spiritual Sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. And the Apostle exhorts us Rom. 1.2 That we yield our Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God as being our reasonable service Also David long before said Ps 50.19 The Sacrifice of God is a contrite Spirit an humble and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise All which it is easie to see belongs to the internal Priesthood But the External Priesthood belongs not to the Multitude of the Faithful XLIV External but to particular Men who being instituted and consecrated to God by lawful imposition of Hands and solemn Ceremonies of Holy Church are properly appointed to the Sacred Ministery This Difference of Priesthood may be observ'd even in the old-Law XLV This double Priesthood prov'd from the Old Law 2 Par. 26.18 For that David spake of the Internal was shew'd a little before But of the External no one can be ignorant how many commands God had given to Moses and Aaron Besides he appointed the whole Tribe of Levi to the Ministery of the Temple and provided by Law that no one of any other Tribe should presume to intrude himself into that Function Wherefore King Ozias was smitten with Leprosie from the Lord because he usurp'd the Priestly Office and suffer'd most grievous Punishments for his arrogance and Sacriledg Amb. lib. 4. de Sacram. c. 1. Aug. lib. 10. de Civit. Dei cap. 6. 10. Leo Serm. 3. de Annivers Pontisicat That therefore we may observe the same Distinction of Priesthood in the Law of the Gospel XLVI The External Priesthood here treated of the Faithful must be taught that we now treat of the External Priesthood which is given to particular Men for this only belongs to the Sacrament of Order The Priests Office therefore is XVII The Consecration of a Priest explain'd First To do Sacrifice to God to administer the Sacraments of the Church as is seen by the Rites of his Consecration For when the Bishop makes any Priest He first together with all the Priests then present lays Hands upon him And then spreading upon his Shoulders a Stole Secondly he draws it upon his Breast in manner of a Cross Whereby is declar'd That the Priest is indued with vertue from above whereby he may be able to bear the Cross of Christ our Lord and the sweet Yoak of his Divine Law and to teach this Law not by Words only but by the Example of a most holy and upright Life Afterwards he anoints his Hand with Oyl Thirdly and then delivers a Chalice with Wine and a Paten with a Host saying Receive thou Power of Offering Sacrifice to God and of celebrating Masses as well for the Quick as for the Dead By which Ceremonies and Words he is made an Interpreter and Mediator of God and Men and This is to be look'd upon as the chief Function of a Priest Lastly Fourthly Laying Hands upon his Head he says Joh. 20.23 Receive thou the Holy Ghost whose Sins Thou shalt remit they are remitted to them and whose sins Thou shalt retain they are retain'd And gives him that heavenly Power which the Lord gave his Disciples of retaining and remitting sins These are the proper and special
explain the Vertue and Vse of them in our vulgar German Tongue according to the Capacity of the Receivers according to what is contain'd in the Roman Catechism a Book truly very profitable and very necessary for these Times Eighthly it was approv'd again a Third Time by St. Charles in a Synod of Millan Anno 1571. wherein it is commanded that the Curats in the Administration of the Sacraments make use of the Doctrin of the Roman Catechism Ninthly it was approv'd in the Synod at Genua Anno 1574. Tit. de Fidei elementis à Parocho tradendis Tenthly it was approv'd a Fourth Time by St. Charles in a Synod at Millan Anno 1576. where among those Books which the Curat ought to exhibit to the Bishop at Visitation the Roman Catechism is appointed to be one Eleventhly it was approv'd also a Fifth Time by the same St. Charles in a Synod at Millan Anno 1579. where concerning the way of Examining it is commanded that enquiry be made concerning those that are to be Ordain'd Whether they have the Roman Catechism and hold the Doctrin thereof Twelfthly it was approv'd the same Year by the Clergy of all France in a Synod at Melun wherein many places but especially under those Four Titles of Baptism Eucharist Penance and Order this Catechism which there is acknowledged to be of the Council of Trent it is so commended to the Curats that by that Catholic Assembly of all the Clergy it is judged altogether necessary for them and to be preferr'd before all others for thus it is said there The Curats are bound to teach their Flocks according to the Prescription of the Catechism of the Council of Trent as purely and simply as may be And elsewhere For the due Performance of which matter to wit in exhorting the People using the common Places of the Roman Catechism and the Doctrin of the Council of Trent concerning all the Sacraments which for that end is studiously and accurately to be read by all Curats Moreover Let the Confessors as exactly as may be follow the Rules and Precepts of the Catechism of Trent in things of this sort and in exercising Works of Piety Thirteenthly it was approv'd in the Synod of Roan in Normandy Anno 1581. Where it was thus ordered Now that every Curat may discharge his Office let him have the Roman Catechism in Latin and French c. 10. Fourteenthly in the Synod of Bourdeaux Anno. 1583. where it is thus Let the Curats upon all Holy-days teach the People somewhat out of the Catechism of Trent which by our Authority we enjoyn them to have by them both in Latin and French c. Fifteenthly in the Synod of Tours Anno 1583. Tit. de professione Fidei tuendae curae Sixteenthly in the Synod of Rhemes 1583. Tit. de Curatis Seventeenthly in the Provincial Synod of Aqueia in France Anno 1585. Tit. de Parochis Where it is thus Now that every Curat may discharge his Office let him have the Roman Catechism both in Latin and French c. Eighteenthly in the Provincial Synod of Tholous Anno 1590. where it is thus We enjoyn the Curats that they have continually in their Hands the Catechism of the Council of Trent Tit. de Sacramentis Nineteenthly in the Synod of Avignion Anno 1594. Tit. de Officio Parochi Let them diligently use the Roman Catechism Twentiethly in the Synod of Aquileia Anno 1586. whereof before I omit very many Diocesan Synods in which this our Catechism was approved I omit also those Doctors of very great Note who assert That next to the Canonical Books there is nothing can be read with more Safety and Advantage than this Catechism Now these things Friendly Reader being premis'd who can endure the Boldness of them that despising this sacred Work as a childish Toy scorn to meddle with it and that for this only Reason because it is call'd a Catechism O miserably blind Souls But to make those Men blush all over for Shame I intreat them to hear Augustine Valerius Cardinal and Bishop of Verona a very dear Friend to St. Charles Borromaeus and the Glory of the Sacred Colledge in his First Book Ad Acolythos Veronense◠This Catechism was publish'd Three Year ago by Command of Pope Pius V. which we see to have been given of God for the Benefit of the Christian Common-wealth and for the restoring to us the ancient D scipline of the Church A Work so excellent if we regard the Gravity or Weight of the Sentences and the clearness of the Words or Expressions that Learned Men judg that there has nothing more excellent been publish'd for these many Ages past For all things are explain'd which belong to the Instructing of Souls and that in so good an Order and with so great Clearness and Majesty that our Holy Mother the Church taught by the Holy Ghost seems to teach all and Men to hold their Peace You that are somewhat aged read this Catechism Seven times over and more than seven times for thereby you will get great Advantage for if in History it be deliver'd that Demosthenes thorowly to commend Eloquence describ'd Thucidides Eight times and for that end committed to Memory all his Orations so full of Arguments how much fitter is it that you who are imploy'd in the Discipline of the Church and ought to refer all your Studies to Gods Glory and your own and others Salvation should diligently read yea and even to copy out Eight times over this most excellent Book dictated by the Holy Ghost written by the Decree of the Fathers that were present in the Council of Trent and publish'd by the Authority of Christ's Vicar ARTICLE IV. The Advantages and Vse of this Catechism THE Advantages of this Catechism of the Council of Trent are so many as the Necessities of the Church are if Heresie is to be prevented that the Devil sow it not and that it disturb not Catholics Let the Curats often explain this Catechism If Heresie by an unlucky and ominous Birth be already sprung up and is to be stifled let the Curats often explain this Catechism If Religion is to be preserv'd uncorrupt and sincere let the Curats often explain this Catechism If young Clerks either in Seminaries or privately are to be prepared for the undertaking of any Ecclesiastical Function let this Catechism be often read to them If any one be minded to administer the Sacraments devoutly as is fitting and to the Edification of his Neighbors let him have in his Hand this only Catechism Lastly if any Priest be minded to prepare himself to hear Confessions to make Sermons to direct Souls let them use this only Catechism For it is useful not in one respect only as may easily be observed from what was before noted I will here shew some of the more profitable The First way of using this Catechism is injoyn'd in almost all Synods both Provincial and Diocesan which were had after the Council of Trent to wit
and undertakes to lead a new way and manner of Life it is but just not to grant Baptism to any one that is unwilling to receive it or that refuses it but to them only who chearfully and freely receive it Wherefore by Holy Tradition it has bin receiv'd Aug. de poen Mediâ— c. 2. D. Thom. 2. p. q. 68. sect 7. and always observ'd Not to administer Baptism to any before he be ask'd whether he wills it Nay even in Children and Infants it must be suppos'd that that Will is not wanting Since the Will of the Church which answers for them is not obscure Besides Madmen and Furious XXXIX Wheter Mad persons ought to be baptiz'd and when D. Thom. 3.3 p. q. 86. art 12. who being sometimes in their Wits and then falling again into Madness have at that time no Will to receive Baptism are not to be baptiz'd unless there be danger of Life But when they are in such danger of Life if before they began to fall mad they gave any Tokens of their Will to be baptiz'd they are to be baptiz'd Note .. But if not we must abstain from administring it to such The same thing ought to be judg'd of them that sleep But if they never were in a sound mind so that they had no use of Reason they are to be baptiz'd in the Faith of the Church no otherwise than Children are who want reason as both the Authority and Practice of the Church sufficiently declare But besides the Will of Baptism XL. Three things requir'd in Adult persons to be baptiz'd Faith Penance and a Purpose to forsake sin Marc. 16.19 Faith also is very necessary to attain the Grace of that Sacrament for the same reason as was said concerning the Will For our Lord and Savior has taught He that believes and is baptiz'd shall be sav'd And then there is need that every one repent of his Sins and of his ill-spent life and resolve for the future to abstain from all sin For otherwise he that desires Baptism so as that he will not amend his custom of sinning is by all means to be rejected for there is nothing so contrary to the Grace and Vertue of Baptism as the Mind and Purpose of those is who never put to themselves an end of sinning Seeing therefore that Baptism is to be desir'd for this end that we might put on Christ and be joyn'd with him it is plainly manifest that he is deservedly to be rejected from Holy Baptism who purposes to persevere in sin and Vice Note But especially because none of all those things which belong to Christ and his Church are to be undertaken in vain And we know well enough if we consider the Grace of Righteousness and Salvation that Baptism will be in vain to him who purposes to live according to the Flesh Rom. 8.1 and not according to the Spirit Altho as to the Sacrament it self without all doubt he does receive the perfect Reason thereof only if so be when he is rightly baptiz'd he purposes to receive what by Holy Church is administr'd Wherefore the Prince of Apostles answer'd to that great multitude which as the Scripture says being prick'd at the Heart Act. 2.50 ask'd of him and the rest of the Apostles what they should do Do Penance says he and be baptiz'd every one of you And in another place Do Penance and be converted that your sins may be blotted out And S. Paul writing to the Romans plainly shews him who is baptiz d that by all means he ought to dye to sin and therefore he warns us not to yield our members as weapons of iniquity to sin but to yield our selves to God as those that are risen from the Dead Now if the Faithful often meditate on these things XLI How profitable this Doctrine of Baptism is they will be compell'd earnestly to admire that infinite goodness of God who being led by his own mercy only has bestow'd so singular and so divine a benefit upon them who deserv'd no such matter And then when they put before their Eyes how free their life ought to be from every crime who are adorn'd with so great a gift They will easily understand that this is first of all requir'd of Christians to study to lead every day of their Life so holily and religiously as if that very day they had receiv'd the Sacrament and grace of Baptism Altho to inflame their Souls with the study of true Piety there can be nothing more profitable than for the Pastors diligently to explain what the Effects of Baptism are Of these things therefore because it must often be treated XLII The Effects of Baptism The fi st Remâ—ssion of sins that the Faithful may the better perceive that they are plac'd in the highest degree of dignity and never suffer themselves at any time to be cast down thence by any wiles or violence of the adversary it is necessary to teach them this thing first of all that sin whether contracted by birth from our first-parents or committed of our selves altho it is so necessary that it seems not able to be imagin'd by the admirable vertue of this Sacrament is remitted and pardon'd This was long before prophesi'd by Ezekiel Ezek. 36.25 by whom our Lord God says thus I will pour clean Water upon you and ye shall be cleans'd from all your filthithiness And the Apostle to the Corithians after a long reckoning up of sins 1 Cor. 6.11 subjoyn'd And these things ye were but ye are Wash'd but ye are sanctified And it is manifest that this Docttine has bin always deliver'd by the Catholic Church For S. Austin in his Book which he wrote of the Baptism of Infants testifies thus Lib. 1 de peccat met remiss c 15 Eph. 85 ante medium Sess 5. can 5. By carnal generation we contract only original sin but by regeneration of the Spirit there is Forgiveness not only of orginal but also of wilful sins And S. Hierom to Oceanus All sins says he in Baptism are forgiven And that no one may doubt any more of this matter after the Definition of other Councils the Council of Trent has declar'd the same thing when she decreed an Anathema against those who presum'd to think otherwise or who doubted not to assert That tho in Baptism sin were forgiv'n yet it is not wholly taken away or pull'd up by the Roots but rac'd or scarr'd in a manner so that the roots of sin yet remain fasten'd in the Soul For to use the words of the same Holy Synod God hates nothing in the Regenerate because there is no condemnation to those who are truly bury'd with Christ by Baptism into death who walk not according to the Flesh But putting off the Old man and putting on the New which is created according to God they are made innocent spotless pure without hurt and lov'd of God Of this effect of Baptism See Aug. lib. 1.
the Curat may gather to terrifie Men from their evil Lust as the Destructiom of Sodom and the other neighboring Cities the Punishment of the Israelites who committed Fornication with the Daughters of Moab in the Wilderness and the Destruction of the Benjamites Gen. 29.24 Num. 25.4 Jud. 20. But those that escape Death yet they escape not intollerable Pains and Tortures of Punishment XVII Adulterers blinded and become foolish in all things which frequently lays hold on them for their Mind is blinded which is the greatest Punishment of all so that they have no regard of God nor of their Fame nor of their Honor nor of their Children nor even of their own Life and by this means they grow to be so wicked and unprofitable that nothing of moment ought to be trusted with them and they are hardly fit for the discharge of any Office Hereof we may find Examples in David and Solomon Examples whereof the one after his Adultery became very unlike himself of Merciful he became Cruel 3 Reg. 11. so that he deliver'd Vriah to Death who had deserv'd very well of him The other when he had given himself wholly over to the Lust of Women so turn'd himself from God's true Religion that he follow'd other Gods This Sin therefore Hos 11. as Hoseas says takes away the Heart of Man and oftentimes blinds him And now let us come to the Remedies XVIII Antidotes against Lust The First which consist in Action Whereof the first is this Strongly to resist Ideness in which when the Men of Sodom blunted themselves as it is in Ezekiel they fell headlong into the most foul Sin of wicked Lust Next The Second Hier. 5.7 Gluttony is to be avoided I fed them says the Prophet and they committed Adultery because a full and satisfied Belly begets Lust This very thing our Lord signified in these words Luc. 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest haply your Hearts be overcharged with Gluttony and Drunkenness Eph. 5.18 And so says the Apostle Be not drunk with Wine wherein is Excess But especially by the Eye is the Mind us'd to be inflam'd with Lust The Third whither belongs that Sentence of Christ our Lord Mat. 5.32 If thy Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee There are besides many Sayings of the Prophets to this purpose Job 31.1 as that of Job I have made a Covenant with my Eyes that I would not so much as think of a Virgin Lastly There are many and almost innumerable Examples of the Evils which had their beginning from the Sight of the Eyes So David and so the King of Sichem sinn'd and by this means those Old Men the false Accusers of Susanna sinn'd 2 Reg. 11. Gen. 34.2 Dan. 13.8 Also more curious Apparel or Ornaments The Fourth wherewith the Sense of the Eyes is much taken oftentimes affords no small Occasion to Lust Ecclus 9.8 And therefore Ecclesiasticus admonishes Turn away thy Face from a Woman curiously attir'd Whereas therefore Women are overmuch employ'd in adorning themselves Let the Curat observe thiâ— it will not be far from the Matter if the Curat use some Diligence herein sometimes to admonish and sometimes to chide them in those words which S. Peter us'd the most weighty in this kind 1 Pet. 3.3 Let not the adorning of Women be outward as the glittering of Gold or the exquisit Ornament of Apparel 1 Tim. 2.1 And S. Paul Not in curl'd Hair says he or Gold or Precious Stones or costly Clothes for many Women adorn'd with Gold and Precious Stones have lost their Ornaments both of Mind and Body But after this Provocation of Lust The Fifth which consists in the exquisit Ornament of Clothes there follows another which is filthy and obscene Talk for by obscene Words as by a kind of Fire-brand the Minds of Young Persons are inflam'd For as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 15.53 Evil Communication corrpts good Manners And since the more delicate and effeminate Singing and Dancing works the same thing they must diligently take heed of them also Of which kind are to be accounted obscene and amorous Books The Sixth Seventh which are to be shunn'd as Images which carry in them a Representation of Filthiness seeing they have in them a mighty force to inflame the Minds of young Persons to corrupt Abuses But let the Curat chiefly take care that those things be very religiously observ'd which have been piously and religiously decreed by the Holy Council of Trent concerning those things Sess 25. Decret de Invocat Venerat Sacris Imagin Now The Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh and Twelfth if all those things before-mention'd be avoided with great care and labor then all the Matter or Fuel of Lust in a manner will be taken away But the frequent use of Confession and of the Eucharist will be very prevalent to destroy the power of it as also daily and devout Prayers to God join'd with Alms and Fasting For Chastity is the Gift of God XIX God gives Chastity to them that â— ask it which he denies not to them that ask it aright nor suffers us to be tempted above what we are able Vide Tertul de Monag in fine Nazianz. Orat. 3. Basil de Virg. ultra medium Chrysost Hieron in cap. 16. Matth. August lib. 6. Confess c. 11. But the Body is to be exercis'd XX. Other Antidotes and the Desires of the Senses to be repress'd not only with Fastings and with those things especially which Holy Church has appointed but with VVatchings and devout Pilgrimages and other sorts of Afflictions For in those and such like things is very much observ'd the Vertue of Temperance according to which sense S. Paul writes thus to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.15 He that contends in a Combat keeps himself from all things and These that they may receive a corruptible Crown but We an incorruptible one And a little after I chasten my Body says he and bring it it into servitude lest haply when I have preached to others I my self be made a Reprobate And in another Place Rom. 13.14 Fulfil not the Desire of the Flesh in the Lusts thereof The Seventh COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE Thou shalt not steal THat this was the ancient manner of the Church to inculcate the Force and Vertue of this Commandment upon the Hearers I. The ancient of the Church's inculcating this Commandment Rom. 2.21 the Apostles Reproof of those who would scare others from those Vices whereof they themselves were found guilty plainly shews For says he thou that teachest another teachest not thou thy self Thou that preachest A Man should not steal dost thou steal By which excellent way of teaching II. The profitableness of this manner they not only corrected the common Sin of those Times but also appeas'd Disturbances and Quarrels and the other Causes which were us'd to
study and desire to God who is the chiefest Good And then we must desire those things that unite us most with God but those things that separate us from him or any way cause us to be disjoyn'd from him are utterly to be remov'd far from our studies and desires Hence we gather how all other things The Third which are call'd Good next after that chiefest and perfect Good are both to be wish'd and pray'd for of God our Father for those Goods that are outward and belong to the Body as Health Strength Beauty Riches Honors Glory which oftentimes afford matter and occasion to Sin for which cause it is that they are not at all devoutly and piously to be pray'd for that Petition shall be limited in these Bounds that we pray for the Conveniences of this Life for necessitie's sake which ground of Prayer is refer'd to God For tho we may in our Prayers ask those things which Jacob and Solomon pray'd for III. How bodily Goods are to be desir'd Gen. 28 20. Prov. 30.8 Jacob thus If he will give me Bread to eat and Clothes to put on the Lord shall be my God And Solomon thus Only give me necessary food Now since of Gods Liberality we are suppli'd with Food and Raiment It is but meet that we remember that Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Cor 7.30 Let them that buy be as tho they possess'd not and those that use this World as tho they us'd it not for the figure of this World passes away Again Psal 61.11 If Riches increase set not your heart upon them Whose fruit and use is only ours but yet so as that we communicate with others as we are taught by God himself If we have Ability IV. The true use of outward Goods if we abound with other outward Goods of the Body let us remember that they are therfore given us that we may serve God with more ease and lend our Neighbor all things of this kind And then for the Goods and Ornaments of the Understanding V. Under what condition Arts and Sciences to be pray'd for of which kind are Learning and Arts we may not pray for them but on this condition only if they will be profitable to us for God's Glory and our Salvation but that which is absolutely and without any adjunct or condition to be pray'd for wish'd and begg'd as we said before is the Glory of God and after that all things else that may joyn us to that most excellent Good as Faith the Fear of God and his Love of which we will speak more fully in the explication of the Petitions For whom we are to Pray NOw it being known what things are to be pray'd for I. There is no sort of Men which are not to be pray'd for the Faithful are to be taught for whom they are to pray Prayer contains Petition and Thanksgiving wherefore we will first speak concerning Petition We must therefore pray for all without any Exception either of Differences of Favour or of Religion For whether he be Enemy Stranger or Infidel he is our Neighbor whom because by God's Command we ought to love it follows that we ought to make Prayers also for them which is the Office of Love for thither tends that Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.1 I beseech you that Prayers be made for all Men. In which Prayer we are first to beg those things which concern the Welfare of the Soul Note and then that of the Body Now we ought to perform this Office first for the Pastors of our Souls II. First We must pray for the Pastors of our Souls Col. 4.3 whereof we admonish'd by the Apostle from his own Example for he writes to the Colossians to pray for him that God would open him a Door of Speech which also he do's to the Thessalonians And in the Acts of the Apostles we read Acts 12.5 That Prayer was made by the Church without ceasing for Peter Of which Duty also we are admonish'd by S. Basil in his Books de Moribus For says he we must pray for them that are over us in the Word of Truth Basil lib. Moral Reg. 56. c. 5. item Homil. in Isaiam In the second place Secondly For Princes we must pray for Princes according to the Sentence of the same Apostle For how great Public Good we enjoy by just and pious Princes there is no one ignorant God therefore is to be entreated that those that are above other Men may be such kind of Persons as they ought to be Vide Tertul. Apolog. 30. ad Scap. c. 2. There are Examples of Holy Men Thirdly For Pious Men. whereby we are admonish'd to pray for good and pious Men for they also stand in need of the Prayers of others Which is so order'd of God that they may not be puff'd up with Pride while they see that they want the Prayers of their Inferiors Besides Fourthly For Enemies Our Lord has commanded us to pray for our Persecuters and Slanderers Matth. 5.44 For Fifthly For Strangers from the Church it is well known from the Testimony of S. Austin that this Practice of making Supplications and Prayers for those that were without the Church was receiv'd from the Apostles That Faith might be given to Infidels that Idol-worshippers might be deliver'd from the Error of their Impiety that the Jews the Darkness of their Souls being dispell'd might receive the Light of Truth that Heretics returning to Soundness of Mind might be instructed in the Precepts of Catholic Doctrin that Schismatics being bound with the Band of true Charity might be joyn'd in Communion with our most Holy Mother the Church from whom they fell away Now how great a force hearty Prayers made for this kind of Men has appears by so many Examples of Men of all sorts which God daily carries being snatch'd out of the Power of Darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love and of Vessels of Wrath he makes them Vessels of Mercy In which Case no one in his right Mind can doubt that the Intercession of Devout Men prevails very much Vide S. Aug Epist 107. ad Vitel. Cyprian de Orat. Domin Item Caelestinum Papam Epist 1. c. 11. And Prayers for the Dead Sixthly For the Dead that they may be delivered from the Fire of Purgatory did flow from the Doctrin of the Apostles concerning which enough was said when we spake of the Sacrifice of the Mass Dionys cap. lib. de Eccles Hierarch c. 6 7. Clem. Pap. Epist 1. lib. Constit Apost Tert. de Coron Milit. in Exhort ad Castit in lib. de Monog Cypr. Epist 66. But those that are said to sin unto Death Seventhly For Sinners Intercessions and Prayers profit them but little yet it is the part of Christian Charity both to pray for them and even with Tears to wrestle for them if by any means they can render
he commands us to beg our Meat of him every Day Which Sentence has this necessary Reason XXXII The Lords Prayer to be said daily because we all want daily Bread therefore we must all daily use the Lords Prayer And thus much of the Bread which being receiv'd into our Mouth nourishes and sustains our Body which God of his admirable Bounty bestows upon all in common as well on the Faithful as Infidels as well on the Pious as Impious Matth. 5.46 Who causes his Sun to rise upon the Good and upon the Evil and rains upon the Just and on the Vnjust The other Bread XXXIII Fourthly we here pray for Spiritual Bread and which we also pray for in this place is Spiritual whereby all things are signified whatsoever are requir'd for the Safety and Salvation of the Spirit and Soul For as the meat wherewith the Body is nourished and sustaind is of many sorts so the Meat which preserves the Life of the Soul and Sprit is not of one kind only For the Word of God is the Food of the Soul First For Wisdom says Prov. 9.5 Come ye eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine which I have mingled for you Now when God takes away from Men the Use of this Word XXXIV When the Food of God's Word is taken away Amoâ— 8.11 which he uses to do when he is much provok'd by our Sins he is said to send a Famine upon Men For thus it is in Amos I will send a Famin upon the Earth not a Famin of Bread or a Thirst of Water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. Now as it is a certain Sign of Death approaching XXXV A singular Comparison when Men cannot take Food or having taken it cannot keep it so it is a very great Argument that their Salvation is in danger who either desire not God's Word or if they have it will not endure it and pour out that impious Cry against God Job 21.14 Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways In this Madness of Soul XXXVI The Despisers of Gods Word in this Blindness of Mind they are taken who disregarding those Catholic both Bishops and Priests that are put over them and cutting themselves off from the Holy Roman Church have given themselves over to be govern'd by Heretics that corrupt the Word of God But then XXXVII Christ the Bread of the Soul Joh. 6.15 Christ our Lord is the Bread of the Soul For he says of himself I am the Living Bread that came down from Heaven It is past belief with how great Pleasure and Joy this Bread then fills devout Souls they are most afflicted with Earthly Troubles and Inconveniences That holy Quire of Apostles may serve us for an Example of whom it is thus recorded Act. 5.41 They went out from the presence of Council rejoycing The Books of the Lives of Holy Men are fill'd with Examples of this kind And of those inward Joys of Good Men God speaks thus Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcomes I will give the hidden Manna But especially this Bread is Christ our Lord XXXVIII Christ in the Eucharist is the Bread of the Soul which is substantially contain'd in the Sacrament of the Eucharist This unspeakable Pledge of his Love he gave us when he was about to return to his Father of which he said He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood dwells in me and I in him Take ye and eat This is my Body Job 6.65 Mat. 26.6 1 Cor. 11.64 And the Curat shall fetch those things which belong to the profit of the Faithful from that place where the Force and Vertue of this Sacrament is particularly explain'd Pag. 181. And here it is said XXXIX How Christ in the Eucharist is the Bread of the Soul Our Bread because it belongs to the Faithful i. e. to those who joyning Charity with Faith by the Sacrament of Penance wipe away the Spots of Sin who remembring themselves to be the Children of God take and worship this Divine Sacrament with the greatest Holiness and Veneration they are able Vide Tertul. lib. de Orat. Cypr. item de Orat. August alios locis citatis supra pag. 473. But why is it call'd Daily There is a twofold Reason XL. Why Christ is call'd our daily Bread Psal 54.25 The one is That in the Sacred Mysteries of the Christian Church it is offered to God daily and given to those that devoutly and holily desire it The other is That we ought daily to receive it or at least so to lead our Life as to be fit daily to take it and eat it Let those that think otherwise Note unless by reason of a long Interval they ought not to he fed with this saving Banquet of the Soul hear what S. Ambrose says If it be thy Daily Bread why dost thou take it but once a Year Lib. 5. Sap. c. 4. Vide etiam de Consec dist 2. But in this Petition the Faithful are specially to be exhorted XLI The Issue of this Petition to be left to God That when they have honestly and well advis'd and been industrious in getting the Necessaries of Life they leave the Success to God and refer their Desires to his Pleasure Psal 45.23 who will not always leave the Just in a tottering condition For either God will grant the things desired Note and so they shall have their Wish or else he will not grant them and that is a most certain Argument that what is desired is neither for their Salvation nor Advantage since God denies it to the Pious who takes greater care of their Welfare than themselves do Upon this Point the Curats may enlarge themselves in explaining those Reasons which are excellently collected by S. Austin in his Epistle to Proba The last thing in discoursing upon this Petition is this XLII Why God gives good things to Rich Men. That Rich Men well consider their Wealth and Plenty and that they receiv'd them from God and let them think with themselves that those good things are therefore heap'd upon them to distribute them to the Needy To which sense agree those things that are disputed by the Apostle in his first Epistile to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 whence the Curats may fetch Divine Precepts enow for the clearing this Point both profitably and savingly The FIFTH PETITION And forgive us our Debts as we alsso forgive our Debtors SInce there are so many things that signifie God's Infinit Power to be join'd with the like Infinit Wisdom and Goodness I. Christ's Passion a singular Token of his Love to us that whithersoever we turn our Eyes and thoughts we meet with the Tokens of his Immense Power and Goodness verily there is nothing that more evidently shews his most profound Love and admirable Charity towards us than that unspeakable Mystery of the Passion of Jesus Christ from whence sprang that