the first Person of the Trinity call'd Father Ibid. What belongs to the Divine Persons ought not to be curiously search'd into Ibid. Christian Philosophy differs from the wisdom of the World 16 What the Philosophers thought of God Ibid. The Pope of Rome is the Head of the Catholic Church 92 The Supreme Dignity and Jurisdiction of the Pope of Divine Right Ibid. The Pope is the Supreme Governour of the Universal Church the Successor of St. Peter and Christ's true and lawful Vicar Ibid. God is first to be pray'd to and then the Saints 464 The best way of praying 457 For whom we must pray 461 The Saints are to be pray'd to and after what manner we beg them to take pity on us 464 The manner of Prayer 469 We must pray in Spirit and Truth Ibid. Infidels cannot pray in Spirit and Truth 470 We must pray in Christ's name 471 By praying to God we honour him 452 The Divine Majesty approaches to him that prays 551 They that pray converse with God Ibid. The benefits and advantages of such as pray 452 Many degrees of Prayer and Thanksgiving 455 c. The manner of vocal Prayer 469 What sinners God hears and helps when they pray 558 Prayer to God necessary 450 Christ pray'd all night 470 The power that Prayer has with God 471 The profitableness and advantage of Prayer 452 c. Prayer is an argument of Religion Ibid. By Prayer we acknowledge our subjection to God Ibid. Prayer is the Key of Heaven Ibid. The Vertue and Advantage of Prayer Ibid. Of what parts Prayer consists 455 The two principal parts of Prayer 456 The Prayer of such as have not yet receiv'd the light of Faith 458 The Prayer of such as God hears not 459 Prayers for the wicked have great influence 462 Prayers for the Dead in Purgatory flow'd from the Apostles Ibid. Prayers for such as are in mortal sin not very efficacious Ibid. What he ought to think that pronounces the Lord's Prayer before the Images of the Saints 465 Prayer must be humble Ibid. The preparation of Prayer Ibid. What sins they must avoid that would have their Prayers heard of God 466 Contempt of God's Laws makes our Prayers execrable Ibid. Prayer admits of no doubting 467 Mental Prayer excludes not vocal 469 Mental Prayer is more excellent Ibid. The proper advantage and necessity of vocal Prayer Ibid. Private and public Prayer 470 The Exposition of the Lord's Prayer 472 The Preface of the Lord's Prayer Prayer made for another profits himself 481 Prayer is a weapon against the Devil 541 The order to be observed in Prayer 545 The preposterous order us'd by some in their Prayers 544 The Preaching of God's word never to be intermitted In the Preface The authority of the Preachers of God's word Ibid. Preparation to Prayer wherein it consists 465 Preparation before the Communion what it ought to be and how necessary 225 226 Preparation to the Communion requires us to come fasting 227 The Priest alone has the power of consecrating the Eucharist 232 VVhen Christ instituted Prists 235 Priests are to conceal in perpetual silence the sins reveal'd to them in Confession 268 Priests call'd Gods and Angels 293 The Priests of the New Testament more excellent than all others 293 297 The Priests Power very great 294 VVhat they ought to propose to themselves that are to be initiated into Holy Orders Ibid. Mercenary Priests 294 295 Priests entring in by the door of the Church 295 VVhen the Power is given to the Priest by the Bishop Pag. 298 The Ceremonies used in Ordaining Priests and other Clerks 298 c. The Order of Priesthood tho it be burdensom yet it has divers degrees of Dignity and Power 308 VVhat is requir'd in him that is to be made Priest 311 VVhat knowledge is required in a Priest Ibid. Two duties of a Priest Ibid. The Nobility and Excellency of a Priest 236 The charge of a Priest to be lay'd upon none rashly 310 VVho are said to be call'd to the Priesthood 294 The Power of the Priesthood double 296 The Power of the Priesthood of the Law of the Gospel far more excellent than that of the written Law or Law of Nature 297 The Power of the Priesthood of the Gospel has its Original from Christ Ibid. That Priesthood two-fold 306 The Office of the Priesthood 307 The duty of Prosecutors and Advocates 434 God's Providence towards Men. 490 c. Purgatory 57 R REdemption the great benefits we receive thereby 54 Remedies against evil desires Pag. 447 The remedies of a sick soul are Penance and the Eucharist 289 Remission of sins to be had in the Church 102 With how great thankfulness the benefit of remission of sins is to be receiv'd 103 Christ has given the power of remitting sins in the Church to the Bishops and Priests Ibid. Our sins remitted by Christ's blood 105 None can obtain remission of sins without Penance 526 Restitution necessary to a Penitent 419 Who are to be compell'd to make restitution 419 420 The Resurrection of Christ and the glorious Mystery of it 62 c. Christ rose again by his own power 61 By the benefit of the Resurrection Christ is become the first fruits of all Ibid. That Christ rose again the third day how to be understood 62 The mystery of Christ's Resurrection very necessary 63 The end of Christ's Resurrection 64 What examples Christ's Resurrection proposes to us 65 The signs of spiritual Resurrection Ibid. Our Faith establish'd by the belief of the Resurrection of the dead 107. Why the Resurrection of man is called the Resurrection of the Flesh 107 The Resurrection of the Flesh proved by Examples and Testimonies 108 The different condition of them that shall rise again 111 Before the Resurrection all then alive shall die without exception Ibid. Our Bodies shall rise again immortal 114. The powers of those that rise again Ibid c. What fruits we gather by the Article of the Resurrection 116 Robbery and its kinds 417 Robbery a greater sin than Theft 414 Robbery and the various kinds of Rapine 417 S THe celebration of the Sabbath why so often commanded in holy Scripture 369 What Sabbath signifies 373 What the signification of Sabbath is ibid. Why the Sabbath consecrated to God 375 The Sabbath was a sign Ibid. The Sabbath in Heaven Ibid. Why the Sabbath transferr'd to the Lord's day 376 After what manner the Sabbath is to be observ'd 377 The name Sacrament how taken 127 What a Sacrament is 128 Justice and Salvation attain'd by the Sacraments 128 St. Austin's definition of a Sacrament Ibid. Sacraments referr'd to those things they signifie 129 c. Sacraments are signs appointed of God 130 A sacred thing and the Grace of God 131 A Sacrament signifies and works Holiness Ibid. Sacraments signifie divers things 132 The Sacraments of the Law of the Gospel why instituted 133 Every Sacrament consists of two things Matter and Form 135 Among all signs words have
explain the Vertue and Vse of them in our vulgar German Tongue according to the Capacity of the Receivers according to what is contain'd in the Roman Catechism a Book truly very profitable and very necessary for these Times Eighthly it was approv'd again a Third Time by St. Charles in a Synod of Millan Anno 1571. wherein it is commanded that the Curats in the Administration of the Sacraments make use of the Doctrin of the Roman Catechism Ninthly it was approv'd in the Synod at Genua Anno 1574. Tit. de Fidei elementis à Parocho tradendis Tenthly it was approv'd a Fourth Time by St. Charles in a Synod at Millan Anno 1576. where among those Books which the Curat ought to exhibit to the Bishop at Visitation the Roman Catechism is appointed to be one Eleventhly it was approv'd also a Fifth Time by the same St. Charles in a Synod at Millan Anno 1579. where concerning the way of Examining it is commanded that enquiry be made concerning those that are to be Ordain'd Whether they have the Roman Catechism and hold the Doctrin thereof Twelfthly it was approv'd the same Year by the Clergy of all France in a Synod at Melun wherein many places but especially under those Four Titles of Baptism Eucharist Penance and Order this Catechism which there is acknowledged to be of the Council of Trent it is so commended to the Curats that by that Catholic Assembly of all the Clergy it is judged altogether necessary for them and to be preferr'd before all others for thus it is said there The Curats are bound to teach their Flocks according to the Prescription of the Catechism of the Council of Trent as purely and simply as may be And elsewhere For the due Performance of which matter to wit in exhorting the People using the common Places of the Roman Catechism and the Doctrin of the Council of Trent concerning all the Sacraments which for that end is studiously and accurately to be read by all Curats Moreover Let the Confessors as exactly as may be follow the Rules and Precepts of the Catechism of Trent in things of this sort and in exercising Works of Piety Thirteenthly it was approv'd in the Synod of Roan in Normandy Anno 1581. Where it was thus ordered Now that every Curat may discharge his Office let him have the Roman Catechism in Latin and French c. 10. Fourteenthly in the Synod of Bourdeaux Anno. 1583. where it is thus Let the Curats upon all Holy-days teach the People somewhat out of the Catechism of Trent which by our Authority we enjoyn them to have by them both in Latin and French c. Fifteenthly in the Synod of Tours Anno 1583. Tit. de professione Fidei tuendae curae Sixteenthly in the Synod of Rhemes 1583. Tit. de Curatis Seventeenthly in the Provincial Synod of Aqueia in France Anno 1585. Tit. de Parochis Where it is thus Now that every Curat may discharge his Office let him have the Roman Catechism both in Latin and French c. Eighteenthly in the Provincial Synod of Tholous Anno 1590. where it is thus We enjoyn the Curats that they have continually in their Hands the Catechism of the Council of Trent Tit. de Sacramentis Nineteenthly in the Synod of Avignion Anno 1594. Tit. de Officio Parochi Let them diligently use the Roman Catechism Twentiethly in the Synod of Aquileia Anno 1586. whereof before I omit very many Diocesan Synods in which this our Catechism was approved I omit also those Doctors of very great Note who assert That next to the Canonical Books there is nothing can be read with more Safety and Advantage than this Catechism Now these things Friendly Reader being premis'd who can endure the Boldness of them that despising this sacred Work as a childish Toy scorn to meddle with it and that for this only Reason because it is call'd a Catechism O miserably blind Souls But to make those Men blush all over for Shame I intreat them to hear Augustine Valerius Cardinal and Bishop of Verona a very dear Friend to St. Charles Borromaeus and the Glory of the Sacred Colledge in his First Book Ad Acolythos Veronense◠This Catechism was publish'd Three Year ago by Command of Pope Pius V. which we see to have been given of God for the Benefit of the Christian Common-wealth and for the restoring to us the ancient D scipline of the Church A Work so excellent if we regard the Gravity or Weight of the Sentences and the clearness of the Words or Expressions that Learned Men judg that there has nothing more excellent been publish'd for these many Ages past For all things are explain'd which belong to the Instructing of Souls and that in so good an Order and with so great Clearness and Majesty that our Holy Mother the Church taught by the Holy Ghost seems to teach all and Men to hold their Peace You that are somewhat aged read this Catechism Seven times over and more than seven times for thereby you will get great Advantage for if in History it be deliver'd that Demosthenes thorowly to commend Eloquence describ'd Thucidides Eight times and for that end committed to Memory all his Orations so full of Arguments how much fitter is it that you who are imploy'd in the Discipline of the Church and ought to refer all your Studies to Gods Glory and your own and others Salvation should diligently read yea and even to copy out Eight times over this most excellent Book dictated by the Holy Ghost written by the Decree of the Fathers that were present in the Council of Trent and publish'd by the Authority of Christ's Vicar ARTICLE IV. The Advantages and Vse of this Catechism THE Advantages of this Catechism of the Council of Trent are so many as the Necessities of the Church are if Heresie is to be prevented that the Devil sow it not and that it disturb not Catholics Let the Curats often explain this Catechism If Heresie by an unlucky and ominous Birth be already sprung up and is to be stifled let the Curats often explain this Catechism If Religion is to be preserv'd uncorrupt and sincere let the Curats often explain this Catechism If young Clerks either in Seminaries or privately are to be prepared for the undertaking of any Ecclesiastical Function let this Catechism be often read to them If any one be minded to administer the Sacraments devoutly as is fitting and to the Edification of his Neighbors let him have in his Hand this only Catechism Lastly if any Priest be minded to prepare himself to hear Confessions to make Sermons to direct Souls let them use this only Catechism For it is useful not in one respect only as may easily be observed from what was before noted I will here shew some of the more profitable The First way of using this Catechism is injoyn'd in almost all Synods both Provincial and Diocesan which were had after the Council of Trent to wit
And because the Latins have borrow'd the Name Ecclesia Church III. What is properly to be understood by the name Church from the Greeks after the publishing of the Gospel they transferr'd it to Sacred Matters But what the Meaning of this word is is to be shew'd The word Ecclesia Church signifies a Calling forth Act. 19.39 But Writers afterwards us'd it for a Council and Assembly Nor is it much to the matter whether that people worshipp'd the true God or a false Religion For in the Acts it is written of the Ephesians That when that Scribe had appeas'd the Rabble he said If ye enquire of any other matter it may be resolv'd in a lawful Church or Assembly He calls the Ephesians who were worshippers of Diana a lawful Church Nor are the Gentiles only which knew not God but the Councils also of Evil and Wicked Men sometimes call'd a Church I have hated says the Prophet Ps 25.5 the Church of the Wicked and I will not sit with the Vngodly But then by the common custom of the Scriptures This word is taken to signifie the Christian Common-wealth and the Congregations of the Faithful To wit those who are call'd to the light of Truth and the knowledg of God that casting away the darkness of ignorance and error they may worship the living and true God with Piety and Holiness and to say all in a Word The Church as S. Austin says S. Aug. in Ps 49. is the Faithful People dispers'd throw the whole World Nor are they trivial Mysteries which are contain'd in this Word IV. What Mysteries are contain'd in the word Church For in Calling forth which Ecclesia or Church signifies at first sight shines forth the Benignity and Splendor of Gods Grace and we understand That the Church differs very much from Other Common-wealths For They are establish'd by Human Reason and Prudence But This by the Wisdom and Counsel of God For he has Inwardly call'd us by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost but Outwardly by the Ministery and Labor of the Pastors and Teachers Besides from this Calling V. How the Church differs from a Synagogue what ought to be our end to wit the knowledg and passession of things Eternal he will best perceive who shall have consider'd why in old times the Faithful People under the Law were call'd a Synagogue i. e. a Congregation or flocking together For as S. Austin teaches They had this name given them because after the manner of Cattel to which it is more suitable to flock together they look'd only at earthly and transitory things And therefore rightly is the Christian People call'd not a Synagogue but a Church because despising earthly and mortal things it follows after those things only which are heavenly and eternal There are besides many other Names which are full of Mysteries VI. Other Names of the Church 1 Tim. 3.13 deliver'd to signifie the Christian Common-wealth For it is call'd by the Apostle the House and Building of God but if I tarry long says he to Timothy that thou mayst know how to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of God the Pillar and Ground of Truth And the Church is therefore call'd a House First because it is as it were one Family which one Father or Master governs and in which is a communion of all spiritual good things It is also call'd Christ's Flock of Sheep Second whereof he is the Door and Shepherd It is call'd the Spouse of Christ Third 2 Cor. 11.2 I have betrothed you as a chast Virgin to one Husband which is Christ says the Apostle to the Corinthians And the same Apostle to the Ephesians Men love your wives even as Christ loved the Church Eph. 2.5 And of Matrimony This is a great Mystery says he but I speak in Christ and in the Cburch Lastly Fourth Eph. 1.23 Col. 1.24 The Church is call'd the Body of Christ as may be seen in the Epistle to the Ephesians and that to the Colossians And all these severally avail very much to stir up the Faithful to behave themselves worthy of the immense goodness and mercy of God who has chosen them to be his people These things being explain'd VII The Church Militant and Triumphant Aug. Ench. c. it will be necessary to reckon up the several Parts of the Church and to teach the differences of them whereby the people may the better understand the Nature Properties Gifts and Graces of the Church so much belov'd of God and for that cause never intermit to praise the most holy Name of God Now of the Church there are especially Two Parts whereof the One is call'd Triumphant the Other Militant The Triumphant is that most glorious land happy company of the blessed Spirits VIII Which is Triumphant and those who have triumph'd over the World the Flesh and the Devil and being deliver'd and safe from the Troubles of this life enjoy eternal Bliss But the Church Militant is the company of all the Faithful IX Which Militant Aug. lib. 12. de Civ Dei c. 9. which yet live in the earth Which therefore is call'd Militant because she has continual War with those most implacable Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil Nor is it yet to be thought that there are Two Churches but that of the same Church as was said before there are Two Parts whereof the One is gone before and has already obtain'd the Heavenly Country The Other daily follows till at last being joyn'd with our Saviour she shall rest in everlasting Happiness Now in the Church Militant there are two sorts of Men Good and Bad X. In the Church Militant are both Good and Bad Men. 2 Tim. 2.19 Concil Trid. sess 6. c. 12. Mark this the Wicked being indeed partakers of the same Sacraments profess the same Faith as the Good do but in their Life and Manners are far unlike Now these in the Church are call'd Good who are conjoin'd and knit together not only in profession of Faith and communion of Sacraments but also in the Spirit of Grace and Bond of Charity of whom it is said The Lord has known who are his and Men also may think and conjecture who they are that belong to this number of Pious Men but no one can certainly know And therefore it is not to be thought that Christ our Saviour spake of This Part of his Church when he remitted us to his Church and commanded us to obey Her For since She is out of our knowledge who can be assur'd to whose Judgment we are to fly and whose Authority we must obey The Church therefore includes both the Good and Bad as both the Holy Scripture and the Writings of Holy Men Testifie according to which Sentence is written that of the Apostle Ephes 4.4 There is One Body and One Spirit Now this Church is known XI By what Figures and Similitudes
the Church was signifi'd Mat. 13.17 Mat. 13.24 Luc. 3.17 Mat. 15.12 being compar'd to a City built upon a Mountain which may be seen every where for seeing that all must obey her it is necessary that she be known Nor does she contain the Good only but the Bad also as the Gospel in many Parables teaches as when it commemorates that the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Church Militant is like to a Draw-net let down into the Sea or to a Field in which Tares were over-sown or to a Treshing-flore in which is contain'd the Corn with the Chaff or to the Ten Virgins whereof some were Wise some Foolish Gen. 7. And long before also in Noah's Ark in which not only those living Creatures which were Clean but the Unclean also were shut up together we may behold the figure and similitude of this Church But tho Catholic Faith truly and constantly affirms that both the Good and Bad do belong to the Church yet from the same rules of Faith the Faithful ought to be taught that there is a far different reason and account of either part For as the Chaff upon the Threshing-flore is mingled with the Corn or as sometimes dead members remain joyn'd to the Body Eph. 4.4 so also are Wicked Men contain'd in the Church Whence it comes XII Who are shut out of the Church that there are but three sorts of men only sut out of her First Infidels and then Heretics and Schismatics and lastly Excommunicate persons The Ethnics because they never were in the Church nor ever knew her nor were made partakers of any Sacrament in the Christian Society and the Heretics and Schismatics because they have fallen off from the Church nor do they belong to the Church any more than Vagabonds or Renegadoes belong to an Army from which they ran away Yet it is not to be deny'd but that they are in the power of the Church as those who may be judg'd by her and condemn'd with an Anathema Lastly The Excommunicate persons also in that by the judgment of the Church they are turn'd out of her they belong not to her Communion till they repent But as concerning the rest even the Wicked and Ungodly persons it is not to be doubted but that they yet continue in the Church And this is diligently to be taught the Faithful that if it chance the life of the Prelates to be wicked yet the Faithful are to assure themselves that they are in the Church that therefore they lose nothing of the power And then the Parts of the Universal Church are us'd to be signifi'd by the name of the Church XIII Private Families Pastors and Sacred Places also call'd the Church 2 Cor. 1.1 1 Cor. 16.19 Col 4.16 1 Thes 1.1 Rom. 6.4 Mat. 18.17 as when the Apostle names the Church which is at Corinth Galatia Laodicea Thessalonica and he also calls the Private Families of the Faithful Churches For he commands the Church in the House of Priscilla and Aquila to be saluted And in another place Aquila and Priscilla says he salute you much in the Lord with his domestic Church Also writing to Philemon he uses the same word Sometimes also by the name Church are signifi'd the Prelates and Pastors thereof If he bear not thee says Christ tell it to the Church in which place are design'd the Rulers of the Church And the Place also where the people meet together either to the Sermon or for the sake of any other sacred matter is call'd the Church But especially in this Article the Church signifies the Multitude of Good and Bad together and not those only who govern but those also who ought to obey And then the Properties of this Church are to be open'd to the Faithful XIV The Properties of the Church whereby they may know how great a Benefit God bestows on them who happen to be born and brought up in her Her First Property therefore is describ'd in the Creed of the Fathers First That she be One Cant. 6.8 that she is One My Dove is One says he my Beautiful One is One. But now so great a multitude of Men as is scatter'd far and wide is call'd One for those reasons which are written by the Apostle to the Ephesians for he preaches that there is only One Faith One Lord One Baptism Eph. 4.4 and there is also One Ruler and Governor Invisible which is Christ Ephes 1.21 whom the Eternal Father has made Head over all his Church which is his Body But the Visible Governor is He XV. A Visible Head necessary for the Churches Unity who by Lawful Succession possesses the Chair of Peter the Prince of Apostles of whom this was the approv'd Sentence and Judgment of all the Fathers that this Visible Head was necessary both to settle and preserve the Unity of the Catholic Church Which thing St. Hierom well saw and wrote against Jovinian in these words There is One elected that a Head being constituted the occasion of Schism might be taken away And to Damasus Let Envy slack let the ambition of the Roman Pride be gone I speak to the Successor of the Fisher and the Disciple of the Cross following no Chief but Christ I am consociated to your Holiness i. e. in Communion of Peters Chair I know that the Church is built upon that Rock Whosoever shall have eaten the Lamb without This House is profane If any one be not in Noahs Ark he shall perish by the prevalence of the Flood Which also was long before prov'd by Irenaeus and Cyprian Iraeu lib. 3. contra Haeres c. 3. B. Cypr. de Simpl Prelat in principio fere who speaking of the Unity of the Church says The Lord says to Peter I O Peter say to thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church He builds his Church upon One And tho after his Resurrection he gave part of this Power to all the Apostles and said As the Father sent me I also send you receive ye the Holy Ghost yet that he might manifest Vnity He by his own Authority dispos'd the Original of that same Vnity which was to begin in One c. And then Optatus of Milevis says Optatus initio lib. 2. ad Farmen It cannot be charg'd upon you as of ignorance seeing you know that in the City of Rome was first plac'd by Peter the Episcopal Chair in which Peter the Head of all the Apostles sate In which One the Vnity of the Church has been kept of all lest the other Apostles should challenge every one his own severally so that now he is a Schismatic and a Prevaricator who puts up another Chair in competition with this single one And afterwards St. Basil has left in writing thus Basil hom 29. quae est de poenit Peter is put in the Foundation for he said Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and he receiv'd
the Ark to escape drowning in the Flood This is to be taught as a most certain rule whereby the true Church may be discern'd from the false And we may also know the true Church from its Original XVIII Another Rule yo know the True Church from the False which it has from the Grace reveal'd by the Apostles For her Doctrine is True not New not lately sprung up but long ago deliver'd by the Apostles and dispers'd through all the World and hence it is that none can doubt That the impious Doctrines of Heretics are far different from the Faith of the Church seeing they are against that Doctrine of the Church which has been preach'd from the Apostles to this day And therefore that all may understand which is the true Catholic Church the Fathers by Divine Inspiration have added this word APOSTOLIC Of the marks of the True Church see August contra Epist Fundamenti c. Tertul. lib. toto de Praescript For the Holy Ghost who presides in the Church governs it by no other than Apostolical Men. Which Spirit was first given to the Apostles and afterwards by the infinite goodness of God has always continu'd in the Church But as this One Church cannot err in the delivery of Faith and Discipline of manners XIX Why the Church is call'd Apâ—stolic Aug. contra Crescen lib. 1. c. 33. seeing she is govern'd by the Holy Ghost so it must needs be that all others which falsely claim to themselves that Name and being also led by the Spirit of the Devil are most dangerously out of the way both in Doctrine and Practice But because the Figures of the Old Testament have a great influence to stir up the minds of the Faithful to call to remembrance those excellent things XX. Two figures of the Church for which cause chiefly the Apostles us'd them The Curat may not pass over that part of Docrine also which is so profitable And amongst these The First Gen. 6. Noahs Ark has an excellent signification which for this reason only was made by Gods command that there might be left no room to doubt but that it signifies the Church Which God has so constituted That whosoever by Baptism enters therein may be safe from all danger of eternal Death But they who were out of it as it happen'd to them who were not receiv'd into the Ark were overwhelm'd with their own wickedness Another Figure is that great City Jerusalem The other under the Name whereof many times the Holy Scriptures understand the Holy Church to wit That in her alone it is lawful to offer Sacrifice Because also in the Church of God only and no where else the true Worship and the true Sacrifice which can any ways be pleasing to God may be found And now in the last place XXI The Church to be believ'd by Faith and bow concerning the Church it must be taught After what manner that we are to believe the Church belongs to the Articles of Faith For tho any one perceives by reason and sense That the Church i. e. that Company of Men is in the World which are dedicated and consecrated to Christ our Lord Nor does there seem any need of Faith to conceive this when neither Jews nor Turks do at all doubt of it Yet those Mysteries which as has already been declar'd in part and partly will be said further in he Sacrament of Orders are contain'd in the Holy Church of God that mind which is illuminated by Faith only and not convinc'd by any reasons can understand Seeing therefore that this Article no less than the rest quite surpasses the strength and reach of our understanding We very rightly confess That we come not to know the Church's Original Gifts and Dignity by Huaman Reason but behold them with the Eyes of Faith For neither were Men the Authors thereof XXII Who the Author of hte Church Ps 89.5 but the very Immortal God who has built it upon a most firm Rock as the Prohet witnesses The most High has sounded it For which reason it is call'd Gods Inheritance and the people of God And the Power it has is not of Man but given her by the gift of God Wherefore as by the mere Power of Nature we cannot attain to her so also by Faith only we understand That in the Church are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and that to her is given Power to Forgive Sins to Excommunicate and to consecrate the true Body of Christ and then that the Citizens which belong to her Heb. 13.14 have not here a lasting City but seek one to come It is necessary therefore to believe XXIII We must believe the Church but not in the Church Aug Ser 1.31 de Temp. That there is One Holy and Catholic Church For so we believe the Three Persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost as to place our Faith In them But now changeing the manner of speaking we profess to believe the Holy not In the Holy Church That by this different way of speaking God who is the Author of all things may be distinguish'd from the things which were created and to acknowledg that all those excellent benefits which are bestow'd on the Church were receiv'd of the Divine Goodness The Communion of Saints When S. John the Evangelist wrote to the Faithful XXIV This part of the Article to be diligently explain'd 1 Joh. 1.13 of the Divine Mysteries why he taught them therein he gives this Reason That you also says he might have Fellowship with us and our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ This Fellowship is plac'd in the Communion of Saints of which we are to speak in This Article And would to God in explaining hereof Aug. in Joan Trâ—act 32. the Teachers of the Church would imitate the diligence of Paul and the other Apostles For it is not only a kind of Interpretation of the former Article and a Doctrine full of profit and advantage but it also shews what the Use of those Mysteries is which are contain'd in the Creed For we are to search into and learn all those things for this end that we may be admitted into this so blessed and glorious a Fellowship of the Saints and being once admitted consequently to persevere Coloss 1.12 giving Thanks with Joy to God the Father who has made us worthy to partake of the Lot of the Saints in Light Firft therefore XXV Wherein is plac'd the Communion of Saints the Faithful are to be taught That This Article is as it were a kind of Explication of that which goes before concerning One Holy Catholic Church For the Unity of that Spirit by which she is govern'd causes that whatsoever the Church has is Common For the Fruit and Benefit of all the Sacraments belongs to all the Faithful by which Sacraments as by Sacred Bands they are coupl'd and joyn'd with Christ
we look more closely into the matter we may easily perceive that there was wanting in that Form none of those things which our Savior commanded to be observ'd For he that but names Jesus Christ signifies at the same time the Person of the Father also by whose appointment he was anointed and the Holy Ghost who anointed him And yet it may seem doubtful Whether or no the Apostles did at all baptize any in this kind of Form XVI Not certain that the Apostles baptiz'd Christ's name Ambr. l. 1. â—â— Sâ—â—â—â—â— Sâ—â—â—ct c. â— Pasiâ— l. 1. de â—pâ—â— Sâ—â—ct c. 12. Gâ—l 3.27 if we will follow the Opinion of those Holy and Grave Fathers Ambrose and Basil who interpret Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ so as they say by those words is signifi'd Baptism not that which was given of John but of our Lord Christ altho the Apostles departed not from that common and usual Form wherein are express ' d the distinct names of the Three Persons Now this kind of speech S. Paul seems to use in his Epistle to the Galatians when he says As many of you as have bin Baptiz'd in Christ have put on Christ To signifie that they were baptiz'd in the Faith of Christ but yet that they us'd no other Form than that which the same our Lord and Savior cammanded to be observ'd Thus much therefore XVII Three manners of Washing it will be sufficient to teach the Faithful concerning the Matter and Form which chiefly belong to the Substance of Baptism Now because in celebrating this Sacrament we ought to observe the right way of Washing therefore the Pastors must teach how that Part also ought to be done and briefly let them understand that the Church has bin us'd to celebrate Baptism after any one of these three manners For those that are baptiz'd Plunging Pouring Sprinkling Eph 5.26 are either plung'd into the Water or Water is pour'd upon them or they are sprinkl'd with Water Now whichsoever of these three ways is observ'd we ought to believe Baptism to be valid For Water is us'd in Baptism to signifie the Washing of the Soul which it performs And therefore the Apostle calls Baptism a Laver. But he cannot be more properly said to be wash'd who is plung'd into Water which fashion was long observ'd in the Primitive times of the Church Act. 2.41 Greg. l. 1. Regist Ep. 41. than He who has water pour'd on him which is the manner now adays or than He who is sprinkl'd with Water as it may be suppos'd S. Peter did when in one day he convert'd and baptiz'd Three Thousand Men. But whether Baptism be perform'd with One single Washing or with a threefold pouring of Water on the Baptiz'd is not to be thought of any moment For that by any of these three ways Baptism was formerly rightly perform'd in the Church and may be so again does plainly enough appear from the Epistle of S. Gregory the Great written to Leander Yet the Faithful are to retain that Custom or Rite which they observe to be us'd in their own Church But it is fit to give them this warning especially XVIII Three things chiefly to be noted that in Baptism not any part of the Body but the Head where all both internal and external Senses have their strength is to be wash'd and that he that baptizes ought at the very same time of the Washing with Water and not either before or after it to pronounce the words which are the Form of the Sacrament These things being explain'd XIX When Baptism was instituted and commanded it will be convenient to teach the Faithful and to put them in mind that Baptism as all the other Sacraments were was instituted by Christ our Lord. This therefore the Pastors shall frequently teach and explain That there are Two different Times of Baptism to be noted The One when our Savior instituted it The other when the receiving of it became a settl'd Law and Obligation As for the First It is plain that this Sacrament was then Instituted of our Lord when himself being baptiz'd of John gave Power of Sanctifying to the Water For S. Gregory Nazianzen and S. Austin testifie That at that time Greg. Orat. in Nat. Salv. ci ca sinem Aug. Serm. 29 36 37. de Temp. Matt. 3.26 Marc. 1.10 Luc 3.21 the vertue of begetting in us the Spiritual Life was bestow'd on Water And in another place he writes From the time that Christ was plung'd in Water Water washes away all sins And in another place The Lord is baptiz'd not as wanting to be cleans'd but by the Touch of his pure Body cleansing the Waters that they may have power of cleansing And to this purpose This may well serve for an argument that the most Holy Trinity in whose name Baptism is perform'd have manifested their divine presence at it For then was heard the Voice of the Father then was present the person of the Son and then descended the Holy Ghost in likeness of a Dove besides all This the Heavens were open'd whither by Baptism we also may now ascend But if any one desire to know XX. The Waters sanctifi'd by the touch of Christs Body by what means so great and so divine a vertue was bestow'd on the Waters by our Lord. This indeed exceeds Mans understanding yet this we understand well enough that when our Lord receiv'd Baptism the Water was consecrated to the saving use of Baptism by the Touch of his most Holy and Pure Body yet so as that tho this Sacrament were instituted before the Passion yet it must be believ'd that of the Passion which was as the End of all Christ's Actions it took its vertue and Efficacy See Hieron in com in 3. cap. Mat. Aug. Serm 36. de Temp. And now of the Other XXI When Baptism began to be of Obligation Mar. 16 10. Matt. 28.19 to wit at what time the Law of Baptism began to be obligatory there can be no doubt For the Holy Fathers agree That after the Resurrection of our Lord when he commanded his Apostles saying Go ye and teach all Nations baptizing them it the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost from that time forward all Men that were to attain everlasting Salvation began to be oblig'd by the Law of Baptism And this is gather'd from the authority of the Prince of Apostles when he says 1 Pet. 1 3â— He has begotten us again to a lively Hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead As also we may learn from that place of S. Paul Eph. 5 2â— He gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her he speaks of the Church cleansing her with the laver of Water in the Word Both which places seem to refer the Obligation of Baptism to the time immediately following our Lords Death So that it can by no means be doubted that those words of our
and undertakes to lead a new way and manner of Life it is but just not to grant Baptism to any one that is unwilling to receive it or that refuses it but to them only who chearfully and freely receive it Wherefore by Holy Tradition it has bin receiv'd Aug. de poen Mediâ— c. 2. D. Thom. 2. p. q. 68. sect 7. and always observ'd Not to administer Baptism to any before he be ask'd whether he wills it Nay even in Children and Infants it must be suppos'd that that Will is not wanting Since the Will of the Church which answers for them is not obscure Besides Madmen and Furious XXXIX Wheter Mad persons ought to be baptiz'd and when D. Thom. 3.3 p. q. 86. art 12. who being sometimes in their Wits and then falling again into Madness have at that time no Will to receive Baptism are not to be baptiz'd unless there be danger of Life But when they are in such danger of Life if before they began to fall mad they gave any Tokens of their Will to be baptiz'd they are to be baptiz'd Note .. But if not we must abstain from administring it to such The same thing ought to be judg'd of them that sleep But if they never were in a sound mind so that they had no use of Reason they are to be baptiz'd in the Faith of the Church no otherwise than Children are who want reason as both the Authority and Practice of the Church sufficiently declare But besides the Will of Baptism XL. Three things requir'd in Adult persons to be baptiz'd Faith Penance and a Purpose to forsake sin Marc. 16.19 Faith also is very necessary to attain the Grace of that Sacrament for the same reason as was said concerning the Will For our Lord and Savior has taught He that believes and is baptiz'd shall be sav'd And then there is need that every one repent of his Sins and of his ill-spent life and resolve for the future to abstain from all sin For otherwise he that desires Baptism so as that he will not amend his custom of sinning is by all means to be rejected for there is nothing so contrary to the Grace and Vertue of Baptism as the Mind and Purpose of those is who never put to themselves an end of sinning Seeing therefore that Baptism is to be desir'd for this end that we might put on Christ and be joyn'd with him it is plainly manifest that he is deservedly to be rejected from Holy Baptism who purposes to persevere in sin and Vice Note But especially because none of all those things which belong to Christ and his Church are to be undertaken in vain And we know well enough if we consider the Grace of Righteousness and Salvation that Baptism will be in vain to him who purposes to live according to the Flesh Rom. 8.1 and not according to the Spirit Altho as to the Sacrament it self without all doubt he does receive the perfect Reason thereof only if so be when he is rightly baptiz'd he purposes to receive what by Holy Church is administr'd Wherefore the Prince of Apostles answer'd to that great multitude which as the Scripture says being prick'd at the Heart Act. 2.50 ask'd of him and the rest of the Apostles what they should do Do Penance says he and be baptiz'd every one of you And in another place Do Penance and be converted that your sins may be blotted out And S. Paul writing to the Romans plainly shews him who is baptiz d that by all means he ought to dye to sin and therefore he warns us not to yield our members as weapons of iniquity to sin but to yield our selves to God as those that are risen from the Dead Now if the Faithful often meditate on these things XLI How profitable this Doctrine of Baptism is they will be compell'd earnestly to admire that infinite goodness of God who being led by his own mercy only has bestow'd so singular and so divine a benefit upon them who deserv'd no such matter And then when they put before their Eyes how free their life ought to be from every crime who are adorn'd with so great a gift They will easily understand that this is first of all requir'd of Christians to study to lead every day of their Life so holily and religiously as if that very day they had receiv'd the Sacrament and grace of Baptism Altho to inflame their Souls with the study of true Piety there can be nothing more profitable than for the Pastors diligently to explain what the Effects of Baptism are Of these things therefore because it must often be treated XLII The Effects of Baptism The fi st Remâ—ssion of sins that the Faithful may the better perceive that they are plac'd in the highest degree of dignity and never suffer themselves at any time to be cast down thence by any wiles or violence of the adversary it is necessary to teach them this thing first of all that sin whether contracted by birth from our first-parents or committed of our selves altho it is so necessary that it seems not able to be imagin'd by the admirable vertue of this Sacrament is remitted and pardon'd This was long before prophesi'd by Ezekiel Ezek. 36.25 by whom our Lord God says thus I will pour clean Water upon you and ye shall be cleans'd from all your filthithiness And the Apostle to the Corithians after a long reckoning up of sins 1 Cor. 6.11 subjoyn'd And these things ye were but ye are Wash'd but ye are sanctified And it is manifest that this Docttine has bin always deliver'd by the Catholic Church For S. Austin in his Book which he wrote of the Baptism of Infants testifies thus Lib. 1 de peccat met remiss c 15 Eph. 85 ante medium Sess 5. can 5. By carnal generation we contract only original sin but by regeneration of the Spirit there is Forgiveness not only of orginal but also of wilful sins And S. Hierom to Oceanus All sins says he in Baptism are forgiven And that no one may doubt any more of this matter after the Definition of other Councils the Council of Trent has declar'd the same thing when she decreed an Anathema against those who presum'd to think otherwise or who doubted not to assert That tho in Baptism sin were forgiv'n yet it is not wholly taken away or pull'd up by the Roots but rac'd or scarr'd in a manner so that the roots of sin yet remain fasten'd in the Soul For to use the words of the same Holy Synod God hates nothing in the Regenerate because there is no condemnation to those who are truly bury'd with Christ by Baptism into death who walk not according to the Flesh But putting off the Old man and putting on the New which is created according to God they are made innocent spotless pure without hurt and lov'd of God Of this effect of Baptism See Aug. lib. 1.
the Rock and Foundation of the Church and bore the highest constancy and greatness of a generous Soul was so terrifi'd at the voice of one poor silly Woman that he deny'd not once and again only but even a third time also that he was Jesus Christ's Disciple Yea and after the Resurrection for fear of the Jews they kept themselves close shut up in a House But then on the day of Pentecost they were all fill'd with so great a power of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. that while they freely and boldly planted the Gospel which was committed to them not only in the Region of the Jews but all over the World they thought nothing could be a greater happiness to them Act. 5. than to be counted worthy to suffer Disgrace Bonds Torments and crucifyings for the name of Christ Besides The Fourth Effect Confirmation has this vertue that it imprints a Character Whence it comes to pass that for no reason whatsoever is it to be iterated as was before observ'd in Baptism and will be more fully explain'd in the Sacrament of Order in its proper place If therefore these things be diligently and often explain'd by the Pastors it can hardly be but that the Faithful knowing the dignity and profitableness of this Sacrament will use their utmost endeavors to receive it holily and religiously That Confirmation is not to be iterated See Consec dist 5. c. dictum est cap. de hom D. Thom. 3. p. q. 72. art 5. It remains now that some of the Rites and Ceremonies XX. The Rites and Ceremonies of Confirmation explain'd which the Catholic Church uses in administrating this Sacrament be briefly consider'd The explication whereof how profitable it will be the Pastors will understand if they look back to those things which were said before when they are to treat of this Point Those therefore that are confirm'd Chrism and Unction are anointed in the Fore-head with Sacred Chrism For in this Sacrament the Holy Spirit pours himself into the Souls of the Faithful and increases Strength and Courage in them that in the Spiritual Combat they may fight manfully and resist their most deadly enemies Wherefore it is declar'd Why in the Fore-head That they are not to be terrifi'd from the free confession of the Name of Christ with any fear or bashfulness the tokens of which affections are us'd to appear most in the Fore-head Rhahan l. 1. de Instit cleric c. 30. habetur de consecr dist 5. c. novissimè Aug. in Psal 141. D. Thom. 3. p. 9.71 ar 9. Besides The Sign of the Cross that Note whereby a Christian is distinguish'd from others and as it were a Soldier by certain honorable Badges is distinguish'd from the rest is given him in the most observable part of his Body This also has bin solemnly and religiously observ'd in the Church of God Why at Whitsontide That at Whitsontide especially this Sacrament is administer'd because specially on that day the Apostles were confirm'd and strengthen'd by the Power of the Holy Ghost By the remembrance of which divine work the Faithful might be admonish'd what and how great mysteries were to be consider'd in that Sacred Unction And when he that is anointed and confirm'd The Stroak that he may be put in mind that he ought as a valiant Champion to be ready prepar'd to endure all adversities with an unconquer'd and resolute Soul for the name of Christ is lightly struck upon the Breast by the Bishop And lastly the Peace is given him The Peace that he may understand that he has the Fulness of heavenly Grace and that Peace which passes all sense or understanding And let this be the sum of those things which are to be taught of the Pastors concerning the Sacrament of Chrism and that not so much by naked Words and Arguments as with an ardent study and endeavor for true Piety that they may be seen to plant these things in the inmost Souls and Thoughts of the Faithful Of the SACRAMENT of the EVCHARIST AS there is none of all those Holy Mysteries I. The Dignity of the Eucharist often to be explain'd that it may not be us'd irreverently Dionys de Eccl. Hier. c. 6. de Conse◠dist c. 2. Nihi i◠1 Cor. 11.30 which our Lord and Savior has commended to us as the certain Instruments of Divine Grace that can be compar'd with the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist So also is there no greater Punishment to be fear'd from God for any sin whatsoever than if This thing which is full of all sanctity or rather which contains the Author and Fountain of Sanctity be not holily and religiously us'd by the Faithful And this the Apostle both plainly saw and has plainly warn'd us about it For when he had declar'd under how grievous a guilt they were bound who discern'd not the Lords Body he presently subjoyns Therefore are there many sick and weak among you and many sleep That therefore the Faithful may understand both that divine Honor is to be given to this heavenly Sacrament and may gather a plentiful increase of Grace and may avoid the most just indignation of God all these things are very diligently to be explain'd by the Pastors which seem proper the more to illustrate the Majesty thereof To which purpose there will be need II. The Institution of the Eucharist first to be explain'd that following S. Pauls method who professes that he deliver'd to the Corinthians what he had receiv'd of the Lord they first of all explain to the Faithful the Institution of this Sacrament For that the thing was thus done plainly appears from the Evangelist For III. Why when and how Christ instituted the Eucharist Joh. 13. When the Lord lov'd his own he lov'd them to the end of which Love that he might give them some divine and admirable pledge knowing that the hour was now come that he must go from this World to the Father and that he might at no time ever be wanting to those that are his he in his unsearchable wisdom perfected the thing which quite surpasses all the Order and Course of Nature For celebrating the Supper of the Paschal Lamb with his Discipes that the Figure might give place to the Truth and the Shadow to the Body Mat. 26.20 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 He took Bread and giving Thanks to God he Bless'd it and Brake and Gave it to his Disciples and said Take and Eat This is my Body which shall be given for you This do in Commemoration of me In like manner he took also the Chalice after he had supp'd saying This Chalice is the New Testament in my Blood This do as oft as ye shall drink it in Commemoration of me Of the Institution of the Eucharist see Trid. Sess 13. c. 2. de Euch. Leo. Serm. 7. de Pas c. 3. Euseb Emiss hom 4. habetur in consec dist 2. 1.
XXVII The same confirm'd by consent of Fathers and first it must be taught that there is nothing doubtful or uncertain in them Especially since the authority of Gods Church has thus interpreted them To the knowledg of which sense we may come by a twofold way and means The first is by consulting the Fathers who flourish'd both in the beginning and so down through every Age of the Church and were the best Witnesses of the Doctrin of the Church But all these by an exact consent and agreement have most plainly taught the truth of this Opinion Of which to bring the several Testimonies because it would be a most tedious labor it shall be sufficient to mark or rather to shew a few things whereby a judgment may easily be made of the rest S. Ambrose therefore first produces his Faith who in his Book of those that are initiated in the Mysteries testifies Lib. 4. de Sacra de tis qui Myster init c. 9. vide de consec dist 2. plutib in locis Chrys ad Popul Antioch homil 60 61. That the true Body of Christ is taken in this Sacrament as his true Body was taken of the Virgin and this is to be held with most certain Faith And in another place he teaches That there is Bread before the Consecration but after the consecration the Body of Christ Another witness hereof is S. Chrysostom one of no less Fidelity and Gravity who professes and teaches this Truth both in many other places and especially in his 60th Homily of those who unworthily receive the Sacred Mysteries as also in his 41 and 45. Homilies upon S. John For he says Let us obey and not contradict God tho that which is spoken seem to be contrary to our Reason and our very Eyes for his Word is infallible our Senses are easily deceiv'd To these exactly agrees what S. Austin the vigorous defender of Catholic Faith always taught And first expounding the Title of the 33. Psalm he writes To carry himself in his own hands is to Man an impossible thing and is proper to Christ alone For He was carri'd in his own hands when giving that Body of his he said This is my Body And besides Cyril Justin and Irenaeus in his fourth Book upon S. John so plainly affirm the true Flesh of Christ to be in this Sacrament that his words cannot be rendred obscure by any sallacies or captious interpretations But if the Pastors want any other Testimonies of the Fathers it is easie to add more as S. Dennys Hilary Hierom Damascen and innumerable others The grave Sentences of whom concerning this matter we may read collected and gather'd together by the Labor and Industry of learn'd and pious Men. Divus Augustinus in Ps 33. Conc. 1. a medio ad finera usque Cyril l. 4. in Joan. c. 33. 14. l. c. 13. Just Apolog. 2. sub finem ad Antonium l'ium lren l. 5. cont haeret c. l. 5. in Joan. c. 34. Dionys Eccles Hier. c. 3. Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit Hierom Epist ad Damasum Damasc l. 4. de Orthod fid c. 14. There remains another way whereby we may find out the judgment of Holy Church in those things which belong to Faith to wit the contrary Doctrin and Opinion being condemn'd And it is manifest that the Truth of the Body of Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was so scatter'd and spread abroad through the whole Church XXVIII The same further confirm'd by Decrees of Councils and willingly embrac'd by all the Faithful that when Berengarius five hundred years ago presum'd to deny it and asserted That there was only a Sign he was forthwith condemn'd by the Sentence of all in the Council of Verceils which by Authority of Leo IX was conven'd and himself retracted his Opinion and condemn'd it with an Anathema Who afterwards returning to the same impiety was condemn'd in three other Councils one at Tours and two at Rome whereof the one was call'd together by Pope Nicholas II. and the other by Pope Gregory VII And afterwards the Faith of the same Truth was more fully declar'd and settl'd in the Councils of Florence and Trent If therefore the Pastors shall diligently have explain'd these things not to say any thing of those XXIX And by Reason who being blinded and harden'd in their Errors hate nothing more than the Light of Truth they will be able to confirm the weak and to affect the Souls of the devout with the greatest joy and delight Especially since the Faithful may not doubt but that the Belief of this Perswasion is to be reckon'd among the other Articles of Faith For when they believe and confess God's Power to be supream over all things The First they must needs believe that he wants not Power to effect this great Work which we admire and worship in the Sacrament of the Eucharist And then The Second when they believe the Catholic Church it must needs follow that they believe also that this is the truth of this Sacrament as we have explain'd it And indeed there can be no greater sweetness and profit to the Faithful XXX How great the Churches Dignity by reason of the Sacrament of the Eucharist than to contemplate the dignity of this most profound Sacrament For first they perceive how great the Perfection of the Law of the Gospel is which has the priviledge to have that thing in Truth and Reality which in the time of the Mosaical Law was only shadow'd by Signs and Figures Wherefore it was divinely said of S. Dennys De Eccl. Hier. c. 3 p. 1. That our Church is in the middle between the Synagogue and the upper Jerusalem and participates of both And indeed the Faithful can never sufficiently admire the perfection of Holy Church and the height of her Glory seeing there seems to be but one step or degree only betwixt her and the Bliss of Heaven For This we have common with those in Heaven that both of us have Christ God and Man present with us But we are below them this one step They being present there enjoy the blessed Vision But We with a firm and constant Faith worship him being present with us but hiding himself far from the sense of our Eyes under the admirable cloathing of the Sacred Mysteries Besides in this Sacrament the Faithful experience the most perfect Love of our Savior Christ For it highly became his goodness never to withdraw from us that Nature which he took of us but as much as may be to be and to be conversant among us That at all times that might seem to be truly and properly said Prov. 8. My delight is to be with the Children of Men. And now in this place the Pastors must explain XXXI Whole Christ as God and Man contain'd in the Eucharist not only that the true Body of Christ and whatsoever belongs to the true Nature of a Body as
Take thou power of offering Sacrifice c. by which words the Church has always taught while the Matter is exhibited that the Power of Consecrating the Eucharist a Character being impress'd on the Soul is deliver'd to which is adjoin'd Grace rightly and lawfully to discharge that Office Which thing the Apostle declares in these words 2 Tim. 1.9 I admonish thee that thou stir up the Grace of God which is in thee by the Imposition of my hands for God has not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power and of Love and of Sobriety And now to use the words of Sacred Synod since the Administration of so great a Priesthood is so Divine a thing that it might be exercis'd so much the more worthily and with so much the greater Veneration it was fit that in the most comely and orderly Disposition of the Church there should be many and divers Orders in the Church who by their Office might serve the Priesthood and those indeed who thus are distributed are now to be known by their being shav'd in the manner of Clerks and ascend thro the lesser to the greater Orders It shall therefore be taught that these Orders are seven in number XXII How many Orders of Ministers of the Church and what they are as has always bin taught in the Catholic Church the Names whereof are these Door-keeper Reader Exorcist Acolyt Sub-deacon Deacon Priest These Orders have bin remember'd by Dionys lib. Eccl. hier cap. 3. Cornel. Papa in Ep. ad Fab. Epist Antioch extat apud Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 35. Conc. Carth. 4. Can. 4. sequ Ignat Ep. ad Antioch Now that this number of Ministers is rightly defin'd may be prov'd XXIII Why so many by reason of those Ministers which seem necessary to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to the consecrating and administring the Eucharist for which cause especially they were instituted Now of these there are some Greater XXIV Some Orders greater some lesser and which they are which are also call'd Sacred and there are Others Lesser The Greater or Sacred are the Orders of Priesthood of Deaconship and Sub-deaconship To the Lesser Orders are referr'd the Acolyts Exorcists Readers and Door-keepers of all which severally we will say a little that the Curats may have wherewith to instruct those chiefly whom they know are to be receiv'd into any Holy Order And we must begin at the First shaving XXV What the first shaving is which must be taught to be a kind of Preparation to Orders For as men are us'd to be prepar'd for Baptism by Exorcisms and for Matrimony by Betrothing So when by shaving the Hair of the Head they are dedicated to God there is an Entrance as it were open'd them to the Sacrament of Order For it is declar'd what kind of person he ought to be who desires to receive Ordination For the Name of Clerk XXVI Where the Name of Clerk is taken which is then first put upon him is taken from hence that he begins to have the Lords Lot and his Inheritance as those among the Hebrew people who were bound to the Divine Service to whom the Lord forbad any portion of Fields to be given in the Land of Promise Numb 18.20 when he said I am thy Part and Inheritance And tho this be common to all the Faithful yet in a special manner it must needs suit to them who have consecrated themselves to the Ministry of God Vide Hieron Epist 2. ad Nepot citatur 12. q. 1. c. Clericus And the Hair of their Head is cut in the fashion and likeness of a Crown XXVII Why the Hair of the Head cut in the shape of a Crown which they ought always to keep And as any one is afterwards plac'd in a higher Degree of Order so that Round Form is every way cut larger And this came indeed from the Tradition of the Apostles XXVIII From whence this Usage of cutting the Hair as the Church teaches since of this kind of cutting the Hair S. Dennys the Areopagite S. Austin S. Hierom the most antient and grave Fathers have taken notice Dionys de Eccles Hier. c. 6. part 2. Aug. Serm. 17. ad Fratres in Eremo Hier. in cap. 44. Ezek. vide Rhaban Maur. lib. de Institut Cleric Bed lib. hist 5. Angl. c. 22. Now they report XXIX Why Clerks appointed to bear the â—â—r â— of a Crown that the Prince of the Apostles first of all brought in this Custom for preserving the Remembrance of the Crown of Thorns which was put upon our Saviors Head that what wicked men intended for reproach and Torture the same the Apostles us'd for their Ornament and Glory The first Reas n. And they also signifi'd that the Ministers of the Church are to take care that in all things they carry the Resemblance and Figure of Christ our Lord. Altho some do assert The second Reaâ—on that by this Note is declar'd their Royal Dignity which seems suitable to those who are call'd into the Lot of the Lord. For that which the Apostle Peter attributed to the Faithful people Ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation we easily understand to belong to the Ministers of the Church in a kind of peculiar and more proper manner And there are not wanting some who think by this Circular or Round Figure The third Reason which of all others is most perfect is signified either the Profession of that more perfect life undertaken by Clerks or the Contempt of External things and the Freedom of the Soul from all human cares because the Hair of their Heads being a kind of superfluous Excrement of the Body is shorn of After the First shaving XXX The Order and Office of Door-keepers the first degree is us'd to be made to the Order of Door-keepers whose Office is to keep the Keys and Doors of the Church and to keep them from entring into it who are forbid He assisted also at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and took care that no one should come nearer to the Sacred Altar than was fit and answer'd the Priest doing Divine Service There were other Services also committed to him as may be perceiv'd by the Rites which are us'd at his Consecration For the Bishop taking the Keys off the Altar and delivering them to him says thus to him whom he makes a Door-keeper So behave thy self as thou wilt give an account to God for those things which are kept under these Keys Now that in the antient Church the Dignity of this Order was Great XXXI The Dignity of Door-keepers is understood from hence because to this time we observe it to be kept in the Church For the Office of Treasurer which was also the Keeper of the Sacristary which belong'd to the Door-keepers is even at this time accounted among the better Offices of the Church De Ostiario vide Trid. Sess 23. de
Functions of the Priestly Order XLVIII Five Degrees in the Priestly Order Which Order tho it be but One yet it has different Degrees of Dignity and Power The first is of those who are simply call'd Priests The first of Priests whose Functions have hitherto been declar'd The Second is of Bishops who are plac'd over of their several Bishoprics The second of Bishops to govern not only the other Ministers of the Church but the Faithful People also and with the utmost vigilance and care to take regard of their Salvation Wherefore in Sacred Scripture they are often call'd The Shepherds of the Sheep Whose Duty and Office Paul describes as we read in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 20.29 in that Sermon he made to the Ephesians And also a kind of Divine Rule of that Ministery of a Bishop has bin deliver'd by Peter the Prince of Apostles According to which 1 Pet. 5.2 if the Bishops would study to square their actions it cannot be doubted but that the Pastors will both be and be accounted good Now the same persons are call'd both Bishops and Pontifices or High Priests taking that name from the Ethnics who were us'd to call the chief of their Priests Pontifices or High Priests The Third Degree is of Archbishops The third of Archbishops who preside over many Bishops and these are also call'd Metropolitans because they are Prelates of those Cities which are accounted as it were the Mothers of that Province wherefore they have a higher place and larger Power than Bishops altho in their Ordination they differ in nothing from Bishops In the Fourth Degree are plac'd Patriarchs The Fourth of Patriarchs i. e. the First and Highest Fathers In old time besides the Supreme Bishop of Rome there were in the whole Church only Four Patriarchs nor yet were they all alike in Dignity For the Patriarch of Constantinople altho this Honor was last of all given to him yet for the Majesty of the Empire he obtain'd the higher place The next is the Patriarch of Alexandria whose Church Mark the Evangelist by order of the Prince of Apostles sounded The third is the Patriarch of Antioch where Peter first had his See The last is the Patriarch of Jerusalem which Church S. James the Brother of our Lord built Above all these the Catholic Church has always had a Veneration for the Roman Chief Bishop or Pope The Fifth of Supream Bishop or Pope whom in the Council of Ephesus Cyril Archbishop of Alexandria calls the Father and Patriarch of the whole World For since he sits in the Chair of Peter the Prince of Apostles wherein it is manifest that he sat to the end of his life she acknowledges in him the Supreme degree of Dignity and fulness of Jurisdiction not as given by any Synodical or Human Constitutions but of God Wherefore he being Father and Governor of all the Faithful and of the Bishops also and other Prelates with what Office or Power soever they be endu'd presides over the Universal Church as Peters Successor and the true and lawful Vicar of Christ our Lord. Of the Primacy of the Pope see Anatol. Epist 3. citat dist 22. c. sacro sancta Greg. lib. 7. Epist 64 65. Nicol. Pap. Epist ad Mediolanens citatur dist 22. c. omnes Vide etiam ead dist c. Constantin Conc. Chalced. in Epist ad Leonem From these things therefore the Pastors shall teach XLIX What is to be taught concerning Order both what are the principal Offices and Functions of Ecclesiastical Orders and Degrees and who is the Minister of this Sacrament For it is evident that this Administration belongs to a Bishop L. The Minister of this Sacrament is the Bishop which is easie to prove both from the Authority of the Sacred Scriptures and most certain Tradition the Testimony of the Fathers the Decrees of Councils and the Usage and Practice of Holy Church But tho it be permitted to some Abbots to administer the Lesser but not Sacred Orders yet there is no one doubts that this Office is properly the Bishop's to whom only of all the rest and besides him to no body else it is lawful to receive into the other Orders which are call'd the Greater and Sacred For only the Bishop and he alone ordains Subdeacons and Priests but the Bishops by the Tradition of the Apostles which has always bin preserv'd in the Church are consecrated by Three Bishops It now follows to explain LI. Get care to be us'd in receiving anâ— to Priesthood who are fit for this Sacrament and especially for the Priestly Order and what things are chiefly requir'd in them From hence it will not be hard to determin what ought to be observ'd in the giving of other Orders according to the Office and Dignity of each of them Now that there is very great caution to be us'd in this Sacrament is thus gather'd because the other Sacraments give Grace to the Sanctification and Use of them by whom they are receiv'd But those that are admitted into Sacred Order are therefore partakers of Heavenly Grace that by their Ministery they may help forward the Salvation of the Church and consequently of all Men. Whence we understand it comes to pass that upon certain appointed days only when according to the most antient practice of the Catholic Church solemn Fastings are appointed Ordinations are perform'd to wit that the Faithful People with Devout and Holy Prayers might beseech of God that the Ministers of such kind of sacred things might be render'd more fit to exercise so great a Power as they ought to do and to the profit of the Church First therefore integrity of Manners is very much commendable in him that is to be made a Priest LII Integrity of Life necessary in making a Priest not only because if being conscious to himself of any mortal sin he procure or but even suffer himself to be receiv'd into Sacred Order he intangles himself in a new and a most extream wickedness But also because he ought to shew himself a Light and a Guide of Vertue and Innocence to others For this cause what the Apostle commanded Titus and Timothy Tit. 1. 1 Tim. 3. is to be declar'd to the Pastors and also it is to be taught That the Deformities of the Body which in the Old-Law by the commandment of the Lord excluded any from the Ministery of the Altar in the Evangelical Law is specially to be apply'd to the deformity of Mind Wherefore we consider that that Holy Custom is preserv'd in the Church that they who are to be ordain'd endeavor diligently first to purge their Consciences by the Sacrament of Penance Furthermore LIII Knowledg also necessary to a Priest there is requir'd in a Priest not that knowledg only which belongs to the Use and Ministring of the Sacraments but he ought also to be so furnish'd with the knowledg of Sacred Scripture
to be another Commandment will have the two last to have the Force of one Commandment only◠but S. Austin dividing those last will have these Words to belong to the First Commandment which Opinion because it is most celebrated in the Church we willingly follow Altho we have in readiness that most true Reason that it was fit that every one's Reward and Punishment should be joynd with the First Commandment Vid. Aug. super Exod. quaest 71. in Ps 32. Serm. 2 sententia D. Aug. de praeceptorum distinctione magis placet Eccelesiae Vide D. Thom. 1 2 q. 100. art 4. And let no one think that the Art of Painting Carving or making Images is forbid by this Commandment XXXIII The use of Images not against this Commandment for in Scripture by God's Command we find that there were made Figures and Images of Cherubims and the Brasen Serpent It remains therefore that we teach Images to be forbidden for this Reason that nothing should be withdrawn from the true Worship of God to the Worshiping of Images as Gods Now as to this Commandment XXXIV Two things here forbidden First to worship Idols there are two VVays especially whereby it is evident that the Majesty of God is very grievously offended The One is when Idols and Images are worship'd as Gods or when it is believ'd that there is any Divinity or Vertue in them for which they are to be worship'd or that any thing is to be begg'd of them or that any Trust is to be put in them as of Old the Gentils did who plac'd their Hopes in Idols which thing the Sacred Scriptures in many places reprove The Other is Secondly by Art to frame any likeness of the Divinty when any one endeavours to make any Shape of the Divinity as tho he could be seen with bodily Eyes or express'd in Figures For who as Damascen says can describe God who cannot be seen who has no Body who can be circumscrib'd with no Limits nor describ'd under any Figure VVhich thing is more largly explain'd in the Second Council of Nice Damasc lib. 4. de Ortho. Fid. c. 17. Concil Nicen. 2. Act. 3. Therefore the Apostle said excellently Rom. 1.23 That they had changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of Birds Beasts and Serpents For they reverenec'd all these things as Gods when they put up their Images wherefore the Israelites when they proclaim'd before the Image of the Calf Exod. 24. These are thy Gods ô Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt were call'd Idolaters because they chang'd their Glory into the likeness of a Calf which eats Hay When therefore the Lord forbids other Gods to be worship'd XXXV The meaning of this last part of the Commandment Isay 40.18 Act. 7. utterly to take away all Idolatry he forbad any Image of the Divinity to be drawn or made in Metal or any other matter which Esaias declaring says Like to what will ye make God or what Image will ye make for him Now that this is the meaning of this Commandment besides the Writings of the Holy Fathers who as has bin shew'd in the seventh Council do thus interpret it Deut. 4.16 those words in Deuteronomy also do sufficiently declare where Moses willing to draw the People from Idolatry said Ye saw not any likeness in the Day wherein the Lord spake with you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire Which the most wise Lawgiver therefore said lest being led by any error they might make the Image of the Divinity and give to a Creature the Honor due to God Moreover XXXVI It is lawful by some figures to shadow out the Trinity let no one think that any Offence is committed against Religion and the Law of God when any Person of the most holy Trinity is express'd by certain signs which have appear'd as well in the Old as in the New Testament For there is none so rude as to think that the Divinity is express'd by that Image but let the Pastor teach that by them are declar'd some Properties or Actions which are attributed to God As when by Daniel the Ancient of Days is describ'd siting in a Throne before whom the Books were opened there was signified Gods Eternity and infinite VVisdom whereby he beholds all both the Thoughts and Actions of Men that he might judge concerning them Angels also are painted in Human shape with Wings XXXVII The manner of Painting Angels approv'd that the Faithful may understand how prone and ready they are to perform Service of the Lord for Mankind for they all are ministring Spirits for them who receive the Inheritance of Salvation But the shape of a Dove XXXVIII Figures of the holy Ghost and Tongues like as of Fire which in the Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles signifie the Properties of one Holy Ghost are much better known than to need a larger Explication Heb. 1.14 Matth. 3.16 Mar. 1.10 Luc. 3.21 Joan 1.32 Act. 2.2 But when Christ our Lord XXXIX The use of Images of Christ and of the Saints approv'd and his most Holy and Pure Mother and all the other Saints endu'd with Human Nature bore the likeness of Men To make and honor their Images was not only not forbidd'n by this Commandment but was always accounted Holy and a most certain Argument of a grateful mind which thing both the Monuments of the Apostles Times and of the General Council and the Writings of so many of the most Holy Fathers agreeing among themselves do evidence But the Curat shall shew not only that it is lawful to have Images in the Church and to give them Honor and Worship seeing that the Honor which is given to them is to be referr'd to the Prototype but he shall also declare That this has bin done to this very day with the great Advantage of the Faithful Lib. 4. de fid orth c. 17. Nic. Syn. passim as we may learn from Damascen's Book which he wrote concerning Images and from the Seventh Council which is the Second Council of Nice But because the Enemy of Mankind by his Deceits and Fallacies endeavors to abuse every the most holy Institution But if haply any Offence shall be committed by the People about this Matter following the Decree of the Council of Trent Trid. Conc. sess 25. as far as may be he shall study to correct it and shall explain the Decree it self also to the People when there is occasion Then he shall teach the unlearned LX. The lawful use of Images and those that understand not the use of Images that Images were made to learn the History of both Testaments and to renew the Memory thereof because being stirr'd up with the remembrance of Divine Matters they inflame more earnestly to the Worship and Love of God himself and he shall also shew that the Images of the Saints are plac'd in the Churches both
servile work to be put off to the Lords Day in this Commandment the Lord requires that In Six Days we do our Work Lest any of those things which ought to be done on the other Days of the VVeek should be put off to the Holy Day and so the Mind be call'd off from the care and study of Divine matters In the next place XXX What the third part of the Commandment forbids the third Part of the Commandment is to be explain'd which in a manner shews how we ought to keep Holy the Sabbath Day But especially it explain's what we are forbidden to do on that Day wherefore says the Lord Thou shalt not do any Work therein thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Servant and thy Maid thy Cattel and the Stranger that is within thy Gates By which VVords we are taught XXXI Whatever withdraws our mind from the divine Worship is forbidd'n first wholly to avoid whatsoever may hinder the VVorship of God For it may easily be perceived that every kind of servile VVork is forbidden not because it is naturally either base or evil but because it withdraws our mind from the VVorship of God which is the End of this Commandment VVhere Note and I teach this the Faithful are the rather to avoid those Sins which not only call off our Minds from the Study of Divine matters but wholly separate us from the Love of God Vid. Aug. tract 3. in Joan. in Psal 31. Serm. lib. de decem chordis c. 3. Yet those Actions and those VVorks which belong to Divine VVorship XXXII What works are not forbid'n on Holy Days The first sort altho they be servile as to cover or deck the Altar to adorn the Churches for some Festival Days and our like are not forbidd'n and therefore the Lord says The Priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath and yet are without Sin Nor is it to be thought The second sort that the doing of those things which otherwise will be lost if not done on the Holy Day are forbidden by this Commandment even as also it is permitted by the Sacred Canons There are many other things which our Lord in the Gospel has declar'd The third sort may be done on Holy Days which the Curat may easily observe in S. Matthew and S. John But that nothing may be omitted XXXIII Cattel not to be part to labor on Holy Days by the doing whereof the Sanctification of the Sabbath may be hindred here is mention made of Cattel by which sort of living Creatures Men are hindred from keeping the Sabbath For if on the Sabbath Day the use of Cattel be design'd to the doing of any VVork the Labor of Man is also necessary to make them work The Beast therefore can do no work of it self but helps the Man who manages him But on that Day it is not lawful for any to do work therefore not for the Cattel whose Labor Men make use of for their work This Commandment requires also XXXIV Cruel y to Cattel forbidd'n that if God would have Men to spare the Labor of their Cattel they ought surely to be so much the more wary that they be not cruel to them whose Labor and Industry they use Nor ought the Curat to omit XXXV What to be done on Holy Days To be present at Ma s. but diligently to teach in what VVorks and Actions Christians ought to exercise themselves on Holy Days Of which kind are these To come to Gods Church and to be there present at the Holy Sacrifice of Mass with a sincere and devout Attention of Mind Conc. Agath c. 47. Aurel. c. 8. Tribur c. 35. vide de consec dist 1. capite Missas cum ad celebrandas omnes Fideles Often to make use of the Sacraments of the Church To frequent the Sacraments which were instituted for our Salvation and to cure the VVounds of our Souls Aug. de Eccle. dogm c. 53. citatur de cons dist 2. c. quotidie Nor is there any thing which can be either more seasonable or better for Christians To confess Sins than often to confess their Sins to the Priests For doing of which the Curat may exhort the People taking for clearing of this matter a Pattern and Example from those things which have already in their proper place bin deliver'd and taught in the Sacrament of Penance Nor shall he only stir up the People to that Sacrament To receive the Eucharist but he shall diligently again and again exhort them to it that they may frequently receive the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist Moreover To hear Sermons the Sacred Sermons are diligently and attentively to be heard by the Faithful For there is nothing lesâ— to be indur'd nor indeed is there any thing so unworthy as to despise or negligently to hear Christs Word Justin Apol. 2. ex Actis Apost c. 20.7 Aug. lib. 50. Hom. hom 26. citatur 1. q. l. cap. interroga Also the Exercise and Study of the Faithful in Prayers To pray to and praise God and Praises of God ought to be frequent And hereof a chief care should be To be present at Catechising diligently to learn those things which belong to the Institution of a Christian Life And let him exercise himself in those Duties which contain Christian Piety To do works of Mercy by giving Alms to the Poor and Needy by visiting the Sick and piously comforting those that are in Heaviness and Affliction Jac. 1. For as S. James says Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and Widows in their tribulation So the ancient Christians did as do testifie Justin apol 2. Tertul. in apol in lib. ad Martyres in lib. 2. ad Vxorem prope finem From what has bin said XXXVI The fourth part of this Commandment it is easy to gather what things are committed contrary to the Rule of this Commandment And let the Curat reckon it as his Duty to gather Reasons and Arguments strongly to perswade the People with their utmost Study XXXVII How just it is to observe the Festivals Care and Diligence to keep the Law of this Commandment And to this end it will be very useful for the People to understand and perceive plainly how just and agreeable to Reason it is that we should have some certain Days which we may bestow wholly upon Divine Worship and wherein we may acknowledge worship and venerate our Lord from whom we have receiv'd most excellent and innumerable Benefits For if he had commanded us every Day to render him the Worship of Religion Note ought we not to do our utmost endeavour with a ready and cheerful mind for all Benefits towards us which are very great and infinite to hearken to his VVord But now there being but a few Days set apart to his VVorship there is no cause why
the daily reading thereof or at least so frequently that whatsoever this Book contains may be kept in Memory A Second way of using this sacred Work is commanded by St. Charles in his Second Synod at Millan before cited to wit that when the Curats of any Neighborhood come to meet each other they should frequently commune about some part of this Catechism which is now become a commendable Custom and Usage every Week in the Famous Presbytery of S. Nicholas de Cardineto in Paris The Third way of using this Catechism is prescribed by the same St. Charles in his Third Synod at Millan where it is commanded that as often as the Curats are to administer any Sacrament they teach and expound to the People the Points and Doctrin of this Book the same is appointed in the Synod of Roan in Normandy The Fourth way of using this Book is propos'd in the Synod of Bourdeaux before cited where it is appointed that on all Holy-days the Curats teach the People out of this Catechism some of those things which it concerns all Christians to know The Fifth way is prescrib'd in the Synod of Cremona Anno 1603. Pag. 9. in these words By the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Ghost those Fathers that were in the Council of Trent commanded that as soon as may be the Roman Catechism might be written out of which as out of the most fruitful Breasts of our Holy Mother all the Clergy may suck the most sweet Milk of the Church's Doctrin That Custom therefore which was holily introduced into our Seminaries for all the Clergy to explain the Roman Catechism shall by all means be henceforth observ'd daily or at least thrice every Week by all Clerks that teach School The Sixth way is prescrib'd by the Fathers themselves in the very Preface of the Catechism THE PREFACE OF THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES By the Decree of the Council of TRENT Wherein the intent of the Council the necessity and use of the whole work are laid open SUch is the condition of the mind and understanding of man as that I The weakness of the light of nature when of it self with great labour and diligence it has discover'd and learn'd many of those things which belong to the knowledge of divine matters Yet the greatest part of those things whereby eternal salvation is to be attain'd and for which cause chiefly man was at first created and made after the image and likeness of God it could never have discover'd by the mere light of nature The invisible things of God as the Apostle teaches from the Creature of the world II. The necessity of supernatural revelation Rom. 1.20 Coloss 1.26 27. are indeed clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead But that mystery which was hid from all ages and generations does so far surpass all humane understanding that if it had not bin manifested to the Saints to whom it pleas'd God by the gift of faith to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ among the Gentiles it had bin impossible by any study or labor of man to aspire to that wisdom But whereas faith is conceiv'd by hearing III. The necessity of Teachers Rom. 10.14 15 16. it is manifest how necessary the labor and ministery of a legitimate and faithful teacher has always bin to the attaining eternal salvation For it is written How can they bear without a preacher and how can they preach except they be sent And indeed IV. God has never bin wanting to those that are his Heb. 1.1 2. Isa 49.6 Heb. 12.25 2 Pet. 1.17 from the very beginning of the World the most merciful and gracious God has never bin wanting to those that are his But by many and manifold ways has spoken to the fathers by the Prophets and according to the condition of times has chalk'd them out a certain and direct way to celestial happiness But because he foretold he wou'd give a teacher of righteousness for a light of the Gentiles and for salvation to the ends of the earth He has last of all spoken to us by his Son whom also by a voice sent down from the most excellent glory Ephes 4.21 he has commanded all to hear and obey his commands And then the Son gave some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers to preach the word of life that we may not be carry'd about as children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine but sticking close to the firm foundation of faith may be built together in the house of God in the Holy Ghost And lest any one shou'd receiv the word of God from the ministers of the Church V. How the pastors of the Church ought to be heard as the word of men and not as it is indeed the word of Christ our very Savior himself has appointed so great an authority to be given to their direction that he says He that bears you bears me and he that despises you Luc. 10.25 despises me Which yet he would not have to be understood of those only to whom he then spake but also of all those who by a lawful succession shou'd afterwards be receiv'd to the office of Teaching with whom he promis'd to be always present Matt. 28.20 even to the end of the world But whereas the preaching of the divine word ought never to be intermitted in the Church VI. The necessity of preaching Gods word so at this time with much greater piety and industry ought it to be endeavour'd that with sound and uncorrupt doctrine as with the food of life the Faithful shou'd be nourish'd and confirm'd For there are false Prophets gone out into the world 1 John 4.1 of whom the Lord said Jer. 23.11 I sent not the Prophets and yet they ran I spake not to them and yet they prophesi'd to corrupt the minds of Christians by divers and strange doctrines wherein their wickedness furnish'd with all the arts of Satan has proceeded so far that it seems scarcely possible to be kept in any bounds And were we not confirm'd by that excellent and clear promise of our Savior who affirms that he had laid the foundation of his Church so sure Matt 16.28 that the gates of Hell shou'd never be able to prevail against her It might at this time be very much fear'd that being on every side beset by her enemies oppos'd and try'd by so many engines and devices she shou'd utterly perish For VII Heresie breaking forth to omit those most noble provinces and countries which heretofore have piously and holily embrac'd and retain'd that true catholic religion which they received from their ancestors or forefathers but now leaving the right way have gone astray and do openly profess their greatest piety and religion to consist in this That they are departed and gone far away from the doctrine of their forefathers There
him to attain to by any human understanding it was necessary that he receive the knowledg thereof from God Now this knowledg is nothing else but Faith by vertue whereof it comes to pass that we assuredly hold that for truth which the authority of our most holy mother the Church approves as deliver'd by God For the faithful can by no means doubt of those things whereof God who is the very truth it self is the author Whence we perceive how great a difference there is betwixt this Faith which we have towards God and that which we bear towards the writers of human stories Now tho Faith extends very far and disters both in greatness and dignity for thus we read in holy Scripture Matt. 14.31 Luc. 17.5 Gal. 5.6 Jam. 2 14. Wherefore didst thou doubt O thou of little Faith and Great is thy Faith And Increase our Faith So Faith without works is dead And Faith which works by charity Yet in kind it is the same thing And the same definition or description and reason does agree to the different Degrees of Faith But how fruitful and advantagious it is to us will be said in the explication of the Articles of Faith Those things therefore which Christians ought chiefly to hold are the same which the Captains and Doctors of Faith the holy Apostles who were inspir'd by the holy Ghost have distinguish'd in the twelve articles of the Creed For when they receiv'd commandment from the Lord to go his Ambassadors into all the World XXVIII Why the creed was composed Mar. 16.15 and to preach the Gospel to every creature they thought fit to compose a form of Christian Faith to the end that all might think and speak the same thing and that there might be no schism or division amongst them 1 Cor. 1.10 whom they call'd to the unity of the Faith But that they might be made perfect in the same mind and in the same judgment This profession of Christian Faith and hope compos'd by themselves the Apostles call'd a Symbol either because it was made up of the various sentences which they severally cast into the common stock or because they wou'd use it as a certain kind of note or character whereby they might easily discover those false brethren who having deserted and withdrawn themselves corrupted the Gospel from those who had bound themselves by oath to fight under Christs Banner THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES BY THE DECREE OF THE Council of TRENT PART I. Of the twelve Articles of the Creed I Believ in God There are in Christian Religion many things propos'd to the faithful I. What the Creed contains whereof there must be had either severally or universally an assur'd and firm Faith But then This first of all and necessarily all are bound to believe which as the very foundation of truth God himself has taught us to wit concerning the Unity of the divine Essence and Distinction of the three Persons and their actions and for what special reason they are attributed to them The Curate is to teach that the doctrin of this mystery is briefly comprehended in the Apostles Creed For as our fore-fathers II. The division of the Creed who were both piously and learnedly skill'd in this point have observ'd it seems to be divided into Three principal parts so as in one The First person of the divine nature and wonderful work of the creation is describ'd In the other the Second person and the mystery of man's redemption In the third part is concluded the doctrin of the Third person the head and fountain of our holiness all in various and fit sentences Now those sentences by a kind of similitude often us'd by our fore-fathers we call Articles For as the members of our body are distinguisht by joynts So also in this confession of Faith whatsoever is to be believ'd by us separately and distinctly from another thing we rightly and fitly call an Article ARTICLE I. I Believ in God the Father Almighty I. What this article contains maker of Heav'n and Earth The meaning of these words is this I certainly believ and without any doubting do profess God the Father to wit the first person in the Trinity who by his Almighty power created out of nothing the very Heav'ns and the Earth and all things contain'd in them and having created them he defends and governs them all Nor do I only in heart believ or by my mouth profess but with my utmost endeavour and strongest affection I reach towards him as my supreme and most compleat good This then is a short account of the first Article But because in almost every one of these words there lies hid mighty mysteries the Curate ought to weigh them more diligently that as far as God shall permit the faithful may be brought with fear and trembling to the contemplation of the glory of his Majesty The word Believ does not therefore in this place signifie II. What it is to believ to think to suppose to be of opinion but as the holy Scriptures teach it signifies a most firm and sure assent whereby the mind does firmly and constantly adhere to God in the revelation of his mysteries Wherefore he does rightly believ in the sense here meant who is fully and certainly perswaded of a thing without any doubt or wavering Nor ought any one to think that the knowledg of Faith is less certain III. The assurance of faith because those things which Faith offers to us to be believ'd are not presently beheld For the divine light by which only we perceiv those things although it makes them not so very clear yet it suffers us not to doubt of them For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness 2 Cor. 4.6 Ibid. 3. he has shin'd in our hearts that the Gospel might not be hid to us as it is to them that perish And now from what has bin already said IV. Faith excludes curiosity it follows That he that has this heav'nly knowledg of Faith is freed from all curious enquiry For when God commanded us to Believ he did not require of us to search narrowly into his divine judgments or to pry into the reason or cause of them but commands us firmly and immutably to Believ And this Belief makes the mind contented in the knowledg of his eternal truth And indeed since the Apostle witnesses That God is true but every man a lyar and since none but an arrogant or impudent fellow will refuse to give credit to a grave and wise person when he affirms any thing for truth but presses him further to prove what he said by reason and witnesses What rashness and folly must it needs be for one that hears the very word of God himself to demand reasons for the heav'nly doctrin of salvation Faith therefore must be held free not only from all doubtfulness but even from the very desire of more certain evidence or
truly call'd Spirit that gives Life or quick'ning Spirit And now what follows VII How the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son Who proceeds from the Father and the Son the Faithful are to be taught That the Holy Ghost by eternal procession proceeds from the Father and the Son as from One Principle For this the Rule of the Church from which a Christian may not wander proposes to us to believe and it is confirm'd by the authority of Holy Scripture and Councils For Christ our Lord speaking of the Holy Ghost said Joh. 16.14 He shall glorifie me because he shall receive of mine This same thing is gather'd hence that in Holy Scripture the Holy Spirit is sometimes call'd the Spirit of Christ sometimes the Spirit of the Father One while he is said to be sent by the Father another while by the Son that it may be plainly signify'd that he does equally proceed from the Father Rom. 8.9 and the Son He that has not the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4.6 says S. Paul he is none of his And the same he calls the Spirit of Christ when he says to the Galatians God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father In S. Matthew he is call'd the Spirit of the Father Mat. 10.20 It is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father Joh. 15.25 And our Lord at his Supper said the Paraclet or Comforter whom I will send to you even the Spirit of Truth which proceeds from the Father he shall bear witness of me And elsewhere That the same Holy Ghost shou'd be sent from the Father Joh. 14.21 he affirms in these words Whom the Father will send in my name From whence when we understand the Procession of the Holy Ghost it is plain That the same Holy Ghost proceeds from Both. And these are the things which must be taught concerning the Person of the Holy Ghost It is needful moreover to teach VIII Of the Attributes of the Holy Ghost that there are certain wonderful Effects and some bountiful Gifts of the Holy Ghost which are said to spring and flow front him as from the everlasting Fountain of Good For tho the works of the most Holy Trinity which are done extrinsically are common to the Three Persons yet many of them are ascrib'd as proper to the Holy Ghost that we may know that they come to us of the immense Love of God For seeing that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Divine Will as being inflam'd with Love it may be perceiv'd That those Effects which are properly referr'd to the Holy Ghost do spring from the exceeding Love of God towards us Wherefore IX Why the Holy Ghost is call'd a Gift hence it follows That the Holy Ghost is call'd a Gift For by the word Gift is signify'd that which is kindly and freely given without any hope of Reward And then whatsoever good things or benefits are bestow'd on us from God for what have we as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 4.7 which we have not receiv'd of God those things we ought with a pious and thankful Heart to acknowledg were given us by the grant and gift of the Holy Ghost But there are other effects of his For to omit the Creation of the World and the Propagation and Government of created things of which we have made mention in the First Article it was a little before shew'd That the giving of Life is properly attributed to the Holy Ghost and it is so confirm'd by the Testimony of Ezekiel Ezek. 31.6 I will give you Spirit says he and ye shall live And yet the Prophet reckons up the principal Effects of the Holy Ghost X. The Gifts of the Holy Ghost Isa 11.3 Aug. lib. 15. de Trin. c. 18 19. and those which are most especially proper to him The Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. Sometimes also the name of the Holy Ghost is given to those things which are call'd the Gifts of the Holy Ghost Wherefore wisely does S. Austin admonish us to observe when in Holy Scripture there is mention made of this word Holy Spirit that we may discern whether it signifies the Third Person of the Trinity or his Effects and Operations For these two are to he distinguish'd with the same difference wherewith we believe also that the Creator differs from the things he created And these things are by so much the more diligently to be explain'd because from these Gifts of the Holy Ghost we draw Rules of Christian Life and may know whether the Holy Ghost be in us But above all other his bountiful Gifts XI Justifying Grace the Gift of the Holy Ghost that Grace is to be valued which justifies us and signs us with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance for this joyns our Mind to God in the most strict bond of Love whence it comes to pass That being inflam'd with the most ardent study of Piety we begin a new Life and being made partakers of the Divine Nature we are call'd and truly are the Children of God ARTICLE IX J Believe the Holy Catholic Church With how great diligence the Pastors ought to take care to explain the truth of this Ninth Article to the Faithful I. Why this Article is diligently to be explain'd S Aug. in Ps 30. v. 15. it may easily be understood if two things chiefly be consider'd For first as S. Austin witnesses The Prophets have spoken more plainly and openly of the Church than of Christ forasmuch as they foresaw That many more might err and be deceiv'd in this point than in the Mystery of the Incarnation Nor will there be wanting wicked Men who after the imitation of the Ape which fancies it self a Man wou'd profess that they are Catholics and no less wickedly than proudly would affirm the Catholic Church to be only with them And then he who has this Truth settled in a sound Mind shall easily avoid the horrible danger of Heresie For not every one II. Who is truly to be call'd a Heretick so soon as he has err'd in Faith is to be call'd a Heretic But he who neglecting the Authority of the Church stiffly defends his impious Opinions Since therefore it cannot be that any one can defile himself with the Plague of Heresie if he believe those things which in this Article are propos'd to be believ'd let the Pastors be very careful That the Faithful knowing this Mystery and being fortify'd against the Wiles of the Adversary persevere in the Truth of the Faith Now This Article depends upon the Truth of the Former Note Because seeing it has been already shew'd That the Holy Ghost is the Fountain and Giver of all Holiness we now confess That it is He who bestows Holiness on the church
this Answer that he was a Rock for though he might be a Rock yet he was not a Rock as Christ was for Christ was a Rock truly immoveable but Peter only by virtue of that Rock for God bestows his own dignities upon others Mark this He is a Priest and he makes Priests He is a Rock and he makes a Rock and what things are his he bestows on his Servants Lastly St. Ambrose St. Ambrose says If any one object that the Church is content with One Head and Husband Jesus Christ and needs no other the answer is ready For as we account Christ our Lord not only the Author but the Bestower also of all the Sacraments for He it is that Baptizes and absolves and yet he makes Men the outward Ministers of the Sacraments So he has plac'd over his Church which he governs inwardly with his Spirit a Man to be the Vicar and Minister of his Power For seeing the Visible Church wanted a Visible Head our Saviour accordingly appointed Peter the Head and Pastor of all the Faithful when in most ample expressions he commended to him the feeding of his Sheep that he would have him who succeeded to have plainly the same power of ruling and governing the whole Church Besides XVI The way to preserve Unity for time to come 1 Cor. 12.11 12. Eph. 4.34 there is One and the same Spirit says the Apostle to the Corinthians who bestows Grace on the Faithful even as the Soul does Life on the Members of the Body To preserve which Vnity when he exhorts the Ephesians he says Be earnest to preserve the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For as the Body of Man is made up of many Members and all are nourish'd by one Soul which gives Seeing to the Eyes Hearing to the Ears and divers Faculties to the other Senses So the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church is made up of many Faithful People There is also One Hope Eph. 4.4 as the Apostle testifies in the same place to which we are call'd for we all hope for the same thing to wit Eternal Life and Happiness Lastly There is One Faith which all must hold and profess 1 Cor. 1.10 Let there be no Schisms among you says the Apostle And there is One Baptism which is a Sacrament of the Christian Faith Another property of the Church is XVII The Second That she be Holy 1 Pet. 2.9 First that she is Holy which thing we have learn'd from that place of the Prince of Apostles But ye are a chosen generation a Holy Nation But she is call'd Holy because she is consecrated and dedicated to God for so other things of this kind though they are corporeal are us'd to be call'd Holy when they are given and dedicated to divine worship Of which kind in the Old Law were the Vessels Vestments and Altars In which sense the First-born also who were dedicated to the Most High God were call'd Holy Nor should any one wonder Note that the Church is call'd Holy altho within her are contain'd many Sinners For the Faithful are call'd Holy because they are made the People of God and by receiving Baptism and Faith have consecrated themselves to Christ altho in many things they offend and perform not the things they have promis'd even as they who profess any Trade or Art tho they observe not the rules thereof are yet call'd Tradesmen Wherefore S. Paul calls the Corinthians Sanctifi'd and Holy 1 Cor. 1.2 amongst whom it is manifest there were some whom he sharply reproves as Carnal and charges with many other Crimes She is also to be call'd Holy Secondly because as the Body she is joyn'd with her Holy Head Christ the Lord who is the Fountain of all Holiness from whom are pour'd forth the anointings and riches of Divine Goodness Excellently does St. Austin interpret those words of the Prophet S. Aug. in Ps 85.8 Keep thou my soul because I am Holy He dares says he and the Body of Christ dares and that one Man crying out from the ends of the Earth with his Head and under his Head dares say I am Holy For she receiv'd the Grace of Holiness the Grace of Baptism and of Remission of sins And a little after If all Christians and all the Faithful being baptiz'd in Christ have put him on as the Apostle says Gal. 3.27 As many of you as have been baptiz'd have put on Christ if they are made Members of his Body and yet say that they are not Holy they do wrong to the very Head whose Members they are made Add to this Thirdly That the Church alone has the legitimate worship of Sacrifice and the saving use of the Sacraments by which as by the efficacious instruments of Divine Grace God works true Holiness in us So that whosoever are truly Holy cannot be out of this Church It is plain therefore that the Church is Holy and Holy indeed because she is the Body of Christ by whom she is sanctifi'd and wash'd in his Blood Concerning the Holiness of the Church see Justin Martyr in both his Apologies Tertul. in his Apologie August against Fulgen. c. 17. Greg. Moral b. 37. c. 7. The Third Property of the Church is The Third That she be Catholic S. Aug. Ser. 131. 181. de Tempore that she be stil'd Catholic to wit Vniversal which appellation is truly given her because as S. Austin testifies From the East to the West the Brightness of one Faith is spread abroad For the Church is not as in the Public Affairs of Men or in the Conventicles of Heretics bound to the limits of One Kingdom only or to One sort of Men But she embraces in the Bosom of her Charity all Men whether they be Barbarians or Scythians Servants or Free-men Male or Female Wherefore it is written Apoc. 5.6 10. Thou by thy blood hast redeem'd us O God out of every tribe and language and people and nation and hast made us a kingdom to our God And of the Church says David Ps 2. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession And I will remember Ps 86. Rahab and Babylon who shall know me and A man was born in her Besides all the Faithful which have ever been from Adam to this day or who shall be while the World endures and profess the true Faith belong to this very Church Eph. 2.20 which was built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets all which were constituted and founded upon that One Corner-stone Christ who made Both to be One who has proclaim'd Peace to them that are near and to them that are afar off And she is call'd Vniversal for this reason Because all that desire everlasting Salvation are bound to lay fast hold of and to embrace her no otherwise than they who went into
and above all by Baptism by which as by the Door Aug. lib. 9. contr Faust. c. 11. we enter into the Church Now that by this Communion of Saints we ought to understand the Communion of Sacraments the Fathers signifie in this Creed by these words Damasc lib. 4. de Fide Orthodox c. 12. I confess one Baptism But after Baptism first follows the Eucharist and then the other Saraments For tho this name be suitable to all the other Sacraments since they joyn us to God and make us partakers of him whose Grace we receive yet it is more proper to the Eucharist which makes this Communion But there is another Communion in the Church to be consider'd For whatsoever things are piously and holily perfom'd by One these things belong to All and by Charity which seeks not her own they are made profitable to them This is well prov'd by the Testimony of S. Ambrose S. Ambros in Ps 118. Serm. 1 v. 69 who explaining that place of the Psalm I am a Partner of all them that seek thee says thus As we say that the Member is a Partaker of the whole Body so is he that is a Partner with them that fear God Wherefore Christ has taught us this Form of Prayer Matt. 6. to say Our Bread not mine and the rest after the same manner not taking care for our selves only but for the salvation and profit of all But now this Communication of good things is XXVI A singular Similitude in Holy Scripture often represented by a fit Similitude taken from the Members of the Body of Man for in the Body there are many Members But tho they are Many yet they make but One Body in which all the Members discharge each their own proper Office and not all the same Office 〈◊〉 12.15 Nor have they all the same Dignity to execute alike the useful and comely functions nor do they seek each its own profit but the commodity and conveniency of the whole Body And then they are all so fitly knit together among themselves that if one be griev'd the rest also by Consent and Nearness of Nature do grieve and on the contrary if one be well dispos'd all the rest rejoyce with it The same thing we may contemplate in the Church in which tho there be divers Members to wit various Nations of Jews and Gentiles Bond and Free Poor and Rich yet when by Baptism they are initiated they are made one Body with Christ whereof he is the Head Moreover in this Church is assign'd to every one his own Office Note for as there were plac'd in it some Apostles some Teachers but all for the public benefit so it is the Office of some to Rule and to Teach and of others to Obey and to be Subject But then they only reap the Benefit of those so many and so great Functions Note and good things thus appointed by God who lead a Christian Life in Charity and are just and dear to God But the dead Members XXVII What benefit of the Communion of Saints they are depriv'd of who are in mortal sin Aug. in Ps 70. Serm. 2. to wit those who are as it were bound in wickedness and estrang'd from the Grace of God are not depriv'd of this Good so as to cease to be Members of this Body but being dead they perceive not that spiritual Fruit and Advantage which just and pious Men have and yet seeing that they are in the Church they are assisted towards the recovery of that Grace and Life which they had lost by those who live spiritually and receive those benefits which there can be no doubt that they are void of who are altogether cut off from the Church Nor are those Gifts common only which render men just and dear to God XXVIII Grace fro Grace are common Gifts but there is also given Grace for Grace among which is reckon'd Knowledg Prophecy and the Gift of Tongues and Miracles and the rest of that sort which Gifts are also granted to the Wicked not for Private but Publick Advantage to the Edification of the Church For the Gift of Healing is given not for his sake who has the Gift but for the Sick Mans sake who is to be healed And indeed a Christian has nothing in possession which he ought not to reckon as common to himself and all others And therefore they ought to be ready and prepar'd to relieve the Miseries of the Needy for he that has such kind of Goods and sees his Brother in want 1 Joh. 3.17 and will not help him he is plainly convin'd to have none of the Love of God in him Which things seeing they are so it is manifest enough that those who are in this Holy Communion enjoy a kind of Happiness and can truly say Ps 83. Ps 33. O how lovely are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soul longs and even faints for the Courts of the Lord and Blessed are they which dwell in thy House O Lord ARTICLE X. The Forgiveness of Sins There is no One I. The Belief of this Article necessary to Salvation who when he sees this Article Of the Forgiveness of Sins number'd among the other Articles of Faith can doubt not only that there is some Divine Mystery but also that there is something very necessary to the attaining Salvation contain'd in it For as was said before Without a certain belief of those things which in the Creed are propos'd to be believ'd there can be no entrance to any Body to Christian Piety But if that which of it self ought to be known of all Men seems fit to be confirm'd by some Testimony that surely will be sufficient which our Savior a little before his Ascension into Heaven witness'd concerning this matter when he open'd the Understanding of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Luc. 24.46 It behov'd says he Christ to suffer and to rise again the third day from the dead and that in his name Penance and Remission of sins should be preach'd to all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Which words if the Curats consider II. The Curats Duty in explaining this Article they will easily perceive That there lies upon them a great Necessity and Charge from the Lord of diligently explaining this Article especially when the other things which belong to Religion are to be taught It is the Curats Duty therefore as to this Point to teach not only that Forgiveness of Sins may be had in the Catholic Church of which Esayah prophesi'd Isa 33.24 Aug. Hom. 49. c. 3. Iniquity shall be taken away from the people which dwell in her but also that in her there is a power of Forgiving Sins Which if the Priests use aright Let the confessors observe this and according to the Laws prescrib'd by Christ our Lord it must be believ'd That Sins are truly forgiven and pardon'd But this Pardon III. In Baptism there is
remission both of Sin and Punishment Trid. Sess 5. Can. 5. Aug. 12. de â—eccat Meâ—â— c. 28. when at our first profession of Faith we are cleans'd by Holy Baptism is so fully given us that nothing either of Sin whether contracted by Birth or Wilfully committed remains to be wip'd away or of Punishment to be endur'd But yet by the Grace of Baptism no one is wholly freed from the Infirmity of Nature But rather whereas every one ought to strive against the motions of Concupiscence which forbear not to provoke us to sin hardly can there be found any one who resists either so stoutly or guards his own safety so watchfully as to be able to shun all miscarriages Since therefore it was needful that in the Church there should be a power of Forgiving Sins IV. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven deliver'd to the Church Matt. 16.19 and also by some other way than by the Sacrament of Baptism the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were committed to her Trust whereby sins might be forgiven to every penitent person altho he had sinn'd to the last day of his Life Of this matter we have most clear Testimonies in Holy Scripture Matt. 18.18 For in S. Matthew the Lord says thus to Peter I will give thee the Keys of Heaven and whatsoever Thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loos'd also in Heaven So also Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loos'd also in Heaven And then S. John testifies That the Lord when he breath'd upon the Apostles said Joh. 20.23 Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose Sins soever ye remit they are remitted to them and whose soever Sins ye retain they are retain'd Nor are we to think that this Power is restrained to some certain kinds of Sins For there is no Sin so heinous can be either committed or imagin'd for pardoning whereof the Holy Church has not a Power even as there is no one so vile and wicked to whom if he truly repent him of his Errors a certain hope of Pardon ought not to be offer'd But neither is this very Power so limited as that it may be us'd at some appointed Time only For at what hour soever a sinner will return to Health he is not to be rejected as our Savior has taught when to the Prince of Apostles asking him how oft we must pardon those that offend whether seven times he answered Matt. 18.11 Not to seven times only but even to seventy times seven But if we consider the Ministers of this Divine Power VI. This Power committed to the Bishops and Priests Trid. Sess 14. c. 6. Hieron Ep. 1 pâ—st med Amb de Can Abet c. 4. it will seem not so large For the Lord gave not the Power of this so Holy a Gift to All but only to the Bishops and Priests The same thing is to be believ'd as to the Way or Manner of exercising this Power For by the Sacraments only so that the Form of them be kept sins may be forgiven but otherwise there is no Power of absolving from sin given to the Church Whence it follows that as well the Priests as the Sacraments are as it were Instruments to the forgiveness of Sins by which Christ our Lord who is the very Author and giver of Salvation works in us Forgiveness of Sins and Righteousness But that the Faithful may with the deepest thankfulness lay hold of and embrace this heavenly Gift VII How great a Grace the Remission of Sins is which by the special Mercy of God is given to his Church Trid. Sess 6. c. 7. Sess 14. c. 1. and that they may come to the use and practice thereof with the more ardent study of Piety the Curat shall endeavour to evidence the dignity and largeness of this Grace and this may be seen chiefly from hence if he shall have well expounded of what efficacy it is that sins are forgiven and that unjust men are made just For it is manifest that this is done by the infinite and immense Power of God which we must needs believe to be the very same with that of raising up the Dead and creating of the World But if Aug Tract 72. in Joan. Aug. lib. 1. de pâ—ccat merit c. 23. lib. 50. Hom. 23. Amb. de Abel c. 4. as is confirm'd by that saying of S. Austin it be to be thought a harder work to make a wicked Man Good than to create Heaven and Earth out of nothing since that creation cannot be but by an Infinite Power it consequently follows That the Forgiveness of Sinners is much more to be attributed to an Infinite Power Wherefore we own that those sayings of the ancient Fathers are most true wherein they confess that Sins are pardon'd to Men by God only Nor is so wonderful a work to be referr'd to any other Author Isay 43. than to his supream Goodness and Power I am He says the Lord himself by the Prophet I am he that blot out your Iniquities For there seems to be the same Reason in the forgiving of Sins as ought to be observ'd in a Debt of Mony As therefore Mony which is owing cannot be forgiven by any but the Creditor so when we are bound to God only by reason of Sin for we dayly pray Forgive us our Debts it is manifest our Debts can be forgiven us by no body but by himself But this admirable and divine Gift VIII Christ first of all had the Power of forgiving Sins Matt. 9.6 Mar. 2.9 before God was made Man was never imparted to any created Nature Christ our Savior first of all as Man tho he was true God also received this Gift of his Heavenly Father That ye may know that the Son of Man has power on Earth to forgive Sins says he to the lame Man Rise take up thy Couch and go to thy own Home When therefore he was made Man that he might bestow this Forgiveness of Sins upon Men before he ascended up into Heaven there to sit forever at the right-hand of God he granted this Power to the Bishops and Priests in the Church Altho as before we said Christ forgives sins by his own Authority but all the rest only as his Ministers Wherefore if we ought to admire and receive those things chiefly which are done by an Infinite Power IX The Power of forgiving Sins the greatest of Christ's Gifts 1 Pet. 3.18 we may wel enough perceive that this Gift which by the bounty of Christ our Lord is given to his Church is the most precious Yea very Reason also will powerfully stir up the minds of the Faithful to contemplate the greatness of this benefit whereby God our most merciful Father has determin'd to blot out the Sins of the World For he was willing to expiate
without all doubt we believe that the Fruit of his Passion is truly communicated to us only if on our part each of us will piously and religiously apply that Cure to himself And now follows a Fourth reason why the Institution of the Sacraments may seem necessary The Fouâ— h. to wit That they may be Notes and Characters whereby the Faithful might be kmown to each other Especially since D. Aug. l. â— 9 â—â—tra Faust c. 11. de â—era Reâ—â—g c. 17 Basil in Exhort ad Bapt. as S. Austin observes There can be no Society or Company of Men whether of the true or of a false Religion which can be as it were consolidated into one Body unless they be mutually joyn'd together by some hand of visible signs Both these do the Sacraments of the New Law perform which both distinguish Christians from Infidels and by that very Holy Bond knit the Faithful to one another It may further be shew'd The Fifth That there was an other very just cause of Instituting the Sacraments from these Words of the Apostle Rom. 10.10 With the Heart we believe to Righteousness but with the Mouth confession is made to Salvation For in the Sacraments we seem openly to profess and make declaration of our Faith before Men. Wherefore in coming to Baptism we openly testifie that we believe That by vertue of that Water wherewith we are wash'd in that Sacrament our Souls are Spiritually cleans'd And then the Sacraments have a great power not only to kindle and exercise Faith in our Souls but also to inflame us to that degree of Charity wherewith we ought to love one another when we remember that by communion of those Holy Mysteries we are ty'd together with the strictest Bond and made Members of one Body Lastly The Sixth and which in the exercise of Christian Piety ought to be esteem'd very much the Sacraments do tame and restrain the Pride of Man's Heart and make us become Humble while we are forc'd to submit our selves to sensible Elements that we may become obedient to God from whom we fell wickedly before now to serve the Elements of this World There are the things which seem chiefly necessary to be taught the Faithful concerning the Name Nature and Institution of a Sacrament Which after that the Pastors shall diligently have explain'd it will then be necessary to teach of what things the several Sacraments consist and what are the Parts thereof and lastly what Rites and Ceremonies are to be us'd in them First therefore it must be taught XIV Every Sacrament consists of Matter and Form That the sensible Thing which as was said before in the Definition belongs to a Sacrament is not only One tho we must believe the Sign to be One. For there are Two things of which every Sacrament is made of which the One has the reason of Matter and is cali'd the Element and the other has the vertue of Form and is commonly call'd The Word For thus we are taught by the Fathers Concerning which matter that testimony of S. Austin is sufficiently known and receiv'd of all S. Aug. in Joan. Tract 80. The Word is joyn'd to the Element and so the Sacrament is made By the name Sensible Thing therefore they understand both the Matter or Element as the Water in the Sacrament of Baptism the Chrism in that of Confirmation and the Oyl in that of Extream Vnction all which things fall under the Sense of Seeing and also the Words which are as the Form and belong to the Sense of Hearing Both these the Apostle plainly shews Eph. 5.26 Aug. de duct Chrst l. 2. â—3 when he says Christ lov'd the Church and gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her washing her with the laver of Water in the Word of Life In which place are express'd both the Matter and Form of that Sacrament But the Words were to be added to the Matter that the signification of the thing done might be made more plain and clear For it is plain that of all Signs Words have the greatest vertue and if They are wanting it must needs be very hard to know What is signifi'd and shew'd by the Matter of the Sacraments For as may be seen in Baptism since Water has no less the vertue of Refreshing than of Cleansing and may well be a Sign of both unless the words be added any one may easily conjecture either of these to be signifi'd in Baptism but no body will dare certainly to affirm any thing of it But then when the Words are added we straitway understand that it has the vertue and signification of Cleansing But herein it appears XV. The Sacraments of the New Law excel those of the Old That our Sacraments far excel the Sacraments of the Old Law that in administring those of the Law there was no Form observ'd that we know of whence it came to pass that they were uncertain and obscure But ours have such a certain prescribed Form of Words that if by chance it be not closely observ'd the vertue of the Sacrament is lost and for this reason they are most clear and leave no room to doubt These then are the Parts which belong to the Nature and Substance of a Sacrament and of which every Sacrament necessarily consists To the Sacraments are added certain Ceremonies XVI Every Sacrament is to be administred with certain Ceremonies and why which tho they may not be omitted without sin unless extream necessity force it yet if at any time they should be omitted since they reach not to the Nature of the thing we must believe that the true reason of the Sacrament is not at all lessen'd thereby And it has always very well bin observ'd even from the very infancy of the Church that the Sacraments were administred with certain solemn Ceremonies For First First it was very fit to give that Reverence and Worship to the Holy Mysteries of Religion that we might seem to handle Holy Things in a Holy manner Besides Secondly those Ceremonies do more clearly shew forth and put before our Eyes Thirdly as it were and make a deeper impression in our Hearts of the Holiness of those things which are done in the Sacrament And then they raise up the Minds of them who look upon and diligently observe them to the thought of the more sublime and lofty things and excite their Faith and Love towards them For which reason there should the more care and pains be taken that the Faithful may be made rightly to know and understand the Meaning of the Ceremonies which are us'd in each of the Sacraments Now it follows XVII Why the Number of Sacraments is to be explain'd That we teach the Number of the Sacraments the knowledg whereof brings this profit that the people may with so much the greater devotion bend all the powers of their Soul to praise and magnifie the singular goodness of God
towards us by how much the more assistances or helps they shall understand God has furnish'd us with for our Salvation and Happiness The Sacraments of the Church then XVIII There are only Seven Sacraments Trid. S ss 7. câ—n â— de S cr in gen Con. Fl rent in Doc. ad Arm. as may be prov'd by Scripture and by the constant Tradition of the Fathers down to our times and by the Authority of Councils are Seven in number But why they are neither more nor fewer may be probably shew'd from those things which by a Similitude are transferr'd from the Natural to the Spiritual life For these Seven things seem necessary to a Man to live and to preserve his life and to be made profitable to the Common-wealth To wit A notable Simil tude D. Thom. 3. p q 63. art 1. that he be Born Grow and be Nourish'd If he fall into Sickness that he be recover'd that the weakness of strength be restor'd And then as to the Common-wealth that the Magistrates be not wanting on their part to rule him by their Authority and Government And lastly that by a lawful propagation of his Family he preserve both himself and mankind All which things seeing they answer well to that life which the Soul lives to God from hence it may easily be gather'd what the number of Sacraments is For the First is Baptism Baptism the Gate as it were of all the rest Confirmation whereby we are born again in Christ Then Confirmation by vertue whereof we grow bigger and stronger in the grace of God For as S. Austin testifies D. Aug. Ep. 105. Luc. 24.49 It was to the Apostles already baptiz'd that the Lord said Stay ye in the City till ye shall be endu'd with power from above Then the Eucharist The Eucharist wherewith as with the Food of Heaven our Spirit is nourish'd and sustain'd For of this our Savior speaks Joh. 6.55 when he says My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed In the Fourth place follows Penance Penance by help whereof our lost Health is restor'd after we have bin wounded by Sin Then Extream Vnction Extream Unction Isa 5.14 by which the remains of sin are taken away and the powers of the Soul refresh'd for S. James writing of this Sacrament testifies thus Orders And if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him Then follows Orders by which the public ministration of the Sacraments is exercis'd in the Church and a power given to discharge or perform the Sacred Functions Lastly Matrimony is added Matrimony that by the lawful and holy Conjunction of the Man and the Woman Children may be begotten and religiously brought up to the Service of God and the Conservation of Mankind But This is specially to be observ'd XIX The necessity of all the S craments not alike That tho all the Sacraments contain in them a Divine and Admirable Vertue yet all have not a like and equal necessity or dignity or One and the same signification But there are Three of them which are more necessary than the rest Trid. 1. Sess 7 can 3.4 de Sacr. in en D. Tho. 3. p q. 65 â—r 4.7.3.5 tho not for the same reason For Baptism is necessary for every one without any exception at all as our Savior shews in these words Except a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And Penance is necessary to them only who after Baptism have intangl'd themselves with some mortal sin nor can they escape eternal Destruction unless they truly do Penance for the sin admitted And Orders is altogether necessary tho not to all the Faithful in particular yet to the whole Church in general But then if we consider the Dignity of the Sacraments XX. The Eucharist excels the other Sacraments in Dignity the Eucharist far excels all the rest in Sanctity in the number of Mysteries and in Magnitude All which things will be better understood when we shall come to handle in their proper place those things which belong to the particular Sacraments Dionys lib. de Eccles Hier. c. 3. We must next see Whence it is we receive these Holy and Divine Mysteries XXI Christ the Author of the Sacraments Amb. l. 4. de Sacr. c. 6. D. Tho. 3. p. 4.62 Trid. Ses 7. can 1. de Sacr. in gen l. de Eccles dog Cassian Col. 7.18 For there is no doubt but that the value of any excellent Gift is much increas'd by the worth and excellency of him from whom it came But that Question is not difficult For seeing it is God which justifies Men but the Sacraments are the wonderful Instruments of obtaining Righteousness it is plain that one and the same God in Christ must be acknowledg'd to be the Author both of Justification and of the Sacraments Besides the Sacraments have such a and Efficacy as to penetrate into the inmost Soul since therefore it is the Property of Gods Power alone to search into the Hearts and Souls of Men from This also it is easy to see That the Sacraments are instituted of God himself throw Christ even as we must firmly and constantly believe that they are inwardly dispens'd by him For S. John affirms that he receiv'd this Testimony from him when he says He that sent me to baptize in Water the same said to me Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him that same is he that baptizes in the Holy Ghost But tho God be the Author and Dispenser of the Sacraments XXII Men only are Ministers of the Sacraments yet he would have them administred in the Church not by Angels but by Men For to the making the Sacraments there is no less need of the Office of Ministers than of Matter and Form as is confirm'd by the constant Tradition of the Holy Fathers And because these Ministers in that Holy Function carry or represent not their own XXIII The unworthiness of Ministers hinder not the efficacy of the Sacraments Trid Sess 7. de Sac. in gen ca. 11 12. Greg. Naz. in Orat. in S. Bap. Amb. de bis qui myst init c. 5. Chrysost hom 8. in 1 Cor. Aug. contra Donat. l. 1. c. 4. l. 2. cont lit Patil c. 47. 1 Cor. 3.6 A similitude S. Aug. Tract in Joan. Act. 19.5 but the person of Christ for this reason it is that whether they be Good or Bad so they use the Form and Matter which by Christs Institution the Catholic Church has always held and intend to do the same thing which the Church in the ministration does they truly make and confer the Sacraments So that nothing can hinder the Fruit of Grace unless those who receive them wilfully defraud themselves of so great a good and resist the Holy Spirit That this was always the constant and undeniable sense of the Church
S. Austin in his Disputations he wrote against the Donatists most clearly shews And if we require Testimonies of Scripture we may hear the very Apostle speaking in these Words I says he have planted and Apollo has water'd but God gave the Increase For neither is he that plants any thing nor he that waters But God that gives the increase Whence it may sufficiently be understood that as in planting of Trees the naughtiness of those that planted them is no hindrance to the Trees So there can no hurt light upon them by anothers fault who were planted in Christ by the Ministery of Bad Men. Wherefore as from S. John's Gospel our Holy Fathers have taught us Judas Iscariot baptiz'd many of whom nevertheless we read not that any were baptiz'd again so as S. Austin has excellently written Judas baptiz'd and yet after Judas none baptiz'd whom he baptiz'd John baptiz'd and yet after John's Baptism they were baptiz'd again because the Baptism given by Judas was Christs Baptism but the Baptism which John gave was his own And yet we rightly prefer not Judas before John but Christ's Baptism tho given by the hands of Judas before John's Baptism tho given by the hands of S. John himself Nor may the Pastors XXIV It is a great wickedness to administer the Sacraments with as evil Conscience Aug. in Joan. Tract 5. contra Cresc l 3. c. 6. D. Thom. p. 3. q. 93. art 4. or other Ministers of the Sacraments when they hear this think it enough taking no regard to the uprightness of their Manners and purity of their Consciences to take care only how rightly to minister the Sacraments for tho they ought to be very careful therein yet all those things which belong to that Function are not plac'd in this one thing But they ought always to remember That the Sacraments indeed never lose that Divine Vertue which is in them but yet that they bring eternal Death and ruine to those that minister them impurely For Holy things as once and again and oftentimes over and over we ought to admonish should be handled Holily Ps 49 16. Con Trid. ibid. Can. 6. and Religiously To the Sinner as the Prophet has it God has said Why dost thou declare my Righteousness and takest my Testament into thy Mouth whereas thou hatest Discipline Now if it be unlawful for a man polluted with sin to Treat only of Divine Matters How great wickedness must we needs judge him guilty of who being conscious to himself of many crimes is yet not afraid with his polluted mouth to make those Holy Mysteries or to take into his foul hands and handle and to reach them forth and minister them to others especially since it is written by S. Denys To the wicked the Symbols for so he calls the Sacraments it is not permitted so much as to touch them The Ministers of Holy things therefore S. Dyon de Eccles Hier. c. 1. are first of all to follow Holiness and come purely to minister the Sacraments and let them so exercise themselves in Piety that through the frequent handling and use of them by Gods help they may attain a greater plenty of Grace thereby And now these things being explain'd XXV The effects of the Sacraments it must be taught what the Effect of the Sacraments is for this seems likely to afford no small light to the Definition of the Sacraments before mention'd The principal of those Effects are reduc'd to Two And that Grace which of the Holy Doctors we have learn'd usually to call justifying XVI The first Justifying Grace common to all Eph. 25.26 deservedly takes the chief place for so the Apostle has most plainly taught when he said That Christ lov'd his Church and gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her cleansing her by the laver of water in the Word But by what means so great and admirable a thing is wrought by the Sacrament that as S. Austin says S. Aug. in Joan. Tract 80. The Water cleanses the Body and touches the Heart this verily connot be comprehended by human reason and understanding For it is certain that no sensible thing of its own nature is endu'd with such a Power as can penetrate to the Soul But by the Light of Faith we know that the Power of the Almighty God is in the Sacraments because they effect that which the natural things themselves by their own power cannot do Of this Efficacy of the Sacraments see Trid. Sess 7. Can. 6.7 8. De Sacram. Aug. Tract 26. in Joan. cont Faust c. 16. 17. in Psal 77. v. 15 16. Wherefore that there might never any distrust or doubt of this Effect XXVII The Receiving of Grace in the Sacraments why of old prov'd by Miracles arise in the minds of the Faithful When the Sacraments began to be administred it pleas'd the most merciful God by the evidence of Miracles to shew what the Sacraments inwardly effected that we might most constantly believe the same things to be always inwardly wrought tho they were far enough distant from our Senses Therefore to omit Aug l. quart Vet. Nov. Test q. 93. Mat. 3.16 Mar. 1.10 Luc. 3.22 that when our Savior was baptiz'd in Jordan the Heavens were open'd and the Holy Ghost appear'd in the shape of a Dove to admonish us that when at the Saving Font we are wash'd he pours his Grace into our Souls To pass by this I say for this belongs rather to the Signification of Baptism than to the Ministration of the Sacrament Do not we read that on the day of Pentecost when the Apostles receiv'd the Holy Ghost whereby they were thenceforth made more chearful and couragious to Preach the Truth of Faith and to undergo many hazards for the glory of Christ Act. 2.3 then a noise from Heaven being made all of the suddain as it were of a mighty rushing wind there appered cloven tongues like as of Fire Whence it is understood that in the Sacrament of Confirmation the same Spirit is given to us and the same strength bestow'd on us whereby we stoutly resist and encounter those irreconcileable Enemies to us to wit the Flesh the World and the Devil and these Miracles as oft as the Apostles minister'd those Sacraments in the infancy of the Church were for some time to be seen till the Faith being confirm'd and strengthen'd they began to cease From those things therefore which have bin shew'd concerning the former effect of the Sacraments XXVIII How great the Difference of the Sacraments of the Old and New Law is Aug. lib. 19. cont Fault c. 13. in Ps 83. Amb. lib. de Sacr. c. 4. Heb. 9.14 to wit Justifying Grace it plainly appears that there is in the Sacraments of the New Law a better and more excellent vertue than the Sacraments of the Old Law had which seeing they were weak and beggarly Elements did sanctifie the Polluted to the cleansing
of the Flesh but not of the Soul Wherefore they were instituted only to be Signs of those things which are effectually wrought in our Services But the Sacraments of the New Law flowing from Christ's side who through the Holy Ghost offer'd himself to God cleanse our Consciences from dead works to serve the Living God and so by vertue of the Blood of Christ they work that Grace which they signifie Wherefore if we compare them with the Old Sacraments besides that they have a greater Efficacy they will be found to be much more full of profit and more reverend and holy August lib. 2. de Symb. c. 6. in Joan. Tract 15. lib. 15. de Civit. Dei c. 26. Another Effect of the Sacraments XXIX Another Effect whch is of Three Sacraments only is a Character 2 Cor. 1.21 not common to all but proper to Three only is the Character of Baptism Confirmation and Holy Order which they imprint upon the Soul For when the Apostle says God has anointed us who has also seal'd us and given us the pledge of his Spirit in our hearts by that word has seal'd he clearly has describ'd the Character whose property it is to Sign and Mark a thing Now this Character XXX What this Character is Trid iâ—id Can. 8. is as it were some remarkable thing impress'd upon the Soul which can never be blotted out but remains forever in it Of which S. Austin has thus written Can the Christian Sacraments haply do less than this corporal Mark wherewith to wit the Souldier is Sign'd For that Mark is not impress'd anew upon the Souldier at his return from the War where he had serv'd but the old one is known and observable Of this Character see Aug. lib. 2. contra Episc Parm. c. 33. Epist 50. circa medium Tract 5. in Joan. lib. 1. contra Crescen c. 30. item D. Thom. 3. p. q. 63. Now this Character has this vertue XXXI To what purpose a Character is impress'd In Baptism that it can both make us fit to receive or perform some Sacred thing and also that by some Mark one man may be distinguish'd from another Both these we have in the Character of Baptism Both that we are made fit to receive the other Sacraments and besides this that thereby the Faithful may be distinguish'd from Infidels The same thing may be observ'd in the Character of Confirmation and Holy Order by the One of which we are arm'd and prepar'd as Christ's Souldiers to make public confession and defence of his Name and against the Enemy set against us and the Spiritual Wickednesses in High Places And also we are discern'd from them who are but newly baptiz'd In Order and as it were Infants new-born But the Other has both a conjunct power of making and ministring the Sacraments and also distinguishes those persons who have this power from the rest of the Faithful We must therefore hold the Rule of the Catholic Church which teaches us that these Three Sacraments impress a Character and are never to be iterated These are the things generally to be taught concerning the Sacraments XXXII By what Motives the Faithful are to be excited to the use and reverence of the Sacraments in explaining of which Point the Pastors shall diligently labour to do Two things especially First to make the Faithful understand how much honour worship and veneration these Divine and Heavenly Gifts deserve And the other because the most merciful God has offer'd them for the common Salvation of all that they use them piously and religiously and be so inflam'd with the desire of Christian Perfection that they reckon it as a mighty Loss to them if at any time they want the most wholsome use of Penance and especially of the Eucharist These things the Pastors may do with ease if they often inculcate into the ears of the Faithful what has before bin said of the Divinity and Benefit of the Sacraments First First That they were instituted by the Lord our Saviour from whom nothing can come but what is most perfect Secondly Besides when they are ministr'd the influence of the Holy Ghost is ready at hand to make them effectual in our hearts Thirdly And then they have in them an admirable and sure vertue to cure our Souls and also to draw down upon us the immense riches of the Passion of our Lord. And Lastly Fourthly They shew that the whole Christian Edifice is founded upon a Corner-stone But were it not propp'd up on every side by the Preaching of the Word and by the Vse of the Sacraments it might greatly be fear'd that a great part of it would tumble down For as by the Sacraments we are admitted to Life so thereby as with Food we are nourish'd preserv'd and increas'd Of the SACRAMENT of BAPTISM FRom what has bin spoken before of the Sacraments in general I. How frequently Men should be taught concerning the Sacrament of Baptism we may easily perceive how necessary it is both for the understanding of the Doctrine of Chrstian Religion and for the exercise of Piety to know those things which the Catholic Church requires us to believe concerning the Sacraments in particular for he that carefully reads what the Apostle has written will without all peradventure find that it is greatly requir'd of the Faithful perfectly to know and understand their Baptism and therefore he not only very frequently Rom. 6.1 but with cogent arguments and full of the Spirit of God renews the remembrance of this Mystery commends the Divinity of it and therein puts before our eyes the Death Burial and Resurrection of our Redeemer for our Contemplation and Imitation Wherefore the Pastors can never think they have taken pains and care enough in the handling of this Mystery But besides those days wherein after the manner of our Fore-Fathers the Divine Mysteries of Baptism are us'd to be explain'd to wit in the Great Sabbath of Easter and Whitsuntide at which time the Church has bin us'd to celebrate this Sacrament with the greatest devotion and solemnity they may at other times also take occasion to discourse of this Point And for this end That Time seems most proper II. How profitable it is to explain the several things done in administring Baptism when at the ministration of Baptism to any one they shall observe a fit number of the Faithful to be met together for then it will be much more easie and convenient though they cannot handle all the points that belong to this Sacrament to teach at least one or other of them when the Faithful with a pious and attentive mind think upon the Doctrin of those things which at the same time they both hear with their Ears and see with their Eyes express'd in the Holy Ceremonies of Baptism From whence it will come to pass that every one being admonish'd by those things he sees done in another person will
custom For there is no body ignorant that Children were us'd to be circumcis'd on the eighth Day Now if the Circumcision made with Hands in taking away the Body of Flesh could profit them it is evident then that Baptism which is the circumcision of Christ not made with Hands must needs profit them Lastly Fifthly Rom. 5.17 as the Apostle teaches If by the sin of One Death reign'd through One much more they that receive an abundance of Grace and of the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life through One even Jesus Christ Since therefore by the sin of Adam Children by their very birth contract hurt much more by Christ our Lord may they obtain Grace and Righteousness to reign in life which verily without Baptism can by no means come to pass Conc. Trid. Sess 5. decret de peccat origin Sess 7. de Baptis c. 12 13 14. Dionys de Eccles Hier. c. 7. Cypria Ep. 59. Aug. Ep. 28. lib. 1. de peccat merit c. 23. Chrysost Hom. de Adam Eva. Concil Mil. vit c. 2. de consec dist 4. passim Wherefore the Pastors shall teach XXXII How Children baptiz'd are to be educated That by all means Infants are to be baptiz'd and then that by little and little their tender age is to be instructed to true Devotion by the Precepts of Christian Religion For as it is excellently said of the Wiseman Train up a Youth in the way he should go and when he grows old he will not depart from it Nor is it to be doubted XXXIII After what manner Infants baptiz'd receive Faith Epist. 23. ad Bon. but when they are baptiz'd they receive the Sacraments of Faith Not that they believe with the assent of their mind but because they are establish'd in the Faith of their Parents if their Parents were Faithful but if not to use S. Austin's words they are arm'd with the Faith of the whole company or the Saints For we rightly confess that they are offer'd in Baptism by all those Saints who were pleas'd to offer them and by whose charity they are joyn'd to the communion of the Holy Ghost And the Faithful are earnestly to be admonish'd to take care that their Children be brought to the Church so soon as may be without danger XXXIV Infants to be baptiz'd as soon as may be to be baptiz'd with the Solemn Ceremonies For since there is no other way left for Infants to attain Salvation unless they are baptiz'd We may easily perceive how great a guilt they bring upon themselves who suller them to want the Grace of that Sacrament longer than necessity requires especially since by reason of the weakness and tenderness of their age they are in continual danger of their life Aug. lib. 3. de Orig. animae c. 9. lib. 1. de peccat merit c. 2. Epist 28. But then the custom of the primitive Church declares that there is a different reason for those who are of ripe Years XXXV Adult persons to be invited and prepared for Baptism and have the perfect use of Reason to wit who are born of Infidel Parents for the Christian Faith is offer'd them and with all earnestness they are to be advis'd perswaded and invited to embrace it And if they are converted to our Lord God then they must be admonish'd that they defer not the Sacrament of Baptism beyond the time prescrib'd by the Church For seeing it is written First Delay not to be converted to the Lord and put not off froam day to day they are to be taught that perfect conversion is plac'd in the new Birth by Baptism Secondly And besides by how much the later they come to Baptism by so much the longer must they want the grace and use of the other Sacraments of Christian Religion because none can be admitted to them without Baptism And then Thirdly that they are also depriv'd of that excellent benefit we receive by Baptism for the Water of Baptism not only washes off and takes away every spot or blemish of all those sins which before were commiteed But it adorns us with Divine Grace by the aid and assistance whereof we can also avoid sin for the future and secure righteousnefss and innocence in which thing consists the sum of the Christian Life as all may easily perceive Tertul lib. de Poenit c. 6. de praescript c. 41. Cypr. Epist 13. de consecrat dist 4 c. 64. 65. Aug. lib de fide operib c. 9. But tho these things are so yet the Church has not bin us'd presently or hastily to bestow this Sacrament of Baptism upon this sort of Men XXXVI Why the Church is wont to defer the Baptism of those of ripe Age. The First Reason but has decreed that it should be deferr'd for a certan time For this delay has not joyn'd with it the same danger as was noted before to impend over Infants because the purpose and resolution that they who are endu'd with the use of Reason have of receiving Baptism and their Penance for their sore-past evil life will be available for Grace and Righteousness to them if any suddain accident should happen to hinder them from being Baptiz'd But on the contrary The Second The First Advantage this delay seems to be somewhat advantagious For first because the Church ought to be very provident that none come to this Sacrament through Hypocrisie and Dissimulation the Dispositions of those who desire Baptism will be more throughly try'd and discover'd For which cause we find it decreed by antient Councils that those Jews who come to the Catholic Faith before Baptism was administr'd to them were to be for some Months amongst the Catechumens The Second and then thereby they are more perfectly instructed in the Doctrin of that Faith which they ought to profess The Third and in the Rules of Christian Life Besides there is a greater and more religious veneration given to the Sacrament if with solemn Ceremony they receive Baptism only on the appointed days of Easter and Whitsuntide But notwithstanding the Time of Baptism XXXVII When Baptism of the Adult is to be deferr'd Act. 8.38.10.48 sometimes it is not to be deferr'd for some just and necessary cause as when there seems to be a present danger of Life and especially if the persons to be baptiz'd do fully understand the Mysteries of Faith which it is manifest that Philip and the Prince of Apostles did when the One baptiz'd Queen Candace's Eunuch and the other Cornelius and that without delay and as soon as ever they profefs'd that they embrac'd the Faith Furthermore XXXVIII They who are baptiz'd ought to desire Baptism it must be taught and explain'd to the people how they that are to be baptiz'd ought to be affected First of all therefore they must of necessity be willing and resolv'd to receive Baptism For since every one in Baptism dies to sin
contra duas Epist Pelag c. 13. lib 3. c. 5 in Ench. c. 64. lib. 1. de nupt concupisc c. 25. Item Greg. lib. 9. Epist 39. Conc. Vien Florent in Mater de Sacram. It most be confess'd indeed XLIII Concupiscence remaining in those thâ—t are baptiz'd is not sin Augâ—st as in the same place by authority of That Holy Synod has bin decreed that even in those that are baptiz'd there does remain Concupiscence or a kind of scum But that has not truly the Reason or Nature of sin For according to S. Austin In little Children baptiz'd the guilt of Concupiscence is absolv'd tho the Concupiscence it self remain till Death And elswhere he testifies The Guilt of Concupiscence in Baptism is loos'd but the Infirmity remains For Concupiscence which proceeds of sin is nothing else but an Appetite of the mind by its own nature repugnant to Reason Which motion notwithstanding if it have not the Consent of the Will or Negligence joyn'd with it is far from the true nature of sin But when S. Paul says I had not known Concupiscence to be sin Rom. 7.7 if the Law had not said Thou shalt not covet By these words he means not the very Concupiscence it self but the Corruption of the Will The same Doctrine S. Gregory taught writing thus Lib 9 Regist Epist 39. If there be any who say that in Baptism sin is forgiven only superficially or as to the outward commission of it what can be spoken more like an Infidel than this since by the Sacrament of Faith the Soul is absolv'd from sin even to the very Roots thereof And to prove this he uses the testimony of our Savior when in S. John he says Joh. 13.10 He that is wash'd needs not but to wash his Feet but is clean throughout Now if any one would see an express Figure and resemblance of this matter XLIV A Figure of Bapti m. 4 Reg. 9.14 let him contemplate the History of Naaman the Syrian's Leprosie who when he had wash'd himself seven times in the Water of Jordan he was so cleans'd from his Leprosie as the Scripture witnesses That his Flesh became like the Flesh of a little Child Wherefore the proper Effect of Baptism is the Forgiveness of all sins whether contracted by Original Corruption or by our own Fault For which cause it was instituted by our Lord and Savior as to omit other Testimonies the Prince of Apostles shew'd in most clear words Act. 2.38 when he said Repent and let every one of you be baptiz'd in the name of Jesus Christ for the râ—mission of sins Of concupiscence remaining in those that are baptiz'd See Aug. lib. 1. de peccat merit remiss c. 39. Item lib. 1. cont duas Epist Pelag. c. 13. l. 3. c. 3. in medio lib. 1. de nupt concupisc c. 23. 25. Item lib. 6. cont Julian q. 5. de verb. Apost Serm 6. But now in Baptism not only sins are remitted XLV The Second effect of Baptism The remission of the Punishment due to sin Rom. 9.3 but also all the Punishments of sins and wickedness are graciously pardon'd of God For tho it be common to all the Sacraments that by them is communicated the vertue of Christ our Lords Passion yet of Baptism only is it said by the Apostle that through it we dye and are bury'd together with Christ Whence Holy Church always understood that without exceeding great wrong to this Sacrament it could not be that those Offices of Piety or Devotion which by a usuâ—â— name the Fathers call'd works of Satisfaction could be enjoyn'd to him that was to be cleans'd by this Sacrament That the Punishments due to sin are remitted in Baptism See Ambros in cap. 11. ad Rom. Aug. lib. 1. de nupt concupisc c. 33. in Ench. cap. 4. D. Thom. 3. Art p. q. 69. art 2. unde nec nulla est imponenda penitentia Greg. lib. 7 regist Epist 24. habetur de consecrat dist 4. cap. Ne quod absit D. Thom. p. q. 68. ar 5. Nor are the things which we here teach contrary to the practice or custom of the Ancient Church XLVI Works of Penance before Baptism to what purpose which antiently requir'd the Jews when they were to be baptiz d to fast forty days together For that was not ordain'd for satisfaction For those that receiv'd Baptism were by that means admonish'd that for the more reverencing of the Dignity of that Sacrament they should for some time without intermission give themselves to Fasting and Prayer But tho we ought to be assur'd that in Baptism the Punishment of Sin is pardon'd XLVII What Punishments are not remitted in Baptism yet no one is freed from that kind of punishment which is deserv'd of the Civil Judgement for any grievous Crime So as that he that deserves to dye should be freed by baptism from the punishment appointed by the Laws Note Notwithstanding the Religion and Piety of those Princes is highly to be commended who that the Glory of God in his Sacraments might be made the more illustrious do at the Fonts remit and pardon that punishment also Besides Baptism procures us after the stage of this life a freedom and discharge from all those punishments which follow Original Sin for by merit of our Lord's Death it is that we obtain these things But as was said before Rom. 5.6 by Baptism we dye with him For if as the Apostle says we are planted together with him in the likeness of his Death we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection But if any one ask XLVIII Why after Baptism we are not freed from all Misery of Life why immediately after Baptism and even in this mortal life we are not freed from these inconveniences and are not carry'd by vertue of this Sacred Washing into that perfect state of life in which Adam the first Father of Mankind was plac'd before he sinn'd we must answer that this is thus done for Two reasons especially The First of which is The First Reason That we who by Baptism are knit to the Body of Christ and are made his Members might not receive greater dignity than our Head Since therefore Christ our Lord tho from his first birth he had the Fulness of Grace and Truth yet he laid not down the Frailty of Humane Nature which he took before he had endur'd the torments of his Passion and Death it self and then he rose to the Glory of Life Everlasting who can wonder when he sees the Faithful who have already by Baptism got the grace of the righteousness of Heaven to be notwithstanding yet cloath'd with weak decaying Bodies that afterwards having gone through many labors for Christ's sake and last of all even through Death it self they may be called again to life and be found worthy to enjoy an everlasting Age with Christ Another cause why after Baptism
the several Rites of Baptism are to be reduc'd to Three Heads That in explaining of them a certain order may be observ'd by the Pastors and that those things they teach may the more easily be kept in the memory of their Auditors And the First sort is of those which are observ'd before they come to the Font of Baptism The Second is of those which are us'd at the Font And the Third of those that are us'd to be added when Baptism is perfected or finish'd First therefore Water Water must be prepar'd which must be us'd at Baptism For the Water of Baptism is consecrated Consecration of the Water Cypr. Epist 70. Basil de Spirit San. c. 17 de Consec dist 4. c. in Sabb. the Oyl of Mystic Vnction being added And this may not be done at any time but after the custom of our Ancestors there are certain Festival days which are worthily to be reckon'd most Solemn and holy waited for in the Vigils whereof the Water of this Holy Sacrament is prepar'd in which days only unless necessity require to do otherwise it was the custom of the ancient Church to administer Baptism But tho the Church at this time by reason of the peril of common life thought not fit to retain that custom yet has she hitherto observ'd these solemn days of Easter and Pentecost at which time the Water of Baptism is to be consecrated with the greatest Religion and honor After the consecration of the Water Standing at the Church doors the other things which then go before Baptism must be explain'd For they who are to be initiated by Baptism are either carri'd or led to the Church doors and are by all means forbid to enter therein as being altogether unworthy to enter into the house of God before they have cast off the yoak of their most loathsom servitude from themselves and dedicated themselves wholly to Christ and to his most just Government Tertul. de Corona milit c. 3. Cyril Hyerosol Catech. 8. And then the Priest asks them The Catechism Clem. Rom. Epist 3. Aug. de fide oper c. 9. Mar. 16.15 Matt. 28.19 What they desire of the Church which being made known He instructs them first in the Doctrine of Christian Faith which they ought to profess in Baptism and this is done in the Catechism Which manner of teaching that our Savior appointed there is none can doubt seeing he commanded his Apostles saying Go ye into all the World and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Whence we may know that Baptism is not to be administred before the chief Heads at least of our Religion be expounded But because the way of Catechism consists of many Interrogations if he who is instituted be of ripe age he answers by himself to those things that are ask'd But if he be an Infant his God-Father rightly answers and makes solemn promise and vow for him Then follows the Exorcism which is made of holy and religious Words and Prayers The Exorcism to drive out the Devil and to weaken and destroy his Power To the Exorcism are added other Ceremonies whereof every one as being mystic have their proper and clear signification Of Exorcisms see Tertul. de Praescript c. 41. Cypr. Epist 2. August lib. 2. de Gratia Dei peccato Orig. cap. 40. lib. 2. de Nupt. concupis cap. 26. Optat. lib. 4. contra Permenianum For when Salt is put into the Mouth of him that is brought to be baptiz'd The Salt hereby is plainly signifi'd that by the Doctrine of Faith and gift of Grace he shall attain to a freedom from the corruption of sin and rellish the taste of good Works and be delighted with the Food of Divine Wisdom Beda â—â— l. 1. Esdras c. 9. Isid l. 2. de Offic. Eccles c. 20. Aug. l. 1. Confes c. 11. And then his Forehead Eyes Brest Sboulders Ears are sign'd with the sign of the Cross Sign of the Cross All which things declare that by the mystery of Baptism his senses are open'd and strengthen'd that he may be able to receive God and to understand and keep his Commandments Of the sign of the Cross see Tertul lib. de Resur carn Basil lib. de Spiritu Sancto Chrys cont gent. alios Afterwards his Nostrils and Ears are smeer'd with Spittle The Spittle and coming to the Font. Joh. 9.7 that as that Blind-man in the Gospel whom the Lord commanded to wash his Eyes smeer'd with Clay in the Water of Siloam recover'd his sight So also we may understand that such is the power of Holy Baptism that it gives Light to the Mind to perceive the Heavenly Truth Of the Spittle Ambr. lib. 1. de Sacram. 1. de iis qui myst init c. 1. de consecr distinc l. 4. c. postea Those things done The Abrenunciation they come to the Font of Baptism and there other Ceremonies and Rites are us'd by which may be understood the sum of Chritian Religion The Priest thrice in conceiv'd words interrogates him that is to be baptiz'd Dost thou renounce the Devil and all his Works the World and all his Pomps Then He or the God-Father in his name answers to every demand I renounce them He therefore that is about to give his name to Christ ought first of all tp promise holily and religiously that he forsakes the Devil and the World and that from thenceforth he will ever account and detest them both as his most deadly enemies Tertul. lib. de Coron mil. c. 13. de spectac c. 4. de Idol c. 6. Cypr. Epist 7.54 And then The Prosession of Faith Cyril Himos Caâ—â—ch 2 standing together at the Font of Baptism he is interrogated by the Priest in this manner Dost thou believâ— in God the Father Almighty To whom he answers I believâ— And so being ask'd onwards concerning the other Articles of the Creed he solemnly and religiously professes his Faith in which Two Answers is contain'd all the Discipline and Power of the Law of Christ But when Baptism must now be administred The will of Baptism the Priest asks of him who is to be baptiz'd Whether it is his Will to be baptiz'd Who consenting either by himself or by his God-Father in his name if he be an Infant he presently washes him with that saving Water In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost For as Man of his own will obeying the Serpent was justly condemn'd So the Lord will have none to be enroll'd as a Soldier of his against their Wills That by a willing obedience to his commands they may at last attain to everlasting Salvation And now after that Baptism is perfected The Chrism the Priest anoints with Chrism the crown oh his Head that is baptiz'd that he
among them to be lawful as before was said when we treated of the God-fathers that are to be us'd at Baptism But because it comes often to pass XIII What the Curats are to teach those that are to be confirm'd that the Faithful in receiving this Sacrament are either too hasty or too dissolutely negligent and trifling for we have nothing to say of those that contemn and despise it the Pastors must shew who of what Age and how religiously they ought to be dispos'd to whom Confirmation ought to be given And first they must teach XIV How justly the Church desires that all be confirm'd That this Sacrament is not of so great necessity as that without it a Man cannot be sav'd But tho it be not necessary yet it is not to be pretermitted by any But rather very great care ought to be taken lest in a matter so full of Holiness and through which the divine gifts are so liberally bestow'd on us any negligence should be committed For that which God has offer'd to all in common for their Sanctification De consec dist 3. c. 2. 1. item Conc. Aurel. c. 3. Hugo de S. dict de Sacram l. 2. p. 7. ca. 39. Act. 2.2 is to be desir'd of all with the sincerest affection And indeed S. Luke describing this admirable effusion of the Holy Ghost says thus And suddenly there came down from Heaven a sound as of a rushing mighty Wind and it fill'd the whole House And then a little after And they were all fill'd with the Holy Ghost Whence we may understand that because that House bore the Figure and representation of Holy Church that the Sacrament of Confirmation which took its beginning from that day belongs to all the Faithful And this is easily gather'd also from the very Reason of that Sacrament For they ought to be confirm'd with Holy Chrism who have need of Spiritual Increase and who are to be brought to a perfect Stature of Christian Religion But there are none which this is not proper for For as Nature designs that those who are born into the World should thrive and come to perfect Age altho sometimes she misses of what she design'd So the Catholic Church the common Mother of us all earnestly wishes that in those whom by Baptism she has regenerat'd the Form of a Christian Man might be perfectly compleated But because this is done in the Sacrament of this mystic Vnction it is manifest that it equally belongs to all the Faithful Wherein this is to be noted XV. What Age is require'd in those that are to be confirm'd That after Baptism the Sacrament of Confirmation may indeed be administer'd to all but yet this is not expedient to be done before Children shall come to the Vse of Reason Wherefore if it seem not convenient to stay to the twelfth year of age yet it is very convenient to deferr this Sacrament at least to the seventh year For Confirmation is not instituted as of necessity to Salvation but that by vertue thereof we may be found prepar'd and in a good readiness when we are to fight for the Faith of Christ to which kind of Fight no one sure can judge Children to be fit who as yet want the use of Reason Hence therefore it comes XVI With how great reverence we must come to Confirmation D. Tho. 3. p. q. 7â— a. 8. ad 2. Concil Aur. c. 2. that those of ripe Age that are to be confirm'd if they desire to have the Grace and gift of this Sacrament must not only bring with them Faith and Devotion but they must blot out of their minds all the more grievous sins they have committed To which purpose the Pastors must perswade them first to confess their sins and then stir them up to Fasting and other Exercises of Devotion and admonish them to renew that laudable practice of the antient Church that none should receive this Sacrament but fasting And it must needs be thought no hard matter to perswade the Faithful to these things if they rightly understand the gifts and admirable effects of this Sacrament Therefore the Pastors shall teach XVII The Effects of Confirmation The First that Confirmation has this thing common with the other Sacraments that unless there be some hinderance on his part who receives it it gives new Grace For it has bin shew'd that these Sacred and mystic Signs are of that sort which both declare and work Grace The Second But besides those things which are to be thought common with this and the other Sacraments these things are proper to Confirmation First that it perfects the Grace of Baptism For those who by Baptism are made Christians as Infants new-born have yet a kind of Tenderness and Softness but then by the Sacrament of Ghrism they are made stronger against the utmost violence of the Flesh the World and the Devil and their Souls are confirm'd to confess and glorifie the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom also that that very Name is invented there is none can doubt For neither XVIII A certain error refuted as some no less unlearnedly than impiously have phanci'd is the Name of Confirmation deriv'd hence that in former times Infants that were baptiz'd Trid. Sess 7. can 1. de Cons when they were now grown Men were brought to the Bishop that they might confirm the Christian Faith which in Baptism they undertook So that Confirmation seems pot in this Notion to differ from Catechizing Of which practice there can be brought no proof But from hence it was that it receiv'd this name That by vertue of this Sacrament God confirms that thing in us which by Baptism was begun to be wrought and brings us to the Perfection of Christian Solidity Nor does it Confirm only The Third Effect De Consce dist 5. c. Spiritus Euseb Emiss hom in die Pent. but it gives Increase also of which Melchiades witnesses thus The Holy Ghost who by his saving descent came upon the Water of Baptism in the Font gave a Fulness Sufficiency to Innocency but in Confirmation he gives Increase to Grace And then it not only increases but increases after a wonderful sort This the Scripture has very elegantly signifi'd and express'd by the wearing of a Coat For says our Lord and Savior when he spake of this Sacrament Luc. 14 4â— Stay ye in the City till ye shall be cloth'd with vertue from on high Now if the Pastors will shew the divine Efficacy of this Sacrament XIX The efficacacy of Confirmation declar'd by an Exampleâ— and that this will have a great influence on the minds of the Faithful there can be no doubt it will be sufficient to explain what happen'd to the Apostles themselves For they either before the Passion or at the hour of the Passion were so weak and remiss that when our Lord was apprehended they all ran away But Peter who was design'd to be
the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 when he says Purge out the old Leven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleven'd For Christ our Passover is sacrificed therefore let us banquet not with the old Leven nor with the Leven of malice and wickedness but with the unleven'd Bread of Sincerity and Truth Not that this Quality is to be thought so necessary XV. The Eucharist may be made of Leven'd Bread that if the Bread have it not the Sacrament cannot be made For either kind of Bread has the true and proper nature and name of Bread Altho no one ought by his own private authority or rashness rather alter the laudable Rite of his Church And by so much the less is it permitted to the Latin Priests to do it Conc. Floren. Sess ult lib. 3 decret de cel b Miss c. final whom the Popes have moreover commanded to perform the Sacred Mysteries with unleven'd Bread only And let this suffice for the explication of One part of the Matter of this Sacrament Where notwithstanding it is to be noted that it is not determin'd how much Matter ought to be us'd in making this Sacrament since the certain number of them who either may or ought to receive the Sacred Mysteries cannot be defin'd It remains now that we speak of the other Part of the Matter and Element of this Sacrament XVI Wine of the Grape the other Matter of the Eucharist And that is Wine press'd out of the fruit of the Vine wherewith a little Water is mixt For that our Lord and Savior us'd Wine in the Institution of this Sacrament the Catholic Church has ever taught seeing he himself said Mat 26.29 Mar. 14.25 I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine until that day In which place S. Chrysostom Hom. 83. in Mat. Of the fruit of the Vine says he which surely brought forth Wine not Water that so long before-hand he might be seen to pluck up by the roots the Heresy of them who thought that Water only was to be us'd in these Mysteries Yet the Church of God always mingl'd Water with the Wine XVII Water to be mingl'd with Wine Cypr. lib. 2. Epist. 3. Trid. Sess 22. de Saâ—ris Miss c. 7. Can. 9. Apoc. 17.15 First because our Lord Christ himself did so as is prov'd by the authority of Councils and by the testimony of S. Cyprian And then that the memory of the Blood and Water which came out of his Side might be renew'd And then as we read in the Apocalyps Water signifies the People Wherefore Water mingl'd with Wine signifies the Conjunction of the Faithful with Christ their Head And this by Apostolical Tradition Holy Church has always observ'd But altho the Reasons for mingling the Water with the Wine are so weighty Note that it may not be neglected under mortal sin yet tho it should be wanting the Sacrament remains But the Priests ought to take care XVIII A little Water to be mingl'd that as in the Sacred Mysteries they ought to mingle Water with the Wine so also that they pour but a little thereinto For by the Opinion and Judgment of Ecclesiastical Writers That Water is turn'd into Wine Wherefore Pope Honorius writes thus concerning it There has bin for a long time in your parts a pernicious abuse to wit that there is us'd a greater quantity of Water in the Sacrifice Habetur lib. 3. Decretal dâ— celeb Miss c. 13. than of Wine when according to the reasonable practice of the general Church there ought to be us'd a far greater quantity of Wine than of Water Of this Sacrament therefore there are only these Two Elements Note and it has bin rightly setl'd by many Decrees Et vide de consec dist 2. c. 1 2. seq That none may offer any thing but Bread and Wine notwithstanding which there were some presum'd to do so But now we must see how sit these two Symbols of Bread and Wine are XIX How convenient this Matter of the Eucharist is First John 9. to declare those things whereof we believe and confess them to be Sacraments And first they signifie Christ to us as he is the true life of Men. For the Lord himself says My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed Seeing therefore the Body of Christ our Lord yields nourishment of eternal Life to them who do purely and holily receive the Sacrament thereof rightly is it made of those things wherein this Life is contain'd that the Faithful may easily understand that by the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ their mind and Soul is fed These Elements also are somewhat available to this end Secondly Damasc lib. 4. de fide Orthod c. 14. that Men may learn and know that the Truth of Christ's Body and Blood are in the Sacrament for when we observe that Bread and Wine is dayly chang'd into human Flesh and Blood by the strength of Nature We may the more easily be led by this similitude to believe that the Substance of Bread and Wine by the Heavenly Benediction is converted into the true Flesh and true Blood of Christ Thirdly This admirable Change of the Elements helps also to shadow what is done in the Soul For as tho there appears outwardly no change of the Bread and Wine yet their substance truly passes into the Flesh and Blood of Christ so also tho nothing seems to be chang'd in us yet inwardly we are renew'd to life while we receive the true life in the Sacrament of the Eucharist Add hereto Fourthly that since the Body of the Church is compos'd of many Members this conjunction is not by any thing more clear'd than by the Elements of Bread and Wine For Bread is made of many Grains and Wine is press'd out of a Multitude of Grapes And so we tho we are Many yet they shew us to be strictly held together by the bond of this Divine Mystery and as it were made One Body Now it follows that we treat of the Form which ought to be us'd at the consecrating the Bread XX. The Form of the Eucharist as to the Bread defin'd and prov'd Not that the faithful people need to be much taught these Mysteries unless there be necessity for it is not necessary to instruct those persons in these matters who are not initiated in Sacred Things But lest by ignorance of the Form the Priests in making this Sacrament may make any foul mistakes We are taught therefore by the Holy Evangelists Matthew and Luke By Scripture Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 26.19 1 Cor. 14.22 and by the Apostle that This is the Form This is my Body for it is written when they had supp'd Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take and eat This is my Body Which Form of consecration seeing it was observ'd of
Sess 21. de coâ—â— sub uâ—raque specie can 1 2 3. For as has bin explain'd by the Council of Trent altho Christ at his last Supper instituted and deliver'd to the Apostles this most profound Sacrament in the Species of Bread and Wine Yet it does not follow from hence That this was made by our Lord and Savior to be a Law that the Sacred Mysteries should be administer'd to all the Faithful under both kinds For the same our Lord when he spake of this Sacrament frequently made mention but of One Species only Joh. 6.51 as when he says If any one shall eat of this Bread he shall live forever and the Bread which I will give is my Flesh for the Life of the World And He that eats this Bread shall live forever That the use of One species only is sufficient to a perfect Communion may be gather'd ex Tertul. lib. 2. ad Vxor Cypr. de Lapsis Orig. Hom. 13. in Exod. Basil Epist ad Caesar patr Aug. Epist. 86. Hier. in Apol. ad Pammach Chrysost hom 41. operis impers in Matth. It is evident that the Church was led by very many LXXI Why the use of both species is not permitted to the Lay people and indeed by very weighty Reasons not only to approve but also to establish by the Authority of a Decree this Custom of communicating chiefly under one species For first The first Reason great heed was to be taken lest the Blood of our Lord should be spilt on the Ground which thing seem'd not easie to be avoided if it should be administer'd in a great multitude of people Besides The second when the Sacred Eucharist ought to be in a Readiness for the Sick it was much to be fear'd lest if the species of Wine were to be kept somewhat longer it might grow sower Besides there are very many who can by no means indure the Tast The third nor so much indeed as the very smell of Wine Wherefore lest that which was given for spiritual Healths sake The fourth might hurt the Health of the Body it was very wisely establish'd by the Church that the Faithful should receive only the species of Bread And this may be added to the other Reasons The fifth that in very many Countries they have a very great scarceness of Wine nor can they procure it from elsewhere but with very great charges and very tedious and difficult travel And then The sixth which is most of all to the purpose the Heresie of them was to be rooted up who deny'd that whole Christ is in each species but asserted that the Body only without the Blood is contain'd in the species of Bread and that the Blood was contain'd under that of the Wine Now therefore that the Truth of Catholic Faith might the more evidently be put before our eyes the Communion of One Species i. e. of Bread was wisely brought in There are other Reasons also collected by them who treat of this Argument which if it shall seem needful the Curats may make use of And that nothing might be pass'd by LXXII The Minister of this Sacrament is only a Priest that seems to belong to the Doctrin of this Sacrament we are now to speak of the Minister altho' there can be no body in a manner ignorant hereof it must be taught therefore that the Power to make and to distribute this Sacrament to the Faithful is given only to the Priests Now that this Manner has always bin kept in the Church that the Faithful People receive the Sacraments from the Priests and that the Priests who consecrate communicate themselves the Holy Synod of Trent has explain'd and shew'd Sess 13. c. 10. that This custom has bin always religiously observ'd as being sprung from Apostolic Tradition Mat. 26.26 especially seeing that Christ our Lord has left us a clear Example hereof who both consecrated his own most Holy Body Mar. 14.22 and did reach it forth to his Disciples with his own Hands But that by all means the Dignity of so great a Sacrament might be consulted LXXIII Lay people prohibited to touch the Sacred Vessels and Linnen not only the Power of Administring it is given only to Priests the Church by Law has also forbid every one that is not consecrated to presume so much as to handle or to touch the Sacred Vessels Linnen and other Instruments that are necessary to the consecration thereof unless there be some very great necessity Whence both the Priests themselves and the rest of the Faithful may understand with how great Religion and Holiness they ought to be qualified that come to the Eucharist either to consecrate to administer or to take it Altho' as was before said of the other Sacraments they are no less truly administred by Evil men LXXIV The wickedness of the Minister diminishes not the Holiness of the Eucharist provided that those things which belong to the perfect reason or nature of them be duly observ'd the same thing avails in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for neither are we to believe that all these things are done by the merit of the Ministers but by the Vertue and Power of Christ the Lord These are the things which are to be explain'd concerning the Eucharist as it is a Sacrament Now what remains to be spoken must explain it as it is a Sacrifice LXXV Of the Eucharist as it is a Sacrifice that the Curats may understand what chiefly they are to teach the Faithful people upon Sundays and Holy-days concerning this Mystery according as Holy Synod has decreed For this Sacrament is not only a Treasure of heavenly riches Sess 22. princip which if we use well we may reconcile the Grace and Love of God towards us but there is in it also a kind of special Mean whereby we return him some thanks for his immense benefits bestow'd on us But this Victim or Sacrifice if it be rightly and legitimately offerd how grateful and acceptable it is to God is gather'd from hence If the Sacrifices of the Old Law whereof it is written Psal 39.7 Sacrifices and Oblations thou would'st not Psal 50.8 And again If thou would'st have Sacrifice I would give it thee accordingly but thou delightest not in burnt Offerings so pleas'd the Lord that God as the Scripture testifies Gen. 2. smelt a sweet savor i. e. were grateful and acceptable to him what may we hope for from this Sacrifice wherein he himself is sacrific'd and offer'd of whom that voice from Heaven was twice heard Mat. 3 17â— This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Let the Curats therefore diligently explain this Mystery that when the Faithful come together to Divine Service they may learn attentively and religiously to meditate on those things at which they are present And first let them teach LXXVI The Eucharist instituted for Two causes that the Eucharist
be spoken afterwards in its proper place The third is The third That the Penitent do firmly and certainly resolve with himself to amend his Life And this the Prophet has plainly taught us in these words If the wicked will do Penance for all his sins which he has committed and keep all my precepts and do judgment and justice he shall live he shall not die I will remember none of his iniquities which he has done Ezek. 18.21 And a little after When the wicked man will turn himself from his wickedness which he has done and will do judgment and justice he shall quicken his own soul And a little after Be ye converted says he and do Penance for all your iniquities and iniquity shall not be your Ruin Cast away from you all your Prevarications wherein you have prevaricated and make you a new heart The same thing also Christ our Lord prescrib'd to the Woman taken in Adultery Go thy way Joh. 8.11 says he and now sin no more And to the Lame man that was cur'd at the Pool of Bethesaida Behold Joh. 5.14 says he thou art made whole now sin no more But Nature it self also and Reason plainly shew XLI These prov'd by an Example that these Two things are chiefly necessary to Contrition to wit Grief for sin done and a Purpose and Caution not to do the like for the time to come For he that is desirous to be reconcil'd to a friend whom he has wrong'd must both be sorry that he has done him injury or contumely and must take diligent care for the time to come not to hurt his friendship in any respect For it is fit that a man obey that Law he is under whether it be Natural Divine or Human. Wherefore if a Penitent has taken any thing from another by Force or Fraud he must restore it and also satisfie with the recompence of some profit or service him whose credit or life he has any ways hurt either by Word or Deed For that saying is sufficiently approv'd of all which we read in S. Austin Ep. 54. The sin is not forgiven unless the thing taken away be restor'd Nor among the other things chiefly belonging to Contrition The fourth are you to take less diligent or necessary care that whatsoever Injury you have receiv'd from another you wholly forgive and pardon it For so our Lord and Savior admonishes and denounces Mat. 6.14 If ye forgive men their offences your heavenly Father will also forgive you your sins but if ye forgive not men neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins These are the things to be observ'd of the Faithful in Contrition the other things which may easily be gather'd by the Pastors belonging to this matter will indeed make Contrition to be more perfect and absolute in its kind but are not to be accounted so necessary as that without them the Reason of true and saving Penance cannot consist But because it ought not to be enough for the Pastors to teach those things which seem to belong to Salvation XLII The Fruits of Contrition unless also they labor with all care and industry that the Faithful may direct their Life and Actions after that very manner which is prescrib'd it will be very profitable very often to propose the Power and Profitableness of Contrition For whereas very many other works of Piety as Alms to the Poor Fastings Prayers and other Good and Holy Works of that kind are sometimes rejected of God certainly this Contrition can never be ungrateful or unacceptable to him Psal 50.19 For says the Prophet A contrite and an humble heart O God thou wilt not despise But as soon as ever we have conceiv'd This in our minds those words of the same Prophet in another place declare that Remission of Sins is given us of God Psal 3.15 I said I will confess against my self my injustice to the Lord and thou forgav'st the wickedness of my sin And hereof we may see a Figure in the ten Lepers Luc. 17.14 who being sent by our Savior to the Priests before they came to them they were freed from the Leprosie Where we may perceive that such is the Power of true Contrition whereof we have before spoken that by Benefit thereof we presently get Pardon of God for all our Offences It will very much avail to stir up the minds of the Faithful XLIII How the Faithful are to be induc'd to the Practice of Contrition if the Pastors will teach them some Methods whereby every one may exercise himself in Contrition They ought therefore to admonish that frequently examining their Consciences First all men would see whether or no they have observ'd those things which by God and by the Ecclesiastcal Laws are requir'd And if any one shall find himself to be guilty of any wickedness Secondly he presently accuse himself and humbly beg pardon of the Lord. Thirdly And desire time both to confess and to make satisfaction And first of all let him pray Fourthly that he may be assisted with the help of the Divine Grace that for the time to come he commit not the same sins which he earnestly does Penance for having committed Moreover the Pastors must take care XLIV The Hatred of sin how to be stirred up to stir up the Faithful to the greatest Hatred of Sin both because the Foulness and Baseness thereof is most extream and also because it brings upon us the most grievous Losses and Calamities For it estranges the Good will of God from us from whom we have receiv'd our greatest good things and might have expected and had far greater and exposes us to eternal Death and to be forever tormented with the most extream pains and sorrows Thus far of Contrition Now we come to Confession XLV Confession how profitable which is another Part of Penance But how much Care and Diligence the Pastors ought to use in explaining thereof they easily understand from hence because almost all devout persons have held that whatsoever Holiness Piety and Religion has to this time by the great benefit of God bin preserv'd in the Church is in a great measure to be ascrib'd to Confession That none may wonder that the Enemy of Mankind when he endeavor'd utterly to overthrow the Catholic Faith by the Servants and Vassals of his wickedness has labor'd with all his Power to oppose this Point which is as it were the Fortress of Christian Vertue First therefore XLVI How necessary the Institution of Confession is it must be taught that the Institution of Confession is very profitable to us and consequently very necessary For that we may grant that by Contrition sin is done away who knows not that it ought to be so vehement bitter and hot that the sharpness of Grief may equal and bear comparison with the Greatness of the Sin but because very few come to this Degree
ad Heliod Chrysost lib. 3. de Sacerd. Hom. 5. de verbis Isaiae Gregor Hom. 26. in Evang. Amb. lib. 2. de Cain c. 4. Trid. Sess 14. de Poenit. c. 5. Can. 7. The Pastors therefore shall teach these things which have bin decreed by the Holy Synod of Trent LV. The Confirmation of what was said before and always deliver'd by the Catholic Church For if we attentively read the most Holy Fathers we shall every where meet with most plain testimonies whereby it will be confirm'd that this Sacrament and the Law of Sacramental Confession which they call'd in Greek Exomologesis and Exagoreusis as receiv'd from the very Gospel was instituted by Christ our Lord. But if we desire Figures of the Old Testament also without doubt those various kinds of Sacrifices which were made by the Priests for the expiating of divers kinds of sins do seem to belong to the Confession of sins But because the Faithful are to be taught that Confession was instituted by our Lord and Savior LVI Ceremonies us'd at Confession It is fit that there should be also some Rites and solemn Ceremonies added by the Authority of the Church to admonish them which tho they belong not to the vertue of the Sacrament yet they put more plainly before mens Eyes the dignity thereof and dispose the Souls of them that Confess being already kindl'd with devotion the more easily to obtain the Grace of God For when with uncover'd Head cast down at the Priests feet with countenance down towards the Earth and hands stretch'd forth in a beseeching posture and giving other such like signs of Christian Humility which are not indeed necessary to the Reason or Vertue of the Sacrament we confess our sins from these things we may evidently understand both that there is a Heavenly Vertue in the Sacrament and also that the divine Mercy is to be sought and procur'd by us with the greatest study And now let no one think that Confession was indeed instituted of the Lord LVII The Necessity of Confession but yet so as tho he had not told us that the Use of it is necessary For let the Faithful be assur'd of this that he who is opprest by any Mortal Sin ought to be call'd back to Spiritual Life by the Sacrament of Confession Which thing indeed by a very fair Tradition from our Lord we see plainly signifi'd when he call'd the Power of administring this Sacrament the Key of the Kingdom of Heaven For as no one can go in to any place Mat. 16.19 without the help of him to whom are committed the Keys so we understand that no one is admitted into Heaven except the Doors are open'd them by the Priests to whose Trust the Lord has committed the Keys Otherwise there will plainly seem to be no Use at all of the Keys in the Church and in vain will he to whom the power of the Keys is given prohibit any one the entrance of Heaven if notwithstanding some other way to enter in there may be open'd Now this was excellently observ'd by S. Austin when he said Lib. 50. hom 49. Let no one say to himself I do Penance secretly before God God knows who pardons me what I do in my Heart Mat. 18. Is it therefore without reason said What ye loose on Earth shall be loos'd in Heaven Were the Keys therefore without cause given to the Church of God And to the same sense S. Ambrose in the Book he has left written concerning Penance where he would root up the Heresie of the Novatians Lib. 1. de Poenit. c. 12. who asserted that the Power of forgiving sins was reserv'd to the Lord alone And who says he reverence God more those that obey or those that resist his Commandments God has commanded us to obey his Ministers whom when we obey we give honor to God only But seeing it cannot be doubted LVIII At what Age we are bound to confess that the Law of Confession was made and establish'd by the Lord himself it remains that we see at what time of Age and Years men ought to obey it First therefore by the Canon of the Council of Lateran Lateran Concil c. 21. whose beginning is Omnis Vtriusque sexûs it is evident that no body is bound by the Law of Confession before that Age wherein he may have the Use of Reason Nor yet is that Age by any certain number of years defin'd But this seems to be held in general that Confession ought to be enjoyn'd to a Child from the time when he has the power of discerning betwixt Good and Evil and when his mind is capable of sorrow For when any one comes to that time of his Life when he can consider of his eternal Salvation then ought he to begin to confess his sins to a Priest when otherwise no one can hope for Salvation who is loaded with the Conscience of wickedness But at what time especially Confession ought to be made LIX At what time Confession must be made Holy Church has decreed in that Canon before mentioned For it commands all the Faithful to confess their sins at least once a year But if we consider what the Reason of our Salvation requires verily as often as the danger of Death hangs over us or that we set about any thing the doing whereof does not suit with a person polluted with sin as when we administer or receive the Sacraments so often Confession is not to be pretermitted And the same thing we ought strictly to observe when we fear or are likely to forget any sin we have done Neither can we confess sins which we remember not Neither can we get Pardon of God for those sins unless the Sacrament of Penance by Confession blot them out But because in Confession LX. Confession only to be intire many things are to be observ'd whereof some belong to the Nature of the Sacrament and others are not so necessary concerning these things it must be carefully treat'd For neither are there Books and Commentaries wanting from whence it is easie to fetch the Explication of these things But first of all let the Curats teach this that in Confession there must be care taken that it be intire and absolute For all Mortal sins must be reveal'd to a Priest LXI All Mortal sins altho hid must be confess'd For Venial Sins which do not pluck us away from the Grace of God altho rightly and profitably we confess them as the practice of devout men shews yet they may be pretermitted without Fault and may be expiated many other ways But deadly sins as was said before must be reckon'd up altho they were done never so secretly and undiscover'd and were of that sort which are forbid in the Two last Heads of the Decalogue For it often happens that they wound the Soul more than those which men are use to commit plainly and openly For so it has bin
rusty with the most filthy stains of sin And now we must speak concerning the Minister of this Sacrament And that he is a Priest LXXI An ordinary Priest the lawful Minister of Confession who has the Ordinary or Delegated Power of Absolving sufficiently appears from the Ecclesiastical Laws For he must have not only the Power of Order but of Jurisdiction also that discharges this Office A clear testimony of this Ministery we have from our Lords words in S. John Joh. 20.23 Whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retain'd And it is manifest that this was spoken not to all but to the Apostles only to whom the Priests succeeded in this Office And this is very consentaneous for whereas every kind of Grace which is given in this Sacrament is deriv'd to the Members from Christ the Head rightly ought they to administer this to Christ's mystic Body i. e. to the Faithful who only have power of consecrating his true Body especially seeing the Faithful by this Sacrament of Penance are made fit and well dispos'd for receiving the Sacred Eucharist But with how great Religion in old times Note in the Primitive Church the Right of the ordinary Priest was preserv'd is easily gather'd from the antient Decrees of the Fathers Whereby it is provided That no Bishop or Priest shall presume to act any thing in another's Diocess or Parish either by his authority who is over him or unless a great necessity seems to compel it And it was so decreed by the Apostle when he commanded Titus Tit. 1.5 That he should appoint Priests in every City to wit who might feed and educate the Faithful with the Heavenly Food of Doctrin and of the Sacraments Altho if there be imminent danger of Death LXXII At the Point of Death every Priest is the Minister of Confession and the proper Priest cannot be had that by this occasion none might perish the Council of Trent teaches That it has bin observ'd in the Church of God that it is lawful for any Priest not only to remit all kinds of sins to whose jurisdiction soever they belong but even to absolve them from the Bond of Excommunication also Sess 14. c. 6. de Peonit Now besides the Power of Order LXXIII The Qualities of the Minister of Confession and of Jurisdiction which are very necessary It is first Necessary that the Minister of this Sacrament be indu'd both with knowledg and Learning and Prudence For he bears the Person both of a Judg and of a Physician As to the First That he be Learn'd It is evident enough that it is not a common Knowledg which is necessary and which enables him to discover sins of the divers kinds of sins to judg which are weighty which are lighter according to the Rank and quality of the Person But as he is a Physician Prudent Ex Basilio in reg brâ—vib q. 229. he has need of the greatest prudence also For great care must be taken that those Remedies be apply'd to the sick person which seem to be proper to heal his Soul and to strengthen it for the future against the force of the Distemper Whence the Faithful may understand Of upright Life that every one ought to take extraordinary care to choose himself a Priest whose Integrity of Life Learning and prudent Judgment may commend him Who understands well of how grat weight and Moment the Office is wherein he is plac'd and what Punishment is suitable to every offence and who are to be absolv'd and who to be bound But because there is no one who does not earnestly desire LXXIV Most strictly forbid to reveal the sins of the Penitent that his Wickedness and Shame might be hid The Faithful are to be admonish'd that there is no reason to fear lest those things which they reveal in Confession shall ever be made known to any one by the Priest or lest he may at any time fall into danger thereby For the Sacred Laws will most severely revenge it upon those Priests who shall not have conceal'd with perpetual and religious silence all sins which any one shall have confess'd to them Wherefore in the great Council of Lateran we read thus Cap. 21. Let the Priest take special heed that neither by Word or Sign or by any other way he at any time betray the sinner And now the Order of the Matter requires LXXV The Negligence of sinners reprov'd since we have spoken of the Minister that some special Heads should be explain'd which are not a little suitable to the Use and Practice of Confession For a great part of the Faithful to whom commonly nothing seems more tedious than the passing away of those days which by Ecclesiastical Law are appointed for confession are so far from Christian Perfection that scarcely do they remember those sins which are to be reveal'd to the Priest nor yet do they diligently take care of those things which it is plain have a very great Power to reconcile the Divine Grace to them Wherefore since all endeavor must be us'd to further their Salvation The Priest shall carefully observe in the Penitent LXXVI It must be well observ'd whether the Penitent be contrite whether he have a true contrition for his sins and be stedfastly resolv'd for the time to come to leave them off And if they shall observe him to be so affected LXXVII When the Penitent is found contrite what he is to be exhorted to they shall earnestly admonish and exhort him that for so great and singular a benefit he give God his greatest thanks and never cease to seek of him the protection of his Heavenly Grace Wherewith being arm'd and secur'd he may easily resist and oppose his evil lusts He is also to be taught that he suffer no day to pass without meditating somewhat of the Mysteries of the Passion of our Lord and stir up and inflame himself to imitate him and to love him with the greatest Charity for by this Meditation he will obtain this that he will feel himself every day more and more safe from all the Temptations of the Devil For neither is there any other cause why we yield both our courage and our strength so soon and so easily to be overcome by the Enemy than that we labor not by the Meditation of heavenly things to conceive the Fire of divine Love whereby our Mind might be refresh'd and supported But if the Priest shall understand LXXVIII If he seem not to be contrite what is then to be done that he that is willing to confess does not so bewail his sins as that he may truly be said to be contrite he shall endeavor to affect him with an earnest desire of Contrition that thenceforth being inflam'd with the desire of this excellent Gift he may resolve with himself to beg and beseech it of the mercy of God But first of
all LXXIX What is to be done with one who excuses or lessens his sins the Pride of some is to be reprov'd who endeavor either to defend their wickednesses by some excuse or to lessen them For for example when any one confesses that he was somewhat overmuch mov'd with Anger he presently charges another with the cause of that Disturbance who as he complains first did him the Wrong He is therefore to be admonish'd That this is the sign of an exalted or proud mind and of a Man that either despises or else is ignorant of the greatness of his sin And also that such kind of Excuse does rather increase than lessen the sin For he that strives thus to approve his Fact seems to profess that he then will use Patience when no body hurts nor wrongs him than which nothing can be more unbecoming a Christian For whereas he ought very much to bewail the condition of him who did the Injury yet is not mov'd with the naughtiness of the sin but is angry at his Brother And when a fair occasion was offer'd him to honor God with his Patience and amend his Brother with his Meekness he turns the matter of his Salvation to his Hurt But more pernicious is the Fault of those to be thought LXXX What to be done with those who are asham'd to confess who being hinder'd by a foolish kind of Bashfulness dare not confess their sins They must by Exhortation be encourag'd therefore and admonish'd That there is no cause why they should be afraid to reveal their Vices and that no one ought to wonder if he knows that Men sin which is indeed the common Disease of all and is properly incident to Human Weakness There are others LXXXI What with the slothful and those that neglect Conscience who either because they are us'd very seldom to confess their sins or because they take no care and thought to find out their sins and know not well how to begin that Office and having begun Confession know not how to dispatch it There is need certainly that such as these be more sharply chid and to teach first of all that before any one go to a Priest there must be great care and diligence us'd that he be mov'd with contrition of his sins but This can by no means be done unless he study to recollect and remember them severally Wherefore if the Priest find such Men as these LXXXII See what is to be done wholly unprepar'd he shall with kind expressions send them away and exhort them that they take some longer time the better to think upon their sins and then they may return again But if haply they affirm that they have us'd all their Diligence and endeavor therein already because that they have endeavor'd as they affirm it is very much to be fear'd lest being once sent away they return no more they are to be heard and especially if they shew an endeavor of amendment of Life and can be wrought upon to accuse their own negligence for which they promise another time to make amends by diligent and exact Meditation But in this Case there is great caution to be us'd For if Note when he has heard his Confession he shall judge that neither diligence in reckoning up his sins nor Grief in detesting them have bin altogether wanting in the Penitent he may be absolv'd But if he shall observe both of them to be wanting in him he shall exhort and perswade him as was said before to use greater care in examining his Conscience and shall send him away handl'd with all the respect and kindness he can But because it sometimes happens that Women LXXXIII The remedy to be us'd for the Bashfulness of some having forgot some sin in their former Confession dare not return again to the Priest because they are afraid lest they may be suspected by the people of some very great dishonesty or else may be thought to look for the praise of bein singularly religious it must often both publickly and privately be taught that no one is of so excellent a memory as to be able to remember all his Actions Words and Thoughts Wherefore the Faithful are in no case to be frighted so as not to return to the Priest if they afterwards remember any sin which before they pretermitted These therefore and many other things of this kind shall in Confession be observ'd by the Priests LXXXIV Of Satisfaction And now we come to the Third Part of Penance which is call'd Satisfaction First therefore the Name and Vertue of Satisfaction is to be expounded For from hence the Enemies of the Catholic Church have taken a large occasion of Difference and Discord to the exceeding great Damage of Christians Now Satisfaction is a full Payment of a thing that is due LXXXV What satisfaction is for nothing seems to be wanting to that which is satisfactory or enough Wherefore when we speak of Reconciliation to Grace To satisfie signifies the same thing as to give another so much as may be suffictent to an angry mind to recompense the injury And so Satisfaction is nothing else than a Recompence for an Injury done to another But as to this place the Doctors of Divinity have us'd the word Satisfaction to signifie that Recompence when a Man pays something to God for the sins he has committed In which kind LXXXVI The various degrees of Satisfaction because there may be many Degrees hence it is that Satisfaction is taken differently And the First and most excellent is that whereby The First is Christ's Satisfaction according to the nature of our sins is paid abundantly to God whatsoever is owing to him from us altho he would deal with us according to the utmost Justice Now this is said to be of that kind which renders God appeas'd and propitious to us And This we have receiv'd from Christ our Lord only who upon the Cross having paid the price for our sins most fully satisfi'd God Nor could there be any created thing of so great worth as to free us from so grievous a debt and as S. John testifies 1 Joh. 2.2 He is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World This Satisfaction therefore is full and compleat equally answering to the Nature of all the sins which are committed in the World by the vertue whereof the Actions of Men prevail very much with God and without him they would be accounted worthy of no regard And hither the Words of David seem to have respect who considering with himself after that he had said thus Ps 11.52 What shall I give to the Lord for all the things which he has given me He could find nothing but this Satisfaction which he express'd by the name of a Chalice worthy so many and so great Benefits Wherefore he subjoyns I will take the Chalice of Salvation and will call
upon the Name of the Lord. Another kind of Satisfaction is call'd Canonical LXXXVII The Second is Canonical satisfaction which being defin'd is perfected in a certain space of Time Wherefore it has bin receiv'd by the most antient usage of the Church That when Penitents are absolv'd from sins some Punishment is requir'd of them the undergoing of which Punishment is us'd to be call'd Satisfaction By the same Name also is any kind of Punishment signifi'd LXXXVIII The Third is any Punishment freely undertaken which for sins we endure not as appointed by any Priest but of our own free accord undertaken and laid upon our selves by our selves for sins Note But this belongs not to Penance as a Sacrament But that only is to be thought a part of the Sacrament which as we said is to be paid to God for sins by the command of the Priest This being added That we stedfastly purpose and resolve in our Hearts with our utmost labor and care to avoid sin for the Future For so some define it LXXXIX What it is to satisfie To satisfie is to pay due Honor to God But it is sufficiently evident that no one can give due Honor to God but he that resolves to avoid sin by all means And to satisfie is to cut oft the Causes of sins and not to indulge any entrance to their Suggestions According to which Sentence Mark this Definition some have thought that Satisfaction is a Cleansing whereby whatsoever Uncomeliness by reason of Stain remains in the Soul is wash'd away and we are absolv'd from the Temporal Punishments wherewith we were held Which things seeing they are so XC How Satisfaction is prov'd necessary it will be easie to perswade the Faithful how necessary it is for Penitents to exercise themselves in this study of Satisfaction For they are to be taught that there are two things which follow sin to wit Stain and Punishment And altho together with the Fault committed the Punishment of Eternal Death with the Damn'd be forgiven Yet it does not always happen as has bin declar'd by the Council of Trent Sess 14. c. 8. Can. 12. 15. Gen. 3.17 Num. 12.21 2 Reg 12.23 That the Lord remits the Relics of sin and the temporal Punishments which are due to sin Of which thing there are plain Testimonies in Sacred Scripture Genesis ch 3. Numbers 12 and 22. and in many other places But we will see that most clear and illustrious place of David To whom altho Nathan said The Lord also has took away thy sin Thou shalt not dye Nevertheless he freely underwent very grievous punishments Night and Day imploring the Mercy of God in these Words Psal 50.4 Wash me further from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin because I acknowledg my Iniquity and my sin is ever against me In which words is begg'd of God that he would pardon not only the Crime but also the Punishment due to the Crime and that he would restore him being purg'd from the Relics of sin into his former state of Excellency and Integrity And this he begg'd with most earnest Prayers Yet the Lord afflicted him Both with the Death of the Child gotten in Adultery and with the Rebellion and Death of Absalom whom he dearly lov'd and with other Punishments and Calamities which he had before threatned him with In Exodus also Exo. 32.8.9 Altho the Lord were intreated by the Prayers of Moses to spare the people for their Idolatry yet he threatens That he will recompence them with grievous Punishments for so great a Wickedness And Moses himself testifies That so it will be that the Lord would most severely revenge it even to the Third and Fourth Generation Now that these things have bin always deliver'd by the Holy Fathers in the Catholic Church i◠most evidently prov'd by their authority Vide Aug. lib. 2. de peccat merit remiss cap. 34. contra Faust lib. 22. cap. 66. praesertim in Joan. tract 124. paulò ante med Greg. lib. 9. Moral cap. 24. Chrysost hom 8. ad Popul Antioch Iterum Aug. Ench. cap. 30. Amb. de Poenit. lib. 2. c. 5. Vide item Canones Poenitentiales apud Anton. August vel in Actis Eccl. Mediolan But for what cause it is XCI In Penance as in Baptism the Punishment of sin is not remitted that all Punishment is not equally forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance as in the Sacrament of Baptism is excellently explain'd by the Holy Synod of Trent in these words The Nature or Reason of the Divine Justice seem'd to require that they should by him be receiv'd into Grace after one sort who before Baptism sinn'd through Ignorance and those after another sort who being once freed from the slavery of Sin and the Devil and after having receiv'd the Gift of the Holy Ghost do violate the Temple of God and are not afraid to grieve the Holy Ghost And it becomes the Divine Mercy that our sins should not be forgiven us without any Satisfaction That taking that occasion thinking our sins to be more light than they are as those that are injurious and contumelious to the Holy Spirit we fall into greater sins treasuring up to our selves Wrath against the day of Wrath. For without all doubt XCII Canonical Satisfaction profitable these Satisfactory Punishments do greatly restrain Penitents from sin and hold them back as with a Bridle and make more cautious and watchful for the future And besides First Secondly Ezek. 6. they are as it were certain Testifications of the Grief we take for having committed sin By which means we satisfie the Church who by our wickedness is grievosly offended For as S. Austin affirms God despises not a Contrite and humble Heart but because for the most part the Grief of one Man's Heart is hid from another Man nor does it come forth into the knowledg of other Men by Words or any other Sign rightly are the Times of Penance appointed by those who preside in the Church That so the Church might be satisfi'd in which sins are remitted Besides Thirdly The Examples of our Penance teach others how they ought to order their life and to follow Piety For seeing other Men behold the Punishments laid upon us for our sins they will perceive that they are to use the greatest caution through all their Life and that their former Manners are to be corrected and amended Wherefore it is most wisely observ'd by the Church XCIII Public Penance wisely instituted That when a Heynous Wickedness has bin publicly committed by any one he must undergo public Penance also That others being affrighted with Fear might thenceforth more warily avoid sin Which thing also has bin us'd sometimes to be done even in hidden sins which have bin great Vide Aug. lib. 5. de Civit. Dei cap. 26. Epist 54. l. 50. hom hom 49. de vera falsa Poenit. passim Ambr. lib. 2.
Faithful from this Doctrin may gather very much Fruit of Piety and Devotion Of the SACRAMENT of ORDER IF any one consider the Nature and Reason of the other Sacraments I. Why the Sacrament of Order ought to be treated of before the People he will easily perceive that all the Rest so depend upon this Sacrament of Order that without This partly the other can by no means be made or administer'd And partly they will seem to want the Solemn Ceremony and ◠kind of Religious Rite and Honor. Wherefore it is necessary that the Pastors prosecuting the intended Doctrin of the Sacraments suppose themselves oblig'd to treat so much the more diligently of the Sacrament of Order For the explication hereof will be very profitable First first to themselves and then to others who are enter'd into the Rule of Ecclesiastical Life and lastly to the Faithful People also To Themselves That while they are imploy'd in the handling of this Point they may be mov'd the more to stir up that Grace which they have obtain'd in this Sacrament To others Secondly who are call'd into the Lot of the Lord Partly that they may be affected with the same study of Piety and partly that they may get the knowledg of those things wherewith being furnish'd they may the more easily prepare themselves a way to the higher Degrees To the rest of the Faithful Thirdly first that they may understand what Honor the Ministers of the Church are worthy of And then Fourthly because it often happens that many are present who either have design'd their Children being yet but Infants to the Ministery of the Church or who of their own Choice and Will are minded to follow that kind of life for whom to be ignorant what things chiefly belong to that Course of Life is very unfit What belongs to the Manners of those that are in any Ecclesiastical Order is to be seen yea and must be known in the later part of every Session of the Council of Trent which is of Reformation But what belongs to Order as it is a Sacrament See idem Conc. Sess 13. de singulis Ordinationibus Vid. Concil Carthag IV. sub Anastatio Pontifice Anno 398. First therefore the Faithful must be taught II The Dignity of this Sacrament how great the Nobility and Excellency of this Sacrament is if we consider the Degree thereof i. e. the Priest-hood For seeing the Bishops and Priests are as it were the Interpreters and Ambassadors of God First Let the Priests consider this who in Gods name teach Men the divine Law and the Rules of Life and personate God himself in the Earth it is evident that their Function is such as a greater cannot be conceiv'd Wherefore they are worthily call'd not only Angels but Gods also because they hold the Power and the Name of the immortal God among us Now altho in all Ages the Priests have had the highest Dignity Secondly yet the Priests of the New Testament far excel all the rest in Honor. For Power both of consecrating and offering the Body and Blood of the Lord and also of remitting sins which is given them far excels all Human Reason and Understanding nor can there be found any thing like it in the whole world And then even as our Savior was sent by the Father Thirdly and the Apostles and Disciples were sent by Christ into all the World Let the Priest observe this so the Priests being indu'd with the same Power as they are sent for the Perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery Eph. 4.22 for the Edification of the Body of Christ Of the Dignity of the Priesthood see Ignat. Epist ad Smyrnen Ambr. lib. 5. Epist. 32. lib. 10. Ep. 82. Chrysost hom 60. ad Pop. Antioch in Matth. hom 83. Nazian Orat. 17. ad suos cives The weight of this so great an Office therefore is not rashly to be laid upon any one III. Who are to be Ordain'd ought to be call'd and what kind of Persons Heb. 5.4 but upon them only who by their holiness of Life Learning Faith Prudence are able to bear it Nor let any one take this Office to himself but he who is call'd of God as Aaron But they are said to be call'd of God who are call'd by the lawful Ministers of the Church For they who arrogantly plant and intrude themselves into this Ministery Note it must be taught that of them the Lord meant when he said I sent not the Prophets and yet they ran Hier. 23.21 than which kind of men nothing can be more unhappy nothing can be more miserable and calamitous to the Church Vide dist 23 multis in capitibus But because in the undertaking of every Action IV. The Intention of those that are to be Ordain'd to be directed it is of very great moment What End every one appoints to himself for a good Intent will have a good Event Of This in the first place they are to be admonish'd who will be initiated into Sacred Orders that they propose nothing to themselves unworthy of so great an Office which Point is indeed by so much the more diligently to be handl'd by how much the more diligently at this Time the Faithful are us'd to offend in this Matter For some apply themselves to this way of Living V. An ill Intention 〈◊〉 with this design to get themselves necessaries for Meat and Cloaths So that they seem to respect nothing at all in the Priesthood but Gain as commonly all others do in any kind of base Trade For tho according to the Apostles sentence both the Law of God and Nature commands that he that serves the Altar should live of the Altar 1 Cor. 9.9 yet to come to the Altar for Gain and Lucres sake Note is the highest Sacriledge Others will be ordain'd VI. Another ill Intention that they may abound with Riches Whereof this is an Argument that unless some wealthy Ecclesiastical Benefice be bestow'd on them they have no Thought of Sacred Order But those are they Joh. 10.17 whom our Savior call'd Hirelings And who as Ezekiel says Ezek. 34.8 Feed themselves and not the sheep Whose Baseness and Dishonesty not only brings a thick darkness and reproach upon the Priesthood so that now nothing can be by the Faithful people accounted more contemptible and mean But it causes also that they themselves get nothing more by the Priesthood than Judas did by the Office of Apostleship which turn'd to his everlasting destruction But those are worthily to be said to enter into the Church by the Door VII The right Intention of them that are to be Ordain'd who being lawfully call'd of God do undertake the Ecclesiastical Functions for this one cause only that they may bring honor to God Nor yet is this to be taken Note as tho this Law did not equally oblige all For Men
Sacrament of Order Moreover in the absence of the Bishop and Priest he may explain the Gospel but not from the Pulpit that it may be understood that This is not his proper Office Now how great care ought to be us'd that no person unworthy of this Function climbs up to this degree of Order XXXVIII How carefully the Deacons are to be chosen 1 Tim. 3. the Apostle shews when he expounded to Timothy the Manners Vertue and Integrity of the Deacon This XXXIX The Ordination of Deacons the Rites and solemn Ceremonies wherewith he is consecrated by the Bishop sufficiently declare For the Bishop uses more and more holy Prayers at the Ordination of a Deacon than of a Subdeacon And adds other Ornaments of Sacred Vestments Besides he lays his hands upon him Which we read to have bin done by the Apostles when they instituted the first Deacons Lastly he delivers them the Book of the Gospels with these Words Receive thou Power to read the Gospel in the Church of God both for the Living and for the Dead in the name of the Lord. De Diaconis praeter citatos suprà vide Clem. Rom. Constit Apostol lib. 2. cap. 6. Cypr. de Lapsis Amb. lib. 1. Offic. c. 41. Leo 1. Serm. de S. Laurent Clem. Rom. Epist 1. ad Jacob. fratrem Domini Hieron Epist 48. apud Baron Annal. Eccl. an 33. num 41. an 34. num 283 285 287. an 34. num 316. an 44. num 78. 80. an 57. n. 31. n. 195. an 58. n. 102. an 112. n. 7 8 9. an 316. n. 48. an 324. n. 115. an 325. n. 152. an 402. n. 44. 47. an 508. n. 15. an 741. n. 12. The Third and highest Degree of all Sacred Orders XL. The Order of Priests is the Priesthood And those who had this Order the antient Fathers were us'd to call by Two names For sometimes they call'd them Presbyters XLI Why call'd Presbyters which in Greek signifies Elders not only because of their Ripeness of Age which is very necessary to this Order but much rather for the Gravity of their Manners their Doctrin and Prudence Wisd 4. For as it is written Venerable Old-Age is not that which consists in length of Time nor that is measur'd by number of years But the Wisdom of a Man is his Grey-Hair and an unspotted life is Old-Age And sometimes they call them Priests XLII Why Priests both because they are consecrated to God and because it belongs to them to administer the Sacraments and to treat of Sacred and Divine Matters But because the Priesthood is describ'd in Sacred Scripture to be two-fold Priesthood double the one Internal the other External They must each of them be distinguish'd that it may by the Pastors be explain'd of which it is here meant As to the Internal Priesthood XLIII Internal all the Faithful after they have bin wash'd with the saving Water of Baptism are call'd Priests but especially the Just who have the Spirit of God and by benefit of the Divine Grace are made living Members of that most High-Priest Christ Jesus For these by Faith which is inflam'd with Charity offer to God Spiritual Sacrifices upon the Altar of their Mind of which kind are to be accounted all good and honest actions which they do for the Glory of God Wherefore we read in the Apocalyps thus Apoc. 1.5 Christ has wash'd us from our sins in his Blood and made us a Kindom and Priests to God and his Father According to which Sense it was said by the Prince of Apostles 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye as living Stones are built up a Spiritual House an Holy Priesthood offering up Spiritual Sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. And the Apostle exhorts us Rom. 1.2 That we yield our Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God as being our reasonable service Also David long before said Ps 50.19 The Sacrifice of God is a contrite Spirit an humble and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise All which it is easie to see belongs to the internal Priesthood But the External Priesthood belongs not to the Multitude of the Faithful XLIV External but to particular Men who being instituted and consecrated to God by lawful imposition of Hands and solemn Ceremonies of Holy Church are properly appointed to the Sacred Ministery This Difference of Priesthood may be observ'd even in the old-Law XLV This double Priesthood prov'd from the Old Law 2 Par. 26.18 For that David spake of the Internal was shew'd a little before But of the External no one can be ignorant how many commands God had given to Moses and Aaron Besides he appointed the whole Tribe of Levi to the Ministery of the Temple and provided by Law that no one of any other Tribe should presume to intrude himself into that Function Wherefore King Ozias was smitten with Leprosie from the Lord because he usurp'd the Priestly Office and suffer'd most grievous Punishments for his arrogance and Sacriledg Amb. lib. 4. de Sacram. c. 1. Aug. lib. 10. de Civit. Dei cap. 6. 10. Leo Serm. 3. de Annivers Pontisicat That therefore we may observe the same Distinction of Priesthood in the Law of the Gospel XLVI The External Priesthood here treated of the Faithful must be taught that we now treat of the External Priesthood which is given to particular Men for this only belongs to the Sacrament of Order The Priests Office therefore is XVII The Consecration of a Priest explain'd First To do Sacrifice to God to administer the Sacraments of the Church as is seen by the Rites of his Consecration For when the Bishop makes any Priest He first together with all the Priests then present lays Hands upon him And then spreading upon his Shoulders a Stole Secondly he draws it upon his Breast in manner of a Cross Whereby is declar'd That the Priest is indued with vertue from above whereby he may be able to bear the Cross of Christ our Lord and the sweet Yoak of his Divine Law and to teach this Law not by Words only but by the Example of a most holy and upright Life Afterwards he anoints his Hand with Oyl Thirdly and then delivers a Chalice with Wine and a Paten with a Host saying Receive thou Power of Offering Sacrifice to God and of celebrating Masses as well for the Quick as for the Dead By which Ceremonies and Words he is made an Interpreter and Mediator of God and Men and This is to be look'd upon as the chief Function of a Priest Lastly Fourthly Laying Hands upon his Head he says Joh. 20.23 Receive thou the Holy Ghost whose Sins Thou shalt remit they are remitted to them and whose sins Thou shalt retain they are retain'd And gives him that heavenly Power which the Lord gave his Disciples of retaining and remitting sins These are the proper and special
that he might be able to teach the Mysteries of Christian Faith and the Precepts of the Divine Law to the People and stir up the Faithful to Vertue and Piety and reclaim them from Vice For there are Two Functions of a Priest Whereof the One is that he rightly make and administer the Sacraments The other that he instruct the people committed to his charge in those matters and things which are necessary to Salvation For Malachy testifies Mal. 2.7 The Priests Lips preserve knowledg and they require the Law from his Mouth Because he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts As therefore in one of these tho he be qualifi'd bu◠with small learning he may perform what he ought to do Yet the other requires no small but rather an exquisite stock of Learning altho the highest pitch of the Knowledg of hidden matters is not equally requir'd in all Priests but that which is sufficient for every one for the discharge of his own proper Office and Ministery Now this Sacrament is not to be given to Boys Furious or Mad-men LIV. Boys Furious and Mad-men not to be ordain'd because they want the Use of Reason altho if it were administer'd even to them also it ought certainly to be believ'd that the Character of this Sacrament is imprinted upon their Souls But what Year of Age is to be look'd for Not of ripe Age. for these several Orders it is easie to know from the Decrees of the Sacred Council of Trent Servants also are to be excepted Servants for neither ought he to be dedicated to Divine Worship who is not at his own dispose but in the Power of another And Men of Blood and Manslayers Man-slayers because by Ecclesiastical Law they are repell'd and are irregular Also Bastards Bastards and all those who were not begotten in lawful Wedlock For the same Law teaches that those that are dedicated to Sacred things should have nothing in them which might seem worthily contemptible or despicable to others Lastly Deform'd in Body they ought not to be admitted who are Creeples or deform'd with any notable Uncomeliness of Body For that Deformity and Debility must needs both cause offence and also hinder the Administration of the Sacraments And now these things being expounded LV. The effects of the Sacrament of Order The First it remains that the Pastors teach what the effects of this Sacrament are And it is manifest that tho the Sacrament of Order as before was said belongs chiefly to the profit and beauty of the Church yet the Grace of Sanctification is wrought also in the Soul of him who is initiated into Order Because he is render'd fit and qualifi'd for the due discharge of his Duty and for the administring of the Sacraments even as by the Grace of Baptism every one is made fit to receive the other Sacraments And it is evident that another Grace also is given in this Sacrament The Second to wit a special Power which is referr'd to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Priest indeed full and perfect as being he alone that can consecrat the Body and Blood of our Lord But in other Ministers of inferior Orders greater or less according as every one by his Ministery comes more or less to the Sacraments of the Altar And this also is call'd a spiritual Character The Character because they that are tinctur'd with Sacred Order are by a certain inward Mark impress'd upon the Soul distinguish'd from the rest of the Faithful and wholly bound to Divine Worship to which the Apostle seems to have had respect when he said to Timothy Neglect not the Grace which is in thee 1 Tim. 4. which was given thee through Prophecy with the Imposition of the Hands of the Presbytery And elsewhere 1 Tim. 7. I admonish thee that thou stir up the Grace of God which is in thee by the Imposition of my Hands This is sufficient to have bin spoken concerning the Sacrament of Order For we undertook to deliver to the Pastors only the more weighty heads of Matters that they might furnish them with arguments to teach and instruct the Faithful in Christian Piety Of the SACRAMENT of MATRIMONY BEcause the Pastors ought to propose to Christians a bless'd and perfect Life I. The Vertue of Continency to be desir'd of all 1 Cor. 7 7. it were much to be wish'd for them also what the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians that himself desir'd in these words I will that all Men be even as I my self To wit that All would follow the Vertue of Continence For there can nothing in this life fall out more happy to the Faithful than that the Mind being distracted with none of the cares of the World being quiet and restrain'd from every Lust of the Flesh may take rest and satisfaction only in the study of Piety and the Thoughts of heavenly things But because II. The Holiness of Matrimony diligently to be taught Joh. 2.2 as the same Apostle testifies every one has his own proper gift from God one after one sort and another after another sort and Matrimony is adorn'd with many and divine Blessings so that is is truly and properly reckon'd among the other Sacraments of the Catholic Church and the Lord himself honour'd the celebration of Marriage with his own presence it sufficiently appears that the Doctrin thereof is to be taught especially since we may observe that both S. Paul and the Prince of Apostles also have exactly left in writing in many places not only those things which belong to the Dignity but also to the Duties of Matrimony For being inspir'd with the Spirit of God they very well knew how great and how many advantages might come to the Christian Society if the Faithful rightly understood the Holiness of Matrimony and kept it inviolable And on the contrary That being not well understood or neglected that very many and very great Calamities and Hurts are brought upon the Church First therefore the Nature and Vertue of Matrimony is to be explain'd III. What is chiefly to be explained concerning Matrimony For since Vice often bears the Resemblance of Goodness heed must be taken lest the Faithful being deceiv'd with a false shew of Matrimony pollute their Soul with Filthiness and hurtful Lusts For declaring whereof some may begin with the signification of Matrimony Matrimony is therefore so call'd IV. The various names of Matrimony because the Woman desires to be married chiefly that she might become a Mother Matrem Or else because to conceive to bring forth and to bring up is the part of a Mother Matrix It is also call'd Wedlock Conjuginm à conjungendo a joyning together Wedlock because a lawful Woman is bound with her Husband as it were in one Yoak Besides it is call'd Marriage Nuptiae because as S. Ambrose says Marriage for Modesties sake Maids cover'd or veil'd themselves
their Wives even as their own Bodies He that loves his Wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it even as Christ does the Church because we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this cause a Man shall leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they Two shall be One flesh This is a great Sacrament but I speak in Christ and in the Church For in that he says This is a great Sacrament no one ought to doubt that it is to be referr'd to Matrimony to wit because the Conjunction of the Man and of the VVoman whereof God is the Author is a Sacrament i. e. a Sacred Sign of the most Holy Bond wherewith Christ our Lord is join'd with his Church And that this is the proper and true sense of these words the antient Holy Fathers Tertul lib. de Monog Aug. de fide oper c. 7. lib. de Nup. concup c. 10. 12. Ambr. in Epist ad Eph. Ephes 3.25 who have interpreted this place have shew'd and the Holy Synod of Trent has explain'd the same thing It is evident therefore that the Husband is compar'd by the Apostle to Christ and the VVife to the Church That the Man is the Head of the Woman as Christ is of the Church and for that reason it is that the Husband ought to love his Wife and the Wife ought again to love and reverence her Husband for Christ lov'd his Church and gave himself for her And again as the same Apostle teaches the Church is subject to Christ But that in this Sacrament also Grace is signifi'd and given XX. The Sacrament of Matrimony giveâ— Grace in which thing especially the Nature of a Sacrament consists these words of the Synod declare But the Grace which perfects that Natural Love and confirms that indissoluble Unity Sess 14. Christ himself the Author and Finisher of the Venerable Sacraments has merited for us by his Passion VVherefore it must be taught XXI The Effects of the Grace of this Sacrament Heb. 13.4 that by the Grace of this Sacrament it is brought to pass that the Husband and VVife being join'd together with the Bond of Mutual Love acquiesce together and rest in each others good will and seek no strange and unlawful Loves and Copulations but in all respects their Marriage is honorable and the Bed undefiled But how far the Sacrament of Matrimony excels all other Matrimonies XXII How much the Sacrament of Matrimony excels all other Matrimony we may know from hence because tho' the Gentiles themselves thought there was something in Matrimony that is Divine and for that reason judg'd that wandring Copulations were strange to the Law of Nature and also that Whoredom Adultery and other kinds of Lusts were to be punish'd yet their Marriages had no Vertue at all of a Sacrament But among the Jews the Laws of Matrimony were much more religiously observ'd XXIII The Matrimony of the Jews tho it were Holy yet it was no Sacrament Gen. 2 nor is it to be doubted but that their Marriages were indu'd with a greater Sanctity For seeing they receiv'd that Promise That all Nations should be bless'd in the seed of Abraham it justly seem'd to be an Office of great Piety among them to beget Children and to propagate the Off-spring of a chosen people of which Christ our Lord and Saviour as to his human Nature was to have his Birth but even those Marriages also wanted the true reason of a Sacrament To this may be added XXIV Matrimony before and under the Law was imperfect Deut. 24.1 Mat. 19.7 that whether we consider the Law of Nature after the corruption of it or the Law of Moses we may easily observe that Matrimony had fallen very much from the Excellency and Gracefulness of its first Original For while the Law of Nature was in force we find that there were many of the antient Fathers who had several Wives together and if occasion were giving them a Bill of Divorce discharged them Both which being taken away by the Evangelical Law Marriage has bin restor'd to its former state For XXV Plurality of Wives contrary to Matrimony that Polygamy or divers VVives was contrary to the Nature of Matrimony altho some of the antient Fathers are not to be accus'd because it was not without Gods indulgence that they married divers VVives Christ our Lord shews in these words Mat. 19.5 For this cause shall a man let go Father and Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they Two shall be in One Flesh And then he adds Therefore now they are not Two but One Flesh By which words he has made it evident XXVI Matrimony is a Conjunction of Two only that Matrimony was so instituted of God that it should be defin'd in a Conjunction of Two only and no more VVhich elsewhere he has taught very plainly for he says Whosoever shall put away his Wife and marries another commits Adultery upon her and if the Wife put away her Husband and he married to another she committs Adultery For if it were lawful for a Man to marry many VVives there would seem no reason he should rather be said to be guilty of Adultery because he married another Wife besides that he had at home than because the former being put away he was join'd with another And for this cause we understand it to be Note that if any Unbeliever according to the manner and custom of his own Country had married many Wives when he was converted to the true Religion the Church commands him to leave the rest and to account the first only as his true and lawful VVife But it is easily prov'd by the same Testimony of Christ our Lord XXVII The Bond of Matrimony dissolv'd by no Divorce that the Bond of Matrimony can be dissolv'd by no Divorce For if after a Bill of Divorce a VVoman were freed from the Law of her Husband it might be lawful for her without any crime of Adultery to marry another Husband Mat. 19.8 But the Lord plainly denounces Every one that puts away his Wife and marries another commits adultery VVherefore it is plain XXVIII Death only dissolves Matrimony 1 Cor. 6.39 that the Bond of VVedlock is broken by nothing else but Death which the Apostle also confirms when he says A woman is bound to the Law for so long-time as her Husband lives but if her Husband die she is freed from that Law she may be marry'd to whom she pleases only in the Lord. And again to those who are join'd together in Matrimony I command yet noâ— I but the Lord that the Wife depart not from her Husband But if she depart let her abide unmarry'd or be reconcil'd to her Husband The Apostle has left this Choice to that VVoman who for a just cause has left her Husband either that she
rose again for us He is the Lord our God who has bought us for himself with his own Blood how shall we be able to Sin against the Lord our God and crucifie him again As therefore being made truly free and with that Liberty too wherewith Christ has made us free as formerly we yielded our Members to serve Injustice so let us now yield them to serve Justice to Sanctification Exod. 10. Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me The Curat shall teach that those things that belong to God X. The Division of the Decalogue have the first place in the Decalogue and those that belong to our Neighbor have the last because those things which we do to our Neighbor we do for Gods sake for then in Obedience to Gods Command we love our Neighbor when for Gods sake we love him now those things are laid down in the First Table In the second place XI Here are two Precepts in the words propos'd there is contain'd a twofold Precept whereof the One has the Vertue of commanding and the Other of Forbidding For in that it is said Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me The meaning is Thou shalt worship me the true God thou shalt give no worship to strange Gods In the First is contain'd the Precept of Faith XII What the first Part contains Hope and Charity For when we say that God is immoveable unchangeable remains always the same faithful we confess aright without any fault whence assenting to his Oracles we must needs attribute all Faith and Authority to him But he that considers his Omnipotency Mercy and Promptitude and Propensity to do good can he chuse but place all his Hope in him But if he contemplate the Riches of his Goodness and Love shed upon us can he chuse but love him Hence this is the Beginning hence this the Conclusion which God uses in Scripture in Commanding and Charging I am the Lord. But this is the other Part of the Precept XIII What the latter Part commandâ— and why â—â— is addâ—d Thou shalt have no strange Gods before me Which Form of Speech the Lawgiver us'd not as tho this Sentence had not bin sufficiently explain'd by the Affirmation of the Commandment in this manner Thou shalt worship me the only God For if he be God he is One But because of the blindness of very many those who in Old Times profess'd themselves to worship the true God did worship a multitude of Gods Of which sort there were very many among the Hebrews themselves who as Elias objected against them halted between two Opinions which thing the Samaritans also did who worship'd the God of Israel and the Gods of the Nations These things being explain'd it must be added XIV The first Commandment of the Decalogue excels the rest That this is the First and Chiefest of all the Commandments not only in Order but in Nature Dignity and Excellence For God ought to have more Love and Authority among us by infinite degrees than Lord or King He created us he governs us and we were nourish'd by him in our Mothers Womb and brought forth thence into the World he supplies us with things necessary for Life and Food Now they sin against this Commandment XV. The chief Sins against the first Commandment who have not Faith Hope and Charity the Sin of whom lies plainly open For in this Number are those who fall into Heresy which believe not those things which our Holy Mother the Church proposes to be believ'd those who give credit to Dreams Fortune-telling and such like Vanities those who cast off the Hope of their Salvation and trust not in the goodness of God those who take Pleasure in Riches only or in the Health and Strength of the Body which things are more largely explain'd by those who have wrote concerning Vices and Sins De variis istis peccatis Vide dist 24. quaest 2. multis in capitibus Aug. in lib. de divinat daemon cap. 5. citatur 26. q. 4. secundum Origen Hom. 5. Josue habet 26. q. 2. c. sed illud Aug. lib. 2. de doct Christian c. 19. 20. citatur eodem c. illud quod est Conc. Carth. 4. c. 89. vide plura 26. q. 2.3 5. Of the WORSHIP and INVOCATION of SAINTS BUt this is also diligently to be taught in the Explication of this Commandment XVI The Honor of the Saints not against this Commandment That the Veneration and Invocation of Saints and Angels and Blessed Souls which enjoy the Glory of Heaven or even the Honor which the Catholic Church has always given to the very Bodies and Ashes of the Saints is not against the Law For who is so mad that when the King requires that no one shall take upon himself to be King or suffer himself to be worship'd or honor'd as King will therefore presently think it to be the Kings Will that no Honor shall be done to his Magistrates for Christians are said to adore the Angels by the Example of the Saints of the Old Testament yet they give not that Veneration to them which they give to God Vide Trid. sess 17. de Sacrif Missae c. 3. sess 25. sub princip cap. de invocati Sanctorum Item vide Synod 7. act 6. in fine Item Aug. lib. 8. de civit Dei c. 27. lib. 10. c. 1. lib. 21. contra Faust c. 21. Basil hom 20. in 40. Mar. 26. de Mar. Mamon Item Nazianz. orat in laud. sancti Cypriani Now whereas we read that the Angels refus'd to be worship'd by Men XVII Why the Angels sometimes would not be worship'd Apoc. 19.10 Apoc. 22.9 it must be understood that they did so because they would not have that Honor done to them which was due to God alone For the Holy Spirit who says Honor and Glory be to God only the same has commanded to honor our Parents and Elders Besides holy Men who worship'd One God only did adore Kings also as we see in Holy Scripture i e. they did humbly reverence them 1 Tim. 17. Exod. 19.2 Lev. 19.11 Deut. 5.16 But if Kings XVIII Angels to be worship'd and why by whom God governs the World are so highly honor'd shall we not give so much the greater Honor to Angelical Spirits whom God has bin pleas'd to make his Ministers and whose labor he makes use of not only for the Government of his Church but of other matters also and by whose Aid we are deliver'd from the greatest Dangers both of Soul and Body altho they suffer not themselves to be seen by us by how much those blessed Spirits excel Kings themselves in Dignity Dan. 10.15 Add hereto their Love wherewith they love us being led by which they pour out Prayers for those Provinces over which they are plac'd as is easily understood from Scripture which also is not to be doubted but they do for those whose Guardians
seeing he requires it of us to reverence such kind of persons we ought therefore to do it to them who by God are dignfied with this Honor Whence it comes to pass that the Honor we have for our Parents we seem to have it for God rather than for Men. For so it is in S. Matthew when mention is made of Observance to Speriors Mat. 10.40 He that receives you receives me And the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians Eph. 6.5 teaching Servants Servants says he give obedience to your Masters according to the Flesh with fear and trembling in the simplicity of your heart as to Christ not with eye-service as pleasing Men but as the Servants of Christ Vide Aug. lib. 3. de Doctr. Christ c. 12. l. 4. Confess c. 9 10 11 12. Prosper l. 3. de Vita contempl c. 13. Bernard de Diligendo Deo Add hereto The third Difference That no Honor no Piety no Worship is given to God that is worthy enough towards whom our Love may be infinitly encreas'd And therefore it is necessary that our Love towards him grow more ardent 〈…〉 by his own Commandment we ought to love with all our Heart Deut. 6.5 with all our Soul Luc. 10.27 and with all our Strength But the Love we bear to our Neighbor is bounded within its proper Limits Mat. 22.32 for the Lord commands us to love our Neighbor as our selves But if any one exceed these Limits VI. so as to love his Neighbor equally with God Note he grievously sins If any one come to me Luc. 14.26 says our Lord and hates not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple According to which sense it is also said Luc. 9.60 Suffer the Dead to bury their Dead when one would first go bury his Father and afterwards follow Christ The Explication of which thing is more clear in S. Matthew Mat. 10.37 Ho that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Nor is it yet to be doubted VII How Parents to be lov'd but that Parents are highly to be lov'd and observ'd But yet in the first place it is necessary to Piety to pay the chief Honor and Worship to God who is the Father and Creator of all and so to love our mortal Parents that the whole force of our Love he referr'd to our Heavenly and Everlasting Father But if at any time the Commandments of Parents are against the Commandments of God VIII When Parents not to be obey'd there is no doubt but that Children are to prefer the Will of God before the Pleasure of their Parents being always mindful of that Divine Sentence Act. 5.29 We must obey God rather than Man Which things being explain'd IX What it is to Honor. the Curat shall interpret the words of the Commandment And first he shall shew what it is to Honor. And it is to think honorably of some one and very highly to esteem of all that is his Now X. How sitly the word Honor is here us'd to this Honor all these things are join'd Love Observance Obedience and Worship or Reverence Now in the Law this word Honor is excellently plac'd rather than that of Love or Fear altho Parents are very much to be lov'd and fear'd For he that loves does not always observe and reverence and he that fears does not always love But whomsoever a Man honors from his Heart him he also loves and fears When the Curat has explain'd these things XI First They are call'd Fathers that beget he shall then treat concerning Fathers and who they are that may be call'd by this Name For tho the Law speak of those Fathers chiefly of whom we were begotten yet this Name belongs to others also as we easily gather from very many places of Holy Scripture Besides those therefore that begat us Secondly The Prelats of the Church and Priests there are other sorts also of Fathers in Sacred Scripture as we touch'd before to all which their proper Honor is due First then the Rulers of the Church the Pastors and Priests are call'd Fathers as it is manifest from the Apostle who writing to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.14 says I write not these things to shame you but I warn you as my most dear Children For tho you had ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I begat you thro the Gospel And in Ecclesiasticus it is written Ecclus 44.1 Let us praise Men glorious and who were our Fathers in their Generation And then those are call'd Fathers to whom is committed the Government Thirdly Magistrat â—â— Magistracy or Power who govern the Commonwealth so Naamam was call'd by his Servants Father Furthermore Fourthly Tutors and Masters We call them Fathers to whose Care Trust Honesty and Wisdom others are committed Of this kind are Tutors and Guardians Teachers and Masters Wherefore the Sons of the Prophets call'd Elijah and Elisha Father 1 Reg. 5. 4 Reg. 2. 4 Reg. 13. Lastly Fifthly The Aged We call Old Men and Aged Fathers whom we ought also to reverence And let this be a chief Matter in the Precepts of the Curat XII Why Parents are to be honor'd to teach That Fathers of what kind soever but especially those of whom we were begotten are to be honor'd by us concerning whom the Divine Law makes special mention For they are Note as it were Here there are Ten Reasons certain Images of the Immortal God and in them we behold the Image of our own Beginning Life is given us by them God made use of them to bestow on us Mind and Soul by them being brought to the Sacraments and train'd up to Religion to Civil and Manly Education we are taught Integrity and Holiness of Manners Of the Duties of Children towards their Parents Vide Antonium Augustinum lib. 10. tit 19. And let the Curat teach XIII Here is rightly men son made of Mother That the Name of Mother is deservedly express'd in this Commandment that we may consider the Benefits and Merits of a Mother towards us with how great Care and Trouble she carried us in her Womb with how great Labor and Grief she brought us forth and bred us up Moreover XIV The first Honor due to Parents Parents are so to be observ'd that the Honor which we pay them may be seen to proceed from our Love and the inmost sense of our Soul to whom this Office is due especially seeing they are so well affected towards us as to refuse no Labor no Striving no Dangers for our sakes and nothing more pleasant can happen to them than to find that they are dear to their Children whom they love very dearly Joseph when he was in Egypt Gen. 46.19 was next to the King in Honor and
study and desire to God who is the chiefest Good And then we must desire those things that unite us most with God but those things that separate us from him or any way cause us to be disjoyn'd from him are utterly to be remov'd far from our studies and desires Hence we gather how all other things The Third which are call'd Good next after that chiefest and perfect Good are both to be wish'd and pray'd for of God our Father for those Goods that are outward and belong to the Body as Health Strength Beauty Riches Honors Glory which oftentimes afford matter and occasion to Sin for which cause it is that they are not at all devoutly and piously to be pray'd for that Petition shall be limited in these Bounds that we pray for the Conveniences of this Life for necessitie's sake which ground of Prayer is refer'd to God For tho we may in our Prayers ask those things which Jacob and Solomon pray'd for III. How bodily Goods are to be desir'd Gen. 28 20. Prov. 30.8 Jacob thus If he will give me Bread to eat and Clothes to put on the Lord shall be my God And Solomon thus Only give me necessary food Now since of Gods Liberality we are suppli'd with Food and Raiment It is but meet that we remember that Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Cor 7.30 Let them that buy be as tho they possess'd not and those that use this World as tho they us'd it not for the figure of this World passes away Again Psal 61.11 If Riches increase set not your heart upon them Whose fruit and use is only ours but yet so as that we communicate with others as we are taught by God himself If we have Ability IV. The true use of outward Goods if we abound with other outward Goods of the Body let us remember that they are therfore given us that we may serve God with more ease and lend our Neighbor all things of this kind And then for the Goods and Ornaments of the Understanding V. Under what condition Arts and Sciences to be pray'd for of which kind are Learning and Arts we may not pray for them but on this condition only if they will be profitable to us for God's Glory and our Salvation but that which is absolutely and without any adjunct or condition to be pray'd for wish'd and begg'd as we said before is the Glory of God and after that all things else that may joyn us to that most excellent Good as Faith the Fear of God and his Love of which we will speak more fully in the explication of the Petitions For whom we are to Pray NOw it being known what things are to be pray'd for I. There is no sort of Men which are not to be pray'd for the Faithful are to be taught for whom they are to pray Prayer contains Petition and Thanksgiving wherefore we will first speak concerning Petition We must therefore pray for all without any Exception either of Differences of Favour or of Religion For whether he be Enemy Stranger or Infidel he is our Neighbor whom because by God's Command we ought to love it follows that we ought to make Prayers also for them which is the Office of Love for thither tends that Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.1 I beseech you that Prayers be made for all Men. In which Prayer we are first to beg those things which concern the Welfare of the Soul Note and then that of the Body Now we ought to perform this Office first for the Pastors of our Souls II. First We must pray for the Pastors of our Souls Col. 4.3 whereof we admonish'd by the Apostle from his own Example for he writes to the Colossians to pray for him that God would open him a Door of Speech which also he do's to the Thessalonians And in the Acts of the Apostles we read Acts 12.5 That Prayer was made by the Church without ceasing for Peter Of which Duty also we are admonish'd by S. Basil in his Books de Moribus For says he we must pray for them that are over us in the Word of Truth Basil lib. Moral Reg. 56. c. 5. item Homil. in Isaiam In the second place Secondly For Princes we must pray for Princes according to the Sentence of the same Apostle For how great Public Good we enjoy by just and pious Princes there is no one ignorant God therefore is to be entreated that those that are above other Men may be such kind of Persons as they ought to be Vide Tertul. Apolog. 30. ad Scap. c. 2. There are Examples of Holy Men Thirdly For Pious Men. whereby we are admonish'd to pray for good and pious Men for they also stand in need of the Prayers of others Which is so order'd of God that they may not be puff'd up with Pride while they see that they want the Prayers of their Inferiors Besides Fourthly For Enemies Our Lord has commanded us to pray for our Persecuters and Slanderers Matth. 5.44 For Fifthly For Strangers from the Church it is well known from the Testimony of S. Austin that this Practice of making Supplications and Prayers for those that were without the Church was receiv'd from the Apostles That Faith might be given to Infidels that Idol-worshippers might be deliver'd from the Error of their Impiety that the Jews the Darkness of their Souls being dispell'd might receive the Light of Truth that Heretics returning to Soundness of Mind might be instructed in the Precepts of Catholic Doctrin that Schismatics being bound with the Band of true Charity might be joyn'd in Communion with our most Holy Mother the Church from whom they fell away Now how great a force hearty Prayers made for this kind of Men has appears by so many Examples of Men of all sorts which God daily carries being snatch'd out of the Power of Darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love and of Vessels of Wrath he makes them Vessels of Mercy In which Case no one in his right Mind can doubt that the Intercession of Devout Men prevails very much Vide S. Aug Epist 107. ad Vitel. Cyprian de Orat. Domin Item Caelestinum Papam Epist 1. c. 11. And Prayers for the Dead Sixthly For the Dead that they may be delivered from the Fire of Purgatory did flow from the Doctrin of the Apostles concerning which enough was said when we spake of the Sacrifice of the Mass Dionys cap. lib. de Eccles Hierarch c. 6 7. Clem. Pap. Epist 1. lib. Constit Apost Tert. de Coron Milit. in Exhort ad Castit in lib. de Monog Cypr. Epist 66. But those that are said to sin unto Death Seventhly For Sinners Intercessions and Prayers profit them but little yet it is the part of Christian Charity both to pray for them and even with Tears to wrestle for them if by any means they can render
our Weakness when we thus pray to God Thy Will be done For whereas by casting off our Obedience and neglecting the Will of God we fall into these Miseries God offers us only this one Remedy of all our Evils that at last we would live according to his Will which by Sin we have despis'd and that we would measure all our Thoughts and Actions by that Rule which that we may be able to do we humbly beg it of God Thy Will be done They also XIII This Petition necessary even for the Just in whose Souls God already reigns and who are illuminated with the Rays of Divine Light by benefit of whose Grace they obey the Will of God must heartily beg it Which things tho thus obtain'd yet properly they are against our Desires by reason of our proneness to Evil which is rooted in Mens Hearts So that tho we were such kind of Persons yet in this case we are in very great danger from our selves lest being drawn away and entic'd by our Lusts which war in our Members Jac. 4.1 we again turn aside from the way of Salvation Of which Danger our Lord admonishes us in these words Mat. 26.41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation The Spirit indeed is ready but the Flesh is weak Vide Hier. lib. 2. advers Jovin Aug. de Haeresi 6. For it is not in the power of Man XIV Even j stified Persons endure the Affections of the Flesh no not even in his who is justified by the Grace of God so to subdue the Affections of the Flesh as never after to rise up against him for when the Grace of God heals the Minds of those that are justif'd he heals not their Flesh also of which the Apostle writes thus For I know that in me i. e. in my Flesh dwells no good thing Rom. 7.18 For as once the First Man lost his Original Justice XV. Since Adam's Fall no one could govern his Desires whereby his Desires were govern'd as with a Bridle his Reason could never so contain them in their Duty as not to seek after those things which are even against Reason In that part of Man therefore Sin dwells i. e. the Incitement to Sin as the Apostle writes that we may know that it abides not with us a Guest for a time but that it always remains as an Inhabitant in our Body in the House of our Members as long as we live Therefore that we may stoutly withstand our domestic and inbred Enemies Note we easily see that we are to fly to God's Help and to beg that his Will may be done in us And now the Faithful must be made to know XVI What Will of God is here understood what the Force of this Petition is where omitting many of those things which are profitably and largely disputed by Learned Schoolmen concerning God's Will we say That here the Will is taken for that which they use to call a Sign i. e. for that which he has commanded or warn'd us either to do or to beware of Wherefore by the word Will XVII This Will signifies all God's Commandments in this place are comprehended all things that are propos'd to us for the obtaining of the Bliss of Heaven whether they belong to Faith or Manners and lastly all things whatsoever Christ our Lord either by himself or by his Church has commanded or forbidden us to do Of which Will the Apostle writes thus Be ye not unewise but understanding what the Will of God is Ephes 5. v. 17. When therefore we pray XVIII What is here pray'd for First Secondly Thy Will be done we first of all pray That our Heavenly Father would give us Power to obey his Divine Commands and to serve him in holiness and justice all our days To do all things according to his Will and Pleasure Thirdly To do those Duties of which we are admonish'd in Sacred Scriptures To perform all other things by his Direction Fourthly which they teach them that are born not of the Will of the Flelh but of God following the Example of Christ our Lord who became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross To be ready to endure all things Fifthly rather than in the least to depart from his Will Nor is there any one that more ardently burns with the Love and Study of this Petition XIX Who pray this heartily than he to whom it is given to behold the exceeding great Dignity of those that obey God For he understands that Saying to be most true Whosoever says our Lord will do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven he is my Brother and Sister and Mother that is I am most closely join'd with him in all the Bonds of Love and Good-will Bern. Serm. 3. de S. Andrea There is scarcely any of the Saints but earnestly besought God for the exercise of this Petition XX. How often this Petition repeated by the Saints all have very often us'd this Prayer tho in a different Expression among whom we see the admirable and excellent David thus in a different manner praying For one while he says Would God my Ways were directed to keep thy Justifications another while Lead me into the Way of thy Commandments another while Order my Steps according to thy Word and let no Injustice rule over me Hither belong those Sayings Give me Vnderstanding that I may know thy Testimonies He often uses the same Sense in different words and these Places are diligently to be observ'd and explain'd to the Faithful that all may know how great a Store and Plenty of wholesom Matters is contain'd in the First Part of this Petition In the second place XXI What we detest by this Petition in the seventh place Gal 5 19. Rom. 8.13 when we pray Thy Will be done we detest the Works of the Flesh whereof the Apostle writes thus Now the Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Fornication Vncleanness Immodesty Wantonness c. And If ye live according to the Flesh ye shall die And we pray That God would not suffer us to accomplish those things which our Sense our Lust our Weakness would perswade us to but that he would govern our Will Now voluptuous Persons are Strangers from this Will of God XXII This Petition not well made by the Voluptuous being bent wholly upon the thought and care of Earthly things For they are carried headlong by their Lust to the enjoyment of that they desire and place their Happiness in the enjoyment of their evil Desires insomuch that they call him happy that obtains whatsoever he lusts for VVe What we here pray for in the sixth place on the contrary pray God as the Apostle says That we may not follow the care of the Flesh in its Desires but that his VVill may be done Not that we are easily brought to beg of God XXIII Hard to make
no soundness in my Flesh because of thy Anger neither is there any rest in my Bones by reason of my Sins To wit Explications to be mark d. he observes the force of that Plague when he confess'd that there was no part of him uninfected by the Plague of Sin for the Poison of Sin went into his very Bones i. e. it had infected his very Reason and Will which are the most solid parts of the Soul The Sacred Scriptures shew that this Plague spreads its self wide when they call Sinners Lame Deaf Dumb Blind and seiz'd in all their Members But besides XII God is angry at and fights against Sinners the Grief which he felt from the Wickedness as it were of Sin David was more troubled for Gods Anger which he knew he had provoked against himself by reason of his Sin for the Wicked have War with God by whose Wickedness he is beyond Belief offended for the Apostle says Rom. 2.2 Wrath and Indignation and Tribulation and Sorrow to every Soul of Man that does evil For tho the Act of Sin pass'd away utterly XIII After the Act of Sin the Guilt remains yet the Blot and the Guilt of it remains which Gods Anger always hangs over and follows as the Shadow does the Body Therefore when David was wounded with these Arrows he was moved to beg Pardon of his Sins whose both Example of Grief and way of Teaching the Curat having drawn out of his Fiftieth Psalm shall propose them to his Faithful Hearers that by Imitation of the Prophet they may be taught to grieve i. e. they may be taught true Penitence and encouraged with the Hope of Pardon Now how great Advantage this way of teaching has XIV The utility of this Doctrin to lead to Penitence to learn us by our Sorrow for Sin that Word of God in Jeremy shews who exhorting Israel to penitence admonishes them to perceive the Sense of those Evils which were the Consequence of their Sins Jer. 2.19 For see says he that it is an evil and a bitter thing to forsake the Lord thy God and not to fear me says the Lord of Hosts They that want this necessary Acknowledgment and Sense of Grief XV. The hardness of the Impenitent are by the Prophets Esaias Ezekiel and Zachary said to have a hard stony and adamantine Heart For they are like a Stone not softn'd by any Grief having no Sense of Life i. e. of Saving Confession Isa 46.12 Ezek. 36.26 Zach. 7.12 But lest the People being terrified with the Weight of their Sins XVI How Sinners are to be incouraged with Hope of Pardon should despair of being able to obtain Pardon the Curat ought to encourage them to Hope with these Reasons First Because Christ our Lord has given Power to his Churh to forgive Sins as is declar'd in the Sacred Article of the Holy Creed And in this Petition he has taught how great the Goodness and Liberality of God towards Mankind is Secondly for if he were not willing and ready to forgive the Penitent their Sins he would never have appointed us this Form of Prayer Forgive us our Debts Wherefore we ought to keep it fix'd in our Minds XVII Whence Confidence is to be had that he will bestow his Fatherly Compassion upon us since he has commanded us to beg it of him in our Prayer for under this Petition this meaning is fully contain'd that he is so tender towards us as that he will freely pardon true Penitents For he is God XVIII How grievously God is offended by Sin against whom by casting away our Obedience we sin the Order of whose Wisdom by our Deeds and Words we disturb and violate But he is also a most loving Father XIX The singular goodness of God who because he can forgive all things has not only declar'd that he is willing to do it but also drives Men to ask it of him and teaches them with what words to do it Wherefore no one can doubt Note but that by his Guidance it is in our Power to procure to our selves the Grace of God And because this Testification of the readiness of the Divine Will to pardon XX. How Gods Propensity towards us is to be prov'd increases our Faith cherishes our Hope and inflames our Love it is worth the while to amplifie this Point with some Divine Testimonies and Examples of Men to whom being penitent for their very great VVickedness God granted Pardon which because we ran it as far as the matter requir'd in the Entrance of this Prayer and in that part of the Creed which is concerning the Forgiveness of Sins the Curat from thence shall take what seems fit for the teaching of this Point and the rest he shall draw from the Fountain of the Sacred Scriptures And then let them use the same Order which we thought proper to be us'd in the other Petitions XXI What Debt signifies and that the Faithful may know what the word Debts singnifies here lest haply being deceiv'd by the Doubtfulness of the VVord they pray for another thing than what is here to be pray'd for We first must know XXII What we pray here for First That we pray not that the Love which on all Accounts we owe to God with all our Heart with all our Soul and with all our Minds the paying of which Debt is necessary to Salvation should be remitted us And because in the word Debt XXIII The second thing here pray'd for are also contain'd Obedience VVorship Veneration and all other Duties of that kind we pray not to be discharg'd from them neither But we pray that he would discharge us from our Sins XXIV What here pray'd for Luc. 13.4 for so S. Luke interprets it who puts Sins instead of Debts because in committing them we become guilty before God and liable to due Punishments which either by satisfying or suffering we undergo Of this kind that Debt was whereof Christ our Lord spake by the Mouth of the Prophet Psal 68.5 I then pay'd what I never took From which Sentence of Gods VVord we may understand XXV What a Sinner must do that cannot pay that we are not only Debtors but utterly unable to pay since the Sinner of himself can by no means make Satisfaction VVherefore we must fly to God's Mercy to whom because he answers by his Justice which God will never part with we must use Prayer and the Protection of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ without which no one ever obtain'd Pardon of Sins and from which as from its Fountain flows all the Vertue and Efficacy of making Satisfaction For that Price XXVI How plentiful Christs fruits are which was pay'd by Christ our Lord upon the Cross and communicated to us by the Sacraments using the matter with Study and Desire is of so great Efficacy and VVorth that it brings to pass and procures that
to three Heads 176 The Ceremonies and Rights of Confirmation 192 The Ceremonies us'd at the Sacrament of Penance 261 The Ceremonies us'd in the Sacrament of Extream Unction 286 A Character the Effect of three Sacraments 143 What a Character performs 144 Christ's Spiritual Kingdom 34 Christ from his different Natures took different Properties 36 Why Christ call'd our Lord. ibid. Christ not call'd the Son of God by Adoption but by Nature 41 Christ came of David according to the Flesh 42 Why Christ call'd the last Adam ibid. Christs Humility an Example fitted for the beating down our pride 44 Christs Birth teaches us a saving Lesson ibid. Christ's Blood washes away our Sins 105 Christ the Author of all the Sacraments 139 Christ is our Brother 480 Christ's Resurrection destroys not his Brotherhood with Men. ibid. How Christ reigns in us 493 For Christ's sake we must be willing to be counted Fools 504 We must imitate Christ in submitting our Will to Gods Will. ibid. Christ our Lord is Bread 517 The Mystery of Christ's Passion evidently shews Gods Power and Goodness 519 Under the Protection of Christ's Passion we get Pardon of our Sins 525 Christians have all the same Spiritual Original 481 The Knowlege of a Christian comprehended under one Head 5 8 Wherein the Labor of a Christian Teacher ought to be imploy'd 5 Wherein Christian Wisdom differs from that of the World 16 How much a Christian is bound to Christ 37 By the Name Church what is properly to be understood 86 The Difference between Church and Synagogue Pag. 87 The Church call'd by many Names 88. Why the Church call'd Militant and Triumphant 89 The Figures and Similitudes of the Church 90 Who are shut out of the Church ibid. The Properties and Prerogatives of the Catholic Church 91 c. The visible Head of the Church 92 The Unity of the Church 93 The Church call'd Holy 94 The Church is Catholic 95 A certain Rule to know the the true Church from falfe ones 96 The Church is Apostolic ibid. The Church cannot err ibid. Without the Church there is no true Worship 97 God is the Author of the Church 98 We understand by Faith that the Church has the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven ibid. Why we say believe the Church and not in the Church ibid. The Name of Clerk whence deriv'd 300 VVhence the Clerk's Crown had its beginning and what it signifies ibid. The first Commandment of the Decalogue 338 The Reason of the Order of the Commandments 342 A double Precept contain'd in the first Commandment 342 The first and greatest of all the Commandments 343 VVho break the first Commandment ibid. In the first Commandment is not forbidden the Art of Graving Painting or Limning 348 VVhy the first Commandment separate from the second 356 VVhat is forbidden and commanded in the second Commandment 357 The use of that Command about loving our Parents is very extensive 382 The Ten Commandments grav'd in Two Tables and why ibid. VVhy the Command of loving our Parents expresses our Mother 386 VVhy the two last Commandments are joyn'd together 439 A two fold necessity of the two last Commandments ibid. Communion one of the names of the Eucharist 195 Before Communion what Preparation ought to be and how necessary it is 225 One Preparation to the Communion is to have Peace with all 226 Another is to love God 227 All ought to Communicate at least at Easter ibid. VVhy the Church approv'd the practise of Communicating in one Kind only Pag. 231 What things are common to three Divine Persons and what are not common 39 Concupiscence remains in the Regenerate but has not truly the Nature of Sin 167 Evil Concupiscence the Root of all Evil. 438 Concupiscence of other Mens Goods and Wife how it differs 439 What Concupiscence is 441 The Power of Concupiscence not always to be accounted vicious ibid. The Power of Concupiscence implanted in us by Nature yet by God's Appointment ibid. The Concupiscence of our First Parents corrupted by Sin ibid. The Power of Concupiscence if moderated is profitable ibid. Why S. Paul call'd Concupiscence Sin 442 What is meant by Thou shalt not covet 443 Another's Wife not to be coveted 445 Not to covet another's Wife what it signifies ibid. How dangerous it is to covet another's Wife ibid. Who are most guilty of Concupiscence 448 The Antidotes of evil Concupiscence 447 How Concupiscence is known to be a Sin 44â— Covetous Men reprehended Pag. 443 Whence Confidence in God begins 467 Confidence in God is increas'd by calling him in Prayer Our Father ibid. How we come to have Confidence in Prayer ibid. The Creed divided into Four Parts 14 Confession of Sins and the Necessity of it 262 why instituted ibid. its Profitableness 258 its Vertue and Nature ibid. its Definition ibid. its Rites and Ceremonies 259 it is call'd an Accusation and why 261 The Ecclesiastical Judgment made in Confession is far unlike to the Civil Judgment ibid. Confession instituted by Christ of his Goodness and Mercy 258 A Figure of Confession ibid. Whom the Law of Confession obliges 263 At what Age a Child is requir'd to confess ibid. When Confession is to be iterated 26â— Who the due and lawful Minister of Confession 267 In Confession Sins are not to be excus'd 270 The Fault of them that dare not for shame confess their Sins ibid. Diligent search is to be made in our Conscience for Sin Pag. 271 When a Confessor ought to send back a Penitent ibid. The Sacrament of Confirmation 181 The Name of Confirmation ib. Confirmation is truly a Sacrament 182 The Sacrament of Confirmation very different from that of Baptism 183 The Original of the Sacrament of Confirmation 184 Christ the Author of the Sacrament of Confirmation ib. The Sacrament of Confirmation why call'd Chrism ibid. The Matter of Chrism ibid. Chrism made by Consecration of a Bishop ibid. Why Chrism made of Oyl and Balsom 185 When and with what Ceremonies Chrism is made 185 186 The Form of the Sacrament of Confirmation ibid. In Confirmation Three things to be observ'd ibid. The proper Ministers of the Sacrament of Confirmation 187 Why a Godfather requir'd at Confirmation 188 The Assinity contracted with Godfathers at Confirmation ibid. What Age they ought to be that are to be confirm'd 189 The Sacrament of Confirmation belongs equally to all the Faithful Pag. 189 The Adult receiving Confirmation ought to grieve for their Sins 190 The Sacrament of Confirmation gives new Grace ibid. Whence the Word Confirmation deriv'd 191 The Effects of Confirmation 190 c. Confirmation cannot be iterated 192 The Rites and Ceremonies of the Sacrament of Confirmation ibid. When chiefly the Sacrament of Confirmation is administred 193 What Contrition is 250 Contrition is not only a new Life but the hatred of a Life misled and the Expiation we ought to make ibid. The Vertue and Efficacy of Contrition ibid. The Grief of Contrition how vehement it ought to be 252
be call'd an Heretic 86 The Command of Honoring Parents 381 What Honor is Pag. 385 Parents of all kinds are to be honor'd ibid. The Duties of Honor which we owe to Parents 386 The Honor due to Parents after their Death 388 What Advantages they reap that honor their Parents 390 Who honor not their Parents may fear an untimely Death 391 392 Hope of obtaining is of great use to obtaining 467 How we ought to devote our selves to God in hope of the Reward of Heaven 506 Our Hope should be wholly plac'd in God's Love ibid. We ought to hope to obtain Pardon of Sin 520 How to get Hope even in Temptations 535 536 We are to hope in God's Protection when we are tempted ibid. Why a Husband ought to love his Wife 327 The Duty of a Husband to his Wife ibid. c. Hypocrites pray not from their Heart 470 The Hypocrites Practice in Praying to be avoided ibid. I JEsus the Son of God alone was able to reconcile us to God 29 How great profit they have that believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God Pa. 29 What the Name Jesus signifies 31 How the Name Jesus contains all his other Names 3â— Jesus Christ Supreme King Priest and Prophet 33 Jesus the Son of God true God 34 Jews see Hebrews To have the Images of Christ and of the Saints in the Church is not only lawful but very profitable for the Faithful 351 When any one before the Images of the Saints prays the Lord's Prayer what he ought to think 464 465 The Incarnation of the Word of how great value it is to us 38 One Person alone wrought not all the Mysteries of the Incarnation 39 No Confusion of the Natures made by the Incarnation 40 Why in a peculiar manner the Work of the Incarnation attributed to the Holy Ghost 39 In the Mystery of the Incarnation some things done beyond and some things by the Order of Nature 40 The Wonders that hapned in the Incarnation of the Word ibid. All Inconveniences to be born patiently 540 Infants see Baptism An Infidel being converted to the Faith is to keep his first Wife Pag. 323 Man's Ingratitude towards God 538 Inhumanity to be avoided by him that desires that God should hear him 466 Christians by all means to be perswaded to forget Injuries 528 How to perswade Men to forget Injuries ibid. Injuries to be forgiven of him that would be forgiven of God 531 God requires of us to forget Injuries ibid. What Advantages they get that forgive Injuries 402 The Inconveniencies they fall into that will not forgive Injuries 403 Remedies to lay aside Injuries 404 Forgetting of Injuries the best Alms. 402 Who are desirous to forget Injuries ought to use in the Lord's Prayer that Petition Forgive us c. and why 528 Why Christ will be the Judge of all 72 Of the Last Judgment ibid. Christ's Judgment of us twofold 73 The Necessity of a General Judgment 73 74 Judges that take Bribes are Robbers 418 Judgment in Civil Courts to be administer'd according to Justice and the Laws 428 429 The Power of Jurisdiction how prov'd Pag. 267 Original Justice given of God to Man beyond the Power of Nature 27 He cannot be justified that is not ready to obey all God's Commands 337 The Justification of a Sinner is a Work of God's Infinit Power 104 It is given by the Sacraments as by Instruments 134 K THe Dignity and large Power of the Keys 104 All have not the Power of the Keys ibid. Kings are to be obey'd 390 The Kingdom of Heaven 489 The Kingdom of Heaven to be pray'd for before all things else 490 The praying for the Kingdom of Heaven contains a great heap of excellent Gifts ibid. The Kingdom of Christ is not of this World 493 What the Kingdom of God is ibid. The Kingdom of God is within us ibid. VVhy the Kingdom of Christ call'd Justice ibid. The Kingdom of Grace put before the Kingdom of Glory 494 The Kingdom of Christ which is the Church 495 The Propagation of the Kingdom of the Church ibid. How the Kingdom of God comes upon Sinners P. 495 How the Kingdom of Christ is sought ibid. The Excellency of the Kingdom of Heaven 496 God affords us Assistances to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven 497 Those that would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ought to beg of God that his Will be done 498 L THe Last Things to be often remembred 78 The Law of Nature the same with the Written Law 334 What the Law of Nature is ibid. They break the Law of Nature that spare not their Enemies 527 The Law of the Decalogue is no new Law but the Law of Nature illustrated 334 With how great Majesty the Law was given 335 The Laws of Nature not hard 336 The Law is to be obey'd ibid. The Benefit of observing the Law 337 To know God to be our Lord makes us more ready to keep his Law 341 Every Law induces Men to obey it either for love of Reward or fear of Punishment 352 The way and manner of keeping the Law God's Law is to be kept in the inward Sense of the Soul Pag. 440 The difference between Divine and Human Laws ibid. God's Law is as a Looking-glass wherein we may see the Deformities of our Nature ibid. Life eternal what it signifies 117 c. Man's Life on Earth a Temptation 539 Our Life and Salvation depend upon God 515 All kind of Lying is to be avoided c. See the Eighth Commandment M THe Honor due to Civil Magistrats 389 When Magistrats are to be obey'd and when not 390 Man form'd after God's Image and Likeness 27 Man last created made immortal by Divine Gift not by Natural Vertue ibid. The first Fall of Man 29 How much a Christian Man is oblig'd to Christ 37 Men ought to be studious of God's Honor. 354 How Man is oblig'd to God 478 Mans Misery 491 Mans Misery by reason of Adam's Sin 499 Men compar d to Sick Folks and to those that have lost their Taste 499 500 Men compar'd to Children Pag. 500 Man tho justified cannot so tame the Lusts of the Flesh as never more to stir in him 501 Voluptuous Men Strangers to Divine Pleasure 503 Mans Instability 491 Mans Weakness 510 With what kind of Curse Man was condemn'd after Adam's Sin ibid. Mans Folly and Weakness 533 Virgin Mary see the Third Article of the Cred. 32 463 The Sacrifice of Mass the same with that on the Cross 236 Mass a Propitiatory Sacrifice and not only Commemorative ibid. Mass offer'd for and profits the Dead 237 The Rites of Mass not superfluous ibid. The Matter or the Sacrament of the Eucharist see Eucharist The Matter of the Sacrament of Penance see Penance Matter of the Sacrament of Extream-Unction see Extream-Vnction Matrimony whence so call'd 314 The Sacrament of Matrimony call'd by divers Names ibid. The Definition of Matrimony and the Declaration thereof 315 They cannot enter into Matrimony
the greatest efficacy 136 The Sacraments of the New Law have a form of words prescrib'd without which there is no true Sacrament Ibid. The Ceremonies of the Sacraments cannot be omitted without sin 137 If the Ceremonies of the Sacrament should be omitted the nature of the Sacrament is not lessen'd Ibid. Why the Sacraments administred with solemn Ceremonies Ibid. The necessity of the Sacraments 138 The number of the Sacraments 137 The excellency of the Sacraments 139 The difference of the Sacraments among themselves Ibid. Christ the Author of the Sacraments Ibid. Why God would have the Sacraments administred by men 140 The Ministers of the Sacraments represent the person of Christ Ibid. The Sacraments confer justifying Grace 142 How dangerous it is to such Ministers as minister the Sacraments of the New Law with polluted consciences 141 The effects of the Sacraments Ibid. The excellencie of the Sacraments of the New Law compar'd with those of the Old 143 Three Sacraments imprint a Character Ibid. By the use of the Sacrament the Edifice of Christians is propp'd up 145 Wicked men may minister the Sacraments if they observe what belongs to the nature and truth of the Sacraments 140 The difference between a Sacrament and a Sacrifice 234 A Sacrifice is offer'd to God not to the Saints 235 The bloody and unbloody Sacrifice is one and the same 236 The Sacrifice offer'd on the Cross and that in the Mass is one and the same Ibid. The Communion of Saints how profitable and what it signifies 99 By Communion of all Christians are made one Body 100 The members of Christ's body tho dead do not cease to be his members Ibid. What things in the Church are common to Christians 101 God's Glory is not diminish'd by the worship of the Saints but increas'd 345 The Patronage of the Saints is not superfluous 346 Tho Christ be offer'd to us as our Mediator yet it does not follow but that we may have recourse to the favour of the Saints 347 It is not forbidden by God's Law to paint the Images of the Saints 348 Satan's Attempts See Devil The necesity of Satisfaction 274 Whence the name of Satisfaction 272 Satisfaction variously taken Ibid. c. What Satisfaction reconciles God to us 252 253 Christ's Satisfaction is for almost all sins 273 Canonical Satisfaction Ibid. Satisfaction taken of us Ibid. Satisfaction as a part of the Sacrament Ibid. Satisfaction defin'd 272 The virtue of Satisfaction 298 Our Satisfaction does not obscure Christ's Satisfaction but rather illustrates it Ibid. Painful and afflictive works undertaken in satisfaction 279 280 All kinds of satisfaction referr'd to 3 chief heads 279 True Satisfaction requires that he that satisfies be himself just 279 Inconveniences and labors sent of God have a virtue of satisfying if born with patience 280 One may satisfie for another Ib. Before a Penitent that has wrong'd his Neighbor in his Goods or Repute be absolved he ought to promise to make satisfaction 281 In appointing the punishment of satisfaction what is to be observed 282 The manner of satisfaction shou'd answer to the degree of the fault Ibid. The Penitent ought of his own accord often to repeat the works of satisfaction which the Priest appointed him Ib. The Seal of the Lord's Prayer 550. Some Sins irremissible how to be understood 248 The punishment of sin and sinners flows to us from Adam 29 VVe ought to confess our sins of thought 265 Two consequences of sin 277 God is so provok'd by our sins that he blesses not our labors 522 All are subject to sin 520 VVhat our acknowledgment of sin ought to be 521 The baseness of sin Ibid. The plague of sin 522 Tho the act of sin pass away yet the guilt of it remains 523 God's anger always follows sin Ibid. How necessary the sense of and grief for sin is 521 God is always ready to forgive the sins of Penitents 524 VVe cannot avoid sin without God's help 505 Swearing See Perjury T BEing tost with the waves of Temptation we must fly to the Port of Prayer 540 VVe must pray God that we be not led into Temptation 532 VVhat Temptation is 536 The many kinds of Temptations 533 God tempts and how 537 Men tempted for evil Ibid. VVhy the Devil is call'd the Tempter Ibid. VVhen we are led into Temptation ibid. He tempts that does not hinder Temptation 538 Man 's whole life a Temptation on Earth 539 Temptations to be patiently endur'd 540 VVhat we beg of God in Temptation 539. c. The Commandment about Theft is as a Protection whereby our outward goods are defended 413 This Commandment divided into two parts Ibid. VVhy the 7th Commandment makes mention of Theft and not of Robbery 414 VVhat is understood by the word Theft Ibid. God's great love shew'd to us in this Commandment about Theft 413. Theft which is an unjust possession and use of other mens things known by divers names 414 The will of stealing forbidden in this Command 415 How grievous a sin Theft is Ibid. The consequences of Theft manifest the greatness of the sin Ibid. Many kinds of Thefts 416 The various kinds of Thieves Ibid. God accepts no excuse for Theft 423 Theft not excusable Ibid. The excuses which men use to defend their Theft withal Ibid. c. The Thief dishonors God's Name 424 V THe Vice of the Tongue very extensive 326 Of the Vice of the Tongue come innumerable mischiefs ibid. Vnction See Extreme-Vnction W WAtching overcomes Temptations 541 The Wife to be subject to her Husband 328 The Wife must abide at home 328 The Duties of a Wife 327 c. Why Woman was taken out of the side of man Ibid. Why we pray God's Will be done 505 VVho especially ought to pray God's Will be done 503 VVho says thy Will be done what he ought to think 505 The Commandment of not bearing false Witness 426 The Command of not bearing false Witness restrains the Vice of the Tongue Ibid. In the Command against false Witness are containd two Precepts one commanding the other forbidding 427 What is forbidden in false Witness Ibid. A Judge cannot well reject sworn Witness Ibid. VVhat false Witness is 428 429 The mischiefs of false Witness 429 False Witness forbidden not only in Judgment but out of Judgment Ibid. How many ways a man's esteem is wounded by Lies 429 c. Witness-bearing is a confession of God's Praise 433 True Witness-bearing of very great use in human affairs Ibid. Witnesses to be very careful not to affirm for truth what they are not very sure of 434 The Word of God the Food of the Soul 517 The Word of the Pastors of the Church to be receiv'd as the VVord of God See the Preface Words of all signs have the greatest Virtue See Sacrament By the preaching of the Word and use of the Sacraments the Christian Building is firmly lay'd 145 Incarnation of the Word See Incarnation Z WHat Zeal to be attributed to God 354 FINIS