Church And speaking of the validity of baptisme done by haeretiks which validity S. Cyprian and some others of that time denyed he hath these words Neither durst we affirme any such thinge to wit as that the baptisme of haeretiks is valid were we not well grounded vpon the most vniforme authority of the whole Church vnto which vndoubtedly S. Cyprian would haue yeelded if in his time the truth of this question had bene cleered and by a General Councell established Greg in registro l. 1. c. 24. S. Gregory that he esteemed of the foure Generall Councells of Nyce Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon as of the foure ghospels of Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Blessed Theodosius before S. Gregorys time went vp into the pulpit as Metaphrastes declareth in his life and pronounced publikly Let him be accursed that esteemeth not the foure holy Councels equal with the foure ghospells An edict was setforth by the Emperour Valentinian and Martian his collegue in which the decrees of the Councel of Chalcedon are commanded to be obserued in these words Let now all prophane strife be laid aside for verily he is impious and sacrilegious that after the sentences of soe many Priests shall thinke that there remaineth any thinge by his opinion to be handled Another decree is extant of the Emperour Martian to the people of Constantinople in which he sayth We haue forbidden all to dispute of religion for one or two can not finde out those secrets especially when soe many venerable Priests with extreme labour and much prayer could not discouer the truth but by the diuine authority It is indeede a most vaine thinge to dispute of the truth of those thinges which a Generall Councell hath declared to be true because all such thinges haue bene already sufficiently disputed by the best authority of the world That therefor which by a General Councell is established as of faith remaineth allwais firme and certaine in its truth for God is not changed nor can his words euer be but true and the words of a General Councell are the words of God Christ and the Holy Ghost teaching them all truth Mat. 28. Io. 14 16. That which by some former Councell hath bene but obuiously and sleightly handled as being then out of question may be more illustrated by a following Councell and such orders and constitutions as are agreeable to some times may be repealed as not conuenient for other times and soe S. Augustine saith that the former are sometimes amended by the following but noe General Councell signed vnto by the head and Pastors of the Church can euer be declared for false nor any thinge which is declared by such a Councell Some conuenticles of haeretiks as that of the Arians at Ariminum and of Nestorians at Ephesus haue bene declared for false because they were not general of the whole world nor called and ratifyed by the bishop of Rome as all General Councels vsed and ought to be But those which were true Councels and were truely authorized by him were neuer questioned afterwards nor any thinge in them But although a General Councell includeth the authority of the whole Church yet it is not necessary that euery member of the Church be present at it it is sufficient that the voice and assent of euery member of the Church be with the Pastors of the Church for as it is not required that euery member of a kingdome be personally present at the Councell table of the king but onely the king and Peeres of the realme who haue authority ouer all and as the superiors onely and magistrates of the Commune Wealth which are present in consultation make lawes for the good of all and all are bounde to obey them as the lawes of that nation and commune wealth which they defende with their liues and are guilty of death if they breake them because they proceede from the general and lawfull authority soe the head of the Church and pastors that are in Communion with him being placed by Christ and the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church haue lawfull authority to determine for all and all are bounde to obey their decrees for that they are the decrees of all and that assembly is the whole Church in authority Thus an assembly of the cheife of the â—raëlits is called in holy scripture all Israël Reg. 3. â— and as I haue shewed the holy fathers haue called General Councels assemblys of the whole Church and of the whole world Neither is it necessary that all the bishops of the Church be personally present at them For that is morally impossible and very inconuenient some being necessary to remaine for the performing of Episcopal functions All the Apostles were not present with S. Peter at the Councell of Hierusalem but onely those which could be spared from their places which all at once can not be General Councels consist onely of bishops Neither can Councels enely of bishops or euer did any other but bishops take place by their owne authority in them And therfor S. Leo in his Epistles and S. Augustin commonly call them Councels of bishops In the acts of the Councell of Chalcedon these words are some times repeated Synodus Episcoporum est non Clericorum Superfluos mitte foras The Councell is of bishops not of Clerks Those that are supersluous let them be put forth The Abbot Auxentius being inuited to the Councell answered It is not for Monks to teach others but to be taught This is due onely to the dignity of bishops As for temporal Princes as such they neuer had any spiritual iurisdiction in the Church of Christ for that was giuen to Peter and the Apostles The Emperour Theodosius writing to the Councell of Ephesus sayeth It is not lawfull for mee that am noe bishop to intermedle in Ecclesiastical affaires The Emperour Valentinian being sollicited by some bishops to cause a Councell to be called for the deciding of certaine questions then in controuersy answered It is not for mee that am but in the ranke of the people to medle with those thinges Let the Priests to whom they belong agree among themselues to meete where they like These Emperours spoke like wise men and good Christians Cor. 1.7 Euery one in the vocation that he was called in it â—et him abide saith the Apostle Bishops are called to gouerne in spiritual temporal Princes in temporal thinges and they must not goe forth of their propper callings Bishops made not themselues bishops God gaue that authority to them and whosoeuer haue it must haue it of God I will giue Pastors saith God by his Prophet and they shall feede you with knowledge and doctrine Hier. 3. And S. Heb 5. Par. 2.26 Paul speaking of priesthood sayth neither doth any man take the honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron Ozias king of Iuda resisting the Priests and comming boldly to the altare to vsurpe without calling their authority and office
also he left one head to haue supreme authority vnder him in the gouernment of the Church which is his cheife kingdome conteining all the kingdomes of the world and therefor stoode much more neede of a head to gouerne and keepe vnity in it This as I haue shewed could be none but S. Peter whilst he liued for that Christ founded the Church on him gaue vnto him the keyes of heauen and made him the pastour of all his sheepe in such circumstances as are most euident for it Moreouer he is first named in the catalogue of the Apostles Mat 10. and said to be the first not for that he first followed Christ Amb. in Co. 2.12 for as S. Ambrose sayth Andrew first followed Christ before Peter and yet the primacy Andrew receiued not To him the Apostles had recourse as to their superiour he tooke vpon him cheifly to decide controuersys in General Councells to speake before the rest to worke miracles before the rest and was neuer murmured at by any of the Apostles as taking vpon him more then his due The auncient and holy fathers of the Church acknowledge as you haue seene his supreme authority And if all this be not sufficient let it suffize that it is the doctrine of the Catholike Church what vpstart teacher will beginne to contradict it or who will beleeue and follow him It was very necessary that Christ should ordaine one head and supreme power in the Church for the keeping of vnity and concord in it and that in all difficultys which should arize the Pastors of the Church might be called together by the cheife head the place of their meeting might be assigned by him and they be kept in vnity by obeying his authority S. Cyprian considered this as the onely meanes for the suppression of haeresys Cyp. defimplâ—â—t praeatorum siuâ— de vnit Eccles which the enemy of God laboreth soe much to raise and deliuereth it as the meanes instituted of Christ to keepe vnity in the Church The enemy saith this saint perceiuing his idols to be forsakâ—n and his temples to be deserted by the multitude of beleeuers inuented a new deceit to deceiue the vnwary by the name of a Christian raizing heresys and schismes to corrupt verity and to subuert faith This is ô brethren because we haue not recourse unto the origen nor seeke to the head Which if we would examine and consider there would neede noe long treatise nor many arguments to finde out the truth Our Lord said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. and againe after his resurrection Feede my sheepe Vpon him alone he buildeth the Church and commendeth to him the feeding of his sheepe And although he gaue equall authority to all the Apostles after his resurrection saying as my father sent mee All the Apostles equal in Apostle ship Yet Veteronely had the primacy Hiero. l. 1. aduers Iouin c. 14. soe I send you receiue the Holy Ghost whose sinnes c. Yet to manifest vnity be constituteth one chaire and by his authority he disposed the origen of that vnity to beginne from one The rest of the Apostles were that which Peter was The primacy was giuen to Peter that the Church of Christ might appeare to be one and one chaire S. Hierome Although all the Apostles in Apostleship were alike yet Christ for the better keeping of vnity and truth would haue one to be the head of them all that a head being once constituted occasion of schisme might be taken away By which we see how necessary it was in the opinion of these saints that one should be established as the supreme pastour and head of the Church and that although all the Apostles had the same power as bishops and had their authority immediatly from Christ himselfe and soe the Church was also founded vpon them that is vpon their necessary functions yet it was cheifly founded vpon S. Peter as the Primate and supreme pastour ouer all who had also from Christ himselfe the lawfull execution of that authority Now if one supreme head was constituted of Christ as necessary to keepe vnity and preuent schismes in the Church of God the gouernment of the Church required euer after that supreme power to remaine in successors to him and it was not to continue onely for thirty six or thirty seauen yeares as long as S. Peter liued there being afterwards as much if not more neede of it schismes and heresys being as likely to rize in the Church after the Apostles dayes when it was destitute of their presence as when it had their helpe and assistance and S. Cyprian as you see maketh this to be the origen of all schismes and heresys because they seeke not to the head And therefor as I shall shew in the next title it is a sufficient destinction to discerne all false Churches by that they beginne allwais in disobedience to the head of the Church and the Pastors of his Communion But hauing spoken of the head of the Church in the next place we will speake of Generall Councels Christ hauing chosen Apostles to gouerne the Church General Councells and amongst the Apostles one to be the head these then had the authority of the whole Church and all were bounde to obey them When therefor the general necessity of the Church requireth for the preuenting of schismes or heresys or the deciding of any controuersys that a Generall Councell should be called the head of the Church exercizeth his supreme authority summoning the Pastors together and appointing a place of meeting for them who consulting and resoluing vpon those questions their resolutions are to be imbraced by all as hauing authority from Christ himselfe who made him the lawfull head and them the lawfull Pastors of his Communion in place of S. Peter and the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost was sent for their assistance and whom Christ promised to be with vnto the consummation of the world Thus did S. Peter with some other pastors of the Church that could conueniently be present meete at Hierusalem and hauing ended their consultation they rehearsed their decrees and doubted not to call them the decrees of the Holy Ghost Act. 15. saying It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs. Such decrees as these are receiued by all as hauing indeede the authority voyce and consent of all true beleeuers that are in the world For euery true and faithfull christian giuing his voice as he ought to that assembly it hath the authority of the whole Catholike Church and of all the faithfull in the world Soe S. Athasius calleth the Councell of Nyce Ath. de gest Conc. Arim. an assembly of the whole world S. Leo calleth also the decrees of that Councell the deâ—rees of the whole world S. Augustine The sentence of a plenary Aug. l. de bâ—p cont Donat. l. 2. c. 4. or Generall Councell is the sentence of the whole
was strucken of God with a suddaine leprosy which then in the sight of all broke forth of his forhead soe that for his prowde aspiring to the dignity and office of Priests he was then for his leprosy to be excluded euen from the people And Saul for offering of holocaust being a king onely and noe Priest although compelled as he thought by necessity vnto it lost notwithstanding his kingdome from himselfe and from his posterity for euer Some times Emperours and Prince are present at General Councells to grace and protect them from turbulent men but they giue not their voices in any thinge Soe Constantine the first christian Emperour was present in the first General Councell of Nyce but how he came in the last of all and hauing a litle low seate sette for him he satte not downe vntill the bishops made him a signe to sitt downe And as for the decrees of the Councell we reade that three hundred and eightteene bishops subscribed to them but not that Constantine euer subscribed Soe also men of more sanctity of life and eminent in abilitys although not bishops are sometimes called to assist in General Councels but not to giue sentence or to subscribe to the decrees by their owne authority The gouernment therefor which Christ ordained in his Church was by S. Peter and the Apostles that is to say by one head or cheife bishop and by inferiour bishops vnder him And their authority is most full and obliging when it speaketh by a General Councell Then the head of the Church exercizeth more fully his supreme authority calling together the pastors of the world and assigning to them the place of their meeting The bishops and others who for sanctity wisdome and learning are in reason to be thought the best deseruing of the whole world are present at them Being come together solemne dayes of prayer are instituted for the inuocation of the Holy Ghost Euery one of this absolute company hath then liberty to speake his minde freely and by the grounds of his owne religion is bounde not to dissemble but to speake the truth according to his conscience they being for the most part meere strangers to one another All things being well examined they subscribe in order first the head bishop and then the rest after him according to their dignity This is the harmony which Christ hath composed in his Church of people concording with their pastors and of pastors with their supreme head Now what more satisfaction can our soules desire then from such an assembly of soe many holy and learned men who haue the voyce of the whole Catholike Church and the assistance of Christ and of the Holy Ghost Let any christian speake truely and he must needes confesse that it would be a horrour to his conscience and that his owne thoughts would condemne him of errour if he were condemned by such an authority And therfor S. Paul might well say that the haretical man is condemned by his owne iudgment Tit. 3. Because he seeing his doctrine to be publikely condemned by the general sentence of the whole Catholike Church that then is in the world can not but see his owne peruersed obstinacy in still mainteining it and that he breaketh the concord of people with their pastors confoundeth all order of gouernment in the Church destroyeth the certaine ground of all diuine veritys and maketh the Creede scriptures and all principles of faith to become subiect to the censure of euery priuate man Wherefor the Apostle biddeth vs to take heed of such men and our blessed Sauiour himselfe hath commanded vs to regard them noe otherwise then as Heathens and Publicans Victor an auncient and graue authour Vis l. 2. de pâ—rses Vandal who liued in the age of S. Augustine about twelue hundred yeares since relateth a passage worthy to be remembred to shew the comfort and confidence which Catholikes haue in General Councells and how that haeretiks are affrayed and dare not stande to them Hunnericus king of the Vandals persecuting the Church summoned the Catholiks of his dominions to come to Carthage to a publike disputation with his Arian bishops Bishop Eugenius in the name of the Catholikes answered in this manner Let the kingknow that trusting in God we are ready and very glad to haue a publike triall of our cause but we desire that all the world may be present at it for we will not take vpon vs to decide the generall cause by our particular votes Let therfor all those beyond the seas know that the vniuersall cause is here to be treated and not onely the cause of the Affrican Prouinces for we will be tryed by the vniuersal authority and consent of all And when the king returned answere by his Prefident that he would grant him his desire if he would bring all the world vnder his power Eugenius replyed againe Thou shouldest not desire that request of mee which is not in my power to performe That which I say to the king is that if his maiesty desire indeede to be sdtisfyed in our religion which onely hath the true faith let him sende vnto his friends and I will sende vnto my fellow bishops and especially to the Romane Church which is the head of all Churches The bishop suspecting the intention of the king denyed to come to his city and wisely appealed to the generall authority and especially to the bishop of Rome but noe haeretike will euery yeeld to that appeale where the question is to be tryed by the vniuersal authority of the whole Church but as owles and battes fly from the sunshine soe doe they from such a glorious tryall and as they beganne in the disobedience of a few obstinate persons or of some one silly man soe they are affrayed to be tryed by the vniuersal Church which is at all times and was then when their disobedience beganne Disp Lyps Luther was contented to haue a tryall of his doctrine by single disputation and when that worthy man Dâ— Eckius the glory of Swedland publikely confuted and shamed him he broke forth into blasphemous words vnworthy to be repeated But he durst not come to the Councell of Trent which he needed not to hâ—ue feared if he would haue submitted to the authority of the vniuersall Church as all good Christians ought to doe Now let vs see WHICH IS THE CATHOLIKE Church Quest Giue mee a difference betwixt the true and all salse Churches Ans The true Charch continueth allwais in vnion and obedience to its head pastors all false Churches beginne in dissentions and disobedience to the head and pastors of the Church Thus S. Cyprian S. Hierome and others alleadged S. Peter being constituted of Christ as the head and supreme pastour of the Church as I haue shewed and is confirmed by all that which I haue to say of his successour the Bishop of Rome and that authority being necessary to remaine allwais after him we must see at all times and in all
beginneth to deriue that authority from Christ vnto S. Peter that by one head and supreme pastour vnity might be preserued in the Church And sayth againe that Heresys haue sprung and Schismes haue bene bred by noe other cause Cyp. l. 1. ep 13. 55. but for that the Priest of God is not obeyed nor one iudge considered to be for the time in the Church of God Soe that to shew who is the true head of the Church will sufficiently destinguish the true Church for the pastors that communicate with him are the true pastors and the people of that Communion are the true people of God and that whole congregation of pastors and people being taken alltogether is the whole Catholike Church Now to shew who is the true head of the Church we must secke into antiquity and see what bishop did aunciently in the first Church of the Apostles and in the primitiue times after them beare that authority and was then acknowledged for the head and supreme pastour of the Church For as truth which was eternally in God was before falsehood which came afterwards by creatures and as true and lawfull power was first in the true Church of Christ and false vsurped power was afterwards begunne by disobeving it soe he that was first acknowledged in the primitiue times of the Church as the head and supreme pastour he and his successors are all wais to be acknowledged after him and they are false Churches that haue begunne at any time in disobedience to him and to the pastors of his Communion Now let vs see what bishop was acknowledged in the primitiue times and was first obeyed as the head and supreme pastour and which of all Churches that how are retaine still their obedience to him These are either all or the cheife christian Churches that are now in the world The Romane Church which is truely Catholike and Vniuersal ouer the whole world the Greeke Churches which are not Catholike nor vniuersall in the world although some of them be much spred The Church of the Georgians of the Armenians of the Aethiopians of the Arians of the Nestorians of the Waldenses of the Lutherans of the Zuinglians if any of them be yet extant destinct from the Caluinists the Church of the Caluinists and the Church of England which is the latest and newest of them all If there be any more besides these as we see petty sects daily to arize out of the later and to beginne in disobedience to them as all of them once did to the Romane Church both they and all the rest beside the Romane Church shall appeare to be false Churches and it onely to be the true Catholike Church for that it onely is in vnion and holdeth obedience to the true and lawfull head of the vniuersall Church and to the pastors of his Communion all the rest disobeying that authority But first it is to be obserued that the word Church being a word of Communion siguifying a company of people communicating together in the same faith and vnder the same authority it can not be the same Church and a lawfull Church if it haue not the same and that a lawfull authority Secondly some of these acknowledge a head and supreme pastour of the Church vpon earth and others of them will acknowledge none The Romane Church all ouer the world acknowledgeth the bishop of Rome to be vpon earth the head and supreme pastour of the Church The Graecians Armenians Georgians Aethiopians and Churches of the east haue some of them the Parriarke of Constanâ—inople others the Patriarke of Alexandria or a parricular and propper pastour to themselues whom they acknowledge for the supreme head of their Church and the Church of England vntill within these tenne or dozen yeares acknowledged their temporal prince man woman or child that was for the time to be the head of that Church Others there are who are headlesse acknowledging noe supreme head vpon earth in any spirituall power as the Lutherans Caluinists c. these are but few and inconsiderable in comparison of those that submitte vnto a head and supreme authority And I shall shew that both they and all others beside the Romane Church are false Churches for that they stande disobedient to him and to the pastors of his Communion who is indeede the true head of the Church I haue shewed before that the gouernment which Christ instituted in his Church was by S. Peter as the head and cheife pastour of it Now I shew that that supreme authority of S. Peter was acknowledged by the primitiue Church to descende vpon the bishop of Rome as successour to him and that there is none but he that can with reason pretende to haue had that authority This is prooued first by the manifest testimonys of those auncient writers that then liued Secondly by the practise of those times for that the bishop of Rome exercized in fact that supreme authority and the faithfull of those times obeyed it Thirdly for that there is none els that can pretende to haue bene at any time aboue all other bishops as the cheife pastour and gouernour of the Church First then I produce soe many The Bishop of Rome is acknowledged by the primitiue fathers to be the head of the Church and such testimonys of auncient writers as shall be sufficient to satisfy him that regardeth the safety of his soule And to beginne euen from the Apostles times the scriptures which they wrote declare soe farre for the supremacy of the bishops of Rome that they are alleadged to that purpose by holy and auncient authors as will appeare by their following citations who seeing the supreme pastorship to haue bene promised by Christ vnto S. Peter Mat. 16. and to haue bene giuen him Io. 21. when he commended soe particularly the feeding of his sheepe to him and considering him to haue died at Rome bishop of that place and a successour in his authority to be allwais necessary for the gouernment of the Church without any more argument they grounded themselues vpon these scriptures and commonly alleadged them for the supremacy not onely of S. Peter but also of the bishop of Rome The same they inferre out of S. Paul to the Romanes where he sayth your faith is renowmed in the whole world Rom. 1. gathering by these words the supremacy of the Romane chaire S. Epis 55. Cyprian speaking against some of those times sayeth They are soe bold as to carry letters from prophane schismatiks to the Chaire of Peter Nu. 6. and the principall Church whence priestly vnity arose not considering the Romanes to be them whose faith the Apostle being the commender was praised to whom misbelcefe can not haue accesse And S. Hierome know ye that the faith of the Romanes will receiue noe such deceits Adner Ruffin l. 3. c. 4. to 2. nor can possibly be changed though an Angell taught otherwise being fensed by S. Cyp. ep 52. and Anronian Amb
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
alleadge against them the authority of the Church of Christ and will tell them Not the Iewes but the Church holdeth the books of Machabees to be canonical And his owne reason will tell him that to deny the authority of the Church is to deny all Scriptures and to confounde the order of the whole world Tertul. Tert. l. de coron militi◠c. 3. Amb. orat pro Theod. Aug. l. 8. de Genes con Manichaeos Oblationes pro defunctis facimus We make offerings for the dead S. Ambrose in his speech of the Emperour Theodosius prayeth for him Thou o Lord giue rest vnto thy seruant Theodosius S. August speaking of him that dyeth in sinne saith after this life he shall haue either the fire of Purgatory or eternal fire And in Psal 87. In this life purge mee and make mee soe that I may not neede the purging fire The doctrine of Purgatory is soe planely deliuered by the auncient fathers of the Church that Caluin could not deny or conceale it but l. 3. Instit c. 5. § 10. calleth it a most auncient obseruation of the Church and saith that the fathers as humane were deceiued But who can endure this saying in him were the auncient fathers of the Church and both the Church which was aunciently and which was when Caluin came into the world deceided and Caluin not deceiued shall Caluin take vpon him to correct the auncient fathers and present obseruations of the Church And shall any hazard his soule with Caluin against them He asketh what authority of Scriptures they had Must the whole Church be examined by him in the Scriptures And shall not he be thought an haeretike for this and to abuse the Scriptures in condemning of the Church S. Augustine shall answere him Aug. l. de cura pro mortuis Jn the books of the Machabees we read that sacrifice was offered for the dead but although in the auncient Scriptures it were not at all to be read the authority of the vniuersal Church is noe small matter which is cleere for this custome where in the prayers of the priest which to our Lord God are powered forth at his altare the commendation of the dead hath its place S. Augustins argument was good in which he prooued Purgatory both hy the Scriptures and the Church But if this be not enough for Caluin to whom nothing will serue but his owne will and word We will also produce his owne words against him l. 4. Instit c. 2. num 3. he saith that without controuersy nothing from the beginning untill that age was changed in doctrine To wit vntill the times of Tertullian Origen and Augustine of whom he was speaking If therfor this were the doctrine of the Church in those times it was the doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles euer from the beginning And soe Caluin is condemned by Scriptures fathers Church and by his owne words and Purgatory is prooued to be the true Catholike Apostolike doctrine There for pennances are rightly enioyned prayers may be said almes deeds giuen indulgences granted and many voluntary afflictions haue bene vndergone by the Saints and faithfull of the Catholike Church to escape the paines of Purgatory which although they be but temporal yet they are most greeuous and vehement more then can be spoken And because the Catholike doctrine of Indulgences by many is not vnderstoode I wil say somethinge of them in this which is also their propper place An Indulgence is as much as to say a fauourable remission or pardoning of some due punishment Such are the indulgences of the Church either absolute remissions without exchange or imposing of any other taske or exchanges of a greater into a lesser penalty The power of granting indulgences or absoluing from punishment which is all one was granted by Christ vnto his Apostles and especially to S. Peter to whom he promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Mat. 16. and told him whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen What can be vnderstoode by the keyes of heauen and the words following but power soe to open heauen gates as to take away all that hindereth for entring in at them to wit sinne and punishment He gave also the like authority to the rest of the Apostles saying whatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shal be loosed in heauen Mat. 18. If whatsoeuer they loose be loosed then punishment loosed by them on earth is loosed also in the sight of God in heauen Neither is there any good connexion in those words if they be not vnderstoode of absoluing as well from punishment as from sinne Now if any aske how it can be that sinnes of which the diuine iustice requireth soe much satisfaction should be satisfyed for with soe litle as some indulgences require and some indulgences require nothing at all to be done for the gaining of them he may vnderstande that indulgence or pardon of punishment is neuer granted but full satisfaction is made to God for the sinne For there is in the Church a treasury of Satisfactions soe great that it can neuer be exhausted by satisfying for sinnes There are in this treasury the satisfactions of Christ infinitly more then all the sinnes in the world can require There are also the good works of our B. Lady that had nothing of her owne to satisfy for There are the good works of S. Iohn Baptist of the Apostles and of many others whose works were much more satisfactory then their owne sinnes needed and may be applyed by the pastors of the Church to those that stande neede of them For the Church is a body and all the members of it haue a Communication and participation of good works with one another as we professe in the Creede saying I beleeue the Communion of Saints And the psalmist sayeth Ps 118. Col. 1. I am partaker of all that feare thee And S. Paul I now reioyce in suffering for you and doe accomplish those thinges that want of the passions of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church He did not fullfill the passions of Christ for any defect or want which was in them but that by his sufferings the passion of Christ was applyed actually to the Colossians as it is by the suffrages and good works which are done in the Church for others and by them their punishments are fully satisfyed for If any aske why the Pope onely and bishops giue indulgences I answere that the words of Christ before alleadged were spoken onely to S. Peter who was to be the Pope and to the Apostles who were at first the onely bishops of the Church And the practise of the vniuersal Church which ought to be our rule in all things hath bene allwais for the Pope and bishops and not for priests to grant Indulgences S. Augustine speaking of the obseruations of the Church saith If the Church through out the World frequent any of these things to dispute of
the obtaining of benefits of them but the mother of God the Angels and Saints are the freinds and fauorits of God therefor their intercession may with prudence be desired for the obtaining of benefits of him If they obiect that to pray to the Saints is iniurious to God for that he is the giuer of all benefies of himselfe infinitly liberal and that it deregareth from his power and goodnes to aske of any but of him and that it is to make the Saints Gods to pray to them to interceede for vs and that the liberality of God is such that he needeth noe intercessors all this is to noe purpose It is not iniurious to God to honour his seruants for his sake and to desire his fauorits to stande our freinds with him but it is rather iniurious to God to thinke that he will not allow of his fauorits intercession We pray not vnto Saints as to the supreme power and authour of gifts and therefor we make them noâ— Gods but we pray to them to obtaine gifts of God for vs and by this we vertually acknowledge and confesse the supreme power and liberality to be in God and that all power is subordinate to him and all gifts proceede from him And allthough the liberality of God be such that he needs noe intercessors noe more then he needeth any honour or praise from vs yet our vnworthinesse is such that our prayers stande neede of intercessors and the diuine liberality is such as to heare the prayers of his best freinds and not to hinder them for praying to him Neither is there any thinge of this obiection but it hath the same force against the aduocatship of Christ and of the faithfull that are liuing which not withstanding our enemys allow of as nothing iniurious to God or derogating from his liberality They obiect the words of the Apostle there is one God Tim. 1.2 one also mediatour of God and men man Christ Iesus And S. Iohn sayth if any man shall sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust Io. 1.2 and he is the propitiation of our sinnes Christ therefor being our mediatour and our aduocate we are not say they to vse the mediation and aduocatship of any other First this argument is turned backe vpon themselues If Christ be our mediatour and aduocate it is not then iniurious to God nor derogating from his liberality to make vse of a mediatour and aduocate as they said before that it was The words therefor alleadged make nothing against the Catholike doctrine nor are here applyed to good purpose nor in their true sense for the Apostles speake there of the mediation of Christ by way of redemption and soe Christ is our onely mediatour and aduocate because he onely in the propitiation of his passion redeemed vs and the Angels and Saints redeemed vs not By him the Angels are good Angels and by him the Saints are Saints and by his powerfull redemption he obtained that the Angels and Saints might pray and be heard praying for vs. This is the honour which Catholiks giue to the mediation of Christ and which Protestants deny to him Againe not onely by way of redemption but also by way of intercession Christ is our prime mediatour and intercessour by whom Angels and Saints interceede for vs. He interceedeth in his owne name and vertue they interceede in his name and vertue he the cheife they inferiour intercessors vnder him And this is well expressed by S. Bernard of our blessed Lady ser qui incipit signum magnum apparuit post ser 5. de assump Opus est mediatore ad mediatorem Christum nec alter nobis vtilior quam Maria. We stande neede of a mediatour to Christ our mediatour and none more profitable then Mary to vs. And the same is also orderly expressed by the Catholike Church in the end of our prayers asking through the merits of Christ out Lord. S. Tract 1. in Io. Augustine hath these words in declaration of the place of S. Iohn aboue mentioned answering this very obiection of theirs But some will say doe not the Saints then pray for vs doe not bishops prelates and pastors pray for the people Yes marke the scriptures and you shall finde that the Apostles prayed for the people and againe desired the people to pray for them and sâ—e the head prayeth for all and the members for one another This is the doctrine of the Catholike Church Christ is our onely aduocate by way of intercession our B. Lady the Angels and Saints are inferiour aduocates vnder him the faithfull that are liuing are inferiour aduocates vnder them praying for one another and desiring the prayers of one another and soe the Church is a body well vnited the head helping the inferiour members and they all concurring to helpe one another by their prayers Hence the Catholike doctrine is further confirmed It can not be denyed but that we may lawfully begge the prayers of one another therefor with more reason we may begge the intercession of the Saints For the first S. Paul often desired the prayers of the faithfull to the Romans that you helpe mee in your prayers Rom. 15. And in the same place he prayeth for them and he desireth the Thessalonians brethren pray for vs. Thes 1.5 2.3 And againe in the second brethren pray for vs. and to the Hebrews pray for vs. And S. Iames pray for one another that you may be saued Ia. 5. The second followeth planely for there is nothing which they haue obiected or can obiect against the inuocation of Saints but it hath the same force against desiring the prayers of the liuing for if it be iniurious to God or to the mediation of Christ to desite the mediation of the Saints in heauen much more must it be to desire the intercession of sinners vpon earth But they say that the Saints in heauen heare vs not nor know when we desire their prayers but this is not truely said of them Christ saith that the Angels reioyce at the conue Luc 15. sion of a sinner but how can they reioyce at it if they know it not Saints whilst they liued on earth vnderstoode the secrets of mens harts and haue knowne things that haue passed at farre distance from them and haue foreseene many thinges euen before they came to passe and shall they be lesse knowing when they are in glory Samuel told Saul what was in his hart Reg. 1. â— and promised to tell him all things that were in his hart and it was noe meruaile for God had reuealed them vnto him Elizeus saw in absence that which passed betwixt his seruant and the Prince of Syria and at his returne he rebuked him for the gifts which he had receiued and thought to haue concealed from him If liuing in this world they knew these things by the reuelation of God when it was necessary that they should know them shall we thinke that
repeateth and inculcateth ouer againe the necessity of instruction also in that particular point that it is a thinge very remarkeable to see the great zeale of this holy Councell in soe often commending and recommending to Pastors the instruction of their people In the explication of the Sacraments beginning to speake of Baptisme it sayth that Pastors should neuer thinke that they had said enough in declaration of that Sacrament and exhorteth them that not onely on the Eues of Easter and whitsunday when it is administred with greater solemnity but also at other times that they take occasion when they see a good number of people together at the baptizing of any to say something if not of all the cheife parts of it at least of some one or other point of it as opportunity shall permitte And in another place as I remember it exhorteth them to haue certaine commune places in their memory for the explicating of any part of the Christian doctrine as neede shall requite This was the first thinge which I could not but obserue in the Romane Catechisme and which ought to be a great incitement especially to the Pastoral Clergy to whom it was directed and who haue by office the charge of soules to attende earnestly to doctrine And indeede he that before God hath vndertaken this charge and considereth on one side the dignity and necessity of the Christian Doctrine in it selfe and on the other side the ignorance of many and the stupid neglect of their soules which is caused by it will easily see what obligation he hath to vse his vtmost endeauours by all methods and wayes possible to attende to it but especially in that which by the sanctity wisdome and autority of a Generall Councell is commended I will not here omitte to propose the Clergy of France for an example and especially those about Paris in all Ecclesiasticall perfections the glory of Christendome who considering the Christian Doctrine to be the first ground of spirituality haue sett themselues soe earnestly to instruct in it as though the words of the Apostle were allwais in their eares Attende to thy selfe and to doctrine be earnest in them c. Tim. 1.4 And the sentence of God menacing Ezec. 34. Woe to the pastors of Israel which fedd themselues c. But my flocke you fedd not How many seuerall institutions haue of late yeares bene there erected for this purpose How many congregations of Priests are now established in the Parish Churches of the citty for education of the Pastoral Clergy and with speciall care to the Christian doctrine What methods haue they deuised what a number of books haue they settforth How many litle papers haue they dispersed amongst the people and what extreme and continuall paines doe they take to inculcate that by word of mouth which they deliuer in writing It is an admirable thinge and full of aedification to see the sweat and toile which I haue seene in those graue and excellent men Nay that nothing might be left vnessayed by them they haue caused the cheife points of the Christian doctrine to be put into verse for the easyer learning of it without booke But that which is yet of more moment and most worthy to be practised all ouer the Catholike Church is an exercise confirmed by authority as I perceiue all ouer France which they call the Prone or Pronaum as being deliuered in the Naue or open of the Church in which euery Sunday at High Masse the Creede being ended the Celebrant or some other for him ascendeth the pulpit and ioyning prayer with the people for the necessitys of the Catholike Church for the Popes Holinesse the soules in Purgatory and particular affaires that occurre the Christian doctrine is then read to them and a speech or Sermon is commonly made vpon some part of it Is not this a zeale worthy of Catholike Priests of the soules of Christians which they must answere for of the dignity of that doctrine which they professe Why doe not all then imitate this zeale in them That which they doe in this Prone is but in prosecution of the Councell of Trents desire and that which I here labour for For what is my Summe of the Christian doctrine but the Creede Sacraments Praecepts of the Church and the other most necessary points which first they reade and what my Discourses but as theirs vpon some of them Truely it was noe small satisfaction to mee when comming into France I saw that which for some yeares I had practised in priuate to be see publikely and generally there professed allthough vnknowne to mee And besides the profit which I had experienced in it and the authority of the Romane Catechisme their example did not a litle encourage mee to publish it and to commende the like practise to our countrey which standeth much more neede of it then they And yet for all this care and paines which they take I haue heard them sometimes complaine to their people that many of them were ignorant euen in the first principles and most necessary points of doctrine and I know by some experience that it was not alltogether without cause But if in France and about Paris where such care is taken and where the common people generally are to be thought more knowing then in any place of the Christian world there was reason to complaine what shall we say of other places where that care is wanting and where those methods of Catechizing are not soe much as thought of By all which we may see the dignity and necessity of Catechizing in the iudgment of the wise and how great a falt it is in some of the weaker sort of Christians who sleight it as a thinge for children onely and when themselues perhaps remaine in damnable ignorance The Christian doctrine is the ground and foundation of religion and the Catholike Church continueth allwais in the world by continuall instructing in it Christ the Sonne of God laid that foundation the Apostles after him buildded vpon it the Fathers and Doctors of the Catholike Church from time to time haue raised vp the structure and by their preachings and writings mainteined it and for all that they haue said and written there will still remaine for others to write vntill it come to that perfection to which God hath ordained it in this world This is that doctrine which plane humble and outwardly despicable but grounded vpon the promises of Iesus-Christ auncient Philosophy could not withstande it This doctrine deliuereth the principles of diuinity it hath beaten downe infidelity dispersed haeresys like smoke it abolisheth sinne and inflameth vnto vertue the harts of those that faithfully imbrace it Finally this is the knowledge of saluation in which the Orient from on high hath visited vs. And it should suffize to say that it is the knowledge of saluation What esteeme then ought all to haue of it with what dilligēce to study it and to be perfect in it And therefor
that there might be seuerall sorts of Christians all of them beleeuing in Iesus Christ yet all could not haue the true faith of Christ as being opposite in doctrine and disobedient to each others Churches therefor it was further necessary that the Apostles should declare which of all Christian Churches that were then or might be afterwards was the true Church of Christ This they did in the ninth article when hauing professed the cheife things that concerned the B. Trinity and the mystery of the Incarnation in the next place they added I beleeue the Catholike Church Here noy all controuersys of faith should haue an end we being allwais bounde to beleeue the Church and in all points to referre our selues with obedience to it And if this article had bene allwais truely obserued there neuer could haue bene any haeresys nor false Churches of Christians in the world For if all Christians had allwais kept themselues constant to the doctrine of the Church and continued obedient submitting allwais to it noe false Churches of Christians could at first haue risen all of them first rising in the breach of this atticle for that they will not beleeue the Catholike Church which is then and must be at all times extant for the gouernment of the world in the true worship of God but will follow the conceipts of some priuate men and beginne new Churches which then are not in any place And if we rightly consider this article we shall finde it sufficient to destinguish amongst all Christian people that now are which of them is for the present the true Church of Christ For as at first the true Church of Christ was planted Catholike that is to say a people all ouer and vniuersally agreeing in the same faith and doctrine and those that beganne false Churches of Christians were first of it and went forth to beginne a new Church in disobedience to it soe if amongst all the Churches of Christians that are now in the world we finde one out of which they haue all gone forth all the rest that haue gone forth of it are false Churches and that out of which they haue all gone forth must haue the true faith of Christ and be that first Church which the Apostles planted and called The Catholike Church This argument of the Apostles take to prosecute and to prooue more at large that which they in the Creede haue but briefly professed First in the first article against atheists that there is a God Secondly in the same article against Pagans that there is but one God Thirdly in the second article against Iewes and Turks and all that deny Christ I prooue the Christian faith Fourthly in the ninth article I shew how that amongst all the Christian Churches that are in the world there is none but the Romane which is commonly called Catholike that is indeede the true Catholike Church for that all other Christian Churches that are in the world went first out of it and beganne at some time in disobedience to that Church And to shew this I willingly vse the Popes autority that the enemys of the Catholike Church may see the truth and lay a side their auersion from that holy seate which to the ruine of their soules they labour to disgrace This manner of inducing the verity of the Romane Catholike faith is as you see both according to the Apostles method and by it the verity of all and euery particular point of that faith is inferred For that being once prooued to be the true Church there needeth noe further proofe of any particular point which it teacheth the true Church not being subiect to teach falsehood in particular doctrines but all whatsoeuer is taught by it is to be receiued for the authority of God soe speaking and we are allwais to say I beleeue the Catholike Church Yet in the other parts of the Christian doctrine when any points of controuersy in religion occurre I giue satisfaction briefly in them also as the Romane Catechisme doth but that which I desire most to satisfy in is the authority of the Romane Catholike Church prooued out of the first second and ninth article of the Creede and which may be vnderstoode by reading the ninth onely The third thinge which I labour for in Catechizing is edificatioÌ„ to good life Esa 27. for this is the end and fruite of all to take away sinne We lay the foundation when we instruct in the Christian doctrine and we build vpon it when we exhort to good life this being the hight and perfection of our labors Wherefor that you may not onely know speculatiuely what to beleeue but also how to apply practically that knowledge to the honour of God and your aduancement in his grace I haue annexed many things both out of the Romane Catechisme and other authors as also some examples of my owne certaine knowledge which tende onely to deuotion Thus I follow that methode which the Councell of Trent hath giuen vs to follow in the Discourses of the Romane Catechisme adding onely the Haile Mary in the beginning of euery Discourse as a pious deuotion to implore the assistance of our B. Lady before any good exercise But because the Discourses of the Romane Catechisme were but few as treating onely of fower subiects besides the praeamble which it hath of faith to wit of the Creede of the Sacraments of the Commandements and of the Pater Noster and those also somethinge obscure as not being intended by the Councell of Trent as a Catechisme immediatly to the people but to pastors to giue them examples how to Catechize and were therefor deliuered as intire speeches without titles vntill Andreas Fabritius for more cleernesse added titles vnto them therefor I haue treated of more subiects as first of the Obligation which all haue to learne the Christian Doctrine of the Signe of the Cros of the Masse of the Aue Maria of the Rosary of the Praecepts of the Church and of Sinne. And I haue destinguished the points which are treated in them by titles sufficiently connecting the former sense with that which followeth soe that I hope you will haue here the substance of the Romane Catechisme with that cleernes which Fabritius added vnto it and also some other subiects in the same manner handled soe requisite for all to know that this will appeare not onely a good but a necessary booke As for the stile of Catechizing if it be plane and easy it is propper and as it ought to be and for this I haue laboured all that I could euen to the repearing of the same words often ouer of purpose for more cleernesse That which I feare most is a weake and cold spirit which will appeare in many places of this booke but this must be supplyed by your more feruerous desire and endeauour of profiting your selfe by it yet the iudicious will coÌ„sider that tendernes of deuotion is not much obe expected where instruction is deliuered much â—sse where controuersys
and arguments in religion occurre Yet these by the method of the Romane Catechisme could not be quite omitted and the publike necessity of England did require that they should come forth more at large then was necessary onely for Catholike assemblys Therfor for this booke to be more beneficiall euery thinge is to be sought for in its propper place and nature Instruction and Exhortation where and as intended to wit onely for Catholiks and as for confirming the Catholike faith he into whose hands it shall come of whatsoeuer religion he be if he desire indeede to serue God and will pray to him I hope he shall haue sufficient satisfaction Thus much for your direction in this worke which at first I beganne without the least thought of publishing any thinge but onely to discharge my obligation which vntill then I had not soe well reflected vpon but beginning to obscrue a great ignorance in some and obseruing it still more and more and considering with my selfe how pertinent the words of the Apostle are How shall they beleeue him whom they haue not heard Rom. 10 and how shall they heare without a preacher I conceiued this the best and most profitable manner of preaching and applyed my selfe most to the practise of it And hauing vsed it for some yeares I founde it soe efficacious to that which I desired that some of their owne accorde acknowledged to mee the benefit which they had receiued by it and desiring mee to publish somethinge of it which they might haue to reade I brought this booke to the perfection which it hath and was many wayes encouraged to grant their desires especially by the aduice of a graue and learned Prelate who first to approoue of my designe told mee that if he himselfe were in England he would apply himselfe most to Catechizing and hauing afterwards pervsed a great part of the Discourses gaue mee most satisfaction in it Finally for the right vnderstanding of all I declare here that it is not my intention to giue examples vnto others how to Catechize For that the Romane Catechisme hath done allready neither would I vndertake soe much although for my Summe of the Christian doctrine I would willingly commende the vse of such an one gotten without booke and expounded as a foresaid My first intention is to instruct the ignorant and for that I made choice of that forme which the Councell of Trent hath deliuered and which was the sole scope and marke which it aimed at by the Romane Catechisme to wit that Pastors should vse such Catechisticall sermons as might be both a Catechizing for instruction an exhortation to vertue and in times of heresys might confute them and confirme the Catholike faith Which if it were practised as frequently as the holy Councell desired and as other preachings are which are much lesse necessary for the people exceeding great profit and a generall good might be expected by it That Catholike is very carelesse of himselfe who with all this labour doth not learne and know that which is fitting or at least necessary to be knowne And that Catholike who knoweâ—h his duety to God and hath it thus beaten into his minde yet liueth as it were contemning of God and of all remedys for his soule that hauing sinned doth not endeauour to rise againe and to aime at a new and vertuous life but will continue in sinne and resolue still to sinne he deserueth not at all the name of a Catholike And that Christian that professeth himselfe to beleeue in God and to worship him in that faith and religion which Christ left to his Apostles and was allwais according to the ninth article of the Creede to be in the Catholike Church yet will beginne a religion contrary to all the Christian Churches in the world or beleeue in a religion which soe beganne he deserueth not the name of a Christian And that man that being sufficiently satisfyed of the true religion and Marke that I say sufficiently satisfyed for euidence of reason is not to be relyed vpon in any religion yet will not professe it for temporall respects but goeth on with a guilty conscience in the profession of a false religion or rather liueth like an Atheist or beast without any religion at all that man I know not how to call him A miserable wretch he is and of all creatures out of hell the most miserable who to feede vpon the dung of the earth sinneth against the Holy Ghost hardening his hart willfully against all heauenly inspirations For Atheists and all false religions I haue said enough in the Creede but for him that is neither in profession an Atheist nor yet hath indeede any religion I know what to say but to wish him to consider with himselfe of the power and goodnes of God and of the euills of sinne that depriueth vs of him and let him reade the last Discourse where I treate somethinge of that subiect If God of his mercy visit these men with some heauy Crosses and great afflictions necessary to draw them to his seruice it is indeede a singular mercy by which sometimes they are brought to repentance But in the meane time I warne these hard harted men that they praesume not too farre but that they thinke of their soules and of death which in the end shall surprise them And I will tell them one thinge which they thinke not of that is that they are in danger of suddaine death not onely as all men are but in particular more then others and that God hath shewed this by many examples in which such kind of men haue bene so punished The example of Pharao and of thousands of the Aegyptians were enough to prooue this who hauing hardened their harts against the manifest light of God were suddainly ouerwhelmed in the sea and miserably perished The like examples we haue in our Kingdome but ouer many of the suddaine deaths of those who against their consciences haue professed a false religion I mention onely two which happened lately in two neere neighbors to the place where I haue liued for dinerse yeares They had both bene Catholiks and for plane loosnesse and liberty of life had forsaken the Catholike Church and gone to the Protestant Churches manifesting by many expressions the guilt of their owne consciences to their intimate freinds but continuing still dissembling in religion the one of them as he was hunting fell from his horse and died presently the other who had engaged himselfe further against the Catholike Church and would take noe warning by his neighbors example within a few yeares after hauing bene drinking about three or fower miles from home in his returne was suddainly strucke with the paines of death fell downe and was carried away dead It is ill dallying with God Know thou and see Hier. 2. that it is an euill and bitter thinge for thee to haue forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not with thee saith the Lord of hosts
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
be decided by their owne reasons but who shall be the iudge betwixt them it must not be the determination of any particular man for that is as subiect to errour as they are and besides this question being concerning the spirit of God it cannot be decided by any authority lesse then diuine least otherwise the true spirit were reiected for false as possibly it might be by any inferiour authority Shall it be decided by force of armes That is soe absurde that it needeth noe refuting although perhaps Ioannes de Zischa was of that opinion for what absurdity will not an haeretike mainteine How then shall they be tryed bring them to the Church and see whether they will heare it But they will not be soe tryed How then there is now noe other way left to try them by They must then goe without any tryal at all to say what they list and soe they shall both prooue false spirits as being contrary to S. Iohn that sendeth vs to try our spirits and as being contrary to the scriptures which commande vs to heare the Church Maâ—t 8. Therefor the spirit of God is allwais with obedience to the Church and the final resolution of faith is reduced to the word of God speaking to our harts and interpreted by the Church For there is noe way to try spirits and to declare certainely who are rightly inspired but by the authority of God speaking by it and by submitting our selues to the obedience of it Luâ— 10. as to the voice of God He that heareth you heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Saith Christ to the Pastors of the Church who haue the authority of the whole Church Mat. 18. And in another place If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican Aug. tract 109. in Io S. Augustine the word of faith and the word of the Apostles to beleeue God and to beleeue the Church is the very same thinge Secondly the true faith hath bene often prooued and false doctrines confuted by miracles and these miracles haue planely conuinced for the obedience to that Church whose faith was soe confirmed Elias prooued by miracles the true faith of the Israëlits and confounded the Idolatrous Gentils Soe did Christ and his Apostles by many miracles prooue the christian faith against both Iewes and Gentils And these miracles obliged all whom inuincible ignorance excused not vnto the obedience of the Church of Christ and shewed planely that the spirit of God was to the obedience of that Church but noe miracle was euer wrought to shew that men should obey noe Church but that they might liue after their owne liking and beleeue what they would without obedience to any authority vpon earth Neither can there be any miracles wrought for any such manner of liuing for miracles being done in confirmation of the true faith oblige others to imbrace that faith which is soe confirmed by miracles and soe men come to an vnity of faith and make a Church that is to say a people vnited together in faith and religion But if men might for all those miracles which they see still follow their owne priuate spirits and not vnite themselues in obedience to that company whose faith is soe confirmed by miracles but might disobey it in matters of faith then they might disobey the authority of God and miracles were to noe purpose Therefor the very being of true miracles in confirmation of faith prooueth the being of a Church to which our spirits must allwais obey Moreouer if euery man were to be guided by his owne priuate spirit without obeying any Church there should be noe neede at all of miracles for the spirit is an inward and miracles are an outward testimony of the truth of any thinge to draw others vnto it but if all were to follow the inward testimony of their owne spirit without submitting vnto any external power then were they not to regard the outward testimony nor to be drawne by it And indeede to say that euery one is to follow his owne priuate spirit without being bounde to the obedience of any external power is as much as to say that euery one hath the true spirit of God and then what neede were there of miracles All which is contrary to the words of Christ and of the Apostles and contrary to the examples of the scriptures and to reason and experience by which we see soe many spirits of errors and of sinne in prowde and euill men Miracles may be and haue bene wrought to prooue the true faith but such miracles prooue that the spirit of God is to the obedience of the Church therefor the spirit of God is to the obedience of the Church Thirdly God hath ordained an orderly gouernment in his diuine worship and all order includeth subordination of inferiours to superiour powers and leaueth vs not to ourselues alone subiect to noe authority in points of religion and the same natural reason that bringeth vs to rely vpon the diuine autority in matters of faith telleth vs also that it is a more reasonable way for God to inspire vs to the obedience of the Church and to guide it with his sure and infallible assistance then to guide euery man by himselfe and his owne priuate spirit without being subiect to any autority or acknowledging of any superiour for this were to take away all order and to bring such a confusion into the world by making euery man his owne iudge as would by consequence destroy the world which without order can not subsist For if there were not allwais vpon earth some power authorized of God to prooue and approoue of the spirits of men what errors would be broched and what villanys committed and mainteined by wicked men vnder pretence of diuine inspiration God inspireth men to an orderly gouernment in his diuine worship therefor the diuine light and inspiration of faith in allwais to the obedience of the Church Soe that we may well say that faith is a supernatural light and gift of God by which we beleeue and firmely adhaere to the doctrine of the Church God giueth vs supernatural light to enlighten our vnderstandings and by his holy inspiration moueth our wills to submitte ourselues and to beleeue in all thinges according to the doctrine of the Church we cooperating with that light and inspiration of God submitte ourselues to the obedience of the true Church and then we haue actually true faith And whosoeuer he be that pretendeth himselfe to haue the spirit of God yet will not submitte himselfe to any Church but beginneth a new religion contrary to all the Churches then in the world or will mainteine a religion which soe beganne certainely that man hath not the true faith nor is the spirit of God in him But he sayth that he hath prayed to God for his spirit and Christ hath said that our father will giue the good spirit to those that
any other religion nor doubt of their owne as long as they adhaere vnto it but must sticke fast to that pillar and sure ground of truth and beleeue that the spirit of God and assistance of Christ is allwais with the Church and that obeying it they obey the holy Ghost and Christ They by these grounds can not as you see pray to God to inspire them to the true faith but must pray to God that they may allwais continue in the spirit of obedience to the Church as hitherto they haue done And soe this point hath onely soe farre relation to Catholiks as that they may gather by it that as hitherto God hath giuen them his holy light and spirit to reiect all priuate inuentions both of their owne and of others to obey the autority of the whole Church and to adhaere to it soe they ought still to doe and to pray to God that they may allwais doe soe and neuer forsake it But all those who haue goneforth of the Church and followed the priuate inuentions of some particular men as all others but Romane Catholikes haue done beginning new Churches which then were not teaching That it behoueth Protestants and those that are out of the Catholike Church to if examin the state of their owne Church nor gouerning of people in any place but were prohibited by the auncient Church as soone as they beganne and would haue bene prohibited sooner if they had begunne sooner with their new doctrines to oppose it all these and those that follow them of necessity mainteining that the true Church had then failed and that there was then noe true Church in the world which they might submitte vnto but that God sent them to reforme the Church and to restore it to its truth againe as Protestants say that when Luther beganne to oppose the Romane Catholike Church the true faith was perished wholy extinct destroyed not one iot of the ghospel had bene knowne but by his labour and study and the like sayings which may be seene in the booke called THE AVTHOVR OF THE PROTESTANT RELIGION l. â— c. 1. and commonly in authors This they saying as they needes must by consequence to their new reformation they ought in all reason if they will haue any care of their soules to be continually feareful and in doubt concerning their faith and being that the true Church may and did as they say faile and was quite decayed out of the world they ought to pray to God to enlighten them to see whether it be not decayed againe as then they say it was and stande not neede of a new reformation as then they say it did and if it doe that he will bring them to the true faith Or els if they will be out of doubt and free from feares they must beleeue as we doe that the Church could not stande neede of any reformation at all in doctrines of faith and soe to betake themselues againe to the obedience of it and to rest secure and contented with the Apostles Creede I beleeue the Catholike Church without troubling themselues about reforming it But being that they can neuer be certaine in their faith as long as they hold it lawfull to change their religion by reforming of errors in the Church they ought to haue often recourse vnto God to know when they should change their religion and to what religion they should change And this by Gods grace I will now shew them how they shall haue recourse to God for This question therefor I adde here for Cods sake and for those that are out of the Catholike Church that being as I haue shewed in the former title saying their prayers they obtaine not the diuine grace because they pray amisse they may know how to pray And because I conceiue it the most necessary of all points and that on which the conuersion of those that are in a false religion cheifly dependeth that they haue true recourse vnto God and also because it was commended to mee by a very graue and experienced person to procure of such that they will commende the state of their soules to God whose grace worketh much more efficaciously in them then our words can doe and because it is a meanes which none by reason can except against therefor I would adde this whole title for their satisfaction and final good that seeking rightly to God they may obtaine the pretious iewel of true faith in obedience to the true Catholike Church necessary to saluation But that the Protestant or any such reader may receiue that benefit by â—his which I wish him and may haue some feeling of that which we are now treating of I desire him first to take into serious consideration the state of his soule and of religion and that he goe not coldly about this busines which of all thinges in the world concerneth him most and is as important vnto him as his entrance into that happy and blessed state were he shall enioy the glorious sight of God or his entrance into hell where he shall neuer see the diuine face but most irefull and full of rage against him to the extreme horrour of his soule and to thinke truely that in this I aske nothing but that which is both according to his owne grounds and also reasonable in it selfe For his predecessors hauing forsaken the common religion of christians which was then vniuersally professed by that which had the name of the Catholike Church for a religion which had then noe name nor being in any place of the world he may with great reason feare himselfe and with much more reason forsake his new religion for some other that was then extant and especially to that which both is now and was then the most famous of all christendome But that which I now aske of him is not to change but onely to haue recourse to God and to pray vnto him that if his Church doe erre as he sayth that it may and once did that by his diuine light and inspiration he will bring him into the true Church He that were trauailing in a vast wildernes vncertaine of his way and saw the darke night comming on and heard the wild beasts sallying out of their dennes roaring and seeking for their pray in what feare and anguish of minde would he be what would he giue for a guide that could sett him into à safe way free from dangers much more fearefull is the condition of euery man that is out of the Catholike Church this world is the wildernes in which he wandereth heauen is his home obedience to the Catholike Church is the onely way to it death is the night that draweth on and the infernal spirits as wild beasts surrounde him Poore soule thou confessest thy selfe to be in an vncertaine Church which may lead thee to hell and why dost thou not tremble for feare and cry vnto God betake thy selfe vnto him call vpon him beseech him earnestly to guide thee and
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
being reprehended by his superiour for it he tooke in such euill part his reprehension that he fell to say that the Saints were noe better then other men and when he was reprooued for his temeratious speech he fled to the scriptures demanding the contrary to be shewed by them and when the scriptures were produced against him he interpreted them after his owne sense and liking and when the interpretations of holy fathers were alleadged against him he scorned all saying that they were men and might erre Lastly the authority of the Church guided of God for the orderly gouernment of the world is obiected against him and when he saw that he must either sticke to the autority of God gouerning vs by the Church and deny his owne singularity or sticke to his owne singularity and deny allorder and gouernment of God he stucke like an haeretike to his owne singularity and rather then he would submitte vnto the Church he denyed God and fell to atheisme The end of this obtinate brute was at last to become madde and to dy roaring like a beast Now his last proposition was but consequence to the former for he that in matter of faith will beginne a nouelty by which he separateth himselfe from all religions and will obstinatly mainteine it against all Churches why may he not as well deny that there is a God seeing that he hath but his owne opinion for both The same experience we haue now a dayes of too many who by long continuance in heresy and disobedience to the true Church seeme to haue lost the very beleefe of God and all feare and feeling of him out of their harts and in this haeretical kingdome it is long since come to that that euery man in religion might in a manner hold what opinious he liked soe that he were not a Romane Catholike and as an enemy of the Catholike Church would but goe to their Churches A neighbour yet liuing not farre from this place mainteined publikly against the mystery of the blessed Trinity and the diuinity of our Sauiour and being many yeares since apprehended for it when he was brought to his tryall he was cleered and by publique authority set at liberty to teach his blasphemys as now he doth to all that will heare and learne them the Foreman of the sury who was a knight of the best ranke in this countrey of what religion I know not declaring as I haue heard that he would rather take the lines of twenty Papists then to haue the blood of one such man vpon him Tell one of our libertines that he is an atheist which a Romane Catholike presently would abhorre to heare most English Protestants make but a iest of it and many there are who seeme as though they would gladly be soe indeede that they might let goe the bridle to all liberty and follow their sensuality without restraint They seeing the wicked sometimes to prosper in their liues and in the end to dy life other men doe what they can to perswade themselues that there is neither heauen nor hell and to say in their harts that there is noe God This is now the plane case of many amongst vs and I could rehearse the prophane sayings of some of our great ones which I haue heard of to this purpose many yeares since but they are not worth the repeating He that will reade The Authour of the Protestant Religion l. 1. c. 4. may see more particularly how the doctrine of Protestants tendeth to atheisme and the vnworthy and atheisticall speeches of their authors and in The Suruey of the new Religion l. 8. almost all ouer but especially c. 3. he may see the same This is easy to be seene in all heresys that they beginning allwais in the contempt of the Church assume to themselues liberty of doctrine and that liberty of doctrine bringeth liberty of life now who doth not see the next and last consequence which liberty of life and doctrine runneth into It is therefor very necessary in these times to say somethinge for haeretiks in proofe of this first article of the Creede to preserue it as the hart roote and foundation of faith from their corruption and to let those libertines see their extreme folly that labour to beate out of their harts the feare of God But Catholiks who beleeue it as a point of the Catholike and Apostolike faith neede noe proofe of it because they haue it as they haue all other points of faith by the testimony of God manifesting himselfe to them who can not deceiue vs as we may doe our selues by our owne reason God is true Rom. 3. and euery man a lyer faith the Apostle and therefor we may mistrust ourselues but we can not mistrust God nor contradict the Church by which he speaketh to vs and gouerneth vs. If it be an irreuerence to stande in contradiction with a graue and reuerent person how much more must it be to contradict God were he not a madman that should oppose his physitian and denying that to be poyson which he affirmeth to be soe should take it and kill himselfe or if a man seeing a caldron full of melted led prepared by some workeman and were warned by him to take heed of it yet would not regard his words but because he saw not the fire vnder it nor any smoke in it should deny it to be hot and throw himselfe into it would not you thinke that he were worse then madde we ought to beleeue God the workman of the world and not like atheists who because they see not the fire of hell will not beleeue it but throw themselues into it and damne themselues And we must not onely beleeue in God and receiue for his authority all points of faith but we must also with our mouths Confesse our beleefe and defende it with our liues when neede requires Rom. 10. With the hart we beleeue vnto iustice but with the mouth Confession is made to saluation Saith the Apostle And the holy king saith I beleeued for which cause I spake And as S. Peter Psal 115. and S. Iohn answered to the high Priests and Princes of the Iewes we can not but speake the thinges which we haue seene and heard soe ought we in the like occasion to speake resolutly the thinges which we see Act. 4. and heare in the Catholike faith and say with S. Paul I am not ashamed of the ghospell And in all temptations both publike and priuate stande to our Creede Rom. 1.8 and professe I beleeue in God and the Catholike Church This I wish that all the world could truely say and I will bring all that I can to say soe and to beginne with the atheists of these times who in words say I beleeue in God but not in hart he shall see first that all the Angels and all nations of men giue testimony against him Secondly he shall see God and feele him by experience in himselfe Thirdly he
indeede Iesus but also because it was his propper name imposed not by chance but by the will and expresse commandde of his father the Angell forespeaking it to the blessed Virgin when he said Behold thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and sâ—alt beare a sonne Luc. 1. and thou shalt call his name Iesus He is called Christ to signify his dignity and speciall functions according to his humanity Christ. for Christ is as much as to say The Messias or Annointed and he was annoinsed in diuerse respects Priests and kings are annointed because they haue authority from God to represent his maiesty Prophets aunciently were annointed because they were the interpreters of God and dispensers of diuine mysterys as Priests and kings are also in their kind Christ had all these offices and according to his humane nature he was Prophet Priest and king after an eminent manner and therefor he was eminently and singularly annointed not by the hands of Prophets or Priests but spiritually by God himselfe Ps 44. Thou hast loued iustice and hast hated iniquity therefor God thy God hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes God annointed Christ and Prophets Priests and kings are annointed as lesser Christs that haue power vnder him Christ shewed himselfe a Prophet actually prophecying many thinges and in particular the most remarkeable passages of his owne death and resurrection As priest he offered the most holy Sacrifice of his body at the last supper and afterwards againe he offered the same sacrifice of his body vpon the Cros. He also shewed himselfe to be a king and to haue regall power that could bring kings to adore him and that he could haue brought other kings and all the kings of the world as well as them to his feete if it had pleased him Besides the Catholike Church is his kingdome he is the head and king of it allwais with it vnto the consummation of the world His onely Sonne our Lord. The Apostles in the former article hauing professed the Father who is the first Person of the Blessed Trinity now they professe the second Person in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God S. Iohn testifying that which is here professed saith Io. 1.4 We haue scene and doe testify that the Father hath sent the Sonne the Sauiour of the world And then presently he addeth whosoeuer shall confesse that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God God abideth in him and he in God This all good christians doe testify and confesse and for that end the Apostles made this article that we might allwais professe it We will see here CHRISTIANITY DEMONSTRATED THat which we beleeue and professe in this article was allwais beleeued by all true beleeuers euer from the beginning of the world All the quires of Angels in their first creation foresaw that the Sonne of God was to be incarnated in lesus Christour Lord and the good Angels willingly submitting to him and beleeuing in him were saued by his pretious blood But Lucifer and the wicked Angels could not endure to see the nature of man exalted to that high dignity aboue Angels that our nature should be assumed of God and not theirs which he could but would not assume noe where doth he take Angels saith S. Heb. 2. Paul but the seede of Abraham he taketh This was the sinne of Lucifer that ennuying and repining at the glory of humane nature in Iesus Christ he drew others into the same sinne with him and for aspiring to be aboue him in glory he was cast downe into the depth of the lake and lost that glory which he might and should haue had and which the good Angels haue by submitting to the diuine ordination in it This was beleeued by our first parents in paradise and euer since as I shall presently shew Christ was promised to them and after them to the following patriarks and after the Patriarks to Prophets they deliuered that faith to posterity vntill his comming he when he came deliuered it to the Apostles they to the Church the Church by a continuall succession of Pastors hath deliuered it vntill our times as it doth now to vs saying I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth and in Iesus Christ his onâ—ly Sonne our Lord. In this faith all miracles haue bene wrought that euer were wrought in testimony of faith This was confessed by heauen earth seas by liuing trees and sensible beasts and not onely by holy men but euen by the powers of hell all the creatures of God obeying Christ at his comming This the Apostles saw and were commanded by him to speake it and when they were forbidden by his enemys Act. 4. they answered we can not but speake the thinges which we haue seene and heard and would loose their liues rather then they would cease from publikely professing it S. Paul who saw not the miraculous life of Christ with his Disciples nor heard his preaching but was afterwards called and enlightened by him became notwithstanding soe assured of this verity and by true charity soe vnited vnto him that he thought it was vnpossible for any torments to separate him from him Rom. 8. â—ho then shall separate vs from the charity of Christ tribulation or distresse or famine or nakednesse or danger or persecution or the sword as it is written for we are killed for thy sake all the day we are esteemed as sheepe of slaughter But in all these thinges we onercome because of him that hath loued vs. For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalitys nor powers neither thinges present nor thinges to come neither might nor hight nor depth nor other creature shall be able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. S. Paul was rauished and enamoured with the beauty of Christs diuinity and was transformed as it were by loue into him confessing him to be the image of the visible Goâ— Colos 1. Heb. 1. The first borne of all creature by whom he made the worlds being the brightnes of his glory and the sigure of his substance Whom the Angels adore soe much more excellent then themselues as he hath inherited a more excellent name aboue them For to which of the Angels saith this holy Apostle did he say at any time Thou art my Sonne to day haue I begotten thee Colos 2. in whâ—m dwelleth all the fullnesse of the Godhead corporally All this did S. Paul say and professe of Christ It was then noe meruaile that with Gods grace he would defende him till death Thus did the Apostles professe of him and this profession they made good by many miracles which the enemys of christianity haue written of and confessed This the posterity of the Apostles haue allwais professed in former ages and haue stretched forth their hands and feete vpon racks and with cheerfull mindes haue yeelded their bodys into the hands of torturers
people not fearing the barbarousnesse of any but condemning all danger and labouring incessantly reiovced to suffer for him They mainteined the ghospell of Lesus Christ with such reasons force of spirit and miracles that being themselues vnlearned they confounded the learnedest of the world All were astonished at the hearing of them the fame of their preaching ringing in all places They confounded the Iewes silenced the oracles of the idols and with in a few yeares they filled the world with a numberlesse number of constant christians And this they did not by force of armes making of seditions or raising of partys to defende their cause or to increase their number but with humility and patience Thus did the faith of Christ beginne in the vertue and power of God and not as idolatry and Turcisme by the power and commande of the sword forcing of people to their obedience It beganne in litlenes pouerty humility and patience and increased as a grane of mustarde seede into a goodly tree hauing noe Princes or potentates of the earth to protect or to countenance it noe men of learning eloquence or humane pollicy to draw others vnto it but of such learning and eloquence as God infused into them God spoke in their mouths and with their hands and God soe speaking the prowde of the world came downe to their doctrine and became humble christians the rich of the world contemned riches the followers of vice beganne to loue vertue and a happy change was seene in the world by them They had to contest with Princes Iudges Priests Magistrates Philosophers artificers and all sorts of people who as their enemys mainteined their auncient rites and Priuileges against them Yet these poore and ignorant men kept still the christian faith on foote and maugre all the power which their enemys had the more they opposed it the more God increased it and the number of the faithfull was daily augmented that their enemys of all ranks and manner of callings in the end were contented to ioyne with them and to hazard their titles dignitys and profits and to forsake their owne wills and liues to obey Christ This was most miraculous euen as much as the miracles which they wrought and as planely testifyeth the power of God to haue brought these thinges to passe After the Apostles the same faith of Christ was still continued by others whom God raised as Apostles to succeede them and to whom he gaue the same spirit with sanctity of life and power of miracles to defende it And is at this day professed and defended by missions of Priests and religious men who goe as Apostles to preach the faith of Christ as I haue seene in Spaine euery yeare for the most part to be sent vnto the strange and rude people of the Indias for their conuersion and by soe many miracles make good that which they preach that it were a madnesse to question all those thinges which God hath wrought by them And euen here amongst vs vnworthy we see by continuall experiences the power which Christ promised to his Apostles of casting forth deuils Exorcismes to be practisedby christian Priests with good successe the powers of hell trēbling at the name of Christ are forced whether they will or noe to yeeld possession when they arecōmanded by it And to attribute this vnto art magicke by the cōmande of greater deuils ouer the lesse is that desperate refuge which the Iewes vsed against Christ himselfe Mat. 12. saying that in Beelzebub Prince of the deuils he did cast forth deuils and which was commonly obiected against the Apostles by their enemys and can not be true First for that the exorcismes of the Church are not done against the lesser deuils onely but with the greatest opposition hatred and despite that possible may be against the greatest and all the deuils of hell ouer whom there is none but God that hath supernaturall power Secondly the kingdome of the deuils is not soe diuided as that any of them should doe good or hinder euill except they be forced vnto it by the power of God yet by christian exorcists they are often forced to many thinges amongst Infidels to the destruction of infidelity and heresy and amongst christians of euill life to the hinderance and confusion of sinne which the deuills with all their power would mainteine Thirdly if we might attribute that which is done to the extirpation of infidelity heresy and confusion of sinne or for some good end to any other but the power of God we should neuer acknowledge nor could euer destinguish the power of God at any time to be exercized ouer the deuils although we saw them neuer soe much forced and neuer soe good effects to proceede of it but might attribute goodnes to the authour of euill And this was that manifest conuincing argument with which our Sauiour answered to the Pharisys when they made this very obiection against him If I in Beelzebub cast forth deuils Mat. 12. your children in whom doe they cast out We haue then for the comfort of christians christianity demonstrated by the holy scriptures of the old testament and the miracles of Christ and of the Apostles and of the continually succeeding and now being Church of Christ That which he taught and confirmed by miracles was that he was the Sonne of God the authour of life the promised Messias and Sauiour of the world This the Apostles preached after him and this we now preach in the Catholike Church Act. 4. and say with S. Peter neither is there any other name vnder heauen giuen to men where in we must be saued but in the euer blessed name of Iesus in him we blesse and honour God professing him in the Creede to be his onely Sonne our Lord. As the Sonne of God he is true God infinite in all perfections equall with the Father and the Holy Ghost and the very same in nature and essence with them according to which nature the Apostles in this article professe him our Lord. According to his humane nature he is also our Lord for that his humane nature being vnited to the diuine was exalted in dignity and made superiour vnto all creatures and had power aboue all men and Angels Mat. 28. All power saith he is giuen to mee in heauen and earth Christians that beleeue in Iesus Christ and carry in their name the name of him ought very much to honour themselues in it and to imitate him In baptisme they haue renounced the works of Satan to put on the armour and follow the warrfarre of Christians and then they receiued as also in the other Sacraments the souldiers garment of diuine grace their sinnes being forgiuen them by the merits of Christ Let vs then as his souldiers and seruants serue him and resist his enemys Let all the world open their eyes and harts to his diuine power and if they haue any feeling of God or desire to haue it and will consider the
the faithfull dispersed ouer the world Which is in substance the same that is here answered for euery one that hath the true faith and is in vnion with the head and Pastors of the Church by obeying them is a member of the true Châ—â—ch and all these put together make the whole Church But because Schismatiks although they beleeue in all points yet are out of the Church as diuiding themselues from it by disobedience to the head and Pastors theirof therefor to be a member of the Church we require vnion with the rest of the members vnder one head to wit the Pope who is for the time the successor of S. Peter the Vicar of Christ and the Head of the Church Now for the explication of this article In the first place the Church is said to be holy Holy It is holy in diuerse respects First in respect of the eminent holines of Iesus Christ the cheife head of it Secondly for the holy gouernment which Christ instituted and allwais conserueth in it Thirdly it is holy in respect of the holy sacrifice which it hath of his most sacred body and in respect of the holy Sacraments and obseruances that are in it Fourthly in respect of the Vicarhead Pastors and people whose holinesse it includeth Christ ascending into heauen made S. Peter the head of all the Apostles and of the whole Church to remaine as Vicar to himselfe vpon earth commending particularly to him the charge of his sheepe that is of all faithfull christians that are in the Church as in his sheepfold This charge was performed by him whilst he liued and after his death by men of great holines who succeeded him ioyning their blood vnto his as it were in a continuall streame of martyrdome for almost three hundred yeares after the Ascension of Christ After them those who haue succeeded in that chaire and office haue bene for the most part men of great holinesse as they haue great meanes to be and as it is fitting they should be in that holy office The Church is also holy in many other inferiour Pastors and people of all sorts and callings of Martyrs Confessors and Virgins who haue illustrated it with their holy liues and haue rendred it a deere and amiable spouse to Christ Lastly the Church is holy as being by its authority the ground of all holines there being none at all but in it For there can be noe holinesse in this world if not grounded vpon true faith Heb. 11. without which it is impossible to please God And being there can be noe faith that can please God but in the Catholike Church all holinesse that is amongst men is in the holy Catholike Church The Church is called by the Apostles Catholike Catholike which is as much as to say vniuersal to destinguish the true Church of Christ from all false Churches of christians which they saw might rize vp in following times and did euen then beginne to rize in their times None of which can be said to be Catholike or vniuersal but priuate and particular Churches which beginne by opposing of the Catholike and vniuersal Church then extant when those new sects beginne First the Church is vniuersal in doctrine for that it teacheth all ouer the same doctrine and yeeldeth obedience to the same gouernment vnder one head and soe the Church of Rome is Catholike and the Church of Protestants is not Catholike for that protestants agree in name onely and nor in doctrine and also because some of them acknowledging a head vpon earth as the English Protestants did and some of them acknowledging noe head vpon earth they haue not all obedience to the same authority which obedience must necessarily be had to be the same Church and to be the true Catholike Church For the Apostles made this article to keepe vs allwais in the odedience of the true Church and that those might be knowne to haue the true faith of Christ who retaining the doctrine which is professed by the whole Church which then is and obeying the authority of it submitte in all controuersys to that which it teacheth and say with the Apostles I beleeue the Catholike Church and therefor two Churches that obey two different authoritys can not both of them be vniuersal and Catholike Secondly the true Church is vniuersall in times for that it must be at all times and neuer soe vanished out of the world that there should neede any to restore it againe for God doth not soe vnequally destribute his graces as to leaue the the world at any time without meanes of saluation which cannot be without a true and lawfull Church Besides the Apostles Creede is to be said at all times and soe we are allwais to say I beleeue the Catholike Church which we could not allwais say if at some time there were noe true Catholike Church in the world Thirdly the Church is vniuersal in place for if S. Paul could with truth apply those words of the psalme their sounde hath gone forth vnto all the earth Ps 18. and vnto the ends of the â—ound world the words of them to the Church of Christ in the Apostles times when it was nothing soe much dilated as now God be thanked it is we may now with good reason call it Catholike in respect of all places when the sounde of the Apostles doctrine is soe much enlarged that there is hardly any place of the world whither the Catholike Church doth not send her subiects to preach Out of this vniuersality of the Church it followeth One that there is but one true Church in which saluation may be had for vniuersality importeth vnity and if there be vnity in the Church and that this vnity be necessarily required and included in the word Catholike or vniuersal which signifye hâ— many agreeing in the same thinge then two Churches which are not vnited in the same Communion and obedience to the same authority can not both of them haue meanes of saluation for if they could both haue meanes of saluatioÌ„ and yet might lawfully disobey each others authority then we should not be bounde to obey it nor could it lawfully require obedience to it which is contrary to the words of Christ binding vs to the obedience of the Church and contrary to this article and to all reason and gouernment S. Augustine There is nothing which a christian ought soe much to feare as to be separated from the body of Christ Aug. tract 27. which is for certaine the one Catholike Church For if he be separated from the body of Christ he is not a member of him If he be not a member of him he is not nourished with his spirit By which it is plane in the doctrine of this saint that it can not be a true Church which is separated from the true Church and by consequence two Churches which separate from each other can not both be true Therefor let those take head that hearken
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
scriptures and that in innumerable places which for breuity I omitte and will mention onely the words of our Sauiour which he spoke to his disciples at his last farewell from them Christ in his Ascension being to leaue his Apostles with a hard taske and difficult worke which they were to performe in founding of the Catholike Church amongst soe many enemys he told them for their comfort Mat. 2â— Behold I am with you aâ—l dayes euen to the consummation of the world He spoke then to the Apostles and would not onely comfort them but all others who were to haue the gouernment of the Church for euer after promising to be with them as long as the world should endure As long then as Christ was to be with them their doctrine was for euer to be true and their authority diuine and he being to be with them vnto the consummation of the world their doctrine was to be true and their authority diuine vnto the consummation of the world as the doctrine and authority of Christ who promised allwais to assist them in their worke and soe their worke was his worke and their doctrine and authority were his Christ therfor is allwais with the Pastors of the Church when they represent and haue the authority of the whole Church not with euery one of them particularly but with all of them together and therefor although any one particular bishop as he is onely a particular member of the Church may erre yet all bishops cannot possibly erre at any time because Christ hath promised to be with them all dayes It is not needfull to produce the sentences of fathers for the diuine authority of the Church both because these words of the Creede made by the Apostles and at all times consented vnto by the fathers I beleeue the Catholike Church may stande for their sentences and also because their sentences to this purpose will frequently occurre in that which I haue to say of the Church Scriptures and fathers are easily misconstrued by haeretiks who make them to speake as they will vnderstande them or if they be too plane against them they discarde the sentence or the whole booke For those that are soe bold as to contradict the whole Church haue lost their shame and neede regard noe authority at all But because they pretende reason as building all their doctrines vpon their owne witts and because this point is soe necessary for the deciding of all controuersys and to the true and lawfull condemnation of all haeresys we will make it euident by plane and easy reasons which all may vnderstande To thinke to haue religion without the diuine authority of an infallible Church is to thinke to build without a foundation or as we commonly say to build castles in the ayre the foundation of all true religion being the authority of the Church which professeth it Grant once that a Church may erre as it may if it be not supported by the diuine authority and we can not be certaine of any doctrine which it teacheth and being vncertaine of the truth of its doctrine we are not bound to beleeue vncertaintys and it can not be the true religion if it be professed by a Church which we are not bounde to beleeue And therefor the first thinge which is to be established as the foundation of true religion is the infallible and consequently diuine authority of the Church that professeth it Take once away the authority of the Church and absolue men from the obedience of it and you make euery man his owne master and leauing him to himselfe to beleeue what he listeth all is brought into vncertainty and confusion for there is noe point of faith soe certaine nor any thinge soe cleere but by prowde and contentious men it might be brought into question This is declared by particular instances If the Church of Christ were not of diuine authority and infallible certainty in all which it teacheth we could not be certaine either of the Creede or of the scriptures or of the sense of either of them or of any article of faith whatsoeuer nay the very foundation of all religion would be destroyed the diuine existence becomming also vncertaine to vs and insteede of gouernment vnion and order in the worship of God we should haue noe diuine worship nor God at all but a horrible confusion and more then hellish disorder would dwell vpon earth First the Creede is not receiued but for the authority of the Church We beleeue that euery article of the Creede was made by diuine inspiration and authority and as such we will defende them with our liues yet this we know not but by the Church for of our selues we could not certainely know it nor should we beleeue it of the Creede more then of other writings which we receiue not as of faith but that the Church commandeth vs soe to beleeue of it and not of them Againe we doe not know the sense of any article of the Creede but by the authority of the Church take away this and we had the sense of them to seeke we knew not where euery one might follow his owne sense and we should be certaine of nothing but of vncertainty and confusion Take away the diuine and infallible authority of the Church in the Apostles times and you bring all into vncertainty whatsoeuer they taught and ruine the foundation of the whole christian faith and it had bene noe matter what they had deliuered in the Creede or whether they had made any Creede at all Take away that authority from the Church of Christ that is at all times and it is noe matter what Creede it deliuer or what sense of the Creede seeing it may erre in that which it sayeth and those thinges may be false which it deliuereth for true The same appeareth in the scriptures We beleeue that such and such scriptures were written by some that had the spirit of God to write nothing but truth in them that all those bookes which we receiue were written with that spirit and that all those bookes passing through soe many hands and handwritings as must necessarily haue bene before printing was inuented haue remained vncorrupted vntill our times How doe we know all this to be soe but by the authority of the Church deny this as all haeretiks doe to follow their owne phansys and you may admitte of what Scriptures you will or if you will you may deny all scriptures And this we see by experience to be true that haeretiks reiecting the authority of the Church and disobeying it reiect also the scriptures and receiue but what they will The Carpocratites Seuerians and Manichees reiected all the old Testament and all the foure ghospels of the new except that of S. Luke Cerdon and Cerinthus reiected S. Luke The Seuerians reiected the acts of the Apostles and all the Epistles of S. Paul Luther and some Protestants reiect the Epistle of S. Iames. The Alogians and some Protestants reiect
the Apocalypse And Suencfeldius seeing such a strife about the scriptures cleered himselfe readily in a word reiecting all Soe that if we might contradict the Church and follow either our owne or the conceits of any priuate men we might reiect the true scriptures as these haue done and receiue false scriptures as the Apocryphi did or deny all scriptures as Suencfeldius Quintinus the Libertines and other haeretiks haue done The authority of the Church bindeth vs to receiue scriptures and appointeth what scriptures we should receiue and for that authority we receiue the ghospell which S. Marke wrote who was noe Apostle and not that of S. Thomas who was an Apostle and we reiect the ghospell of Nicodemus who had seene Christ and receiue the ghospell of S. Luke who neuer saw him Therfor we must ground our selues vpon the authority of the Church and obey it or els we should not know what scriptures to receiue S. Augustine hath said this in plane termes Epis fund c. 5. when he said that he would not beleeue the ghospell but for the authority of the Church And addeth that for the same authority he would not beleeue Manichaeus the haereticke Further more the word of the scriptures is not profitable to vs but in its true sense and that true sense can not be knowne but by a true interpretour which euery priuate man as we see is not for although there be a great disparity in the abilitys of men excelling one another yet noe man of himselfe is free from errour and can but by his owne reason probably affirme that which another may probably deny and therfor all priuate opinions must be referred vnto some certaine authority which must decide all controuersys in the sense of the scriptures Besides the scriptures in themselues are soe hard to be vnderstoode and full of difficultys that it were against reason to leaue euery man to his owne sense and construction of them They haue beside the litteral sense many kindes of allegorys in which if we should follow the letter it would kill vs. The deuill alleadged the letter and word of holy scriptures but in a false sense to tempt Christ and Christ refuted him by the words of scripture in their true sense but if we had not at all times the like authority of Christ in the Church the deuill would easily peruert the scriptures to vs and we should be subiect to continuall errors S. Peter saith that in the Epistles of S. Paul there are certaine thinges hard to be vnderstoode which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also the rest of the scriptures to their owne perdition and S. Augustine Pet. 2.3 Epis 119. who was one of the learnedest sort of men confesseth that there were more places of the scriptures which he vnderstoode not then that he vnde stoode The sense of the scriptures is soe depraued by haeretiks that Luther called the scriptures the booke of haeretiks euery haeretike alleâ—dging scriptures and all of them deprauing them to their owne perdition and in this they are knowne to depraue them that they follow their owne interpretations and priuate conceipts against the whole Church Simon Magus would giue soe much honour to the Angels that he would haue them our mediators aboue Christ and he alleadged scriptures and reason for this doctrine Protestants honour them soe litle that they will not grant them any mediation at all neither vâ—der Christ and they also alleadge scriptures and reasons for their doctrine The Manichees forbadde some meates as in themselues vnlawfull to be eaten and alleadged scriptures and reason for this doctrine Protestants allow of all meates to be eaten at all times although it be against the praecepâ— of the Church and alleadge also scriptures and reason for their doctrine The Marcionists Encratites and other haeretiks forbadde marriage as vnlawfull and alleadged scriptures and reasons for this doctrine Protestants esteeme soe highly of marriage that they make it lawfull for virgins and religious persons that haue dedicated and vowed their chastity to God and alleadge also scriptures and reasons for it Pelagius attributeth our good works to our owne natural forces and to freewill more then to grace and hath more shew of scriptures then most haeretiks haue for their doctrines Protestants on the contrary grant noe freewill at all and will not want scriptures nor reasons for themselues Thus you haue two contrary doctrines both of them alleadging scriptures and both of them in a false sense the truth being betwixt them both saith a learned authour as Christ was betwixt two theeues Mald in Io. 6. But how doe we know that neither of them hath the true sense of the scriptures We know it by the authority of the whole Church which at first declared against those doctrines and therefor whosoeuer shall obstinatly mainteine them are haeretiks because they deny the ninth article of the Creede not beleeuing the Catholike Church but standing obstinate against all authority that was then in the world Which if at any time it were lawfull to doe then were there none to interprete the scriptures and to destinguish betwixt sense and sense and reason and reason and we might as well haue noe scriptures at all as haue noe meanes to know the true sense of them Lastly if there were not at all times some authority amongst men infallibly assisted of God to gouerne and direct in his worship and to determine the verity of all propositions that were to be beleeued with diuine faith then might euery man beleeue and say what he liked and all order and gouernment were taken away and vtmost disorder would reigne amongst vs euen to the denying of God For although natural reason doth declare the diuine existence and a demonstration may be made by a good Philosopher to prooue it yet liberty would induce to that which is against reason and would draw into atheisme as it doth to other vices which by the reason and nature of all men are abhorred Besides not one man among a thousand can make that demonstration and what then should become of those that can not if they were to forsake the authority of the Church and follow onely their owne reasons should he onely be saued that can make it noe nor he neither by that which were but a natural knowledge and humane faith in him Out of all which it followeth that the Catholike Church hath diuine authority to determine all veritys and to decide all controuersys of faith and to direct vs infallibly in that which we are to beleeue and to doe in relation to the honour of God or els the Creede had bene in vaine as also the scriptures all proofe of reason had bene vncertaine all vnion and orderly gouernment and the very foundation of all religion were vtterly destroyed and therfor one may as well say I will haue noe Creede nor religion at all as to say I will haue or beleeue noe Church and those onely remaine sure and
secute from errour that at all times in all controuersys follow the sentence of the Church and adhaere to it And therfor the Apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost made this important article that we might neuer forgett our obedience to the Church but that in all doubts and difficultys we might haue recourse to it and say I beleeue the Catholike Church And that those who will stande against it may be knowne to be infringers of the law and Creede of the Apostles From hence is the beginning of all heresys that some priuate men will contradict the authority of the whole Church and obiecting against some particular point or points of faith they make themselues the iudges and determine as they will themselues They contende allwais about some particular point or points of faith and wrangle about them but if you aske them vpon what authority they contradict the Catholike Church and all the Churches in the world separating from them they are then out of their witts and know not what to say knowing that if they pretende the word of God the same question confoundeth them againe demanding vpon what authority they dare interprete the word of God against the Catholike Church and against all the Churches in the world besides that the word of God is against them commanding both in the Creede and scriptures to beleeue the Church If we will giue them satisfaction in those particular points and difficultys it is but of curtesy for we confesse that there are many points of faith which by our owne reason we cannot comprehende the most reasonable and best satisfaction is because the Catholike Church soe teacheth otherwise as I haue shewed we should neither haue Creede nor scriptures nor God Contende not then with haeretiks about particular points but aske them vpon what authority they dare question them what Church will they follow If they will fall from the Catholike Church to some company of haeretiks that beganne at some time against all Churches or if themselues will beginne such a company they are here condemned in this article The authority of the Church is the rule the guide the sure anker to which we must all wais hold It is a rocke which dasheth in peeces all temptations of faith and obiections of haeretiks and keepeth vs free from doubts and feares as in a quiet and safe harbour Let vs now speake OF THE GOVERNMENT of the Church THe Church in holy scriptures is compared to a well ordered citty such an one as Hierusalem was when the seruice of God slourished in it But the gouernment of the Church of Christ doth farre excell that For it is a gouernment which God hath taken a neerer charge of as hauing in his owne person instituted it first and engaged himselfe by promise allwais to protect and defende it and therfor he must at all times prouide such gouernors for it as shall carefully mainteine his diuine seruice in it Esa 62. Vpon thy walls Hierusalem I haue appointed watchmen all the night for euer they shall not hold their peace It is compared to the army of a campe set in array Cant. 6. glorious in it selfe and terrible to its enemys for the order which it hath The order and good gouernment of the Church consisteth in the dew subordination of subiects to their superiors As in our bodys seueral offices are giuen to seueral parts and all of them constituted vnder one head And as in a common wealth some beare offices and others without offices obey them and all are finally reduced vnto some head and supreme power and that supreme power subordinate lastly to God that impowred it soe in the gouernment of the Church some haue authority ouer others and one head is placed ouer all These are the pastors whom God hath appointed and disposed into that order Rom. 13. Those thinges that are of God are ordained Saith the Apostle that is to say they are with order and to be with order is to be not all alike but with subordination of inferiors to superiour powers and soe the order of the Church consisteth in people subordinate to their pastors and of pastors subordinate vnto one supreme head vpon earth And the head and pastors of the Church exercizing their power most fully in a General Councell it will be sufficient for the gouernment of the Church to speake of the head and of General Councels Christ chose out of all the world some to be his disciples Of the head of the Church out of his disciples he tooke some to be Apostles and out of his Apostles he chose one to be the head and to haue authority ouer his whole Church These vnderstanding by the disciples all those that were vnder the Apostles were then the whole Church of Christ S. Peter was chosen by him as the head and supreme pastour ouer all both pastors and people Him and his successors we call the vicars of Christ that is to say he that beareth vpon earth the person and place of Christ who is in heauen the cheife head of the Church Neither can it in reason offende any that we call S. Peter and his successors in that office the Vicars of Christ For if S. Paul might authorize what he did in punishing and pardoning of the Corinthian with the authority of Christ and could lawfully say that he did it in the name vertue Cor. 1.5 Cor. 2.2 and person of Christ he being but a subiect of the head pastour of the Church with much more reason the cheife pastour and head of the Church may be called the Vicat of Christ he performing and executing that office after a more eminent manner in the name vertue and person of Christ Christ first promised this authority when asking his disciples whom they thought him to be Peter answered Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Then â—esus answering said to him Mat. 16. Blessed art thou Simon 〈…〉 I say to thee thou art Peter that is to say a rocke and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gaâ—es of hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bounde also in the heauens and what soeuer thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the heauens By which it is most euident that some greater dignity and preeminonce was intended to Peter then to the rest of the Apostles First it was a most singular high mystery that which Christ asked and Peter then professed and which before then perhaps was neuer reuealed to any of the Apostles and which flesh and blood could not reueale that is by humane meanes could not be vnderstoode Moreouer Christ then blessed him and spoke vnto him after a most particular and energious manner of speech calling him a rocke which was not his name nor had ary relation to him more then to the rest of his
Apostles but in respect of some mystery to wit as he was to be the prime foundation of the Church amongst them Then the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were particularly promised to him hauing first called him a rocke and promised to build his Church vpon that rocke Which can not be vnderstoode of Christ for Christ spoke not then to himselfe but to Simon besides the Church was then all ready builded vpon Christ but here he speaketh for the future and promiseth that it should be builded vpon Simon whom he called Peter and said thou art a rocke and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and therefor he must not be vnderstoode then to say that he would build it vpon another rocke and not vpon that For although the Church were builded cheefly vpon Christ yet then he spoke of Simon and therefor it must be builded vpon him also to whom he then also said I will giue to thee By all which it is manifest to any that hath not the spirit of contradiction and wrangling about any thinge that Christ did not say here that he would build his Church vpon himselfe but vpon Simon whom therefor he called a rocke And vnto this all the holy fathers agree that he founded his Church vpon S. Peter although they grant also that which is true to wit that the Church was founded vpon Christ and also vpon Peters Confession as a meanes and preparation for the building of it upon his person That which Christ here promised he afterwards performed when before his Ascension he spoke to Peter and gaue vnto him the care of his flocke asking him first Io. 21. Simon of Iâ—hn louest thou mee more then these and Peter answered yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Then he bad him feede his lambes And againe he asked him Simon of Iohn louest thou mee and Peter answered againe Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Christ not contented with all this asked him againe the third time louest thou mee and Peter answering Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Then he badde him feede his sheepe Now what could all this signify that Christ should soe often aske of Peter if he loued him and if he loued him more then the rest and that Peter should againe and againe professe his loue to him and that he should haue the care of Christs lambes and sheepe but that as Peter had professed before the rest his faith in him when he promised the supreme authority to him soe he should professe his loue especially aboue the rest when he gaue him that authority And this authority being ouer the lambes and sheepe it is general ouer all the whole flocke great and litle pastors and people all being conteined in the denomination of lambes and sheepe Eusebius Emissenus Ser. de net Io. Enang he first committed his lambes and then his sheepe to him because he made him not onely a pastour but the pastour of pastors He is therefor the pastour of all for beside lambes and sheepe there is nothing in the Church And S. Bernard If thou louest mee Peter seede my sheepe What sheepe the people of this or that city Ber. l. 2. de consid ad Eugen. c. 8. countrey or kingdome to whom is it not plane that he assigned in particular none but all Tâ—ere is nothing excepted where noe destinction is made S. Gregory It is plane to all those that reade the ghâ—spell that from our Lords mouth the charge of the whole Church was deliuered to Peter Prince of the Apostles Greg l. 4. Ep. 76. It is indeede soe plane in the ghospell that for all the senses which most places of the scriptures admitte and in which the holy fathers haue diuersely vnderstoode them yet as Maldonat hath obserued vpon this place of S Iohn 21. there was neuer any father either of the Latine or Greeke Church that vnderstoode this place contrary to that sense yet Luther and Caluin are soe bold as not onely to question it but also to contradict it and to stande in this contradiction against them all and against the whole Church S. Denis calleth S. Peter the supreme glory and most auncient tuteur and safeguard of dinines De din. nem c 3. And hauing bene present when he and S. Paul were martyred at Rome he writeth to Timothee who was his fellow disciple to S. Paul the manner how they saluted one another before martyrdome ad Tim. When saith he the two pillars of the world were separated Paul said to Peter Peace be with thee foundation of Churches shepheard of the ewes and lambes of Christ Peter said to Paul Goe in peace preacher of the good mediatour and captaine of the health of the iust Thus did S. Paul salute S. Peter with that which was his prime and propper title of the shepheard of Christs flocke The holy fathers also speake in such termes of S. Peter and giue him such titles as planely expresse an eminency of power and authority ouer the rest of the Apostles Hyp. deconsamma mundâ— Tert. prascrip c. 22. Cyp. ep 40. aliâ—s lib. 1. ep â— Pet. Alex ser de poenit Amb. in c. 2. ad Gal. Opt l 2. cont Donat. Cyr. Catech. 2. 1. 17. Greg N.Z. or 7 â—piph haer 51. Chrysosâ—ora 5. in Iudaos Damesus ep 2. Hiero. in psal 13. Hyppolitus Peter the Prince of the Apostles Tertul. The Rocke of the Church Cyprian One God one Christ one Church one chaire founded vpon Peter by our Lords voice Pet. Alex. Peter the Prince of tâ—e Apostles S. Ambrose To Peter alone the grace of the primateship amongst the Apostles was giuen S. Optatus In the citty of Rome the Episcâ—pal chaire was first giuen to Peter in which Peter the head of all the Apostles satte S. Cyril Hieros calleth him the Prince of the Apostles S. Greg. Naz. The safety of the Church S. Epiphan The captaine of the disciples S. Chrysos The Prince of the Apostles S. Damasus The onely Prince of the Apostles S. Hierome Peter the head of the Church S. August Who knoweth not most blessed Peter to be the Prince of the Apostles The primacy amongst the Apostles by speciall grace is praeeminent in Peter S. Leo Peter alone is chosen of all the world to be set ouer the vocation of all nations Aug. tract 56. in lo. l. 2. dâ— bap cont Donat. c. 1. Lee ser 3. de anniuers Assumpt and all the Apostles and all the fathers of the Church Neither doth the supremacy of Christ ouer the Church hinder the supremacy of S Peter in spiritual affaires any more then his supremacy in temporal power hindereth the supreme authority of temporal Princes in temporal affaires Christ of himselfe was the head of all authority both spiritual and temporall but after his ascension into heauen he being visibly absent from vs as he left kings with supreme authority in the temporal gouernment of their kingdomes soe
Rome was once the head of the Church and that he and his pastors had the authority of the whole Church but will say that he and they were fallen into errors and therfor they were bounde to disobey them But this is not a good answere for it is authority which now we inquire after and which we require obedience vnto All doctrines must be tryed by lawfull authority but lawfull authority must not be questioned in doctrine for that there is none to question it For subiects to examine the authority of the Church and the doctrine which it teacheth is to set the feete aboue the head and to subuert all order and gouernment in the Church of God Christ hath giuen Apostles Pastors Eph. 4. and Doctors vnto the edifying of his body that is to the building vp and preseruing of his Church and these must either be obeyed or els they were in vaine and to noe purpose It is therfor preposterous and haereticall to disobey the authority of the Church vnder pretence of errors Neither is there any thinge by which haeretiks discouer and condemne themselues more then by talking of errors in the Church for by that one sheweth that he hath somethinge to say against the doctrine of the Church which is to be an haeretike The head of the Church and pastors of his Communion haue the authority of the whole Church and can not teach false doctrine for if they could we should haue noe certainty of the scriptures or of the sense of them or of the Creede or of any point of faith and this article were in vaine when we say I beleeue the Catholike Church Which being made by the Apostles to be said at all times the Church can neuer teach false doctrine but in all doctrines whatsoeuer and in all controuersys we must cleaue to the authority of the Church as to a firme and sure rocke and allwais say I beleeue the Catholike Church Ep. 48. S. Augustine it is impossible that we should haue iust cause to depart from and to impugne the whole Church They must first shew that the gouernment of the Church was taken from the bishop of Rome and his pastors and was giuen to some others whom they obeyed or els they could not lawfully disobey them vnder any pretence whatsoeuer Authority must gouerne the Church we shew our authority to be the same which the primitiue Church obeyed and we aske them vpon what authority they disobeyed it what head and what pastors deliuered their doctrine to them by continual succession from Christ and from S. Peter This they must shew or els they open a gappe to all haeretiks to disobey the Church when they will themselues vnder pretence of false doctrine If they say they haue authority from an inuisible head and inuisible pastors it is a ridiculous saying As though a company of souldiers who were brought before a Councell of warre for deserting their colours should pretende licence from inuisible officers or as rebels who being accused for resisting of lawfull authority should pretende a commission for what they did and being required to shew it should say that it were inuisible soe we aske them vpon what authority they disobeyed that authority which the primitiue Church obeyed and they say by the authority of a Church inuisible We bid them shew their commission they say it is inuisible Is not this Ridiculous for this it is enough to say that men are men that is to say a corporal and visible creature and therefor if the Church which gaue them authority were a congregation of men it was visible and if it were the true Church it was most eminently visible as a candle not hidden but set in a glorious candlesticke that all might see it and see by it what they were to beleeue for true and as a city on a hill conspicuous to all teaching preaching administring sacraments and gouerning of people after a glorious and eminent manner that all might haue recourse vnto it To alleadge onely an inuisible authority is to shew noe authority and shewing noe authority they are noe true Church If they say that they disobeyed not and went not out from the Communion of the Bishop of Rome and his pastors but were thrusten out of it whether they would or noe as a later authour who would seeme wiser then the rest hath vrged it is the weakest of all answeres For if they had kept themselues in obedience to their lawfull gouernors as they ought they could neuer haue bene out of the Communion of the Church They were thrusten out of the Church of Rome as Ozias king of Iuda was thrusten out of the holy temple of Hierusalem a plague of leprosy appearing suddainly in his forehead in punishment of his pride and disobediēce to the high Priest and priests that were with him soe they obstinatly disobeying the head and pastors of the Church that then were departed of their owne accord from the inward Communion of the Church and were thrusten out onely from externall Communion with it least they should infect others with the plague of heresy or schisme which appeared in them Seeing therfor all these answeres to be vaine and groundlesse and that they can shew noe head and pastors in all the world that gaue them authority to teach their doctrine in disobedience to those whom the primitiue Church obeyed they will pretende authority not by succession of pastors from pastors which is the ordinary way but after an extraordinary manner immediatly from God himselfe to disobey the first and to beginne a new gouernment contrary to it and hauing for this an extraordinary calling and commission immediatly from God they needed noe authority from any pastors vpon earth and therefor they will act according to their commission and will be tryed by none nor be subiect to any but God This is the onely answere which an haeretike can make who reiecting indeede the authority of all men that then are must of necessity pretende a particular and extraordinary commission immediatly from God But neither is this a good answere First for that there can be noe such extraordinary commission as to disobey the lawfull authority of the Church of Christ it being builded vpon sure promises of his perpetuall assistance that it can not faile in doctrine but hauing ordained pastors for the gouernment of it he will haue them allwais to be obeyed and therefor that Church that hath not allwais a continual succession of lawfull pastors is not the Church of Christ Secondly if they haue any such commission from God they must shew it or els they open a gappe for all disobedient persons to runne out of the Church disobeying their lawfull pastors when they list themselues vnder pretence of commission from God And this commission not comming to them after the ordinary manner from pastors to pastors but after an extraordinary sort immediatly as they pretende from God himselfe they haue noe ordinary meanes to shew it but
must prooue it by extraordinary fignes and miracles such as are propper to God onely and proportionable to that kind of commission Soe did Moyses prooue by miracles that he was sent of God soe did Christ prooue his authority by miracles But if they haue neither miracles to prooue extraordinary nor succession of lawfull pastors for ordinary commission but vpon their owne bare word onely will draw men from obedience to their lawfull pastors we must take them for such as Core Dathan and Abiron were who disobeying their pastors and hauing noe commission from God to shew for it they and their followers sunke downe visibly into hell Now for miracles to iustify their disobedience to the Church they neither haue nor can possibly haue for that God will not approoue of any such disobedience but hauing ordained the gouernment of the Church to be by S. Peter as supreme head and by 〈◊〉 Apostles as pastors vnder him and Christ â—auing promised to be with them all dayes to the consummation of the world we must at all times looke vnto the successors of S. Peter and his pastors as to the lawfull authority of the Church of Christ and allwais obey them and we must take those for false Churches that disobey their authority And therfor S. Cyprian solidly rebuketh Nouatus the â—aeretike for separating himselfe from the Communion of Cornelius then Bishop of Rome and concludeth that the Church of Christ being but one and not conteining both those that are with in and those that are out of it those onely saith he are in the Church Cyp. l. 4. op c. who are in the COmmunion of Cornelius successour to Fabianus But that they may not thinke to excuse their disobedience by any pretences I stoppe all pretences whatsoeuer and preuent all answeres that can possibly be deuised by that which followeth They can not deny but there haue bene and are false Churches of christians in the world but there neuer was nor now is any false Church of christians but it might haue if it would the same pretences and haue the same ground for them that any of these haue they being commune to all disobedient and obstinate persons that will stande out against the Church therefor all which any of them can pretende for themselues are but vaine pretences and if euer there were any false Church of christians in the world they are all false Churches As for the first S. Paul saith that there must be heresys Cor. 1.11 Which being held by a Communion of many there is then a false Church He that readeth D Prateolus of the beginnings of heresys and seeeth the absurditys which they haue obstinatly mainteined will easily grant that there haue bene false Churches of Christians in the world He shall finde some against the whole B. Trinity some against one of the Persons some against another some against the diuinity some against the humanity of Iesus Christ some against the blessed Virgin some against the Angels some against the Saints one saith that Christ is the sunne which we see to shine another saith that himselfe is Christ another maketh himselfe to be the Holy Ghost some will haue all to marry some will haue none to marry some soe affected to sobriety that they held wine vnlawfull to be drunke euen to the consecrating of water insteede of it some are running naked others are foming quaking and changing gastly countenances as a signe and point of perfection another cryeth downe learning and will haue noe triall of the truth but by force of armes commanding for that purpose his disciples at his death to make a drumme of his skinne All which I mention in relation to the Apostles words and to my first proposition that there haue bene false Churches in the world and withall to obserue what absurde errors men would runne into if there were not at all times an authority of visible pastors guided by the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church and all were bounde to be gouerned by them Now if any of these were a false Church it was for their obstinacy in those errors and for their disobedience to those pastors which the primitiue Church acknowledged to haue by succession from S. Peter the supreme authority and to the pastors of their Communion as hauing at all times the lawfull authority of the whole Church And these were as I haue shewed the Bishops of Rome and the pastors that were in Communion with them none els hauing any pretence vnto that succession Then for the second proposition I aske any one of those sects that are now out of the Catholike Romane Church what pretence can they haue which is not common to all the rest and which all the false Churches that are or euer were and which they confesse to be false Churches might not if they would haue alleadged for themselues as well as they to excuse there disobedience If they pretende errors in the doctrine of their pastors or if they alleadge priuate spirit or if they pretende authority from the true Church but inuisible or if they say that they were thrusten out of the Church against their wills or if they pretende immediat commission from God to disobey all authority vpon earth in religion who doth not see that all these are but vaine pretences common to all that will vse them and which if they were to be allowed of a gappe were opened for all turbulent and disobedient persons to runne out of the Church vnder some of these pretences at any time when they would themselues Neither is there any thinge which any of them can pretende but that which all the rest may as well take for pretence and all the false Churches that euer were whom they confesse to be false Churches may as well pretende as they And if this be not soe I desire and challenge any wise and learned man of whatsoeuer sect out of the Romane Church to study and to thinke with himselfe of any lawfull pretence and excuse for their disobedience to the Romane Church and then to take some other which he holdeth to be a false Church and conferring them together to propose to his owne conscience whether that pretence agree not as well to the other as to his owne And if he can deuise none which is propper to his owne Church more then to false Churches then I warne and charge him to returne againe to the obedience of that authority which the primitiue Church first obeyed and which the Romane Church hath allwais obeyed and which his Church and all others haue at some time goneforth of and disobeyed and this was as I haue shewed the authority of the bishop of Rome and his pastors All those Churches that are now extant out of the Romane Church went first out of it by disobedience to the head and pastors of the Romane Church and as for Protestants they confesse that they went forth and separated themselues from it Aug. l. 2. cont Crescon c.
33. l. 3. c. 43.44 l 2. cont Gauden c. 3 l. de vntco bap â—â—s c 15. ep 48. L. 2. cont Petâ—lâ— c. 19. as may be seene in The Authour of the Protestant Religion l. 2. c. 11. They must therefor shew some iust cause why they went forth and separated themselues For as S. Augustine alluding to the holy Prouerbe c. 30. often obiecteth against the Donatists The euill child calleth himselfe iust but he can not excuse his going forth And in another place You must come and giue an account of your separation But none of them haue a iuster cause nor can giue a better account of their separation then those whom they confesse to be false Churches therefor they are all false Churches I haue now sufficiently performed one thinge which I promised in the title of this booke The verity of the Roma â—e Cathelike faith is demonstrated by industion from aâ—l other religions to wit to demonstrate by induction from all the religions that are in the world the verity of the Romane Catholike faith As for the atheist he ought indeede to be excluded from all speech of religion for that he hath none yet his prophanesse is disprooued in the first article of the Creede in which the Apostles laid the foundation of religion saying I beleeue in God The Pagans religion is disprooued in the same article in that he beleeueth not in one God the maker of heauen and eaâ—th The Iewish and Turkish sects are disprooued in the second article for that they beleeue not in Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God All sects of Christians that are out of the Romane Church are disprooued in that they haue broken this ninth article of the Creede I beleeue the Cathâ—like Church disobeying its authority in the lawfull head and pastors of it Let them harken to the words of the Holy Ghost Deut 17. If thou perceiue that the iudgment with thee be hard and doubtfull c. Thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuitical stocke and to the iudge that shall be at that time and thou shalt doe whatsoeuer they that are presidents of the place which our Lord shall choose shall say and teach thee according to his law and thou shalt follow their sentence neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand But he that shall be prowde refusing to obey the commandement of the priest which at that time ministreth to our Lord thy God and the decree of the iudge that man shall dy Here now I cry to all those christians that are out of the Romane Church Graecians Arians c. and to all the seueral Churches of Protestants and especially to you my very deere Countreymen for whose soules I haue long hazarded my corporall life You haue contemned this great authority or rather a greater then it was You haue refused to obey the commandement of the priest and priests not of the Leuitical stocke but of the institution of Christ to wit the Successour of S. Peter and his pastors that is to say the Bishop of Rome and his pastors who gouerned the primitiue Church of Christ and were then actually gouerning it when your Churches beganne These you know you haue disobeyed and stande still disobedient vnto General Councels haue declared against you all and especially against the seueral sects of Protestants the Councell of Trent consisting of two hundred and fifty fiue fathers besides the most eminent doctors of the Catholike Church All Romane Catholiks obey this Councell in all points of faith and you disobey it Disobedience to the Leuitical priest and priests by the law of Moyses was punished with death and your disobedience I am sorry with all my hart but I haue noe scruple to speake it shall without doubt if you repent not be punished with eternal death Therefor I coniure you by the sweet merites of Iesus Christ in whom you beleeue and whom you expect to be your iudge to reflect ypon your soules and vpon true religion Call to minde how your Churches beganne and how schismes and heresys beginne and if you finde as you shall easily finde that you haue begunne after the very same manner as they in disobedience to the head and pastors of the Church and to all but your owne wills your beginners were as Core Nu. 16. Dathan and Abiron that beganne diuisions in the Church of God their followers that liued with them were as the followers of the former whom God destroyed also with them and you rising vp to mainteine their disobedience when they are dead and gone are like to those who after their deaths rose vp to iustify their cause and were therefor by the iudgment of God consumed with fire Forsake their company desert that vnlawfull cause and returne againe into the sheepfold of Christ if you desire to be saued THE TENTH ARTICLE FOrgiuenesse of sinnes None can rightly consider these words as made by the Apostles to be an article of the Creede but he must needs conceiue some greater mystery to be conteined in them them onely to professe that God can or doth forgiue sinnes Neither can he in reason vnderstande any other thinge then that there is power of forgiuing sinnes in that Church which they had newly professed This was indeede a gift and priueledge worthy to be mentioned in the publike Creede Christ after his resurrection before he ascended into heauen appeared to his Apostles and breathing vpon them said Io. 20. Receiue ye the Holy Ghost whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen and whose you shall retaine they are retained This was a mystery which the Church of God had great reason to remember and often to inculcate vnto her people and therefor the Apostles hauing professed their beleefe in the Catholike Church in the next place would commemorate this gift and power which the Catholike Church hath of the forgiuenesse of sinnes that with gratitude we might remember it and make good vse of it It is a greater worke saith S. Aug. tract 52. Augustine to make an euill man good then to make the world of nothing Yet it is giuen vnto man to doe this great worke It is giuen I say vnto man for it is not of his owne power but of the gift of God God onely of his owne natural power can forgiue sinnes Esa 43. I am he that taketh cleane away thine iniquitys but he can if he will giue that power vnto men The Apostles had that power by the gift of God as they had of him to worke many miracles which were as hard and vnpossible to nature as to forgiue sinnes Iudges of themselues haue not power to iudge but when the king maketh them iudges and giueth them power then they haue power and may exercize it and the exercize of it is good and valid because the king who gaue them that power setteth them in his owne place giueth them to represent his owne person and ratifyeth the
sentence which they giue soe priests are made of God the iudges ouer soules they beare his person they forgiue sinnes and whose sinnes they forgiue vpon earth those are forgiuen by him in heauen By sinne we become debtours to God he is the creditour who onely of himselfe can forgiue but he substituting others to forgiue in his name his substitutes can validly forgiue and the substitutes of God are his priests To say that men can not haue power to forgiue sinnes is that which the Iewes obiected against Christ and which he answered and disprooued by a miracle shewing by it that himselfe not onely as he was God but also according to his humanity could forgiue sinnes A lame and impotent man being brought vnto him he said Mat. 9. Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And when the Iewes heard those words presently they said that he blasphemed as though the power of forgiuing sinnes had bene soe propper to God that he could not haue imparted it to man But they shall see the contrary and that there was noe blasphemy in his words Wherfor thinke you euill in you harts saith Christ whether is easier to say thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or to say arize and walke but that you may know that the Sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes Arize take vp thy bedd and goe into thy house And he aroze and went into his house And the multitudes seeing it glorifyed God that had giuen such power to men Now let none euer say that men cannot haue power to forgiue sinnes It is soe farre from being a blasphemy or iniury to God to say that he giueth power to men to forgiue sinnes that to say the contrary is a blasphemy and iniury to him to wit that he can not or doth not giue that power to men For as the honour and power of the king is not diminished but rather his loue and care ouer his subiects is demonstrated in making iudges to conserue iustice and order amongst them and especially in giuing power to his iudges to pardon offences done against him soe is it a special demonstration of the loue of God vnto men to giue power to priests to forgiue sinnes which are committed against him And this is that which the Apostles would haue vs here to professe to wit the forgiuenesse of sinnes by power giuen to the Catholike Church He that considereth the euill of mortall sinne how that it woundeth and quite killeth our soules leauing them depriued of the grace of God and guilty of the paines of hell will esteeme greatly of this power and will thinke that there is nothing in the world which soe much behoueth a sinner as the right application of that power to himselfe Esa 27. This is the end and fruit of all that sinne be taken away Saith the Prophet By this our soules when they are as a dead and filthy carrion in the sight of God are restored to the life of grace made cleane and beautifull and all the happines of future life also becommeth then due to them This we shall learne how it is to be applyed in the Sacrament of Pennance where the benefit of it is obtained THE ELEAVENTH ARTICLE THe Resurrection of the flesh How necessary this article was to the establishing of the christian doctrine it appeareth in this that the holy scriptures doe not onely professe it but also prooue it S. Paul prooueth the resurrection of our bodys by the resurrection of Christ If saith he there be noe resurrection of the dead neither is Christ rizen againe Cor. 1 15. And if Christ be not rizen againe then vaine is our preaching vaine also is your faith And he declareth and confirmeth it by the similitude of corne which corrupting in the seede rizeth vp fresh and faire corne againe With these and the like arguments he disputeth against certaine men that denyed the resurrection Tim. 2.2 as Hymenaeus and Philetus who interpreted the scriptures to be vnderstoode of the resurreation of the soule to the state of grace Christ also himselfe disputed with the Saducaeans about this point and confirmed in fact the truth of it when he raized Lazarus to life who although he had bene fower dayes dead and laid then stinking in the monument yet when Christ called he heard Io. 11. and obeyed comming forth fresh and liuely Holy Iob in the midst of all his assictions comforted himselfe with these words Iob 19. I know that my redeemer liueth and in the last day I shall rize out of the earth And I shall be compassed againe with my skinne and in my flesh I shall see God Thus did this holy man solace himselfe with the thought of the resurrection which he saith he had laid vp in his bosome vsing it as a cordiall and antidore against his great miserys Our soules and bodys desiring by nature to be vnited together for the complete and intire constituting of man it stands with reason that they should once come together againe that the soules of the blessed may enioy their desire and be satiated in the naturall appetite which they haue vnto their bodys And for this reason the immortality of the soule and the resurrection of the body is mentioned in the scriptures and was taken by the auncient Philosophers as it were for the same because such is the connexion betwixt them that by the immortality of the soule the resurrection of the body is inserred for if the soule be immortal and haue a natural appetite to the body as being ereated to constitute man consisting of both soule and body then that appetite must once be satiated by the resurrection of the body after death and revnion of the soule to it againe and soe take away the resurrection of the body and you take away the immortality of the soule and then all grounds of faith and the hopes of future life are taken away with it our soules being mortal with our bodys and therefor S. Paul If I fought with beasts at Ephesus what doth it profit mee Cor. 1.15 if the dead rize not againe let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dy And therefor S. Chrysostome calleth the Saducaeans who denyed the resurrection the most pernicious haeretiks that euer were S. Ambrose hauing prooued it by scriptures and by the examples of those who haue rizen from the dead and by reasons which he calleth euident concludeth all in this plane and certaine truth that the corruptions of seedes and productions which we see of new thinges are vnto God the resurrection of the old That which we beleeue by this article is that the very same bodys which liued before although neuer soe much corrupted shall be vnited to their soules againe and remaine for euer with them for if it were not the same body which was before it were not a resurrection but a production of a new thinge and that this resurrection is general to all Cor. 1.15 according to the
against the deuils power Sixtly the corporal life of man as he is ordained to the society of other men requireth a superiour authority to be in some for the gouerning of others and soe an orderly gouernment is necessary for vs in the Church of God and for this we haue the Sacrament of orders in which power is giuen to some in spiritual things Seauenthly for the continuance and conseruation of humane nature a continuall succession and propagation of mankind is necessary in the world and for this the spiritual life of man requireth that it be done by a Sacrament for the orderly propagation of men and the increase of soules to the worship of God This is by the Sacrament of Matrimony which as it is a duety of nature is onely for corporal generation but as it is a Sacrament it giueth grace for the increase of soules in the diuine worship The number of the Sacraments shall appeare furthermore out of the scriptures in that which I haue to say of euery Sacrament in particular The same is declared by diuerse Councels And although the fathers haue had noe occasion in their writings to name them alltogether yet they haue made mention of them all as occasion serued Neither is it necessary that we should assigne the time when euery Sacrament in particular was instituted of Christ We know the times of the institution of some of them and we know that for forcy dayes betwixt his resurrection and his Ascension he frequently appeared vnto his Apostles and taught them many things which they were to obserue in the Church which are not mentioned in the scriptures and we know that the Sacraments of the Church must be of Christs teaching and ordaining We haue for the number of the Sacraments the same authority that we haue for any of the scriptures to wit the authority of the Church which although it declare not the time when the scriptures were written yet it assureth vs of all their verity and soe it doth of the number of the Sacraments ad Casulan S. Augustine giueth vs this rule that for those thinges which are generally receiued by the Church if their beginnings be not knowne they are to be taken for Apostolical traditions but such is the number of seauen Sacraments therefor they are of Apostolical tradition Thus much of the Sacraments in general let vs now come to their particular declarations OF BAPTISME OF THE NECESSITY OF baptisme BAptisme is commonly called the doore of the Sacraments because it is the entrance to the rest necessary to be had before them For vntill we be christened we are not christians and vntill we be made christians we can not receiue the Sacraments of the people of Christ Baptisme is our first spiritual generation and before generation we haue noe operation because we are not soe before baptisme we haue noe spiritual being in grace and therefor it is to be supposed before the rest of the Sacraments be receiued the words of S. Iohn being then verifyed he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God Io. 1. For as we are borne the children of Adam and of wrath in our corporal births soe in baptisme we are borne the sonnes of God by grace through the merits of Iesus Christ As necessary then as generation is to the corporal being of all men soe necessary is baptisme to the being of all soules in the diuine grace and fauour and as necessary as birth is to the perfection of man in this world soe necessary is baptisme to come to the perfect state of glory Vnles a man be borne againe of water and the spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God Iâ— 3. By which words it appeareth that Baptisme is a Sacrament that is to say an outward rite or signe that causeth grace in vs. Baptisme a Sacrament We haue a rite and outward signe in the water and we haue the effect of grace in that the kingdome of heauen is obtained by it Heretiks that would confounde all things in the Church of God haue gone about to take away our christendome from vs affirming quite contrary to the words of Christ that a man not borne of water may enter into the kindome of heauen pretending that children are sanctifyed by their parents faith and therefor will not baptize them But this as I haue said is directly contrary to the words alleadged and in it selfe most absurde in that it maketh the kingdome of heauen to come to children not by grace but by inheritance from faithfull parents and supernaturall glory to be obtained by natural and corporal meanes Children are not absolutly holy in that they come of holy parents good parents are indeede a meanes to thee sanctification of their children by procuring for them that which God hath ordained for their sanctification but the goodnes of the parent can not merit grace for the child nor sanctify him This must be done by applying the merits of Christs passion to children in some Sacrament And soe the children of the Iewes in the law of Moyses were saued by the faith of their parents in this sense that they hauing the true faith applyed vnto their children those meanes of sanctification which God then ordained for them but neither in the law of Moyses nor of nature were children euer sanctifyed by onely being borne of good parents but somethinge was allwais done to them as Circumcision or some other outward signe for their sanctification which although it were farre inferiour to our baptisme yet it was necessarily required there being noe proportion betwixt kinred in blood and the diuine grace and glory S. Augustin Doe not beleeue Aug. l. 3. de anima eâ—â—s origineâ— 9. doe not say that children before baptisme can haue their original sinne forgiuen them if thou wilt be a Catholike OF THE EFFECT OF BAPTISME THE propper and particular effect of Baptisme is to make him that receiueth it to become a member of the body of Christ as being admitted into his Church by it and to dispose and prepare him for the rest of the Sacraments after it The general effect of Baptisme which it hath commune with all the Sacraments is to giue grace to the sanctification of soules and this it doth after soe full and plentifull a manner that it remitteth all sinne whatsoeuer original and actual great and litle and forgiueth all punishment due to it in the next world Rom. 6. We are buried saith the Apostle together with him by Baptisme vnto death That is to the death and destruction of sinne and of all punishment after it We haue a figure of this in Naaman the leptose Prince of Syria who washing himselfe in the waters of Iordan Reg. 4 5. as the Prophet had praescribed to him he came forth soe cleane and perfectly cured that the Holy Ghost saith his flesh was restored as the flesh of a litle child Ezechiel prophecyed of this saying I will powre out
soe doe haeretiks deride the caeremonys of the Church but we haue an answere for them in Dauids words I will humble my selfe both in soule and body to God and will serue him with all my might spiritually and corporally This is a sufficient answere to all obiections against caeremonys There are two kinds of caeremonys Two kindes of caeremonys the one hath a direct and immediate relation to God without representing any particular mystery as kneeling at our prayers or to the B. Sacrament holding vp our hands adorning of Churches and the like The other is of caeremonys which represent some particular mystery as the signe of the Cros in relation to the Passion of Christ and the caeremonys of the masse and of the Sacraments which for the most part signify somethinge of his life or death By the first we humble our selues to God in the condition of our nature the same we doe also by the second and furthermore by them we remember and honour the mysterys which they represent All the caeremonys of the Church are in the same nature as corporal sacrifices Sacraments and vocal prayers outward expressions of our inward affection Neither can there be any thinge obiected against the nature of caeremonys but it hath the same force against them This is sufficient for caeremonys in general Now for the particular caeremonys of baptisme we neede but to shew that they haue holy significations The font consecrated First then the font is consecrated with holy oyle to signify the inward vnction of the Holy Ghost by the grace of baptisme Oyle is a liquor which spreadeth it selfe mollifyeth that which is hard and cureth wounds And therefor may well signify grace which diffused in our harts dilateth it selfe by good works softeneth and tendereth them to the loue of God and cureth vs from deadly sinne and therfor oile is often vsed in the Sacraments and caeremonys of the Church and was vsed in the law of Moyses Exod. 29. Exod 40. by the expresse commande of God in the consecration of Priests and of things that belonged to the Church The tabernacle and vessell theirof the altare of holocaust and the vessell theirof the lauer with the fâ—ote their of all shalt thou consecrate with the oile of vnction that it may be most holy The font being consecrated the child is brought to the doore and stayeth there to signify that we must first lay downe our burden of sinne and ease ourselues of it if we will enter into the house of our Lord. He is instructed in the christian doctrine by the Pater Noster and Creede c. Those that are baptized at yeares of discretion answere for themselues those that can not answere for themselues haue their God fathers to see them instructed in the duetys of a christian God fathers It was the Apostles care as they were pastors ouer all to prouide spirituall foode of instruction both for great and litle and therefor they instituted Godfathers in Baptisme who as nurses might feede yong christians and strengthen them in the doctrine of the Catholike Church That great Philosopher of Athens who liued in Christs time and was conuerted by the preaching of S. Paul was chosen of God for the recorder of the Church in those times and he as an eye witnesse hath declared the vse of Godfathers in these words Dionys part 3. c. 3. Ecclefiashier It hath seemed good to our captaines to receiue infants after that manner that the natural parents of the child should deliuer him to some man learned in diuine things whom as vnder a master or diuine father he leadeth the rest of his life Him whom S. Denis calleth there Diuine father we keeping the very same terme call him Godfather and this office was as you see by institution of the Apostles who were our captaines or els of Christ himselfe He further declareth in what words the Godfather vsed to vndertake his charge saying Ipromise to bring this child to the knowledge of holy thinges that by my serious admonitions he renounce the contrary and performe what he hath promised S. Augustine in a Sermon of Baptisme which he made after easter when it vsed to be more solemnely administred declareth in what things they ought to instruct their Godchildren Teach them saith he to obserue chastity to loue iustice to conserue charity and aboue all teach them the Pater Noster Crede and ten Commandements and the first rudiments of the christian religion This institution of Godfathers was very much to the aduancement of christian piety in all those that were to be baptized who although they were at yeares of discretion yet as yong christians were to be instructed in religion and deuotion Prou. 22. A yong man according to his way when he is old will not departe from it I haue somethinge of this disc 1. treating of instruction The Councell of Trent to auoide confusion in the office of Godfathers hath commanded that there shall be but one either a Godfather or a Godmother or at most both a Godfather and a Godmother Exorcismes are vsed to expell the deuils if they haue gotten any power ouer or about the party and that they may not hinder the due administring of the Sacrament In these exorcismes that power is exercized which Christ promised and gaue to his Apostles ouer vncleane spirits that they should cast them out Mat. 10. The signe of the Cros is often made in remembrance of Christs Passion and to signify that this as all other Sacraments hath its power and vertue from it Imposition of hands is vsed to signify the spiritual cure which is then done Christ declaring to his Apostles that they should cure by imposition of hands Spitle Spitle is put vpon the eares nose and mouth and the word Epheta is said in imitation of the same caeremonys of our Sauiour when he restored the impotent man of the ghospelâ— and to shew the custody Salt which we ought to haue of our senses against temptations Salt is put into the mouth to commende vnto vs wisdome in speech and actions salt signifying wisdome for as it is the seasoning of meates Col. 4. soe is wisdome and discretion the seasoning of our words and deeds Your talke allwais with grace let it be seasoned with salt saith the Apostle And because it is hard to speake much with discretion and without sinne therefor silence is often seasonable and much talke vnseasonable The Creede is said to professe the faith of Christ and the Pater Noster to signify our hopes in his merits which are then applyed The annointing signifyeth our spiritual warrfarre that as wrestlers aunciantly annointed themselues to become more actiue against their enemys soe we against the spirituals of wickednesse Godfathers in behalfe of their children renounce the deuils power and aske baptisme in their name that they may come as volunteers and not forced souldiers into the wartfare of Christ Baptisme is then giuen
eminently blessed aboue the rest of the Sacraments and infinitly blessed in that it conteineth the authour of all blesse These are the words of S. Denis the disciple of S. Eccl hier c. 3. Paul concerning it for it is saith he according to our renewmed master the Consummation of the Sacraments Neither is it almost lawfull for any of the priestly functions to be exercized but this diuine and high Sacrament of Eucharist must be performed It is the highest indeede and most diuine of all the Sacraments because the rest conteining onely the vertue and power of Christ this truely and really conteineth Christ himselfe And therefor the Apostles called it the Eucharist that is to say a high and blessed grace or gift By it the Church of Christ is placed in a midle ranke of honour aboue the synagogue of the Iewes and vnder the cittizens of heauen we being but a litle lesse exalted then they The Synagogue of the Iewes in the law of Moyses had Christ in sigure onely we in the Eucharist haue him as really as the cittizens of heauen but they haue him in glory In the Eucharist all Christ is conteined for although by vertue of the words This is my body c. his body onely be really present in it yet because all his perfections are allwais accompanying his sacred body and wheresoeuer it is there is all Christ hence it followeth that both his body and soule and all the perfections of his diuine and humane nature and all whatsoeuer is in Christ is really in the Eucharist in company of his body If his body were without his soule then it were dead Rom 6. as it was in the sepulcher but Christ rising againe from the dead now dieth noe more Saith the Apostle Christ therfor being now not dead wheresoeuer his body is there his soule is all ouer vnited to it There is then his intire humane nature of body and soule and being that his diuine and humane nature are allwais vnited together there is also the diuine word and nature of God All Christ is intirely in the host and all Christ is intirely in the chalice although vnder different signes and species And Christ is not onely all in all the host and chalice but all Christ is in euery part of them soe that he that receiueth onely the host receiueth as much as he that receiueth both host and chalice and he that receiueth the chalice onely receiueth as much as both chalice and host and the least particle of either of them is as much as all The reason of this supposing the truth of Christs words may easily be vnderstoode for that he did not determine any particular quantity to be consecrated which if he had done then a lesser quantity had not bene consecrated but leauing the quantity indifferent and the least part of it being consecrated as well as the whole it is the perfect Eucharist and perfect Christ as well as the whole Christ being shortly to depart this world would leaue vnto vs a great testimony ef his loue and although his passion and death were sufficient to testify it yet besides them he would bestow a gift token and pledge vpon vs which might allwais remaine with vs as a memorial of him He called therfor his disciples to supper and being there all together he made his wil and last testament amongst them bequething vnto them the most pretious gift that was in his hands to giue and in his blessed hands were all thinges It was his owne pretious body which then he bequeathed and gaue to them and with it all the perfections of his diuine and humane nature and he gaue it not in promise onely and for the future but he deliuered it then to them for themselues and for all good christiaÌ„s for euer And that noe haeretike might misconstrue his will and defraude the world of this pretious Isgacy he declared his minde soe planely and in such termes as could not wel be misinterpreted telling them that it was the very body which Was to be deliuered and that blood which was to be shedd Gâ—r 1.11 For the Apostle sayth that whilst they were at supper Iesus tooke bread and blessed and brake and he gaue to his disciples and said take ye and eate THIS IS MY BODY which shall be deliuered for you and taking the chalice he gaue thanks and gaue to them saying drinke ye all of this For this is my blood of the new testament which shall be shed for many vnto remission of sinnes Commanding them to doe the same in commemoration of him If then his true body and blood was deliuered and shedd it was his true body and blood which then he gaue to them And although as there is noe absurdity soe great but haeretiks wil finde out how to mainteine it the Manichees haue conceited that an apparent body onely and not the true body of Christ was deliuered on the Cros for vs yet now that I heare of there are noe such haeretiks in the world All christians then beleeuing that his true body was deliuered on the Cros why shall not all as wel beleeue that his true body is conteined in the Eucharist seeing that we haue the same authority for it After this the Apostles vndertooke to consecrate the Eucharist and honored it as the very true body and blood of our lord Cor. 1.11 Mat. 26. S. Paul whosoeuer shall eate this bread or drinke the chalice of our Lord vnworthily he shall be guilty of the body and blood of our Lord. and that he eateth and drinketh iudgment to him selfe not discerning the body of our Lord. Thus did the Apostles receiue the Eucharist from Christ and honored it as his true body And the primitiue Church that receiued it from them gaue it the same honour as they did and as the Romane Church now doth That the Rom. Church doth now giue it that honour it is well knowne and that the primitiue Church honored it as much it shall appeare by the sentences of those fathers and first by the honorable names which they giue it Hier. Eccl. c. 3. Ignat. ad Ephes Iustin Apoll Cyp. de lapsis S. Denis termeth it hostia saluta ris the sauing host S. Ignatius calleth it medicamentum immortalitatis antidotum non moriendi the medicine of immortality the antidote against death Iustinus Caro sanguis incarnati Iesu the flesh and blood of Iesus incarnated Cyprian de laps Sanctum Domini gratia salutaris sacrificium perpes holecaustum permanens the holy one of our Lord the sauing grace the continual sacâ—ifice an offering allwais remaining Concilium Nicaen Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world S. Cyr mystag 4. Cyril hath these words of it Vnder the shew of bread the body is giuen to thee and the blood is giuen vnder the shew of wine Doe not consider it as naked bread and wine For it
better for the loue of God to receiue often then to absteine for feare There remaineth yet to speake OF COMMVNION VNDER one kind IT is necessary that we declare why the people receiue onely vnder one kind seeing that Christ instituted it vnder both gaue it to his disciples vnder both and commanded them to consecrate it as he had done and seeing also that the people in the primitiue Church receiued vnder both kinds There are many good reasons for it as you shall presently see but first we wil examine what it was that Christ commanded at the last supper for if he commanded that all should receiue vnder both kinden then all were bounde soe to receiue but if he did not commande it then it is indifferent to receiue vnder both or one kind onely Christ at the last supper commanded his Apostles saying Luc. 22. doe this for a commemoration of mee But it is to be obserued that he said this after the consecration of the bread before he had begunne with the chalice as both S. Luke and S. Paul declare and therefor if he commanded any thinge concerning the kinds of species in which we were to receiue it was of the species of bread that we should receiue in it and not of the chalice which as yet he had not begunne with But the truth is that he commanded nothing concerning the receiuing vnder one or both kindes but he left it indifferent according to conuenience of circumstances which might occurre in the Church and soe the primitiue Church allwais vnderstoode it That which Christ commanded his Apostles was to consecrate as he had done and that they should giue in substance that which he gaue but not that they should giue it with all the same circumstances with which he gaue it to them as is manifest For he gaue it at supper to twelue onely not the first but the last meate of that day The primitiue Church gaue it not after supper nor onely to Bishops or priests who are as the Apostles but to the Clergy and Laity of men women and children and that the first meate of the day Soe that the substance onely of that which Christ then did was commanded by him to be done afterwards but for all to receiue vnder both kindes belongeth onely to the circumstances of receiuing it and therefore it is indifferent And although the Eucharist being consecrated vnder both kindes it be then necessary that in both kindes it should be receiued yet it is not necessary that all should soe receiue it For when Christ said drinke ye all of this Mat. 26. he said soe onely to the Apostles intending to debarre none of them from it And soe if we will vnderstande his words doe this in commemoration of mee as a commande for receiuing vnder both kindes it must be as a commande to some distributiuely but not vnto all the collection or congregation of the Church taking euery one in particular As when God commanded increase and multiply Gen. 1. he commanded not all to marry but onely soe many as were necessary to fullfill the intent and end of marriage with conuenience And therfor the Church hath allwais obserued that at masse which is the publike seruice of God and most special representation of the last supper the blessed Sacrament should be receiued vnder both kindes in imitation of Christs action and performance of his will but that out of masse both Priests and people should receiue vnder one or both kindes according to conuenience of times and circumstances Thus it was receiued in the primitiue Church sometimes vnder one kind onely sometimes vnder both by the people Cyp dâ—lapsis nu 10. S. Cyprian declareth that the chalice onely was giuen to children Euseb l. 6. c. 36. Besad Casars Patrâ— Eusebius and S. Basil that ermits kept thee host in their cells to receiue it because the species of wine could not soe well be kept by them And S. Augustine S. Bede Theophilact and others vnderstande out of S. Luc. 24. Luke that the two disciples at Emaus receiued vnder one kind onely to wit in the species of bread from our Sauiour himselfe For the text sayeth that he hauing broken bread and reached to them their eyes were opened and that they knowing him in the breaking of bread he banished out of their sight soe that as soone as they knew him he vanished away and stayed not to consecrate the chalice By that which hath bene said it doth appeare that it is not of obligation nor was held soe by the primitiue Church for all to receiue vnder both kindes Which is enough for our purpose the Church then being to iudge of the reasons and circumstances when it shall be receiued vnder one or both kindes Now for the reasons why all should not be bound to receiue vnder both and why the people now receiue it not vnder both there are many First for that the species of wine could not well be kept as it were necessary that they should all wais be if all were bounde to receiue vnder that species Secondly many irreuerences would be endangered of spilling the chalice if all both old and yong sicke and lame persons were bounde to receiue it Thirdly many haue an auersion from wine that they can not drinke it Fourthly sufficient wine could hardly be gotten for soe many and frequent Communions as Catholiks God be thanked now vse For these and the like reasons Christ would not binde all to receiue vnder the species of wine but would leaue the manner of receiuing to the determination of the Church according to diuersity of times and circumstances In the primitiue Church the people for the most part receiued vnder both formes it being then necessary for the setling of the faith of Christ that his actions should be more strictly obserued allthough it were in things indifferent and with some inconuenience But now that the faith of Christ is setled in the world those things which are indifferent and were with some inconuenience at first permitted are now to be remedied especially then when the inconueniences grew soe great that haeretical spirits tooke occasion to imagine false doctrines by them as it happened in this very case when Iacobellus of Prague being offended to see some of the people to receiue vnder one kind onely and some vnder both to remedy it would needs hold all to be bounde to receiue vnder both kindes which was contrary to the continual doctrine and practise of the Church and to the reasons alleadged To reforme this errour the Councell of Constance proceeded against it in which Iacobellus his doctrine was condemned and for the future it was ordained that at masse as the special representation of the last supper and commemoration of it the Priest should receiue vnder both kindes both the host and the chalice and that out of masse all should receiue onely the host Soe all inconueniences were taken away a decent vniformity was procured
in the Church and the auncient and true doctrine was better vnderstoode that it was not of obligation for all to receiue vnder both kindes For as the Councell of Trent hath obserued when Christ said vnles you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you Io. 6. He added also he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer By which he declared that the benefit of the Eucharist is receiued as much in the host onely as in both the host and the chalice euerlasting life being promised to those that eate that sacred bread OF THE EFFECTS OF THE Eucharist THE effect of the Eucharist is to giue grace by which we become the adopted children of God nourished and fedd as it were at his owne table our soules hauing satiety in him and obtaining by it the fullnes of his glory That where as according to S. Tract 26. in Io. Augustine by other meate and drinke we seeke to be satiated there is noe true satiety but in this by which we gaine heauen And it is especially gained by this Sacrament both by reason of the more special vnion which we baue with Christ in it and also for that the gift of perseuerance is especially here obtained as by a strong and nourishing bread It remitteth sinne and preserueth from future sinne according to the disposition of the receiuer according to which also it blotteth out the punishment due to it It hath for its propper effect to feede and to strengthen the soule to keepe it in spiritual health and vigour And because for the most part it is receiued with more feruour and sweetnes of deuotion and outwardly in the similitude of bread therfor it is compared to the Manna of the Israëlits which is thought by some to haue had the sweetnes of all tasts S. L. 8. ep 62. Ambrose We haue the Manna euery day rayning downe vpon vs that body which came from the virgin and S. Iohn Chrysostome therefor calleth it the fountaine of paradise from whence sensible riuers flow Ho. 45 to 1. The Saints of God haue bene soe transported with spiritual consolations in the receiuing of the Eucharist that good and authentical writers haue recorded of some who haue liued for diuerse months and of others who for some yeares together haue bene susteined without any other foode S. Katherine of Siena was singularly deuoted to the blessed Sacrament She receiued it euery day except her Confessour commanded the contrary whom she obeyed in all things and noe doubt but that for a long time she was susteined onely by it In her life it is said that as children earne vnto their mothers brests soe did she to the blessed Sacrament and that it often happening that she being in an extasy all the time of masse vntill Communion and then comming to her selfe would say O my Lord although I were dead I should reuiue againe to enioy thee THE SACRAMENT OF Pennance Quest What is the Sacrament of Pennance Answ Pennance is a Sacrament by which we haue the forgiunesse of sinnes in Confession FIRST we will shew that this is a Sacrament in the forgiuenesse of sinnes and then we will declare the parts of it and benefits which are receiued by it Although Luther for the most part denyeth this to be a Sacrament and laboureth with other Protestants to robb the world of the benefit of it yet l. de capt bab he saith that it is a Sacrament There he saith truely for it is soe indeede and hath all that is included euen in the Protestants definition of a Sacrament Apol. Confess art 13. which is to be an outward signe instituted of Christ by which grace is promised And this it shall appeare to be Amongst the many apparitions which Christ made betwixt his Resurrection and Ascension to his disciples S. Iohn hath recorded that once he came and stood in the midst of them and said Peace be to you Io. 20. And when he had said this he shewed them his hands and side and said againe Peace be to you As my father hath sent mee I also doe send you And he breathed vpon them and said Receiue ye the Holy Ghost whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall retaine they are retained This is all which the Euangelist mentioneth to haue passed in that solemne apparition which must therfor include some great mystery Hence it appeareth that this is a Sacrament for where forgiunes of sinnes is promised there grace is promised And this forgiuing and retaining of sinnes being giuen to the Apostles and their successors to be practised by them who vnderstande not the inward of mens minds and consciences the poenitent must declare his sinnes to them that they may know what and how to forgiue or to retaine them And soe there is all that is included in the nature of a Sacrament to wit an outward signe both in the poenitent confessing and in the Priest absoluing and that outward signe instituted of Christ to giue grace vnto sanctification By which the Catholike doctrine is made manifest that power is giuen to the Church to forgiue sinnes For is it likely that Christ would appeare in all those circumstances and mysterious caeremonys giuing them the Holy Ghost for nothing but onely to let them know that God can and doth forgiue sinnes The Apostles esteemed soe highly of this grace that they made the forgiuenesse of sinnes an article of the Creede to wit by the power of the Catholike Church which they had professed in the article before Is it likely that they meant to make it an article of the Creede that God can and doth forgiue sinnes After that they vnderstoode that themselues had power to forgiue sinnes they being sent as Christ was sent and the Holy Ghost being giuen soe particularly then to them and therfor they feared not to practise the forgiuing of sinnes Priests of themselues haue not power to forgiue sinnes for noe man of himselfe hath that power They haue it of God as the vicars and substitutes of him who gaue it them God giu's power to priests as kings doe to iudges Iudges represent the person of the king and Priests represent the diuine maiesty Iudges must be informed and soe must priests iudges giue sentence and their sentences are ratifyed by the king God giueth authority to priests and their sentēces are ratifyed by him he that contemneth the authority of the iudge contemneth the authority of the king and he that contemneth the priests authority contemneth the diuine maiesty Christ hauing made them his iudges and set them in his owne place with power to binde and to loose promising that what they did vpon earth should be ratifyed in heauen That Christ did truely giue this power to the Church his words are as plane as words vse to be and that plane words might not be misconstrued he deliuered them in such circumstances as might binde them as
the Catholike Church but after diuerse yeares preparation the lower Orders being first receiued and after them Subdeaconship after that Deaconship after Deaconship priesthood euery one of the higher Orders in seueral yeares that the dignity of priesthood may be ascended vnto by degrees and with sufficient time of probation The lower orders are fower Porter Lector Exercist Acolyt They are called lower or lesser orders because they haue a more remote relation to the blessed Sacrament then the higher orders haue in which relation the dignity of all the orders doth cheifly consist of priests in consecrating it of Deacons and Subdeacons in assisting about the altare at the consecration of it and of the lower orders concurring in their nature though more temotely to the decent ministring of it The office of the Porter is to open and shutt the doores of the Church to admitte of the faithfull and to exclude the faithlesse out of it and to ring the bells The office of the Lector is to reade the lessons of the old and new testament which aunciently the bishop vsed to expound The office of the Exorcist is to expell the deuill and to hinder his power ouer those who are to be or are allready baptised and to prepare water in the font of which reade the second article of the Creede towards the end This power was giuen by Christ Matt. 10. who hauing called saith the Euangelist his twelue disciples together he gaue them power ouer vncleane spirits that they should cast them out And againe in the same place Cure the sicke raise the dead clense the lepers cast out deuils The office of the Acolyt is to carry the canstlesticks and cruits and to light the candles The office of the Subdeacon is to serue at the altare vnder the Deacon to prepare the altare cloths to wash the palls and corporals c. and to read the epistle The office of the Deacon is to attende vpon the bishop at all times but especially to guard him and the priest at masse and at Sermon and to be as it were the eye of the Bishop to obserue the liues of the people to see that they come to diuine seruice and to informe him of their behauiour within and without the Church The office of priests is to gouerne the Church to offer sacrifice and to remitte sinnes Rom. 1. These are the orders of the Catholike Church Those things that are of God are ordained Saith the Apostle that is they are with order And the more order that euery thinge hath the more it appeareth to be of God And therfor he hath ordeined these orders in his Church that our religion might appeare to be of him and that the B. Sacrament might be worshipped with decency amongst vs. As there are seueral degrees of orders soe there are seueral degrees of priests First there are ordinary priests and then Bishops and betwixt priests and bishops there is noe degree of orders Those who were aunciently called Choriepiscopi that is to say Vicars of Bishops being sometimes onely priests although they had priueleges aboue ordinary priests as to giue lower orders as also Rural Deanes might haue sometimes being inferiour bishops and had licence to ordaine with higher orders but they were not of any order betwixt priests and bishops but either onely priests or true bishops Aboue Bishops are Archbishops then Patriarks then Cardinals and aboue all the Pope Which is an honorable title decreed aboue a thousand yeares since to be given to none but to the bishop of Rome as to the most eminent father of all whom therfor S. Cyril in the Councell of Ephesus called The Patriarke and father of the whole world As the inward acts of our minde which we offer to God are spirituals hosts or sacrifices soe all men may be said to be spiritually priests by their holy and feruerous affections which God setteth on fire in their harts And therfor S. Peter admonisheth all saying Be ye a holy priest hood to offer vp spiritual hosts Pet. 1.2 But although all be priests in the spiritual hosts of their minde yet all may not take vpon them to performe the Ecclesiastical functions of priesthood For this they must be called of God and haue authority from him Hier. 3. I will giue Pastors saith God who shall feede you with knowledge and doctrine And S. Paul speaking of priesthood saith neither doth any man take the honour to himselfe Heb. 5. but he that is called of God as Aaron It is a dignity which must not be taken if not giuen All were not priests in the law of Moyses but onely the sonnes of Aaron to offer sacrifice to God And we reade in the Scriptures of the great punishments of God vpon prowde and praesumptuous men who haue assumed that dignity without order to themselues Soe great is the dignity of priesthood that S. Francis vsed to say that if he should meete with a saint from heauen and with a priest together he would not doe reuerence to the saint vntill he had kissed the priests hands Signifying how much he was bounde to reuerence those hands from which he receiued the body of Christ and for himselfe he could neuer be gotten all his life time to ascende higher then Deaconshipp Bonauen in eius vita For the greater honour of priestshood and that priests may attende better to the performing of that high function the Catholike Church hath all wais annexed chastity to it neuer permitting her priests to marry And therefor those that will be priests must be willing to vndergoe the obligation of a fingle and continent life He that rightly considereth the dignity of priesthood and the preeminence which virginity hath before marriage wil easily condescende to this institution of the Church S. Paul generally councelleth virginity Cor. 1.7 and foretelleth to those that marry the tribulations which they shal haue requiring of those that haue wiues that they be as those that haue not wiues which is very hard for them to be and saith that he that is without wife is careful of those thinges which pertaine to our Lord how to please God but the married man is diuided betwixt the loue of his wife and how he shall both serue God and attende to his family By all which it is manifest that the true and syncere meaning of the Apostle was to commende virginity and to preferre chastity before a married life And as manifest it is according to his words that the inconueniences and distractions of marriage are least suetable to the office of priests who of all men ought to be most vnited and conuersant with God and to follow the example of Christ their master who was a priest and a virgin borne of a virgin S Aug. retract l. 2. c. 2. haer 82. Augustine calleth Iouinian the haeretike a monster for making marriage equal with virginity and saith that this haeresy was soe sottish and fleshly that it could neuer
which they represent they are to be worshipped with a holy and religious worship though relatiuely and secondarily onely the goodnes of the thinge represented being the prime motiue of that worship And this is confirmed for that all men by nature apprehende the iniurys done to the images of their enemys as done to their enemys themselues the prototypes of those images and therfor by the same reason we must apprehende that the worship which we giue to the images of our freinds as to Crucifixes holy pictures and the like is giuen to the prototype represented by them Therefor images are to be worshipped with secondary and relatiue worship for the prototypés sake which is primely and principally worshipped in them That which the Catholike Church doth in this is commended all ouer in the scriptures the arke the temple the vessell and ornaments of it the priests garments and the like being to be worshipped with inferiour religious worship for the relation which they had to God They prayed towards the temple in reuerence to it the vessel of it were not to be touched with vnconscerated hands The ground on which Moyses saw that great vision was called holy Exod. 3. and as such was to be honored with his bare feete when he trode on it onely in relation to the vision that appeared to him in that place Make then this argument That which hath relation to holy things is holy and to be worshipped in that relation images and pictures haue relation to holy things therefor they are holy and to be worshipped in it But it displeaseth the enemys of the Catholike Church to haue it called adoring of images This ought not to displease them for creatures are often said in the scriptures to be adored Abraham being amongst the Hethaits lawfully adored before the people of the Land Iacob adored Esau Gen. 23. and Esau adored him againe Ioseph adored Iacob Dauid adored Saul the Prophet Nathan adored Dauid and we are commanded psal 98. to adore the footstoole of God which must be vnderstoode of some creature in relation to him And if all this satisfy not let them agree with vs that images and pictures as they haue relation to holy things are to be honored and for the name let them call it reuerence honour worship or the like as they please The Catholike doctrine in this was aunciently questioned by haeretiks but is was declared by the Councell of Nyce against them and those accursed that should deny it The Apostles in their canons haue commended the vse of images and pictures to vs and the fathers in their writings haue declared them to haue bene vsed in their times as now they are in the Catholike Church S. Cont. Iul. Basil speaking of the saints saith for which cause the historys of their images I honour and publikely adore For this as deliuered by the Apostles is not to be prohibited but in all Churches we erect their historys S. Chrysostome in his Lyturgy the priest coms forth carrying the ghospell with the Clerke before him hauing a light and turning to the image of Christ he bendeth his head What more could we haue desired them to say Was it now truely said of Caluin that for the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ images were not worshiped these Saints hauing liued farre with in that time Or is it true that which our enemys make their people to beleeue that we committe idolatry by it giuing diuine honour to creatures The contrary is an auncient heresy noted in Marcyon Manichaeus Xenaias and others who were then recorded as haeretiks for it and the wicked Iulian as he Apostatized from the christian faith denying his christendome soe did he also deny to worship the holy images that represented the mysterys of that faith and pulling downe that which the pious woman whom Christ cured of the blody flux had erected of him and which for some hundreds of yeares vntill his reigne had bene reuerenced by christians he set vp his owne insteede of it but the diuine indignation quickly appeared against his prophanesse fire descending from heauen and breaking it in peeces diuided the head from the shoulders of the image of that wicked man Hist Trip. l. 6. c. 1. Eusebius l. 1. c. 13. relateth how that Abagatus king of the Edissens in Syria sent vnto Christ desiting him to come and cure him and that Christ wrote backe letting him know that himselfe could not then come but that after his death one of his disciples should cure him And that a painter being sent by the king to bring him at least the liuely countenance of him when he should haue drawne his picture the brightnesse of his face did soe dazle the painters eyes that he could not goe on with his worke Where vpon Christ tooke a cloth and applying it to his sacred and life giuing face printed his blessed countenance vpon it Lib 4 hist c. 26. and sent it to the king This is recorded by diuerse authors and Euagrius mentioneth the miracles which were wrought by that picture For what end now did Christ thus draw this miraculous picture and send it to the king Was it to be cut in peeces and abused as haeretiks doe the pictures of him or els to be kept and honored for his sake Truely as it was the picture of Christ whom he loued and worshipped he could not in reason but loue and worship it and if he had done otherwise he had not shewed himselfe the freind of Christ The worship of images is not then forbidden by nature but is grounded vpon the nature of images and of our nature who are to worship holy hings And such worship is deduced as you haue seene from the Scriptures warranted by Councels and by practise of the primitiue Church and by miracles and therefor whatsoeuer obiections that can be made against it must either be as they are vaine cauils or plane forgerys of contentious and dissembling men Neither is the worship of reliques as it is vsed in the Catholike Church contrary to this Commandement Reliques but for the same reasons to be allowed of for that we haue noe prohibition either in general or in particular forbidding them to vs but rather the quite contrary as we haue said of images natural reason instructing vs to worship that as holy which hath relation to holy thinges and it is deduced from the Scriptures as before and also by diuerse miracles recorded in the Scriptures to haue bene wrought by reliques The body of a dead man was restored to life by touching the bones of Prophet Eliseus Reg. 4.13 and there vpon it is said Eccli 4◠that the dead body of Elizeus prophecyed And in the new testament the woman that was troubled with an issue of blood came behind Christ and touched the hemme of his garment saying within herselfe If I shall touch onely his garment I shall be safe Mas. 9. And Christ turning vnto her commended her
pray by it For this we will implore the intercession of our Bessed Lady Haile Mary c. Christ the best Pastour that euery was and the forme of all good Pastours teaching his disciples all that was necessary for them to know would not leaue them ignorant in a matter of soe much importance as prayer is and therefore he would not only deliuer vnto them some circumstances to be obserued in prayer as to pray with humility confidence and the like but would also giue them an expresse forme of words to be vsed by them that they might haue it as a pattern and perfect modele to frame all their prayers by there being nothing that can be asked of God but it is conteined in some of the petitions of the Pater Noster But before we come to declare the petitions in particular we will say something of prayer in general and first OF THE BENEFITS AND fruits of Prayer THE benefits and fruits of Prayer are so many and generall that we neede not name any but say all For there is nothing that can be good for vs or worthy of asking but it may be obtained by deuout prayer Io. 15. our Blessed Sauiour hauing promised without exception If you abide in mee and my words abide in you you shall aske what thing soeuer you will Mat. 7. and it shall be done to you And the more to incite vs to pray he saith Aske and it shall be giuen you seekö and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened to you For euery one that asketh receiueth and that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened And in another place the saith Luc. 18 it behoueth allways to pray and not to be weary What more could bee said to commende prayer to vs and to shew the force and fruit of it it is as necessary as our very breath For as we can not liue without continuall breathing noe more can our soules without continuall prayer we will say then that prayer is the breath of our soules And although this be verifyed by continuing in faith hope and charity and in all good works which as prayers please God and obtaine benefits of him yet he would commende all by the name of prayer and bid vs pray always to increase in vs the esteeme of it The seruants of God haue found by experience the force of prayer Deut. 6. What shall we say of Moyses who remained diuerse times forty dayes and forty nights in prayer for the people as himselfe witnesseth and when they were in batle with Amalech as long as he lifted vp his hands to pray they ouercame and when he was weary as his armes failed soe they failed against their enemys In imitation of which Theodosius the Christian Emperour being to ioyne batle with the tyrant Lugenius went first vp vnto a high place where he might behold both armys and besought God that being that the vndertaking of that warre was for his sake he would giue him victory ouer his enemys His prayer was heard Baron an 394. the two Apostles S. Iohn and S. Philip being seene to sigâ—t for him and to turne the weapons of their enemys against themselues Dauid being a King could finde leasure to giue praise to God seauen times a day In imitation of which the Catholick Church commandeth the seauen Canonicall Houres to be said euery day by Ecclesiasticall persons Tob. 8. vnder a mortall sinne Toby being married remained the three first nights with his wife in prayer before that he had knowledge of her professing vnto God that he married her not for fleshly lust but for the loue of posterity in which his diuine name might be honored And she who on the very first nights of her former marriages had buried seauen husbands enioyed Toby with life and health the deuill who had killed them hauing no power ouer him S. Bartholomew is recorded to haue prayed a hundred times euery day and as often euery night and diuerse other Saints are read to haue followed his example Hist trip l. 8. c. 1. S. Paul the Ermit is affirmed to haue said euery day three hundred prayers which he remembred by three hundred little stones before he attended to any other busines And Gregory Lopez a holy man who liued lately in the Kingdome of new Spaine is thought for many yeares at euery drawing of his breath to haue said in his hart in vitu cus Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heauen Amen Iesus By all which we may see the great esteeme which the Saints haue had of prayer and the benefit which they expected by it But now we will speake of that which it hath in particular as its proper and peculiar fruit The first is that by prayer we keepe our harts in humility and submission to God acknowledging by our prayers that he is the supreme power and high perfection from whence all benefits proceed and that we depending of him as his creatures Apoc. 8. come for succour and releife to him and therefore S. Iohn saw the prayers of the Saints as incense which was to be offered on the Altare and the Catholike Church prayeth with the holy King saying Ps 440. Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight Because it is a kind of inferiour sacrifice and hath the effect of it to doe homage vnto God and to keepe vs in humility towards him The second fruit of prayer is that it pacifyeth the diuine wrath prouoked by sinne For although the prayers of a sinner as long as he is in mortal sinne haue noe proportion to the remission of his sinnes or to the releasing of his punishment yet it is congruous and most agreeable to the infinite goodnesse and liberality of God that he should accept of the endeauours of our nature and should grant vs his grace for such endeauours and soe sinners that are out of the state of grace obtaine grace of congruity by praying for it But the prayer of the iust is soe powerfull that after a certaine manner it forceth God as it were by violence to grant that which he desireth and holdeth his hands from punishing of others Euen as strong dammes well fortifyed with stone and timber resist huge inundations of waters and suport their mighty weight soe the prayer of the iust resist the wrath of God and beare of the weight of his indignation from sinners This is expressed in the words of God to Moyses when Israel had adored the molten calfe and the diuine indignation was comming as a torrent to sweepe them quite away from the face of the earth the prayers of Moyses had such power to withstande it that God said Exod. 23. Suffer me that my fury may be angry against them as though he had held him by force from destroying them Thirdly as I said before of sinners that the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and punishments are obtained as it were by violence
God because God sheweth himselfe there in glory as a King reigning in the mindes and hearts of his Saints who are in perfect loue and subiection to him And supposing here that which we prayed for before to wit that it be for the honour of God we may be vnderstoode to pray that our soules may be freed out of the prison of our bodys Phil. 1. and come soone to that happy state as the Apostle desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ The Kingdome of Heauen is the first thing Mat. 6. which we ought to aske for our selues Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the iustice of him and all these things shall be giuen you besides Christ said this to his disciples after that he had delinered the Pater noster to them in which he taught them first to aske the honour of God and then those things which were good for themselues and amongst all those things in the first place the kingdom of heaven Tract 102. This is saith saint Augustin that full and perfect ioy which we ought to pray for and which oll our prayers ought to aime at as the only true ioy Here the Romane Catechisme admonisheth Pastors to excite their people to the loue of that Kingdome by the sentences of holy Scriptures which are indeede frequent enough for it But in order to this it ought to be sufficient that Christ hath said in few words Aske and you shall receiue that your ioy may be full For what ioy should we desire but that which is full ioy and fullnesse of ioy is not to be had but in heauen Euery thing aspireth to that in which its cheife and full ioy consisteth Sensible things to that which pleaseth the senses liuing things to the conseruation of life and those things which haue onely being and noe life delight in that which is according to their nature and seeke to it because there is the fulnes of their ioy And shall the soule of man which is reasonable aboue all these things forsake that which is its cheife and full ioy All corporall things tende with violence thither where their cheife ioyes are and rest not contented vntill they enioy them The Sunne Moone and Planets reioyce in their courses the Starres in their stations and keepe themselues in them because there is the fullnes of their ioy The creatures of the earth are some aboue the earth some within it and some part within and part without it as trees and herbes and will not liue otherwise because there is the summe of their delight The fishes of the Seas and fresh waters seeke allways to be there and striue by violence to that place Light thinigs tende vpwards and heauy things to the centre of the earth because there they haue the fulnesses of their ioy The fulnesses of our ioy is noe where but in Heauen and why doe not we then seeke to it and abhorre all that hindereth vs of it We liue in this world as it is were out of our element in a place most lothsome to our soules a deadly prison condemned to dy continually and in danger of eternall death Rom. 7. What ioy can we take in this condition Vnhappy that I am saith the Apostle who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death The Kingdome of God is diuersely vnderstoode First it is general ouer all the world as he gouerneth and prouideth for his subiects which are the multitude of all creatures Secondly it is more particularly ouer the Catholike Church as the people of a Kingdome gathered together to worship him as their true King Thirdly more particularly yet his Kingdome is with the iust in whose harts he reigneth by grace of whom Christ the Kingdome of God is with you Luc. 17. Lastly his Kingdome is most especially ouer the blessed to whom at the day of iudgement he shall say Mat. 25. Come the blessed of my Father possesse you the Kingdome prepared for you Here we aske that we and all people may soe liue in the Communion of the Catholike Church by Faith and good works that in the end we may obtaine the glory of Heauen For this Kingdome is not otherwise obtained but by such faith as S. Gal. 5. Paul requireth which worketh by charity as by those who haue giuen meate drinke and cloths for Gods sake and they shall be excluded that come with the profession onely of Catholiks saying Mat. 7. Lord Lord open vnto vs but bring not with them the light of good workes Not euery one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but he that doth the will of my Father of which point Saint Augustine wrote a booke de fide operibus in which he sheweth that the Epistles of S. Paul were misconstrued by some of those times as though he required not good works after baptisme cap. 14. but that faith alone did iustify And therefore saith he the other Epistles of Peter Iames and Iude were written to auouch vehemently that fait without good works profiteth nothing THE THIRD PETITION THY will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Man hath not a greater enemy then his owne will when it is not gouerned by the will of God All good things which we haue come by the goodnesse of the diuine will and all euills that befall vs come through the malice of our owne wills The ignorance of our vnderstandings neuer hurteth our soules but when it is voluntary and all our sinnes proceede from thence that either we will not doe what we know is to be done or will not know what we are to doe Esa 5. Hence is that curse of the Prophet Woe vnty you that call euill good and good euill putting darknesses light and light darknesse putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter This curse commeth by the euill of our wills because we will follow our owne blindnes and not the will of God which ought to be our rule and guide in all things The malice of men beganne presently to be much vpon earth and the cogitations of their hart were soe bent vpon vpon euill that a deluge of waters was sent to destroy them This euill was in their harts that is to say in their wills because they followed not the will of God which is sweet and lightsome but their owne wills which are darke and bitter in effect and so haue all the euils of the world come Therefore we are topray and to labour with ourselues for conformity with the will of God Besides we not knowing what is best for vs aske that some times which is hurtfull as sicke folkes in a feauer desire that which hurteth them and as children who would take poison for treacle if they had there owne wills and therefore sicke folkes and children haue keepers whose wills they must follow and be directed by We are as children in our wills and vnderstandings both deficient by sinne God is our
Word it may be said to be infinite in grace The fullnes of his grace was also eminent aboue all in that grace was giuen to him as to the head source and fountaine which was to serue vs all with grace of his fullnes saith S. Iohn all we haue receiued noe grace being euer giuen to any but as flowing from the merits of his passion Next vnto Christ the B. Virgin had the greatest fullnes of grace For grace is giuen vnto creatures with proportion and in order to the offices and dignitys to which God designeth them and soe the B. Virgin had a greater proportion of grace then any Angell or Saint had for that she was designed to a higher office and dignity then any Angell or Saint was Her grace was to be such as might render her worthy to be the woman whom God would choose aboue all women to take flesh of to nourish him in her wombe to bring him forth to the world to haue the charge of his infancy and education and to haue him subiect vnto her as the Euangelist declareth him to haue bene For all which a great measure and proportion of grace was necessary that as her charge and dignity was eminent aboue all soe might her grace be suetable vnto it In the third place is the fullnes of grace which the Angels and Saints had to the fullfilling of those works to which God had ordained them And soe S. Steuan had fullnes of grace in order to the well performing of a Deacons office to confounde the Iewes and to be the first martyr and encourager of others to suffer martyrdome for Christ by his example and soe to enter into glory Soe that Christ according to his humanity was most eminent in grace goodly of beauty aboue the sonnes of men Ps 44. in that his humane nature was vnited to the diuine word and was the fountaine of grace to vs. Our Blessed Lady was next to him in that she had the highest office and greatest charge in relation to the mystery of the Incarnation The Angells and Saints were in a lower degree then she yet they also had fullnes of grace in their measures and in proportion to their offices They all haue fullnes of grace but in seuerall kindes and in a different nature The Angels and Saints in the lowest place our B. Lady aboue them and Christ in a higher nature transcending both them and her And our B. Lady had not onely a higher nature of grace then the Angels and Saints had but she had also a greater capacity in her soule which God created as a more ample and capable vessell conteining a greater measure of grace then they could conteine although full also in their measure and capacity and therefore she is compared to that huge vessell called the Sea Reg. 3.7 which Salomon caused to be made for the Temple which conteined ten thousand gallous according to Authors and vnto the maine Ocean Chrysol ser 146. Albert. sup missus Bonau in spec virg cap. 2. But it is to be obserued that our blessed Sauiour being not onely creature according to his humanity but also the Creatour of the world according to his diuine nature hee is not to be numbered in the number of creatures and therfore the Saints and holy Fathers commonly say that our B. Lady in grace and glory surpasseth all creatures not numbring Christ and so wee say properly that she is aboue all pure creatures that is to say onely creatures But that wee may not seeme to exaggerate towards her prayses more then due and to say any thing without good grounds you shall see as much and more then we haue said to be grounded vpon the solidity of many bundreds of yeares standing euer from the times of the primitiue Church of Christ for the first six hundred yeares when the very enemys of the Catholike Church that now are confesse the Christian Faith to haue bene most pure from errour and the Church most flourishing the holy and learned men of those times haue setforth her prayses after the same manner and in the very same termes which wee now vse and haue prayed vnto her calling her Mistres Lady Queen Mother of God and the like titles to honour her and to increase the denotion of people vnto her First in the first age Saint Iames the Apostle in in his Lyturgy which he made for the Church service would not omitt to make a commemoration of her But beginning the words of the Haile Mary as the Angell did he repeateth them and calleth her most holy vndefiled blessed aboue all our Queene Lady Mother of God Saint Ignatius liued in the same age was disciple to Saint Iohn Euangelist and died a glorious Martyr in the next age after hedeclareth how greatly she was honored euen then when she liued that multitudes of people came to visit her when they were cōuerted to Christianity Great is the concourse of people saith he that goeth to see the Queene of Heauen Ign. ep 1. and to heare her and againe hee calleth her the Mistres of the Christian Faith Saint Denis first Philosopher of Athens and then the disciple of S. Paul in his booke de diuinis nominibus cap 33. relateth how that himselfe after his conuersion went to see her for that she was left to be the comfort and ioy of Christians after the Ascension of Christ and in his Epistle to Timothe hee describeth the manner of her departure out of this life how that all the Apostles except S Thomas being brought together miraculously from the severall parts of the world to be present at her death with deuout Canticles they celebrated her funerals for three dayes the Angels ioyning their heauenly melody with them and that Saint Thomas comming the third day and desiring to see her sacred corps her tombe was opened that he might see her at least after her death but he saw her not for that she was not there to be seene A great sweetnes issued out of the Sepulcher and the linnens in which she was wrapped were left in it but her sacred body was not there Thus Saint Denis and he concludeth this narration saying That it could not bee thought but that as God would preserue her Virginal body free from corruption in the Conception of her Sonne soe he would preserue it from corruption after her death and Assume it to the glory of Heauen before the generall glorification of other bodys at the day of iudgment Saint Iohn Damascen relateth this history out of S. Denis De dorm deip whom he citeth as an eye witnesse of it and sayeth that her tombe and linnens that were left in it were transferred in the time of the Emperour Marcion with great solemnity from Hierusalem to Constantinople Saint Augustine doth not onely approoue of the corporall Assumption of our blessed Lady into Heaven but also prooueth it as most congruous to the dignity of the Mother of God Aug. de Assump
to 8. That saith he the sacred body of which Christ tooke flesh and vnited together the diuine and humane nature should be giuen to the wormes to eate I dare not say it nor can I thinke it Thus much out of saint Iames saint Denis and saint Ignatius for the first age In the second age liued S. Irenaeus and Tertullian both of them haue set forth her ample prayses comparing her by contrarys to Eue Iren. l. 5. Tertl l. de Incarnat Christi who was our mother that caused our fall hurt and losse of Heauen but the B. Virgin is our Mother by whom wee are raised cured and restored to heauen againe And in respect of the power which her prayers haue with God S. Irenaeus calleth her the Virgin Aduocate of Eue the Virgin In the third age liued Origen a man of such parts to 3. ho. 1. and so well deseruing in his former yeares that he had a chaire of publike lecture of diuinity in the Schooles of Alexandria when he was but eighteene yeares of age he speaking of Christ and his Mother hath these words His Mother mother immaculate mother incorrupted mother vntouched His mother whose mother the mother of the onely begotten Sonne of God O great Sacrament the same a virgin and the mother of our Lord and a little after of this onely begotten Sonne of God this is the mother the Virgin Mary The worthy of the worthy one the vndesiled of the holy one the freind of the only one Tertullian liued in this age although he seemeth to haue flourished most in the former Saint Athanasius also liued in this age but flourished most in the next where I goe to cite him In the fourth age S. Athanasius flourished who opposing himselfe against the Arian haeretiks for forty six yeares in which he was Bishop was the prime pillar of the Catholik Church in the easterne parts of the world In these words he soundeth the blessed Virgins prayses and prayeth to her It becometh vs to call thee the regenerating mother Mistres and Lady for that our King Lord and God sprang forth of thee Athan in euang deip The Archangell gathered the first fruits of thy prayses when he spoke that glorious hymne Haile full of grace c. So doth the first front of Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims salute thee and so doth the second Hierarchy of Dominations Vertues and Powers and so doth the third of Angels and we the terrestriall hierarchy admonished by them extoll thee with a lowd and cleere voyce saying Haile full of grace our Lord is with thee Pray for vs ô Lady ô Mistres ô Queene ô Mother of God In the same age liued S. Ephrem who calleth her Holier then the Seraphims with out comparison more glorious then the supernall hosts The hope of the Fathers the glory of the Prophets the prayse of the Apostles Virgin before her child bearing and after it In this age also liue Saint Hierome S Chrysostome Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine whom God raised as glorious lights to illustrate his Church in those blind and obstinate times of the Arian herely being at the hight And they haue said so much in deuotion to our blessed Lady that I know not where to beginne their Sentences You may read in S. Hier. ep de Nat. Mar. ad Crom. Heliod to 9. Hierome the miraculous manner of her Conception of S. Anne an aged and barren woman and how the name of MARY which in Hebrew is to say MISTRES or LADY was brought for her by an Angell from Heauen Who also foretold to Ioakim her father that she should bee blessedamong women and how she was consecrated to the seruice of God at three yeares old in the Temple and attended their being gouerned by priests Esa 11. and how that the Prophecy of Esay was litterally denoted in S. Ioseps rod which miraculously flouriâ—hed to assigne him as a worthy husband for her And in another place hee calleth her the life Epist ad Paul Enstoc rule and discipline of all and saith that as there is none Holy to compare with God so there is none perfect in comparison of her Saint Chrysostome Truely this Virgin is the miracle of the world Chry. in hypa dom She alone surpasseth in greatnes both Heauen and Earth For what is there holier then her not the Prophets not the Apostles not Martyrs not Patriarks not the Angels not the Thrones not the Dominations not the Cherubims not the Seraphims nor any other thing is there to bee founde greater or more excellent then her either amongst visible or inuisible creatures You may see in the second book which S. Ambrose wrote of Virgins and in S. Augustins sermons of her Natiuity and Assumption the deuotion which they bore to her In the next age beganne Nestorius his heresy the professed enemy of Christ and of our blessed Lady so farre as to deny vnto him one onely person of God and by consequence to robbe her of her prime title and honour of the Mother of God Many holy men beganne then to bestirre themselues for the honour of Christ Cyr. cont Nestor and his Mother but Saint Cyrill of Alexandria was his prime Antagonist and next vnder God the prime defendour of the Catholike cause who thus expresseth his deuotion to her Praise be to thee ô Holy Trinity to thee also be praise Holy Mother of God Thou art the pretious pearle of the world Thou art the candlestike of vnquenchable light Orat. de dorm deip the Crowne of virginity the Scepter of the Catholike Faith In the sixt age liued Andreas Hierosolymitanus Bishop of Crete who calleth our blessed Lady a saint holier then the Saints the most holy treasure of all sanctity Eusebius Emissenus liued in the same age who speaking of our B Lady was strucken with astonishmeÌ„t that he knew not what to thinke of the greatnes of her graces For saith he if she were full of grace before she conceiued what shall we thinke her to haue bene after it But what what then shall we thinke her to haue bene after so many yeares of continuall and such intimate conuersation with Christ she being his mother and he her master Thus you haue the deuotion of the auncient Fathers to our blessed Lady for the fist six hundred years of the Faith of Christ declaring a farre different spirit in them from those who wickedly blaspheme her or derogate from her praises or but any way sleight them as the moderne enemys of the Catholike Church commonly doe I might produce the Sentences of holy men in following ages vnto our dayes to shew the contiruance of that first and auncient denotion to her to haue bene at all times in the Catholik Church I might alleadge the words of S. Anselme Auth. Protest relig l. 1. c. 6. § 3. Saint Bernard Saint Bonauenture Saint Thomas of Aquine the denotion of S. Dominike S. Francis and of many other Saints some of whom
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
And whence is this that the Mother of my Lord doth come to mee And then the blessed Virgn in the spirit of prophecy reciprocally beganne to sing My soule doth magnify our Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my sauiour c. all generations shall call mee blessed Because he that is mighty hath done great things to mee c. How great may we thinke the ioy of Saint Ioseph and Zachary to haue bene and of all that house to see this blessed meeting and heauenly exultation All that was here done and said was in honour of him who was the fruit of our blessed Ladys wombe This fruit was blessed in many respects First for that it was diuine and had all the diuine perfections and yet was the fruit of her wombe Secondly for that Christ is the fountaine and otigen of all our blesse by his merits Thirdly for that according to the same humane nature he was in himselfe more eminently blessed then any Fourthly for that this fruite came of a better stocke then any to wit of the holy Ghost and of the blessed Virgin Fiftly for that this fruit was the onely antidote against the forbidden fruit In all these respects it was most blessed And if you would know what fruit is here vnderstoode it is IESVS Blessed then is the fruite of thy wombe IESVS Which word is here added by the Church to specify the fruite and to honour the blessed name of him who was as properly the fruit of our B. Ladys wombe as other children are the fruit of their Mothers wombes nay more properly and particularly then others for where as all others come of both father and Mother he came of her onely without a father HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD. THESE words and all that follow are added of deuotion by the Church and are thought to haue bene first vsed by occasion of Nestorius his heresy who as he conceited two persons in Iesus Christ the one diuine the other humane soe he would not haue his mother to be called the Mother of God But this title was presently allowed of by the Councell of Ephesus as due to her and Nestorius was condemned as an haeretike But now after a thousand yeares and more Caluin starts vp wiser then the whole world saying that we honour her onely for a corporal respect of propinquity in blood with Christ But Caluin saith not truely Calu. in Io. 7. We honour her indeede for her propinquity in blood with Christ but not onely for that propinquity for we honour her beside for her eminency in grace and for the vertues and gifts with which her blessed soule was endowed and therefor it was not well nor truely said of Caluin that we honour her onely for a corporal respect of consanguinity with Christ But if Caluin thinke that propinquity of blood to be noe honour vnto her and that she is not to be honored at all in that respect and will stande obstinatly to defende that conceipt against the whole Church I tell him that then we must take him for an haeretike and of charity to satisfy him we will shew that the scriptures and that Christ himselfe and the whole auncient Church haue honored her in that corporal respect and not for her vertues onely but also as she was the mother of such a sonne The glory of children their fathers Prou. 17. Saith the holy Prouerbe Why then shall not we honour the B. Virgin as she was the Mother of such a sonne and giue vnto the sonne the glory of a most holy Mother The holy Scripture declareth that Christ honored her and was subiect vnto her Luc. 2. Which could not be for any other reason but for the propinquity of nature which she had with him as she was his mother to giue example to all children to be subiect to their parents And why shall not we honour that which Christ honoured in her S. Elizabeth blessed her in that respect to wit for the fruit of her wombe and thought it a high and vndeserued honour for her to be visited by the mother of our Lord. She well knew her great vertues and eminent sanctity yet she was not inspired to blesse her for them onely but also and that particularly for the fruit of her wombe and in that she was the Mother of our Lord as though in that she had said all supposing her eminent sanctity by consequence of it The woman of the ghospell seeing the spirit of Christ and hearing his wisdome spoke alowde out of the multitude saying Luc. 2. blessed is that wombe that bare thee and the papps that thou didst sucke Of which S. Bede sayth Great was the faith in Luc. c. 49. and deuotion of this woman who euen when the Scribes and Pharisys blasphemed our Lord she with soe much syncerity confessed him that she hath confounded the calumnys of present and perfidiousnesse of future haeretiks She hath indeede confounded all such haeretiks as shall dishonour the B. Virgin or refuse to honour her for her propinquity with Christ And although Christ to exhort vnto holines of life and to shew that it is the inward sanctity of our soules which rendereth vs blessed in the sight of God answered that they are blessed who keepe the word of God and therefor S. Augustine saith that the Virgin Mary was more blessed in that she conceiued Christ in her minde then in that she conceiued him in her wombe and in that she carried him in her hart spiritually then in her flesh corporally because she merited in that and not in this which we all say but neither Christ nor S. Augustine deny but that she is to be honored also for her corporal conceiuing of him and Christ as you haue seene did honour her in that respect She also honored herselfe in it and tooke it as a great blessing of God to be chosen to that high maternity and meant without doubt that all generations should call her blessed in this respect for it is not likely that her intention was to extoll her owne vertues as blessed onely for them but for the great things which the mighty one had done to her to wit for the dignity with which God had honored her in choosing her before all others to be incarnated of her nature and to be borne of her hauing disposed and praepared her with fitt dispositions for that dignity and for this all generations of Catholiks will call her blessed although Caluin will be none of that generation The fathers of the auncient Church gaue her as you haue seene that honorable title of the Mother of God and the whole Church in the Councell of Ephesus decreed to giue it her therefor it is lawfull to honour her with it I say yet more that we may not onely honour her in this corporal respect but we may also with reason thinke that there was noe grace nor degree of sanctity euer giuen to any pure creature but it was most decent
not onely see him but tooke him ioyfully into his armes Luc. 2. and then blessed God singing like the swanne before his death Now thou doest dismisse thy seruant ô Lord according to thy word in peace Because mine eyes haue seene thy saluation The fift ten is said in honour of Christ disputing in the Temple His parents hauing bene at Hierusalem to solemnise the feast of the Paschâ— returning home againe and thinking him to haue bene in the company that returned with them they came a dayes iourney and sought him amoÌ„gst their kinsfolkes but not finding him they returned to Hierusalem to seeke him there and after three dayes they found him sitting in the midst of the Doctours astonishing all with his wisedome and answeres These are the fiue ioyfull mysterys The fiue sorrowfull are these First the Praying of Christ in the Garden when the very apprehension of his future Passion was so vehement that he burst forth into a sweat of blood to thinke of it The second is his whipping at the pillar The third is his crowning with thornes The fourth is the carrying of his Crosse when after that they had weakened him with many torments they led him or rather trailed him about the streets of Hierusalem with his heauy Crosse on his shoulders vntil he was soe spout that they who of pitty would not ease him of it in the end of cruelty tooke it from him to prolong his life vntill they had crucifyed him The fift it his crucifying and death All which passages were in themselues most dolorous and next vnto Christ were most greeuous to our blessed Lady who if she were not corporally present at them so as to see euery one of them yet without doubt she was spiritually present at them all and saw by reuelation all which he suffered according to the prophecy of Simeon that a sword should pierce her soule Luc. 3. to wit the sword of sorrow which passed through her sonne In honour of these fiue sorrowfull mysterys we say other sine tenns The fiue glorious are first the Resurrection when Christ rose triumphing ouer death on Easter Sunday the Angell appearing to comfort the deuour women and to the terrour of the souldiers that watched at the monument The second is his Ascension at which the Apostles were rauished to behold his glory The third is the Comming of the holy Ghost on Whit Sunday with terrible and astonishing glory to strengthen the disciples of Christ in the faith of his Ghospell The fourth is the glorious Assumption of our Bâ— Lady whose soule departing from her body in death was presently glorifyed and the third day according to auncient Authors returning to her body to glorify it they were both together assumpted into Heauen for if it bee probably thought of those bodys which arose from the dead in the Resurrection of Christ that they ascended with him glorious into Heauen we can not thinke with reason that the sacred body of which our Lord tooke flesh should corrupt in the earth and remaine soe vntill the day of iudgement vnglorifyed The sift is her glorious Coronation in the Celestiall Court And although these two last mysterys of the Assumption and of the Coronation of our blessed Lady may seeme to some to be the same yet there is a great difference betwixt them her Assumption intending onely her state of glory in generall to wit that she was assumed body and soule into Heaven and her Coronation importing her particular state of glory as she is crowned the Queene of Heauen aboue all Angels and Saints These are in breife the fifteene mysterys of the Rosary The siue ioyfull are the Annunciation The Visitation The Natiuity The Purification of our Lady and the Presentation of Christ The Finding of him disputing in the Temple The siue sorrowfull are The Praying in the Garden The Whipping at the pillar The Crowning with thornes The carrying of the Crosse The Crucifying and death of Christ The fiue glorious are his Resurrection his Ascension The Comming of the holy Ghost The Assumption and Coronation of our blessed Lady When we haue not time or leasure to say all the fifteene tenns in honour of the fifteene mysterys wee may say siue in honour of any fiue of them either of the fiue ioyfull or of the fiue dolotous or of the fiue glorious as we will allwais concluding with the Apostles Creede in profession of our faith It is true all doe not vnderstande that these mysterys are thus conteined in the Rosary nor allways remember them when they say their Beades but the Church of God vnderstoode and remembred them in the approouing and allowing of that deuotion It is not necessary that euery one vnderstande all the mysterys that are conteined in his prayers but he shall please God if he conforme his intention to the intention of the Church in them Luc. 3. although he vnderstande them not Who can vnderstande saith Saint Augustine all the ceremonys of the Church yet we please God in obseruing them because we conforme our intentions to the intention of the Church which was directed by the holy Ghost to ordaine them It were indeed very good that all vnderstoode the mysterys of the Rosary and therefore we expounde them And it were very good that all remembred them when they say their Beades and therefore before euery ten I vse to mention in particular the mystery of that ten as for example before the first Patâ—r Noster Isay Blessed Mother of God by thy Annunciation pray for mee Before the second I say Blessed Mother of God by thy Visitation pray for mee and so forth of the rest whether I say the whole Rosary or onely fiue tenns of it by which meanes one shall attende better to the deuotion which he is performing and performe more expresly that which the Church intendeth by it which is to set holy obiects before our eyes and to propose to our consideration the mysterys of our faith The intention therefore of the Catholike Church by the Rosary is to keepe the ignorant especially those that can not reade imployed in this deuout exercise and to propose vnto all the remembrance and consideration of holy things From whence proceedeth that coldnesse loosnes and auersion from good works and holy exercises which is in many but from the want of consideration of pious things Hier. 12. with desolation is all the land made desolate saith Hieremy because there is none that considereth in the hart Good obiects proposed are the seede of good thoughts and bring forth good purposes and good works The feede must first be sowne in the senses that by the vnderstanding and will the fruit of good works may be produced and therefor as holy Iacob placed rodds of diuerse colours before his ewes that they might conceiue and bringforth lambes of diuerse colours like them soe the Pastors of the Catholike Church set before their people holy obiects that by beholding them they may conceiue good
Body of our Lord was truely offered as a Sacrifice on the Crosse So in the Eucharist it is truely offered as a Sacrifice at Masse Protestants say that his true Body is neither truely offered as a Sacrifice at Masse nor is the Eucharist any Sacrifice at all nor yet is he soe much as present in it What commeration doe they make according to this doctrine of his death on the Cros where he was both truely present and a true Sacrifice The truth is that they laboring to pull downe the Masse as the cheife and highest worship of God which the Catholike Church had regarded not to take away all commemoration of Christs Passion and to leaue the world for euer after without any Sacrifice at all We haue in the acts of the Apostles Act. 13. where they are said to haue bene ministring to our Lord. Which planely denoteth that they were offering of Sacrifice for if they had bene preaching or administring the Sacraments onely then they had ministred to the people but to minister to God can haue noe other propper signification but to offer somethinge to God In the Greeke text it is expresly they being offering of Sacrifice and Erasmus himselfe Translateth it soe expounding the word lyturgy which the Greekes tooke from thence to signify the Church seruice Missa the Masse Soe that the Apostles had Sacrifice and Masse The Church hath declared this verity in seueral General Councells The first Councell of Nyce Can. 13. and more planely in another Canon which Doctour Kellison mentioneth out of Surius and out of the Reuerend Lord Cuthbert Tunstall the last Cathol ke Bishop of Durham of whose consanguinity I very much glory as a glorious Confessour of the Catholike Church The same after many General Councells is lastly declared by the Councell of Trent in which it is defined that a true and propper Sacrifice is offered to God at Masse Sess 22. c. 1. 2. Holy and auncient fathers haue spoken planely of a Sacrifice in the Church and haue called it by the word Missa the Masse Can. 3. Soe the Apostles in their canons requiring that those who are present at the Church seruice when they haue heard the Scriptures of the Apostles and the ghospell they remaine vntill Masse be done Clem. ep 3. S. Clement who liued in the Apostles times admonisheth the Clergy that they doe nothing without the licence of the Bishop and in particular that noe Priest say Masse with out it Eccl. hier c. 3. Amb. in Luc. 1. Aug. l. 10. de ciu Dei c. 19. 20. Ser. 13. de verb. Apost L. 3. de bap c. 19. Bed l. 4. c. 12. S. Denis the Disciple of S. Paul calleth the Sacrifice of the Church the quickening holy Sacrifice the vnbloody host and victime S. Ambrose sayth that there is noe doubt but that the Angels doe assist when Christ is immolated S. Augustine elegantly describeth the destinction of our inward and outward Sacrifice declaring how that Christ according to his humanity is the Sacrifice and according to his diuinity receiueth it and calleth it the Sacrifice of our mediatour the Sacrifice of our price the Sacrifice of the New Testament the Sacrifice of the Church And in another place he stileth it the onely inconsumptible victime without which there were noe religion S. Bede who liued after them although about a thousand yeares since relateth a notable histoty to setforth the power of the Masse The summe of which is that a Gentleman who serued the King of Northumberland in his warres being sore wounded in batle was taken by the enemy and recouering of his wounds was sold vnto a merchant of London His brother who was a Priest thinking him to haue bene killed said euery day Masse for him and to shew the power and essicacy of the Masse in loosing of the soule from punishments in the next world it pleased God that allwais at that time of day in which his brother said Masse for him the fetters with which he was bounde of their owne accord were loosed from him in soe much that is patrone obseruing it and acknowledging some mystery in it gaue leaue to his bondsman to goe amongst his freinds to procure his ransome It is a story worthy to be read at large in S. Bede who endeth the narration of it in these words this because I know it to be true I would insert it into my Ecclesiasticall History And if it be true as S. Bede saith he knew it to be it must manifestly conclude for the dignity power and efficacy of the Masse according as it is vsed in the Catholike Church and that it is a Sacrificè as we beleeue it to be Finally the Masse is soe auncient and soe planely testifyed by the primitiue fathers of the Church of Christ that a Protestant authour Confesseth that noe beginning there of after the Apostles times can be shewen Ascham apol pro Coena Do. Calu. in Heb. 9. Which when Caluin saw to be true he could not conteine himselfe but broke forth into these irreuerent words that the destinction of a bloody and vnbloody Sacrifice is a Scholastical and friuolous innention adding another farre worse terme which I will not repeate and concludeth nil moror quod veteres scriptores sic loquantur I care not for auncient writers saying soe Noe Caluin cared not for auncient writers sayings but good Catholikes care for them It shall allwais be a comfort to vs to haue our doctrine confirmed by the sanctity learning and antiquity of such writers as I haue produced in testimony of the Masse and by such miracles as S. Bede hath related which I needed not to haue mentioned ouer againe but for Caluins rash words We shew by such writers that it was the doctrine of the auncient Catholiks and we beleeue it to be true because the whole Catholike Church doth soe beleeue And this whole Church was contradicted by Caluin when he beganne his doctrine in opposition and disobedience to all the Churches of the world And for this I will adde further the words of the Apostle we haue an altare Heb. 13. where of they haue not power to cate that serue the tabernacle He speaketh there to some who being conuerted from Iudaisme to the faith of Christ were still inclining to the Iewish Sacrifices and to disswade them from this he compareth together their altare and ours and preferreth ours By which it is manifest that we had a Sacrifice in the Apostles times for what are altares for but to offer Sacrifice on and the Apostle comparing these two altares together must suppose and vnderstande their Sacrifices by them for the altares are not eaten but the Sacrifices which are offered on them and therefor as the Iewish altare had a Sacrifice which was eaten soe had the altare of the Apostles or els there is noe comparison betwixt the two altares nor connexion in the Apostles speech To the former authoritys I adde this reason The
worship of Sacrifice hath allwais bene vnderstoode as the cheife and highest worship of God but the true Church of Christ must haue at all times the cheife and highest worship of God therefor the true Church of Christ must haue at all times the worship of Sacrifice Neither can there any good answere be made to this argument For if they say that Christ as he was once offered on the Cros is the Christian Sacrifice sufficient for vs and therefor we neede none after it it is not a good answere nor satisfyeth any more then if one should say Christ worshipped God for vs therefor we neede not to worship God after him or Christ fasted prayed and suffered for vs therefor we neede not to fast or to pray or to doe any good works but onely to beleeue in him and we shall be saued and soe we should banish the worship of God and all good works out of the world and set vp a sole and onely iustifying faith as they doe grounding themselues vpon such vaine and friuolous inferences of their owne braine which they will mainteine against all the authority of the whole world Christ saued vs by the Sacrifice of the Cros that is by the merits of that Sacrifice he procured meanes for our saluation and these meanes are faith and good works and the best of all works and most honorable to God is the offering of a Sacrifice And as Christs worship and good works doe not hinder and cuacuate ours noe more did his Sacrifice hinder and cuacuate all Sacrifice for euer after but he would institute a sacrifice for his people that by it they might apply the merits of his sacrifice to themselues and that it might be the most worthy of all sacrifices he ordained it to be in his owne sacred body mysteriously yet really offered in the Eucharist Which as it was the most perfect of all corporall things was indeed the most conuenient sacrifice for the Law of Christ yet if we did not offer that body as then truely and really present with vs but offered it in our harts onely as it was present on the Crosse and as it is now in Heauen it were not the offering of some present corporall thing as all people haue euer vnderstoode a sacrifice to be Hence it appeareth how vainly they obiect the wordsof the Apostle calling Christour High Priest Heb. 7.9.10 who by one oblation hath consummated for euer those that are sanctifyed Therefore say they all other oblation is needlesse and derogateth from that of Christ as though it were not sufficient To which it is answered that the words of the Apostle are most holy and true Christ is our high Priest and our onely high Priest for the highest of all others Priests is but the Vicar of Christ our Highest Priest He consummated by way of redemption the sanctification of all those that are sanctifyed and by one onely oblation he saued all that are saued in that by it onely he redeemed vs. What then Therefore there needdeth no more sacrifice for our redemption It is true Therefore all other sacrifice for our redemption derogateth from that It is also true And this is all that the Apostle sayeth Where is now their argument Therefor there needeth noe continuall sacrifice to conserue the worship of God and to giue supreme and due homage to him It is false and no better consequence then as I said before Christ worshipped God for vs therefor we neede not to worship him The cheife worship of God is by sacrifice and this worship was giuen him by Christ for vs is it now good consequence Therefor we neede not to giue that cheife worship to God Christ offered sacrifice for our redemption but to receiue the benefit of it we must doe our parts and that is as I haue said to receiue the Sacraments offer sacrifice and doe other works which he hath ordained to be done by vs in the Catholike Church for the honour of God and the sanctifying of our soules and therefor saint Iohn attributeth our sanctification to our selues Io. 1.3 Euery one that hath this hope saith he sanctifyeth himselfe that is by cooperating with God Cor. 1.3 and the Passion of Christ and therefore saint Paul saith we are Gods coadiutors for that we concurre with him to the good works which we doe and so by offering of sacrifice we concurre with Christs sacrifice and oblation consummating ours by being once offered for our redemption by which he giueth vertue to all our good works And this is all that the Apostle would say as is manifest both by the circumstances of his speech and also by his words for he spoke then to those of the Circumcision that they should not looke backe to the sacrifices of their former law for that they being but shaddowes of that of our redemption and figures to praefigure it as then future and which is now fullfilled to continue them after the Passion of Christ was as much as to say that our redemption was not fullfilled and that Christ by one oblation had not perfectly redeemed vs but that he were to suffer againe or els they were false figures in signifying that as future which were past and therefor in the Epistle he saith that if Christ had not offered one host for sinnes he ought to haue suffered often Hebr. 9. The Apostle therefore speaketh of the iewish sacrifices that they were not to be continued for that the sacrifice of our redemption which they signifyed as future was but one and that allready offered And those that alleadge his words against a continuall sacrifice abuse their heares and the word of God But they say that the Eucharist is but a commemoration of the sacrifice of the Crosse representing it therefore noe true sacrifice and much lesse the same that was then offered It is necessary therefore to declare how THE MASSE IS A COMMEMOratiue or representatiue sacrifice yet a true Sacrifice of the same Body that was offered on the Crosse CHRIST at the last supper tooke bread into his hands and gaue to his disciples saying Cor. 1.11 This is my body which shall be deliuered for you This doe ye for the commemoration of mes In like manner also the Chalice saying This Chalice is the now Testament in my Blood This doe ye as often as you shall drinke for the commemoration of mee And saint Luke hath Luc. â— 2 This is my Bâ—dy which is giuen for you doe this for a commemoration of mee And this is the Chalice the neâ— Testament in my Blood which shall be shed for you By which we beleeue that Christ then offered his true body in sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine and commanded his Apostles to doe the same They did so and the Catholike Church hath done so euer since in commemoration of his Passion which he then commemorated both in the consecration of the bread and of the wine expresly mentioning it in
Phil. 2. how much more shall they bow vnto himselfe In like manner the Chalice is consecrated and eleuated that all may adore our Sauiour in it And after the consecration that the Priest hath touched the sacred host he openeth not his singars to touch any other thinge vntill after the consummation that he purifyeth them The sonnes of Caath who were also clergy men of the tribe of Leui and were to carry the arke altare and vessell theirof at the remouing of the campe were not to touch them least they dy Nu. 4. With what reuerence then ought we to touch our sacred host insinitly more perfect then any thinge which they had The reuerence which God commanded them was but in figure to commande more to vs. The consecration is the cheife part of Masse and conteineth indeede the essence of the whole Masse for the death of Christ being then represented the host is offered and consummated also representatiuely and soe it hath euen then the nature of a perfect representatiue or commemoratiue Sacrifice and is a true Sacrifice as I haue shewed After consecration he maketh a commemoration for the dead Memento frr the dead Lib. de cura pro mortuis Which is an institution of the Church highly commended by S. Augustine as most profitable for the soules of many poore people who not hauing meanes to gett themselues prayed for nor freinds to procure prayers to be said in particular for them are not onely partakers of all the suffrages of the Church but also of charity prayed for in euery Masse The Pater Noster is said to professe that all our petitions are asked hoped for Pater Noster and obtained through the merits of Christs Passion who commanded his Apostles Mat. 2. aske and it shall be giuen you It is not meete saith S. Gregory that at Masse when soe many deuout prayers are said which holy men haue made the Pater Noster should be omitted which Christ himselfe made as the best of all prayers The sacred host is diuided to signify the separation of the body and soule of our Sauiour at his death A particle of it is put into the chalice to signify their meeting and revnion againe at his Resurrection For although both the body and soule of our Lord be really conteined in the Chalice as well as in the host yet because the forme of wine representeth the blood of our Sauiour therefor it may more properly signify his soule the Philosopher affirming Agnus Dei. that the blood is the seate of the soule Then Agnus Dei is said that is lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy on vs. To remember the patience and mildnes of Christ who went as a lambe to the slaughter without resisting or opening of his mouth but permitted himselfe to be bounde by his enemys and if they would to naile him to the Cros and in the end as a lambe bowing his head he gaue vp the ghost Io. 19. Esa 16. Io. 1. Apoc. 5. Pax. And therefor in the Scriptures he is often called a lambe and S. Iohn Baptist seeing him comming towards him said behold the lambe of God Behold him that taketh away the sinnes of the world The Priest kisseth the Pax and then the people kisse it to commende charity peace and concord to Christians as the Disciples of Christ I know not what other kisse the Apostle could meane when he admonished the Corinthians Cor. 2.13 salute one another in the holy kisse but to mutuall charity by some such holy kisse as this which was then vsed in the Catholike Church Then the Priest prepareth himselfe with deuour prayers to receiue the Communion Domine non sum dignus and humbling himselfe with profound reuerence before the sacred host he sayeth Domine non sum dignus c. Lord I am not worthy c. Professing himselfe vnworthy to eate of that Sacrifice in which our Lord and Sauiour is receiued as the humble Centurion who requiring of Christ that he would cure his seruant when he answered that he would come and cure him he thought it too great an honour for him to receiue Christ into his house and said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter vnder my roofe Mat. 8. but onely say the word and my boy shall be healed Soe the Priest going to receiue Christ in the B. Sacrament sayeth Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roose but onely say the word and my soule shall be healed Which words may be said by the people also when they are going to receiue that diuine guest And they are commended also by S. Iohn Chrysostome in his Masse as propper for that time After Communion the Chalice being purifyed and all things decently composed about the altare the booke is turned to the right side againe Post-communion to shew that in the end of the world after Antichrists persecution the ghospell of Christ shall be receiued by the Iewes Then followeth the Post-communion which is the third part of the Masse and conteineth a deuout thanksgiuing to God for the mysterys that are celebrated and representeth the time after the death of Christ of his resurrection vntill his Ascension Then the Priest commeth into the midst of the altare and kisseth it is as it were in congratulation of both Iewes and Gentils receiuing the faith of Christ and turning againe to the booke he concludeth the last prayers which being ended he turneth to the people and dismisseth them saying Ite missa est The word Missa which signifyeth the Masse is an hebrew word signifying a voluntary oblation Deut. 16. as Deut. 16. thou shalt celebrate the festiuall day c. A voluntary oblation of thy hand which thou thalt offer Wherefor voluntary oblation the hebrew word is Missah Hence may the Latine word Missa be probably deriued rather then from Mitto to send which hath but litle connexion with the Masse as it is a Sacrifice And therefor it is most likely that the word Misia the Masse was brought first by S. Peter and the other Apostles to the Latines and that thâ—y receiued the vse of it from them Ite missa est is 〈◊〉 towards the people because it is spoken to them â—â—nedicamus Domino is said towards the Altare because it is a praysing of God as also Requiescant in pace is said towards the Altare as a prayer to him The people answere Deo gratias as giuing thankes or Amen as ioyning prayer with the Priest Lastly with profound humility and reuerence he boweth downe before the Altare to God beseeching him that he will accept of his seruice and the Sacrifice which he hath offered Then turning to the people he blesseth them with the signe of the Cros by which we are put in minde of the blessing which Christ gaue to his Disciples at his departure from them who according to the Euangelist lifting vp his
hands he blessed them and was carried into heauen Luc. 24. And it is most likely that he then blessed them with the signe of the Crosse for now that the mystery of the Crosse was accomplished it was a most conuenient forme of blessing Ezech. 9. and was vsed also by the Apostles in their benedictions as Saint Denis hath recorded who liued with them and it shall be set as a marke of Gods blessing in the foreheads of his elect in latter times Lastly Saint Iohns Ghospell is said as the Planest and highest expression of the mystery of the Incarnation Thus much for the ceremonys commonly vsed in the Church Christ was the first that said Masse To wit at the last supper when he consecrated and offered his sacred body as our continuall Sacrifice instituting the same manner of consecration and offering to be vsed afterwards by the Apostles They said the very same Masse that is to say offered the very same Sacrifice which he then offered adding the Pater Noster and other holy prayers and rites of reuerence to it which are not of the substance and essence of the Masse but were left to the Church to be ordeined and practised according to conuenient circumstances and are therfore to be obserued diligently and minded at Masse as the memorials of holy mysterys Saint Iames Bishop of Hierusalem commonly called the brother of our Lord said Masse adding many things of deuotion to it so did Saint Peter say Masse at Rome Saint Mathew in Aethiopia Saint Barnaby at Milan adding also more prayers and holy ceremonys to it and other holy Saints as Saint Basil Saint Ambrose Saint Iohn Chrysostome composed certaine deuout formes of prayer and rites which were vsed at Masse with approbatiō of the Church and now the Church of God saith the same Masse which Christ and they said with such prayers rites and ceremonys as you haue seene declared in which the mystery of the Incarnation and the whole life and death of Christ is deuoutly and decently represented We ought therefore with great reuerence Meditations vpon the Masse and deuotion to be present at Masse and to attend diligently and to meditate vpon those mysterys as though wee were as wee are indeede in the presence of Christ himselfe and that we saw him visibly in all those passages which are then celebrated that we may be astonished with admiration and burne with the loue of him who did and suffered those things for vs. Vntill the Gloria in excelsis we will imagine that we saw the Saints who were before Christ reioycing in the hopes of him and that we heard their cryes and prayers for his comming At the Gloria in excelsis we will awaken our selues with the Angels voyces to a higher ioy imagining that we heard the Angell tell the newse of his birth to the Sheepheards and the multitude of the celestiall army singing those words with the Priest and we will offer our selues then to Christ to be his seruants all the dayes of our life Vntill the Ghospell we will thinke that we were following him and our blessed Lady behauing our selues as his seruants ravished with the sanctity of his conuersation At the Ghospell and Creede we will imagine that we heard him preach and saw the power of God drawing the harts of others to him At the Praeface that we were at his glorious entrance into Hierusalem and we will sing with his disciples and with the people Blessed is he that commeth in the name of our Lord. Hosanna in the Highest Before the eleuation we will consider his praying in the Garden sweating that violent and strange sweat of blood and water for vs and how he was presently apprehended and carryed to his Passion what bitter reproches and stinging blowes they gaue him what shame and paine they deuised to putt him to more then can he imagined At the cōsecration and eleuation we will thinke that we were present at his death heard the cry which he gaue and saw him hang downe his head and dy and that we heard the toppe of the temple and rooks about Hierusalem to rent in pieces and perceiued the earthquake and the rising of dead bodys a formidable darknes then couering all things and we may thinke how greeuous our sins were that were the cause of all this After the consecration we will make acts of the loue of God and purposes to serue him and to mende our life and some greater falts in particular And we will prepare our selues to receiue the blessed Sacrament if not corporally at least spiritually by an ardent desire of it At the Postcommunion we will giue thanks with the Priest and calling to minde the resurrection of Christ wee will rise with alacrity to a better life At the ite Missa est and the Priests benediction we will imagine our selues present at Christs Ascension and hauing with his disciples receiued his blessing that we saw him ascende in glory to giue vs a scantling and litle sight of our future happinesse to animate vs with that sight to the exercize of vertues to suffer for Christ and to contemne the pleasures and glory of this world It is an auncient custome of the Catholike Church aboue a thousand and foure hundred yeares standing Holy Water to hallow water mixt with salt Which is commonly done on Sundayes before Masse to sanctify holy things to expell the power of our ghostly enemy and to purge from venial sinnes as euery good worke doth which increaseth the diuine grace in vs. The declaration of the Church is sufficient for the lawfullnes of it Yet as I haue said of ceremonys man being a corporall creature must honour God according to his nature and vse corporall creatures in his diuine worship and although God regardeth most the inward worship of our harts and the acts of our mindes he will haue vs notwithstanding to vse corporall things to our sanctification Ia. 5. as the water in Baptisme and the oyle in Extreme Vnction which according to saint Iames is vsed to the remission of sinnes and he hath commanded diuerse corporall things vnto supernaturall ends and effects Exod. 12. as the blood of a Lambe to be sprinkled on the doore posts of the Israelits Nu. 19. to saue them from the destroying plague as the ashes of a red cow mixt with water to be sprinkled for the purging of legall vncleannesse Tob. 8. as yong Toby was commanded to vse the liuer of a fish to expell the deuill as Elisaeus vsed salt with waters Reg. 4.2 to giue them spiritually sweetnesse and fruitfullnesse by all which wee see that corporall things may be vsed for spirituall effects And if any obiect that God can commande those things but the Church can not I answere first that it is true God onely appointeth the Sacraments which we are to vse But the Church can ordaine holy ceremonys rites and deuout obseruations which are noe Sacraments God inspireth the Church in
it must of necessity be subiect to all those alterations and corruptions which all vulgar tongues are subiect vnto and which the Latine tongue was subiect vnto as long as it was vulgarly spoken vntill in the end it banished it selfe quite out of the world and was left as the common speech of noe place and then was kept in its integrity and auncient purity by being kept from the vulgar and cheifly as we may well thinke by hauing the Masse soe continually said in Laaine Where as our aduersarys obiect the authority of S. Paul Cor. 1.14 who seemeth as they pretende to require that the Church seruice be in euery commune tongue that all the people vnderstanding it may answere Amen the Apostle neuer soe much as mentioneth the Church seruice in that place nor medleth with the language of it but speaketh there of quite another thinge to wit the gift of strange tongues and of the interpreting of them which interpretation was a different gift and which the speaker himselfe sometimes had not These and other like graces being giuen to some in those times the people mette together to heare them exercised But by litle and litle they beganne to be abused and fell into disorders in soe much that some would speake that which could be interpreted by none soe that it had noe sense that could require Amen to be answered to but was as not spoken at all none being inspired to interprete it Now what connexion hath this with the publike seruice of the Church which is without any disorder at all and in noe such strange tongue but in a knowne and the most honored of all tongues which is intelligible in it selfe and most vniuersally vnderstood and interpreted by thousands and which hath not onely the authority of the Church allowing of it but also commanding it and therfor with all reason shall be answered with Amen Which the other being fallen into disorders could not in reason be answered with it being to the edification of none as being vnderstoode by none when the miracle should haue consisted in vnderstanding and interpreting of it I haue heard of some who haue bene soe bold as to say that the Priest praying in a tongue which the people vnderstande not may curse them for any thinge they know as well as blesse them But this is a bold and irreuerent speech For if it were an irreuerence to the Law and to lawyers to talke of their cursing of their ignorant clients when they pleade for them in termes which they vnderstande not much more is it an irreuerence to the Law of God and to Priests that haue the keeping of it to talke of their cursing of the people when they pray for them in the language of the Church Besides it is a very weake speech and vnworthy of a wise man for it is impossible to accommodate euery word to the vnderstanding of all men And what should they say when they vnderstoode not and what should deafe men say that heard nor it were to banish all order quite out of the world and the being of a Church to make it subiect to euery particular mans censure The Priest if he change nothing but sayeth what the Church commandeth can enrse none and we cannot in reason and charity suspect him of changing any thinge except he be such an one as Luther or Caluin that durst take vpon them to change what they listed in the Church and to beginne new Churches Besiâ—â—â—s it is not such a rare thinge in Catholike countreys as it is here for lay people to vnderstande Latine I remember that I haue mette with a plowman holding his plow who directed mee in my way describing it in very elegant Latine and with poore beggars who haue bene very ready in the Latine tongue Mechanike men in some places vnderstande it soe frequently that Masse can hardly be said amongst an indifferent number of people but some that are present will vnderstande Latine Finally experience will answere all obiections in that the Masse being as it is in a high and honorable language and with those deuout caeremonys is full of edification and much more mouing to deuotion then any thinge which our enemys haue This those that are conuerted to the Catholike faith doe presently finde in themselues and those that are peruerted from it commonly shew in the loosnesse of their liues that there is noe comparison betwixt the deuotion and edification of the Masse and the prayers of Protestants but onely such as is betwixt true and painted fire the one of which warmeth indeede the other warmeth not at all but rather cooleth as one should grow colder by holding his hands to a painted fire Now it is fitting that we speake a word or two OF THE FRVITS AND BENEFITS which are gained by the denout hearing of Masse THERE is not any meanes in the world soe efficacious for the obtaining of benefits at the hands of God as the Masse is both as it is a Sacrifice the highest act of worship that can be giuen to God and also as it is a Sacrifice soe eminent and excelling all other Sacrifices that the dignity efficacy and value of it can not be expressed all benefits being infinitly more worthy to be granted for it then for any thinge that we can doe But to speake more in particular first our faith is confirmed and our mindes are eleuated to a feruerous zeale of that which all Christians professe when we commemorate the Passion of Christ in that deuout and mysterious manner as by the principall and most expresse commemoration which the Church hath of it And we are excited to a firme and constant beleefe of that sacred verity which the Catholike Church hath allwais beleeued of the true reall and substantiall presence of the sacred body and blood of our Lord and of his whole humane nature vnited to the diuine word in the B. Sacrament of Eucharist Which as it is a mystery aboue the vnderstanding of man and not effected by any power of nature but by the omnipotency of God soe by it we yeeld our vnderstandings captius as we ought vnto the diuine power to the word of God and to the doctrine of the Church And by hearing of Masse we are not onely confirmed in this mystery but in all other points of the Christian faith For what is the whole Masse but a daily exercizing and training vp of christians in the mysterys of Christ and in all those things which he did and suffered for vs there is nothing there to be seene or heard but the cheife mysterys of our faith represented the diuine praises celebrated his benefits acknowledged and his goodnes and mercy deuoutly implored all with relation to some passage of his life or death Secondly at Masse we are comforted and encouraged to hope confiding in God that hauing left vnto the world soe deere a pledge as his onely Sonne he will grant vs the remission of our sinnes and will giue vs in
diuine word breaketh his lawes and taketh away all order and gouernment quite out of the world for all order includeth subordination that is to say subiection of inferiors to superiour powers but take once away the authority of the Church and absolue men in conscience from the obedience of it to beginne new doctrines beleeuing teaching and doeing what they list themselues and you take away all subordination of inferiors to superiors in the diuine worship therfore take away obedience to the Church and you take away all order and gouernment in Religion quite out of the world by making men subiect to no authority and consequently you destroy the world which without order in Religion can not consist The ground therefore foundation and first principle of all order is the divine authority of the continuall Church to beleeue as the Church teacheth and to obey it The Apostles haue commanded obedience to temporall superiors who then were infidels and could haue no authority in spirituall affaires Petr. 1.2 Let euery soule be subiect to higher powers for there is noe power but of God Rom. 13. Therefore he that resisteth the poâ—er resisteth the ordinance of God If infidell masters Magistrates and Powers be to be obeyed in temporall things as ordained of God how much more are we to obey the higher powers of the Catholike Church God hath ordeined the Superiors of the Church to gouerne the world in his diuine seruice therefore they haue the authority of God Aug. coÌ„t adu leg lib. 1. c. 17. and their Praecepts oblige vnder a mortall sinne There is no chaine of iron or adamant saith S. Augustine that can binde so hard as the Praecepts of the Church The like may be said of Ecclesiasticall customes which by long continuance haue obtained the force of lawes Ecclesiastical customes Therfor S. Paul commendeth the Corinthians for keeping the Praecepts which he had giuen them and alleadging the custome of the Church he thought it sufficient to stoppe the mouths of the contentious to say we have noe such custome nor the Church of God Cor. 1.11 And if those customs of the Church could gaine that authority soe soone within twenty or thirty yeares that Christ founded it certainely they shall haue as much now when it hath the addition of about sixteene hundreds of yeares S. Augustine hath these words for customes In those things of which the scriptures determine nothing for certaine Aug. ad Caâ—ulan the custome of the people is the custome of God and the institutions of our auncestors are to be kept as lawes and as praeuaricators against diuine lawes soe the infringers of Ecclesiasticall customes are to be restrained because the Church seeing those customes and not forbidding them by silence consenteth and alloweth of them and God declareth by the practise of the Church that in those times and places such customes oblige as necessary then to be kept Now let vs declare the Praecepts of the Church in particular THE FIRST PRAECEPT TO fast fasting dayes Soe great is the benefit of fasting that the Catholike Church would haue none of her people to be depriued of it and therefor would oblige all to diuerse fasts which I shall presently declare but first we will say somethinge of fasting in generall Fasting is commended first in the old Testament sometimes by examples of the Prophets and holy men and sometimes by the admirable effects of it Fasting was the first Praecept that was commanded to man and all our miserys beganne first by the vnhappy breaking of that Praecept God might haue chosen any other Commandement to haue exercized our obedience in but he would commende fasting to vs. After that in the Law of nature it was commanded againe some meates being then prohibited to be eaten as vncleane Nu. 6. Iud. 13. Hiere 35. In the Law of Moyses he himselfe fasted at the receiuing of it The Nazareits and Rechabeits who were particularly dedicated to the seruice of God were strict and austere in fasting Holy Iudith armed with fasting went forth against all the Assyrian forces accompanyed onely with one maide seruant and full of zeale and heauenly fortitude with her owne hands slew their Prince and put them all to slight The sentence of death was giuen against all the Israelits and a day appointed for their generall massacre Esther the Queene must venture her life for them by going to the King to aske their pardon She fasted and the people fasted for her good successe and she became soe beautifull and gracious that the hart of the King being enamoured with her the liues of thousands were granted at her request The Niniuers for their sinnes had deserued destruction and God sent his Prophet to declare against them and to cry as yet forty dayes and Niniue shall be subverted Ion. 3. The King hearing of it commanded a solemne fast and the city obseruing it God was pacifyed the sentence was suspended and Niniue stoode firme repaired by the force of fasting The three children armed with this vertue entred into the furnace of Babylon and walked in the raging fire as in a pleasant fresh ayre Daniel by fasting was too strong for Lyons and greedy hungar vrging them to deuoure God stopped their mouths that they did him noe hurt Graue Eleazarus contemned death to defende that fast which God had then commanded in the Church And the seauen brethren in the Machabees with their Mother aboue measure maruelous passed through cruell torments in defence of the same fast In the New Testament we haue fasting much more commended vnto vs by the example of Christ himselfe who blessedly beganne the Law of grace with his owne fast of forty dayes We haue also that Anne the Prophetisse fasted that S. Iohn Baptist fasted that the Apostles fasted and that Christ did not onely commende fasting by his example but in plane words and by miracle He would haue a possessed person to be brought to the Apostles that they labouring in vaine to despossesse him he might performe it himselfe and then declare for fasting saying this kind can goe out by nothing but by prayer and fasting Marc. 9. Is it not now a shame for the enemys of the Catholike Church to pretende Scriptures and yet to stande against the whole current both of tho old and new Testament for some aequivocall sentence which they picke out to obiect against fasting Christ to reprooue the hypocrysy of the Pharisys who vsed often to fast and to wash themselues that they might seeme holy before men said Mat. 15. not that which entreth into the mouth defileth a man meaning that the end intention and circumstances of eating and not the corporall meate was either good or hurtfull to the soule of man and they obiect this saying against fasting in generall or against the fasts of the Church Gal. 4. and call them the obseruations of men and not of God What more could an haeretike say to deny the doctrine of
the whole world and what more could theeues robbers and all wicked malefactors desire to exempt themselues from all humane lawes and obligation of conscience then to deny all obseruations as of the autority of man and to referre all to the tribunal of God which they know that they can not escape but must stande to whether they will or noe You may see what reuerence is here to the word of God and how easily that sacred word is abused by those that will stande against the whole Church First therefor I tell them that they cannot but see those words to haue the same force against fasting in generall which commonly they allow of as against the fasts of the Church which now they reiect but that is indeede noe force at all the circumstances being altered in which Christ spoke them to reprooue the fasts of vaine and hypocryticall men who fasted without order and humility for shew onely Secondly I tell them that the authority of the Church is the authority of God as I haue sufficiently prooued and therefor the Praecepts of the Church are not onely the obseruations of men but the Commandements of God Thirdly I tell them that God by his Church commanded fasting in the Law of Moyses and in the Law of grace euen in the Apostles times the Councell of Hierusalem prohibiting some meates Act. 15. as is specifyed in the fifteenth of the acts Fourthly I tell them that fasting as it is a Praecept of the Church is vsed as a corporall affliction to subdue the euill inclinations of our flesh and corporall afflictions vsed with order as the Church praescribeth them are pleasing to God therefor fasting as it is a Praecept of the Church is pleasing to God Cor. 1.9 S. Paul saith I chastize my body and bring it into seruitude least perhaps when I haue preached to others my selfe become reprobate Fiftly I tell them that Aërius was condemned as an haeretike many hundreds of yeares since Haer. 53. and S. Augustine hath taken the paines to put him into his catalogue of haeretiks for this very doctrine for that allowing of fasting in generall he disallowed of it as a Praecept of the Church and would haue none to fast but as they liked themselues He that should reade the second booke of S. Hierome against Iouinian the haeretike that denied fasting should finde there much more then I haue said or can say in commendation of it And it is admirable to reade the sentences of Scriptures and the erudition which this holy Doctour hath drawne there together for this purpose shewing by seuerall authors how much this vertue was esteemed of euen by heathens in the best ages of the world who saw by reason and founde by experience the force of fasting in the tempering of our bodys in refreshing and quickening of our vnderstandings and by consequence in disposing vs vnto Morall vertues And writing to the Virgin Demetrias he hath this high expression that fasting is not onely in it selfe a perfect vertue but the foundation sanctification purity and Prudence of the rest without which none shall see God Now for the particular fasts or abstinences which the holy Church commandeth There are the forty dayes fast of Lent the fast of Ember dayes of Rogation dayes of Vigils of Frydayes of S. Marke Lent and of Saturdayes We haue for the forty dayes fast of Lent the examples of Moyses of Elias and of Christ himselfe Moyses fasted forty dayes and receiued the Law enioying in that time the familiar conuersation of God Elias fasted forty dayes and then wrought miracles reuiuing the dead Christ fasted forty dayes in the beginning of his miraculous preaching soe preparing himselfe to deliuer his ghospell and to redeeme the world And although we can not fast soe strictly and perfectly as our blessed Sauiour did eating nothing all that time yet it is fitting that we should doe our endeauour in honour and imitation of him And it is not vnlikely that Christ commended the fast of Lent as well by word and expresse commande as by example to his Apostles in those forty dayes space betwixt his Resurrection and Ascension in which he often appeared to them and taught them concerning the Church and therefor the auncient and holy fathers commonly call it the institution of the Apostles by the Commandement of Christ S. Ambrose that it was not inuented by any earthly cogitation but commanded by the heauenly maiesty Amb. de quadrag ser 36. Igna. ep 5. Aug. ser 69. de temp S. Ignatius who was the Disciple of S. Iohn Euangelist saith contemne not Lent for it conteineth the imitation of our Lords conuersation and S. Augustine saith that by the due obseruation their of the wicked are separated from the good Infidels from Christians haeretiks from faithfull Catholikes He then that honoreth the name of a Catholike and Christian will honour Lent and obserue it It is instituted to be kept against the Passion of Christ that we who professe ourselues his seruants and souldiers may in some sort suffer with our master and captaine It were a preposterous mirth and absurde in a seruant to laugh and make merry when he saw his master full of paine or for a souldier to take his ease in bedd when his captaine were enduring hardnesse in the field Good Vrias comming out of the campe to the court the King badd him to goe home and rest himselfe but he refused to doe soe Reg. 2.11 saying the arke of God c. And my Lord Ioah abide vpon the face of the earth and shall I enter into my house to eate and drinke I will not doe this thinge Neither did he it but went out and slept before the gates of the Kings house with the other seruants of his Lord because he would not pamper himselfe and ly within doores when the arke and his Lord laid without Our blessed Lord the King of heauen and earth the Sauiour of the world is suffering many blowes he is bleeding vpon the Crosse his meate and drinke is vinagre and gall and is it then a time for vs to make merry and to feast our selues is this like a seruant and souldier of Christ or is it not rather most vnseasonable preposterous and spirefull vnworthy of the name and profession of a Christian how preposterous then is the malice of those who choose the time of Lent of all the times of the yeare and Good Friday of all the dayes in lent to make their feasts on is this a good preparation to receiue the benefit of Christs Passion and Resurrection if they were Iewes or professed enemyes of Christ they might doe soe indeed in despite of him but being Christians they should be ashamed of it Saint Augustine commendeth the fast of Lent as a preparation for Easter and saith as you haue heard that the breaking of it is wicked and proper to Infidels and Haeretiks This they may glosse with some pretence and finde some thing to say
for it as may be done for any absurdity whatsoeuer but the commune sense and the first apprehension of all men conceiueth it most naturall to sorrow with the sorrowfull and abhorreth the contrary as a disdaine and affront and Christ will disdaine those that disdaine him and despise those that despise his Church Baronius relateth of Saint Elphegus Bishop of Winchester how that exhorting of the people to obserue Lent a certaine man derided him but the Bishop foretold that he should dy that night and so it happened Lent then is obserued in imitation of our Lords fast in honour of his Passion and as a preparation for Easter The Sundayes in Lent are not of the number of the forty dayes fast although we keepe abstinence on them also that the forty dayes may continue in some kind of fasting all together and not be quite broken by eating of flesh within that time Ember dayes Ember dayes were fasted as a preparation for holy Orders which at those times vsed to be giuen Saint Hierome writing to Marcella sayeth that the Ember dayes as well as lent were instituted by the Apostles Act. 13. And it may be gathered out of their acts where it is said that fasting and praying they imposed hands that is gaue orders and from this of the Apostles came the practise of the Church of fasting Ember dayes for the more worthy receiuing of holy Orders Leo ser 7 as saint Leo declareth who therefore calleth it an Apostolicall tradition They are obserued in the beginning of the fower quarters of the yeare of Spring Summer Autumne and Winter to offer vp to God as it were the first fruits of all times the orders of the Church being then receiued Rogations dayes Rogation dayes are fasted for the fruits of the earth Procession is made that the whole Church both Clergy and Laity may be represented as present to acknowledge the goodnesse of God and his prouidence ouer vs and to pray for the continuance of it towards vs. Vigils Vigils are fasted inhonour of the day following that it being a holy day dedicated to prayer fasting and prayer may goe both togother for the greater honour of God They are called Vigils which is to say watchings because aunciently the faithfull vsed to watch all that night attending in the Church to the Ecclesiasticall office but many inconueniences in processe of time appearing in those watchings they were layed aside Fridays fast or abstinence Fryday according to custome of places is in honour of our blessed Sauiours Passion The feast and solemnity of Saint Marke was first instituted by occasion of a great pestilence S. Marke which reigned so violently in Italy and especially about Rome that people suddainly fell downe dead as they sneized or yawned And from thence saith Durandus came the custome of saying God blesse you to those that sneize as being then in danger of death Saint Pelagius who was then Pope instituted the solemnity of Saint Marke against it and himselfe died of it as he was going in the Procession Saint Gregory who succeeded him commanded it to be kept all ouer and therefore it is called the great Letany that is to say a greater supplication for Letany is as much as to say a supplication or petitioning of God and so the abstinence Procession and the whole solemnity may be vnderstoode as a supplication thus instituted The solemnity of Rogation dayes is called the lesser Letany because they were first begunne more priuatly and by a lesser authority to wit of the Bishop of Vienna Thus Durand Saturdays abstinence is kept in honour of our blessed Lady in remembrance of that Saturday Saturday on which the sacred body of our Lord remained in the Sepulcher for the Faith of Christ was then preserued especially by her the Apostles at that time wauering in the beleefe of his Resurrection This as all other Praecepts of the Church obligeth according to the intention of the Church commanding it How we are to fast For he that maketh lawes is to interprete his meaning in them who as he could giue them power to oblige so is he to determine the circumstances of their obligation Hence it followeth first that sicke folkes children and youths before they come to a sufficient setled growth aged and decayed persons poore people that must eate often as not hauing sufficient at once for an intire maile and those that labour much in body or minde are not bounde to fasting Because the Praecepts of the Church are to bee vnderstoode vnto edification and not vnto destruction that is to say they are intended to raise the honour of God by increasing of peoples deuotion but they should pull it downe and lessen it if they obliged with any notable hurt And therefore fasting and all such corporall afflictions are to be vsed with discretion and moderation and oblige not vnto our hurt or notable damage Saint Paul was a great lover of such afflictions and no doubt but he was glad to see his disciple Timothy to follow him in them yet when he saw that it was with excesse and to the impairing of his health Tim. 1.5 he aduised him saying Drinke not yet water but vse a litle wine for thy stomake and thy often infirmitys Secondly it followeth that our fast is broken with meate only and not with drinke which the Church might also haue forbidden but did not and therefore it is lawfull to drinke betwixt mailes either wine beere water or any thing which is vsed as drinke Milke betwixt mailes breaketh the fast because it is rather meate then drinke and therefore we commonly call it as the Scripture also doth te cate milke The Praecept of fasting includeth two things Two things in fasting to wit to abstaine from vnlawfull meates and to eate but one maile of lawfull meates The first bindeth all that are subiect to the Prâ—cepts of the Church that is all that are capable of reason The second obligeth only those that are of perfect strength and sufficient ability and not such as are mentioned aboue who may eate more mailes then one so that they absteine from meates prohibited It is a custome in some places to eate bread and drinke on fasting dayes in the morning which in seruants and others that are not bound to fast is allowable and very good because their fasting is a voluntary obsequy in them who not being able nor bound to oblerue strictly the fast of the Church it is to be vnderstoode that of deuotion they will absteine from a compleate breakfast and content them selues with onely bread and drinke but in those that are bound to fast I know not how to allow of it It proceedeth also as I suppose out of ignorance in some that they eate aples and fruit out of maile time on fasting dayes I tell thâ—se once againe that they may drinke on fasting dayes our of maile time and take some thing to quench their thirst because
the Church hath not forbidden to drinke but it hath forbidden to eate all kind of meate and therefore apleâ— and fruit are not to be eaten out of mailes Fasting dayes beginne at twelue a clocke in the morning and end at twelue a clocke at night conteining fower and twenty houres Aunciently they fasted from supper time on the day before till supper time againe on the next day without eating of any thing but mens complexions growing weaker and weaker and perhaps their deuotions also they beganne to take their suppers sooner on fasting dayes vntill by litle and litle they brought supper to noone time and custome hath now preuailed to take a litle collation at night as is obserued in the Church So that the maile which we haue on fasting dayes is not properly a dinner but a supper and therfore it may lawfully be differred as late as we will but it may not be taken before the time allowed of by custome Which is at soonest about noone time Finally Scandall for the manner of fasting the customes of places are to be obscrued and we must be very carefull that we giue noe scandall to others especially to the enemys of the Catholike Church who make allways the worst of our actions and therefore many things which are lawfull are not allways expedient to be done It was in it selfe lawfull for saint Paul to eate flesh and of that flesh which was immolated to Idols for the flesh was no worse yet he would rather neuer eate flesh at all Cor. 1. â— then scandalize any by â—ating of it If meale saith he scandalize my brother It ill neuer eate flesh least I scandalize my brother THE SECOND PRAECEPT TO keepe Holy dayes In the Law of Moyses diuerse holy dayes were commanded to be kept Ioan. 10. and were then obserued by praecept of the Church Apoc. 1. and our blessed Sauiour hath allowed of them honoâ—ing their solemnitys by his owne presence at them as he did the feast of the Dedication of the Temple instituted by the Church in the time of Iudas Machabaeus The Scriptures make mention of the Domâ—nicall day that is to say our Lords day or our Sunday to haue bene kept in the Apostles times The Church then tooke away the Saturday Sabaoth which God first commanded in remembrance of the creation of the world and instituted Sundays Sabaoth or rather transferred Saturdays Sabâ—oth vnto Sundayes Sabaoth in honour of the Redemption of the world as à greater mystery and I doe not heare of any Heretiks now in the world that refuse to keepe Sunday for Sabaoth with what consequence then can they refuse to keepe the other holy dayes or any other praecept of the Church they all hauing the same authority that Sundayihath and the same obligation Yet Protestants allow the obligation of Sundayes solemnity and durst neuer attempt to alter it or to deny the obligation of it hauing no other warrant for it but the authority of the Church which then gouerned the Christian world and hauing the same for other holy dayes they reiect them The truth is that they haue forsaken the Church that was allayes in the world to beginne a Church which then was not at all in the world and therefore the holy Ghost hath forsaken them and left them to such inconsequences of their owne wits Clem. l. 8. Apost constit Saint Clement who liued in the Apostles times and was disciple vnto Saint Peter and Coadiutor to Saint Paul and who wrote as an eyewitnesse of those things which were then obserued in the Catholike Church deliuereth that the Apostles gaue order for the obseruing of the Feasts of their fellow Apostles and in particular of Saint Steuen as also of some other Martyrs Epiph. haer 75. Saint Epiphanius denounceth Aërius for an Haeretike in that he reiected the holy dayes of the Church By all which it appeareth how weake that obiection of Protestants is which Aërius also obiected out of the Apostles words Gal. 4. Yoü obserue dayes months times and yeares Where the Apostle speaketh against the superstitious obseruations of Heathens from which yong Christians at their first conuersions were hardly weaned in those times and therefore he rebuketh them but I haue said enough for this and all other Praecepts of the Church when I shewed that they are the Precepts of God and haue divine authority This Praecept includeth two things to wit to absteine from seruil works and to heate Masse for it is not sufficient not to worke corporall works on holy dayes but we must also sanctify them with some speciall good works as dayes particularly dedicated to the seruice and honour of God and Masse being the cheife highest and most eminent worship which can be giuen to him as his onely true Sacrifice therefore the Church hath commanded that euery one be present to offer vp at least one Masse euery holy day And this is as great an obligation as to obserue Lent or any other Praecept of the Church obliging vnder a mortall sinne S. 2. Par. Chron. tit 9. c. 10 §. 2. Anthony Archbishop of Florence relateth of two men who going out to fowle vpon a holy day they heard a voice that cryed strike him strike him and the one of them that had not heard Masse was presently strucke dead with a thunder bolt and his astonished companion hearing the voyce to continue still was comforted with another which answered I can not strike him for that he hath heard Verbum caro factum est intimating that he had heard an intire Masse to the end Amongst Holydayes those are obserued as most solemne in the Church that haue more immediate relation to God himselfe We keepe also the feasts of our blessed Lady and of the Angels and Saints to honour God by them that as they help vs and reioyce at our good soe we may praise their vertues and reioyce in their glory Besides by celebrating their feasts we are incited to the imitation of their liues and to aspire to that state of blesse which they enioy THE THIRD PRAECEPT TO Confesse our sinnes to our ordinary Pastour or to another with his leaue at least once a yeare By Praecept of the Church we are boundnoe oftener to confession then once in the yeare but many circumstances may occurre in which by diuine Praecept we are bounde to confesse oftener First in all dangers of life as when we are dangerously siâ—ke and as those that are condemned to dy Souldiers also tradesmen and trauelers when they are to goe vpon any dangerous attempt or iourneys finally in all perils of life we are bounde to prepare our selues for death and if â—e be conscious of any mortal sinne in such dangers we are bounde to goe to confession as the ordinary meanes which God hath instituted for the remissioÌ„ of sinnes We are bound also to goe to coÌ„fession allwais before we receiue any of theseauen SacrameÌ„ts if we be guilty of mortal sinne because
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
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
or by the Church after them but by Christ himselfe OF THE MATTER AND FORME of the Sacraments and of the intention of him that administreth them BY that which hitherto hath bene said of the Sacraments it appeareth that they are the medicines of our soules which through the merits of Christs Passion giue health vnto sinners Now medicines as such include and require three things First the thinge it selfe which is to be applyed Secondly the application of it that it be applyed Thirdly that it be rightly applyed That which in the Sacraments is as the medicine it selfe is the matter of the Sacraments that is so methinge which in euery Sacrament is applyed as water in baptisme oile in Confirmation c. That which in the Sacraments is as the application of a medicine is the forme of the Sacraments as the words in Baptisme Confirmation c. Because by them the matter or medicine it selfe is applyed to the patient That which is required as necessary to the due and right application of it is the intention of him that administreth it to wit that he intende to apply it as a Sacrament and remedy for sinne And if any of these three things be wanting either the matter the forme or the right intention of the minister it is noe Sacrament The matter and forme are required as the essential parts which Christ ordained for euery Sacrament to consist of the intention of the minister is noe part of the Sacrament yet it is a condition and circumstance necessary to it because those things which are indifferent vnto seueral ends must be determined by the intention to the end which they are intended for A charitable and liberal gentleman seeing a company of poore folkes at his doores throweth them his purse and biddeth them take it they goe away giuing many thanks and blessing God and him they take it as an almes to vse as their owne The same gentleman throweth his purse to his steward and biddeth him take it meaning to lay vp he taketh it without thanks giuing because it was not meant him as his owne nor giuen him as a gift Now what maketh the first to be a gift and not the second but the intention of the giuer who though he did the same thinge and said the same words to both yet the purse in one case onely was bestowed because soe intended Soe in the Sacraments the matter and forme may be applyed to diuerse ends One may doe all that is to be done and say the words of baptisme to shew another how to baptize or ouer an Infidel in iest onely and prophane mirth and then there is noe baptisme because his intention was then to teach another or to be merry but not to baptize It is recorded of S. Athanasius that being a child as he was playing amongst the children of Infidels he baptized them as he had seene amongst christians And it was founde to be true baptisme because vpon due examination afterwards it appeared that he then intended to giue true christian baptisme but if Athanasius had baptized in sport onely it had bene noe baptisme because he had not had that intention which God then inspired him to haue and which was necessary for the Sacrament The effect of the Sacraments dependeth not vpon the holines and goodnes of the minister nor requireth any more goodnes in him then the goodnes that is the truenesse of his intention but as a lame and diseased physitian may administer good physicke to his patient and to good effect soe an euill minister may ministrate good Sacraments and to good effect if the receiuer be rightly disposed for it Aug tract 2. in lo. Iudas saith S. Augustine as an Apostle baptized amongst the Apostles and we doe not reade that Christ commanded those whom Iudas had once baptized to be againe rebaptized The reason is because he that administreth the Sacraments is but the instrument of Christ who instituted them and gaue them their power himselfe being the principal cause of their effect and the instrument worketh not by it selfe but by the vertue and power of the principal agent that imployeth it For as wine or beere is noe better nor worse for being drunke out of a syluar bowle then out of an earthen pott and as the physitian giueth noe power to his medicins but onely applyeth them with that power which they haue of God and therefor the moral goodnes of the physitian auaileth nothing to the effect of the medicine soe the effect of the Sacraments dependeth not on the goodnes of the minister because he is but the instrument of Christ who acteth by him Yet thus much may be said that as wise patients would rather choose physitians of good health then those that are sicke and can not cure themselues soe it is wisdome rather to receiue the Sacraments at the hands of good then of euill ministers to whom we might say physitian cure thy selfe Luc. 45 Besides it is more reuerence to the Sacraments OF THE CHARACTER OF THE Sacraments THE Councel of Trent hath declared that besides the effect of grace which all the Sacraments giue some of them imprint a certaine character or marke vpon the soules of those that receiue them These are Baptisme Confirmation and Orders because by these Sacraments men are chosen and deputed to some offices more then by the rest By baptisme we are first deputed and enter into the office of chriftians and seruice of Christ By Confirmation we are chosen and deputed as his souldiers to fight for him with fortitude in time of persecution By Orders men are deputed to certaine spiritual offices in the Church Aug. l. 2. e. 23. cont ep parm S. Augustine calleth the character of the Sacraments a badge or cognizant of some spirituall power and compareth it to the signe and token of honour which souldiers vsed to weare in his time It is not saith he to be thought that the souldiers of Christ should want that honour which the souldiers of this world haue The effect of the character is not to giue grace but onely to destinguish those that are deputed to those offices as I haue said This character is soe firmely sealed vpon the soules of those that receiue those SacrameÌ„ts that it can neuer be blotted forth nor taken from them and therefor those three Sacraments are but once receiued and can not be reiterated againe as the other SacrameÌ„ts may and must be when neede requireth because the other Sacraments haue not this effect when they giue grace and therfor nothing of them remaining when the diuine grace is lost by mortall sinne they must be renewed againe in vs but these three neede not to be receiued againe because they leaue their character seale and pledge allwais in vs. And in this sense the words of the Apostle are litterally vnderstoode Cor. â—,1 He that hath annointed vs God who also hath sealed vs and giuen the pledge of the spirit in our harts