secute from errour that at all times in all controuersys follow the sentence of the Church and adhaere to it And therfor the Apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost made this important article that we might neuer forgett our obedience to the Church but that in all doubts and difficultys we might haue recourse to it and say I beleeue the Catholike Church And that those who will stande against it may be knowne to be infringers of the law and Creede of the Apostles From hence is the beginning of all heresys that some priuate men will contradict the authority of the whole Church and obiecting against some particular point or points of faith they make themselues the iudges and determine as they will themselues They contende allwais about some particular point or points of faith and wrangle about them but if you aske them vpon what authority they contradict the Catholike Church and all the Churches in the world separating from them they are then out of their witts and know not what to say knowing that if they pretende the word of God the same question confoundeth them againe demanding vpon what authority they dare interprete the word of God against the Catholike Church and against all the Churches in the world besides that the word of God is against them commanding both in the Creede and scriptures to beleeue the Church If we will giue them satisfaction in those particular points and difficultys it is but of curtesy for we confesse that there are many points of faith which by our owne reason we cannot comprehende the most reasonable and best satisfaction is because the Catholike Church soe teacheth otherwise as I haue shewed we should neither haue Creede nor scriptures nor God Contende not then with haeretiks about particular points but aske them vpon what authority they dare question them what Church will they follow If they will fall from the Catholike Church to some company of haeretiks that beganne at some time against all Churches or if themselues will beginne such a company they are here condemned in this article The authority of the Church is the rule the guide the sure anker to which we must all wais hold It is a rocke which dasheth in peeces all temptations of faith and obiections of haeretiks and keepeth vs free from doubts and feares as in a quiet and safe harbour Let vs now speake OF THE GOVERNMENT of the Church THe Church in holy scriptures is compared to a well ordered citty such an one as Hierusalem was when the seruice of God slourished in it But the gouernment of the Church of Christ doth farre excell that For it is a gouernment which God hath taken a neerer charge of as hauing in his owne person instituted it first and engaged himselfe by promise allwais to protect and defende it and therfor he must at all times prouide such gouernors for it as shall carefully mainteine his diuine seruice in it Esa 62. Vpon thy walls Hierusalem I haue appointed watchmen all the night for euer they shall not hold their peace It is compared to the army of a campe set in array Cant. 6. glorious in it selfe and terrible to its enemys for the order which it hath The order and good gouernment of the Church consisteth in the dew subordination of subiects to their superiors As in our bodys seueral offices are giuen to seueral parts and all of them constituted vnder one head And as in a common wealth some beare offices and others without offices obey them and all are finally reduced vnto some head and supreme power and that supreme power subordinate lastly to God that impowred it soe in the gouernment of the Church some haue authority ouer others and one head is placed ouer all These are the pastors whom God hath appointed and disposed into that order Rom. 13. Those thinges that are of God are ordained Saith the Apostle that is to say they are with order and to be with order is to be not all alike but with subordination of inferiors to superiour powers and soe the order of the Church consisteth in people subordinate to their pastors and of pastors subordinate vnto one supreme head vpon earth And the head and pastors of the Church exercizing their power most fully in a General Councell it will be sufficient for the gouernment of the Church to speake of the head and of General Councels Christ chose out of all the world some to be his disciples Of the head of the Church out of his disciples he tooke some to be Apostles and out of his Apostles he chose one to be the head and to haue authority ouer his whole Church These vnderstanding by the disciples all those that were vnder the Apostles were then the whole Church of Christ S. Peter was chosen by him as the head and supreme pastour ouer all both pastors and people Him and his successors we call the vicars of Christ that is to say he that beareth vpon earth the person and place of Christ who is in heauen the cheife head of the Church Neither can it in reason offende any that we call S. Peter and his successors in that office the Vicars of Christ For if S. Paul might authorize what he did in punishing and pardoning of the Corinthian with the authority of Christ and could lawfully say that he did it in the name vertue Cor. 1.5 Cor. 2.2 and person of Christ he being but a subiect of the head pastour of the Church with much more reason the cheife pastour and head of the Church may be called the Vicat of Christ he performing and executing that office after a more eminent manner in the name vertue and person of Christ Christ first promised this authority when asking his disciples whom they thought him to be Peter answered Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Then â—esus answering said to him Mat. 16. Blessed art thou Simon 〈…〉 I say to thee thou art Peter that is to say a rocke and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gaâ—es of hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bounde also in the heauens and what soeuer thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the heauens By which it is most euident that some greater dignity and preeminonce was intended to Peter then to the rest of the Apostles First it was a most singular high mystery that which Christ asked and Peter then professed and which before then perhaps was neuer reuealed to any of the Apostles and which flesh and blood could not reueale that is by humane meanes could not be vnderstoode Moreouer Christ then blessed him and spoke vnto him after a most particular and energious manner of speech calling him a rocke which was not his name nor had ary relation to him more then to the rest of his
in the Church and the auncient and true doctrine was better vnderstoode that it was not of obligation for all to receiue vnder both kindes For as the Councell of Trent hath obserued when Christ said vnles you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you Io. 6. He added also he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer By which he declared that the benefit of the Eucharist is receiued as much in the host onely as in both the host and the chalice euerlasting life being promised to those that eate that sacred bread OF THE EFFECTS OF THE Eucharist THE effect of the Eucharist is to giue grace by which we become the adopted children of God nourished and fedd as it were at his owne table our soules hauing satiety in him and obtaining by it the fullnes of his glory That where as according to S. Tract 26. in Io. Augustine by other meate and drinke we seeke to be satiated there is noe true satiety but in this by which we gaine heauen And it is especially gained by this Sacrament both by reason of the more special vnion which we baue with Christ in it and also for that the gift of perseuerance is especially here obtained as by a strong and nourishing bread It remitteth sinne and preserueth from future sinne according to the disposition of the receiuer according to which also it blotteth out the punishment due to it It hath for its propper effect to feede and to strengthen the soule to keepe it in spiritual health and vigour And because for the most part it is receiued with more feruour and sweetnes of deuotion and outwardly in the similitude of bread therfor it is compared to the Manna of the Israëlits which is thought by some to haue had the sweetnes of all tasts S. L. 8. ep 62. Ambrose We haue the Manna euery day rayning downe vpon vs that body which came from the virgin and S. Iohn Chrysostome therefor calleth it the fountaine of paradise from whence sensible riuers flow Ho. 45 to 1. The Saints of God haue bene soe transported with spiritual consolations in the receiuing of the Eucharist that good and authentical writers haue recorded of some who haue liued for diuerse months and of others who for some yeares together haue bene susteined without any other foode S. Katherine of Siena was singularly deuoted to the blessed Sacrament She receiued it euery day except her Confessour commanded the contrary whom she obeyed in all things and noe doubt but that for a long time she was susteined onely by it In her life it is said that as children earne vnto their mothers brests soe did she to the blessed Sacrament and that it often happening that she being in an extasy all the time of masse vntill Communion and then comming to her selfe would say O my Lord although I were dead I should reuiue againe to enioy thee THE SACRAMENT OF Pennance Quest What is the Sacrament of Pennance Answ Pennance is a Sacrament by which we haue the forgiunesse of sinnes in Confession FIRST we will shew that this is a Sacrament in the forgiuenesse of sinnes and then we will declare the parts of it and benefits which are receiued by it Although Luther for the most part denyeth this to be a Sacrament and laboureth with other Protestants to robb the world of the benefit of it yet l. de capt bab he saith that it is a Sacrament There he saith truely for it is soe indeede and hath all that is included euen in the Protestants definition of a Sacrament Apol. Confess art 13. which is to be an outward signe instituted of Christ by which grace is promised And this it shall appeare to be Amongst the many apparitions which Christ made betwixt his Resurrection and Ascension to his disciples S. Iohn hath recorded that once he came and stood in the midst of them and said Peace be to you Io. 20. And when he had said this he shewed them his hands and side and said againe Peace be to you As my father hath sent mee I also doe send you And he breathed vpon them and said Receiue ye the Holy Ghost whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall retaine they are retained This is all which the Euangelist mentioneth to haue passed in that solemne apparition which must therfor include some great mystery Hence it appeareth that this is a Sacrament for where forgiunes of sinnes is promised there grace is promised And this forgiuing and retaining of sinnes being giuen to the Apostles and their successors to be practised by them who vnderstande not the inward of mens minds and consciences the poenitent must declare his sinnes to them that they may know what and how to forgiue or to retaine them And soe there is all that is included in the nature of a Sacrament to wit an outward signe both in the poenitent confessing and in the Priest absoluing and that outward signe instituted of Christ to giue grace vnto sanctification By which the Catholike doctrine is made manifest that power is giuen to the Church to forgiue sinnes For is it likely that Christ would appeare in all those circumstances and mysterious caeremonys giuing them the Holy Ghost for nothing but onely to let them know that God can and doth forgiue sinnes The Apostles esteemed soe highly of this grace that they made the forgiuenesse of sinnes an article of the Creede to wit by the power of the Catholike Church which they had professed in the article before Is it likely that they meant to make it an article of the Creede that God can and doth forgiue sinnes After that they vnderstoode that themselues had power to forgiue sinnes they being sent as Christ was sent and the Holy Ghost being giuen soe particularly then to them and therfor they feared not to practise the forgiuing of sinnes Priests of themselues haue not power to forgiue sinnes for noe man of himselfe hath that power They haue it of God as the vicars and substitutes of him who gaue it them God giu's power to priests as kings doe to iudges Iudges represent the person of the king and Priests represent the diuine maiesty Iudges must be informed and soe must priests iudges giue sentence and their sentences are ratifyed by the king God giueth authority to priests and their sentēces are ratifyed by him he that contemneth the authority of the iudge contemneth the authority of the king and he that contemneth the priests authority contemneth the diuine maiesty Christ hauing made them his iudges and set them in his owne place with power to binde and to loose promising that what they did vpon earth should be ratifyed in heauen That Christ did truely giue this power to the Church his words are as plane as words vse to be and that plane words might not be misconstrued he deliuered them in such circumstances as might binde them as
mortall sinne is as opposite to the diuine grace as poyson wounds and sicknesse are to health and as darknes is to light which can not be both together and therefor he that knoweth himselfe to be in mortall sinne and cleereth not his conscience before he receiueth any Sacrament doth as a sicke man that should desire health and yet willfully keepe poyson at his hart or as one that should shutte vp the windows to let in light and doth not onely hinder the effect and fruit of the Sacrament which he receiueth but committeth also a new mortall sinne in soe receiuing and there for we are bounde to cleere ourselues by a good confession from mortall sinne before we receiue either the Eucharist Extreme-Vnction Holy Orders or any other Sacrament baptisme onely excepted because by it we must be made christians before we can receiue any of the christian Sacraments if we did but consider the benefits which we gette by the Sacrament of Pennance we should not neede to be commanded to it First we â—ette the forgiuenesse of our sinnes by which we are as it were in a moment freed from the most painfull and lothsome sicknes that can be We gette the diuine grace the least degree of which is better then all this visible world we gett pardon from a horrible and euerlasting â—ame for the future we gett ourselues admitted into the Communion of Saints and to the fellowship of the blessed soe as to haue then a condignity through the merits of Christ to their euerlasting reward Lastly we exhilarate and make glad the whole court of heauen and we contristate and make sad the spirits of hell with our conuersion to God We are commanded to confesse to our ordinary Pastour and that with good reason that our Pastors who haue the particular charge of vs may haue a more destinct and particular knowledge of the state of our consciences And this is intimated in the words of Christ when he said that the good Pastour calleth his sheepe by name and leadeth them forth that is knoweth them all in particular and hath a care of euery one of them Besides Pastors and people are thuâ— â—ngaged to each other to be good Pastors and good people But because Pastors in their parishes haue many imployments and can not allwais attende to hearing of confessions therefor the Church licenceth other Priests and religious men who are not ordinary Pastors to heare confessions and to such we may lawfully confesse because our Pastors licence is supposed to confesse to them THE FOVRTH PRAECEPT TO receiue the Eucharist at Easter time I haue shâ—wed in its propper place how oftne of deuotion we may receiue this the most blessed of all Sacraments But that none may be depriued of the benefits and graces of it the Catholike Church hath commanded that all should receiue once euery yeare and that about Easter time because it was then instituted and bequeathed as a legacy to the Apostles to be deliuered by them to the christian world and to remaine as an euerlasting testimony of the loue of Christ towards vs and as a memoriall of the worke of our redemption And therefor it is sitting that euery christian should commemorate the mystery of it about that time by humbly and thankefully receiuing it We are bounde also to receiue it against our deaths because it is the most comfortable Vyande and strengthening bread which God hath prouided against that last and irreuocable voyage Of which we haue a figure in the third booke of Kings When Iesabel persecuted the Church and killed soe many Prophets that Elias in Israel was as it were left alone and he also was threatened by a messenger that the next day his soule should follow them he fledd into the desert committing himselfe to the diuine prouidence in that barren and solitary place And God who neuer faileth to prouide for his freinds prouided for him sending him bread by an Angell who badde him eate for that he had a great way to goe Reg. 3.19 And eating of the Angels bread he walked in the strength of that meate forty dayes and forty nights vnto the mount of God Horeb. The Angels bread was the blessed Sacrament in mystery the Angell that brought it signifyeth the Priest tho great way which Elias had to goe is the iourney of death which all haue to goe Horeb the mount of God representeth heauen and thither we artaine by vertue and strength of this comfortable bread We are bound then to receiue the Eucharist at Easter time and at our deaths THE FIFT PRAECEPT TO pay tithes This Praecept obligeth partly by Law of nature and partly by the authority of the Church By the Law of nature we are bound to allow a maintenance for our spirituall Pastors and the Church hath determined that this allowance should be the tithes In the holy Law of Moyses God chose to himselfe the tribe of Leui to attende vpon his sâ—ruice and to labour for the spirituall good of the people and being soe imployed in that charge that they could not attende to tilling of Land nor to worke for their owne maintenance he ordained that the people whom they susteined spiritually should susteine them corporally and should pay to them the rithes of the fruits of the earth as a competent allowance for them By the same â—ty of God and of nature we are bounde as they were to mainteine our spirituall Pastors and Christ not hauing specifyed any allowance in particular but hauing left it to the determination of the Church what could the Church of Christ more reasonably determine then that which God had determined before in the same case to wit the tithes aâ— a competent maintenance for Pastours Saint Paul indeede would receiue nothing of the Corinthians but would worke with his hands on the night time to maintaine his labour on the day rather then he would be burder some to them But although he would doe this with the Corinthians yet with others he did not soe but receiued a liuelyhood of those to whom he preached and of the Corinthians also he challenged it as due although for some reasons he would take nothing of them Luc. 10. Our Sauiour instructed his Apostles to take their maintenance of the people and declared it as due to them as wages are to workemen For the workman saith he is worthy of his hyre Tim. 1.5 And Saint Paul alleadging this sentence to that purpose hath assured vs of the sense of it and of the authority of Christ in that sense The same Apostle speaking of it saith Whoeuer playeth the souldier at his owne charges in the law of Moyses those that serued the Altare participated of the Altare And so also our Lord ordained in the Law of grace for them that preach the Ghospell to liue of the Ghospell Thus doth S. Paul discourse vpon thâ— By all which it doth appeare that the tithes being appointed by the Church for the labors of the Clergy
that there might be seuerall sorts of Christians all of them beleeuing in Iesus Christ yet all could not haue the true faith of Christ as being opposite in doctrine and disobedient to each others Churches therefor it was further necessary that the Apostles should declare which of all Christian Churches that were then or might be afterwards was the true Church of Christ This they did in the ninth article when hauing professed the cheife things that concerned the B. Trinity and the mystery of the Incarnation in the next place they added I beleeue the Catholike Church Here noy all controuersys of faith should haue an end we being allwais bounde to beleeue the Church and in all points to referre our selues with obedience to it And if this article had bene allwais truely obserued there neuer could haue bene any haeresys nor false Churches of Christians in the world For if all Christians had allwais kept themselues constant to the doctrine of the Church and continued obedient submitting allwais to it noe false Churches of Christians could at first haue risen all of them first rising in the breach of this atticle for that they will not beleeue the Catholike Church which is then and must be at all times extant for the gouernment of the world in the true worship of God but will follow the conceipts of some priuate men and beginne new Churches which then are not in any place And if we rightly consider this article we shall finde it sufficient to destinguish amongst all Christian people that now are which of them is for the present the true Church of Christ For as at first the true Church of Christ was planted Catholike that is to say a people all ouer and vniuersally agreeing in the same faith and doctrine and those that beganne false Churches of Christians were first of it and went forth to beginne a new Church in disobedience to it soe if amongst all the Churches of Christians that are now in the world we finde one out of which they haue all gone forth all the rest that haue gone forth of it are false Churches and that out of which they haue all gone forth must haue the true faith of Christ and be that first Church which the Apostles planted and called The Catholike Church This argument of the Apostles take to prosecute and to prooue more at large that which they in the Creede haue but briefly professed First in the first article against atheists that there is a God Secondly in the same article against Pagans that there is but one God Thirdly in the second article against Iewes and Turks and all that deny Christ I prooue the Christian faith Fourthly in the ninth article I shew how that amongst all the Christian Churches that are in the world there is none but the Romane which is commonly called Catholike that is indeede the true Catholike Church for that all other Christian Churches that are in the world went first out of it and beganne at some time in disobedience to that Church And to shew this I willingly vse the Popes autority that the enemys of the Catholike Church may see the truth and lay a side their auersion from that holy seate which to the ruine of their soules they labour to disgrace This manner of inducing the verity of the Romane Catholike faith is as you see both according to the Apostles method and by it the verity of all and euery particular point of that faith is inferred For that being once prooued to be the true Church there needeth noe further proofe of any particular point which it teacheth the true Church not being subiect to teach falsehood in particular doctrines but all whatsoeuer is taught by it is to be receiued for the authority of God soe speaking and we are allwais to say I beleeue the Catholike Church Yet in the other parts of the Christian doctrine when any points of controuersy in religion occurre I giue satisfaction briefly in them also as the Romane Catechisme doth but that which I desire most to satisfy in is the authority of the Romane Catholike Church prooued out of the first second and ninth article of the Creede and which may be vnderstoode by reading the ninth onely The third thinge which I labour for in Catechizing is edificatioÌ„ to good life Esa 27. for this is the end and fruite of all to take away sinne We lay the foundation when we instruct in the Christian doctrine and we build vpon it when we exhort to good life this being the hight and perfection of our labors Wherefor that you may not onely know speculatiuely what to beleeue but also how to apply practically that knowledge to the honour of God and your aduancement in his grace I haue annexed many things both out of the Romane Catechisme and other authors as also some examples of my owne certaine knowledge which tende onely to deuotion Thus I follow that methode which the Councell of Trent hath giuen vs to follow in the Discourses of the Romane Catechisme adding onely the Haile Mary in the beginning of euery Discourse as a pious deuotion to implore the assistance of our B. Lady before any good exercise But because the Discourses of the Romane Catechisme were but few as treating onely of fower subiects besides the praeamble which it hath of faith to wit of the Creede of the Sacraments of the Commandements and of the Pater Noster and those also somethinge obscure as not being intended by the Councell of Trent as a Catechisme immediatly to the people but to pastors to giue them examples how to Catechize and were therefor deliuered as intire speeches without titles vntill Andreas Fabritius for more cleernesse added titles vnto them therefor I haue treated of more subiects as first of the Obligation which all haue to learne the Christian Doctrine of the Signe of the Cros of the Masse of the Aue Maria of the Rosary of the Praecepts of the Church and of Sinne. And I haue destinguished the points which are treated in them by titles sufficiently connecting the former sense with that which followeth soe that I hope you will haue here the substance of the Romane Catechisme with that cleernes which Fabritius added vnto it and also some other subiects in the same manner handled soe requisite for all to know that this will appeare not onely a good but a necessary booke As for the stile of Catechizing if it be plane and easy it is propper and as it ought to be and for this I haue laboured all that I could euen to the repearing of the same words often ouer of purpose for more cleernesse That which I feare most is a weake and cold spirit which will appeare in many places of this booke but this must be supplyed by your more feruerous desire and endeauour of profiting your selfe by it yet the iudicious will coÌ„sider that tendernes of deuotion is not much obe expected where instruction is deliuered much â—sse where controuersys
And in another place Slacke not to be conuerted to our Lord and differre not from day to day Eccl. 5. For his wrath shall come suddainly and in the time of vengeance he will destroy thee Let bold praesumptuous men remember these words and learne to feare God Deere Reader whosoeuer thou art as thou hast a soule which must last for euer apply this booke to the good of thy soule so as shall most concerne it for a happy eternity I excuse noe falts my goodwill shall mende all God can and I hope will honour himselfe euen in my falts Combine thou with mee that we may honour him for euer and euer Amen I submitte all that is conteined in this booke and all whatsoeuer I shall saâ—â—r thinke as long as I liue to the authority of the Holy Catholike Church A SVMME OF THE CHRISTIAN Doctrine expounded in the follovving Discourses QVAESTION What obligation haue Christians to learnâ— the Christian Doctrine Answer Euery Christian is bounde vnder a mortal sinne to know the cheife points of the Christian faith 7. Q. What is faith A. Faith is a supernaturall light and gift of God by which we beleeue and firmely adhare to the Doctrine of the Church 11. Q. Make the Signe of the Cros. A. In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Gâ—ost Amen 49. Q. What is the Signe of the Cros A. The Signe of the Crâ—â— is a profession of the Christian faith 51. Q. How is the Signe of the Cros a profession of the Christian faith 51 A. Because in the Signe of the Cros we professe the mystery of the blessed Trinity and of the Incarnaâ—iâ—n which are the two cheife mysterys of the Châ—stian faith 51 Q. What is the B. Trinity A. The B. Trinity is God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost One and the same God in three distinct Persons 51 Q. What meane you by the mystery of the Incarnation A. We meane that the Sonne of God was incarnated that is became man to redeeme vs. 52 Q. Say the Creede A. I beleeue in God the Father Allmighty Maker of heauen and earth And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord Who was conceiued by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucifyed dead and buried He desâ—enâ—ed into hell the third day he arose againe from death He ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God the Father allmighty From thence he shall come to iudge vs all both the quicke and the dead I beleeue in the Holy Ghost The holy Catholike Curch the Communion of Saints The forgiuenesse of sinnes The Resurrection of the flesh Life euerlasting Amen 76. Q Who is Christ A. Christ is the Sonne of God incarnated true God and true Man Our Redeemer Iudge and Glorifyer 109. Q. What doe we gett by Christ redeeming vs A. We gett the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the acceptance of our good works by the merits of Christs passion applyed vnto vs in the Catholike Church 156. Q. What is the Chatholike Church A. The Catholike Church is the Congregation of all faithfull people and Pastors vnited together as a body with its head 176. Q. Giue mee a difference betwixt the true and all false Churches A. The true Church keepeth allwais in vnion and obedience to its Head and Pastors all false Churches beginne in dissentions and disobedience to the Head and Pastors of the Church 214. Q. Say the seauen Sacraments A. Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Pennance Extreme Vnction Holy Orders Matrimony 281. Q What is a Sacrament A. A Sacrament is an outward signe which causeth grace in vs. 266. Q. What is Grace A Grace is a supernaturall gift which maketh vs gratefull and acceptable to God 268. Q. What is the Blessed Sacrament of Eucharist A. The Blessed Sacrament of Eucharist is the true body and blood of our Lord vnder the signes of bread and wine 298. Q. It shere any bread or wine in the Eucharist A. Noe it seems but soe The bread and wine are conuerted at the words of consecration into the true body and blood of our Lord. 305. Q. What is the Sacrament of Pennance A. The Sacrament of Pennance is that by which we receiue the forgiuenesse of sinnes in Confession 322. Q. Say the tenn Commandements A. Thou shalt not haue strange Gods before mee Thou shalt not take the name of God in vaine Remember thou keepe holy the Sabaoth day Honour thy Father and Mother Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour Thou shalt not desire thy neighbors wife Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors goods 378 Q. Say the Pater Noster A. Our Father which art in heauen Hallowed bâ— thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them their trespasses against vs. And lead vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from euill Amen 449. Q. Say the Haile Mary A. Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among woemen Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe Iesus Holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and in the hower of of our death Amen 509. Q. What is the Masse A. The Masse is the continuall Sacrifice of the Law of Christ in which his true body and blood is offered vnder the signes of bread and wine 576. Q. Say the fiue cheife Precepts of the church A. To fast fasting dayes To keepe holy dayes To confesse our sinnes to our ordinary Pastour or to another with his leaue at least once a yeare To receiue the Eucharist at Easter time To pay tithes 640. Q. How doe the Precepts of the church oblige A. The Praecepts of the church oblige vnder a Mortal sinne 641. Q. What is sinne A. Sinne is that by which we depart from the diuine Law and are separated from God 673. Q. Ho many kindes of sinne are there A. There are two kindes of sinne Original and Actual sinne 715. Q. What is the difference betwixt Original and Actuall sinne A. Original sinne is that which we are borne in Actuall sinne is that which â—e committe 615. Q. How many kinds of sinne doe we committe A. We committee two kindes of sinnes Mortal sinne and venial sinne 717 Q. What is the difference betwixt Mortal and venial sinne A. Mortal sinne quite depriueth vs of Gods grace venial sinne onely lesseneth and deminisheth the feruour of the loue of God in vs. 717. THE FIRST DISCOVRSE Of the education and instruction of children and of the obligation which all haue to learne the christian doctrine I INTENDE now to speake of two thinges First vnto all those who haue charge ouer children and especially to parents to commende vnto them the care which they ought to haue of their good education and instruction Secondly to declare vnto all the
obligation which they haue to learne the christian doctrine And that I may speake to the honour of God and that all may receiue that benefit which I wish them we will say the Haile Mary for our blessed Ladyes intercession Haile Mary c. The Holy Ghost hauing to describe the life of Iob à man fearing God and departing from euill Education of children and to propose him as it were vpon a stage as à true example for all laymen and married folkes to behold and to learne at the many vertues with which he was endowed he would beginne his commendations with the care which he had of his children and therefor he first bringeth him forth rising vp early in the morning to sanctify them and to offer holocausts for euery one of them speaking these words Iob 1. least perhaps my sonnes haue sinned and blessed God in there harts This was the first thing which the holy ghost would commende in Iob and which may well be the first commendation of a married man that hath children For as marriage was first instituted for the orderly propagation of mankind and this propagation finally ordained to the multiplying of soules in the seruice of God soe the first and cheife end which married folkes ought to haue in marriage is to haue children to serue God and there prime commendation is to see that their children be brought vp in the feare of him and know how to worship and serue him as they ought This obligation of the education and instruction of children is not onely natural in christian parents but it is also accessory vnto them by the Sacrament of Baptisme for the Apostles as the general Pastors of the world being bounde to prouide sufficiently for the instruction of all and being themselues more necessarily imployed in planting of the ghospell of Christ and conuerting of soules placed others as their substitutes who should vndertake that charge and performe it for them and therefor they instituted this order in the Church that Godfathers should be chozen at the baptizing of all christians to supply the place of Pastors who as spiritual parents were to see them instructed in those thinges which were necessary for them to know that none might want sufficient instruction S. Dion Eccl. Hierar c. 7. par 11. Denis who liued in the Apostles times speaking of the institution of Godfathers saith that as masters they were to instruct in diuine thinges Now these Godfathers hauing many times noe conuenience themselues to performe in this their obligation ouer children and being sometimes farre distant in place and perhaps dead when the child groweth capable of instruction they commende and as it were remitte their charge to the parents of the children as hauing better meanes to performe it and then there rests à double obligation vpon them both as they are natural and also spiritual parents in the Godfathers place It is then à great shame and as it were à double sinne in them to be negligent in their childrens education and instruction S. Iohn Chrysostome lib. 3. Aduersus vituperatores vitae monasticae hath much to this purpose where reproouing the negligence of parents in it he calleth it the spring and fountaine of all euills amongst men that children are not well taught and brought vp and on the contrary commending of holy Abraham for his care of his children he maketh it the cause and meanes of soe many and great blessings as he obtained Gen. 18. For I know saith holy scripture that he will commande his children and house after him that they keepe the way of the Lord. And hauing produced some other examples of this a litle after he relateth as large à passage which I will breifly rehearse There was saith he in the city à youth richly appointed to study the Greeke and Latine tongues and had à tutour who as I perceiued had followed a monastical institute I meeting one day by chance with him asked him the cause why he would change the pleasure and quietnesse of that course of life for the vnquietnesse and trouble of à tutors place He beganne then to tell mee how that the father of that youth being à man addicted to the glory of the world had intended his sonne for à souldiers life but his mother à pious woman disliking of that course sent said he for mee to conferre with her and when I came she taking her sonne by the right hand offered him to mee I knowing nothing of her minde meruailed at first what she meant to doe My onely care said she is for this child and I feare much the euill company which he is like to fall into if you assist mee not but if you will be pleased to take the charge of him and carry him away with you I shall be out of feare of him and would perswade my husband that nothing should be wanting for his allowance and good education I desire you therefor to take him to your charge and I referre him wholly to be directed by you But if you deny mee this request then I call God to witnesse that I haue done my part and I cleere my selfe from the blood of my child which shal be required at your hands And this she said with soe many teares that I could not deny to vndertake the charge ouer him Which was saith S. Iohn Chrysostome to good effect in the youth his life afterwards proouing answerable to his education This would the holy Doctour insert into his works to propose this carefull mother as an example to parents O that her example were followed now à dayes when there neuer was soe much neede of it what would this mother haue done if she had liued in these times of ours in this kingdome in these varietys of manners and of religion what would she not haue done for his good instruction and to haue secured his education in the Catholike faith When Dunaam à Iew reigned in Arabia about eleauen hundred yeares since Sur. to 5.14 Octob. it was then à time of persecution of the Catholike Church there as it is now here and we haue in Surius an example of those times which may serue for our Catholiks of England to teach them to beginne by times to instruct their children and especially in places of persecution to grounde and confirme them well in the Catholike faith A christian woman was then apprehended and commanded to be burnt for hauing sprinkled herselfe and her child with the blood of martyrs When she was tyed to the stake her child which was but fiue yeares old ranne vp and downe asking for his mother and came pittifully lamenting to the place where the king sate to behold her execution The king tooke him to him and told him that he would be better then his mother to him and that he should stay with him but the child still cryed for his mother and desired to be with her The king perswaded him by faire meanes offering him giftes
thinke will the deuill doe to see the sword with which Christ disarmed him and cut of his head be not thou then ashamed of soe great a good least Christ be ashamed of thee when he commeth in his maiesty Thou shalt see then this signe borne before Christ as bright as the sunne The Cros shall goe before him and shall speake with a lowde voice for him to shew that there was nothing wanting on his part This signe both now and of old doth open the doores that are shutt is hath extinguished poyson it hath tamed wild beasts it hath cured the mortall stings of serpents The Cros hath conuerted the world it hath put away feare and brought the truth it hath turned earth into heauen men into Angells death into sleepe it hath brought all our enemys downe to the ground If a gentill shall say to thee adore not him that was Crucifyed be not affraid with a cleere voyce and countenance to say I adore him and will adore him for euer And if he shall lauhg at thee weepe thou with many teares to see his madnes Giue thankes vnto our Lord by whom we haue these things which none without the diuine grace can say We wiâ—h a lowde and cleere voyce and with speciall confidence will cry out The Cros is our glory our freedome our crowne the head and fountaine of our happines I would I could say with S. Paul the world is Crucifyed to mee and I to the world But my Passions hinder mee that I can not say soe Whâ—efore I admonish you and much more my selfe that we be Crucifyed to the world that we haue nothing to doe with he earth but that our wh le mindes be inslaâ—â—â— with the desire of heauenly glory Thus S Iohn Chrysostome and there remaineth nothing for mee to adde to his words words worthy of his holy zeale and eloquence I would I had an Angells voice to sing them as they deserue I would repeato that saying ouer and ouer againe Th Cros is our glory our freedome our crâ—wne the head and fountaine of our happinesse Make it not onely with the fingars on the body but with confidence on the soule and make it as a profession of this faith as an incitement vnto all vertues as an armour against all temptations as a defence against all dangers as a comfort in all afflictions It is the beginning of our awaking of our sleeping of our prayers of our studies of our preaching of our Catechizing of our eating of our drinking of our walking of our riding of our working and of our leauing of from worke all our actions shall beginne and end with this blessed signe and words In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen THE FOVRTH DISCOVRSE OF THE CREEDE OF THE AVTHORITY AND VSE of the Creede I INTENDE now to declare the Creede vnto you in which not onely the cheife mysterys of the christian faith but all whatsoeuer the christian doctrine teacheth in some sort is conteined But first we will haue recourse vnto God and craue his assistance by our blessed Ladys intercession Haile Mary c. Before we declare the articles of the Creede in particular we will say somethinge of the authority and vse of the whole Creede to shew how authentical and pious it is Although the Creede be not deliuered in any part of the scriptures yet it is of equall authority with them to vs neither they nor it being receiued by vs but for the testimony of the Church which both of them haue and which in all thinges we are bounde to beleeue the same autority of the Catholike Church which hath deliuered the scriptures to vs deliuering also the Creede to be beleeued in the same manner by diuine faith the one by writing the other by word of mouth from time to time both of which traditions being in themselues by humane meanes onely a like fallible and by the power of God a like infallible S Pauls writings are receiued by vs as the word of God and he himselfe hath said of his preaching although not written that it was to be receiued not as the word of man but as the word of God Thes 1.2 And againe he planely commandeth them to receiue the like traditions which are deliuered by word of mouth as well as those that are written saying Breth en stande and hold the traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our Epistle Thes 2.2 These are as plane words as S. Paul could speake or write to let vs vnderstande that the words of the Church are to be receiued as the writings which it deliuereth and the holy fathers by these words vnderstande the same autority to be for all the mysterys of faith and for the lawfullnes of all the ceremonys generally practised and allowed of by the Church although not mentioned expresly in the scriptures as is for the scriptures themselues L. 3. c. 3. S. Irenaeus biddeth vs in all questions of controuersy to haue recourse vnto the Apostolicall traditions and to try them by the Apostolicall succession of bishops and in particular by the chayre of Rome and saith that there are many nations of barbarous people simple for their learning but most wise in the constancy of their faith who neuer had the scriptures S. Clement the disciple of S. Peter and the adiutor of S. Paul speaking of the Creede saith that the Apostles before that they separated themselues into seueral countreys to preach the ghospell conferred together and by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost made the Creede as a rule to direct them and others in the faith which they were to preach and therfor saith he it is called the Symbole which is a Greeke word signifying a collection or a conference for that it was made by the general assembly and conference of the Apostles S. Ambrose hath these words Ep. 81. The Apostles like a company of skillfull workmen conserring together made the Symbole as a kea to locke vp the Diabolical darknes and to let in the light of Christ and we must deliuer this kea to ourbrethren that the Disciples of Peter may vse it to locke the gates of hell and open the gates of heauen to themselues S. Augustine speaketh thus of it Serm 80. de temp The Apostles haue deliuered a sure rule of faith comprehended according to the Apostolicall number in twelue sentences They called it a Symbole by which Catholike vnion might be conserued and haeretical pranity conuinced It is a Symbole breife in words but large in mysterys for whatsoeuer is praefigured in the Patriarks whatsoeuer is declared in the scriptures anâ— whatsoeuer is foretold by the Prophets either of God the Father of God the Sonne or of the Holy Ghost or of the receiuing of the Sacraments or of the death and resurrection of our Lord is conteined and breifly confessed in it Let therefor euery one learne that Apostolical faith when
particularly in this worke Luc. 1. when he said the Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouer shaddow thee For as the loue and goodnes of God towards vs appeareth here most illustrious soe was it most congruous that his power should appeare aboue our vnderstandings most miraculous The conception of Christ surpassed all ordinary conceptions not onely in that he was conceiued of a Virgin mother but also in the circumstances of it For where as the space of some dayes is required for the framing of our bodys and to dispose them for our soules the sacred body and soule of our Lord were both vnited together in the first instant of his conception and the diuine nature vnto them by which his humanity was enriched with diuine gifts and was in eminency of dignity and sanctity aboue all all others being by adoption onely and Christ by nature the sonne of God This is not vnderstoode by vs but beleeued yet it was as easy to God that by his high power a Virgin should conceiue and bring forth without the concurse of man as it was for the rodd of Aaron to conceiue nourishing moysture and to putt forth budds leaues flowers Nu. 17. and almonds by the same power of God without the natural concourse of the earth And it is indeede as easy to God to make a Virgin to conceiue as the blessed Virgin did of her owne nature onely with out the helpe of man and to frame a body in an instant as our blessed Sauiours was as it was for him to make all other women to conceiue with the helpe of man and to frame the body by litle and litle with fitte dispositions for the soule which he could haue ordained otherwise but would not because he would haue the conception of Christ to be aboue all most pure and miraculous And as the conception of Christ was most misterious soe was it fitting that his birth also should be that she who had conceiued with the priuilege of her Virginity free from corruption should bring him forth in her deliuery free from paine and other myserys which other women are then subiect vnto And that as the ioy with which she conceiued him was not corporal but heauenly and spiritual soe that his birth should be also full of ioy and heauenly consolation to her For if God would send his Angell to the shepheards to comfort their harts and to fill them with ioy for the birth of our Sauiour how great may we thinke the ioy of the B. Virgin then to haue bene who was soe singularly chosen of God to be his mother We can not but with reuerence thinke of those consolations which she had in his birth He came from her sacred wombe as the beames of the sunne pierce through cleare crystal without hurting it and as the same sacred body of our Lord passed through the sepulcher in his resurrection without breaking it soe did he passe out of his mothers wombe without any violence done to her We ought very much to reioyce in the birth of Christ for the reason which the Angell gius because this day is borne to you a Sauiour What greater ioy can prisoners and condemned persons haue then in one that will saue them We haue then great reason to reioyce in that ioy which the Angell brought and to celebrate euery yeare that sacred day And yet soe great is the malice of heresy soe dishonorable to God and peruerting the mindes of men that some in this kingdome who call themselues christians dare venture to worke on Christmas day refusing to giue that honour which all christians haue soe long giuen to the birth day of Christ We reade in holy scriptures that kings in auncient times kept festiuall the yearely day of their birthes soe Pharao Gen. 40. Antiochus Mach. 2.6 and Herod Mat. 14. and can the birth day of any king with iustice be obserued and not the birth day of Christ the king and Sauiour of the world If some courtyer of Pharao had refused to keepe the feast of his birth day opposing the solemnity which the rest did obserue would not he with reason haue iudged it as an affront and punished it as a dishonour done to him How dare then any christian be soe bold and prophane as not to keepe the solemnity of Christs birth knowing that one day he shall iudge him for it It is true authors differ in assigning the day on which he was borne But what then shall we therefor keepe noe day at all in honour of it or shal any one shew himselfe soe singular and prowde as vpon his owne sense and authority to disobey the whole Church of Christ We know not for certaine the time in which the scriptures were written nor the authors that wrote them all shall we therefor reiect them as some haeretiks haue done and haue noe scriptures at all we know not iust the time in which the Sundays Sabaoth was first begunne to be kept shall any one therefor refuse to obserue it but if the Church could change the Sabaoth from the seuenth day on which God had instituted it to the eight day and could binde all soe to obserue it although it were not the day on which God rested from the creation of the world shall not the Church binde all to obserue a day which she determineth in honour of Christs birth although perhaps he was not borne iust on that day Luc. 2. we reioyce in that message which the Angell brought when he said behold I Euangelize to you great ioy which shall be to all the people for to day is borne to you a Sauiour It is fitting that the Church should institute a yearely solemnity of that ioyfull day and it is fitting that we should obey the Church The day which the Church instituteth is Christmas day and therefor we keepe it Besides this is most likely to be the true day of his birth which Aug. l. 1. de Trin. c. 5. according to S. Augustine was on the eight of the Calends of Ianuary Euer blessed and most solemne may that day be in which our Sauiour was borne in which the sonne of God first appeared in the nature of man in which our nature first appeared vnited to God and in which both natures being married together came forth of the Virgins wombe as out of their bride chamber the Angels reioycing and bidding ioy vnto men Luc. 2. Then it was when they were heard to sing Glory in the highest to God and in earth peace to men of good will Let vs with the Angels say those words and doe as we say in all our actions The mystery of the Incarnation often represented This the Catholike Church laboreth to doe in this mystery of the sonne of Gods incarnation representing it vnto her people and stirring them vp to a gratefull remembrance and thanksgiuing for it by many deuour prayers and caeremonys which they often
the faithfull dispersed ouer the world Which is in substance the same that is here answered for euery one that hath the true faith and is in vnion with the head and Pastors of the Church by obeying them is a member of the true Châ—â—ch and all these put together make the whole Church But because Schismatiks although they beleeue in all points yet are out of the Church as diuiding themselues from it by disobedience to the head and Pastors theirof therefor to be a member of the Church we require vnion with the rest of the members vnder one head to wit the Pope who is for the time the successor of S. Peter the Vicar of Christ and the Head of the Church Now for the explication of this article In the first place the Church is said to be holy Holy It is holy in diuerse respects First in respect of the eminent holines of Iesus Christ the cheife head of it Secondly for the holy gouernment which Christ instituted and allwais conserueth in it Thirdly it is holy in respect of the holy sacrifice which it hath of his most sacred body and in respect of the holy Sacraments and obseruances that are in it Fourthly in respect of the Vicarhead Pastors and people whose holinesse it includeth Christ ascending into heauen made S. Peter the head of all the Apostles and of the whole Church to remaine as Vicar to himselfe vpon earth commending particularly to him the charge of his sheepe that is of all faithfull christians that are in the Church as in his sheepfold This charge was performed by him whilst he liued and after his death by men of great holines who succeeded him ioyning their blood vnto his as it were in a continuall streame of martyrdome for almost three hundred yeares after the Ascension of Christ After them those who haue succeeded in that chaire and office haue bene for the most part men of great holinesse as they haue great meanes to be and as it is fitting they should be in that holy office The Church is also holy in many other inferiour Pastors and people of all sorts and callings of Martyrs Confessors and Virgins who haue illustrated it with their holy liues and haue rendred it a deere and amiable spouse to Christ Lastly the Church is holy as being by its authority the ground of all holines there being none at all but in it For there can be noe holinesse in this world if not grounded vpon true faith Heb. 11. without which it is impossible to please God And being there can be noe faith that can please God but in the Catholike Church all holinesse that is amongst men is in the holy Catholike Church The Church is called by the Apostles Catholike Catholike which is as much as to say vniuersal to destinguish the true Church of Christ from all false Churches of christians which they saw might rize vp in following times and did euen then beginne to rize in their times None of which can be said to be Catholike or vniuersal but priuate and particular Churches which beginne by opposing of the Catholike and vniuersal Church then extant when those new sects beginne First the Church is vniuersal in doctrine for that it teacheth all ouer the same doctrine and yeeldeth obedience to the same gouernment vnder one head and soe the Church of Rome is Catholike and the Church of Protestants is not Catholike for that protestants agree in name onely and nor in doctrine and also because some of them acknowledging a head vpon earth as the English Protestants did and some of them acknowledging noe head vpon earth they haue not all obedience to the same authority which obedience must necessarily be had to be the same Church and to be the true Catholike Church For the Apostles made this article to keepe vs allwais in the odedience of the true Church and that those might be knowne to haue the true faith of Christ who retaining the doctrine which is professed by the whole Church which then is and obeying the authority of it submitte in all controuersys to that which it teacheth and say with the Apostles I beleeue the Catholike Church and therefor two Churches that obey two different authoritys can not both of them be vniuersal and Catholike Secondly the true Church is vniuersall in times for that it must be at all times and neuer soe vanished out of the world that there should neede any to restore it againe for God doth not soe vnequally destribute his graces as to leaue the the world at any time without meanes of saluation which cannot be without a true and lawfull Church Besides the Apostles Creede is to be said at all times and soe we are allwais to say I beleeue the Catholike Church which we could not allwais say if at some time there were noe true Catholike Church in the world Thirdly the Church is vniuersal in place for if S. Paul could with truth apply those words of the psalme their sounde hath gone forth vnto all the earth Ps 18. and vnto the ends of the â—ound world the words of them to the Church of Christ in the Apostles times when it was nothing soe much dilated as now God be thanked it is we may now with good reason call it Catholike in respect of all places when the sounde of the Apostles doctrine is soe much enlarged that there is hardly any place of the world whither the Catholike Church doth not send her subiects to preach Out of this vniuersality of the Church it followeth One that there is but one true Church in which saluation may be had for vniuersality importeth vnity and if there be vnity in the Church and that this vnity be necessarily required and included in the word Catholike or vniuersal which signifye hâ— many agreeing in the same thinge then two Churches which are not vnited in the same Communion and obedience to the same authority can not both of them haue meanes of saluation for if they could both haue meanes of saluatioÌ„ and yet might lawfully disobey each others authority then we should not be bounde to obey it nor could it lawfully require obedience to it which is contrary to the words of Christ binding vs to the obedience of the Church and contrary to this article and to all reason and gouernment S. Augustine There is nothing which a christian ought soe much to feare as to be separated from the body of Christ Aug. tract 27. which is for certaine the one Catholike Church For if he be separated from the body of Christ he is not a member of him If he be not a member of him he is not nourished with his spirit By which it is plane in the doctrine of this saint that it can not be a true Church which is separated from the true Church and by consequence two Churches which separate from each other can not both be true Therefor let those take head that hearken
to that bold persuasion of some who perswade themselues that saluation may be had in any religion or in either of some two religions or in any faith soe that they beleeue in Christ for they shall finde one day that disobedience to the true Church is a sinne which deserueth damnation S. Augustine againe in another place Epist. 104. Being out of the Church and diuided from the heape of vnity and the bond of charity thou shouldst be punished with eternal fire although thou shouldst be burned aliue for the name of Christ The Church is honored in the scriptures with many noble and glorious titles The titles of Church It is called the kingdome of God the house of God his spouse his faire one his onely one and the very body of Christ He gouerneth it as his kingdome he prouideth for it as his household and loueth it as his deere spouse and as his owne body pleasing and delighting himselfe in the soules of good Catholikes that serue him It is compared to the holy city of Hierusalem in which the true worship of God flourished and in which diuine sacrifice was duely offered It is compared to the arke of Noë out of which there was noe saluation but a general death and destruction Infidels that haue not the faith of Christ are out of the Church Haeretiks Schismatiks and excommunicated persons although they beleeue in Christ yet because they heare not the Church that is obey it not they are also our of it as heathens that participate not the benefits of it The Catholike Church hath two parts The triumphans and militant Church the one Triumphant the other Militant The Triumphant Church is the company of blessed soules in heauen who hauing gotten victory ouer their spirituall enemys in this life are now triumphing in euerlasting glory The Militant Church is the company of the faithfull vpon earth liuing as it were in a warrfare where we are allwais fighting with the enemys of our soules and by perseuering vnto the end in the seruice of God we shall be crowned like good and faithfull souldiers The Militant Church conteineth both good and euill liuers Mat. 3. and therefor it is compared to a field that beareth both good corne and cockle to a nette that gathereth together both good and euill fish The good are kept Mat. 13. but the bad are throwne away It is compared to tenne virgins fiue of which were wise and had prepared the light of good works against the comming of Christ to reward them Mat. 25. and therefor they were admitted into his heauenly nuptials but the other fiue came like fooles and although they had the faith of Christ and were christians yet wanting the oile of the loue of God and the light of good works they were excluded from his blessed ioyes By these and the like places we are giuen to vnderstande that it is not enough to haue the true faith and to be Catholikes if our liues be dissonant from our profession that we liue not like good Catholikes for there are many euill liuers in the Catholike Church who as bundles of cockle shall be throwne into the fire The Communion of Saints Communion of Saints S. Iohn Euangelist writing to the faithfull giueth them as the cause of his writing that you also may haue society with vs Io. 1.1 and our society may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ That is that you may keepe in the society and Communion of the Church and be partakers of those good works and meanes of saluation which are to be had in it For there in is the Catholike Church such a participation of good works that all Catholikes that are in the state of grace participate with one another in them and receiue benefit by the good works of others The reason is because the Catholike Church is as it were one body and all the members of it liue by the same spirit of the Holy Ghost and of Iesus Christ who keepe them in that holy vnion and Communion together And as all the members of the body concurre and helpe to the good of each other soe euery member of the Catholike Church helpeth to the good of the rest and receiueth good by the rest participating of their good works Ps 118. â—am partaker of all that seare thee Saith he holy psalme And in the Pâ—ter nester our Sauiour hath taught vs soe to pray that euery one should aske in the name of all saying giue vs forgiue vs c. Those who are guilty of mortall sinne as they haue noe reward of grace for any worke of their owne which is done in that state soe they loose the benefit which they should receiue by the good works of others For although they be members of the Catholike Church yet wanting the life of grace they are as dead and rotten members into which the rest haue noe spirituall influence The benefit which is reaped by the good works of others is participated by euery one in measure and proportion to the disposition which he hath for it and according to the intention of him that performeth the worke for as we are more or lesse in his intention soe doe we participate more or lesse benefit by the worke which he doth For this it is enough to say that our good works are offerings which we make to God and are therfor receiued and applyed by him according to the offerers intention By all which we may see what a happinesse it is to be in the Catholike Church Ps 83. and in the state of grace Blessed are they who dwell in thy house ô Lord. Now let vs speake OF THE AVTHORITY of the Church BY these words of the Creede it appeareth that the Catholike Church is of diuine authority for euery article of the Creede being of diuine authority and we being by this article bound to beleeue the Church it followeth that the Church hath diuine authority and that we are bounde to beleeue and to obey it as hauing the authority of God And therefor this article was most profitably and necessarily made by the Apostles as the ground and foundation of diuine faith and worship For although in the scriptures it be plane and by reason must needes be true that we are allwais to be gouerned by the authority of the Church yet this article being soe commonly and often professed it is agreat curbe to the rizing of new sects and haeresys all which beginne in the disobedience of some priuate men to the authority of the whole Church and it can not but be a horrour to their mindes and a greeuous wounde to their owne consciences to see how they contradict the common Creede of the Apostles And therefor S. Paul might well say that a man that is an haeretike is subuerted and sinneth Tit. 3. being condemned by his owne iudgment The authority of the Church is diuine in that it is declared also by the
scriptures and that in innumerable places which for breuity I omitte and will mention onely the words of our Sauiour which he spoke to his disciples at his last farewell from them Christ in his Ascension being to leaue his Apostles with a hard taske and difficult worke which they were to performe in founding of the Catholike Church amongst soe many enemys he told them for their comfort Mat. 2â— Behold I am with you aâ—l dayes euen to the consummation of the world He spoke then to the Apostles and would not onely comfort them but all others who were to haue the gouernment of the Church for euer after promising to be with them as long as the world should endure As long then as Christ was to be with them their doctrine was for euer to be true and their authority diuine and he being to be with them vnto the consummation of the world their doctrine was to be true and their authority diuine vnto the consummation of the world as the doctrine and authority of Christ who promised allwais to assist them in their worke and soe their worke was his worke and their doctrine and authority were his Christ therfor is allwais with the Pastors of the Church when they represent and haue the authority of the whole Church not with euery one of them particularly but with all of them together and therefor although any one particular bishop as he is onely a particular member of the Church may erre yet all bishops cannot possibly erre at any time because Christ hath promised to be with them all dayes It is not needfull to produce the sentences of fathers for the diuine authority of the Church both because these words of the Creede made by the Apostles and at all times consented vnto by the fathers I beleeue the Catholike Church may stande for their sentences and also because their sentences to this purpose will frequently occurre in that which I haue to say of the Church Scriptures and fathers are easily misconstrued by haeretiks who make them to speake as they will vnderstande them or if they be too plane against them they discarde the sentence or the whole booke For those that are soe bold as to contradict the whole Church haue lost their shame and neede regard noe authority at all But because they pretende reason as building all their doctrines vpon their owne witts and because this point is soe necessary for the deciding of all controuersys and to the true and lawfull condemnation of all haeresys we will make it euident by plane and easy reasons which all may vnderstande To thinke to haue religion without the diuine authority of an infallible Church is to thinke to build without a foundation or as we commonly say to build castles in the ayre the foundation of all true religion being the authority of the Church which professeth it Grant once that a Church may erre as it may if it be not supported by the diuine authority and we can not be certaine of any doctrine which it teacheth and being vncertaine of the truth of its doctrine we are not bound to beleeue vncertaintys and it can not be the true religion if it be professed by a Church which we are not bounde to beleeue And therefor the first thinge which is to be established as the foundation of true religion is the infallible and consequently diuine authority of the Church that professeth it Take once away the authority of the Church and absolue men from the obedience of it and you make euery man his owne master and leauing him to himselfe to beleeue what he listeth all is brought into vncertainty and confusion for there is noe point of faith soe certaine nor any thinge soe cleere but by prowde and contentious men it might be brought into question This is declared by particular instances If the Church of Christ were not of diuine authority and infallible certainty in all which it teacheth we could not be certaine either of the Creede or of the scriptures or of the sense of either of them or of any article of faith whatsoeuer nay the very foundation of all religion would be destroyed the diuine existence becomming also vncertaine to vs and insteede of gouernment vnion and order in the worship of God we should haue noe diuine worship nor God at all but a horrible confusion and more then hellish disorder would dwell vpon earth First the Creede is not receiued but for the authority of the Church We beleeue that euery article of the Creede was made by diuine inspiration and authority and as such we will defende them with our liues yet this we know not but by the Church for of our selues we could not certainely know it nor should we beleeue it of the Creede more then of other writings which we receiue not as of faith but that the Church commandeth vs soe to beleeue of it and not of them Againe we doe not know the sense of any article of the Creede but by the authority of the Church take away this and we had the sense of them to seeke we knew not where euery one might follow his owne sense and we should be certaine of nothing but of vncertainty and confusion Take away the diuine and infallible authority of the Church in the Apostles times and you bring all into vncertainty whatsoeuer they taught and ruine the foundation of the whole christian faith and it had bene noe matter what they had deliuered in the Creede or whether they had made any Creede at all Take away that authority from the Church of Christ that is at all times and it is noe matter what Creede it deliuer or what sense of the Creede seeing it may erre in that which it sayeth and those thinges may be false which it deliuereth for true The same appeareth in the scriptures We beleeue that such and such scriptures were written by some that had the spirit of God to write nothing but truth in them that all those bookes which we receiue were written with that spirit and that all those bookes passing through soe many hands and handwritings as must necessarily haue bene before printing was inuented haue remained vncorrupted vntill our times How doe we know all this to be soe but by the authority of the Church deny this as all haeretiks doe to follow their owne phansys and you may admitte of what Scriptures you will or if you will you may deny all scriptures And this we see by experience to be true that haeretiks reiecting the authority of the Church and disobeying it reiect also the scriptures and receiue but what they will The Carpocratites Seuerians and Manichees reiected all the old Testament and all the foure ghospels of the new except that of S. Luke Cerdon and Cerinthus reiected S. Luke The Seuerians reiected the acts of the Apostles and all the Epistles of S. Paul Luther and some Protestants reiect the Epistle of S. Iames. The Alogians and some Protestants reiect
also he left one head to haue supreme authority vnder him in the gouernment of the Church which is his cheife kingdome conteining all the kingdomes of the world and therefor stoode much more neede of a head to gouerne and keepe vnity in it This as I haue shewed could be none but S. Peter whilst he liued for that Christ founded the Church on him gaue vnto him the keyes of heauen and made him the pastour of all his sheepe in such circumstances as are most euident for it Moreouer he is first named in the catalogue of the Apostles Mat 10. and said to be the first not for that he first followed Christ Amb. in Co. 2.12 for as S. Ambrose sayth Andrew first followed Christ before Peter and yet the primacy Andrew receiued not To him the Apostles had recourse as to their superiour he tooke vpon him cheifly to decide controuersys in General Councells to speake before the rest to worke miracles before the rest and was neuer murmured at by any of the Apostles as taking vpon him more then his due The auncient and holy fathers of the Church acknowledge as you haue seene his supreme authority And if all this be not sufficient let it suffize that it is the doctrine of the Catholike Church what vpstart teacher will beginne to contradict it or who will beleeue and follow him It was very necessary that Christ should ordaine one head and supreme power in the Church for the keeping of vnity and concord in it and that in all difficultys which should arize the Pastors of the Church might be called together by the cheife head the place of their meeting might be assigned by him and they be kept in vnity by obeying his authority S. Cyprian considered this as the onely meanes for the suppression of haeresys Cyp. defimplâ—â—t praeatorum siuâ— de vnit Eccles which the enemy of God laboreth soe much to raise and deliuereth it as the meanes instituted of Christ to keepe vnity in the Church The enemy saith this saint perceiuing his idols to be forsakâ—n and his temples to be deserted by the multitude of beleeuers inuented a new deceit to deceiue the vnwary by the name of a Christian raizing heresys and schismes to corrupt verity and to subuert faith This is ô brethren because we haue not recourse unto the origen nor seeke to the head Which if we would examine and consider there would neede noe long treatise nor many arguments to finde out the truth Our Lord said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. and againe after his resurrection Feede my sheepe Vpon him alone he buildeth the Church and commendeth to him the feeding of his sheepe And although he gaue equall authority to all the Apostles after his resurrection saying as my father sent mee All the Apostles equal in Apostle ship Yet Veteronely had the primacy Hiero. l. 1. aduers Iouin c. 14. soe I send you receiue the Holy Ghost whose sinnes c. Yet to manifest vnity be constituteth one chaire and by his authority he disposed the origen of that vnity to beginne from one The rest of the Apostles were that which Peter was The primacy was giuen to Peter that the Church of Christ might appeare to be one and one chaire S. Hierome Although all the Apostles in Apostleship were alike yet Christ for the better keeping of vnity and truth would haue one to be the head of them all that a head being once constituted occasion of schisme might be taken away By which we see how necessary it was in the opinion of these saints that one should be established as the supreme pastour and head of the Church and that although all the Apostles had the same power as bishops and had their authority immediatly from Christ himselfe and soe the Church was also founded vpon them that is vpon their necessary functions yet it was cheifly founded vpon S. Peter as the Primate and supreme pastour ouer all who had also from Christ himselfe the lawfull execution of that authority Now if one supreme head was constituted of Christ as necessary to keepe vnity and preuent schismes in the Church of God the gouernment of the Church required euer after that supreme power to remaine in successors to him and it was not to continue onely for thirty six or thirty seauen yeares as long as S. Peter liued there being afterwards as much if not more neede of it schismes and heresys being as likely to rize in the Church after the Apostles dayes when it was destitute of their presence as when it had their helpe and assistance and S. Cyprian as you see maketh this to be the origen of all schismes and heresys because they seeke not to the head And therefor as I shall shew in the next title it is a sufficient destinction to discerne all false Churches by that they beginne allwais in disobedience to the head of the Church and the Pastors of his Communion But hauing spoken of the head of the Church in the next place we will speake of Generall Councels Christ hauing chosen Apostles to gouerne the Church General Councells and amongst the Apostles one to be the head these then had the authority of the whole Church and all were bounde to obey them When therefor the general necessity of the Church requireth for the preuenting of schismes or heresys or the deciding of any controuersys that a Generall Councell should be called the head of the Church exercizeth his supreme authority summoning the Pastors together and appointing a place of meeting for them who consulting and resoluing vpon those questions their resolutions are to be imbraced by all as hauing authority from Christ himselfe who made him the lawfull head and them the lawfull Pastors of his Communion in place of S. Peter and the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost was sent for their assistance and whom Christ promised to be with vnto the consummation of the world Thus did S. Peter with some other pastors of the Church that could conueniently be present meete at Hierusalem and hauing ended their consultation they rehearsed their decrees and doubted not to call them the decrees of the Holy Ghost Act. 15. saying It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs. Such decrees as these are receiued by all as hauing indeede the authority voyce and consent of all true beleeuers that are in the world For euery true and faithfull christian giuing his voice as he ought to that assembly it hath the authority of the whole Catholike Church and of all the faithfull in the world Soe S. Athasius calleth the Councell of Nyce Ath. de gest Conc. Arim. an assembly of the whole world S. Leo calleth also the decrees of that Councell the deâ—rees of the whole world S. Augustine The sentence of a plenary Aug. l. de bâ—p cont Donat. l. 2. c. 4. or Generall Councell is the sentence of the whole
Church And speaking of the validity of baptisme done by haeretiks which validity S. Cyprian and some others of that time denyed he hath these words Neither durst we affirme any such thinge to wit as that the baptisme of haeretiks is valid were we not well grounded vpon the most vniforme authority of the whole Church vnto which vndoubtedly S. Cyprian would haue yeelded if in his time the truth of this question had bene cleered and by a General Councell established Greg in registro l. 1. c. 24. S. Gregory that he esteemed of the foure Generall Councells of Nyce Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon as of the foure ghospels of Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Blessed Theodosius before S. Gregorys time went vp into the pulpit as Metaphrastes declareth in his life and pronounced publikly Let him be accursed that esteemeth not the foure holy Councels equal with the foure ghospells An edict was setforth by the Emperour Valentinian and Martian his collegue in which the decrees of the Councel of Chalcedon are commanded to be obserued in these words Let now all prophane strife be laid aside for verily he is impious and sacrilegious that after the sentences of soe many Priests shall thinke that there remaineth any thinge by his opinion to be handled Another decree is extant of the Emperour Martian to the people of Constantinople in which he sayth We haue forbidden all to dispute of religion for one or two can not finde out those secrets especially when soe many venerable Priests with extreme labour and much prayer could not discouer the truth but by the diuine authority It is indeede a most vaine thinge to dispute of the truth of those thinges which a Generall Councell hath declared to be true because all such thinges haue bene already sufficiently disputed by the best authority of the world That therefor which by a General Councell is established as of faith remaineth allwais firme and certaine in its truth for God is not changed nor can his words euer be but true and the words of a General Councell are the words of God Christ and the Holy Ghost teaching them all truth Mat. 28. Io. 14 16. That which by some former Councell hath bene but obuiously and sleightly handled as being then out of question may be more illustrated by a following Councell and such orders and constitutions as are agreeable to some times may be repealed as not conuenient for other times and soe S. Augustine saith that the former are sometimes amended by the following but noe General Councell signed vnto by the head and Pastors of the Church can euer be declared for false nor any thinge which is declared by such a Councell Some conuenticles of haeretiks as that of the Arians at Ariminum and of Nestorians at Ephesus haue bene declared for false because they were not general of the whole world nor called and ratifyed by the bishop of Rome as all General Councels vsed and ought to be But those which were true Councels and were truely authorized by him were neuer questioned afterwards nor any thinge in them But although a General Councell includeth the authority of the whole Church yet it is not necessary that euery member of the Church be present at it it is sufficient that the voice and assent of euery member of the Church be with the Pastors of the Church for as it is not required that euery member of a kingdome be personally present at the Councell table of the king but onely the king and Peeres of the realme who haue authority ouer all and as the superiors onely and magistrates of the Commune Wealth which are present in consultation make lawes for the good of all and all are bounde to obey them as the lawes of that nation and commune wealth which they defende with their liues and are guilty of death if they breake them because they proceede from the general and lawfull authority soe the head of the Church and pastors that are in Communion with him being placed by Christ and the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church haue lawfull authority to determine for all and all are bounde to obey their decrees for that they are the decrees of all and that assembly is the whole Church in authority Thus an assembly of the cheife of the â—raëlits is called in holy scripture all Israël Reg. 3. â— and as I haue shewed the holy fathers haue called General Councels assemblys of the whole Church and of the whole world Neither is it necessary that all the bishops of the Church be personally present at them For that is morally impossible and very inconuenient some being necessary to remaine for the performing of Episcopal functions All the Apostles were not present with S. Peter at the Councell of Hierusalem but onely those which could be spared from their places which all at once can not be General Councels consist onely of bishops Neither can Councels enely of bishops or euer did any other but bishops take place by their owne authority in them And therfor S. Leo in his Epistles and S. Augustin commonly call them Councels of bishops In the acts of the Councell of Chalcedon these words are some times repeated Synodus Episcoporum est non Clericorum Superfluos mitte foras The Councell is of bishops not of Clerks Those that are supersluous let them be put forth The Abbot Auxentius being inuited to the Councell answered It is not for Monks to teach others but to be taught This is due onely to the dignity of bishops As for temporal Princes as such they neuer had any spiritual iurisdiction in the Church of Christ for that was giuen to Peter and the Apostles The Emperour Theodosius writing to the Councell of Ephesus sayeth It is not lawfull for mee that am noe bishop to intermedle in Ecclesiastical affaires The Emperour Valentinian being sollicited by some bishops to cause a Councell to be called for the deciding of certaine questions then in controuersy answered It is not for mee that am but in the ranke of the people to medle with those thinges Let the Priests to whom they belong agree among themselues to meete where they like These Emperours spoke like wise men and good Christians Cor. 1.7 Euery one in the vocation that he was called in it â—et him abide saith the Apostle Bishops are called to gouerne in spiritual temporal Princes in temporal thinges and they must not goe forth of their propper callings Bishops made not themselues bishops God gaue that authority to them and whosoeuer haue it must haue it of God I will giue Pastors saith God by his Prophet and they shall feede you with knowledge and doctrine Hier. 3. And S. Heb 5. Par. 2.26 Paul speaking of priesthood sayth neither doth any man take the honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron Ozias king of Iuda resisting the Priests and comming boldly to the altare to vsurpe without calling their authority and office
must prooue it by extraordinary fignes and miracles such as are propper to God onely and proportionable to that kind of commission Soe did Moyses prooue by miracles that he was sent of God soe did Christ prooue his authority by miracles But if they haue neither miracles to prooue extraordinary nor succession of lawfull pastors for ordinary commission but vpon their owne bare word onely will draw men from obedience to their lawfull pastors we must take them for such as Core Dathan and Abiron were who disobeying their pastors and hauing noe commission from God to shew for it they and their followers sunke downe visibly into hell Now for miracles to iustify their disobedience to the Church they neither haue nor can possibly haue for that God will not approoue of any such disobedience but hauing ordained the gouernment of the Church to be by S. Peter as supreme head and by 〈◊〉 Apostles as pastors vnder him and Christ â—auing promised to be with them all dayes to the consummation of the world we must at all times looke vnto the successors of S. Peter and his pastors as to the lawfull authority of the Church of Christ and allwais obey them and we must take those for false Churches that disobey their authority And therfor S. Cyprian solidly rebuketh Nouatus the â—aeretike for separating himselfe from the Communion of Cornelius then Bishop of Rome and concludeth that the Church of Christ being but one and not conteining both those that are with in and those that are out of it those onely saith he are in the Church Cyp. l. 4. op c. who are in the COmmunion of Cornelius successour to Fabianus But that they may not thinke to excuse their disobedience by any pretences I stoppe all pretences whatsoeuer and preuent all answeres that can possibly be deuised by that which followeth They can not deny but there haue bene and are false Churches of christians in the world but there neuer was nor now is any false Church of christians but it might haue if it would the same pretences and haue the same ground for them that any of these haue they being commune to all disobedient and obstinate persons that will stande out against the Church therefor all which any of them can pretende for themselues are but vaine pretences and if euer there were any false Church of christians in the world they are all false Churches As for the first S. Paul saith that there must be heresys Cor. 1.11 Which being held by a Communion of many there is then a false Church He that readeth D Prateolus of the beginnings of heresys and seeeth the absurditys which they haue obstinatly mainteined will easily grant that there haue bene false Churches of Christians in the world He shall finde some against the whole B. Trinity some against one of the Persons some against another some against the diuinity some against the humanity of Iesus Christ some against the blessed Virgin some against the Angels some against the Saints one saith that Christ is the sunne which we see to shine another saith that himselfe is Christ another maketh himselfe to be the Holy Ghost some will haue all to marry some will haue none to marry some soe affected to sobriety that they held wine vnlawfull to be drunke euen to the consecrating of water insteede of it some are running naked others are foming quaking and changing gastly countenances as a signe and point of perfection another cryeth downe learning and will haue noe triall of the truth but by force of armes commanding for that purpose his disciples at his death to make a drumme of his skinne All which I mention in relation to the Apostles words and to my first proposition that there haue bene false Churches in the world and withall to obserue what absurde errors men would runne into if there were not at all times an authority of visible pastors guided by the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church and all were bounde to be gouerned by them Now if any of these were a false Church it was for their obstinacy in those errors and for their disobedience to those pastors which the primitiue Church acknowledged to haue by succession from S. Peter the supreme authority and to the pastors of their Communion as hauing at all times the lawfull authority of the whole Church And these were as I haue shewed the Bishops of Rome and the pastors that were in Communion with them none els hauing any pretence vnto that succession Then for the second proposition I aske any one of those sects that are now out of the Catholike Romane Church what pretence can they haue which is not common to all the rest and which all the false Churches that are or euer were and which they confesse to be false Churches might not if they would haue alleadged for themselues as well as they to excuse there disobedience If they pretende errors in the doctrine of their pastors or if they alleadge priuate spirit or if they pretende authority from the true Church but inuisible or if they say that they were thrusten out of the Church against their wills or if they pretende immediat commission from God to disobey all authority vpon earth in religion who doth not see that all these are but vaine pretences common to all that will vse them and which if they were to be allowed of a gappe were opened for all turbulent and disobedient persons to runne out of the Church vnder some of these pretences at any time when they would themselues Neither is there any thinge which any of them can pretende but that which all the rest may as well take for pretence and all the false Churches that euer were whom they confesse to be false Churches may as well pretende as they And if this be not soe I desire and challenge any wise and learned man of whatsoeuer sect out of the Romane Church to study and to thinke with himselfe of any lawfull pretence and excuse for their disobedience to the Romane Church and then to take some other which he holdeth to be a false Church and conferring them together to propose to his owne conscience whether that pretence agree not as well to the other as to his owne And if he can deuise none which is propper to his owne Church more then to false Churches then I warne and charge him to returne againe to the obedience of that authority which the primitiue Church first obeyed and which the Romane Church hath allwais obeyed and which his Church and all others haue at some time goneforth of and disobeyed and this was as I haue shewed the authority of the bishop of Rome and his pastors All those Churches that are now extant out of the Romane Church went first out of it by disobedience to the head and pastors of the Romane Church and as for Protestants they confesse that they went forth and separated themselues from it Aug. l. 2. cont Crescon c.
better for the loue of God to receiue often then to absteine for feare There remaineth yet to speake OF COMMVNION VNDER one kind IT is necessary that we declare why the people receiue onely vnder one kind seeing that Christ instituted it vnder both gaue it to his disciples vnder both and commanded them to consecrate it as he had done and seeing also that the people in the primitiue Church receiued vnder both kinds There are many good reasons for it as you shall presently see but first we wil examine what it was that Christ commanded at the last supper for if he commanded that all should receiue vnder both kinden then all were bounde soe to receiue but if he did not commande it then it is indifferent to receiue vnder both or one kind onely Christ at the last supper commanded his Apostles saying Luc. 22. doe this for a commemoration of mee But it is to be obserued that he said this after the consecration of the bread before he had begunne with the chalice as both S. Luke and S. Paul declare and therefor if he commanded any thinge concerning the kinds of species in which we were to receiue it was of the species of bread that we should receiue in it and not of the chalice which as yet he had not begunne with But the truth is that he commanded nothing concerning the receiuing vnder one or both kindes but he left it indifferent according to conuenience of circumstances which might occurre in the Church and soe the primitiue Church allwais vnderstoode it That which Christ commanded his Apostles was to consecrate as he had done and that they should giue in substance that which he gaue but not that they should giue it with all the same circumstances with which he gaue it to them as is manifest For he gaue it at supper to twelue onely not the first but the last meate of that day The primitiue Church gaue it not after supper nor onely to Bishops or priests who are as the Apostles but to the Clergy and Laity of men women and children and that the first meate of the day Soe that the substance onely of that which Christ then did was commanded by him to be done afterwards but for all to receiue vnder both kindes belongeth onely to the circumstances of receiuing it and therefore it is indifferent And although the Eucharist being consecrated vnder both kindes it be then necessary that in both kindes it should be receiued yet it is not necessary that all should soe receiue it For when Christ said drinke ye all of this Mat. 26. he said soe onely to the Apostles intending to debarre none of them from it And soe if we will vnderstande his words doe this in commemoration of mee as a commande for receiuing vnder both kindes it must be as a commande to some distributiuely but not vnto all the collection or congregation of the Church taking euery one in particular As when God commanded increase and multiply Gen. 1. he commanded not all to marry but onely soe many as were necessary to fullfill the intent and end of marriage with conuenience And therfor the Church hath allwais obserued that at masse which is the publike seruice of God and most special representation of the last supper the blessed Sacrament should be receiued vnder both kindes in imitation of Christs action and performance of his will but that out of masse both Priests and people should receiue vnder one or both kindes according to conuenience of times and circumstances Thus it was receiued in the primitiue Church sometimes vnder one kind onely sometimes vnder both by the people Cyp dâ—lapsis nu 10. S. Cyprian declareth that the chalice onely was giuen to children Euseb l. 6. c. 36. Besad Casars Patrâ— Eusebius and S. Basil that ermits kept thee host in their cells to receiue it because the species of wine could not soe well be kept by them And S. Augustine S. Bede Theophilact and others vnderstande out of S. Luc. 24. Luke that the two disciples at Emaus receiued vnder one kind onely to wit in the species of bread from our Sauiour himselfe For the text sayeth that he hauing broken bread and reached to them their eyes were opened and that they knowing him in the breaking of bread he banished out of their sight soe that as soone as they knew him he vanished away and stayed not to consecrate the chalice By that which hath bene said it doth appeare that it is not of obligation nor was held soe by the primitiue Church for all to receiue vnder both kindes Which is enough for our purpose the Church then being to iudge of the reasons and circumstances when it shall be receiued vnder one or both kindes Now for the reasons why all should not be bound to receiue vnder both and why the people now receiue it not vnder both there are many First for that the species of wine could not well be kept as it were necessary that they should all wais be if all were bounde to receiue vnder that species Secondly many irreuerences would be endangered of spilling the chalice if all both old and yong sicke and lame persons were bounde to receiue it Thirdly many haue an auersion from wine that they can not drinke it Fourthly sufficient wine could hardly be gotten for soe many and frequent Communions as Catholiks God be thanked now vse For these and the like reasons Christ would not binde all to receiue vnder the species of wine but would leaue the manner of receiuing to the determination of the Church according to diuersity of times and circumstances In the primitiue Church the people for the most part receiued vnder both formes it being then necessary for the setling of the faith of Christ that his actions should be more strictly obserued allthough it were in things indifferent and with some inconuenience But now that the faith of Christ is setled in the world those things which are indifferent and were with some inconuenience at first permitted are now to be remedied especially then when the inconueniences grew soe great that haeretical spirits tooke occasion to imagine false doctrines by them as it happened in this very case when Iacobellus of Prague being offended to see some of the people to receiue vnder one kind onely and some vnder both to remedy it would needs hold all to be bounde to receiue vnder both kindes which was contrary to the continual doctrine and practise of the Church and to the reasons alleadged To reforme this errour the Councell of Constance proceeded against it in which Iacobellus his doctrine was condemned and for the future it was ordained that at masse as the special representation of the last supper and commemoration of it the Priest should receiue vnder both kindes both the host and the chalice and that out of masse all should receiue onely the host Soe all inconueniences were taken away a decent vniformity was procured
haue noe correspondence from beyond the seas promising that if they would take this oth they should haue their Churches deliuered to them The first thinge which the Catholike Bishops did was to make a resolute and vnanimous profession of their faith They sent therefor to the king in these words We haue allwais said and now say and will allwais say we are bishops we are christians we all hold one true and Apostolical faith But as for the oth some of them were of minde to take it hauing a scruple of their Churches being otherwise detained from them others fearing some deceit in the busines excused themselues with the words of Christ I say to you not to sweare at all But in fine they were all to be banished those that would take the oth as men of noe conscience that would sweare to any thinge and those that would not because they loued not the king Such is the performance of haeretiks promises It is not onely vnlawfull to take the name of God in vaine but also to sweare by his creatures For as the power and goodnes of God is resplendent in them he that abuseth them abuseth God It is then an euil custome that which some haue of swearing by this light by this fire and the like oths Mat. 5. by which this Commandement is broken and therefor Christ I say to you not to sweare at all neither by heauen because it is the throne of God neither by the earth because it is the footstoole of his feet This Commandement is broken by vaine oths vaine promises by breaking of vowes by prophaning of Scriptures applying them to idle and iâ—reuerent purposes by blaspheming and cursing c. It is an vnworthy thinge to see the irreuerence of some to this Commandement and to the most sacred name of God which vpon euery occasion they abuse powring forth oths vpon oths as water vpon the face of the earth Base minded men who because they see the patience of God with sinners that presently he striketh them not they contemne him and where as they flatter men and giue faire words to their enemys for feare they rize vp against God with oths curses and blasphemys as though they would fight and be reuenged of him Those that haue this euill custome may be thought to haue committed a mortal sinne when they first gott it and although they can not on a suddaine quite leaue it of yet they are bounde vnder a mortal sinne to endeauour against it That which is propper to this sinne is to harden the hart more then other sinnes doe and to dispose those that vse it to all other sinnes for as it hath a vaine and seeming brauery in the opinion of foolish men soe they take more complacence and continuelonger in it euen to the hardening of their harts soe that they haue almost noe feeling of the offence of God And therefor the Holy Ghost hath said Aman that sweareth much shall he filled with iniquity Eccl. 23. L. 4. Dial. â— 18. And then presently he addeth and plague shall not depart from his house For it is obserued of swearing that beside the punishment of the next world it is often exemplarly punished in this S. Gregory relateth of a child that was visibly taken away from his father by the deuils for cursing and swearing Which was such an example as perhaps the like is hardly read of in punishment of any other sinne For that child was but fiue yeares old and I know not whether he were capable of sinne or noe But whether he sinned or were earried away to preuent his sinne it was a manifest plague of God vpon that house for swearing and by this and the words alleadged we may well thinke that many houses are plagued for it The remedy is to consider the infinite maiesty of God Romedyâ— against swearing The courtiers of heauen are allwais in his presence praising him and shall I stande before his face cursing and swearing by his blessed name what hurt hath the Creatour of the world done to mee that I should soe dishonour him to his creatures It is also a good practical remedy to gette a custome when any thinge troubleth vs to say some good words as God be blessed Blessed be the name of God or the like and often to vse them as readiest with vs. The words of S. Paul are very literal for this saying Rom. 12. blesse and curse not Iob soe holy a man and soe great in the world disdained not this easy but efficacious remedy who when all those calamitys came soe thicke vpon him he broke not out into oths and curses but had ready to say blesseâ— be the name of God and soe gotte victory and a duble reward euen in this world Let vs gette a custome of such words It is a custome easy to gette THE THIRD COMMANDEMENT REMEMBER thou sanctify the Sabaoth day The word Sabaoth signifyeth Rest and soe the Sabaoth day is as much as to say a day of rest in which we are to rest from labour Here then we are commanded to sanctify to God a day of rest that absteining from corporal works we attende vnto acts of religion and diuine worship This is an obligation which all haue by nature that as all times were created and ordained for the seruice of God soe some dayes should be particularly obserued in honour of him But we are not by nature bounde to obserue any one day more then another for that was to be determined by the Church which is directed by the Holy Ghost to order all according to conuenient circumstances And soe the Church of the Israelits was commanded to obserue the seauenth day on which God rested from the creation of the world and the Church of Christ is directed to keepe the next day after it in remembrance of the resurrection of our sauiour and of the comming of the Holy Ghost both which mysterys happened on the next day after the Iewish Sabaoth and on that day which we call Sunday and which the Scriptures call the Dominical day that is to say Our Lords day Thus the Sabaoth day was transferred vnto the next day by the same authority that first commanded it and was kept by the Apostles on the same day on which we keepe it as appeareth by S. Cor. 1.16 Paul commanding the gatherings to be made In the first of the Sabaoth That was on the first day after their Sabaoth in which the people of Christ mette together to celebrate our Lords day And S. Iohn sayth Apoc. 7. J was in spirit on the Dominical day that was on our Lords day to destinguish it fom the Iewish Sabaoth By the Sabaoth all holy dayes are here vnderstoode In the law of Moyses diuerse other solemnitys beside the Sabaoth were commanded and obserued some with more and some with lesse solemnity according to the more or lesse remarkable mysterys which they represented The feast of Azyme or Pasch was
when the iust pray for them soe also we may say of all others benefits for that the goodnes and liberality of God is such that he is forced as it were to grant all and can deny nothing which is worthily asked of him This he would shew euen in the granting of a temporall benefit at the prayers of Iosue when the Israelits wanting day to pursue the victory Iosue praying commanded the Sunne and Moone to stande still and they stoode still till the people reuenged themselues of their enemys And to shew how powerfull the prayer of the iust is the Holy Ghost would make so remarkeable an expression as to say that God obeyed the voice of a man as though Iosue by his prayers had had God at obedience And although heauen be gained as well by all good workes as by praying Ser. de temp 226. yet S. Augustine calleth prayer the kea of Heauen Let vs learn then how to pray OF THE PREPARATION TO PRAYER THAT we may pray with profit Eccl. 18. and reape the fruite of prayer we must prepare ourselues duely to it Before prayer prepare thy soule saith the Holy Ghost The first and most necessary preparation is to bee cleere from mortall sinne For prayer which is made in mortall sinne hath but litle force and noe condignity at all to the obtaining of supernatural gifts which must proceed from the diuine grace And therefor he that will pray effectually must first make cleere his conscience by a good confession that being restored to the grace of God his prayer may be acceptable to him But if he haue not the opportunity of a Confessour let him in the meane time make an act of contrition which may supply confession vntill it can be had and let him pray for contrition and for a fitt disposition for prayer as the man of the Ghospell Marc 9. who when Christ required of him to beleeue he said I doe beleeue Lord help my incredulity Soe may the sinner endeauour before prayer to make an act of contrition and pray for that which is wanting in him The Publican was a sinner when he began to pray but praying with humility and sorrow he obtained the remission of his sinnes when standing a farre of Luc. 18. and knocking of his breast he prayed God be mercifull to mee a sinner By his standing a farre of his humility by the knocking of his breast and the words which he spoke his great sorrow is denored and by so praying although he were at first a sinner yet by prayer he obtained contrition and by contrition his sinnes were forgiuen Act. 10. and he went away iustifyed So Cornelius the Centurion prayed and gaue almes and although then as a Gentil he were out of the state of grace yet by continual prayer for the Euangelist commendeth him as allways praying to God he obtained the vision of an Angell and S. Peter was sent to enlighten him with the Faith of Christ Those therefore that are out of the state of grace and haue not the opportunity of confession let them pray for contrition and endeauour to stirre vp in themselues a true and feruerous loue of God Wicked Antiochus was grieued at his sinnes or rather at his punishments and although he acknowledged the truth that they came from God yet it is said Mach 2.9 He prayed to our Lord of whom he was not to obtaine mercy because he was not truely penitent nor sought the honour of God but his owne ease only by prayer The next preparation to prayer is to come with much humility and reuerence considering who it is to whom we are going to speake and who we are that are admitted to speake It is God to whom we speake God the Lord of Heauen and Earth that made vs of noe better thing then the slime of the earth a peece of dead clay breathing life and giuing reason to it and that peece of earth being thus framed of God hath rebelled against him and abused his maker and euen then not being quite free from sinne is permitted neuertheles to appeare in his sight and to petition him Eccli 35. The prayer of him that humbleth himselfe shall penetrate the clowdes Thus did holy Abraham pray with humility saying Gen 18. I will speake to my Lord where as I am dust and ashes Thirdly we must pray with much loue and confidence in the goodnes and bounty of God We may consider then that he is as he is indeede our father allwais desiring our good and that he is infinitly liberall of all those things which he knoweth to be good for vs and that we will kneele downe to him as a louing and gracious child would doe to his father to aske blessings of him and that we will aske with confidence that which is necessary for vs and will obey him Thus the holy King prepared himselfe with humility loue and confidence and then powred forth his prayer in the sight of God Let vs then remember to prepare ourselues to prayer with these three things First with a cleere conscience by confession or contrition Secondly with humility and reuerence to God Thirdly with loue and confidence in him Let vs see now FOR WHAT THINGS AND FOR whom we are to pray THE cheife thing which we are to pray for is that which is the cheife good and that is that God be honored his blessed name being hallowed byvs and that we may soe serue him here that we may enioy him in heauen All temporall things as health wealth strength beauty and the like are to be prayed for conditionally if they be conducing to our future happines but it is dangerous to pray to excell much in them and therefore the wise man durst not pray for riches but for necessarys Prou. 30. Beggery and riches giue mee not giue mee onely things necessary for my sustenance Charity humility patience and all vertues may absolutly without any condition be prayed for because they of themselues aduance the honour of God in vs and helpe vs to euerlasting glory We pray for all men because we are bounde to desire the good of all as our neighbors But of all men we pray especially for the Catholike Church and of the Catholike Church we pray especially for the Popes holines as the head of the Church Then we pray for our particular prelates and pastors and generally for all the pastors of the Church that they may excell with such vertues as may illustrate it and render it a more amiable spouse to God in the sanctity of her subiects which dependeth most vpon the goodnes of Church men And therefor as the Euangelist sayth prayer was made without intermission for Peter Act. 12. he being then Pope and in the hands of his enemys And S. Paul desired the prayers of the faithfull that his seruice might be acceptable We pray also for our temporal superiors the king and his officers that they may gouerne according to
in his owne body And when the faith of Christ beganne first to be planted the deuill roared like a Lyon and with open mouth went against the Apostles euen to sift them with his teeth and made some attempts vpon Christ himselfe He is a prowde and daring enemy and spareth none but he rageth more vehemently against the iust knowing that his victory is greatest ouer them and that the sinnes which they committee are greater by reason of their ingratitude Pet. 2.2 and greater contempt of God It was better for them not to know the way of iustice then after the knowledge to turne backe And therefor we haue great reason to feare temptation and to pray against it when we are in the state of grace especially seeing that holy men are often ouercome by it as Dauid Salomon the Apostles and euen Peter himselfe who hauing made a promise to his master Mat. 26. saying Though I should dy with thee I will not deny thee yet at the words of a silly girle he denyed him By all which we may see how weake wee are and easily ouercome if God assist vs not and how necessary it is that we should haue recourse to him and pray for helpe That which ought to be a comfort to vs in temptations is the meanes which we haue in the Catholike Church to ouercome them For although man had allwayes freewill to resist yet now in the Faith of Christ wee are much more strengthened and our enemy is so weakned by his sacred passion working â—n the Sacraments that he is compared in the Scriptures to a dragon bound in chaines Apoc. 20. I saw saith S. Iohn an Angell descending from Heauen hauing the kea of the bottomles depth and a great chaine in his hands and he apprehended the dragon and bound him for a thousand yeares The Angell signifyed Christ the dragon was the deuill the chaine with which he was bounde are the Sacraments of the Catholike Church the thousand yeares denote the time from Christ vnto Antichrist all which time we haue such helps and meanes to resist temptations that the infernall dragon is as it were bounde vp in chaines Ia. 4. Resist the deuill and he will flee from you But how is God said to lead vs into temptation The Pelagian heretiks interpreted this place of being led into humane miserys and not into sinne for they conceited that man of his owne power without the grace of God could resist and ouercome all temptations And therefore Catholiks vrged this place against them where we pray for grace to ouercome temptations because we cannot ouercome them without it as S. Hierome in his third booke against the Pelagians and saint Augustine prooueth in diuerses places But moderne haeretiks haue a ready answere to this question they make God the cause and authour of oursinne and take away freewill from vs that we are led by force into sinne l. 4. instit c. 26.9 Caluin that God not onely foreseeth mans sinnes but also hath created him of purpose for that end Thus did this obstinate man blaspheme But the Catholike Church hath neuer consented to any such doctrine but hath allways taught that the good which we doe is of God and that the euill which we doe is of ourselues as shall be declared more opportunly in the twelfth discourse of sinne I will now onely shew in what sense wee pray not to bee led into temptation There are two sorts of temptations that is to say tryals for to tempt is the same as to try First when of ignorance one will take a tryall because he knoweth not vntill be try and thus God neuer needeth to tempt or try any because hee knoweth before hand both what we can doe and what we will doe The second kind of temptation or tryall is by exercising and teaching as when souldiers are tryed that is trained and exercised to batle or as theeues that try and traine vp others to theeuery and this kind of practicall temptation is good or euill as it hath relation and is intended for a good or euill action A Captaine teacheth his souldier how to defende himselfe and to offende his enemy in a iust warre a theefe or robber teacheth his partner how to defende himselfe and offende another in an vnjust action A Master of fence teacheth his scholar the postures and guards of his owne defence and sometimes he hitteth him a blow to make him remember and learne the better an enemy cometh with his weapon against him not to teach him but to take his life God allways tempteth vnto goodnes as a good Captaine as a louing master to teach and enable vs. Thus he tempted the Israelites that by their victorys others might learne to ouercome Deut. 13. Your God tempteth you that it may appeare whether you loue him or not So he tempted Abraham to immolate his sonne First intending his good then giuing him efficacious grace to obey and lastly rewarding him This is a most blessed kind of temptation he sendeth vs against our enemy but hee putteth the victory into our hands giuing vs grace to ouercome if we will and then crowneth vs for ouercomming As a master hee striketh vs sometimes by afflictions and euen by those blows he teacheth vs and strengtheneth vs to ouercome and then rewardeth vs. This is not to tempt vs to sinne but to traine vs vp to victorys and crowns Well might S. Ia. 5. Iames say Let noe man when he is tempted say that hee is tempted of God For God is not a tempter of euills Those whom God tempteth he tempteth for their greater glory hee tryeth them and as gold in the furnace he proueth them The deuill tempteth allwais as a theefe intending euill and as an enemy to hurt and to kill our soules God permitteth him to tempt but hee giueth allways sufficient grace for vs to ouercome if we will vse it and if we will not vse it it is not his falt nor can our sinne be imputed to him who giueth grace to hinder it but onely it may be said to be permitted of God And so Exod 7. God is said to have hardened Pharao his hart that is permitted him to harden his owne hart as is declared in the eight chapter and other places where not God but Pharao himselfe is said to haue hardened his hart And to thinke as Caluin doth that God created any of purpose that they might sinne is a thought vnworthy of a Christian or of any man that beleeueth God to be the supreme good That therefore which we aske in this petition is that God will not permitte vs to be tempted so as to yeeld to temptation but that he will giue vs efficacious grace to resist and ouercome all temptations We aske not that we may neuer be tempted for so we should neuer be crowned the crown of victory not being obtained but by batle We pray for victory and this by the helpe of God is easily obtained
diuine word breaketh his lawes and taketh away all order and gouernment quite out of the world for all order includeth subordination that is to say subiection of inferiors to superiour powers but take once away the authority of the Church and absolue men in conscience from the obedience of it to beginne new doctrines beleeuing teaching and doeing what they list themselues and you take away all subordination of inferiors to superiors in the diuine worship therfore take away obedience to the Church and you take away all order and gouernment in Religion quite out of the world by making men subiect to no authority and consequently you destroy the world which without order in Religion can not consist The ground therefore foundation and first principle of all order is the divine authority of the continuall Church to beleeue as the Church teacheth and to obey it The Apostles haue commanded obedience to temporall superiors who then were infidels and could haue no authority in spirituall affaires Petr. 1.2 Let euery soule be subiect to higher powers for there is noe power but of God Rom. 13. Therefore he that resisteth the poâ—er resisteth the ordinance of God If infidell masters Magistrates and Powers be to be obeyed in temporall things as ordained of God how much more are we to obey the higher powers of the Catholike Church God hath ordeined the Superiors of the Church to gouerne the world in his diuine seruice therefore they haue the authority of God Aug. coÌ„t adu leg lib. 1. c. 17. and their Praecepts oblige vnder a mortall sinne There is no chaine of iron or adamant saith S. Augustine that can binde so hard as the Praecepts of the Church The like may be said of Ecclesiasticall customes which by long continuance haue obtained the force of lawes Ecclesiastical customes Therfor S. Paul commendeth the Corinthians for keeping the Praecepts which he had giuen them and alleadging the custome of the Church he thought it sufficient to stoppe the mouths of the contentious to say we have noe such custome nor the Church of God Cor. 1.11 And if those customs of the Church could gaine that authority soe soone within twenty or thirty yeares that Christ founded it certainely they shall haue as much now when it hath the addition of about sixteene hundreds of yeares S. Augustine hath these words for customes In those things of which the scriptures determine nothing for certaine Aug. ad Caâ—ulan the custome of the people is the custome of God and the institutions of our auncestors are to be kept as lawes and as praeuaricators against diuine lawes soe the infringers of Ecclesiasticall customes are to be restrained because the Church seeing those customes and not forbidding them by silence consenteth and alloweth of them and God declareth by the practise of the Church that in those times and places such customes oblige as necessary then to be kept Now let vs declare the Praecepts of the Church in particular THE FIRST PRAECEPT TO fast fasting dayes Soe great is the benefit of fasting that the Catholike Church would haue none of her people to be depriued of it and therefor would oblige all to diuerse fasts which I shall presently declare but first we will say somethinge of fasting in generall Fasting is commended first in the old Testament sometimes by examples of the Prophets and holy men and sometimes by the admirable effects of it Fasting was the first Praecept that was commanded to man and all our miserys beganne first by the vnhappy breaking of that Praecept God might haue chosen any other Commandement to haue exercized our obedience in but he would commende fasting to vs. After that in the Law of nature it was commanded againe some meates being then prohibited to be eaten as vncleane Nu. 6. Iud. 13. Hiere 35. In the Law of Moyses he himselfe fasted at the receiuing of it The Nazareits and Rechabeits who were particularly dedicated to the seruice of God were strict and austere in fasting Holy Iudith armed with fasting went forth against all the Assyrian forces accompanyed onely with one maide seruant and full of zeale and heauenly fortitude with her owne hands slew their Prince and put them all to slight The sentence of death was giuen against all the Israelits and a day appointed for their generall massacre Esther the Queene must venture her life for them by going to the King to aske their pardon She fasted and the people fasted for her good successe and she became soe beautifull and gracious that the hart of the King being enamoured with her the liues of thousands were granted at her request The Niniuers for their sinnes had deserued destruction and God sent his Prophet to declare against them and to cry as yet forty dayes and Niniue shall be subverted Ion. 3. The King hearing of it commanded a solemne fast and the city obseruing it God was pacifyed the sentence was suspended and Niniue stoode firme repaired by the force of fasting The three children armed with this vertue entred into the furnace of Babylon and walked in the raging fire as in a pleasant fresh ayre Daniel by fasting was too strong for Lyons and greedy hungar vrging them to deuoure God stopped their mouths that they did him noe hurt Graue Eleazarus contemned death to defende that fast which God had then commanded in the Church And the seauen brethren in the Machabees with their Mother aboue measure maruelous passed through cruell torments in defence of the same fast In the New Testament we haue fasting much more commended vnto vs by the example of Christ himselfe who blessedly beganne the Law of grace with his owne fast of forty dayes We haue also that Anne the Prophetisse fasted that S. Iohn Baptist fasted that the Apostles fasted and that Christ did not onely commende fasting by his example but in plane words and by miracle He would haue a possessed person to be brought to the Apostles that they labouring in vaine to despossesse him he might performe it himselfe and then declare for fasting saying this kind can goe out by nothing but by prayer and fasting Marc. 9. Is it not now a shame for the enemys of the Catholike Church to pretende Scriptures and yet to stande against the whole current both of tho old and new Testament for some aequivocall sentence which they picke out to obiect against fasting Christ to reprooue the hypocrysy of the Pharisys who vsed often to fast and to wash themselues that they might seeme holy before men said Mat. 15. not that which entreth into the mouth defileth a man meaning that the end intention and circumstances of eating and not the corporall meate was either good or hurtfull to the soule of man and they obiect this saying against fasting in generall or against the fasts of the Church Gal. 4. and call them the obseruations of men and not of God What more could an haeretike say to deny the doctrine of
for it as may be done for any absurdity whatsoeuer but the commune sense and the first apprehension of all men conceiueth it most naturall to sorrow with the sorrowfull and abhorreth the contrary as a disdaine and affront and Christ will disdaine those that disdaine him and despise those that despise his Church Baronius relateth of Saint Elphegus Bishop of Winchester how that exhorting of the people to obserue Lent a certaine man derided him but the Bishop foretold that he should dy that night and so it happened Lent then is obserued in imitation of our Lords fast in honour of his Passion and as a preparation for Easter The Sundayes in Lent are not of the number of the forty dayes fast although we keepe abstinence on them also that the forty dayes may continue in some kind of fasting all together and not be quite broken by eating of flesh within that time Ember dayes Ember dayes were fasted as a preparation for holy Orders which at those times vsed to be giuen Saint Hierome writing to Marcella sayeth that the Ember dayes as well as lent were instituted by the Apostles Act. 13. And it may be gathered out of their acts where it is said that fasting and praying they imposed hands that is gaue orders and from this of the Apostles came the practise of the Church of fasting Ember dayes for the more worthy receiuing of holy Orders Leo ser 7 as saint Leo declareth who therefore calleth it an Apostolicall tradition They are obserued in the beginning of the fower quarters of the yeare of Spring Summer Autumne and Winter to offer vp to God as it were the first fruits of all times the orders of the Church being then receiued Rogations dayes Rogation dayes are fasted for the fruits of the earth Procession is made that the whole Church both Clergy and Laity may be represented as present to acknowledge the goodnesse of God and his prouidence ouer vs and to pray for the continuance of it towards vs. Vigils Vigils are fasted inhonour of the day following that it being a holy day dedicated to prayer fasting and prayer may goe both togother for the greater honour of God They are called Vigils which is to say watchings because aunciently the faithfull vsed to watch all that night attending in the Church to the Ecclesiasticall office but many inconueniences in processe of time appearing in those watchings they were layed aside Fridays fast or abstinence Fryday according to custome of places is in honour of our blessed Sauiours Passion The feast and solemnity of Saint Marke was first instituted by occasion of a great pestilence S. Marke which reigned so violently in Italy and especially about Rome that people suddainly fell downe dead as they sneized or yawned And from thence saith Durandus came the custome of saying God blesse you to those that sneize as being then in danger of death Saint Pelagius who was then Pope instituted the solemnity of Saint Marke against it and himselfe died of it as he was going in the Procession Saint Gregory who succeeded him commanded it to be kept all ouer and therefore it is called the great Letany that is to say a greater supplication for Letany is as much as to say a supplication or petitioning of God and so the abstinence Procession and the whole solemnity may be vnderstoode as a supplication thus instituted The solemnity of Rogation dayes is called the lesser Letany because they were first begunne more priuatly and by a lesser authority to wit of the Bishop of Vienna Thus Durand Saturdays abstinence is kept in honour of our blessed Lady in remembrance of that Saturday Saturday on which the sacred body of our Lord remained in the Sepulcher for the Faith of Christ was then preserued especially by her the Apostles at that time wauering in the beleefe of his Resurrection This as all other Praecepts of the Church obligeth according to the intention of the Church commanding it How we are to fast For he that maketh lawes is to interprete his meaning in them who as he could giue them power to oblige so is he to determine the circumstances of their obligation Hence it followeth first that sicke folkes children and youths before they come to a sufficient setled growth aged and decayed persons poore people that must eate often as not hauing sufficient at once for an intire maile and those that labour much in body or minde are not bounde to fasting Because the Praecepts of the Church are to bee vnderstoode vnto edification and not vnto destruction that is to say they are intended to raise the honour of God by increasing of peoples deuotion but they should pull it downe and lessen it if they obliged with any notable hurt And therefore fasting and all such corporall afflictions are to be vsed with discretion and moderation and oblige not vnto our hurt or notable damage Saint Paul was a great lover of such afflictions and no doubt but he was glad to see his disciple Timothy to follow him in them yet when he saw that it was with excesse and to the impairing of his health Tim. 1.5 he aduised him saying Drinke not yet water but vse a litle wine for thy stomake and thy often infirmitys Secondly it followeth that our fast is broken with meate only and not with drinke which the Church might also haue forbidden but did not and therefore it is lawfull to drinke betwixt mailes either wine beere water or any thing which is vsed as drinke Milke betwixt mailes breaketh the fast because it is rather meate then drinke and therefore we commonly call it as the Scripture also doth te cate milke The Praecept of fasting includeth two things Two things in fasting to wit to abstaine from vnlawfull meates and to eate but one maile of lawfull meates The first bindeth all that are subiect to the Prâ—cepts of the Church that is all that are capable of reason The second obligeth only those that are of perfect strength and sufficient ability and not such as are mentioned aboue who may eate more mailes then one so that they absteine from meates prohibited It is a custome in some places to eate bread and drinke on fasting dayes in the morning which in seruants and others that are not bound to fast is allowable and very good because their fasting is a voluntary obsequy in them who not being able nor bound to oblerue strictly the fast of the Church it is to be vnderstoode that of deuotion they will absteine from a compleate breakfast and content them selues with onely bread and drinke but in those that are bound to fast I know not how to allow of it It proceedeth also as I suppose out of ignorance in some that they eate aples and fruit out of maile time on fasting dayes I tell thâ—se once againe that they may drinke on fasting dayes our of maile time and take some thing to quench their thirst because