did Simon Magus beginne first to teach that God is the authour of sinne not that he was the immediate causer of it but in that he had giuen vs such a nature as that we sinned of necessity and could not but sinne Which commeth to be the same as to deny freewill Cerdon and Cerinthus followed him in this blasphemy that God is the authour of sinne Yet it had soe ill a sound in their eares to impute sinne vnto God who is infinitly good that they would imagine another God whom they called the euill God and to him they imputed the euill of sinne The like doctrine hath bene auouched by latter haeretiks who amongst other old hâ—â—â—ys haue renewed this as may be seene in Catholike authours who haue confuted them but we will ground ourselues vpon this firme and easy principle established by the Church that God is good and infinitly hating the way of iniquity and infinitly iust that he could not punish vs for sinne if he himselfe were the cause of it therefor God is not the cause and authour of sinne The inordinate affection of creatures is the cause of sinne and men are the authors of the sinnes which they committe God hath ordained all creatures to a good end and to reasonable creatures he hath giuen reason and offereth grace to order their actions according to it they abusing the gift of God and breaking his ordinance committe sinne God permitteth his Law to be broken but is soe farre from breaking it himselfe or being the cause of breaking it that he allwais vseth sufficient meanes to hinder the breaking of it he calleth vs backe from sinne before we committe it inspiring and exciting vs to the contrary and giueth grace to resist temptations and to absteine from sinne if we will And when we haue sinned he rewardeth it not but punisheth it and rewardeth the contrary and therefor by noe meanes can be said to be the cause of sinne He vseth sinne to a good end manifesting his goodnes in rewarding the good and punishing the wicked who of their owne wills committe it being noe way moued by him to it S. Aug. l. de Gen. ad lit to 31. Augustine expresseth this by a very fitt similitude As â—ests in musicke saith he which are noe musicke and as discords of notes which are contrary to musicke are soe placed by skillfull musicians and composed with concords that they make a more sweet and gratefull harmony and as darke colours are intermingled with lightsome to giue more beauty and grace to pictures sic vitiorum nostrorum non est author Deus sed tamen ordinat ea perpeti cogit quae maerentur Soe God is not the authour of our vices but he ordaineth and forceth that which they deserue And as the notes of discorde are not discorde but concorde in effect as the musician ordereth them making of their discorde a perfect harmony soc sinnes are not euill as God permitteth them or as he createth creatures that committe them of as they are ordained to a good end by him but they are in themselues acts of discorde from the Diuine Law and are put into order and concord by him And as we cannot say that the musician causeth discorde or is the authour of discorde for vsing of discorde to perfect his harmony because he maketh concorde with it soe we cannot say that God is the cause or authour of sinne because it hath noe euill but good as he ordereth and vseth it And therefor good Diuines say that God is the cause of the materiall of the act of sinne but not of the malice or euill of sinne as the musician putteth together notes of discorde but maketh noe sounde of discorde by them Those that impute their sinnes to God saith S. Hierome haue that sheild of hart which the Prophet speaketh of saying Thren 3. thou shalt giue them a sheild of hart thy labour They stande as it were face to face against God and retort their sinnes vpon him as though he were to blame in permitting them to sinne and not they in sinning Hence it followeth that we haue freewill to sinne or to abstaine from it Freewill For otherwise sinne proceeding naturally and necessarily from vs the euill and malice of it could not be imputed to vs but to God the authour of our nature Neither is that destinction which some would make to any purpose saying that we haue free will to doe euill but not to doe good For to be free is to haue power to the act or to the contrary and if the act be euill the contrary is good It is true we haue noe power to doe good of ourselues without Gods grace but we can concurre or not concurre with it It is a thinge soe manifest saith S. Aug. ep 11. l. de duab animabus Augustine that man hath freewill and that he is not to be punished for that which is not in his power that shepheards sing it on the mountaines poets on stages the vnlearned in circles the learned in librarys masters in schooles bishops in sacred places and mankind thâ—ough out the world Yet this which is soe manifest was denyed by the Manichaeans the disciples of Manes who sometimes feigning himselfe to be the Holy Ghost and sometimes to be Christ chose twelue disciples to follow him and went vp and downe Affrica preaching against freewill and deceiuing many with such absurditys as are almost incredible to haue bene beleeued After a thousand yeares and more the same doctrine was reuiued againe by Luther and is still mainteined by his followers and by other sects that haue sprung out of him Pelagius an auncient and very learned authour but a prowde and obstinate haeretike was soe farre contrary to this doctrine that where as they deny free power to man to doe good works with Gods grace he affirmed that we haue not onely free power to doe good with Gods grace but also of ourselues without it But S. Augustine hath breifly confuted them both in these words If there be noe free will Aug. ep 46. how doth God iudge the world and if there be not diuine grace how doth he saue the world how can God iudge men to rewards or punishments if they haue not freewill and how doth he saue vs but by his grace strengthening and eleuating vs to good works Soe that we haue free will to doe good contrary to Luther but not to doe good of our owne freewill onely but by the diuine grace which is contrary to Pelagius The Manichaeans Lutherans and those that deny freewill make voide the seauenth article of the Creede that Christ is our iudge and the Pelagions make him noe Sauiour The Catholike Church hath allwais taught that man hath freewill to doe well by cooperating with Gods grace or to doe ill by reiecting it And soe our good works are cheefely attributed to God as proceeding cheefly from his grace and secondarily and instrumentally to our selues because we
long from confession and haue their soules ouergrowne with much filth of sinne must take more time for it that through negligence they omitte nothing which is necessary to be confessed Those also that come oftener to confession and haue onely venial sinnes to confesse ought to be carefull in the examining of their consciences the better to dispose themselues for confession and to preuent euill customes and also the better to discerne the greeuousnes of some which see me perhaps but litle sinnes to them but are indeede greater then they seeme to be For this it wil helpe much that we gett a custome of examining our consciences euery night before we goe to bedde calling to minde the sinnes which we haue commited that day and noting them downe in our memory as it were in a table booke against we goe to confession The first thinge which we are to doe in this nightly examen is to giue thanks vnto God for the benefits of that day Secondly to desire grace and light of him to see our falts Thirdly to examine ourselues what we haue offended in Lastly to make a breife act of Contrition that is of sorrow for our sinnes and purpose to amende them for the loue of God as I shall shew within a leafe or two Besides this we ought allwais to haue an eye ouer our owne behauiour and when we haue offended God any way presently to thinke with ourselues this was a sinne I will remember it when I goe to Confession The examine before Confession may be made by thought word and deed and whether the sinnes which he committed by thought he did not also committe them by word and if he committed them by word whether he did not also in deede As for example BY THOVGHT if he offended inwardly by anger in his hart whether he did not also vtter some angry words and whether he proceeded not to some actions to hurt his neighbour or something that belonged to him And if he haue let him Confesse it I Confesse I was angry at my neighbour and proceeded to such and such words and did such and such things against him or intended to doe them And soe in other sinnes as in carnal sinnes if he sinned by thought if he proceeded to vnchast words and if to vnchast actions for it is a greater sinne to sinne by word then by thought onely and by worke then by word onely In the examining of his thoughts he may thinke whether he haue giuen way to any irreuerent thoughts against God or his Saints or to any dreams or superstitious thoughts If he hath thought euill of others iudged rashly borne hatred and ill will to any bene sorry at their wellfare or reioyced at their euill desired their death or some hurt or losse to them Thoughts of pride and vaine glory in our actions desire of praise honors and preferments too much application to worldly riches vnchast thoughts BY WORD If he hath bene negligent in prayer if he hath sworne and if it were vpon an vntruth if he hath cursed his neighbour or any other creature and whether it were with a desire of that euill towards them or rashly onely without any such desire if he hath made any vnlawfull vow if he hath murmured at his superiors if he hath dispraised and detracted from any if he hath not reprehended those vnder his charge if he hath told vntruths wittingly if he hath mocked or scoffed at any councelled any to sinne or hindered the good which they intended if he hath spoken vnchast words or sung vnchast songs BY DEEDES If he hath vsed any superstitious actions or omitted to doe any thinge for some superstitious cause and conceit if he hath wrought vpon holy dayes or permitted others vnder his charge to worke or if he hath omitted himselfe or hindered others to heare masse on holy dayes if he hath not obeyed his parents or superiors and if it were in any matter of moment to tell what and how it was if he hath broken his fast if he hath strucken beaten or willfully hurt any body or their goods if he hath taken any thinge from any body publikely or priuately and to thinke of what value it was or hath trespassed his neighbour any way if he hath vsed deceit in buying or selling as tradesmen in their weights and commoditys which they sell if being hyred by daytale he worke not sufficient for the wages which he taketh if he hath vsed vnchast looks books or actions too much curiosity in dressing and adorning if he hath exceeded in too much eating drinking or sleeping if he hath offended in gaming spending his meanes or more time in it then was sufficient for recreation vsed sleights and cousenage in it Thus we may examine ourselues by thought word and deed remembring especially the occasions which he is imployed in and the course of life and calling which he professeth what sinnes he committeth in it and the circumstances in which they were committed whether there were not somethinge which might aggrauate the sinne It is an errour in some that if they get their wonted number of prayers said they thinke themselues wel prepared to confession and come with litle or noe examining of conscience at all These must vnderstande that prayer is not the propper preparation for confession and that it is not a time then to say many prayers but to stirre vp in themselues a true repentance for their sinnes by remembring them sorrowing for them and purposing to amende them This is then necessary but prayers are not necessarily required And therefor we must be sure to examine well our consciences before confession that we come not of custome without deuotion and due preparation to it And when we haue done all that belongeth to the Sacramâ—nt then we may take time to pray Hauing examined thy conscience and witnessed against it the sinnes which thou knowest stirre vp in thy selfe a vehement sorrow for them and be indeede in thy hart confounded to thinke that thou hast sinned againe and againe without amending those things which thou hast soe often repented for By which thou mast thinke that there is but litle feruour of deuotion in thee and that thou hast great reason to feare that thou art of the number of the lukewarme an therefor in great danger Inflame in thy selfe an ardent loue of God be sorry that thou hast soe litle feeling of sorrow and purpose firmly that now at last thou wilt beginne to amende and wilt fly the occasions by which thou art tempted begging of God that he wil see this amendment in thee and giue thee efficacious grace for the performing of it Endeauour then to make a perfect act of contrition which is very necessary for all to vnderstande and to learne A perfect act of contrition is a perfect act of loue that for the loue of God we are sorry to haue offended him and not for the shame of sinne feare of punishment or losse of reward which
he first beganne to conceale although he had Confessed them he must Confesse them all ouer againe with those which he concealed for although they were Confessed they were not forgiuen The deuill noe doubt but laboureth all he can to hinder the fruit of this Sacrament by which he looseth soe many soules and because he preuaileth sometimes with such as I haue mentioned I will speake a word or two for their good that they may abhorre this sinne First I tell them that this Sacrament is the onely remedy which God hath ordained for actual sinne Our soules were first lost by original sinne and by Baptisme they were saued from that shipwrack but falling after Baptisme into actual sinne there is noe hopes to be saued but by duely receiuing the Sacrament of pennance Hiero. ep 8. ad Domerriad Amb. ad virg laps c. 8. and therfor Saints and spiritual men commonly call it the second planke of saluation in the shipwracke of our soules Tell mee then O faintharted Catholike that art affraide to Confesse thy sinnes if that thou wert floating on the waues of the sea vpon a good and sure planke wouldst thou be ouercome with feare to forsake it why then art thou ouercome with feare to conceale thy sinnes in that pittifull state of damnation seeing that by concealing them thou dost let goe the planke in which is all thy hope and without which thou sinkest downe and art sure to perish Thou hast suffered shipwracke by mortal sinne wilt thou let goe thy sauing planke and perish in the waues Thou art wounded mortally and art sicke vnto death if thou discouer not thy wounds thou dyest with out remedy wilt thou languish vnto death and willfully refuse all helpe Thou hast a physitian that can cure thee and that as priuatly as thou canst desire and with as litle shame to thee but thou must either tell thy disease and shew thy wounds or dy Thus doe the holy fathers declare the necessity of intire Confessions Further if thou dissemblest with the priest thou dissemblest with God and adding sinne vnto sinne thou woundest thy soule with a new and deeper wound and with a sinne which is most opposite to grace and to the forgiuenesse of any sinne and that very sinne which now thou wilt not Confesse priuatly thou shalt be forced to Confesse it one day in the sight and hearing of all the world when the deuill shall accuse thee publikely saying I gotte him to committe such a sinne and to conceale it in Confession I accuse him of the sinne and of a sacrilegious Confession And Christ will then be ashamed of thee before his Angels that wert ashamed of him before thy ghostly father and thou shalt be condemned as guilty of both sinnes and shalt goe amongst the damned This is all that thou shalt gett by thy shame for in this world thou didst gett nothing at all Other sinnes when they are committed bring either some profit or pleasure with them but this hath neither profit nor pleasure in it but euen then when thou committest it thou hast an inward horurour and paine to thinke of the losse which theÌ„ tho susteinest and of the comfort of a good ConfessioÌ„ and how greeuously thou woundest thy soule with a new and more greeuous wounde If thou didst see thy vtter enemy laid pittifully wounded in danger of death and the surgeon dressing him and binding vp his wounds couldest thou finde in thy hart to come to him and tearing of his plaster to wounde him againe with a new and worse wounde Such an enemy thou art vnto thy selfe when being at Confession vnder the hands of the priest thou hidest any mortal sinne Thou abusest the onely remedy of thy soule and being wouÌ„ded and then in cure thou tearest of the plaster and woundest thy selfe againe with a new and more greeuous mortal sinne and such an one as in it selfe is contrary to all remedy It was very remarkable to this purpose that which happened not long since in a citty of Spaine A notorious malefactour being sentenced to dy was put into the place of retirement which they haue in the prison for condemned persons to prepare themselues in for their death And comming to Confession he beganne to be troubled and could not goe on but made strange gestures and shewes of affrightment when he would haue Confessed some sinnes The Priest who was my very charitable good freind and who told mee himselfe all that I am now relating perceiuing it and asking the cause of it with much difficulty at last he answered and told him planely that the deuill was there and threatened him that he durst not Confesse At which the priest roze vp and with the signe the Cros vanquished him But the deuill who vseth not to yeeld at the first repulse returned againe and at the Confessing of some sinnes troubled him as before and the priest againe vanquished him And thus returning seueral times he putte the poore man into such an amaze and feare that he durst not Confesse but made an end concealing some of his sinnes The priest gaue sentence of absolution but it was in vaine and of noe value as a iudge misinformed the party remaining guilty of all his former sinnes and of one more and that perhaps greater then any which he had to Confesse That night the deuill appeared vnto him all in flames threatening him â—ot to Confesse such and such sinnes which he had concealed and with all he commanded him to throw away that which he had about his necke which was a litle Cros and image of our blessed lady which the priest sent to a brother of his owne liuing then aboue a thousand miles from him who wore them and after some yeares shewed them to mee In what a terrour may we imagine that man then to haue bene and fearfull perplexity to obey or to disobey the deuils commande he thought them then to be his onely armes and saw that if he threw them away he disarmed himselfe and on the otherside he feared his threatning if he obeyed not But he chose for better to disobey him and it was a happy disobedience for his prowde enemy confounded with it vanished away presently with out hurting him The man expected vntill morning longing to see the priests returne whom as soone as he saw he ranne presently to him and glasping him in his armes he besought him to heare his Confession againe and then he made a better Confession declaring intirely the sinnes which he had concealed and the sacrilege which he had committed in concealing them And relating all that had passed with him he desired at his death the priest to tell it vnto others that they might learne by him to make good Confessions Who related it accordingly in his sermon to all that were present at the malefactors execution This happened in a place of Spaine which I know very well and there can be noe question of the truth of it Those who in Confession conceale
then most Gracious Princesse your desired Patronage which is soe proper and necessary to this worke that I neither will nor can in reason looke for any other What Englishmans hart tender by nature will not so farre resent your condition and his owne as at least to receiue and reade that which commeth commended by you for the good of his soule It vill goe for pure gold when you haue accepted of it vnder your Name and character all will receiue and reade it and with Gods assistance shall profit by it This is the cause why I dedicate it first to God and then to you desiring no other reward for my selfe but your gracious acceptance for the good of others Because for a booke to doe much good I consider it as necessarie to procure that it be currently accepted of and much read as it is to contriue and compose it good in it selfe And hauing now prouided as well as I can for both I haue done all and will rest Your Highnesses Most humble seruant and deuoted Oratour to pray for you A. E. APPROBATIO NOs infra scripti in Sacra Theologiae Facultate Parisiensi Doctores perlegimus librum Anglicano idiomate scriptum cui titulus est CATECHISTICAL DISCOVRSES in which first an easy and efficacious way is proposed c. In quo nihil inuenimus à Catholica Fide alienum aut bonis moribus auersum Quinimo iudicamus Discursuum horum institutum ad Christianam doctrinam elucidandam Catholicam fidem confirmandam veramque pietatem promouendam non minus studiose pertractari quam religiose pro Catholicorum Angliae praesenti conditione vtiliter susceptum esse Quapropter librum hunc non approbamus modo praeloque dignum censemus verum etiam quantum possunt vota nostra omnium vsui commendamus Quod nostris testamur signaturis Datis Parisiis 1. Sept. anno salutis humanae 1654. HENRICVS HOLDEN P. O. LONERGAN WE the vnder written Doctours of Diuinity in the Faculty of Paris haue perused an English booke intituled CATECHISTICALL DISCOVRSES in which first an easy and effiâ—acious way is proposed c. In which we finde nothing dissonant from the Catholike Faith or good manners But we rather iudge the institute of these Discourses for declaring of the Christian Doctrine confirming of the Catholike Faith and promoting of true piety to be noe lesse studiously prosecuted then religiously and for the present condition of England profitably vndertaken where for we not only approoue of it as worthy of the presse but also commende it as much as lyeth in vs to be vsed by all giuen vnder our hands at Paris Septemb. 1. in the yeare of our Lord 1654. HENRICVS HOLDEN P. O. LONERGAN APPROBATIO LEctis testimoniis quatuor Doctissimorum in Anglia Sacerdotum quorum examini liber cui titulus CATECHISTICALL DISCOVRSES c. commissus est quique illum non modo in doctrina moribus sanum testati sunt sed communi sententia laudauerunt magnumque ex eo fructum sperauerunt meum erat eorum sententiis assentiri quantum per me licet efficere vt speratus inde fructus in medium proferretur fidelibus communicaretur Quare librum hunc approbo summo desiderio omnibus commendo Datum Parisiis Sept. 21. 1654. LANCASTER Theologiae Professor in Anglia Librorum Censor HAuing read the testimonys of fower of the most learned Priests of England to whom the examining of this booke intituled CATECHISTICALL DISCOVRSES c. was committed who did not onely declare it to be sound in doctrine and manners but also vnanimously praysed it and hoped for much fruit by it it was my part to assent vnto their sentences and with all my power to further their hopes of the publike benefit Wherfor I approoue of this booke and earnestly commende it vnto all Giuen at Paris Sept. 21. 1654. LANCASTER Professour of Diuinity and Censurer of bookes in England The cheife Errours in printing Page 2 there their p. 17. witht he with the. 20. authoritority authority 24. some anes some meanes 44. declace declare 45 wich which 57. paofesse professe 57. lin 22 not nor 58 hy by 60. voon vpon 60 af alse a false 68 oue our 64. eratederect 64. fiâ—d fixed 64. anotheri another 82. life like 85. life like 137. condemning contemning 153. the eues theeues 165. Danid Dauid 183. there in is there is in 301. ef of 301. lsgacy legacy 310. lin 23. by dy lin 31. consecrate consecrated 313. lin 24. then thee 316. kinden kindes 3â—8 barished vanished 343 absently absolutly 358. hedrew Hebrew 384. fathers hould father should 426. atheiued atcheiued 433. liues on liue on 439. whorty worthy 481. thinigs things 483 putting darknesses darkenesse fulnesses fulnesse 494. and en an end 499. be try he try 532. sometihing something 5â—3 departing departed 557. by glad be glad 559. Glory into the ihghest God Glory in the highest to God 565. sixty tens six tens 589 is patrone his patrone 600. outwards outward 602. whit a long with a long 618. but to mutuall but to exhort them to mutuall 625. lin 1. spiritually supernaturally 626. he will but he will but. 630. laaine latine 639. theit their 645. consist subsist 684. seruants of seruant of 685. in intentions in intension 703. fly grom fly from 704. is in worse are in worse THE DISCOVRSES conteined in this Booke The first Discourse Of the education of children and of the obligation which all haue to learne the Christian dostrine The Second Of Faith The Third Of the signe of the Crosse The Fourth Of the Creede The Fifth Of the Sacraments The Sixt Of the Commandements The Seauenth Of the Pater Noster The Eighth Of the Haile Mary The Ninth Of the Rosary The Tenth Of the Masse The Eleauenth Of the Praecepts of the Church The Twelfth Of Sinne. A PREFACE to the Reader THE great want of instruction which I saw in many mouing mee to apply my selfe more seriously to the practise of catechizing I tooke into my hands that Catechisme which the Councell of Trent caused to be made and was settforth by commande of Pius Quintus Pope and is commonly called the ROMANE CATECHISME Which as it hath the authority not of some one authour onely but was made by expresse commande of an intire and that soe flourishing a Generall Councell it may iustly take place of all other Catechismes and is of all others the most worthy to be followed And it added not a litle to the esteeme which I had of that booke to vnderstande afterwards that it came cheifly by the care and paines of that blessed man and late mirrour of pastors S. Charles Borromaeus The first thinge which I obserued in it was an earnest desire and almost continuall exhorting of pastors to the catechizing of their people This it commendeth not onely once of purpose in the beginning but all ouer in euery cheife subiect which it treateth and almost in euery thinge which it mentioneth it
signe of the Cros vpon her brest and that soe she should be cured She did soe and was restored to perfect health This happened in S. Augustines time in the city in which he liued and himselfe hauing had the examining of it caused it to be published We haue then S. Paul and those that liued in the Apostles times honoring the Cros as we now doe and we may see by the writings of their successors the Saints of the primitiue Church the power and vertue of the signe of the Cros and what deuotion was then borne to it He whom all this is not sufficient to moue but shall still oppose this blessed signe sheweth an intollerable obstinacy in himselfe and that he needeth rather some meanes to mollify his hart and to moue his will then any arguments to conuince his vnderstanding and therefor let him haue recourse vnto God by prayer as I shewed in the last title of the former discourse that he will enlighten and inspire him to the truth for he may deceiue himselfe but God can not deceiue him I haue now noe more to say of the signe of the Cros. You haue seene first how it is to be made Secondly what mysterys are conteined in it to wit the mysterys of the B. Trinity and of the Incarnation Thirdly what reuerence we ought to beare vnto it Let vs confesse the greatnes of God in the mystery of the blessed Trinity and feare him let vs acknowledge his loue in the mystery of the Incarnation and loue him and let vs honour that holy signe by which those mysterys are signifyed The Cros is the sword of Christ the glory of christians the terrour of deuils our armes and armour against all dangers both of body and soule It is saith S. Augustine the chaire in which our master satte to teach vs. Aug. tract 119. in lo. to 3 1. ad Tim. 3. He taught vs from thence a lesson of all vertues of perfect charity towards God and our neighbour of humility patience meekenesse fortitude pouerty and of perfect resignation with the will of God in all things If thou feelest thy selfe cold in the loue of God negligent in frequenting the Sacraments in comming to masse c. and hast but litle feeling of goodnes nor care of Gods seruice in thee behold Christ vpon the Cros heare him how he calleth vpon thee to see him paining vnto death for the loue of thy soule If thou art offended at thy enemy and dost not forgiue him behold thy master on thee Cros and heare him not onely forgiuing but excusing and praying for his enemys If thou feelest in thy selfe a desire of praise worldly glory and preferment behold the sonne of God in his passion become the abiect of men that a notorius condemned theefe was preferred before him If by sicknesse soares and other like afflitions thou art moued to impatience see him in his Passion how he gius his blessed head his face his hands his feete and his whole body as a lambe to his enemys to be bounde to be beaten to be nailed stabbed cut and wounded as they would themselues See the blood running out of his crowned head by drop after drop where the thornes pierced it and out of his hands and feete and wounded side not by drops but by a continuall course vntill they were left dry What did he say to those that tormented him and in his torments vpbraided him with false crimes all that time he answered not a word in his owne behalfe but with silence went on stoode still or layed downe as they would haue him that carried him from place to place and from one paine to another he neuer opening his mouth to desire any ease or to intreate for any thing to teach thee meekenesse He defended innocency against the power of kings priests and presidents to teach thee fortitude in Gods cause He became naked to teach thee pouerty He tooke the cuppe of his Passion willingly from the Angell and drunke it vp to the bottome more then ne needed for the health of mankind because it was for the honour of God and his diuine will that he should doe soe Learne thou to resigne thy will to the will of God and to be contented in all occasions as he shall dispose of thee Finally there is neither writing nor preaching nor any words whatsoeuer that imprinteth soe much the loue of God in our harts nor moueth soe efficaciously to all vertues noe not the holy scriptures themselues nor any remedy soe good against all kind of sinnes as the meditation of Christs Passion which is read vnto vs in the signe of the Cros. L. 6. in Ep. ad Rom. Origen asking by what meanes we shall performe the Apostles words that sinne reigne not in vs Rom. 6. answereth where the death of Christ is carried there sinne can not reigne for saith he the Cros of Christ hath such power that if we beare it before our eyes and keepe it in our mindes noe concupiscence noe lust noe anger noe enuy can ouercome vs He â—5 in Mâ—t. to 2. the whole army of sinne is put to slight S. Chrysostome let them attende that are ashamed of the Cros of Christs Passion For if the Prince of the Apostles S. Peter were called Satan when he had not learned the mystery of the Cros Mat. 16. because he said Lord be it farre from thee this shall not be vnto thee how shall they be pardoned that dare to deny the Cros now when it is preached all ouer let none be ashamed of these signes of our saluation but let vs carry the Cros of Christ about vs as a ioyfull crowne for all things that are conducing to saluation are accomplished in it When we are regenerated the Cros is present when we are fedd with the most sacred soode when we are placed in the order of consecrating all ouer and at all times that signe of victory is vsed Wherefor let vs haue that signe in our houses in our windowes on our foreheades and in our mindes with much deuotion It is the signe of our saluation of our vniuersall liberty of the mildnesse and humility of our Lord. When therefor thou signest thy selfe with the signe of the Cros thinke of the mystery of the Cros and extinguish the fire of wrath and other Passions in thee When thou signest thy selfe with the signe of the Cros arme thy face with confidence and thy minde with the thoughts of freedome For Paul exhorting to true freedome calleth vs to the memory of the Cros saying you are bought with a great price Cor. 1.6 This was the price of the Cros. We must not onely make it with our singars on the body but with consideÌ„ce on our soules and if soe thou make it none of the wicked deuills will dare to encounter thee when he seceth the speere of his mortall wound For if we are affraid to behold the place where condemned persons are executed what dost thou
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
de obitu fratris Pauls authority And S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose signify that it is all one to say the Romane faith and the Catholike faith All which they would neuer haue said if they had not thought the Romane chaire to haue had preeminence and authority aboue all and vnderstoode the words of S. Paul in that sense that the faith of the Romanes was renowmed in the supreme authority of that sea and therefor we may rightly alleadge those scriptures according to the auncient fathers interpretations for the supremacy of the bishop of Rome But we will produce their plane testimonys immediatly from the Apostles times Anacletus who liued with the Apostles hath these words Ep. 3. ad omnes Epis This holy and Apostolicall Romane Church not onely from the Apostles but euen from our Lord and Sauiour himselfe hath obtained the principality and eminency of power ouer all Churches and ouer the whole flocke of the people of Christ he himselfe saying to S. Peter Mat. 16. Thou art Peter c. And they also themselues consented vnto it that he should be aboue all the rest of the Apostles and should be Cephas that is to say the head and beginning of the Apostle ship who deliuered the same forme to his successors and the rest of the Apostles to bishops to be held by them If any difficult causes arize amongst you referre them to this head that by the apostolicall iudgment they may be ended for such is the will of our Lord who hath soe determined as by the foresaid places is declared Therfor this Apostolical seate is constituted of none other but of our Lord himselfe to be the hinge and the head as is said before of all Churches That as the doore is guided by the hinges soe by the disposition of our Lord all Churches should be gouerned by this holy seate S. L. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus who liued in the next age after the Apostles reckoneth vp all the bishops of Rome vnto Eleutherius who then gouerned to shew the succession of that supreme authority from S. Peter and saith that in all cases of controuersy we should haue recourse vnto the Apostolical traditions and try them by the Church of Rome Tertullian L. depudicitia who liued in the same age with him calleth the bishop of Rome Pontificem Maximum Episcopum Episcoporum The highest Priest the Bishop of bishops S. Cyprian De vnitate Eccles who liued in the next age after them speaking of the beginning of heresys saith in substance all which I am saying to wit that all schismes and heresys haue begunne by disobedience to the head of the Church and particularly specifyeth to what head to wit to the successour of S. Peter that is for the time and saith that if we would seeke to that iudge all controuersys would soone be at an end And speaking of the bishops of Rome L. 4. ep 9. from hence saith he all heresys haue rizen and still arize because that bishop who is but one and presideth ouer the Whole Church is despised by the prowde presumption of certaine men and he whom God hath dignifyed is iudged by men as vnworthy of dignity In the next age liued S. Athanasius a glorious Confessour and for forty yeares and more in which he was bishop the prime pillar of the Catholike Church in the easterne parts against the Arian haeretiks Apud Theoâ—â—et â— 4. c. 3. He reckoneth vp the Churches of the seueral parts of the world and saith that they and the whole world consented to the Councell of Nyce in which the primacy of S. Syluester then bishop of Rome was acknowledged and declared And it is here to be obserued that the Arians who are the auncientest of all sects now extant out of the Catholike Church beganne but in these times when the Romane bishop had bene honored for about three hundred yeares as the Vicar of Christ vpon earth And the same saint together with the fathers of the Councell of Alexandria wrote vnto Felix 2. then bishop of Rome after this manner To the honorable holy father Felix Pope of the Apostolical seate of the city of Rome Athanasius and all the bishops of the Aegyptians Thebaians and Lybians by the grace of God assembled in the holy Councell of Alexandria We suggest vnto your holy Apostleship that you would vouchsafe to vs of your wounted care ouer vs c. Because most holy father our praedecessors and we haue receiued helpe of your Apostolical scate We implore that Apostolicall and according to the canons the cheife seate that we may haue helpe from thence from whence our auncestors haue had their doctrines orders and relcefe Vnto that we haue recourse as to our mother that we may be nourished at her breasts And as the mother own not forgett her child soe doe not you forgette vs committed to your charge For our enemys haue inuolued vs in noe small troubles apprehending and threatening vs with irons vnles we will yeeld to their errors Which without your knowledge we will not presume vpon the canons hauing decreed that in cases of moment nothing should be done without the Romane bishop Therfor God hath placed you and your praedecessors the bishops of Rome in the toppe of all that you might haue a care of all Churches hauing the iudgment of all bishops committed to you For we know that in the great Councell of Nyce of three hundred and eighteene bishops it was established by all that without the sentence of the Romane bishop noe Councell should be called nor any bishops condemned although these and many other necessary thinges be taken away from vs and burnt by turbulent haeretiks c. Likewise it was agreeably defined by the foresaid fathers that if any of the bishops shall haue in suspicion the Metropolitan Comprouinciales or Judges let him appeale to your holy seate of Rome to whom the power of binding and loosing was giuen by speciall priuilege by our Lord himselfe c. Thou art the deposer of prophane haeresys inuaders and infesters as the Head and Doctour and Prince of orthodoxe doctrine and vnspotted faith After S. Athanasius in the next age liued S. Optatus bishop of Mileuetum in Affricke who made a catalogue of all the Popes from S. Peter to Siricius who then gouerned and writing against the haeretike Parmention he telleth him that in setting vp a chaire contrary to the Chaire of Rome he could not pleade ignorance knowing that the first was giuen to S. Peter to be at Rome and particular chaires to the other Apostles L. 1. conc Parm. that he might be knowne for a schismatike and praeuaricatour that should set vp a chaire in opposition to it Amb. in 3. ad Tim. S. Ambrose speaking of Damasus then bishop of Rome saith that all the world being Gods yet the Church onely is hit house whose Rectour or Ruler at this time is Dumasus S. Hierome also liued in the time of this
supperlesse to bedd through their couetousnesse Goe too now you rich men saith S. Iohn weepe howling in your miserys which shall come to you Ia. 5. Your riches are corrupt and your garments are eaten of moths Your gold and syluar is rusted And their rust shall be for a testimony to you And shall eate your flesh as sire You haue stored to your selues wrath in the last dayes And presently he giueth the cause saying behold the hyre of the workemen that haue reaped your feilds which is defrauded by you cryeth and their cry hath entred into the eares of the Lord of Sahaoth You haue made merry vpon the earth and in riotousnes you haue nourished your harts in the day of slaughter You haue presented and slaine the iust one And he resisted you not Those that pay not their tithes breake this Commandement Vserers also who by vniust exactions oppresse others spinning by litle and litle their very bowels from them by taking moneys or other profits onely for loane contrary to the commande of Christ Luc. 6. doe good and lend hoping for nothing there by Iudges also who for bribes sell to the rich the causes of poore men Those also that pay not their debts but by prolonging defraude their creditors Of these the holy king The sinner shall borrow and not pay Psal 36. And those who seaze presently vpon their pledges if they be not redeemed iust at the appointed time Those also that gette the saile of corne or other commoditys into their owne hands to raize the rates of them which is called Monopoly He that hideth corne shall be cursed among the peoples Prou. 11. but blessing vpon the head of those that sell All these are a kind of robbers and breake this Commandement And because robbers as well as thecues are bounde to restitution it is necessary to declare who they are that haue this obligation of restitution These are in the first place those that robbe or steale and those that commande them to doe soe for they are the causes and authors of their sinne and the worst of all kindes of theeues Secondly those who hauing not the power to commande perswade others to it Thirdly those that consent Fourthly those that participate of the profit if that may be called a profit which is vniustly gotten Fiftly those that might and ought to haue hindered and did not Sixtly those who conceale dissembling themselues not to know of it when they ought to speake Lastly those that assist harbour or any way protect theeues All these are inuolued in their sinne and are bound to restitution as the theeues themselues That which is obserued of this base and contemptible sinne of theeuery is that it taketh away the truth and fidelity of those that are addicted to it theeues being for the most part full of lyes and deceit For by much deceiuing they get a custome to deceiue and are the most perfidious of all men betraying euen their best freinds if it serue to their purpose Soe Iudas was first a theefe stealing from Christ and the Apostles And then became a traitour to his master The rootes of this sinne are couetousuesse and idlenes Some steale of couetousnes onely when they haue noe neede others of idlenes because they will not worke And these for all their stealing are still needy and in misery and yet will hazard their liues and good names to liue in want when they might follow many other honest courses in which they might liue out of hazard and in more plenty S. Dial. l. 3. c 26. Gregory relateth how that Menas a poore hermite hauing nothing but some bee hiues to liues on there came a robber into those parts who being admonished not to medle with the hermits bees neuerthelesse he spared them not Esa 33. But God who by his Prophet hath threatened woe be to thee that dost robbe shalt not thou also be robbed permitted the deuill to take possession of his body and greeuously to vexe him for it The remedys against this sinne are to doe almes deeds that giuing somethinge of their owne for Gods sake they may keepe their hart open to their neighbour and free from the desire of his goods Let them remember the words of the Apostle Tim 1.6 They that will be made rich fall into the snare of the deuill And let them neuer forgette that general rule of Christ Mat. 7. all things whatsoeuer you will that men doe to you doe you also to them For this is the law and the Prophets THE EIGHT COMMANDEMENT THOV shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour In the former Commandements of this table the sinnes that are committed by worke are forbidden in this we are forbidden to sinne by word But that which is cheifly forbidden here is to giue false testimony in iudgment against our neighbour as being most iniurious and hurtfull to him in that it is auouched by an oth in which God standeth as witnesse and against which the iudge can not except but by euident proofs or by the insufficiency of witnesses But not onely false testimony in iudgment but also out of iudgment is here forbidden for in the booke of Leuiticus where the Commandements are repeated ouer againe the words are more generall You shall not ly neither shall any man deceiue his neighbour Leu. 19. By which it appeareth that all kind of lyes detractions deceitfull and iniurious words are here forbidden That which was said in the former Commandement against theeues may be applyed here to detractors and lyars who are theeues in their kind in that they take away the good name of their neighbour and soe much worse then theeues by how much his good name is more pretious then his riches and are therefor bounde to restitution more then theeues The deuill when he lyeth speaketh of his owne saith Christ because he is a lyer and the father thereof who stood not in verity Io. 8. but falling himselfe into lyes draweth all he can after him to learne to ly What can there be more filthy and base then as S. Iames saith with the same tongue to blisse and to curse God we say our prayers and blesse God and within a while we make some ly and soe curse him Lyars are by S. Paul expresly excluded from the kingdome of heauen Cor. 1.6 And the psalmist asking of God Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Ps 14. answereth presently he that speaketh the truth in his hart that hath not done guile in his tongue Yet these are the commune diseases and plagues of the world Lyers and detractors are as the frogs of Aegypt spred all ouer euery house and chamber is full of them bedds and tables are hanted by them and all conuersation is pestered with this base sinne of noting the imperfections and blemishing the good names of others by which quarrels are bred and false accusations ensue amongst steinds and neighbors Behold saith S.
Gen. 39. Ioseph the Patriarke was assalted by a wicked woman tempting him to lust but by the helpe of God he ouercame the temptation Holy and chast Susanna was grieuously tempted falsely accused and brought euen to the vtmost danger of death but God vndertooke her cause and defended her It was a glorious victory that which Iob gott ouer the world the flesh and the deuill and as gloriously rewarded of God that gaue it Let vs pray to God and serue him and he will giue grace against temptations For this is the way to arme ourselues with prayer and vigilancy against them and to keepeallwais in our harts a vehement detestation of all mortall sinne in general and when any particular temptation beginneth in vs to resist it presently at first by making a contrary act to it and then without delay to fly the occasion of that kind of sinne Thus we shall gett victory and the glorious crowne which to the victorious is promised For the resisting of particular temptations see the Commandements THE SEAVENTH PETITION BVT deliuer vs from euill Here we repeate all which we prayed for in the former petitions redoubling our prayer againe for them for he that prayeth to be freed from euill prayeth to be freed from all that is opposite to the honour of God to the obtaining of his kingdome to the performance of his will and from any thinge that is contrary to the other petitions And we aske further more the remission of the punishment due to our sinnes and also to be freed from those corporal euils which euery hower we are subiect vnto I said at first that the Pater Noster was a perfect patterne and forme of prayer which our blessed Sauiour made for our instruction Let vs then obserue dilligently the methode of it First we are taught in it to desire aboue all things the honour of God and to direct all our prayers to that end that the name of God which is infinitly holy in it selfe may be hallowed also externally by vs. And hauing asked that the name of God be hallowed and also all things that are positiuely good for vs then we aske to be freed from that which is hurtfull and especially to be freed from sinne as the most hurtfull of all things and for the future that we fall not againe by temptation and lastly to be freed from all euills in general and in particular which God knoweth to be euill for vs and to be pardoned of the punishment for our sinnes And it is to be obserued that Christ would not onely teach vs to pray for ourselues but for all others that soe we might keepe ourselues in charity with all We say not my father giue mee forgiue mee lead mee not c. but our father giue vs forgiue vs lead vs not c. And we are taught also to forgiue our enemys and to pray for them In fine the art and mastership of this prayer is more then man can expresse or vnderstande much lesse can it be perfectly imitated by any prayer which we can make nor that the Angels can deuise Yet it was not the intention of Christ to binde vs to say noe other prayer but it for both he and the Apostles are read to haue said other prayers neither that we should allwais pray for all that is conteined in it but that we should allwais pray for all or for somethinge that is in it or conformable to it and with that order that the honour of God be first sought for in all our prayers and that all things be prayed for in order to it When therefor we pray for any temporal thinge we ought first to desire the honour of God and our owne spirituall good by it before that we aske for the thinge it selfe and we are to resigne our wills to the will of God and first seeke to be freed from our sinnes before that we pray to be freed from any other euill and not presently when any thinge troubleth vs to pray onely for our owne ease and content as some doe who if their head or their breast or backe ake or are in any affliction or danger they complaine presently where it paineth them and without any more adoe pray to be freed from it but this is not according to our patterne of prayer in which we are taught first to pray for the honour of God and our owne spiritual good saying at least in our hatts hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c in the first place of our prayer and allwais to be pleased with that which pleaseth God not too earnestly desiring to be freed from temporal euills assuring ourselues that if we haue not our prayer we haue that which is better for vs such afflictions being many times sent of God as a speciall meanes of our saluation We must follow Christ our master It is not sitting saith S Bernard ser 5. de omnibus sanctis that the members should be pampered vnder a thorny hâ—ad The holy king sang these words for his comfort Ps 118. Princes haue persecuted mee without cause and my hart hath bene affraide of thy words I will reioyce at thy words as he that findeth many spoiles Let vs not therefor greiue at our afflictions nor seeke too earnestly to be freed from them but let vs goe willingly with the will of God and follow Christ in them Some adde to the Pater Noster for thine is the kingdome power and glory But Catholiks vse not to say those words because they are not in the scriptures but were added to the Pater Noster as Glory be to the father c. Was added to the end of the psalmes And the Pater Noster being the prayer which Christ left as a lesson for vs to learne to pray by we keepe it intirely by it selfe without adding any thinge to it Amen is an hebrew word much frequented by our Sauiour It is as much as to say verily Amen indeede certainely c. It is sometimes vsed in the beginning and sometimes in the end of a speech to confirme the verity and certainty of it But in this place we vnderstande it not as in the end of other prayers as it were to repeate and vrge them with more earnestnes but as an answere to shew that by the vertue and efficacy of this prayer our desire is acceptable and we are dismissed with the grant of our petition And therefor in the holy sacrifice of masse at the end of the Pater Noster the Clerke answereth not Amen as at the end of other prayers but leaueth it for the priest to say that he as the interpretour of God may denounce vnto the people that their prayer is granted And for this reason S. Hierome might well say that Amen is the seale of our Lords prayer to declare that God doth as it were set his hand to it You haue learned now how to pray and how to prepare your selues vnto prayer First we are to free
are acknowledged for holy men and Saints euen by Protestant authors These great seruants of God were most singularly deuoted to his blessed Mother many wayes Some of them instituted particular deuotions to her and inuiting all to those deuotions haue spared noe labour to increase her honour and the number of her seruants But this needes not for that I haue shewed it to haue bene the deuotion of the Catholike Church in those times in which her enemys confesse and must needes confesse the true faith of Christ to haue flourished if euer it flourished That which the Catholike Church still laboureth for is to preserue in her people the same deuotion which was then giuen to her And therefor she consecrateth Churches erecteth altares instituteth holy dayes and omitteth nothing to setforth her worthy prayses and the power of her intercession which afterwards I shall shew The English Protestant Church is not yet soe auncient but that I haue knowne diuerse who haue remembred the like deuotion to haue bene in this kingdome to her when the Catholike religion flourished in it English men were then blessedly and singularly aboue other nations deuoted to her reioycing in her patronage and ioyfull solemnitys But now that ioy is turned into hatred and contempt and her cheife solemnitys are blotted out and prophaned by them and yet absurdly and without consequence they will seeme to honour the Saints commaÌ„ding their holydayes to be kept Is it not an absurde and malicious proceeding in them to her to commande the holydayes of the Saints and Angels as lawfull and fitting and to take away the cheife holy dayes of our B. Lady yet this the English protestant Church hath done as may be seene in their commune prayer booke where the Feasts of the Apostles and of other Saints and of the Angels are commanded by their Church and not the Natiuity and Assumption of our B. Lady which were allwais held her cheife solemnitys As for her Annunciation and Purification they may obserue them in honour of the Conception and Presentation of Christ and cunningly seeme as though they would honour her but this cunning is worth nothing to those that vnderstande her Natiuity and Assumption to be her cheife and most propper feasts and soe auncient that S. Hierome and S. Augustine haue left sermons which they made of them and which they taking away keepe noe day at all as propper to her It is the nature of malice to hate all that which is worthy of loue and of enuious persons to hate that which their enemys loue though neuer soe good This is the very true cause why the beginners of this English religion would take away her two cheife holydayes They see the Catholike Church to aduance her honour and to be 〈◊〉 â—ularly deuoted to her and therefor of malice and enuy to the Church they labour what they can to pull downe her honour and to disgrace her What iniury had the most blessed of women and their particular patronesse done to them in what had she deserued this at their hands but that they would oppose the Catholike Church S. Hierome speaking of the feast of the Assumption saith If we be commanded to honour God in his Saints how much more in this solemnity Ep. ad Paul Eustoch to 9. I would all Englishmen had knowne these words and remembred them when the beginners of their new religion tooke away that festiuall day they would not perhaps haue permitted this disgrace to haue bene put vpon their patronesse in whom their nation had soe long bene honored as to let them take away her Assumption which according to S. Hierome and to reason is much more to be honored then the Assumptions of other Saints which they keepe But let vs goe on in honoring of her We will now gather together out of the sentences of the holy fathers alleadged a posy as it were of our B. Ladys prayses taking onely the summe of them in breife First for her sanctity they affirme her to haue excelled all creatures there being nothing in heauen and earth to compare with her all but God inferiour to her As for sinne it is certaine that she neuer committed the least Venial sinne in soe much that S. Augustine will haue noe mention of sinne to be made in her Aug. l. de nat gra c. 8. Sess 6. c. 23. and the Councell of Trent doth sufficiently declare it She had the grace of all vertues faith hope charit 〈◊〉 humility patience chastity meeknes fortitude c. in an eminent degree aboue all She was a perpetual Virgin Con. Ephes Chalced. Syn. 6. c. 2. Mariae Virginitas ante partum in partu post partum intemerabilis Marys Virginity before her child bearing in her child bearing and after her child bearing vnuiolated She did not onely obserue perpetual Virginity but she obserued it by vow According to S. Augustin l. 4. de Sancta Virginitate and S. Gregory Naz. orat in Sanctam Natiuitatem and it is inferred out of her answere to the Angell when she said how shall this be done because I know not man Luc. 2. That is to say I can not lawfully know man as the hebrew children said to Nabuchodonosor we worship not thy Gods that is we must not and cannot lawfully worship them Dan. 3. But the B. Virgin might lawfully haue knowne man if she had not made a vow to the contrary Neither is there otherwise any congruity in her answere Dr Kellison is of opinion that she was the first that euer vowed perpetual Virginity In 3. part for saith he although Chastity were held in great esteeme both amongst the Iewes and Gentils before the comming of Christ yet they vowed it not for euer but onely for a certaine time S. Ambrose confirmeth it when he calleth her the standart bearer of virginity Amb. to 2. de inst Virg. c. 5. Bed in Luc. 1. as going before all in the perpetuall vow of it But S. Bede saith more planely that she was the first that emancipated herselfe to that vertue which must be vnderstoode by perpetual vow for there were diuerse before her that vowed it for a time Soe that we may number this amongst our B. Ladys prayses that she was the first foundres of the perpetual vow of Virginity and soe she is the particular patronesse of Priests and religious persons that follow her in that vow She had more ouer a gift of God to make those to be Virgins that conuersed with her and soe saith S. Hierome that she made S. Ioseph to be a Virgin and S. Ambros that she made S. Iohn Baptist to be a virgin by her virginal conuersation that as it is written of the Cedar tree and of the flowers of vines Amb. de Instit virg c. 7. that they driue away all venemous beasts from about them so the blessed Virgin had the vertue to expell all vnchast desires and carnall inclinations from those that came about
that in this respect as she was the Mother of God she should be endowed with it This is expresly auouched by S. Anselme It was decent saith he that she should shine with such purity L. de Conceptu virg li. c. 15. that vnder heauen a greater could not be deuised Other Saints say in substance the same when in glory and sanctity they preferre her before all creatures because they thought that such sanctity was most suetable and congruous to her dignity as she was such a Mother and that the more that they honored her the more they honored God incarnated in her and of her There is noe doubt saith Saint Hierome but whatsoeuer is worthily attributed to the Mother of God Hier. ep ad Paul Eusto to 9. Bern. ser 4. super missus est that appertaineth to the prayses of her sonne And S. Bernard Whatsoeuer is spoken of the Mothers praises that belongeth to her sonne Therefor in attributing of Sanctity to her and in honoring her we honour him and the more sanctity that we attribute to her and the more that we honour her the more we honour him It were a saying dishonorable to Christ to impute any heinous sinne vnto his Mother with whom S. Augustine will haue noe mention of sinne to be made and as it were a dishonour to him to make her that bore him and had the education of him to be a sinner soe is it most for his honour to haue her a Saint and aboue all Saints We haue then out of the scriptures that Christ honored her that she tooke it as an honour to herselfe and that S. Elizabeth and the woman of the ghospell honored her as she was the Mother of such a sonne and we haue also that it was most decent and becomming her dignity that her blessed soule should be adorned with the highest grace and sanctity that euer any pure creature had I conclude this point with a lesser yet good authority it is of Sibylla Tiburtina praising the B. Virgin for her maternity O nimium foelix caeli dignissima Mater Quae tantam sacro lactabat ab vbere prolem O very happy and most worthy Mother of heauen Whose sacred brests gaue sucke to such a sonne Where you see her honored and pronounced happy for her corporal propinquity with Christ Let now all christians that loue Christ loue her whom he loued and honour her whom he honored If he be a good sonne he would make his Mother to be worthy of honour and if we be good seruants we will honour the Mother of our master And soe we honour her as his Mother not that it was the Physical or Moral cause of her sanctity for that was the diuine grace and her owne merits by cooperating with it but that her being the Mother of such a sonne was in it selfe honorable When we say the Mother of God we meane that she was the true Mother of him who was true God which all good christians beleeue and none but such as Nestorian haeretiks will deny for as we say truely that S. Elizabeth was the Mother of a Prophet but not as he was a Prophet but according to the nature which he receiued of her soe we say truely that our B. Lady was the Mother of God though not as he was God but according to his humane nature which proceeded from her PRAY FOR VS SINNERS AS for the power and acceptance of our B. Ladys prayers it is farre greater then we can expresse What if I should say that it pleaseth God better that we goe to her to pray for vs then that we come immediatly to himselfe Certainly we may say that it pleaseth him better that we bring his prime fauorite to wit his Mother to pray for vs then that we come by ourselues onely without her to him and that he delighteth more and granteth rather at her prayers then at ours which is but a small prayse to her I will say more and that is that I thinke without doubt there is noe deuotion whatsoeuer that God hath approoued of by soe many miracles as the deuotion to our B. Lady and that those that are truely deuoted to her neede not much feare to fall from the Catholike Church nor continuing in that deuotion to haue an euill death But my words onely are of litle value you shall heare what the Saints and learned writers of the Church haue said of her intercession Benau in speculo Mariae c. 8. First S. Bonauenture prooueth out of S. Augustine that she is more carefull and sollicitous for her clients then any of the Saints and whether her power be equall with her care you shall heare what others say Germanus Constantinopolitanus a very auncient authour speaketh this sentence to her There is none saved but by thee O most holy Virgin Germ. in zona there is none deliuered from euils but by thee O most pure there is noe gift granted but by thee O most chast there is none that hath the fauour to be pittyed but by thee O most honourable Marke I pray you how generall these words are that noe good is obtained nor euill preuented but by her meanes S. Anselme in the booke which he wrote of her prayses praying to her sayeth that God hath soe exalted her that he hath made all things possible to her and that she can aske nothing but it is granted But S. Peter Damian goeth further to say the same by a very high expression of eloquence Ser. de Nat. Mar. She goeth vp saith he to the golden altare of reconciliation not to aske but to commande not as a handmaid but as a mistres Here an haeretike would catch at his words and thinke that he had somethinge to take hold of but he should be deceiued for this is onely a kind of Rhetorike which the Saints would vse to setforth the liberality of God at the prayers of his seruants which is such as though his benignity nignity bounde him to obey their desires And it is a kind of Rhetorike which the Holy Ghost hath taught them and hath warranted by his owne example himselfe vsing it Iosue the captaine of the people of God hauing put his enemys to flight and wanting day to pursue them made his prayer and commanded the sunne and moone to stand still vntill he had taken reuenge of them Where vpon holy scripture saith the sunne and moone stoode still our Lord obeying the voice of a man Ios 10. As though holy Iosue by prayer had had God at obedience S. Bernard was allwais mellifluous yet neuer soe much as when he had occasion to speake of our B. Lady Ber. ser in vigilia Nat. Dom. Ber. ser de Assump He shall close vp the quire of the fathers with these few words in which he saith that God will grant nothing but it must passe through Marys hands And in another place he commendeth her soe affectionatly for mercy towards her clients that for
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
not thinges stronger then thy ability but the things that God hath commanded thee thinke on them allwais and in many of his works be not curious for it is not necessary for thee to see with thy eyes those thinges that are hid In superfluous thinges search not many wayes and in many of his works thou shalt not be curious For very many things are shewed to thee aboue the vnderstanding of men God will haue vs to humble ourselues and to rely vpon him and then he will eleuate vs by supernatural meanes to see that which by nature we could not haue seene And therefor S. Augustine speaking of beleeuers saith tract 40. in Ioan. Not because they haue knowne therefor they haue beleeued but they haue beleeued that they might come to know for we doe not know that we may beleeue but we beleeue that we may know Thirdly there is noe absolute certainty in our owne vnderstandings but in God onely and therefor in all the mysterys of faith we must rely vpon him and acknowledge his authority in them or els we could be sure of nothing For our vnderstandings as long as we liue in this world worke all there operations by the corporal organs of our senses which as weake instruments often faile them and therefor by our owne vnderstandings onely we can neuer be infallibly certaine of any thing because in them we haue noe firme and certaine rule of truth And this is the cause why the auncieÌ„t Philosophers when they came to speake of God were as it were in amaze or wildernes running forward and backward vp and downe saying and gainesaying what they had said before because they wanted the supernatural light and gift of faith and spoke and wrote of God onely by there owne witts and inuentions and therefor they neuer kept at a certaine Diâ—p 12. Meâ—aph c. 1. but were allwais altering in their conceipts and opinions as Petrus Hurtado hath obserued by diuerse places which he citeth out of Aristotle himselfe and then applyeth the word of the Apostle to him Cor. 1.1 I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and the prudence of the prudent I will reiect Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolish but to vs saith the same Apostle in another place God hath reuealed by his spirit Cor. 1.2 And truely if we had not the spirit of God inspiring vs to beleeue the Church and inspiring the Church in all which it teacheth but were left to our owne understandings and were to goe onely by our owne thoughts it would planely follow that we should be as vncertaine and altering in the mysterys of faith as we are vpon the disposition of the organs vpon which our vnderstandings depende and we should thinke something but could beleeue nothing without diuine and supernatural faith Lastly we haue the examples of all holy men and of all true beleeuers that euer were to haue humbly and piously submitted themselues to God thinking their owne reason to weake à foundation to build their faith vpon and haue acknowledged it to be supernatural and haue chosen rather to rely vpon the diuine authority and to receiue there faith from God as he spoke to them by the Church then to trust to their owne vnderstandings and to beleeue noe more but what they saw as may appeare in all times From the beginning of the world vntill the comming of Christ all true beleeuers beleeued in him as then to come onely and sawhim not and when he came he commended their faith Io. 8. Abraham reioyced that he might see my day and he saw and was glad That is he saw it with the light of faith before it came and he required the like faith of all those that were to come after him and blessed those that soe beleeued Io. 20. saying blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued But he blessed not Thomas for requiring to see before he would beleeue but he rather reprehended him for it After Christ all holy men haue euer bene of the same minde with the former neuer daring to trust to their owne reasons in the mysterys of faith but haue thought it allwais most reasonable and safe to rely vpon God for supernatural light and grace to enable them to beleeue the Church and to assure them by it of all which they beleeued in the Catholike faith confessing allwais an obscurity of reason in those thinges And soe S. Peter compareth faith to a candle shining in à darke place and S. Pet. 2.1 Cor. 2.10 Paul requireth that faith bring into captiuity euery vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Christ and he calleth it the substance that is a substantial and sure ground of thinges to be hoped for and an argument that is a certaine and infallible inference of the truth of thinges that appeare not Heb. 11. and he compareth it to the seeing by a glasse Cor. 1.23 saying We see nâ—w by a glasse in à darke sort After the Apostles the world continued still in the same minde S. Augustine What is faith but to beleeue what thou seeâ— est not Aug tract 40. in Io. Cy il Cateth 5. Esa 7. Chrys ser de fâ—dâ—pe Char. S. Cyril of Hierusalem faith is the eye which giueth light to our consciences and maketh vs to vnderstande for the prophet hath said vnles you beleeue you shall not be permanent S. Chrysostome faith is the fountaine of iustice the head of sanctity the beginning of deuotion the foundation of religion None without this hath attained to our Lord none hath gotten vp to the toppe of sublimity without it Faith is an innocent and pure credulity by which we come to God we cleaue to his praecepts and with à purifyed minde we worship him It excludeth all doubts it holdeth certaintys and sealeth vp promises He is happy that hath it he that forsaketh it is miserable It sheweth the miracles it exercizeth the vertues and accomplisheth the gifts of the Church By all which it appeareth that they held faith to be aboue reason and that it is not à natural but à supernatural light and gift of God It is à knowne story that which Sozomene à graue authour about twelue hundred yeares since hath related Eccles hist c. 17. There came vnto the great Councell of Nyce many of the learneder sort of Gentils some to be satisfyed and some of malice to oppose the doctrine of Christ These by their cunning had proposed the controuersys of Christians in such termes and vaine differences of words that they had brought all into strife and confusion A certaine Philosopher glorying in his wit and eloquence derided and contemned the priests that were present as not daring to contest with him and none vndertaking to answere him a good old bishop weake in learning but strong in the faith of Christ of which he was an illustrious confessour
confiding in the iustice and truth of his cause which giueth aduantage enough against all infidelity riseth vp against him At which some laughing others fearing his weaknes at length giuing him leaue to speake he beganne In the name of Iesus Christ attende O Philosopher what I say to thee There is one God the Creatour of heauen and earth and of all thinges â—isible and inuisible He made all by vertue of his Word and by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost he established them This Word which we call the Sonne of God taking pitty vpon mankind would be borne of a virgin conuerse amongst men and dy for them and he shall come againe and shall giue sentence vpon euery one according to their work That this is true we dispute not but we beleeue it Doe not therefore loose thy labour curiously to refute that which by faith onely is to be vnderstâ—ode Seeke not hâ—w this or that can be true in faith but if thou doest be leeue tell mee At which the Philosopher answered presently Credo I doe beleeue And giuing thanks to the bishop he perswaded the rest to beleeue with him protestâ—ng by oth that it was the power of God that had changed him and that by an inward and secret vertue he felt himselfe conuerted to the Christian faith Here this Philosopher confirmed what the bishop said and what we are saying that to dispute with curisity of matters of faith is to destroy faith which to be certaine must be grounded vpon the autority of God and not vpon the witts and disputations of men Out of all that which hath bene said we may gather two principal thinges Scruples of faith are but obscuritys of reason The first is for Catholikes that they cannot with reason trouble themselues with any scruples and doubts of faith for that those are but obscuritys and vncertaintys of our owne reason and not of the thinge it selfe which is beleued which is infallibly and infinitly certaine as proceeding from a supernatural light and gift of God by which we beleue the diuine authoritority And therefor if we perceiue our selues at any time to be ledde by the weaknesse of our reason into scruples and feares concerning any point of faith all of which haue the very same certainty let vs presently checke our selues and bring backe our thoughts to God againe to rely vpon him My soule what are we doeing whither doe we goe this is not the way to the blessed sight of God We must not thinke but beleeue we must not goe by thoughts but by certaintys noe wise man durst euer goe by this way which we are in we shall confounde and loose ourselues Let vs keepe the plane and common tracke which all haue gone which God hath commanded which our blessed Sauiour hath taught which his Apostles haue followed and all true beleeuers after them and that was to beleue by faith which is a supernatural light If thou doest beleeue in God rely vpon him and vpon the Catholike Church guided by him and not vpon thy owne witts And presently in all temptations let vs professe this beleefe saying I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and that not for my owne reason but for the authority of God Hoâ— 2. de Symb. Euseb Emissenus The faith of the Catholike religion is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternal saluation Whosoeuer shall forsake it followeth the euill guide of his owne vnderstanding Whosoeuer thinketh by his owne wisdome to attaine to the secrets of heauenly mysterys doth as one that will build without à foundation or that wil not enter at the doore but at the toppe of the house if in the night time he goe on without light he falleth downe to the bottome The second is for those that are not in the Catholike Church that they following a religion which beganne in priuate mens witts haue not the true faith nor shall euer come to haue it as long as they seeke it by their owne witts onely and by euidence of reason which some of them seeme to expect and stay for for this is to stande watching for larcks when the sky falls which shall neuer be yet shall as soone come to passe as that they shall come to haue the true faith without supernatural light and diuine inspiration therefor they ought to seeke for this and to haue recourse vnto God humbly beseeching him that he will enlighten and inspire them to the true faith And this by Gods grace I shall shew them how to haue recourse vnto God for soe as to obtaine it All points of faith according to reason But we are here to obserue that although faith be supernatural and natural reason be not sufficient to resolue vs finally in matters of faith nor to be relyed vpon in them yet all which we beleeue is according to reason and although all the mysterys of faith be not to be comprehended by vs yet we haue allwais reason soe to beleeue For God gouerneth this world wisely and sweetly according to the natures of his creatures and hauing giuen vnto man a reasonable nature by reason he bringeth him to that faith which he will haue him to beleeue giuing him rational and prudential motius to thinke in reason that that is the true faith First because as by reason we are brought to beleeue in God soe also for the certainty of all which we beleeue by reason we ground ourselues vpon the diuine autority Secondly reason also telleth vs that God gouerneth vs not by ourselues without dependâ—nce of and submission vnto any superiour authority vpon earth in points of religion but that he allwais inspireth vs to the obedience of the Church as in the next title I shall shew Thirdly we haue motiues credible enough to induce an vnderstanding and prudent man to beleeue that which is indeede thâ— true Church and to be gouerned by it and soe we haue all the reason in the world to beleeue the christian faith and the Romane Catholike Church the ignorant because they see in it all that they can desire to see or can see in the true Church to wit externally a most holy and wise gouernement learned men giuing their liues and holy men working of miracles and those as plane as miracles can be and soe frequent that euery ignorant man may either see them or heare of them soe certainely that he cannot in reason doubt of them all Then for the learneder sort they see that the faith of Christ by the most authentical writings that are in all the world is deduced euer from the beginning of the world vntil the comming of Christ and euer since his comming it is deduced vnto vs in none but in the Church of Rome and all other Churches of christians hauing goneforth of it they must either be haeretical or schismatical Churches or els there can be noe haeretical nor schismatical Churches in the world These are sufficient motius to an vnderstanding