such as do multiplie mankinde and the number of the faithfull thereby and this is done by the Sacrament of Matrimonie S Who found out and instituted so marueilous things M These Sacraments being so admirable could not be deuised otherwise then by diuine wisdome nor instituted by any other then by God who can giue vs grace and so Christ our Lorde who is God and man deuised and instituted them Moreouer all the Sacraments are as certaine condicts by which the vertue of Christs Passion is deriued vnto vs. And sure it is that none can bestow the treasure of Christs passion but in that maner and by those meanes which christ hath ordained S I would gladly know if in the time of the old Testament there were Sacraments and if they were so excellent as ours M There were many Sacraments in the olde Testament but they were different from ours in foure things First those were moe in number thē ours and therefore the old law was harder then the new law Secondly those were not so easie to be obserued as ours are Thirdly those were more obscure whereby fewe vnderstood what they signifyed whereas ours haue so cleere signifycation that euery one may vnderstande them Fourthly those did not giue grace which ours do but did onely figuratiuely foreshew and promise it So that our Sacraments are much more excellent being fewer more easie more cleere and more effectuall then those were S I would also know which amongst our seauen Sacraments is the greatest of all M They are al great euerie one of them hath some peculiar greatnes The greatest of al is the most holie Sacrament of the Eucharist for in it is contained the Author of grace and of al goodnes which is Christ our Lord yet touching the necessitie the most necessarie of all are Baptisme Penance In respect of the dignitie of those that can minister the Sacramentes the more worthie are Confirmatiō Order because these two Sacraments can not be geuen ordinarily but by a Bishop In respect of the facilitie the most easie is Extreme Vnction because by it sinnes are remitted with out trouble of penance touching the signification Matrimonie is the greatest because it signifieth the vnion of Christ with the Church Of Baptisme S BEgin if you please to declare the first Sacrament and first tel me wherefore is it called Baptisme M This name of baptisme is a greek word and it signifieth washing but holie Church vseth this greeke word because the word washing is to cōmon and is vsed euerie day in common thinges And therefore to the end this Sacrament should haue a proper name and should be the better knowen and honored it is called Baptisme S What things are necessarie to the Sacrament of Baptisme M Three things at the least are necessarie learne them wel because in certaine cases of necessitie as wee shal say hereafter euerie one may baptise and therefore it is good that euerie one know how to do it First is required true and naturall water which must be applied to the partie that is Baptised Secondly at the same time when the water is vsed these wordes must be spoken I Baptise thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holie Ghost Thirdly it is necessarie that the person that baptiseth haue intention to baptise that is to giue the Sacrament which Christ hath instituted and which Holie Church vseth to giue when shee baptiseth For if one had intention only to iest or to wash only the body of some foulenes hee should sinne most grieuously and it were no baptisme and so the poore soule were not baptised S What effect worketh Baptisme M It worketh three effects First it reneweth a man perfectly giuing him the grace of God by which being before the childe of the diuel he becommeth the childe of God and of a sinner becommeth iust and it doth not only wash the soule from all spot of sinne but it deliuereth it also from all the paines of Hell and of Purgatorie In so much that if one should die immediatly after Baptisme hee should goe directly into Heauen as if he had neuer committed sin Secondly Baptisme leaueth in the soule a certain spiritual marke which cannot by any meanes be taken away by which it shall for euer be knowne yea also in those which goe to Hell that they receiued Baptisme and that they had been of the sheepe of Christ As by the peculiar marks it is knowne in this world to whom slaues or cattle do belong And this is the cause why Baptisme can not bee taken oftner then once for it is neuer lost this effect thereof remayning for euer printed in the soule Thirdly by Baptisme a man entreth into the Church and is partaker of all the benefits thereof as a childe of holie Church and maketh profession to bee a Christian and to be readie to obey those that in place of Christ gouerne the Church S To whom doth it belong properly to giue Baptisme M It belongeth to a Priest by proper office and chiefely to those who haue charge of soules But when a Priest can not be had it belongeth to a Deacon and in case of necessitie to wit when there is danger that the partie should die without Baptisme it belongeth to euery one aswell Priest as Lay-man as well man as woman but alwaies order is to be obserued that a woman baptise not if a man may be had and that a Lay man baptise not if any Ecclesiastical person be present and amongst Ecclesiasticall alwaies the lesse must giue place to the greater S I maruell that Baptisme is giuen to litle children scarce borne who do not know what they take M The necessitie of Baptisme is so great that who dyeth without it or at the least without desiring it can not enter into heauen and because litle infants are in great danger to die easely and can not at that age haue any such desire of Baptisme it is therefore necessarie to baptise thē with all speede that may be And although they knowe not what they take the Church supplyeth the defect which by the godfather godmother answereth and promiseth for them and this sufficeth because as by the meanes of Adam wee are fallen into sin and into the offence of God not knowing any thing so God is contented that by meanes of Baptisme and of the Church we bee deliuered from sinne and turne into his grace yea though we know nothing thereof S What meaneth godfather and godmother of whom you spoke and what is their office M To the administration of Baptisme by ancient custome of the Church concurreth a man who is called a godfather and also a woman who is called a godmother that is an other father and mother in things pertayning to God And these two or on of them holdeth the child whiles it is christned and answereth for it when the Priest demādeth of the child if it wil be baptised and if it beleue the
wil not haue faith as Iewes Turkes Heritikes or because they wil not receiue the Sacraments as those that wil not be baptised or wil not confesse their sinnes or wil not do such penance as they can for their sins nor resolue to liue conformably to the law of God S I would haue some example to vnderstand this M Take the example of one which should take great paines and with sweate and labours should gaine so much money as were sufficient to pay al the debts of this citie and should put the same in a bank to the end it should be geuen vnto al such as should bring a warant from him this man surely had satisfied for al somuch as lieth in him yet manie might remaine stil in debt for that they would not either for pride or for slouth or for some other cause demand his warant and carie it to the bank to receiue the money S What signifieth He descended into hel and what doth hel signifie in this place M Hel is the lowest deepest place in this world to wit the midle of the earth And the Scripture in manie places putteth heauen as opposite vnto hel as the highest place vnto the lowest But in this depth of the earth there are foure as it were great caues one for the damned which is the deepest of al and so it is agreable that the proud Diuels and the men which imitate them be in the lowest place and furthest from heauen that can be In the second caue which is something higher are those soules which suffer the paines of Purgatorie In the third which is yet higher are the soules of those children that die with out Baptisme who do not suffer torments of fire but onely the perpetuall priuation of eternall felicity In the fourth which is the highest remained the soules of the Patriarchs Prophets and other Holie men that dyed before the comming of Christ for albeit those holy soules had not any thing to be purged yet they could not enter into glory before Christ by his death had opened the gate of eternall life therefore they remained in that higher place called the place of holy Fathers otherwise Abrahams bosome where they suffered no paines at all but enjoyed a sweete repose expecting the comming of our Lord with great joy And so we read in the Gospel that the soule of that poore beggar Lazarus was carried by an Angell to rest in the bosome of Abraham where hee was seene by the rich glutton who burning in flames of hell cast vp his eyes and saw Lazarus in a farre higher place remayning in great joy and consolation enjoying the fruits of his former patience S Into which of these foure partes of Hell did Christ descend after his death M There is no doubt but hee descended into the place of holy Fathers and suddainely made them blessed after led thē with him in to the kingdome of heauē He made himselfe also seene vnto all the other parts of hell terrifying the Diuels as a victorious Triumpher threatning the damned as a supreame Iudge comforting the soules in Purgatorie as their Aduocate and deliuerer So that Christ descended into Hell as a King vseth sometimes to repaire into prisons to visite prisoners and to shew fauour to whom it pleaseth him S If Christ was dead his body did lye in the sepulchre then he did not whollie descend into hell but onely the soule of Christ and how is it then said that Christ descended into hell M Death had force to separate the soule of Christ from his body but it could not separate either the soule or the bodie from the Diuine person of the same Christ And therefore we beleeue that the Diuine person of Christ remained with his bodie in the sepulcre that the same person descēded with his soule into hel Of the fift Article S HOw is it true that our Lord rose from death the third day seeing that from Friday in the euening when he was buried vnto the night before Sunday when hee rose there wanteth of two whole daies M We doe not say that Christ rose after three whole daies but the third daye which is most true For he was buried on Friday which is the first day though not a whole day and so hee remained in the Sepulchre all Saterday and a part of Sundaie which is the third day For the natural day beginning the night before at the setting of the Sunne the first houre after the Sunne-setting is the first of the day following S. For what cause did not Christ rise streight after his death but would expect the third day M Because he would shew that he was truely dead he would remaine there in the graue so long as sufficed to prooue this truth Moreouer I would haue you considder that like as Christ liued amongst men thirtie three or thirty foure yeares so hee would stay amongst the dead at least thirtie three or thirtie foure houres For so many they are if you put together one houre of Friday for hee was buried an houre before Sunne-setting twentie foure houres of the Saturday and eight or nine houres of Sunday For he rose after midnight towards the beginning of the morning S Why is it said of Christ that hee rose and of other dead as of Lazarus and the Widdowes sonne that they were raysed from death M The reason is because Christ being the Son of God rose of himself to wit by vertue of his God-head he reunited his soule to his bodie so began to liue againe But other dead men can not returne to life by their owne power And therefore it is said they were raised by others As we al at the day of Iudgment shal be raised by Christ S Is there anie other difference betwixt the Resurrection of Christ of others which returned to life before him M There is this difference that the others rose mortal therefore they died againe but Christ rose immortal neither can he euer die anie more Of the sixt Article S Now let vs come vnto the sixt article which is of the Ascension I desire to know how long our Sauiour remained vpon earth after his Resurrection and for what cause M He remained fourtie dayes as you may consider by numbring the dayes betwixt the feasts of his Resurection and Ascension And the reason of his so long stay was because he would with manie diuers apparitions establish the Mysterie of his most true Resurrection For that the same seemeth as it were the most hard And he that beleeueth it hath no difficultie to beleeue the rest For he that riseth was certainly dead before And he that was dead was first borne And so he that beleueth the Resurrection of Christ findeth no labour in beleeuing his death and natiuitie And likewise for so much as the earth is not a conuenient place for glorious bodies but heauen therefore he that beleueth the Resurrection of our Sauiour can
desires S What meaneth Amen which is put to the end of the Creede M It meaneth so is the trueth to wit all that which hath been said is true and certaine CHAP. IIII. The declaration of our Lords prayer S I haue learned through the grace of God that I am to beleeue I desire that you now teach me what I am to hope for desire what meanes I may haue to obtaine it M Al that you demaund is conteyned in our Lords prayer which wee call the Pater noster For in this praier is declared what thing is to be desired of whom we are to demand it and the selfe-same prayer is the meanes to obtaine it S Which is our Lords prayer M It is this Our father which art in heauen c. S For what cause do you prefer the Pater noster before all other praiers M First because it is the most excellent of all being made by Christ himselfe who is the supreame wisdome Secondly because this praier is shortest and so is easie to be learned and kept in memorie with al ful of substance conteyning all that we ought to demand of God thirdly because it is most profitable and effectual being made by him who is both our Iudge our Aduocate therefore knoweth better then any other how we ought to demaunde that we may obtaine Fourthlie it is the most necessarie of all others in regard that all Christians are bound to know it to repeate it euery day and therefore it is called the dailie praier that is to say prayer to be said euery day S Declare then I pray you those wordes Our Father which art in heauen M These few words are as it were a litle preface or a preparation to the praier For in saying that God is our Father we take corage confidèce to pray vnto him in saying hee is in heauē we remember our selues that we ought to go vnto him with great feare humilitie seeing he is notan earthly father but an heauēly again saying he is a Father wee consider that he is willing to pleasure vs in that wee demaund in saying hee is in heauen as Lord master of the world we vnderstande that he can do so much as he wil. Finally in saying he is a Father we remember that we are children of God heires of heauen in saying he is in heauen considering that we are on earth we remēber that we haue not the possession of our inheritance but that wee are pilgrims and trauellers in a land of our enemies and therefore stand in great neede of his helpe S Declare if you please vnto mee all the words in particular M The worde Father albeit it belongeth to God as he is Father of all things by creation yet in this prayer it is vnderstood of God as hee is the Father of good Christians by adoption It is true also that sinners may say vnto God Our father who desire to be conuerted to him to become his childrē And only those cannot truly saye the Pater noster who neither are nor desire to be the children of God not thinking at all of amending themselues S Wherefore is it said Our Father and not my Father M It is said Our Father to the end wee may vnderstand that we are all brethren and as brethren ought to loue and be vnited together being the children of one the same Father It is also said Our Father to teach vs that a cōmon praier is better then a priuate and more profitable also vnto him that doth pray for that whiles each one saith Our Father euerie one prayeth for al and al pray for euerie one S Wherefore is it said Which are in heauen is not God in al places M God is said to dwel in heauen not for that he is not in al places but because heauen is the most noble part of the world and in it doth appeare the greatnes powre and wisdome of God Finally in it God vouchsafeth to be seene face to face of the Angels and blessed men It may be also said that God is in heauen because he dwelleth in a perticuler manner in the Angels in holie mē who are spiritual heauens S Let vs now come vnto the first petition what meaneth Hallowed be thy name M Name in this place signifieth same and renoume as when we say that one hath a great name because he is knowne of manie Or that he hath a good name or an euil name because he hath a good fame or an euil fame being knowne of manie and commended for good or discommended for bad Wherefore to sanctifie the name of God is nothing els then to publish through the world the knowledge of God to conserue it pure and holie in the hartes and mouthes of men as in it selfe it is And because there are in the world manie infidels who know not God and manie euil Christians that blaspheme curse him therefore those that are the children of God and haue zeale of the honour of their father do praie with great desire that his name may be sanctified that is that it be through the whole world knowen adored cōfessed praised blessed as is conueniēt S Seing wee desire that God bee knowen and praised of men were it not better to demand it of men thē of God M Man is not able of him self neither to knowe nor to praise God therfore we demand of God that he wil worke with his grace in that maner that the Infidels and other sinners may be conuerred being conuered beginne to know praise his holie name S Wherefore is the prayer begune with demanding that the name of God be sanctified M We are bound to loue God aboue al things more then our selues therefore our first most frequent desire ought to be of the glorie of God and for this cause were we created and endued with reason to the end we may know and praise God wherein also doth consist our chifest good as we shal say here after S Declare vnto me now the second petition Thy kingdome come M In this petition in fit place we demand our owne saluation after that in the first we demanded the glorie of God S What is to be vnderstood by the kingdome of God M The kingdome of God may be vnderstood three maner of waies for we finde a kingdome of nature a kingdom of grace and a kingdome of glorie The kingdome of nature is that where with God gouerneth al the creatures as absolute Lord of al things For albeit peruerse men do euil and obserue not the law of God yet God doth raigne ouer thē for that when it pleaseth him he hindereth their disignmentes And though he permit them sometimes to haue their desires afterwardes hee punisheth them seuerely and there is none that can resist his wil nor that can do otherwise then he ordaineth or permitteth The kingdome of grace is that wherewith God gouerneth
ruleth the soules harts of good Christians giuing them spirite and grace to serue him willingly to seeke his glorie aboue all things The kingdome of glorie shal be in the other life after the day of iudgement for that then God wil raigne with all the Saints ouer all things created without any resistaÌ„ce For theÌ„ al the force of the diuels shal be taken away also of al peruerse men who shal be shut vp in eternall prison of hel In that time shal death also be extinguished corruption with al the tentations of the world of the flesh which now trouble the seruaÌ„ts of God So that shal be quiet peaceable kingdome with secure possessioÌ„ of perfect eternal felicity S Which of these three kingdomes â—s spoken of in this petition M Not of the first for that is not to come but is now come Neither of the second for that is spoken of in the first petition is in a great part already come But here is spoken of the third which is to come and is expected with great desire of al those that know the miserie of this life so in this petition we demand our chiefe good and the perfect glory of both soule and bodie S If the kingdome of God which we desire may comequickly shal begin after the day of Iudgment then we desire demand that this world should speedely end that the day of iudgement should come shortly M So it is for thought the louers of the world can haue no worse newes then to heare the day of Iudgement named yet the citiznes of heauen who liue now as pilgrimes and banished men here below in earth haue no other greater desire Where vpon S. Augustin saith that like as before Christ came into the world al the desires of the Saincts of the ancient law were directed to the first comming of Christ so now al the desires of holie men of the new law are directed to the second comming of the same Christ which wil bring vs perfect beatitude S Let vs passe vnto the third petition What do those wordes signifie Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen M In these words is demanded grace to obserue wel the law of god For that the eternal life which is the end of man being demanded in the second petition it was conuenient that the principal meanes to arriue vnto that end should be demanded next after this principal meanes is the obseruing of the commandements of God as our lord hath said if thou wilt enter into eternall life keep the commandements for so much as wee are not able of our selues to kepe all the commandements in such sorte as we ought therefore we demand of God that his wil be done by vs that is that he geue vs grace to fulfil his wil in obeying wholly and in al things his holie commandements S I desire to know whether that besides the fulfilling the wil of God in obseruing the commandements we are bound also to conforme our willes with Gods wil when he sendeth vs tribulations M We are bound at the lest not to murmour nor to grudge at the prouidence of God because al that he sendeth or permitteth he doth it to a good end to wit to giue vs occasion of greater merite if we be good or els to purge vs if we be bad S To what purpose is added In earth as it is in heauen M To teach vs that we ought to endeuour to obey God and to obserue his holie commandements with that perfection promptnes gladnes with which the Angels do obey in heauen who neuer committed anie litle default in obseruing al the commandements of God It may be also said that we desire and demaund that sinners signified by the earth may obey God as the Saints do obey him who are signified by heauen Or els that the whole Church signified by the earth may intirely obey God as Christ who is signified by heauen obeyd him S Let vs come vnto the fourth petition what meaneth Geue vs this day our daylie bread M With great reason bread is demanded that mainteineth life after that grace hath been demanded which is life it selfe For that the first thing that anie one begining to liue desireth is food where with life is maintained But you haue to vnderstande that in this prayer spirituall bread is principally demaunded which is the meate of the soule and secondarily corporall bread which is the food for the body And by spirituall bread is vnderstood the most holy Sacrament of the altar that is the celestial and diuine bread which merueilously nourisheth the life of the soule likewise the word of god is vnderstood which by preaching or reading of spirituall bookes helpeth no little to nourish the same life of the soule Finally is vnderstood the inspiration of God prayer and euery other thing which helpeth to maintaine and increase grace in vs the which as is saide is the life of the soule By corporall bread is vnderstood all that is needful vnto vs to maintaine the life of the bodie which is as an instrument of the soule to do good workes S Wherefore is it saide that this bread is ours M With great mysterie this bread is called ours for if we speake of the blessed Sacrament that is our bread because of our saluation it was formed by the holy ghost in the wombe of the blessed Virgin and in a certaine manner bakte in the Ouen of the holy Crosse serued vp on the table of the Altar by the handes of Priests And moreouer it is ours because it is the bread proper of the children and may not be giuen vnto dogges that is to say to Infidels nor to those that are in mortall sinne If wee speake of the doctrine wee call it our bread to witte that which is distributed by the true preachers vnto the children of the Holy Church and not the strange bread to wit that which al heretikes giue vnto their followers which is corrupt and pestiferous bread But if we speake of corporall bread we defire that God will giue vs our owne bread and not that which belongeth to others to wit that he wil help vs in iust and lawfull gaines And againe that he blesse our lands possessions and all our labours to the end that without injurie and fraud we may procure our liuing S Wherefore is it saide that this bread is dailie M It is called dailie that is to saye bread for euerie daye for that wee desire not superfluous or curious things but simply that which may suffice for the daies refection and as well for the soule as for the bodie especially knowing that wee are pilgrims and strangers in this life S Wherfore is it said Giue vnto vs M Because albeit we are willing to labour to haue bread as well spirituall as corporall yet wee know that our labours should all bee vaine if God concurred not with his grace as
that go before and the seauen which follow are wholy natural and bind not only Christians but Iewes and Gentils also but this third is in part natural and bindeth all men in part is not natural neither bindeth it al for that to sanctifie the feasts that is to haue some daies for holie to be spent in holie works chiefly in the seruice of God is a naturall precept for that natural reason teacheth it to al men and so in al partes of the world some day is obserued festiual But the ordaining of such a day that is that it should be one rather then an other is not natural And therefore with the Iewes the principal feast was Saturdaye with Christians it is the Sunday S For what cause did God command that the Iewes should obserue the Saturday rather then anie other day M There are two principal reasons The first is because on the Saturday God finished the frame of the world and therefore he would that day should be sāctified in memory of this great benefite of the creation of the world Which serued also to conuince the error of certaine Philosophers who said that the world had alwaies bene for that celebrating the feast in memorie of the creation of the world it must needs be confessed that the worlde had a beginning The second reason is because a man hauing caused his seruants and hand-maides and his cattle to worke and wearie themselues sixe daies of the weeke God would that the seauenth daye which is the Saturday the same seruants maides yea his Oxealso and Asse should repose and that masters should learne to bee pittifull towardes their laborers and not to bee cruell but to haue compassion also of their very bruit beastes S What is the cause that we Christians do not obserue the Saturday as the Iewes doe seeing there is so good reason to obserue it M With great reasō god hath changed the Saterday into the Sunday as hee hath also done Circumcision into Baptisme the Paschal lambe into the blessed Sacrament al other good thinges of the old Testament into better thinges in the new Testament Wherefore if the Saturday was celebrated in memorie of the creation of the worlde because in that day the worke of the creation was ended with more reason the Sunday is celebrated in memorie of the same creation for that in the sunday the said creation was begune and if the Iewes did geue to God the last day of the weeke then Christians do better who geue him the first Moreouer vpon the Sunday memorie is made of three principal benefites of our Redemption For Christ was borne on the sunday on sunday he rose and vpon Sunday he sent the Holie Ghost to his Apostles Finally the Saturday did signifie the repose which the holie soules had in Limbo the Sunday signifieth the glorie which the holie souls haue now and the bodies shal haue hereafter in heauen And therefore the Iewes did celebrate the Saterday because when they died they went to repose in Limbo but christians celebrate the sunday because when they dye they go vnto the glorious blisse of heauen which yet is vnderstood if they haue done wel according to the holie Law which God hath geuen them S Is it necessarie to obserue other feastes besides the Sunday M It is necessarie to obserue manie other feasts as well of our Lord as of our Ladie and of other Sainctes to wit al those which are commanded by holie Church But we haue spoken in particular of the Sunday because it is the most ancient and oftner celebrared then anie other As amongst the Iewes there were also manie feaste◠but the most ancient most frequent and the greatest of al was the Sabboth And therefore in the ten commādements there is not expresse mention made of anie but of the Sabbaoth to which as we haue said the Sunday hath succeeded S What ought to be done to obserue the feastes M Two things are necessarie the first is to bstaine from seruil works which are those that seruants and artificers are accustomed to do who labour most specially with their bodies For those workes in which the vnderstanding doth principally labour cannot be called seruil though for helpe of the vnderstanding the tongue the hand or anie other corporal member be vsed The second thing is that in the commanded feastes we are bound to be present at the holie Sacrifice of Masse And albeit holie Church bindeth vs to no more yet is it conuenient that we spend the whole day of the feast or the greatest part thereof in prayer and spiritual reading in visiting Churches in hearing sermons and in doing like holie exercises for this is the end for which feastes were instituted S If seruil workes may not be done on the festiual dayes thē belles may not be rongue the table may not be made readie much lesse meate be dressed for al these are seruil workes M The commandement of not doing seruile works is vnderstood with two conditions The first that they bee not necessary to mans life and therefore it is permitted to dresse meate to make ready the table and such like that can not bee done the day before The second that they be not necessary for the seruice of God for which it is allowed to ring the Bels and to doe other workes in the Church that cānot be done another day And besides these conditions it is also lawfull to do seruile workes vpon the holie day when licence is granted by the Prelate for reasonable cause Of the fourth Commandement S THe fourth Commandement followeth which is of honoring our father and mother I desire to know wherefore the commandement of honoring our father mother is the first in the second table M The commandements of the second table belong to our neighbour as those of the first belong to God And because amongst all neighbours our father and mother are most neere to vs to whom wee are moste bounde as of whom wee haue our being and our life which is the foundation of all our temporall good thinges therefore with great reason the second table beginneth with the honour of our father and mother S What is vnderstood by this honour which is due to our father and mother M Three thinges are vnderstood helpe obedience reuerence First wee are bound to helpe assist our father mother in their necessities And this helpe in holy Scriptures is called honour And it is great reasō that children hauing receiued life of their father mother should procure to preserue vnto them the same life Further wee are bounde to obey our father mother as S. Paul saith in all things in our Lorde that is in all things which are conformable to the will of our Lord for that when our father or mother commandeth vs any thing which is contrary to the wil of God then we must according to the commaundemente of Christ hate our father and mother that is not
exercised in the vertues of meekenesse and of patience considering the examples of holie men and of Christ himselfe who by supporting and suffering haue triumphed more gloriouslie then worldly men do by endeuoring to be reuenged of their enemies S What is Sloath what sinnes produceth it what is the remedie against it M Sloath is called in Greeke Acidia signifyeth tediousnes loathsomnes and griefe to doe well And it is a mortal sinne when one giueth taketh loathsomnes to do well is displeased for that he is bound to obserue the cōmandements of God and to walke in the way of vertue The sinnes which he produceth are light esteeming the commaundements easelie yeelding him selfe to vices desperation of wel-doing hatred and dislike of such as would draw or force a sinner to leaue sinne and to take a good way The remedie is neuer to be idle to read good bookes to consider the great reward which God promiseth to those that are diligent and obseruing his commandements and the eternall and intollerable punishments which is prouided for the negligent Cap. XX. Of the sinnes against the Holie Ghost VVHat how many be the sinnes against the Holie Ghost M They are sixe to wit despaire of our saluation presumption to bee saued without merits to impugne the knowen truth enuie at an other mans grace obstinacie in sinne and finall impenitence S Wherefore are they called sinnes against the Holie Ghost M Because they are committed vpon meere malice and speacially the third which is of all other properly a sinne against the Holie Ghost that is when a man knoweth the truth and yet will obstinatly hold and proue that it is not true To sin of malice is said to be against the Holie Ghost because goodnes is attributed to the Holie Ghost which is contrarie to malice like as to sinne of ignorance is said to be against the Son of God to whome wisdome is atributed and sinning of frailtie is said to be against the Father to whom power is attributed S What haue these sinnes proper M They haue this that they are not pardoned in this world nor in the other as our Lord admonisheth vs in the Gospel Which yet is thus vnderstood that they are hard to be pardoned because seldom hardly those that fal into these sinnes come to true repentance like as when wee say a disease is incurable we will not for all that say it can not be cured by anie meanes but that it is seldome cured or that ordinarily it is not cured Chap. XXI Of sinnes that crie vnto Heauen S HOw manie are they what bee the sinnes which crie vnto Heauen M They are four to wit wilful murder carnall sinnes against nature oppression of the poore and chiefly of orphans and widowes and to defraud workmen of their wages S Wherefore is it said that they crie to Heauen M Because the iniustice of these sinnes is so maniefest that it can not be couered or hidden by anie means Chap. XXII Of The foure last things S I Would haue some general document to flie sinne M The wise man saith Remember thou the last things and thou wilt neuer sinne The last things are foure Death the Generall Iudgement Hell and Heauen S Wherfore are these foure things called the last M Because death is the end of life and the last thing which is to happen in this world Finall iudgement is the last of all the iudgments that are to be geuen and therfore there is no appealing from it Hell is the last euil that melefactours are to haue and they are to remaine therin for euer without possibilitie euer to change Heauen is the last good which the good are to haue they are neuer to lose it S I would haue some considerations to exercise my self in these last things for that remembring my self often of them I should neuer sinne as the wise man saith whom you alleaged M Concerning death you may consider these four points First that death is most certaine and none can escape it The second that the houre of death is vncertaine and manie die when they least thinke of it The third that in death all the designments of this life do end and then the vanitie of the world appeareth The fourth that at their death euerie one repenteth the euill he hath done and the omission of good which he might haue done therfore it is great folie to do that wherof we are sure to repent vs. Touching Iugement you may consider these points First that the iudgement shal be geuen of a most important matter to wit of the chiefest good or the greatest euil Secondly it shal be geuen by the highest Iudge who knoweth all things and whom none can resist Thirdly it shall bee geuen in the presence of the whole world where none can hide themselues Fourthly there wil be no hope to flie the sentene or the execution of Gods Iustice Concerning Hell consider that it is large long high and deepe Large for that it conteyneth all the paines that can bee imagined Long for that they are eternall High for that they are all most bitter in the highest degree Depe because they are all absolute paynes without mixture of anie sort of consolation Concerning Heauen consider in like maner that it is large for that it conteyneth all the goodnes that can be imagined and more also then we can imagine or desire It is long because all those Beatitudes are eternal It is high because they are most high and noble It is deepe because they are pure good without any mixture of euill And here you may adde that the commodities of this life haue no one of these conditions for that they are few short little and alwaies mixed with vexations and troubles of mind And likewise the euils of this world are few short litle and alwaies tempered with some consolation Wherupon you are to conclude that all those haue truly lost their wittes that for loue of the commodities of this life or for feare of present tribulations lose the happines or fall into the euils of the world to come FINIS A Table of the Chapters and principall contents of this booke VVHat Christian Doctrine is and what are the principall partes thereof pag. 1 The declaration of the vsuall blessing with the signe of the Crosse 5 The declaration of the Creede 13 And first of the first Article 20 Of the second 20 Of the third 24 Of the fourth 29 Of the fifth 40 Of the sixt 43 Of the seauenth 44 Of the eight 53 Of the ninth 57 Of the tenth 68 Of the eleuenth 64 Of the twelfth 71 The declaration of our Lords prayer 77 The declaration of the Aue Maria. 105 The declaration of the ten command 111 And first of the first commandement 117 Of the second 130 Of the third 145 Of the fourth 148 Of the fifth 152 Of the sixt 156 Of the seuenth 159 Of the eight 147 Of the ninth 253 Of the tenth 168 Declaratiō of the precepts of the church 201 Declaration of Euangelical counsell 276 Declaration of the Sacramēts of the church 279 Of the Sacrament of Baptisme 215 Of the Sacrament of Confirmation 293 Of the Sacrament of the Eucharist 294 Of the Sacrament of Penance 241 Of the Sacrament of Extreme Vnctiō 217 Of the Sacrament of Order 220 Of the Sacrament of Matrimonie 220 Of vertues in generall 258 Of the Theologicall vertues 231 Of the cardinall vertues 221 Of the seauen gifts of the Holy Ghost 237 Of the eight Beatitudes 240 Of the seauen works of mercy corporall spirituall 253 A declaration of vices sins in general 284 Of mortall and venall sinne 254 Of Original sinne 259 Of the seuen capital sinne 296 Of the sinnes against the Holie Ghost 243 Of sinnes that crie to heauen 270 Of the foure last things 312 FINIS * Likewise beginning the day at mid-night our Sauiour rising as he did after mid-night rose the third day * Counting the day to end at Sunne-setting Or if you count to midnight there was more of Fridaye and some part of Sunday * Fridaye is also Fasting daye where custome so bindeth as it doth in England