effects it works in us who are the posterity of Adam S. I have heard that sins and ignorance and also death and infirmities have their origin from it M. Can you shew these things of it S. No indeed Sir for any thing I know as yeâ— but I expect you will make me know it M. Then tell me in a child three or four years old which is stronger Sense or Reason S. Sense without question For give him an apple tell him it will offend God to eat it I make no question but as soon as you have turn'd your back hee 'l eat the apple without regarding the offence of God so that I see Sense in him is stronger than Reason M. Right for he understands not what is the offence of God as yet nay accorâ—â—ng to the ordinary Judgment of Divines not till seven years of age So long therefore sense has the whole government of a child and after seven reason by litle and litle overcomes till the age of thirty The Philosophers not admitting maturity of wisdome and constant Judgment till the standing part of our age which is when we leave growing so that till then wee are on the losing side Now what think you is 't easy to conquer and root out a thing that 's grown in and with us for thirty years together S. It must needs be very hard M. Do you think that hard which evâ—â—y man does S. No Sir that 's easy which all can do and the harder a thing is so much the fewer can do it M. Thâ—n seeing to overcome Sense perfectly is very hard and very few can do it and most men do it not Mankind is subject or slave to sin as being for the most part conquer'd â—y it S. This is very well but you do not shew that this comes from originall sin M. So that it seems you have forgot that by originall sin it first came that Sense has it's proper motion not subject to Reason which if it had not the more it should grow the more vertuous it would make the man because hee would still become more subject to God and Reason S. Sir I see now that all our Sins come from original sin and indeed 't is no wonder that one sin should proceed from an other But I expect how you wilâ— shew that Ignorance Infirmities proceed from the same For if they were then to be born as we are now children and grow to be men I think they must needs also be children in knowledge and so have ignorance so that this cannot be the ofspring of original sin and likewise if then they had eaten to grow and keep themselves a live as we do now they would not avoid but meats should have their effect and so breed diseases when out of season M. You are not well acquainted with the difference of not knowing and being ignorant for not every one is ignorant who does not know but he who knows not what he ought or what 's fitting for him to know For example what Master either of Divinity or Philosophy or any other Art knows all which may be known in his Art yet are they not therefore to be term'd Ignorant So likewise any man who knows what 's fitting is not ignorant Now I pray if any one in that estate knew not what was fitting to know it was either because he could not or would not S. True for whosoever can and will do any thing 't is most clear he does it M. Then what think you in that state could he not or would he not know what was fitting If he could not it was want in himself or in his teacher But Adam was perfect in knowledge could teach him If himself were not capable the knowledge was above him and so not such as was fitting or such as the want thereof induces Ignorance If there was want of will it was because he lov'd some other thing better and that he was not wholy subject to reason which cannot be without original sin and so original sin is cause of Ignorance Now if ignorance be cause of sickness and death you have no more to reply S. No indeed But I hear learned men say that 't is not in the power of nature to keep a man from death and therefore I fear not ignorance should be the cause thereof M. But what if ignorance or sin be the cause why nature cannot keep a man from death let 's see death comes either by violence or sickness violence from man or beast or some dead thing But if men had not sin'd they would neither have falâ— out nor have been surpris'd by chance which proceeds from not foreseeing so that from Man no hurt could have proceeded Beasts would all have been tame and in fear of man as we see those be which use men's company or as others might be made And for Accidents unless a man puts himself in danger they would not arrive likewise if we look into the cause of sickness in Physicians books we shall see it proceeds from some excess or defect which in that state would not have been when man had wit and will to provâ—de against both S. Sir that was an happy age or rather would have been if man had kept his honour in which God had plac'd him M. True but yet this we have would not be miserable if our selves did not make it so by our own fault not seeing what 's before our eyes For consider if you please what 's more cause of fin unto us than pleasure yet no Sin can be without displeasure S. Sir that were hard to perswade since we see men daily think nothing sweet but it which could not be did they experience continual displeasure in it M. Can you doubt but that must needs grieve a man which is against his inclination and nature then if Reason be the nature of man how can he see himself do against reason which nevertheless every sin does without grief and pain Again does not sin set our hearts upon goods which may be taken from us as money meat play and the like it puts us then in perpetual danger of vexation grief for who looses what he 's in love with must needs be grieved according to the measure of his love Again if Reason have fore-cast of what 's to come and memory of what 's past Sense which is the cause of sin onely consideration of the present is 't not manifest that sin by sense precipitates us into future inconveniencies which Reason keeps us out of Again Reason has one conduct and government through all occurrences But Sense as many severall motions as the things desir'd are different which because they are not ever had together make the vitious man now follow one now another and sometimes miss
a love as Adam had must needs have it 's effects in the Body also as indeed it had And as wee see the practice of memory makes men easy to learn without book the practice of discoursing fit to discourse and so in all actions and this by nothing but by the fitting of the bodily instruments and organs So this love did either fit the very corporeal disposition to such love or increase that fitness it found there already by this means making the very corporeall desires subject to Reason that this body being prevented with reason could not incline to any thing before Reason gave it leave and order But tell me farther have you not heard that children be like their fathers S. Yes Sir I know well 't is the ordinary complement of Gossips to say the child is like the father which shews that ordinarily 't is so M. And this likeness is it in the body onely or also in the Soul S. I cannot tell how one should be like another in the soul which has no parts M. Did you not say the Soul works upon the body if then you see those works which come from the soul to bee alike in two can you think but that their souls be alike alsâ— â—s if they discourse alike love like things jeâ—t write a poem or oration alike would you not judge their Souls alike So then 't is not ill conjectur'd that when the body of the Son is like the body of the Father also the Soul of the Son is like the Soul of the Father And I remember to have heard judicious men say of some persons that when they saw them jest or discourse they thought they saw their fathers S. How should the Soul which is made by God come to be like the Soul of the Father which had nothing to do with it M. If there were severall kinds of matter of diversâ— dispositions as wax wood aq a vit â— stuâ—ble brimstone c. of which you intended to make Fiâ—e or as wee say in the schools to introd â—cethe Form of Fire into them Though each would become indeed a thing able to burn or Fire yet would you expect in reason that this active Principle or power of burning call'd the Form of Fire should bee equally in each of them S. No Sir I see plainly by experience 't is not to bee expected each would have power to burn on a different fashion and in a different degree But I am not so wise as to see whence this difference sâ—rings M. You see it springs not from the Form of Fire in each for that has nothing else to do but to make it Fire or a thing able to burn S. True Sir for 't is one thing to bee apt to burn another to bee apt to burn differently I conceive therefore this difference arises from the severall dispositions in the Matter or severall Fuells you spoke of M. You see then 't is the way the All-wise orderer of Nature takes that a diversity in the disposition of the matter determins to a diversity in the active Principle or Form according to certain degrees within the same species or kind The Rational soul then being the Form of man's Body or that which makes him man you see 't is God's method to put like Souls into like bodies therefore the father making the body of the son like his own will not his soul also be made by God like to the father's soul and so the souls of like bodies be like of unlike bodies unlike S. Yes sure sir that must be so seeing the soul doth fit the body M. Then if the soul of Adam had that operation on it's body as to make a special disposition in it by which it was subject to reason and this disposition proceeded from the strong love of Almighty God as on the one side Adam would make a son like himself in that subjection to reason so God Almighty would give his son a soul fit to love God above all things the disposition of the soul proceeding from such a disposition of the body S. Yes Sir 't is evident hee would or else he should not put a fitting soul into the Son's body M. This prov'd you must know that our forefathers call the Love of God above all things Justice and Sanctity which because it was so given to Adam as to descend unto his Heyrs it was call'd Originall Iustice and said to bee a naturall gift and to come unto them by nature who were to bee born with it Besides this gift God Almighty fiâ—ted the place to the man that there should bee no evilâ— ayr or other occasion of harm unto him whence because wisedom kept him from mischance and the place from infection hee could not dy but of Age for remedy against which God had provided the tree of lâ—fe and so he would have liv'd for ever But to proceed yet a little farther If Adam left lovinâ— God would he have this disposition in his body S. No Sir for if the Love of God were the cause of this disposition the contrary would cause the loss of it M. You say well specially if you add that hee could not leave off loving God but because hee lov'd some other thing better which love having it's effect in the body must needs cross the o ther disposition left before and if this bee so that he left off loving God how would it fare with his children S. How but that they would bee born subject to such dispositions as the love of other things bâ—ed in them But Sir I have heard that Adam after his fall did pennance and began to love God a new wherefore me thinks he should again recover the disposition of loving God for himself and his posterity M. What you have heard is true but not the good effect you gather For his second love finding dispositions in the body contrary to it's proper nature cannot on the suddain extirpaâ—e them but with a great deal of pain and labour and as wee experience in our selves never wholly because these Affections are before Reason and alter the temperament of the Body due and req â—sit to Originall Justice which it lyes not in the power of Reason nor of other Bodies being of a different temper exactly to repair Whence it never comes to pass that the father can communicate his whole vertuous disposition to his child though wee see the likeness of a well practiz'd father to be naturally in the son And this is that which Christians call Originall Sin the missing of Grace or Originall Iustice in the child through the fault of our first father so that the want or privation is particular to every one the cause or actuall guilt onely in Adam FOURTH CONFERENCE M. THus far we have declar'd the nature of Originall Sin in it self can you tell me the
that some-thing is made by God therefore seeing God can do whatever any thing made by him 't is clear he can do all things which is to be Almighty But tell me now do you think when God does a thing he knows what he does S. It were a shame to doubt of that since we accompt him a fool who knows not what he does besides since God makes us know what we do and is himself perfecter than we he must needs know what he does even better than we M. And he that knows a thing does not he know what that thing can do for example can a man know a knife or a clock without knowing that the one can cut and the other tell the hour of the day S. That 's impossible as also that God should not know what any work of his can do M. See again how you shew that God knows all things for since he knows what himself made and what all the things he made can do and nothing is or can be done but what himself and they do it follows that God knows all and every thing that is done great and little to the number of the thoughts of men and angells to the division of dust and sands and whatever els is done nay and what can be done though it neither be nor ever will be done But now tell me do you know by your body or by your soul S. By my soul M. And wherein differs your soul from your body is 't not in this that your body has many parts takes up room or place your soul on the contrary is indivisible and wants no place nor has any parts but is a Spirit S. Al this I remember to have learnt now you put me in mind of it M. Then seeing you sind that God knows all things what do judge him to be S. Certainly a Spirit but yet I know not well what a Spirit is nor what conceit or apprehension to make of it M. Do you conceive what 's meant by these words Mind Understanding Wit Thought Knowledge c. If you do you have made some apprehension of a spirit It suffices then at present to conceive God to be such a thing that he is a Knowledge and works by it But tell me is God a Spirit joyn'd with a body as our soul is or a pure Spirit without any Body S. Methinks if God were made up of Spirit and body there were no impossibility iâ— him but his Spirit might be without his Body and so God might dy or not be which makes against the necessity of his being alwayes formerly prov'd M. But yet this Mind or Spirit must have the perfection of all Bodies in it since as is already shown It can do whatever all Bodies can S. This is very clear in my minde M. Then you see that God is a pure Spirit or Minde containing in it self the natures and perfections of all things that is all Being and all Goodness Here the Catechist ought to exhart the Cathecumen or person he catechizes to the admiration and reverence of God out of his plenitude of Perfection To the fear of God out of his Omniscience and Omnipotence And to the love of him out of his All-goodness SECOND CONFERENCE M. YOU remember you told me that God Almighty made Adam Can you tell mee why he made him and first whether he wanted him S. No Sir he could not want him for seeing hee 's All-goodness he could want no good thing and for what 's bad or naught there can bee no want or need of that M. At least did he get any thing by him or was he richer after then before S. No Sir he that hath all can get nothing M. At least as you have pleasure when your hear your self commended or see your self honour'd and serv'd so did God get any new content S. Sir without doubt it could not but please him For so I am taught that my good works please God and my sins displease him M. 'T is very true that he is pleas'd with our good works and displeas'd with our bad But not so that he conceiv's new pleasure or displeasure but with the pleasure of good which hee had for ever and the displeasure of bad likewise he had for ever For if hee could receive new pleasure or displeasure he would get some thing he had not before which you told me he could not But now if he got neither profit nor content by making Adam why did he make him S. Sir I cannot tell you that for I never do good but I get something that contents me M. If you should finde a poor wretch in a wilderness ready to starve and you had store of victuals would you not give him some S. Yes sir and should think my self unworthy to live unless I did M. And why for you should neither have honour nor profit neither though peradventure afterwards you would have pleasure would you think of that when you did it S. I know not Sir why but good nature would make me do it M. And now you have told me why For 't is the nature of Goodness to do good as of heat to heat and of cold to cool And so God being all Goodness needs no other cause why to do good then that himself by nature is Goodness or as you call it of a good nature But tell me again did God Almighty make you S. No Sir my Father and my Mother made me M. Think you so and I pray if your Master should whip you or make the Stationer give you a fine new book would you thank the Stationer or be angry at the rod or rather be thankfull or displeas'd towards your Master S. Towards my Master Sir But I do not see that God Almighty either bad my Father or Mother make me or used them to that end M. No Did you not tell me that God made Adam Adam his Son and so till it came to your father and mother S. Yes Sir but this is a great way off from God's making me M. It will come nearer You told me also that God knew all that was to be done or could be done by the things he made And again that what he did he did out of his Goodness you see then that hee knew your Father and Mother would make you and would have it so and out of his Goodness put the causes which should make you What does your Master more when he either rewards or punishes you but onely puts the causes out of which hee intends and knows your good or harm will follow Well if this bee agreed on that God made you tell me now whether you have any thing that God did not bestow upon you S. No Sir for what ever I should say I had from my self or from any other you will in the same manner shew
that the causes coming from God hee uses them to make mee have those things and so bestow'd them on mee M. 'T is well sayd But to whether are you more beholding for the thing you have to God or to him that immediatly gives it you for example for your life and being to God or your parents for your learning to God or your master S. Hitherto Sâ—r I am sure I have given more thanks to my Parents and Masters but now I know not what I ought to do M. How soon have you forgot you own saying did you not tell mee that your affection was not at all towards the Stationer or rod to which your father and master are compar'd but onely to your Master that rewarded or corrected you how then are you so soon ignorant whom you are most to thank God or the next causes of your good S. By that rule I should ow nothing to my parents and master but onely to God M. Not so neither but to every one according to the good will he bears you and the share he has in the good deed Now as for God Almighty you know there is no cause concurring nor any least part of the work which belongs not totally to him on all sides and from the very beginning Therefore how much the good is 't is wholy and entirely due unto him but your Parents and Master are not the thousandth part of the Causes and therefore though thanks be due to them in respect they are the immediate causes yet in comparison of what 's due to God you are not one thousandth part beholding to them Again you told mee God knew perfectly all things belonging to this good you possess and the best owing of it But the next cause understands not perfectly what himself does but is bent to his work beyond his own understanding as you may easily see by this that your self when you walk know not how you do it and we may be pos'd in twenty things which belong to walking which nevertheless our selves do But amongst all things you have are not works some as singing playing understanding eating and the rest and therefore also whatsoever you do comes likewise from Aâ—mighty God S. Yes Sir I see well enough that because my self and all other causes of my action come from God it must needs follow that my actions come from him But I dare not say so for fear I should make him author of my sins which I have been taught he is not M. 'T is well thought on But if you knew that Sâ—n were but want of doing or not-doing you would not fear that consequence For as you see when a man takes a knife to cut with the cutting pâ—oceed from the man but that it cuts not so well as it should proceeds from the bluntness or want of edge in the knife and likewise the writing proceeds from the Scrivener but that the pen gives not ink well or blots comes from the evill fashioning or slitting of the pen so what a man does is from God but that he does not so well as he ought which is to sin proceeds from some defect in the man For as from fire cold cannot proceed nor from water driness so from the Fountain of Being and Goodness the want of goodness and being cannot spring By this you easily gather that God is the Governour of this world seeing all things are done by his disposition and government Here the Catechist ought to exhort his Catechumen to remember and perform his duty towards God who as he gives us all things freely so he deserves that we offer independently from reward all our works and wills to him As he made us so as creatures wee are his slaves As he gave us every thing we have all our goods are his As he is more cause then the next causes so is hee to be preferr'd before all As he does all our works in us so requires hee the honour of all be attributed to him As he is not author of sin so is he not to be charg'd with any fault or want on his side And as hee 's Governour of the world so is he to be pray'd to fear'd and respected THIRD CONFERENCE M. VVEll now Adam's made what did God give him S. Sir I know not that for I have not read the Scripture whence that is co be known M. But you know what things make a man and doubt not but God gave them perfectly to Adam for a good workman makes his work good and would be asham'd if it should come out of his hands otherwâ—se than perfect according to that saying that a good tree cannot breed ill fruit S. I know a man is made of Body and Soul and so Adam had those M. What are the perfections of the Bâ—dy are they not Health which consists in the integrity of all parts of our body and ability to use them well Strength to carry heave draw push and and the like Nimbleness or agility by which wee do our actions with life and quickness and lastly Beauty which graces both body and actions Likewise in the Soul wee see Understanding and Will Understanding comprehends Memory of things past Judgment of the present and Forecast of things to come Can you doubt whether these things were given to Adam S. No Sir for seeing wee have them from Adam sure Adam could not fail to have had them and to have receiv'd them from God M. But do you think Adam had no more then wee have either in body or soul in our birth S. Yes sir yet I am not well able to imagin what t is M. Do you think he knew and lov'd God above all things S. Yes sure for knowing hee was not from himself but had receiv'd all from God hee could not chuse but love him above all things M. True and God dispos'd all things fit for this for having fram'd his body â—f red clay hee stood in a visible shape before him that when hee first look'd up the first thing he saw was Almighty God finishing the creation of all things in him so that his heart being rightly set for this purpose free from all other affections most passive by the daintiness of the mould as yet not mingled with any others it could not bee but that this sight should make a most deep apprehension which must needs carry the whole powers of the soul with it and totally subject it to Almighty God But do you think this wrought any thing in the Body S. I know not Sir M. Do you not finde that good news makes your body light and jocond have you not seen boys rid of the hiccock by an apprehension of fear nay some speak of those that have been freed from agues by fears or angers and does not in all this the soul work upon the body why then should you doubt but so strong
towards Laws and Superiours Obedience towards your Equalls and Inferiours in honour Courtesy in words Affability But I beleeve you have heard that the Moral or Cardinal Virtues are four Therefore let me have your help Can you tel me what 't is to bee Discreet S. I think it is to be wise M. Well ghess'd although you miss a little for true 't is every wise man is discreet yet not every discreet man wise For if you look upon men's conversation you shall observe some have good skil in human actions yet for passion or other desires follow not their knowledg Others have their desires so as they should bee but litle skill Others have both skill and will good others both bad And these last are both fools and knaves for the most part The formost of the other three are Understanding men but not Discreet the others be discreet but not understanding The third are both that is Wise Now I hope you will not fail to tel mee what makes a discreet man S. Since a discreet man is hâ—â— who hath his affect on s right iâ— human action and the three virtues above nam'd make a man's affections such those three virtues make a man discreet M. 'T is very well say'd For if you note hee who has these three virtues will use the skill he has to the utter most And him we call discreet who according to his understanding carries things well Which virtue by Divines is called Prudence It's office is to judge a right what is to be done by him that has it according to the proportion of the man's knowledge and so you have your 4. Virtues call'd Morall or Cardinall But before I leave you must answer me one question farther which is whether you think that hee who performs his action according to these Virtues need have any scruple of the work done S. No Sir certainly for if his action be vertuous as proceeding from a minde which has these vertues it must needs be good M. And what though he has an affection to do wel yet if he has not skil can the deed be good S. I did not think of that Then indeed it must be naught M. True t is the action is not good Yet he need not make scruple of what is pass'd because hee did his endeavour But before the action bee perform'd what is he to do if hee cannot tel whether part is to be done S. Hee ought to ask some body that knows M. You say well if hee cannot or when he has ask't find no body that can tell he may do whither he lists And whither he miss or no never make scruple of it as long as hâ—â—'s sure that no â—ll affection was guide in his choice 〈◊〉 that he proceeded out of the Love of God and a good conscience In these three Conferences the motives of vertue and good life frequently occurring advertise the Catechist to make his Cathecumen reflect and move himself unto them They be plain of themselves NINTH CONFERENCE M. YOu know by what is said what Christian life is viz. the practise chieftly of the three Theologicall vertues and in consequence of the four Cardinal ones that is of all vertues But can you tell me what 't is that gives life to all the rest S. I Imagin Sir 't is Charity because you said that it gave life to Hope and that all Cardinal vertues were to be practis'd for God's sake But I reach not unto the reason unless you help me M. You know not your own strength For tell me if you should see a dog or a horse new kill'd how would you know whether it were dead or no S. By the stirring For as long as it stirs I should think some life were yet in it When I saw it stir no more then I should take it for dead M. Very well so far then is agree'd that to live is to have a power in it self to move or stir it self Now can you tel me what is the first principle of stirring in you and other men as they are men Do not you see the more in love they are with any thing the more they stir to obtain it so that you see love is that which stirs a man makes him move towards the thing belov'd Wherefore the Love of God or Charity is the thing which first moves the Christian to walk towards him that is to exercise all vertue You see likewise that what takes away from us the love of God brings us death in lieu of life as we are Christians What is that S. That is as I perceive now mortall Sin for I imagin 't is call'd Mortall or deadly because it takes away lâ—fe and life is Charity Therefore that sin is mortall which deprives our soul of the Love of God M. You are a great Divine but what is 't that takes away the Love of God or of any thing else from us S. I think 't is hate for hate is contrary to love yet methinks no body can hate God and so there would be no mortall sin if that were true M. You say wel but do you not remember that who so loves must as you told me do good for him whom he loves if he can whence it comes that the row of all other vertues follow Charity he then who will not do any of those things which necessarily follow upon Love loses his love But no man would neglect those things unless he lov'd some other thing whose love hinder'd him from performance thereof So that you see how not onely hate of God but Love of such things as hinder you to do what you ought in love to him takes away Charity Can you now tel me what Sin is mortall S. Why Sir whoever lovesany thing in such sort that it causes him not to perform to God himself and his neighbour all he owes them that is all which the four Cardinall Vertues command sins mortally for he loses Charity which is the substance of Christian life M. You say wel if you understand what you say For what think you is not stealing against Justice one of the Cardinal vertues and yet you will not say that whosoeuer steals a pin commits a mortall Sin S. No indeed Sir but truly I know not why M. Did you not say that he who commits a mortal sin loses Charity by it Charity you know is the Love of your Neighbour if then not every thing as the taking a pin is sufficient cause for your Neighbour to fall out with you you lose not his Love for taking a pin Such a breach of justice then as is a sufficient cause for ordinary wise men to break of conversation and friendship with you is a mortal sin But what is less than that is not S. This is well Sir for a mans Neighbour but towards God Almighty I think this measure will not
hold For no man that is in his wits will fall out with himself neither is God subject to falling out as men are Therefore I know not what to say concerning them M. Do you not remember that a man owes certain duties to himself whereof the neglect may come to be such as if another man should do it unto you you would fall out with him Do you not see then that if you do not fall out with your self for the like occasion 't is not for want of cause And as for God Almighty see you not that if you bore the respect to him you do to your neighbour you would be as fearful to do such an indignity towards him as you are to do it towards your neighbour Now the sin is in your soul if then you see in your soul misrespect towards God Almighty such as towards your neighbour were want of love it follows there wants Love towards Almighty God Can you tell me how many sorts of sins they be which are not mortal and how they are call'd S. They be call'd venial but how many sorts there be of them I cannot tell M. They are indeed call'd venial that is easily forgiven by a name answering to Mortal in sence but not in the word and means a slight offence and such as makes no breach of friendship Of those Divines put three sorts either because 't is of a kind that generally men slightly respect as being not worthy of much consideration or because 't is slight in it 's kind or because 't is perform'd by oversight or withour deliberation Having seen the nature of the two lives I mean of good and bad can you resolve me which of the two is the pleasanter I speak of that pleasure for which you prefer a good dinner before your ordinary fare a play day before a study day and the like S. There can be no doubt but considering that pleasure sinful life is the pleasanter For vertuous life hath it's fruit after death M. Think you so I pray tell me then which do you think has the pleasanter life hee that has greater harms or hee who has less S. Hee that has less M. Then if Fortitude bee the chusing of lesser harms before greater hee that uses that virtue has the more pleasant life even wordly Again who has the pleasanter life hee that has more or fewer pleasures greater or lesser S. Sir now I see what you mean and that 't is very true that who lives vertuously has a more pleasant life then who does not if all were alike For hee by the virtue of Temperance chuseth to abstain from a less pleasure to have a greater But Sir I hear it say'd that a viâ—tuous man cannot easily come to wealth and without riches he cannot have pleasure M. What do Riches serve for S. To have his content of mind M. Then if he has content of mind what need he care for Riches consider the difference betwixt the merry cobler and the carefull Usurer and you wil see 't is not Riches but the disposition of the mind which gives content But tel me farther is not the way to get Riches to have much trading that is in great summs and withmany men and is not Credit the greatest stroke and power of a Marchant S. Yes Sir but credit comes by opinion of wealth M. I Think you are a little mistaken look well and you will see it comes by opinion of honesty and fair dealing in poor men for who has the opinion of being Rich is already rich ordinarily speaking and so is not now to come to wealth 'T is this opinion of honesty which makes that your word will goe farther then another mans bond that because of your plain dealing every man hopes to have no quarrelling with you and the like which are the things principally give Credit especially that credit which is the way to and goes before Riches And are not all these caus'd by the virtue of Iustice 'T is virtue then not Riches which gives all needfull Credit TENTH CONFERENCE M. PEradventure I need not ask you which of these lives is fitter for the next life since one is made for the world to come the other not Nevertheless I may ask a reason why and perhaps so as may bring you to see it Tell me then shal we in the next world have the same desires we have in this S. Sir how should I know who never spake with any had been there M. When you are a cold do you desire to walk in the winde or when you are hot to go to the fire S. â— Sir but contrary M. Buâ— what time is it that if a piece of Mâ—â—chpane were offer'd you though it were presently after dinner but you would finde a hole to put it in What 's the reason of this diversity is 't not that the one you desire for a present commodity the other you think to be good of it self S. Yes Sir me thinks that 's the very reason though I never rected on it before M. Then if over night you lov'd any thing good for an occasion or fot the present disposition you are in next morning you will not care for it the occasion being pass'd But if you love a thing because you think it absolutely good next morning you will as freely desire it as you did over night S. 'T is certainly so M. Then you see that when your soul is out of your body what ever in the body it lov'd as good of it self that it will love â—â—ill But what it loved onely for some end or upon the present disposition of it's body it will not love Now what one loves in the second manner spoken of either is God or mortall sin For it is lov'd for no farther end But to go on do you think that hee who loves God in this sort shall enjoy his desire seeing after death he shall retain it S. Yes for you told me he would be miserable else and God cannot be so cruel as to let one be miserable for loving him M. And do you think it will be a great content to see God S. Yes surely for every one has content to obtain that which he desires Besides to see a good or strange thing breeds also content M. Your answer is good but me thinks there be two faults in this pleasure one is that the seeing any fine sight is not so good as eating a good dinner or playing at some pleasant game The other that the thing which is to be seen is but one and so has not variety and we perceive our selves soon weary of the same thing S. Sir I like seeing better then eating or playing for I had rather go see a strange sight or a fine play than eat a good dinner or play my self so much time but for the other I cannot tell what to answer
not morally in your power and to be sorry you are not likely to have your endeavours correspondent to your wil And this I think enough But is it enough think you to make this purpose S. Yes surely for I see not what a man can do more M. So may you come often to Confession with little profit You must therefore consider the occasions which draw you into danger and study with your self and take your Ghostly Father's advice how without greater inconveniences you may fly such occasions that so the avoiding of sin may be the easier And know the causes of transgressions are as well in omission as in commission And prudently use such pious exercises as may withdraw you from temptation Neither can any be truly sorry for his sins who thinks it not worth his care to study how to amend them But what do you next S. Go to the Priest and confess my sins as reverently as I can M. What affections do you exercise in coming to make your Confession S. I do but read my prayers which are preparatory to Confession M. Consider then the countenance of a man who asâ—â—â— forgiveness of one whom he has offended you shall see dejection submission shame fastness sorrow and fear in him Such as these too must be your affections And when you make your Confession what do you observe S. I tel al I think sins as wel as I can that my Ghostly Father may understand mee M. Weldone but you must note first to tel nothing in general for that your Ghostly Father knows wel enough already as that you love not God and your neighbour as you should do and such like which spend time to no profit Secondly to avoid as near as you can all unseemly terms if your conscience force you to speak of unseemly things Thirdly to be as short as you can as to say you have done such things so often expressing withal the necessary circumstances As for making general Confessions after the first time to what purpose it is I know not for neither Absolution is more certain nor any other notable profit comes of it If it be to make the state of his soul known to his Ghostly Father that will contain the space but of a little time and may be done without particularities and confession But now what follows S. Nothing on my part but to do what my Ghostly Father enjoyns or councels mee M. True but on his part remain two things which belong to you one the giving absolution the other imposing of penance or satisfaction the first contains rather a Theological difficulty than Catechistical that is what Absolution the Priest gives For if a man betruly sorry he is absolv'd before if not the Priest's absolution does him no good And in human judgment the Judge but declares not makes one innocent But we may be casily mistaken in this discourse For since God Almighty has put this condition upon us that we shal submit ourselves to the Priest's judgement whoever is truly contâ—â—te receives God's favour by being ready to fulfil this his law and so unless he does it when he can is not contrite nor absolv'd And when he does it is absolv'd by doing it Whence ' â—is clear the absolution which the Priest gives is necessary and a true forgiving As for satisfaction it has two parts one towards God and one towards your Neighbour For if you have broken Charity you ow the making of it whole again which to your neighbour is submitting your self to amends for the wrong done Towards God you must know the satisfaction which the Priest imposes is but sacramentall and significativâ— â—n performing whereof you testify that you are willing in this life and in the next to satisfy fully God's Justice according to his will Therefore you must not wonder the penance often is so little For it is moderated according as the Priest esteems it fitting for a medicin more than for a punishment FOURTEENTH CONFERENCE M. VVHat Sacraments are yet untouch'd S. These Sir Baptism Confirmation Matrimony Extreme-Vinction and Order M 〈◊〉 Matrimony and Extreme Vnction you shall be sufficiently instructed when you have use of them Baptism because t is common to al to administer it I shall tell you the substance of it is to cast water on the child with these words I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost As for Confirmation do you think it necessary S. I hear some hold 't is not M. The holding of some neither makes the Opinion true nor fiees it from Censure For as not every fault so not every errour is still taken notice of As to the point of necessity it stands in its being a Sacrament that is a principalâ— action of Christian life whose Institution of it self is a Command Besides the express words of our Saviour Unless one be born again c. Which Himself applies to this mystery Add the Traditions of the Church Estimation of Councels and Fathers and the Proportion of it to corporall Augmentation What other Sacrament remains to be explicated S. That of Order which I understand to have two degrees Holy or Greater and Inferiour M. So far wel but to what does it correspond in our corporall life S. To Marriage and must consequently bee to breed spirituall children M. How is that done if you be so learned as to answer that question S. By Baptism for that you said was the birth of Christians as Christians M. Wel remember'd 'T is not enough that children be born but they must be bred up instructed and govern'd And this is wont to be divided into three actions The first to wean them from the love of naturall objects The second to instruct them and let them know what 's necessary to supernatural life And thirdly to induce them to do what they have learnt is necessary Which three actions in the mysticall language are called the Purgative illuminative and unitive way And according to these three is constituted the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy of Bishops Priests and their Ministers who are chiefly Deacons Subdeacons and afterward the other four lesser orders And is called Hierarchy that is Holy Power or Principality The first is done by ceremonies and majestickness of holy rites at which sensual men standing in admiration begin to think there is some greater mystery in the matter thus handled and desire to learn and understand it The second is done chiefly by Catechising by which the people understand what 's to be beleev'd hop'd and practis'd The third by Government by which men are set forward kept in order to do what they have understood to be their duty S. Sir by this the Deacons Subdeacons should be the chief instruments of the Sacraments whereas wee see they belong chiefly to Priests and Bishops Besides I have heard Preaching is proper to Bishops which
Shee should partake of the blessings which we heap upon her Son for them Likewise in the later part where we desire her to pray for 〈…〉 may determin some good we have need of But 't is best if we mark some property of the Mystery we bless him for and thence take notice of some virtue we want and heartily intreat for it For example when we make commemoration of our Saviour's Nativity speaking to our Lady in prayer we say Blessed art thou amongst women for feeding the Son of God at thy breast and blessed be the fruit of thy womb Jesus for humbling himself unto it Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now that wee may encrease in Humility And at the hour of our death But those words which be added are to be spoken onely with the heart the rest with heart and mouth both For so doing they make us think of what we say and do whereas if we did add them with our tongues they would slip over like the rest and neither help our memory 〈…〉 or make us pray with Spirit The number of Ave Maries to one Pater noster or of Pater noster and Ave Maries â—iâ— at will and every one who taken the course pâ—â—â—â—â—b'd may do well to consider how much time he was wont to spend in his whole Beads and say as many as wil take him up as much time and not care though he has not made an end of his Beads if he has no special obligation to the saying them all Yet because the ordinary number is of the five tens I thought good to designe our Saviour's life and his Blessed Mother's as far as it goes entangled with it appointing one payr of beads for every day of the week and five and twenty points for every payr of beads that is for every two Ave Maries one point The profit is that by this means we remember and give our Lord thanks once a week for the most of the passages of his blessed life registred unto us by holy writ and stir up our selves to the imitation thereof that is to good life which is our intent in prayer and al other our devotions For as for the ordinary direction of meditating upon some one mystery while you say a ten what has it to do with the saying of the ten or why were it not better onely to meditate and let the ten alone or is the time of saying a ten just sufficient to have fruit of meditating upon a mystery And lastly if delving or spinning one thought of the mystery wherein were it worse then such saying of our beads But this way every Ave Mary is made a jaculatory commemoration of the mystery and your heart and mouth go together and truly you use vocal prayer whereas in the other your mind prays one thing and your mouth another quite different FINIS What is not can do nothing Therefore nothing thâ—t is made it self but was made by others of it's own kind and those finally by God wherefore God was not made but was ever else Nothing could have been He is then Eternall Aâ—am The first of â—ach kinds being finally mâ—de by God and the Earth being to no purpose withâ—ut tâ—ese Iâ— and the otâ—er Elements were made too and so God made all things But God can do all that himself or his Creatures can do He is then Almighty and Knows all that Himself or His Creatures can do and so is Allknowing Wherefore Knowledge belonging to Spirits God is a Spirit and His Existence being necessary A pure Spirit Yet containing All kinds of perfection imaginable Therefore He wanted not Adam nor could get profit or pleasure by him but made him out of pure Goodness and by means of him and causes put by God and continâ—'d from him Us even to the least thing wee have Wherefore all possible thanks are totally due to him nay Every least Action wee do comes frâ—m God yet not sin it being onely Defect of action Hence God is Universall Governour of the World God being a perfect Agenâ— made his immediate woâ—k Adam perfect in Endowments of Body and Minde Also His Maker being his first object in Knowledge and Love of of him above all things which must work in his body too Dispositions conformable to thaâ— Love or subject to Reason which would descend to the Bodies of his posterity and â—the Soul being fitted to the Body to their Souls also that is they would have had Originall Justice and Immortatality But losing the Love of God contrary or passionate dispositions would immediately succeed in â—im and be deriv'd to all his from their birth â—recoverably that is they must all have Originall Sin Experience teaches that Sense governs in a childe and pâ—rverts the right working of reason in all till years of ripe judgment therefore these Impressions from sense are â—ard to be overcome perfectly and are subdu'd by sew or none Hence Mankind is Slave to Sin and Originall Sin causing motions of sense not subject â—o reason all Actual Sin springs from originall Also Ignorance being the not knowing what 's sit to know and the state of Innocence giving both power and will to know what 's fiâ— Ignorance and by consâ—quence Infirmiâ—ties and Deaâ—â— spring thâ—nce 〈◊〉 therefore the State of Paradise Happy yet ours not unhappy but through our own fault For Sin onely causes veâ—â—â—ion 〈◊〉 unnatural fixing our affections on perishâ—ble goods and precipitating us into inconveniency distractive suspensive and wearisome The History of Mankinds Slavery to Sin layd out in some remarkable instances The cause of this is Sense making man prone to follow tâ—e present and sâ—upâ—d to conceit aright his future true Good therefore to be remedy ' by a Teacher who â—ught to bee miraculous most knowing and most true therefore God also most convinient to teach our nature excite love of him therefore Man 〈◊〉 hich rendring our way to Beatitude connaturall and plain and so being most â—itting Therefore God was made Man Notions or apprehensions of things as in themselves are got by our senses and so from creatures and those transfer'd to God which mean Perfectiinâ— therefore chiefly to Know and Will which are proper to Spiâ—its Knowledge then importing some Likeness of the thing known and so perfect Knowledge perfect Likeness that is no Unlikeness that is no Diversity that is Unity or Identity the nature of the thing known perfectly is the same in the Knower therefore the Knower as such is it â—ut as known 't is opposit to and distinct from the Knower therefre To know is to be another as another God then knowing himseâ—f is in himself as in another that is There is Distinction in God yet the Object in the Knower being the same without prejudicing his Unity which he has according to his Nature Being or Substance notwithstanding His Distincttion according to the notions of Knowing and being Known which are Relations and which God having 〈◊〉 Accidents