worke on festiuall dayes Secondly those who consent to such working or doe not hinder it when they may by authority doe it To this Commandement also may be reduced those thinges which are committed against the precept of the Church for hearing of Masse As first those who neglect to heare Masse on Sundayes and Holy dayes offend mortally Secondly those who though they be present at Masse yet are not attentiue at it but stand talking or gazing vp and downe Thirdly those who goe to Masse for some ill end Fourthly those who take no care to see that their children andd seruants satisfie this precept 38. May not one also be excused in some case from hearing Masse on festiuall dayes Yes when he cannot goe to Church without danger of some notable hurt to himselfe or to his neighbour or if he haue some lawfull impediment as for example if a man haue vndertaken a voyage for a busines of great importance either for himselfe or his neighbour and should be hindred by hearing Masse from performing his voyage in due time COMMANDEMENT IV. 39. DEclare the fourth Honour thy Father and Mother that thy life may be long in the land which our Lord thy God shall giue thee In regard that aboue all others our parents are most neere to vs and that we are most obliged to them both for our being and life therefore the first precept of the second table commandeth vs to obey and reuerence them both inwardly and outwardly and also to helpe them in their necessities for honour includeth both loue obedience and seruice 40. What meaneth the later clause That thou mayest liue long in the land which thy Lord thy God shall giue thee As it doth promise long life to dutifull and obedient children so also it is a most fearefull threat amongst other punishments to those who are vndutifull to their parents from whom they had receiued their life and being that they shall not liue long 41. What obedience do Children owe to their parents They owe them obedience in all iust thinges but not in such thinges as are contrary to the will of God for he is to vs more then our father and so must be preferred 42. What assistance are Children bound to giue them They are bound to assist them not only by their industrie but also with their goods and meanes if they haue any of their owne for it is reason that those that haue giuen vs our being should receiue from vs all that which may contribute to the conseruation of their being And the obligation is so great that if one should see his father and his sonne in imminent danger and were not able to helpe both he is bound to helpe his father rather then his owne sonne This obligation also is such that Religious persons may goe out of their Religion to assist their parents in extreme necessitie when by other meanes they cannot be relieued 43. Doth this Cōmandement oblige only children to their parents No for loue is mutuall of its owne nature and so by obliging children to loue their parents God obligeth also parēts to loue their children But it was not necessary to cōmand it expresly because the loue of parents towards their children is so naturall that it needed not to be expressed it sufficeth that nature hath imprinted it in the harts of all parents 44. Whom are we to vnderstand by our Fathers and Mothers First and principally our corporall fathers and mothers secondly our spirituall fathers who are the Prelates of the Church as also our ghostly fathers thi r dl our tēporall Magistrates fourthly husbāds in respect of their wiues fifthly our vncles and aunts sixthly tutours in respect of pupills seuenthly masters in respect of seruants eighthly those who teach in respect of schollers and lastly old and aged persons in respect of yonger people So that we owe to all these a more particular respect then to others according to their seuerall degrees As they likewise do owe a particular loue to their inferiours of each kinde respectiuely 45. How do children transgresse against this precept First all those do transgresse who do not loue and respect their carnall parents Secondly those who do not obey them Thirdly those who do not assist them in their necessities Fourthly those who do dispise them or are ashamed to acknowledge them by reason of their pouerty Fifthly those who treate them rudely and giue them iust occasion of choler Sixthly those who mocke at them and murmure against them and treate them with iniurious words Seuenthly those who do any vnreasonable action of importance contrary to their desire Eightly those that doe accuse their parents in publike courts except it be for treason Ninthly those who by excessiue expences and disorder hinder them from making restitution of goods ill gotten Tenthly those children who are not carefull to see that their fathers and mothers confesse at the hower of death sinne mortally in case that there be no bodie els to looke vnto it and that through their negligence their parents dye without confession Eleuenthly those who after their parents death do not execute their last will and testament Twelfthly those children who permit themselues to be induced to marry against their fathers will offend against this commandement And it is to be noted that the obligation which we haue to our parents is so great that they who transgresse against them do very often offend mortally 46. How do parents transgresse against this Commandement First by vsing their children with two much seuerity as those do who beat them and vse them ill vpon no occasion or vpon iust occasion but beyond measure Secondly those who marry them to persons that they cannot loue Thirdly those who make them become religious against their will do offend mortally Fourthly those who vse them with too much indulgence and do not correct them when they do ill Fifthly those who haue more care to see them rich then that they be brought vp in the feare of God Sixthly those that hinder them from entering into Religion when they seeme to be called to it by allmighty God Seuenthly those who giue them any ill example or put them vpon any euill action Eighthly those who disinherit them without any lawfull cause Ninthly those who giue their goods to any others though it be to the Church in case that thereby they depriue their children of that portion which is reasonably due vnto them and which is necessary to maintaine them in a competent manner do transgresse notably against this precept Tenthly those who send their children to begge that is make beggars of them when they are able to maintaine them Eleuenthly those who do not prouide for their bastards if they be able at least waies so farre as that they may not liue in misery 47 How do men trangresse against other persons who are mutually obliged by this Commandement First those persons transgresse against their spirituall fathers and temporall Magistrates who do not
of nothing to giue limits both to the being and to the power of the thing he maketh which is done by prescribing its end and by laying downe in particular all the chaine of actions that euer it shall doe it followeth that no creature shall doe any action at all but only that which God hauing first particularly foreseen doth ordaine or permit it to doe and consequently that his eternall decrees do concurre to the doeing of euery action on whom also the being of all actions doth depend both in their continuation and in their beginning And so it is cleare that God is the Author of all our actions by giuing them existence as well as of our being as the Architect who by ouerseeing the building hath influence into euery-particular of a house doth build the house more truly then the workemen by whose meanes those thinges are executed which he or daineth about it So that God in fine is both the maker of all thinges the keeper of all thinges in being and also the chiefe doer of all thinges 10. As God is the chiefe doer and maker of all thinges so doe you not also beleeue that he seeth and knoweth all thinges whatsoeuer Yes vndoubtedly for we account him but very simple who knoweth not what he doeth himselfe God therefore not only giuing vs the power but euen also doing all our actions with vs much more then our selues he must needs know farre better then our selues what we doe And so you see that God knoweth all and euery thing that is done great and little to the number of the thoughts of men and Angells to the diuision of dust and sandes yea he knoweth whatsoeuer can be done or made yea though it nether be done or made nor euer to be done or made And because he doth not only know but also setteth on worke the causes of all thinges cleare it is that all thinges are done by his disposition and gouerment and consequently that he is the gouernout of all thinges in the world 11. If God then be the chiefe Authour and principall cause of all our actions doth it not follow from-thence that he is also the cause and Authour of our sinnes No for sinne is but a want and defect of our doing or rather a misdoing or missing to doe wherefore as in a scriuener the writeing proceedeth chiefely from the scriuener but the ill writeing by blotting or blurring proceedeth from the fault of the pens ill slit bad fashion or foulenesse so in like manner all mans actions proceed chiefely from God but sinne which is the ill doeing them proceedeth meerly from some defect in man himselfe and not from God at all For as cold cannot proceed from heate nor drinesse from water so the missing to doe and want of goodnesse cannot spring from the author of doeing and fountaine of goodnesse 12. But what now finally is this God who both maketh and knoweth all thinges and was himselfe from all eternity This is a question we can not answer fully vntill we come to enioy him in heauen where we shall see him clearely Here vpon earth we know him but imperfectly for he is not like vnto any thing which can be seen by the eie of man or framed by humane fantasie 13. What then must we conceiue him to be We must conceiue him to be a spirituall substance hauing his being from himselfe most single incomprehensible omnipotent immutable remaineing allwayes in the same state without any alteration at all omniscient infinitely wise and infinitely good eternall without all beginning or end who dependeth of nothing hath need of nothing and by whom all thinges were created and on whom all thinges both in heauen and earth depend 14. Where is God his chiefe and proper mansion place Although we conceiue God to be chiefely n heauen because he doth there chiefely manifest the greatnesse of his glory vnto the blessed yet you must know that he is euery where not only by his power but also by his presence and essence 14. What do you meane by Gods being euery where by power by presence and by essence God is euery where by power as is the king in his kingdome where by his lawes and officers he is morally present in his whole kingdome and obeyed by his subiects and so God conserueth euery thing and doeth all that is done in seuerall partes of the world sinne onely excepted as we saied before He is euery where by presence as is the king in his chamber by his personall being there and so he seeth all that which is in the world as the eie seeth that which is before it And finally he is also euery where by essence as is the king in his throne where with his body he filleth vp the whole place God is also sayed to be particularly present with the iust by grace with the blessed by glory and with the very damned in hell by iustice 16. Must we beleeue that there is but one God Yes as there is but one sunne in the world one king in a kingdome one soule in a body so is there but one God in heauē who gouerneth the whole world And the reason of it is because he who is absolutely soueraine cannot haue any thing distinct from himselfe as a companion equall to himselfe for absolute souerainty doth signify a superiority aboue all now God who hath all perfections must consequētly haue souerainty for otherwise he would want that perfection which is the chiefe of all And the notiō of Godhead doth proue that it cannot be otherwise for if there be two Gods ether both of them haue all being that is do possesse being in its full latitude and perfection or one hath it so and the other not if both haue all being in its full latitude and perfection then there cānot be any kynd of being in the one which is not in the other whereby they may differ in their beings and if they do not differ in their beings they must needs haue one and the selfe same being and so they cannot be two thinges but one and the selfe same thing for thinges are multiplied by different beings If one hath all being and the other not this second cannot be God who is being it self and so must needs possesse all being in its full latitude and perfection LESSON II. Of the mysterie of the blessed Trinity 1. WAs God then solitarie and all alone before the creation of the world No he was from all eternity the most sacred company of the blessed Trinity for as he is the cause of all fruitfulness in creatures so is he first of all most fruitfull within himselfe in regard of his fecundity both in his vnderstanding and in his-will and therefore although there were no more thinges but himselfe and he himselfe was but one thing yet this one thing was allwayse existent with three diuine personalities And this is that which we call the mysterie of the blessed Trinity and vnity of God 2.
attributing to God that which doth not become his diuine perfection as those do who say he is cruell vniust partiall that he damneth men actually to eternall punishment without their demerits c. Those who denie him to haue that perfection which belongeth to him as those doe who murmure against him and say he is not good c. Those who affirme of him that which he hath in some sense but they doe it as if it were threatning or otherwise irreuerently as those doe who haue in their mouths so often these words God his bloud God his wounds or the like Those who sweare by the Diuell or by false Gods for none ought to be sworne by as if the were God but he who is the first truth and by whom all thinges are true Those who sweare by S. Peter or other Saints by heauen by the earth or by any other creature as they represent vnto vs the truth and maiesty of their Creatour Those who speake ill of Saints and of holy thinges who laugh at scripture and vse it prophanely in a sporting way or diffamatorie libells c. For the name of God which we are forbidden to take in vaine doth not signifie that materiall word only but also all that which hath a particular relation and vnion with God Adn therefore those also offend against this Cōmandement who in a place consecrated to God as in a Church or in a Church yarde do commit any action vnworthy the purity of the place COMMANDEMENT III. 31. DEclare the third Commandement Remember to keepe holy the Sabaoth day The two former commandements doe conteine our duty in heart and word here we are commanded to sanctifie the day of God allmightie his repose by actuall seruice which day before the resurrection was the seauenth day but now it is the eighteth for as God after he had created the first world as I may terme it in six dayes did repose the seauenth so our Sauiour after that with great labour he had made vp the second world which is the Church reposed the eighteth day which is the day of his resurrection for all eternity 32. Wherefore did God command the Iewes to obserue the Sabaoth day In memorie of that great benefit which man receaued by the worlds creation which he finished vpon this day 33. Wherefore is it that Christians obserue the Sunday and not Saturday the former Sabaoth which was commanded by God himselfe You must note that there is this defference betwixt this commandement and the other nine that all the others do follow in euery particular out of the law of nature and therefore they are perpetuall and cannot be changed whereas this commandement for as much as concerneth the determination of the time is ceremoniall and therefore it may be changed in this point for although the law of nature doth teach vs that we ought to giue some particular time to God his seruice yet it doth not determine the time but leaueth the determination to the positiue lawes of God or his Church Wherefore as our Sauiour had formerly changed diuers of the ceremonies in the ancient law by taking away the figure to giue vs the truth itselfe as Baptisme in place of Circumcision the blessed Sacrament in place of the Paschall Lambe so also his Apostles inspired by the holy Ghost appointed vnto Christians insteed of the former Sabaoth the obseruation of Sunday or our Lords day of repose which is worthily called our Lords day for that our blessed Redeemer Iesus Christ did not only rise gloriously from death this day but also according to the common opinion he was borne this day and he sent the holy Ghost vpon this day to his dearest spouse the Church We doe also keepe still on this day a memorie of the Creation of the world which was begunne on this day if we take it as the first day of the weeke 34. What is required of vs for the fulfilling of this precept of sanctifying the Sabaoth day It is required that we abstaine from all seruile workes forbidden by the Church and that we giue to God vpon this day that solemne and publike worship which the Church prescribeth Besides to obserue this commandement with perfection we are to employ the whole day excepting only that time which is required for our sustinance and necessities in diuine seruice as in prayer hearing sermons reading good bookes and the like and therefore those who spend this day in idle sports or vnnecessary voyages and the like do not comply fully with the end of this commandement nor with the Churches desire concerning it and therefore are reprehensible Wherefore all people should be exhorted to spēd at least some part of the day in hearing of sermons or other pious exercises for by little and little Christians become like Pagans without apprehension of the next world at all vnlesse they be often stirred vp by sermons and such pious exercises And therefore to neglect them totally cannot choose but be a great abuse and the cause that many goe headlong to hell 35. What is vnderstood by seruile workes All corporall workes whereby men vse to gaine their liuing by labouring for other men which are commōly called meckanicke workes and so workes which are common to Masters and seruāts as dancing and singing and the like are not esteemed seruile But the best rule to know which are such and which are not is the practise of the Church for the law of nature doth not forbid seruile workes on dayes dedicated to God his seruice but only so farre forth as the said workes may be a hindrance either to the inward or outward worship which men professe peculiarly towards God on those dayes and therefore as it belongeth to the Church to determine the dayes of publike and solemne worship so it belongeth to her also to determine what temporall workes are to be permitted and what to be forbidden as preiudiciall to the publike solemnitie of diuine worship intended by her on those dayes And so we see that she doth forbid certaine workes which are not altogether mechanicke as buying and selling in markets keeping open shoppes or selling in them c. and she doth also allow some seruile workes which are dayly necessary for the subsistance and entertainment of men as most household businesses are 36. Is it neuer lawfull vpon our Lord his day to doe such seruile workes as the Church forbiddeth Yes when the not doing them may be a cause of any notable harme as the taking in of haruest when there is danger that it may be spoiled with ill weather as also the shooing of an horse that is in a iournie vpon the high way c. For although in these cases a temporall gaine be gotten by those who doe these workes yet that particular gaine is not the principall end of permitting these workes but the good of the common wealth 37. Who be those that transgresse against this Commandement First all those labourers and tradesmen who
acts of repentance that is austere acts of pennance with feruent deuotion thereby to abate their affection to sinne which is the cause that rendereth their purposes inefficacious and so to continue vntill it shall please God by his grace to strengthen their resolutions and to amend their life for ensuing amendement is the surest rule that either the Ghostly father or the penitent himselfe can haue to discerne whether his repentance be true and sincere or no. From whence you may gather the miserable condition of such persons who goe to cōfession but once a yeare and presently without any remorse of conscience fall againe into the same sinnes and continue so without thinking euer of mending their liues vntill the yeare be come about againe for it is to be feared that all such persons for want of a firme purpose to amend do turne the precept of the Church into an annuall sacriledge to their greater damnation CONFESSION 18. Why is Confession necessary Because it is commanded by Christ to be vsed And the conueniences of it are great first it is the most naturall easement of sinne for we see by experience that when one hath committed any foule fact secretly it loadeth his heart vntill he hath broken his minde to some one or other Secondly it is the readiest way to amendement for no man can aduise himselfe against his owne peruerse inclinations so well as an other and that an other may do it it is necessary he should know the particular quality and condition of the seuerall faults the penitent cōmitteth Thirdly there can be no repentance without humiliation of ones selfe for there is nothing more detestable in the sight of God then pride which doth alwayes accompany sinne now there can be no more efficacious meanes inuented to humble a man then confession by reason of the confusion that man hath to open his secret sinnes to an other man and to lye prostrate at the feet of one peraduenture as infirme as himselfe expecting iudgement and absotion from him 19. What is Confession It is a voluntary accusation made by à penitent of the sinnes he hath committed himselfe to a Priest capable to absolue him accompanied with griefe for hauing committed them and with a firme purpose not to commit them any more for confession is nothing worth vnlesse it be ioyned with contrition By the word voluntary we are taught that a confession made by constraint such as criminalls make before iudges by force of torment is of no value for God aboue all thinges seeketh the will of man By the word Accusation we are taught that we must say determinately that we haue done such and such a thing and not as some vse to say if I haue offended God in such or such a kinde of sinne I accuse my selfe of it for he is not esteemed to accuse himselfe of a fault who confesseth it with an if when he is certaine he hath committed it By this word also we are taught that it is supperfluous to tell any thing so in generall as some do as that you loue not God and your neighbour as you should do and such like which spendeth time to no profit for your Ghostly father knoweth that of you as well as your selfe so that he who doth not tell some thing in particular in case he can do it is not esteemed to accuse himselfe sufficiently By those vords The sinnes he hath committed himselfe we are taught that the penitent ought to confesse his sinnes with such discretion as that in accusing himselfe he accuse no body else for example if one hath committed fornication or any other sinne in company with an other he must tell the condition of the person when it is necessary to declare the nature of the sinne but he must not name him or her but contrary wise he must be warie not to say any thing whereby the person may be knowne By these words also we are taught that we must not accuse our selues of sinnes which we haue not committed so that those who through simplicity accuse themselues of all that is contained in the forme of examen of conscience set doune in their manuall do make an vnprofitable confession and offend in doing so 20. What be the conditions of Confession They be chiefly three first that it be humble with a true and submissiue acknowledgement of our fault accompanied with shame fastnesse Secondly that it be sincere that is not done for any sinister end as out of custome to do what other men do or for feare of some disgrace or punishment if they doe it not but it must be done with intention meelrey to appease the wrath of God Thirdly that it be entire that is that we do not voluntarily or through negligence conceale any mortall sinne not any circumstance that doth change the nature of the sinne and that we declare the number of euery kinde of mortall sinne and not confesse halfe to one halfe to an other 21. Which be the circumstances that do change the nature of the sinne They be reduced to six Person Place End Quantity Time and Scandall the circumstance of the person is to be declared in case of carnall sinne according to that which hath been set downe in the sixth commandement as also in other sinnes when there is a particular prohibition or when one is obliged by his profession not to commit them as if one strike a Churchman he is bound to declare that circumstance because there is a particular prohibition but if he coozen à Church-man in buying or selling he is not bound to declare the circumstance of his person In like manner if a Churchman commit murder he is bound to declare himselfe to be a Churchman be cause it is an action contrary to his profession The circumstance of place is to be declared when it is a sacred place in foure cases that is in the case of theft declared in the seuenth commandement of actuall carnall sinne of murder and of drunkennesse when they are committed in the place it selfe But he who committeth these sinnes only in thought or desire although it be in the church is not bound to declare the circumstance of the place vnlesse his desire was to accomplish his sinne in the Church for in case of such a desire although he were out of the Church when he had it he is bound to declare the circūstance of the place intended The circumstance of the end or motiue is to be declared when any action is done for some end that is a mortal I sinne in it selfe as if a man steale a sword to kill with it he committeth adubble mortall sinne Quantity though it change not the nature of his sinne is yet to be declared in theft as how much he hath stolne or in any other harme done to his neighbour how great it was Time also which belongeth properly to sinnes of desire though it change not the nature of the sinne yet men ought to declare how long they