example of Temperance fasted with great facilitie and cheerefulnesse when it is needfull and hee fasteth perfectly expecting the conuenient houre and eating meates appoynted and once only but he that hath not this vertue or contrariwise is a glutton it seemeth a death to him to fast and if perhaps hee fast he can not well expect the due houre of dinner and after at night in place of a drinking as the custome is he will make so large a collation as wanteth little of a supper S How manie vertues be there M The vertues are very manie but the more principall to which all the rest are reduced are seuen to wit the three Theological Faith Hope Charitie foure Cardinall Prudence Iustice Fortitude Temperance according to this number there are seuen giftes of the Holie Ghost and the Euangelical Beatitudes which guide vs to the perfection of Christian life There be also seuen workes of mercie corporall seuen spirituall Of all which I will geue you a briefe instruction Chap. II. Of the Theologicall Vertues S VVHat is faith M Faith is the first of the Theological vertues that is of those vertues which haue immediat relation to God And the proper office of faith is to illuminate and eleuate the vnderstanding to beleue firmely all that God by his Church reueileth vnto vs although it bee otherwise heard and aboue naturall reason S What is the cause that wee must beleeue matters of faith so firmly M The cause is for that faith doth relie vpon infallible veritie for so much as all that faith proposeth vnto vs is reueiled from God God is veritie it self Wherefore it is impossible that which God sayeth should be false And so when faith proposeth anie thing vnto vs which appeareth contrarie to reason as for example that a virgin should bring forth a child it is necessarie to consider that humaine reason is feeble may easely be deceiued but God can not be deceiued nor deceiue vs. S What is necessarie to be beleued by this vertue of faith M It is necessarie to beleue distinctly al the Articles of the Crede which before I haue declared And specially those Articles whereof Feasts are kept euerie yeare in holie Church as the Incarnation of our Lord the Natiuitie the Passion the Resurrection the Ascension the comming of the Holie Ghost the most Holie Trinitie Moreouer wee must be readie to beleeue al that shal be declared vnto vs by holie Church And finally in all out ward behauiour to shunne and auoide those things which haue anie shew of infidelitie as to carrie the habit of a Turke or of the Iewes the eating of flesh on daies forbidden as Heretikes do and such like For that it is necessarie to confesse the true faith not only in hart with mouth but also with exterior deeds to shew our selues to dislike of all Sects that are contrary to holie Church S What is hope M Hope is the second Theological vertue so called because it also hath immediat relation to God For as by faith we beleue in God so by hope we trust or hope in God S What is the office of Hope M It is to eleuate our mind to hope for eternall felicitie And because this is so heigh a benefit that it was not possible to reach thereto by humaine abilitie therfore God geueth vs this supernaturall vertue that by it we may trust to attaine to so great a good S Whereupon is this hope grounded and whereupon doth it relie M It is grounded and doth relie vpon the infinite goodnesse mercie of God whereof wee haue most certaine signes seeing hee hath giuen vs his owne Sonne and by his meanes adopted vs for his children and promised vs the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen if we doe works cōformable to the dignity receiued hath also giuen vs grace sufficient help to do such works S What is Charitie M It is the third Theologicall vertue hauing immediat relation to God by this vertue our soule is eleuated to loue God aboue all things Not only as Creator Author of al our natural good but also as the g◅ of grace and of glorie which are supernaturall S I would know whether charitie be also extended vnto creatures M Charity is properly extended vnto all men and to all things which God hath made But with this difference that God is to bee loued for himselfe he being infinitly good it is further extended to all other things which are to be loued for the loue of God And in particular our neighbour our parents or frends are not onely to be vnderstood but also euerie man though he would be our enemie because euerie man is the Image of God and for the same is to be loued S Is Charitie a great vertue M It is the greatest of all others it is so great that whosoeuer hath it can not lose his saluation if he first lose not charitie And he that hath it not can by no meanes be saued though he had al the other vertues and gifts of God Of the cardinall vertues S VVHAT is Prudence M It is the firste of the foure Cardinal vertues which haue this name because they be principal vertues and as fountaines of all the other moral and humaine vertues For that Prudence gouerneth the vnderstanding Iustice gouerneth the wil. Fortitude gouerneth the irascible power And Temporance gouerneth the appetite of concupiscence S What is the office of Prudence M It is to shew the due end of euerie action the conuenient meanes and all the circumstances to wit the time the place the manner such like that the worke may be wei done in all points perfectly And therfore it is called the mystris of other vertues and is as salt to meats and as the sunne in the world S Which be the vices contrarie to Prudence M Vertue consisteth in the middest and hath alwayes two contrarie vices which are in the extreames One vice contrarie to Prudence is Imprudence that is inconsideration and rashnes and it is in those that do not consider what they haue to do so either they looke not to the true end or they vse not the true meanes The other vice is subtiltie or carnal pollicie and it is in those that with great diligence think of the end of the meanes but they direct al things to their priuat commoditie for the gaining of some worldlie benefit And therfore they endeuour subtilly to deceiue their neighbour to bring to passe their busines to their owne purpose But in the end it will appeare that such are most impudent losing the most soueraigne good for the loue of things of no impotence S What is Iustice and what is the office therof M Iustice is a vertue which geueth euery one that is his own and so the office thereof is to make things iust to put equalitie in humaine contracts which is the foundation of quietnes of peace For if
easely beleeue his going vp into heauen S I would know the cause wherefore it is said that Christ went vp into heauen and of his most holie Mother it is said that she was assumpted or taken vp into heauen not that she ascended or went vp M The reason is easie For that Christ being God and man went vp into heauen by his owne powre as he also rose by his owne powre But his Mother who is a meere creature though most worthie amongst all others was raysed from death and assumpted vnto the kingdome of heauen not by her owne power but by the power of God S What meaneth He sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almightie M You must not imagine that the Father is on the left-hande of the Sonne nor that the Father is in middest hauing his Sonne on the right-hand and the Holie-Ghost on the left corporally For as well the Father as the Sonne according to his God-head and the Holie Ghost are euery where Neither can it be properly said that one is on the right-hand of an other but to bee at the right hand in this article signifieth to be in equal height glorie and maiestie because when one is side by side of an other one is not higher nor lower then the other And to vnderstand this maner of speach the holie Scripture in the Psalme 109. which beginneth Dixit Dominus Domino meo c. doth once saye that the Sonne doeth sitte at the right hand of the Father and an other time saith that the Father is at the right hand of the Sonne instructing vs that they are in deed in equal height as we haue said So that Christ when he went vp into heauen ascended aboue all the Quyars and orders of the Angels of the blessed soules which he caried with him ariued vnto the high throne of God and there stayed not going aboue his Father neither remayning vnder him but resting as we may say side by his father as equal with him in glory greatnes S Seeing Christ is God and man I would know if he sit at the right hand of the Father as he is God onlie or as he is also man M Christ as he is God is equal to the Father as he is man he is lesse then the Father yet for so much as Christ God and man are not two Christes nor two persons but one Christ onelie and one person onlie therefore it is saide that Christ God and man sitteth at the right hand of the Father And so the humanitie of our Lord to wit his flesh and soule â—re in the throne of God on the right hand of God the father Not by their proper worthines but because they are vnited to the person of the true and natural Son of God S I would haue some similitude to vnderstande this M Take the similitude of a kings robe wheÌ„ the king being vested with his purple robe sitteth in his royal throne al the Princes of his kingdome sit below him the kings robe is in a more eminent place then the Nobles them selues are because it is in the selfe same throne with the King And this is done not because the robe is of equal dignitie with the king but because it is ioyned to the King as his proper garment So the flesh and the soule of Christ do sitte aboue al the Cherubims and Seraphims in the same seat with God not by the dignitie of their owne nature but because they are vnited vnto God not onely as the garment is vnto the king but in much nearer sorte to wit by personal vnion As hath bene said Of the seuenth Article S FRom thence he shal come to iudge the quicke the dead When shall this comming of our Lord be M It shal be at the end of the world For you are to vnderstand that this world is to haue an end and to bee destroied with an inundation of fire which wil burne all thinges vpon the earth And there shal be no more dayes nor nights nor Mariages nor marchandise or anie of these things which you now see So that in the last day of this world which no man can know how neere it is nor how long hence Christ wil come downe from heauen to make the general Iudgment And these words From thence he shal come do forewarne vs not to beleeue anie that shal cal him selfe Christ or that would deceiue vs as Antichrist wil endeuour to do towards the end of the world For that the true Christ wil not come forth of anie desert or obscure place but wil come from the highest heauen with so much glorie and maiestie as no man can doubt whether it be he or no. Like as when the Sun riseth it commeth with so much light as no man can doubt whether lt be the Sun or no. S Wherefore do we say that he shal iudge the quicke and the dead shall not al men be dead at that time and all then rise againe M By the quick and the dead may be vnderstood the good which liue with the spirituall life of grace and the bad which are spiritually dead by sin But it is true also that Christ will come to iudge the quicke and the dead corporally because at that day many shal be dead and manie shall be found aliue Who though they be liuing in that last daye and some also shall bee young or children yet all shall die in an instant and suddenly rise againe thereby to pay the debt of death S I haue heard many times that whosoeuer dyeth in mortall sinne goeth presently vnto hell and whosoeuer dyeth in the grace of God goeth presently to Purgatorie or to heauen how then are all to be judged the sentence being already giueÌ„ M At the death of euery one the particular judgement is giuen of that soule which departed from the bodie but after at the last day there shall be an vniuersall judgement of the whole world And this for manny causes First for Gods honour because manie nowe seeing bad-men in prosperitie and good-men afflicted imagine that God doeth not gouerne the world well But at that time it shall be cleerly seen how God hath seene noted all things and how with great justice he hath giuen vnto the bad some temporall prosperitie in recompence of some good works of theirs of smal momeÌ„t intending afterwards to giue them eternall paine for their mortall sins And contrariwise vnto the good he hath geuen temporal affliction for punishmeÌ„t of some veniall sinnes or to geue them occasion to make them do penance intending afterwards to reward them with an infinite treasure of glorie for their good workes Secondly for the glorie of Christ because he being vniustly condemned and by manie not knowne nor honored as he ought to be it is reason there should be a day when al the world shal know him honour him either by force or for loue as their true king Lord of al.
time so farre distant that in his proper forme wherefore can he not make that Christ be present in manie Hoasts vnder the forme of the same Hoast S Tel me I pray you if Christ depart from Heauen when he commeth into the Hoasts or remaineth he stil in Heauen M When our Lord beginneth to be present in the holie Hoast he departeth not from heauen but by diuine power hee is both present in Heauen and in the Hoast Take the example of our soule when one is a childe of few daies old and very little as you see and being measured is founde to bee but one Palme in length after increasing he becommeth double so bigge as he was before and so being measured he is aboue two Palmes Now I demande of you if the soule which was first in one palme only hath left that palme to come into the second or no Sure it is that it hath not left it neither is it inlarged because it is inuisible so that without leauing the first it commeth also into the second euen so our Lord leaueth not heauen to come into the Hoast neither leaueth the one Hoast to be in an other but he is present in Heauen in all the Hoastes at once S Now I haue learned that which is contained in this most holy Sacrament I desire to know what things are requisite to receiue it worthely M Three things are requuired the first is that the partie doe confesse himselfe of all his sinnes procure that he be in the grace of God when hee goeth to communicate for that one of the causes wherefore this Sacrament is giuen to vs vnder the forme of bread is to the end we vnderstand that it is giuen to liuing men not to dead-men to nourish the grace of God and to increase it The second thing is that wee be altogether fasting that is at the least from midnight forward we haue taken nothing no not somuch as a litle water The third that we wel vnderstand what we do and that we haue deuotiō vnto so great a mysterie therfore this sacrament is not giuen to children neither to fooles neither to any other that hath not the vse of reason S How oftē ought we to cōmunicat M The bond of holy Church is to communicate at least once a yeare that at Easter Yet it is conuenient to do it oftner so it be by the aduice of our ghostly father S Declare now vnto mee the fruite which is gotten by this Sacrament and the ende for which it was instituted M For three causes Christ our Lord hath instituted this most noble Sacrament First that it should be the meate of soules secondly that it should be a sacrifice of the new law thirdly that it might be a perpetuall memorie of his Passion and so a most deare pledge of his loue towards vs. S What effect doth it worke in respect it is the meate of soules M It worketh that effect which corporall meate worketh in bodies therfore it is giuen to vs in forme of bread for like as bread conserueth naturall heate wherein the life of the bodie consisteth so this most holie Sacrament when it is worthely receiued conserueth and increaseth charitie which is the life and health of the soule S What effect doth it worke as it is a Sacrifice M It reconsileth God vnto the world obteyneth manie benifits not only for the liuing but also for the dead that are in purgatorie You must vnderstand that in the old Testament they offered vnto God manie Sacrifices of beastes but in the new Testament in place of al those Sacrifices is succeeded the Masse in which by the hands of the Priest is offered vnto God the most acceptable Sacrifice of the bodie and bloud of his Sonne which was signified in al those sacrifices of the old Testament S What effect worketh it as the memorial and pledge of the loue of our Lord towards vs M It maketh vs mindful of so great a benifite and in flameth vs to loue him againe that hath loued vs so much And therefore like as God in the old Testament would haue the Iewes not only to eate Manna which he sent them from Heauen but also haue them keep one vessel ful of the same in memorie of all the benefits he shewed them when he brought them out of Egipt so Christ would that this most holie Sacrament should not only be eaten by vs but also that it be conserued on the Altar and sometimes carried in Procession that when soeuer we see it we may remember his infinite goodnes towards vs. But in particular the holie Masse is a briefe representation of the whole life of our lord that the same may stil remaine in our mindes S I would know how the Masse is a representation of the life of Christ that thereby I may become more deuout and attentiue when I am present thereat M I wil declare it briefly The Introitus or beginning of the Masse doth signifie the desire which the holie Fathers had of the comming of our Lord. The Keyrieleison signifieth the voice of the same Patriarches and Prophets demanding of God this comming of christ so long desired Gloria in excelsis signifieth the Natiuitie of our Lord. The prayers next following signifie his presentation offering in the Temple The Epistle which is reade at the lift end of the Altar signifieth the preaching of S. Iohn Baptist Who inuited al men to Christ The Gradual signifieth the conuersion of the people by the preaching of S. Iohn The gospel which is read at the right end of the altar signifieth the preaching of our Lord which bringeth vs from the left hand vnto the right that is from temporal things to eternall from sinne to grace lights also are carried incense burned to signifie that the holie Gospel hath lightened the world filled it with the good sauors of the glorie of God The Crede signifieth the first conuersion of the holie Apostles and other Disciples of our Lord. The secret prayers after the Creede signifie the secret practises of the Iewes against Christ The Preface which is songue with a lowd voice and endeth with Osanna in excelsis signifieth the solemne enterance which Christ made into Ierusalem on Palme-sunday The Canon signifieth the Passion of our Lord. The eleuation of the holie Hoaste and Chalice representeth to vs that Christ was eleuated vpon the Crosse The Pater noster signifieth the praier of our Lord whiles he did hang on the Crosse the breaking of the Hoast signifieth the wound made by the speare percing his side The Agnus Dei signifieth the lamentation of the Maries at the taking downe of Christ from the Crosse The communion of the Priest signifieth the burial of Christ The Post-communion song with ioy signifieth the Resurrectiō Ite missa est signifieth the Ascēsion The benediction of the Priest signifieth the comming of the Holie Ghost The Gospel at the end of Masse signifieth the preaching
wil not haue faith as Iewes Turkes Heritikes or because they wil not receiue the Sacraments as those that wil not be baptised or wil not confesse their sinnes or wil not do such penance as they can for their sins nor resolue to liue conformably to the law of God S I would haue some example to vnderstand this M Take the example of one which should take great paines and with sweate and labours should gaine so much money as were sufficient to pay al the debts of this citie and should put the same in a bank to the end it should be geuen vnto al such as should bring a warant from him this man surely had satisfied for al somuch as lieth in him yet manie might remaine stil in debt for that they would not either for pride or for slouth or for some other cause demand his warant and carie it to the bank to receiue the money S What signifieth He descended into hel and what doth hel signifie in this place M Hel is the lowest deepest place in this world to wit the midle of the earth And the Scripture in manie places putteth heauen as opposite vnto hel as the highest place vnto the lowest But in this depth of the earth there are foure as it were great caues one for the damned which is the deepest of al and so it is agreable that the proud Diuels and the men which imitate them be in the lowest place and furthest from heauen that can be In the second caue which is something higher are those soules which suffer the paines of Purgatorie In the third which is yet higher are the soules of those children that die with out Baptisme who do not suffer torments of fire but onely the perpetuall priuation of eternall felicity In the fourth which is the highest remained the soules of the Patriarchs Prophets and other Holie men that dyed before the comming of Christ for albeit those holy soules had not any thing to be purged yet they could not enter into glory before Christ by his death had opened the gate of eternall life therefore they remained in that higher place called the place of holy Fathers otherwise Abrahams bosome where they suffered no paines at all but enjoyed a sweete repose expecting the comming of our Lord with great joy And so we read in the Gospel that the soule of that poore beggar Lazarus was carried by an Angell to rest in the bosome of Abraham where hee was seene by the rich glutton who burning in flames of hell cast vp his eyes and saw Lazarus in a farre higher place remayning in great joy and consolation enjoying the fruits of his former patience S Into which of these foure partes of Hell did Christ descend after his death M There is no doubt but hee descended into the place of holy Fathers and suddainely made them blessed after led thē with him in to the kingdome of heauē He made himselfe also seene vnto all the other parts of hell terrifying the Diuels as a victorious Triumpher threatning the damned as a supreame Iudge comforting the soules in Purgatorie as their Aduocate and deliuerer So that Christ descended into Hell as a King vseth sometimes to repaire into prisons to visite prisoners and to shew fauour to whom it pleaseth him S If Christ was dead his body did lye in the sepulchre then he did not whollie descend into hell but onely the soule of Christ and how is it then said that Christ descended into hell M Death had force to separate the soule of Christ from his body but it could not separate either the soule or the bodie from the Diuine person of the same Christ And therefore we beleeue that the Diuine person of Christ remained with his bodie in the sepulcre that the same person descēded with his soule into hel Of the fift Article S HOw is it true that our Lord rose from death the third day seeing that from Friday in the euening when he was buried vnto the night before Sunday when hee rose there wanteth of two whole daies M We doe not say that Christ rose after three whole daies but the third daye which is most true For he was buried on Friday which is the first day though not a whole day and so hee remained in the Sepulchre all Saterday and a part of Sundaie which is the third day For the natural day beginning the night before at the setting of the Sunne the first houre after the Sunne-setting is the first of the day following S. For what cause did not Christ rise streight after his death but would expect the third day M Because he would shew that he was truely dead he would remaine there in the graue so long as sufficed to prooue this truth Moreouer I would haue you considder that like as Christ liued amongst men thirtie three or thirty foure yeares so hee would stay amongst the dead at least thirtie three or thirtie foure houres For so many they are if you put together one houre of Friday for hee was buried an houre before Sunne-setting twentie foure houres of the Saturday and eight or nine houres of Sunday For he rose after midnight towards the beginning of the morning S Why is it said of Christ that hee rose and of other dead as of Lazarus and the Widdowes sonne that they were raysed from death M The reason is because Christ being the Son of God rose of himself to wit by vertue of his God-head he reunited his soule to his bodie so began to liue againe But other dead men can not returne to life by their owne power And therefore it is said they were raised by others As we al at the day of Iudgment shal be raised by Christ S Is there anie other difference betwixt the Resurrection of Christ of others which returned to life before him M There is this difference that the others rose mortal therefore they died againe but Christ rose immortal neither can he euer die anie more Of the sixt Article S Now let vs come vnto the sixt article which is of the Ascension I desire to know how long our Sauiour remained vpon earth after his Resurrection and for what cause M He remained fourtie dayes as you may consider by numbring the dayes betwixt the feasts of his Resurection and Ascension And the reason of his so long stay was because he would with manie diuers apparitions establish the Mysterie of his most true Resurrection For that the same seemeth as it were the most hard And he that beleeueth it hath no difficultie to beleeue the rest For he that riseth was certainly dead before And he that was dead was first borne And so he that beleueth the Resurrection of Christ findeth no labour in beleeuing his death and natiuitie And likewise for so much as the earth is not a conuenient place for glorious bodies but heauen therefore he that beleueth the Resurrection of our Sauiour can