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A38590 Catechistical discovrses in vvhich, first, an easy and efficacious way is proposed for instruction of the ignorant, by a breife summe of the Christian doctrine here delivered and declared : secondly, the verity of the Romane Catholike faith is demonstrated by induction from all other religions that are in the world : thirdly, the methode of the Romane catechisme, which the Councell of Trent caused to be made, is commended to practice of instructing in doctrine, confirming in faith, and inciting to good life by catechisticall sermons / by A. E. Errington, Anthony, d. 1719? 1654 (1654) Wing E3246; ESTC R8938 430,353 784

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did Simon Magus beginne first to teach that God is the authour of sinne not that he was the immediate causer of it but in that he had giuen vs such a nature as that we sinned of necessity and could not but sinne Which commeth to be the same as to deny freewill Cerdon and Cerinthus followed him in this blasphemy that God is the authour of sinne Yet it had soe ill a sound in their eares to impute sinne vnto God who is infinitly good that they would imagine another God whom they called the euill God and to him they imputed the euill of sinne The like doctrine hath bene auouched by latter haeretiks who amongst other old h●●●ys haue renewed this as may be seene in Catholike authours who haue confuted them but we will ground ourselues vpon this firme and easy principle established by the Church that God is good and infinitly hating the way of iniquity and infinitly iust that he could not punish vs for sinne if he himselfe were the cause of it therefor God is not the cause and authour of sinne The inordinate affection of creatures is the cause of sinne and men are the authors of the sinnes which they committe God hath ordained all creatures to a good end and to reasonable creatures he hath giuen reason and offereth grace to order their actions according to it they abusing the gift of God and breaking his ordinance committe sinne God permitteth his Law to be broken but is soe farre from breaking it himselfe or being the cause of breaking it that he allwais vseth sufficient meanes to hinder the breaking of it he calleth vs backe from sinne before we committe it inspiring and exciting vs to the contrary and giueth grace to resist temptations and to absteine from sinne if we will And when we haue sinned he rewardeth it not but punisheth it and rewardeth the contrary and therefor by noe meanes can be said to be the cause of sinne He vseth sinne to a good end manifesting his goodnes in rewarding the good and punishing the wicked who of their owne wills committe it being noe way moued by him to it S. Aug. l. de Gen. ad lit to 31. Augustine expresseth this by a very fitt similitude As ●ests in musicke saith he which are noe musicke and as discords of notes which are contrary to musicke are soe placed by skillfull musicians and composed with concords that they make a more sweet and gratefull harmony and as darke colours are intermingled with lightsome to giue more beauty and grace to pictures sic vitiorum nostrorum non est author Deus sed tamen ordinat ea perpeti cogit quae maerentur Soe God is not the authour of our vices but he ordaineth and forceth that which they deserue And as the notes of discorde are not discorde but concorde in effect as the musician ordereth them making of their discorde a perfect harmony soc sinnes are not euill as God permitteth them or as he createth creatures that committe them of as they are ordained to a good end by him but they are in themselues acts of discorde from the Diuine Law and are put into order and concord by him And as we cannot say that the musician causeth discorde or is the authour of discorde for vsing of discorde to perfect his harmony because he maketh concorde with it soe we cannot say that God is the cause or authour of sinne because it hath noe euill but good as he ordereth and vseth it And therefor good Diuines say that God is the cause of the materiall of the act of sinne but not of the malice or euill of sinne as the musician putteth together notes of discorde but maketh noe sounde of discorde by them Those that impute their sinnes to God saith S. Hierome haue that sheild of hart which the Prophet speaketh of saying Thren 3. thou shalt giue them a sheild of hart thy labour They stande as it were face to face against God and retort their sinnes vpon him as though he were to blame in permitting them to sinne and not they in sinning Hence it followeth that we haue freewill to sinne or to abstaine from it Freewill For otherwise sinne proceeding naturally and necessarily from vs the euill and malice of it could not be imputed to vs but to God the authour of our nature Neither is that destinction which some would make to any purpose saying that we haue free will to doe euill but not to doe good For to be free is to haue power to the act or to the contrary and if the act be euill the contrary is good It is true we haue noe power to doe good of ourselues without Gods grace but we can concurre or not concurre with it It is a thinge soe manifest saith S. Aug. ep 11. l. de duab animabus Augustine that man hath freewill and that he is not to be punished for that which is not in his power that shepheards sing it on the mountaines poets on stages the vnlearned in circles the learned in librarys masters in schooles bishops in sacred places and mankind th●ough out the world Yet this which is soe manifest was denyed by the Manichaeans the disciples of Manes who sometimes feigning himselfe to be the Holy Ghost and sometimes to be Christ chose twelue disciples to follow him and went vp and downe Affrica preaching against freewill and deceiuing many with such absurditys as are almost incredible to haue bene beleeued After a thousand yeares and more the same doctrine was reuiued againe by Luther and is still mainteined by his followers and by other sects that haue sprung out of him Pelagius an auncient and very learned authour but a prowde and obstinate haeretike was soe farre contrary to this doctrine that where as they deny free power to man to doe good works with Gods grace he affirmed that we haue not onely free power to doe good with Gods grace but also of ourselues without it But S. Augustine hath breifly confuted them both in these words If there be noe free will Aug. ep 46. how doth God iudge the world and if there be not diuine grace how doth he saue the world how can God iudge men to rewards or punishments if they haue not freewill and how doth he saue vs but by his grace strengthening and eleuating vs to good works Soe that we haue free will to doe good contrary to Luther but not to doe good of our owne freewill onely but by the diuine grace which is contrary to Pelagius The Manichaeans Lutherans and those that deny freewill make voide the seauenth article of the Creede that Christ is our iudge and the Pelagions make him noe Sauiour The Catholike Church hath allwais taught that man hath freewill to doe well by cooperating with Gods grace or to doe ill by reiecting it And soe our good works are cheefely attributed to God as proceeding cheefly from his grace and secondarily and instrumentally to our selues because we
long from confession and haue their soules ouergrowne with much filth of sinne must take more time for it that through negligence they omitte nothing which is necessary to be confessed Those also that come oftener to confession and haue onely venial sinnes to confesse ought to be carefull in the examining of their consciences the better to dispose themselues for confession and to preuent euill customes and also the better to discerne the greeuousnes of some which see me perhaps but litle sinnes to them but are indeede greater then they seeme to be For this it wil helpe much that we gett a custome of examining our consciences euery night before we goe to bedde calling to minde the sinnes which we haue commited that day and noting them downe in our memory as it were in a table booke against we goe to confession The first thinge which we are to doe in this nightly examen is to giue thanks vnto God for the benefits of that day Secondly to desire grace and light of him to see our falts Thirdly to examine ourselues what we haue offended in Lastly to make a breife act of Contrition that is of sorrow for our sinnes and purpose to amende them for the loue of God as I shall shew within a leafe or two Besides this we ought allwais to haue an eye ouer our owne behauiour and when we haue offended God any way presently to thinke with ourselues this was a sinne I will remember it when I goe to Confession The examine before Confession may be made by thought word and deed and whether the sinnes which he committed by thought he did not also committe them by word and if he committed them by word whether he did not also in deede As for example BY THOVGHT if he offended inwardly by anger in his hart whether he did not also vtter some angry words and whether he proceeded not to some actions to hurt his neighbour or something that belonged to him And if he haue let him Confesse it I Confesse I was angry at my neighbour and proceeded to such and such words and did such and such things against him or intended to doe them And soe in other sinnes as in carnal sinnes if he sinned by thought if he proceeded to vnchast words and if to vnchast actions for it is a greater sinne to sinne by word then by thought onely and by worke then by word onely In the examining of his thoughts he may thinke whether he haue giuen way to any irreuerent thoughts against God or his Saints or to any dreams or superstitious thoughts If he hath thought euill of others iudged rashly borne hatred and ill will to any bene sorry at their wellfare or reioyced at their euill desired their death or some hurt or losse to them Thoughts of pride and vaine glory in our actions desire of praise honors and preferments too much application to worldly riches vnchast thoughts BY WORD If he hath bene negligent in prayer if he hath sworne and if it were vpon an vntruth if he hath cursed his neighbour or any other creature and whether it were with a desire of that euill towards them or rashly onely without any such desire if he hath made any vnlawfull vow if he hath murmured at his superiors if he hath dispraised and detracted from any if he hath not reprehended those vnder his charge if he hath told vntruths wittingly if he hath mocked or scoffed at any councelled any to sinne or hindered the good which they intended if he hath spoken vnchast words or sung vnchast songs BY DEEDES If he hath vsed any superstitious actions or omitted to doe any thinge for some superstitious cause and conceit if he hath wrought vpon holy dayes or permitted others vnder his charge to worke or if he hath omitted himselfe or hindered others to heare masse on holy dayes if he hath not obeyed his parents or superiors and if it were in any matter of moment to tell what and how it was if he hath broken his fast if he hath strucken beaten or willfully hurt any body or their goods if he hath taken any thinge from any body publikely or priuately and to thinke of what value it was or hath trespassed his neighbour any way if he hath vsed deceit in buying or selling as tradesmen in their weights and commoditys which they sell if being hyred by daytale he worke not sufficient for the wages which he taketh if he hath vsed vnchast looks books or actions too much curiosity in dressing and adorning if he hath exceeded in too much eating drinking or sleeping if he hath offended in gaming spending his meanes or more time in it then was sufficient for recreation vsed sleights and cousenage in it Thus we may examine ourselues by thought word and deed remembring especially the occasions which he is imployed in and the course of life and calling which he professeth what sinnes he committeth in it and the circumstances in which they were committed whether there were not somethinge which might aggrauate the sinne It is an errour in some that if they get their wonted number of prayers said they thinke themselues wel prepared to confession and come with litle or noe examining of conscience at all These must vnderstande that prayer is not the propper preparation for confession and that it is not a time then to say many prayers but to stirre vp in themselues a true repentance for their sinnes by remembring them sorrowing for them and purposing to amende them This is then necessary but prayers are not necessarily required And therefor we must be sure to examine well our consciences before confession that we come not of custome without deuotion and due preparation to it And when we haue done all that belongeth to the Sacram●nt then we may take time to pray Hauing examined thy conscience and witnessed against it the sinnes which thou knowest stirre vp in thy selfe a vehement sorrow for them and be indeede in thy hart confounded to thinke that thou hast sinned againe and againe without amending those things which thou hast soe often repented for By which thou mast thinke that there is but litle feruour of deuotion in thee and that thou hast great reason to feare that thou art of the number of the lukewarme an therefor in great danger Inflame in thy selfe an ardent loue of God be sorry that thou hast soe litle feeling of sorrow and purpose firmly that now at last thou wilt beginne to amende and wilt fly the occasions by which thou art tempted begging of God that he wil see this amendment in thee and giue thee efficacious grace for the performing of it Endeauour then to make a perfect act of contrition which is very necessary for all to vnderstande and to learne A perfect act of contrition is a perfect act of loue that for the loue of God we are sorry to haue offended him and not for the shame of sinne feare of punishment or losse of reward which
signe of the Cros vpon her brest and that soe she should be cured She did soe and was restored to perfect health This happened in S. Augustines time in the city in which he liued and himselfe hauing had the examining of it caused it to be published We haue then S. Paul and those that liued in the Apostles times honoring the Cros as we now doe and we may see by the writings of their successors the Saints of the primitiue Church the power and vertue of the signe of the Cros and what deuotion was then borne to it He whom all this is not sufficient to moue but shall still oppose this blessed signe sheweth an intollerable obstinacy in himselfe and that he needeth rather some meanes to mollify his hart and to moue his will then any arguments to conuince his vnderstanding and therefor let him haue recourse vnto God by prayer as I shewed in the last title of the former discourse that he will enlighten and inspire him to the truth for he may deceiue himselfe but God can not deceiue him I haue now noe more to say of the signe of the Cros. You haue seene first how it is to be made Secondly what mysterys are conteined in it to wit the mysterys of the B. Trinity and of the Incarnation Thirdly what reuerence we ought to beare vnto it Let vs confesse the greatnes of God in the mystery of the blessed Trinity and feare him let vs acknowledge his loue in the mystery of the Incarnation and loue him and let vs honour that holy signe by which those mysterys are signifyed The Cros is the sword of Christ the glory of christians the terrour of deuils our armes and armour against all dangers both of body and soule It is saith S. Augustine the chaire in which our master satte to teach vs. Aug. tract 119. in lo. to 3 1. ad Tim. 3. He taught vs from thence a lesson of all vertues of perfect charity towards God and our neighbour of humility patience meekenesse fortitude pouerty and of perfect resignation with the will of God in all things If thou feelest thy selfe cold in the loue of God negligent in frequenting the Sacraments in comming to masse c. and hast but litle feeling of goodnes nor care of Gods seruice in thee behold Christ vpon the Cros heare him how he calleth vpon thee to see him paining vnto death for the loue of thy soule If thou art offended at thy enemy and dost not forgiue him behold thy master on thee Cros and heare him not onely forgiuing but excusing and praying for his enemys If thou feelest in thy selfe a desire of praise worldly glory and preferment behold the sonne of God in his passion become the abiect of men that a notorius condemned theefe was preferred before him If by sicknesse soares and other like afflitions thou art moued to impatience see him in his Passion how he gius his blessed head his face his hands his feete and his whole body as a lambe to his enemys to be bounde to be beaten to be nailed stabbed cut and wounded as they would themselues See the blood running out of his crowned head by drop after drop where the thornes pierced it and out of his hands and feete and wounded side not by drops but by a continuall course vntill they were left dry What did he say to those that tormented him and in his torments vpbraided him with false crimes all that time he answered not a word in his owne behalfe but with silence went on stoode still or layed downe as they would haue him that carried him from place to place and from one paine to another he neuer opening his mouth to desire any ease or to intreate for any thing to teach thee meekenesse He defended innocency against the power of kings priests and presidents to teach thee fortitude in Gods cause He became naked to teach thee pouerty He tooke the cuppe of his Passion willingly from the Angell and drunke it vp to the bottome more then ne needed for the health of mankind because it was for the honour of God and his diuine will that he should doe soe Learne thou to resigne thy will to the will of God and to be contented in all occasions as he shall dispose of thee Finally there is neither writing nor preaching nor any words whatsoeuer that imprinteth soe much the loue of God in our harts nor moueth soe efficaciously to all vertues noe not the holy scriptures themselues nor any remedy soe good against all kind of sinnes as the meditation of Christs Passion which is read vnto vs in the signe of the Cros. L. 6. in Ep. ad Rom. Origen asking by what meanes we shall performe the Apostles words that sinne reigne not in vs Rom. 6. answereth where the death of Christ is carried there sinne can not reigne for saith he the Cros of Christ hath such power that if we beare it before our eyes and keepe it in our mindes noe concupiscence noe lust noe anger noe enuy can ouercome vs He ●5 in M●t. to 2. the whole army of sinne is put to slight S. Chrysostome let them attende that are ashamed of the Cros of Christs Passion For if the Prince of the Apostles S. Peter were called Satan when he had not learned the mystery of the Cros Mat. 16. because he said Lord be it farre from thee this shall not be vnto thee how shall they be pardoned that dare to deny the Cros now when it is preached all ouer let none be ashamed of these signes of our saluation but let vs carry the Cros of Christ about vs as a ioyfull crowne for all things that are conducing to saluation are accomplished in it When we are regenerated the Cros is present when we are fedd with the most sacred soode when we are placed in the order of consecrating all ouer and at all times that signe of victory is vsed Wherefor let vs haue that signe in our houses in our windowes on our foreheades and in our mindes with much deuotion It is the signe of our saluation of our vniuersall liberty of the mildnesse and humility of our Lord. When therefor thou signest thy selfe with the signe of the Cros thinke of the mystery of the Cros and extinguish the fire of wrath and other Passions in thee When thou signest thy selfe with the signe of the Cros arme thy face with confidence and thy minde with the thoughts of freedome For Paul exhorting to true freedome calleth vs to the memory of the Cros saying you are bought with a great price Cor. 1.6 This was the price of the Cros. We must not onely make it with our singars on the body but with considēce on our soules and if soe thou make it none of the wicked deuills will dare to encounter thee when he seceth the speere of his mortall wound For if we are affraid to behold the place where condemned persons are executed what dost thou
de obitu fratris Pauls authority And S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose signify that it is all one to say the Romane faith and the Catholike faith All which they would neuer haue said if they had not thought the Romane chaire to haue had preeminence and authority aboue all and vnderstoode the words of S. Paul in that sense that the faith of the Romanes was renowmed in the supreme authority of that sea and therefor we may rightly alleadge those scriptures according to the auncient fathers interpretations for the supremacy of the bishop of Rome But we will produce their plane testimonys immediatly from the Apostles times Anacletus who liued with the Apostles hath these words Ep. 3. ad omnes Epis This holy and Apostolicall Romane Church not onely from the Apostles but euen from our Lord and Sauiour himselfe hath obtained the principality and eminency of power ouer all Churches and ouer the whole flocke of the people of Christ he himselfe saying to S. Peter Mat. 16. Thou art Peter c. And they also themselues consented vnto it that he should be aboue all the rest of the Apostles and should be Cephas that is to say the head and beginning of the Apostle ship who deliuered the same forme to his successors and the rest of the Apostles to bishops to be held by them If any difficult causes arize amongst you referre them to this head that by the apostolicall iudgment they may be ended for such is the will of our Lord who hath soe determined as by the foresaid places is declared Therfor this Apostolical seate is constituted of none other but of our Lord himselfe to be the hinge and the head as is said before of all Churches That as the doore is guided by the hinges soe by the disposition of our Lord all Churches should be gouerned by this holy seate S. L. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus who liued in the next age after the Apostles reckoneth vp all the bishops of Rome vnto Eleutherius who then gouerned to shew the succession of that supreme authority from S. Peter and saith that in all cases of controuersy we should haue recourse vnto the Apostolical traditions and try them by the Church of Rome Tertullian L. depudicitia who liued in the same age with him calleth the bishop of Rome Pontificem Maximum Episcopum Episcoporum The highest Priest the Bishop of bishops S. Cyprian De vnitate Eccles who liued in the next age after them speaking of the beginning of heresys saith in substance all which I am saying to wit that all schismes and heresys haue begunne by disobedience to the head of the Church and particularly specifyeth to what head to wit to the successour of S. Peter that is for the time and saith that if we would seeke to that iudge all controuersys would soone be at an end And speaking of the bishops of Rome L. 4. ep 9. from hence saith he all heresys haue rizen and still arize because that bishop who is but one and presideth ouer the Whole Church is despised by the prowde presumption of certaine men and he whom God hath dignifyed is iudged by men as vnworthy of dignity In the next age liued S. Athanasius a glorious Confessour and for forty yeares and more in which he was bishop the prime pillar of the Catholike Church in the easterne parts against the Arian haeretiks Apud Theo●●et ● 4. c. 3. He reckoneth vp the Churches of the seueral parts of the world and saith that they and the whole world consented to the Councell of Nyce in which the primacy of S. Syluester then bishop of Rome was acknowledged and declared And it is here to be obserued that the Arians who are the auncientest of all sects now extant out of the Catholike Church beganne but in these times when the Romane bishop had bene honored for about three hundred yeares as the Vicar of Christ vpon earth And the same saint together with the fathers of the Councell of Alexandria wrote vnto Felix 2. then bishop of Rome after this manner To the honorable holy father Felix Pope of the Apostolical seate of the city of Rome Athanasius and all the bishops of the Aegyptians Thebaians and Lybians by the grace of God assembled in the holy Councell of Alexandria We suggest vnto your holy Apostleship that you would vouchsafe to vs of your wounted care ouer vs c. Because most holy father our praedecessors and we haue receiued helpe of your Apostolical scate We implore that Apostolicall and according to the canons the cheife seate that we may haue helpe from thence from whence our auncestors haue had their doctrines orders and relcefe Vnto that we haue recourse as to our mother that we may be nourished at her breasts And as the mother own not forgett her child soe doe not you forgette vs committed to your charge For our enemys haue inuolued vs in noe small troubles apprehending and threatening vs with irons vnles we will yeeld to their errors Which without your knowledge we will not presume vpon the canons hauing decreed that in cases of moment nothing should be done without the Romane bishop Therfor God hath placed you and your praedecessors the bishops of Rome in the toppe of all that you might haue a care of all Churches hauing the iudgment of all bishops committed to you For we know that in the great Councell of Nyce of three hundred and eighteene bishops it was established by all that without the sentence of the Romane bishop noe Councell should be called nor any bishops condemned although these and many other necessary thinges be taken away from vs and burnt by turbulent haeretiks c. Likewise it was agreeably defined by the foresaid fathers that if any of the bishops shall haue in suspicion the Metropolitan Comprouinciales or Judges let him appeale to your holy seate of Rome to whom the power of binding and loosing was giuen by speciall priuilege by our Lord himselfe c. Thou art the deposer of prophane haeresys inuaders and infesters as the Head and Doctour and Prince of orthodoxe doctrine and vnspotted faith After S. Athanasius in the next age liued S. Optatus bishop of Mileuetum in Affricke who made a catalogue of all the Popes from S. Peter to Siricius who then gouerned and writing against the haeretike Parmention he telleth him that in setting vp a chaire contrary to the Chaire of Rome he could not pleade ignorance knowing that the first was giuen to S. Peter to be at Rome and particular chaires to the other Apostles L. 1. conc Parm. that he might be knowne for a schismatike and praeuaricatour that should set vp a chaire in opposition to it Amb. in 3. ad Tim. S. Ambrose speaking of Damasus then bishop of Rome saith that all the world being Gods yet the Church onely is hit house whose Rectour or Ruler at this time is Dumasus S. Hierome also liued in the time of this
Gen. 39. Ioseph the Patriarke was assalted by a wicked woman tempting him to lust but by the helpe of God he ouercame the temptation Holy and chast Susanna was grieuously tempted falsely accused and brought euen to the vtmost danger of death but God vndertooke her cause and defended her It was a glorious victory that which Iob gott ouer the world the flesh and the deuill and as gloriously rewarded of God that gaue it Let vs pray to God and serue him and he will giue grace against temptations For this is the way to arme ourselues with prayer and vigilancy against them and to keepeallwais in our harts a vehement detestation of all mortall sinne in general and when any particular temptation beginneth in vs to resist it presently at first by making a contrary act to it and then without delay to fly the occasion of that kind of sinne Thus we shall gett victory and the glorious crowne which to the victorious is promised For the resisting of particular temptations see the Commandements THE SEAVENTH PETITION BVT deliuer vs from euill Here we repeate all which we prayed for in the former petitions redoubling our prayer againe for them for he that prayeth to be freed from euill prayeth to be freed from all that is opposite to the honour of God to the obtaining of his kingdome to the performance of his will and from any thinge that is contrary to the other petitions And we aske further more the remission of the punishment due to our sinnes and also to be freed from those corporal euils which euery hower we are subiect vnto I said at first that the Pater Noster was a perfect patterne and forme of prayer which our blessed Sauiour made for our instruction Let vs then obserue dilligently the methode of it First we are taught in it to desire aboue all things the honour of God and to direct all our prayers to that end that the name of God which is infinitly holy in it selfe may be hallowed also externally by vs. And hauing asked that the name of God be hallowed and also all things that are positiuely good for vs then we aske to be freed from that which is hurtfull and especially to be freed from sinne as the most hurtfull of all things and for the future that we fall not againe by temptation and lastly to be freed from all euills in general and in particular which God knoweth to be euill for vs and to be pardoned of the punishment for our sinnes And it is to be obserued that Christ would not onely teach vs to pray for ourselues but for all others that soe we might keepe ourselues in charity with all We say not my father giue mee forgiue mee lead mee not c. but our father giue vs forgiue vs lead vs not c. And we are taught also to forgiue our enemys and to pray for them In fine the art and mastership of this prayer is more then man can expresse or vnderstande much lesse can it be perfectly imitated by any prayer which we can make nor that the Angels can deuise Yet it was not the intention of Christ to binde vs to say noe other prayer but it for both he and the Apostles are read to haue said other prayers neither that we should allwais pray for all that is conteined in it but that we should allwais pray for all or for somethinge that is in it or conformable to it and with that order that the honour of God be first sought for in all our prayers and that all things be prayed for in order to it When therefor we pray for any temporal thinge we ought first to desire the honour of God and our owne spirituall good by it before that we aske for the thinge it selfe and we are to resigne our wills to the will of God and first seeke to be freed from our sinnes before that we pray to be freed from any other euill and not presently when any thinge troubleth vs to pray onely for our owne ease and content as some doe who if their head or their breast or backe ake or are in any affliction or danger they complaine presently where it paineth them and without any more adoe pray to be freed from it but this is not according to our patterne of prayer in which we are taught first to pray for the honour of God and our owne spiritual good saying at least in our hatts hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c in the first place of our prayer and allwais to be pleased with that which pleaseth God not too earnestly desiring to be freed from temporal euills assuring ourselues that if we haue not our prayer we haue that which is better for vs such afflictions being many times sent of God as a speciall meanes of our saluation We must follow Christ our master It is not sitting saith S Bernard ser 5. de omnibus sanctis that the members should be pampered vnder a thorny h●ad The holy king sang these words for his comfort Ps 118. Princes haue persecuted mee without cause and my hart hath bene affraide of thy words I will reioyce at thy words as he that findeth many spoiles Let vs not therefor greiue at our afflictions nor seeke too earnestly to be freed from them but let vs goe willingly with the will of God and follow Christ in them Some adde to the Pater Noster for thine is the kingdome power and glory But Catholiks vse not to say those words because they are not in the scriptures but were added to the Pater Noster as Glory be to the father c. Was added to the end of the psalmes And the Pater Noster being the prayer which Christ left as a lesson for vs to learne to pray by we keepe it intirely by it selfe without adding any thinge to it Amen is an hebrew word much frequented by our Sauiour It is as much as to say verily Amen indeede certainely c. It is sometimes vsed in the beginning and sometimes in the end of a speech to confirme the verity and certainty of it But in this place we vnderstande it not as in the end of other prayers as it were to repeate and vrge them with more earnestnes but as an answere to shew that by the vertue and efficacy of this prayer our desire is acceptable and we are dismissed with the grant of our petition And therefor in the holy sacrifice of masse at the end of the Pater Noster the Clerke answereth not Amen as at the end of other prayers but leaueth it for the priest to say that he as the interpretour of God may denounce vnto the people that their prayer is granted And for this reason S. Hierome might well say that Amen is the seale of our Lords prayer to declare that God doth as it were set his hand to it You haue learned now how to pray and how to prepare your selues vnto prayer First we are to free