freely cooperate with it For as God would make vse of Moyses his rodde to the working of miracles saying Exod. 4. What is it that thou holdest in thy hand and then beganne to worke miracles by it and as Elizeus asked the widdow what hast that in thy house Reg. 4.4 and vsed her oile to the enriching of her Io. 1. and as Christ would vse water to the procuring of wine soe God vseth vs as instruments to the effecting of good works and therefor in the Scriptures they are attributed sometimes to God and sometimes to ourselues To God as to the principall and cheife cause to vs as to an inferiour and instrumentall cause Exod. 31. As I am the Lord that sanctify you To wit cheefly and principally and man also is said to sanctify himselfe as in S. Io. 1. Iohn euery one that hath this hope sanctifyeth himselfe That is instrumentally and after an inferiour manner by cooperating with Gods grace Ezech 36 Ezech 8 Cor. 1.5 Soe also Ezech. I will giue you a new hart And in another place make to your selues a new hart And therefor S. Paul saith we are Gods Coadiutors but if we had not freewill the goodnes of the worke were by noe meanes to be attributed to vs and we could not be said to sanctify ourselues nor to make to ourselues new harts Furthermore we see that we can deliberate and consult of our actioÌ„s but we can deliberate and coÌ„sult of nothing but that which we haue freedome to doe or not to doe therefor our actions are free in vs. When an enemy pursueth vs we deliberate not whether we shall fly in the ayre or noe because it is not in our freedome Lawes are commanded vs rewards and punishments are proposed to vs we exhort to good works and praise and honour those that doe well which we would not doe if they did soe of necessity and had not freedome to the contrary Clem. Alex. l. 1. strom Neither praise nor dispraise nor honours nor punishments were iust if man had not freewill And this which is soe manifest to reason is as planely declared in the Scriptures Eccli 15. God from the beginning made man and left him in the hands of his owne counsaile Holy Iosue at his death exhorting the Israelites and drawing neere to the end of his speech to engage them the more to the seruice of God he biddeth them to choose what they would doe Ios 24. Now therefor feare our Lord and serue him with a perfect and very true hart But if it like you not to serue our Lord choice is giuen you Choose this day that which pleaseth you Soe that it is in our choice to doe well or ill But I end this and all controuersys of religion in this booke with the authority of the Church This was the doctrine of the Catholike Church aboue a thousand and foure hundred yeares since when Manes beganne to oppose it and he was then and hath euer since bene esteemed an haeretike for opposing it there being then noe Church of Christians in all the world that denyed it therefor this is the true Catholike doctrine This was the doctrine of the Church a few yeares since when Luther beganne to oppose it Ses 7. c. 16. can 14. and the Councell of Trent of aboue two hundred and fifty prelates with the authority of the supreme pastour that then was of the Church declared for this doctrine therefor this is the true Catholike doctrine Let now the enemys of the Catholike Church obiect what they can either out of Scriptures or reason against it all is in vaine the Church is to iudge of the sense of Scriptures and of reason and not euery priuate man to vnderstande them as he will and to get followers to himselfe against the Church Whatsoeuer is obiected contrary to the authority of the vniuersall Church allthough it seeme neuer soe plane is wrong and falsly applyed and we must take them for haeretikes that will stande obstinate in any such doctrine S. Augustine must that which is cleere be denyed Aug. l. de nat grat c. 38 because that which is done can not be vnderstoode and what is soe cleere as that which is once declared by all the Doctors of the Catholike Church We may dispute about the sense of Scriptures or any point of doctrine vntill the Church haue declared concerning it as Lawyers dispute about applying the sense of the Law to particular cases vntill the iudge giue sentence in it but when that is done then all argument must cease because then it is cleere and soe cleere that it can be noe cleerer then to be declared viua voce with the liuely voice of the iudge who hath lawfull authority Soe that which the Church hath once declared is soe cleere that it can be noe cleerer because it is declared by the liuely voice of all the Pastors of the Church all who must either haue lawfull authority to decide all controuersys concerning Scriptures and all other points of faith or els there is noe lawfull authority in the world to decide them but euery man might hold and teach what he listed which were to destroy the world Therefore we neede noe more for the proofe of freewill but the authority of the Church and all arguments that can be obiected against it are but delusions Yet the true sense of those places which they obiect may be vnderstoode by that which hath bene said I know Lord that mans way is not his owne Ier. 10. neither is it in a man to walke and to direct his stepps It is not in man by himselfe without the grace of God But with it it is Io. 6. Noe man can come to mee vnles the father that sent mee draw him God draweth not by force necessitating whether we will or noe but as the spouse said draw mee Can. 1. we will runne after thee in the odour of thine ointments that is sweetly and by faire meanes mouing and exciting our wills Nay although he had said vnles my father compell them we might haue vnderstoode it of a sweet kind of violence by which God inuiteth vs to him as the master in the ghospell seeing the slownes of those that were inuited in comming to him sent to bid others saying Compell them to enter which was noe more Luc. 14. but earnestly to intreat and inuite them Such is the loue of God to vs and his desire of our saluation and soe powerfull is the grace by which he inuiteth and exciteth vs to vertue that he may very well be said to draw vs as a very louing father doth his children vnto goodnes Will you see this planely Apoc. 3. Behold I stande at the doore and knock If any man shall heare my voice and open the gate I will enâ—er into him and suppe with him and he with mee See here O Christian the loue of God towards thee what he doth for
to that bold persuasion of some who perswade themselues that saluation may be had in any religion or in either of some two religions or in any faith soe that they beleeue in Christ for they shall finde one day that disobedience to the true Church is a sinne which deserueth damnation S. Augustine againe in another place Epist. 104. Being out of the Church and diuided from the heape of vnity and the bond of charity thou shouldst be punished with eternal fire although thou shouldst be burned aliue for the name of Christ The Church is honored in the scriptures with many noble and glorious titles The titles of Church It is called the kingdome of God the house of God his spouse his faire one his onely one and the very body of Christ He gouerneth it as his kingdome he prouideth for it as his household and loueth it as his deere spouse and as his owne body pleasing and delighting himselfe in the soules of good Catholikes that serue him It is compared to the holy city of Hierusalem in which the true worship of God flourished and in which diuine sacrifice was duely offered It is compared to the arke of Noë out of which there was noe saluation but a general death and destruction Infidels that haue not the faith of Christ are out of the Church Haeretiks Schismatiks and excommunicated persons although they beleeue in Christ yet because they heare not the Church that is obey it not they are also our of it as heathens that participate not the benefits of it The Catholike Church hath two parts The triumphans and militant Church the one Triumphant the other Militant The Triumphant Church is the company of blessed soules in heauen who hauing gotten victory ouer their spirituall enemys in this life are now triumphing in euerlasting glory The Militant Church is the company of the faithfull vpon earth liuing as it were in a warrfare where we are allwais fighting with the enemys of our soules and by perseuering vnto the end in the seruice of God we shall be crowned like good and faithfull souldiers The Militant Church conteineth both good and euill liuers Mat. 3. and therefor it is compared to a field that beareth both good corne and cockle to a nette that gathereth together both good and euill fish The good are kept Mat. 13. but the bad are throwne away It is compared to tenne virgins fiue of which were wise and had prepared the light of good works against the comming of Christ to reward them Mat. 25. and therefor they were admitted into his heauenly nuptials but the other fiue came like fooles and although they had the faith of Christ and were christians yet wanting the oile of the loue of God and the light of good works they were excluded from his blessed ioyes By these and the like places we are giuen to vnderstande that it is not enough to haue the true faith and to be Catholikes if our liues be dissonant from our profession that we liue not like good Catholikes for there are many euill liuers in the Catholike Church who as bundles of cockle shall be throwne into the fire The Communion of Saints Communion of Saints S. Iohn Euangelist writing to the faithfull giueth them as the cause of his writing that you also may haue society with vs Io. 1.1 and our society may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ That is that you may keepe in the society and Communion of the Church and be partakers of those good works and meanes of saluation which are to be had in it For there in is the Catholike Church such a participation of good works that all Catholikes that are in the state of grace participate with one another in them and receiue benefit by the good works of others The reason is because the Catholike Church is as it were one body and all the members of it liue by the same spirit of the Holy Ghost and of Iesus Christ who keepe them in that holy vnion and Communion together And as all the members of the body concurre and helpe to the good of each other soe euery member of the Catholike Church helpeth to the good of the rest and receiueth good by the rest participating of their good works Ps 118. â—am partaker of all that seare thee Saith he holy psalme And in the Pâ—ter nester our Sauiour hath taught vs soe to pray that euery one should aske in the name of all saying giue vs forgiue vs c. Those who are guilty of mortall sinne as they haue noe reward of grace for any worke of their owne which is done in that state soe they loose the benefit which they should receiue by the good works of others For although they be members of the Catholike Church yet wanting the life of grace they are as dead and rotten members into which the rest haue noe spirituall influence The benefit which is reaped by the good works of others is participated by euery one in measure and proportion to the disposition which he hath for it and according to the intention of him that performeth the worke for as we are more or lesse in his intention soe doe we participate more or lesse benefit by the worke which he doth For this it is enough to say that our good works are offerings which we make to God and are therfor receiued and applyed by him according to the offerers intention By all which we may see what a happinesse it is to be in the Catholike Church Ps 83. and in the state of grace Blessed are they who dwell in thy house ô Lord. Now let vs speake OF THE AVTHORITY of the Church BY these words of the Creede it appeareth that the Catholike Church is of diuine authority for euery article of the Creede being of diuine authority and we being by this article bound to beleeue the Church it followeth that the Church hath diuine authority and that we are bounde to beleeue and to obey it as hauing the authority of God And therefor this article was most profitably and necessarily made by the Apostles as the ground and foundation of diuine faith and worship For although in the scriptures it be plane and by reason must needes be true that we are allwais to be gouerned by the authority of the Church yet this article being soe commonly and often professed it is agreat curbe to the rizing of new sects and haeresys all which beginne in the disobedience of some priuate men to the authority of the whole Church and it can not but be a horrour to their mindes and a greeuous wounde to their owne consciences to see how they contradict the common Creede of the Apostles And therefor S. Paul might well say that a man that is an haeretike is subuerted and sinneth Tit. 3. being condemned by his owne iudgment The authority of the Church is diuine in that it is declared also by the
they are as due to them as wages are to workemen And we may speake by experience to them that know not the truth that our labour is without comparison greater then the labour of day tale workmen I haue no more to say of the Praecepts of the Church You haue seene first the authority of the Church to be diuine and her Praecepts to oblige vnder amortall sin Secondly you haue in particular the declaration of them Let vs keep them with deuotion and zeale of the honour of the Church that coÌ„mandeth them She is the immaculate spouse and glorious Bride of God She is our mother and neuer was there any mother so disirous of her childreÌ„s good nor so efficaciously procuring their true prefermeÌ„t as the Catholik Church doth ours The mother of the Zebedoes was sollicitous for her sonnes with Christ asking to haue them neere him in his Kingdome but she knew not what she asked The Catholike Church asketh nothing for her children but that which God will haue her to aske and which he inspireth her how to procure and which they if they will obey her are sure to obtaine and that is the highest honour and greatest felicity of all honours and felicitys to be made indeede the courtiers and fauorits of Christ in his euerlasting Kingdome Let vs then obey her Eccli 3. As he that gathereth treasure soe he that honoreth his mother And then a little after he is cursed of God that doth exasperate his mother How much then ought we to honour the whole Catholike Church and with what reuerence to receiue her Precepts THE TVVELFTH DISCOVRSE OF SINNE I Haue now a most hidous and fearefull monster to set before your eyes I meane to describe vnto you the euill of sinne which is indeede the most hideous monster of the world so deformed that neither men nor Angels can comprehende the deformity of it none but God can rightly vnderstande it and he vnderstanding it is moued with infinite detestation and auersion from it as from that which is most opposite of all things to his goodnesse and most hurtfull to his creatures I would stire vp in your hearts a vehement abhorring and vtter renouncing of sinne This is all the fruite saith the Prophet that sinne be taken away Esa 27. and this is all the fruit which I desire and labour for in you and which you ought to labour for in your selues to haue your sinnes taken away fot this we preach catechise and exhort that we may detest all sinne and fly it as the most dreadfull monster in the world We may conceiue somethinge of the power and malice of sinne by the vision which Saint Iohn had in the twelfth of the Apocalipse Apoc. 12. First he saw a very glorious woman soe glorious that she was clothed with the Sunne and had the Moone vnder her feete and vpon her head a crowne of twelue starres Then there appeared another signe in the Heauens a great dragon with seauen heads and tenne hornes and seauen diademes on his head And this dragon was soe strong and powerfull that he drew downe from Heauen the third part of the starres and cast them to the earth and assalting the glorious woman for all her glory he put her to flight and although she had giuen her the wings of an Eagle to fly into the desert yet the dragon sending forth of his mouth a flood of waters ouertooke her with them and had swallowed her vp if she had not gotten helpe By this dragon we may vnderstande something of the power and malice of sinne Sinne is the enemy of all glory it ascended into the Heauens and threw downe from thence the celestiall Angels and made them who were as the starres of Heauen in naturall beauty to wander now vpon the earth and vnder it full of shame and paine The Church farre more glorious in the sanctity of soules then the Sunne is in corporall brightnesse and which may well be signifyed by the glorious woman iâ— sometimes so persecuted by the sinnes of Infidels and euill Catholiks that although the true worship of God be neuer quite banished out of the world yet in some places it is so obscured that the Church in those places is driuen into corners as it were into the desert Sinne is that monster which brought the flood of all humane miserys and a reall flood of waters vpon the Church in the deluge and had quite swallowed her vp if God had not miraculously saued her Sinne hath brought plagues vpon houses citys and Kingdomes and taged in the end so violently destroying of soules that the Sonne of God was incarnated to destroy it It made the Sunne to be eclipsed with a horrible darkenesse the roofe of the Temple of Hierusalem and the rocks there abouts to be rent in peeces the ground to tremble graues to open and dead bodys to rise againe at the destruction of it It made our Saviour to weepe vpon Hierusalem and it made HierusaleÌ„ within a while to be as a stinking graue that swelled vp to an incredible hight with the multitude of dead carcases which were in it It made thousands of that people to languish away with famine and hundreds of thousands to come into their enemys hands and to become subiect to their slauery and torments Sinne hath brought haeresys into the Church of Christ and by them cruell blood â—hed amongst ChristiaÌ„s It is the cause of all dissentions and all the euills that euer were were caused by sinne It maketh the prowde to be contemned the enuious to be enuyed the contentious to be killed the couetous to be full of perplexity the luxurious to dispaire and all sinners to detest that in the end which once they loved and to be full of horrour when they come to dy Wise and holy men haue liued hard and austere liues to keepe themselues cleare from sinne and haue chosen to submitte themselues rather to the cruellest deaths that sinners could devise to inflict then to be sinners with them These are the effects of sinne what monster could euer doe the like if those tall and strong men that terrifyed the Israelites were called monsters for their extraordinary strength and tallnesse why may not we call sinne a monster which hath such power Num. 13. and if excesse or defects or disorders of members make monsters How monstruous is sinne that is the originall cause of all the excesses defects and disorders that euer were it peruerteth the order of all our actions it corrupteth our nature and euen as poyson put into wine intoxicateth it quite and changeth it all into poyson so sinne corrupteth all that is good in our soules and all our good workes being poysoned with one mortall sinne goe downe with it into hell What reason then haue we to abhorre and to fly from sinne If we looked behinde vs and saw a Lyon Beere or terrible Serpent pursueing vs at our heeles our harts would faint presently our whole bodys would
there can be noe alteration without a cause Neither are the alterations which we call chances soe called because they are without a cause but because they are vncertaine in their causes as might be manifested by examples which were too long for this place But this answere is not to the purpose for reason is now required and reason requires reason and is not satisfyed with chance for that is to giue noe reason at all To say that the productions of creatures procede from infinite causes is a greater absurdity and indeede in termes an infinite ansurdity as making an infinite collection of men and soe of other creatures succeeding one another without beginning yet euety man of this infinite collection to haue had a beginning and time to be conceiued and disposed in But because I would keepe within the capacitys of all I will omitte much which might here be said and say noe more but this that if we should set vp such a succession of infinite effects from infinite causes for euer producing one another we should neuer come to the knowledge of any thinge nor assigne the cause of any thinge but still runne into infinites And by this very reason did Aristotle although a Pagan acknowledge one supreme omnipotent and eternall cause of all thinges and all to haue proceeded from him to auoide the absurdity and repugnance of infinite causes which otherwise he saw would follow Neither can there be any satisfaction to reason for this admirable order and harmony which creatures make but to come to one supreme power and highest reason which gaue vnto creatures their power and perfections in those limits and order which we see them to haue that Astronomers can fore tell to an instant the courses of the sunne moone and other planets and their certaine ecclypses many dayes before they come to passe and that priests and exorcists haue power ouer the deuils to commande them in possessed persons to those strange effects which we see None of which passages would prophane men beleeue if they were not seene Therefor we seeing such an order in natural thinges and also supernatural effects aboue nature we must of necessity grant a supreme cause of nature and supernaturall power that dispenseth with it when and as it pleaseth him and that this power being that it limited all is limited by none but is without limits one eternal and omnipotent God in whom and of whom all thinges are And soe the question is answered and reason is satisfyed hauing all that it desireth which is the rest of that motion and cause of that alteration which we see in creatures Thus by the light of reason God sheweth himselfe to vs and calleth vs to serue him and if any man shall for harden his hart by sinne and the loue of liberty as not to be moued with the general consent of all nations with that feare and feeling which he hath of God and with these plane and easy reasons he were rather to be looked vpon as a monster swâ—ruing from the nature of all men then to be esteemed as of the same nature and reason with them and if he haue any sense of man lefâ— is rather to be diswaded from vice by the reason and natural auersion which he hath from it then to be delt with by arguments And therefor I say noe more to such a man but this onely word let him fly vice and follow a vertuous and orderly life as reason dictateth that he should and then noe doubt but within a while he shall both see the power of God in all creatures and also shall obserue his diuine prouidence and goodnes by many occasions in particular to himselfe For there is nothing that dulleth reason and confoundeth it soe much in vs as the much following of our owne wills and long continuance in sinne without repentance nor is there any thinge which openeth our vnderstandings soe much to reason as the following of reason in order and goodnes of life You shall see now in a word or two how the master of Philosophers hath discoursed of God by naturall reason onely He seeing that some cause by reason should be assigned of creatures and not to leaue them to chance and perceiuing the absurdity and contradiction of running into infinite causes came to setle himselfe in one eternal and omnipotent God as the first and supreme cause of all thinges and spoke very honorably and with great reuerence of him giuing him such titles as might declare his soueraigne power and eminent perfections aboue all as hauing all thinges depending of him Sometimes he calleth him ens entium the Being of beings some times Primum Principium rerum omnium Lib. demundo ad Alex. The First Principle or Beginning of all thinges Metaph. l. 12. And speaking of the Intelligences that moue and guide the heauens he assirmeth one to be the head and Prince of all whom he calleth Deum God The Supreme Gouernour of the world and of all thinges And in his books of physicks rebuking the dullnes of some in this point he hath these admirable words L. 2. Phys c. 4. Some there aâ—e who haue referred the cause of all thinges to chance which is to be admired at in them because affirming of sensible thinges and plants that they are not by fortune but that they câ—me of some nature or reason or such like cause for that we haue not any thinge of euery seede but of such an one an oliue and of such a man and yet the heauens and those which amongst sensible thinges are more diuine they will haue to be by chance and to haue noe cause Thus did he discourse of God acknowledging him to be the cause of all and the source and fountaine of all perfections from whence all goodnes sprang He gaue vnto him the nature of a spirit as more perfect and free from the imperfections of corporal substances and confessed him to be infinite and incomprehensible Neither doth his doctrine of the worlds eternity disprooue his autority for this For as light is caused by the sunne and heate by fire and yet are allwais coexistent with their causes soe might he acknowledge God the authour and cause of the world and for want of faith imagine that it was eternally coexistent with him But if Aristotle discouered thus much of God and spoke soe honorably of him not hauing the light of faith but onely of natural reason How much ought we to loue and serue him in the Catholike faith Hier. 32. O most strong great and mighty the Lord of hosts is his name saith the Prophet great in councell and incomprehensible in cogitation whose eyes are open vpon all the wayes of the children of Adam to render vnto euery one according to his wayes and according to the fruite of his inuentions Let vs then that beleeue these words by faith prayse that blessed and powerfull name that we may haue in the end that rewarde which his
the rewarde which we shall haue after victory ought to be a great encouragement vnto vs. We shall haue the grace of God which is the kings eldest daughter and by it euerlasting glory in the kingdome of heauen Remember then that thou art the souldier of God and in all temptations thinke that he then calleth thee forth to fight for him in his owne presence and before the host of his Angells and Saints and that in the sight of them all and in their hearing he had made the promise of thy reward and besides that he will soe helpe thee that thou art sure of victory if thou wilt Who in this case would not runne vnto the batle This is the case of euery one of vs. Apos 2. God hath promised to him that ouercommeth I will giue to eate of the tree of life to wit euerlasting and he giueth vnto euery one sufficient meanes to ouercome Is he not a coward in the sight of God and before the whole court of heauen that shall refuse to fight vpon these termes Thinke what this reward is an eternity of happines And when thou hast thought for a good space say to thy selfe I can not comprehende that eternall happinesse Ep. 205. ad Cyr Hicros Ps 83. In the Epistles which are commonly said to be S. Augustins he describeth a vision which himselfe had to his purpose and I will giue it you as neere as I can in the same words and stile I was saith he in my cell at Hippo resting and greedily thinking of the glory of the blessed and of the greatnes of their ioy and being compelled by the intreaty of my deere Seuerus once the disciple of venerable Martin bishop of Turon I desired to setforth a short treatise of this matter but hauing pen in my hand to write to most holy Hierome for his opinion in it when I had begunne the exordium of my salutation behold a suddaine light such as our times hath not seene nor can be spoken with our tongues entred into my cell and filled it with an vnspeakeable sweetnes of all odours Which when I saw I was soe astonished that the powers of my minde and body were quite taken from mee For J knew not then that the right hand of God had exalted his seruant Because at that very hower did S. Hierome depart this world And therefor because mine eyes had neuer seene the like brightnes nor euer had I felt such sweetnes I wondered and was quite rauished with it And being in this sort I heard a voyce comming forth of that light saying to mee Augustine what dost thou meane dost thou thinke to put the sea into a litle dish to hold all the earth in the compasse of thy hand to detaine the heauens from their naturall course shall thy eye see that which none could see shall thy eares heare more then the eares of any and those things which haue not entred into any hart dost thou thinke to conceiue them where is the end of that which is endles how wilt thou measure that which is immense The sea shall be put into a litle dish the earth shall become a handfull and the heauens shall sooner stay their course then thou shalt vnderstande the least part of that ioy and glory which the blessed enioy But that thou shouldst vnderstande that which I know now by experience not to vndertake impossible things Seeke not to vnderstande but labour to gett that glory which thou wouldest conceiue Thus S. Hierome would preuent his letter and satisfy him by experience in that which he desired to vnderstande to wit that the glory of the Saints is aboue humane vnderstanding It is enough for vs to thinke that it is a life in which God is enioyed for euer but here we can not comprehende what God is what euer is or what that life is in which God is enioyed and which they lead in heauen O the infinite goodnes of God! O eternity O sweet life in which that infinite good is eternally enioyed That which is good and the best in euery thinge that is conteined in God the summe and hight of perfection I say all in this word Perfection And this perfection thou shalt allwais desire Ps 23. and haue it allwais there as thou defirest in God How beloued are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts my soule coueteth and fainteth vnto the courts of our Lord. My hart and my flesh haue reioyced towards the liuing God This is the end of the Creede and of true faith that we gaine euerlasting life This is the finall but infinite reward which Catholiks onely and none but good Catholiks come to receiue that our soules shall be placed in perfect spirituall pleasures and our bodys in corporall and shall still aime at that which is most perfect and enioy that perfection which they aime at to wit God in his glory THE FIFT DISCOVRSE OF THE SACRAMENTS I INTENDE to declare the Sacraments vnto you which as they are the most estimable iewels and pretious ornaments by which the merits of Christs Passion are applyed for the sanctification of our soules soe it is very necessary for all to be well instructed in them that those holy mysterys being receiued with due reuerence may blesse and effectually sanctify the receiuers of them Mat. 7. Giue not that which is holy to doggs neither cast you your pearles before swine Saith our blessed Sauiour That is that holy things are not to be giuen to the vnworthy and as S. Augustine hath noted especially the Sacraments which are vnderstoode by pearles as the most pretious of holy thinges That I may speake worthily of them and you receiue benefit by my speech we will say the Haile Mary for our Blessed Ladys intercession Haile Mary c. Quest What is a Sacrament Answ A Sacrament is an outward signe which causeth grace in vs. To be a Sacrament is to be an outward signe and to be an outward signe is to be somethinge that may be perceiued outwardly by the senses By the sense of seeing we perceiue in the Sacraments the thinge which is done as the ablution in baptisme and by the sense of hearing the words that are said and in that which is done and said consisteth the nature and essence of euery Sacrament as it is an outward signe to our senses S. Augustine The word is ioyned to the element and there is a Sacrament The Sacraments cause grace in vs Tract 80. in Io. because they are the meanes which Christ hath instituted to sanctify vs by and we can not be sanctifyed but by the diuine grace being caused in vs. OF THE EFFECTS OF THE Sacraments THE prime and propper effect of euery Sacrament is to cause grace for they are not onely signes to signify that God then giueth grace but they haue power giuen them of God to cause grace in the soules of those that worthily receiue them that as a Cherry tree produceth a cherry and a
Plumtree a plumme soe the Sacraments of Christ produce grace as their propper fruit in the soules of the worthy receiuers of them God vsing them as instruments to our sanctification This is the difference betwixt the Sacraments which were before Christ both in the law of nature and of Moyses and the Sacraments which now we haue in the law of grace that the Sacraments which were before the comming af Christ could not giue grace to saluation but onely fignifyed the grace which was to be giuen by our Sacraments because they signifyed him onely who as then was to come and had not purchased grace by his passion as yet suffered and soe they onely signifyed that grace which he was to purchase and which was to be giuen by the Sacraments of Christ by the merits of whose passion God then gaue grace to those that receiued the former Sacraments but the Sacraments themselues as they were of those lawes and times had not that power and therfor the Apostle calleth them weake and poore elements that is in comparison of the vertue and efficacy of our Sacraments Gal. 4. which as they are the Sacraments of the law of Christ haue this preeminence aboue them that they can cause grace in vs. Quest What is grace Answ Grace is a supernatural gift which maketh vs gratfull and acceptable to God Grace is a certaine supernatural quality which God infuseth into our soules by which they are sanctifyed and soe adorned and beautifyed in his sight that he cannot but loue those that haue it and can loue none that haue it not It is as though a king should bestow some gift vpon euery one of his freinds in token of friendship which gift should soe endeere them vnto him that they were sure of his fauour as long as they kept it and to loose his fauour if they lost it soe that this token should both destinguish them from his enemys and also cause them to be his friends Such a gift is the grace of the Sacraments it formally causeth vs to be the freinds of God and destinguisheth vs from his enemys All the gifts of God may be called graces in a large sense as they are gifts which of meere grace and beneuolence he bestoweth on his creatures and soe the gift of tongues of prophecy of miraculous cures and the like are commonly called graces but they are not the grace of the Sacraments which maketh vs gratfull to God For although those gifts or graces for the most part be giuen to the good yet sometimes they are giuen to euill men as the gift of prophecy was giuen to Balaam an idolatour and to Caiphas euen then to prophecy when he was sitting in iudgment against Christ but none but the iust haue Sacramental grace because it sanctifyeth all those that haue it Secondly the good motions and holy inspirations by which God moueth vs to good works are called grace but they are not the grace of the Sacraments which sanctifyeth vs they being often and for the most part God knows reiected by many that answere not to them Thirdly the general concourse of God by which he preserueth all creatures in their being and concurreth with them in their works is called grace as when we say by the grace of God I will doe this or that that is to say with the diuine helpe and concurrence And in fine all the good which we haue may be called grace as it proceedeth of the gracious goodnes of God towards vs. But the grace which is caused by the Sacraments sanctifyeth our soules and maketh them gratfull to God which the others doe not This effect which the Sacraments haue of causing grace in vs although it be supernatural to them as they are onely corporal signes yet vnto God that giueth them that power it is natural and as easy is it to him to giue to his creatures power of sanctifying and of giuing grace as it is to giue them power to any other miraculous effects all which although they be in some sort supernaturall yet by the will of God they are made subiect to natural and secondary causes And God to shew this power and dignity of out Sacraments would haue all that solemnity in the baptisme of Christ that the heauens should open and the whole B. Trinity should sensibly appeare The Father in the voice saying this is my belooued sonne in whom I am well pleased The Sonne in humane nature submitting himselfe to be baptized Mar. 3. and the Holy Ghost in the likenes of a doue It was also for the greater reuerence of our Sacraments that great solemnity with which the Confirmation of the Apostles was celebrated on Whitsunday when the Holy Ghost came with astonishing glory and great signes to confirme them God honouring the rest of the Sacraments by these two first to shew the power which they all haue OF THE NECESSITY OF Sacraments GOD hauing ordained man for a glorious future life by duely worshipping him in this and directing him in his worship not by leauing euery man to himselfe independant of all authority and subiect to none but by subiecting him to the obedience of a continual Church and of spiritual pastors in spirituall thinges it was necessary that he should ordaine some external and corporal meanes of sanctification in the Church that all might vnite and combine together in the true worship of God by them which by onely internal and spiritual acts could not be because we vnderstande not but by outward words and signes S. L. 19. cont Faust c. 11. Augustine Men can not agree in the profession of any religion either true or false except they be vnited by some visibles signes or Sacraments Because as long as we liue in this life our soules in their operations depending of our bodys can conceiue nothing but by outward species receiued in our senses Rom. 1. The inuisible things of God are vnderstoode by those thinges that are made And therfor the manner of our sanctification and of receiuing grace which is spirituall and inuisible must be by corporal and visible Sacraments that the Church may combine together in the worship of God by them To be admitted then into the Church some visible signe was necessary and for this is Baptisme for by it we are made members of the Church of Christ After that the other Sacraments are necessary for the ordering and gouerning vs in the progresse of our spiritual life which is then begunne In breife corporal Sacraments were necessary to admitte vs into the Church and then for the Church to gouerne vs by them VVho instituted the Sacraments And being that they giue grace for our sanctification it followeth that they must be of diuine institution none but God being able to giue them that power because none but he had that power to giue them and to determine and appoint them as the meanes of our sanctification and therefor the Sacraments could not be instituted by the Apostles
continuing in sinne without repentance they fell still into more and more sinnes vntill at last their consciences were as it were seared vp and heardened against God and euen as it were quite dead As one in an apoplexy or strucken with some violent passion becometh pale voide of sense and suddenly dyeth that if you take him vp and turne him from side to side or call vpon him all is in vaine he is dead and gone and his body is then noe better then the body of a dead dogge or swine so great sinners hauing hardoned themselues against God they heare not his callings nor feele his inspirations but are quite senslesse and voide of spirituall life liuing onely as beasts that had no soule to be saued This I say againe is the depth and centour of all euâ—â—â—s when a man will resolue to continue still in sinne and laboreth against himselfe to blotte out the remorse and auersion from it which he hath by nature that so he may sinne without feare Prou. 18. and with contempt of God The impious when he commeth to the depth of sinns contemneth saith the holy Prouerbe This is indeede as deepe as a sinner can goe in this world for it is to bring a hell vpon earth and for men to become litle deuils something lesse then deuils in that they are not so obfirmed in sinne as the deuills are that are setled in an eternall duration of malice and paine which sinners in this world can not be but are in state of repentance but they come as neere as man can come to a diabolicall obstinacy resoluing with themselues to sinne against the Holy Ghost by finall impenitency These then in summe are the euills of sin To separate vs from God and from all coelestiall comfort to put vs into the deuils power and into the state of the damned in hell to bring miserys and aduersitys euen in this life and those not onely vpon the sinners themselues but also vpon their kinred and freinds after them to yeeld but a false short and base pleasure and then affrightments of conscience and sorrows and finally to harden our harts to the vtter contempt of God and of our owne soules Now what can the sinner answer to all this why will he for the base pleasure of sinne forsake God and incurre all these euills Against presumption he presumeth perhaps vpon the diuine mercy and saith that in the end God will pardon him but this is a most vaine presumption as though one should resolue vpon a wicked course of life to perpetrate all the mischeifes that he could deuise presuming of mercy that in the end the King would pardon him It were to destroy all orders and to make God the cause of disordering the whole world if men might doe what they would in hopes of pardon It is true the mercy of God is aboue all his works and more then his iustice in this that he sheweth it more pardoning often before he once condemne but his iustice also shall be fullfilled His mercys are commended to make vs to seeke for pardon but not to bring vs into presumption How many examples haue we of the terrible iudgments of God against sinne First vpon all mankind for the sinne of one Secondly vpon all but eight persons drowned in the deluge Thirdly vpon Kingdomes as the astonishing plagues that came vpon Aegypt and the swallowing vp of their King and his whole army in the sea Fourthly vpon citys as Sodome and Gomorra Fifthly vpon particular houses and familys as Dathan And Abyron who with their wines and familys were suddenly deuoured vp by the earth And vpon particular persons without number What an example was that in Ananias who for dissembling and lying to S. Peter and the Apostles was presently strucke dead and his wife comming in a litle after and mainteining her husbands ly Behold saith S. Act. 5. Peter there feete that haue buried thy husband at the doore and they shall beare thee forth Forth with she fell before his feete and gaue vp the ghost And sometimes for that which to vs would seeme noe great sinne What great offence should we thinke it to haue bene in Lotts wife to looke backe to see Sodome and Gomorra on fire yet presently it cost her her life What an example of the iustice of God was that vpon Moyses soe holy a man and of all men that euer were the speciall figure of Christ our Redeemer yet for an offence soe small that authors hardly destinguish in what it consisted he was depriued of that which aboue all thinges in this world he had most reason to desire to wit to see the Land of promise in the possession of the Israelites and the true worship of God flourishing in it euen as good Catholikes commonly desire to see the conuersion of England to the Catholike faith and God truely worshipped in it but that as his zeale was greater then ours soe was the desire which he had of that greater then ours is of this yet he neuer obtained it but euen then when it seemed to be soe neere that he had brought the people vnto the borders of the Land and as it were to the very last steppe into it they were drawne backe againe and he must neuer haue the happinesse to see them in it When saith S. Basil I behold Moyses soe great a man that it was said vnto him Thou hast found grace before mee Bas proe in lib. eth to 2. Exod. 33. and thy selfe I haue knowne by name yet because he said can we out of this rocke bring you forth water it was presently denounced against him that he should not bring the Israelites into the Land of promise And when I see him soe often praying and still praying in vaine and when I consider that all those great works which he did could not auaile to procure his pardon for soe short a word Then I beginne to thinke of that rigid seuerity of God of which the Apostle speaketh and how true the words of S. Peter are that if the iust man shall scarce be saued where shall the impious and wicked appeare Now who shall dare to presume vpon Gods mercy But he saith that he intendeth to repent presently after sin That is a good intention indeede and God forbidde but he should haue that intention But how doth he know that he shall performe it seeing that he can not assure himselfe of a moment of life after sinne to repent in How many chances is this life of ours subiect vnto slender and easily broken as a spiders webbe how many dy suddenly and if they be in sinne without repentance some by suddaine diseases some murthered some drowned some killed accidentally by chances which we heare of euery day And how many especially in England haue desired at their deaths the assistance of a Priest and could not obtaine it All these hazards doth the sinner vndergoe and one greater then them all to wit
subiecteth vs as lyable to some punishment soe euery good worke which we doe in the state of grace aduanceth vs in the diuine grace and taketh away some of our due punishment But allthough Veniall sinnes depriue vs noâ— of the diuine grace nor make vs as the enemys of God guilty of eternall damnation yet we ought to beware of them and to be carefull especially that we gett noe euill habite nor affection to any Veniall sinne for that is very dangerous and if we gett not also a habit of repenting presently for it it will without doubt draw vs in the end into some Mortall sinne And in this sense we may say of Veniall sinnes that they depriue vs of Gods grace and euen kill our soules dispositiuely that is they dispose vs to Mortall sinnes bâ— which our soules are immediatly killed euen as a litle hole or leck in a shippe neglected causeth a greater breach by which she is suddenly ouer charged and sinketh downe to the bottome soe litle falts neglected bring great sinnes and are sometimes bewailed with euerlasting teares in hell And therfor to preuent great sinnes we must haue an eye ouer our lesser falts to mende them by times Besides a good and louing seruant will feare to offende in any thinge least by committing that by which his masters affection should bellessened towards him he might come in the end quite to loose his fauour This is that saith S. Hiero to 7. instrueÌ„s amicum quemdam Hierome which the Apocalypse reprooueth in the bishop of Ephesus who is called an Angell for that he had in his conscience the merits of many good works much labour and sufferings for Christs sake But because the edge of his former piety was somethinge dulled and the heate of his loue beganne to abate he is called and stirred vp to repentance Apoc. 2. I know thy works and labour and patience that thou canst not beare euill men and hast tryed them that say themselues to be Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars And thou hast borne for my name and hast not sainted But I haue against thee a few things because thou hast left thy first charity Be mindfull therefor from whence thou art fallen and doe pennance And what pennance may we read that the Saints of God haue done euen for litle Veniaâ—â— sinnes because they knew that by all such sinnes the grace of God was endangered and that the least degree of his grace was better to them and in it selfe more pretious then all this world S. Theresa conceiued soe greatly against the least oâ— her sinnes that she spoke of them as heinous offences and if it happened that in singing in the quire she missed in any thinge presently in the sighâ— of all she prostrated her selfe to the ground with such true shame and sorrow that the rest of thâ— Nunnes were interrupted from singing and could not goe on for teares Grant vs O Lord by the merits of thy Passion and by the prayers of thy blessed Mother and of the whole court of heauen that we may neuer loose thy grace by mortall sinne and may allwais feare to offende by veniall I haue done now my deere Reader that which I intended in this booke I haue giuen thee for thy instruction a breife Summe of the whole Christian Doctrine in a few short answeres to be gotten without booke and the declaration of them at large in their propper places I haue sett before thee in the Apostles Creede one supreme eternall and omnipotent Power God the beginner and conseruer of all creatures to be worshipped by thee And for thy comfort and Confirmation in the Catholike faith I haue shewed that there is noe true worship of God but in the Catholike Church of Christ The Catholike Church reacheth that an eternall retribution ofteward or punishment remaineth according to our works good or euill Good works by Gods grace are in our owne hands if we will What now remaineth but to excite our wills This also I haue done according to my ability exhorting thee to vertue and holinesse of life And now at last I intreate and coniure thee by the omnipotent power and infinite goodnesse of God that made thee by his iustice and mercy which one day thou must try by the torments of the damned and ioyes of the blessed soules by all which thou canst imagine to be feared or desired that thou feare 〈…〉 loue him Looke downe to hell and feare him in that horrible eternity Looke vp to heauen and loue him seeke him and enioy him in that happy state Resolue from this very instant vpon a vertuous life Beginne now a new and perseuer to the gaining of that euerlasting life which is the end of the Creede and of all Instruction Live sweet Iesu King of eternall glory Liue Liue and reigne in our soules here and in heauen for euer and euer Amen Laus Deo Dei genitrici Virgini Maria. A TABLE A ACTVALL sinne 715 Altare 603. Altares towards the east 603. Almes deeds 473 Amen 505 Angell Gabriel 510. 532. The time and place of the Angell Gabriel his apparition to the blessed Virgin 533. c. Anger 415. Remedys against anger 420 The Apostles preaching 137 The Ascension of our Sauiour 164 Atheisme and Atheists 78. 79. 80. c. Attributes of the diuine Persons in the Blessed Trinity 142 B BAptisme The necessity of Baptisme 283. Baptisme a Sacrament 284 The effect of Baptisme 285. The Baptisme of S. Iohn 286. The caeremonys of Baptisme 287 Beades 555. blessings of Beades 572 Aue Mary Bell. 564 Bloody sinnes horrible to nature 416 C CArnall sinnes 412. seuerely punished of God 422. the causes and rootes of Carnality 428. Remedys against Carnall sinnes 428 The Catholike Church prooued by induction from all other religions that are in the world 250. Catholikes according to their grounds can not with reason seeke vnto any other Church not doubt of their faith but all other Churches euen according to their owne grounds ought to doubt allwais and can neuer be satisfyed till they come to the Catholike Church 35. Character Vide Sacraments 275 Charity towards God and our neighbour 409.491 amongst the primitiue Christians 418 Ceremonys 287.598 Two kinds of Ceremonys 290. Childrens education 1 Christ 109. The faith of Christ euer from the beginning of the world 113. Christ the Messias was to be true God 120. Iesus Christ our Sauiour was the true Messias foretold by the Prophets 122. Christianity demonstrated by holy Scriptures and miracles 113. vnto 140. Christ was more sensible of paine then others 151. Christ prophecyed of his Passion 153. Christs Passion was voluntary 154. Christ the annointed as he was Prophet Priest and King 112. Christmas day 148 Church The Church must try the priuate spirits of all men 24.184.641 Noe order in religion but by the authority of the Church ibid. The Church can not erre 35. The authority of the Church 184.641 The Church is holy 177. It