Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	power_n	spiritual_a	1,510	5	6.4164	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52184	The liturgical-discourse of the holy sacrifice of the masse by omission of controversial questions; abridged and accommodated to the pious use of devout Christians in hearing masse, by A.F. the authour of the same at the instance of some devout friends.	Angelus à Sancto Francisco, 1601-1678.	1675 (1675)	Wing M938; ESTC R217659	145,436	447

his Church whereto he hath given Authority in his Name to cast out Devils and evil Spirits to heal the sick to remit sins and such like The material cause is sensible and exteriour things applyed by the same Church from the Apostles to spiritual effects which both Testaments do warrant Our Saviour himself giving examples thereof by using Spittle Clay washing with Water curing by the hem of his Garments and giving power to his Disciples to cure the sick with Oyl which they did also by their Napkins yea by their shaddows The formal cause by which such effects are wrought is the Benediction which consists in the Exorcisms and Invocation of God's Name the Exorcism declares the power which is given to Priests The Invocation implores God's concurrence thereto or rather that it may take effect in those who use it the final cause is the manifestation of God's glory and power and the good of our Souls 5. Of Exorcisms Benediction Q. What mean you by Exorcisms A. Exorcism is a Greek word signifying Adjuration which St. Isodore describes thus a word of increpation or rebuke against the unclean Spirits made on those who are possessed or to be Baptized whereby the wicked power of the Devil and his inveterate malice and violent incursions and assaults may be expulsed and driven away and this not only from persons and places but also from any material things used in order to any spiritual effects but principally in Baptism whereof the Holy Fathers make frequent mention specially Justin Martyr Tertullian Basil Cyprian Cyril Chrysostome Ambrose Robanus Augustine and others all grounding themselves on the example of our Saviour who threatned the unclean Spirit commanding him to go forth and again deaf and dumb Spirit I command thee to go out of him St. Paul in like manner I command thee in the Name of Jesus Christ to go out of her the Fourth Councel of Carthage describing the office of the Exorcist sayes Let him when he is ordered take from the Bishops the book of Exorcisms the Bishop saying to him receive and remember and have power to imp se hands on the possessed this Councel was well nigh 1300 years past From hence the Church uses this Exorcism on the Salt and Water to expel the power of the Devil from God's Creatures that by the use of them Christians may be freed from his Attempts and to this end makes prayer to God that by the Invocation of his Holy Name and by vertue of the Holy Cross wherewith the Salt and Water are signed the faithful with Devotion and Faith may apply it for the ends aforesaid and obtain the said effects Q. What mean you by Benediction A. Benediction is diversly taken for God blesses us and we bless God the Benediction we give to God is no other thing then to praise God or to give thanks to him or to sing his glory which is frequent in the Scripture The Benedictions which God gives are his gifts and graces which he imparts to his Creatures for which in the fear of God we make Supplication and Prayer Benediction then here is taken for Prayer to God that he would bless this Salt or Water or any other thing In this manner St. Paul sayes that every Creature is Sanctified by the word of God and Prayer So the Priests in the old Law had power to Sanctifie the People and all things which were required to their Sacrifices and in this manner the Church hath her Priests who by their Ordination have power to bless and Sanctifie such things as are Sacramental or for the spiritual profit of our Souls Q. Why doth the Priest in sprinkling of Holy Water and Christians in takeing it say that of the Psalmist Thou shalt sprinkle me with Hysope c. A. It is the frequent custome of the Church to use words of the Holy Scripture for the Devotion of the faithful in some pious sense although it be not the same with the literal sense of those words and therefore as the Holy Water hath a Mystical signification principally in order to the Soul so she takes these words in a Mystical sense importing the principal effect of the Holy Water which is to purge and cleanse our Souls from sin and sinful affections Now Hysope both for its formal use and Mystical signification may be fitly applyed to this action for it was used nay instituted by God for cleansing from uncleaness to which end they were to dip Hysope in Water with Ashes and to sprinkle all the Tent and all implements and the Men and so be freed from pollution or contagion And again this Hysope dipped in Sparrows blood did serve to cure the Leprosie by being sprinkled therewith Now for its signification it agrees with the effects of Holy Water For as the Physitians hold Hysope hath a certain vertue of purging principally the Lights or Lungs and to mitigate the pains of the Stomach which St. Hierome on the 50 Psalm thus applyes as the Earthly Hysope is apt to cure the Lungs to hinder inflamations or swellings of the wind so man sprinkled with celestial Hysope that is with humility of Heart is purged from all malignity of pride and St. Augustine Hysope saith he is a simple or low Herb purging the Stomach and signifies Christ's humility by which we are cleansed Christians then entring into the Church ought to be sprinkled with this Hysope of Humility that taking the Holy Water with Humility Devotion and compunction they may be cleansed and purged from all pride and vanity that with purity of Heart they may be prepared for the better participation of the Sacrifice and Sacraments SECT IV. Of the Church and Holy things therein 1. Of the Church Q. WHat is the Church A. We may say with grief Deus venerunt Gentes O God the Gentiles are come into thine inheritance for we have not the happiness now to enjoy our Churches and instead of them we are forced to use ordinary Chambers poor Rooms or Corners to Celebrate the Divine Mysteries in So that in writing for the present time I shall omit many things which might be said of material Churches I shall only say that as we have the self same Sacrifice so we ought to have the same Devotion to it in whatsoever place it is Celebrated we honour the Church principally for the Sacrifice and not the Sacrifice for the Church The very want of such Churches might move us to Repentance of our sins which were the true cause of our Desolation and thereby stir up our Hearts to make humble Supplication and fervent Prayer that God out of his infinite mercy would avert his justly provoked wrath from us which can hardly be better done then by devoutly saying the foresaid Psalm which is in the Primer after the Letanies with prayers proper for that end we may also on the other side exalt and raise up our Hearts in contemplating the primitive times when the first Christians by reason of great persecutions

some of our Adversaries will turn this off with an answer like themselves That it is but a Parable if it were so as it is not according to the judgement of all the Fathers and Interpreters of that place can we think that our Saviour would tell us Parables importing lies to conclude the Devils do hear any one who calls upon them and shall we think that the Saints cannot hear us the effects of the daily experience manifests the one and shall we doubt the other hath God given more power to the one than to the other or hath God made the one less able to hear our prayers and less powerful to relieve our Necessities than the other to do us mischief Q. May we say Masses to Saints A. The Church honours God in his Saints and makes memory of them in the Masse but never sayes them to the Saints as the Holy Councel of Trent declares and St. Augustine testifies in many places as also others of the Holy Fathers The Masse then is offered only to God and not to the Saints but well in memory of them as appears in all the Liturgies where the prayers are only to God by their Merits and Prayers 5. Of Holy Water Q. Why doth the Church use Holy Water A. To put us in mind of the preparation we ought to make before Masse lest that in not doing it we irreverently or undevoutly should provoke the Wrath of God and to this end she exhorts and invites each one to make use of it in going into the Church in imitation of our Saviour who washed his Disciples feet before the Institution of this Holy Sacrifice Q. How ancient is the use thereof A. Even from the Apostles for Pope Alexander the Sixth from St. Peter made a general Command for the use of it as being then the custome of the Church And St. Clement tells us that St. Mathew did first institute it he also relates the use and manner of the blessing thereof by him prescribed and such hath been the Custome and Tradition of the Church in all times since Q. For what end was it used A. The foresaid Saint and Pope Alexander sayes we bless Water mingled with Salt for the People that all who are sprinkled therewith may be Sanctified and Purified for if the Ashes of an Heifer being sprinkled did sanctifie and cleanse the People and if the bitterness of the Water was made Holy by the Prophet Elizeus with Salt sprinkled therein by how much more things sanctified by Divine prayers may take away the Barrenness or Corruption of humane things and sanctifie cleanse and purge the polluted and multiply other good things and avert the deceits of the Devil and defend Men from extravagant Phantasies He adds another Argument if we doubt not but that the sick were healed by the touch of our Saviour's Garment how much more by vertue of his words may the Elements divinely hallowed bring health of Body to the weakness of humane Nature Q. Whence did the Church take this Custome A. The Church in the Benediction of Holy Water for the Salt takes example of Elizeus who putting Salt into the bitter Waters made them sweet and useful and for the Water gives this reason because God has ordained the greatest Sacraments in the substance of Water Moreover God commanded that in every Oblation they should offer Salt which Mystically did signifie purity of mind and intention and is an Embleme of Wisdome Prudence and Discretion necessary in all Oblations Salt also according to the Scripture and use of the Gentiles was held as a Symbole of Amity and friendship a Covenant of Salt is for ever before the Lord. In like manner the use of Water was very frequent for the Priests being to enter into the Tabernacle or Temple did wash their hands and feet in the Laver appointed for that end and by this Ceremony were put in mind of what purity of heart was requisite to such Priestly Functions which was a figure of what is now done in the Church wherein such Vessels are placed near the Church doors that every one who goes in or out might use this Holy Water in a more Spiritual way which was also aptly figured by the Waters of Expiation which did Sanctifie and cleanse the polluted Now the Church doth mingle Salt with Water by the Water to put us in mind of our Baptism and by the Salt of the purity and incorruption acquired in the Sacrament so that by both mingled together we may reflect on the Sacraments and of the promises we have made Besides the Water signifies the contrition we ought to have of our Sins and the Salt mortification or penitential Acts which are to accompany such Contrition The Water alone may be said to be Baptismal but with the Salt penitential It doth not suffice us to be washed with Water but we must also be purified and seasoned with the fire of ardent Love The Water cleanses but the Salt preserves the Soul by Water we are born in Christ by Salt we are strengthned in the Holy Ghost finally to omit other Considerations this mixture of Salt and Water fitly representeth the Incarnation by the Salt is represented the Eternal word of the Father by the Water humane nature whereto the word was united Q. What are the effects of Holy Water A. We may gather them out of the Benediction which the Church uses in making it First It is profitable for the Soul and Body Secondly By vertue thereof we are defended from Phantasies and evil Visions c. Thirdly we are protected from the power craft and deceit of the Devil Fourthly It hath vertue to expel and drive away evil Spirits out of the places where we are Fifthly To free us from the Assaults and Temptations of our wicked Enemy Sixthly To expel all evil thoughts and suggestions Seventhly Against Tempests and Lightnings Eighthly To cure Diseases Lastly To take away venial Sins Q Have you any examples of such effects A. Yes very frequently in all Ecclesiastical Histories I will produce some few Baronius recounts that St. Epiphanius tells us that one Joseph a converted Jew did discipate the illusion of his fellow Jews by Holy Water And that Theodoret relates that St. Marcel Bishop did by Holy Water chase away the Devil who hindered the Demolition of a Heathenish Temple St. Hubert by Holy Water did free one from the violent Phantasms of the Enemy St. Chrysostome by it did cure a sick Man St. Quintian did by it cure a whole Family St. Fortunatus did by it cure a broken Thigh of a Goth St. Anselme restored sight to a blind Man St. Malachie did heal a Woman of a Canker St. Addo did by it cure a Lunatick Of this also we have many examples amongst the Converted Indies as also in our own Countrey which many have experienced Q. Whence comes these effects A. The principal and sole efficient cause is the power and will of God who hath left such Ministerial power in