the cheife Then the feast of Pentecost Thirdly the feast of Tabernacles in remembrance of God praeseruing them after their comming out of Aegypt for forty yeares in tabernacles Besides these they had also diuerse other lesser feasts as of the New moones c. but these were the cheife and soe solemne that they were kept with octaues and all the male people according to Maldonate was to be at them but now as shaddows their feasts are passed away Col 2. and oblige not Let noe man saith S. Paul iudge you in meate or in drinke or in part of a festiual day or of the new moone or of Sabaoths which are a shaddow of things to come to wit of more perfect obseruations and feasts that were to come in the law of Christ And therefor beside the Sabaoth which we celebrate euery weeke we obserue also other solemnitys of the cheife mysterys of the christian faith as also of our B. Lady and of the Angels and Saints intending allwais the supreme honour of God in them To sanctify holy dayes it is not sufficient onely to absteâ—â—e from seruil works but we much sanctify them by some special works of religion done on them to the sanctifying of our soules that they may haue the Sabaoth of a good conscience and rest from sinne Reg. 1.25 which causeth sohbing and scruple of haâ—t in vs. For this the Church hath commanded that euery one heare masse vpon holy dayes because it is the cheife act of religion as the sacrifice of the law of Christ and therefor fitting that euery one should be present to offer vp to God at least one masse euery holy day The other prayers of the Church as being much inferiour to the masse and sermon which is inferiour to the prayers of the Church oblige not all vnder a mortal sinne to be present at them Yet of deuotion it is sitting that all should be present also at those holy seruices of God which are to be preferred before any priuate deuotions of our owne Besides we shew more loue by those works of supererogation a good seruant will not expect to be commanded to euery thinge but of his owne accord will doe that which he seeth to conduce vnto his masters profit After euensong honest and modest recreations are not to be hindered those that haue labored hard all the weeke had neede of some time of recreation to refresh themselues and honest recreations may either lawfully be taken then or els they can neuer be had Those that are soe praecise to the contrary as some hypocrytical spirits of thesetimes haue bene commande they know not what and impose burdens which if themselues were to carry after a whole weeks labour they would not touch with their fingar God may be honored in such recreations and the seruants of God know how to honour him in them It is a great wickednesse in many who insteede of sanctifying of holydaies with good works and absteining from sinne make them the commune dayes of sinne prophaning them with new and more greeuous sinnes committed on them This is a circumstance at least fitting if not absolutly necessary to be expressed in confession For as it were a circumstance of higher malice for a subiect to strike at the king and to attempt to kill him on some solemne day in which he were reioycing in the midst of his people and comforting them with his gracious and glorious aspect soe it is a great sinne and heinous malice in a christian to giue himselfe to vice vpon holydayes and as it were to committe treason against God when his faithfull seruants are gathered together to praise and blesse him This commandement is broken by vnnecessary works but not by ringing of bells adorning of altares dressing of meate and the lâ—ke Christ himselfe allowed his disciples to doe such works on the Sabaoth day and when the Iewes murmured at them he iustifyed with good reasons that which they did saying Maâ—â— 2. that the Sabaoth was made for man and not man for the Sabaoth And when the Pharisys murmured at his curing on the Sabaoth day Luc. 14. he asked them which of you shall haue an asse or an oxe fallen into a pitte and will not incontinent draw him out on the Sabaoth day Luc. 6. And vpon the like occasion he asked them if it be lawfull on the Sabaoth to doe well or ill Yet God would haue this commandement to be soe strictly obserued in that law that it was not then lawfull to kindle a fire soe much as to dresse meate on the Sabaoth day nor to take a iourney aboue a mile or two at most according to Maldonate A man being apprehended for gathering of sticks on the Sabaoth day was brought vnto Moyses and Aaron but they not knowing the will of God what was to be done with him God himselfe gaue sentence of death against him Num. 15. saying to Moyses dying let tâ—is man dy let all the multitude stone him without the campe And they carried him out and stoned him to death Nay he would worke a miracle in praeseruing the Manna for two dayes together rather then they should gather it on the Sabaoth day although it were their necessary Foode and but a small labour How carefull then ought we to be in the keeping of this commandement in which God would be soe strict It is a great neglect in masters to dispose noe better of their affaires then to haue their worke to doe when their seruants should be at rest But in this as all other things the custome of the Church according to places is to be reuerenced THE FOVRTH COMMANDEMENT HONOVR thy father and thy mother that thou mast be longliued vpon earth Here now beginne the Commandements of the second table The three former were conteined in the first and in them was commanded that which pertained immediatly to the loue of God These belong to the loue of our neighbour The loue of God is the roote and foundation of keeping the Commandements for those that truely loue God will willingly and readily keepe his Commandements and by keeping them they are more and more grounded and perfected in the loue of him It was a high expression that of S. Iohn when he said God is charity and he that abideth in charity abideth in God Io. 1.4 and God in him by louing of God we are vnited vnto him we haue him in our harts we will that which he willeth and are as it were all one with him that as the Saints of heauen see all things in God who abideth in them soe it is a kind of heauen vpon earth to be vnited vnto God by loue afflictions being sweet and confortable in the loue and seruice of him And to know whether we haue the loue of God or noe the same Apostle giueth for a signe the loue of our neighbour saying in the same place If we loue one another God abideth in vs and his charity
come he that shall say this may feigne what he will and sheweth planely thathe seeketh but todelude the diuine scriptures and regardeth but litle the good of his soule which he will hazard by such vaine fictions which neither he nor any other knoweth of obstinatly inuented against the light of his owne scriptures and against the ghospell of Iesus Christ planely fullfilling them in the sight and to the notice of the whole world But this siction of some Iewes was forbidden and suppressed presently by the rest Many other testimonys haue the scriptures giuen of our Sauiour Iesus Christ First they often declare that Christ the Messias and Redeemer of the world should come of the tribe of Iuda and of the house of Dauid Dan. 7. which is soe certainely verifyed in our blessed Sauiour that his enemys as yet could neuer question it Esa 7. They declare that he should be borne of a Virgin that he should come forth of Bethleem Mich 5. that kings should present him with gifts Ps 71. that a messenger should goe before him to prepare his wayes the voice of one crying in the desert prepare the way of our Lord that he should cure blinde deafe Mal. 2. â—sa 4. â—sa 35. dumbe and lame that he should come meeke poore and more particularly riding on an asse Zach. 9. Ps 40. Zach. 11. That he should be despised by his owne seruant and that his price should be thirty peeces of syluar Esa 35. Esa 53. that he should be reputed amongst the wicked that he should become the most abiect of men a man of sorrows that he should be carried as a lambe to the slaughter Ps 21. without opening of his mouth Ps 68. that his garments should be diuided by lott that gall and vinagre should be giuen him to drinke These and many more thinges would God haue to be foretold in the diuine scriptures of Christ the Messias to come All which agree soe planely to our Sauiour Iesus Christ that they neede noe application He that would see what the Sybills haue prophecyed and what other authors of the Gentiles haue written of him may reede the Spiritual Directory Broughtons Ecclesiastical History or the Holy Court but I haue shewed it allready by a better testimony of the diuine word and will therefore omitte those inferiour authoritys Now we will declare the faith of Christ by his works and shew by them that his words were true when he said Io. 5. the very works which I doe giue testimony of mee First the manner of calling his Apostles in the beginning of his ghospell and miracles and their stâ—ange readinesse in following and obeying of him shew that the power of God was planely with him and that he had power ouer their harts They knew him not when he called of them and some of them before then had neuer seene him He was to the eye a poore man that had nothing to giue them nor any meanes of preferment for them nor yet what with all to maintaine them and neuerthelesse he onely calling of them without any delay or demurrâ— at all or without obiecting or questioning of any thinge they left all they had and presently followed him He shewed in this his power ouer them and that he had the harts of men in his hands to draw them vnto him He was of that sanctity of life that his enemys haue confessed and admired it He was full of charity to all and of humility patience mildnesse and other vertues soâ— meeke and truely louing to his enemys that in the midst of all those great ignominys false accusations greeuous and vnspeakeable paines which they put him vnto he vttered not the least word of disdaine against them but euen then in his hart he waspittying of them and fell to his prayers praying earnestly to his Father for them and cordially excused them in what he could Nor did he offer to resist or let others to doe it for him allthough he shewed planely that by many meanes he could haue defended himselfe With these and the like vertues he planted first his ghospell He confirmed it also with many miracles which he wrought giuing health to the sicke sight to the blinde hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe and restoring the dead to life againe And he confirmed the miracles of his life by his glorious resurrection when he was dead Who euer heard the like to this Christ confirmed his doctrine with a most eminent sanctity of life he confirmed againe the verity of his doctrine and fanctity of life by as plane miracles as any can be and to confirme all this he promised that within three dayes after his death he would raise himselfe againe to life and he performed it All this our blessed Sauiour did to draw vs to him and especially to the lewes to bring them to receiue his doctrine and to beleeue in him or els that they might be vnexcusable if they beleeued not We reade of diuerse wicked men who by false delusions haue gone about to prooue their errors but the holiest of men that euer were neuer shewed the like sanctity nor wrought such miracles as our Sauiour wrought nor concluded them with their resurrection from the dead This would the Sonne of God particularly reserue to himselfe to confirme that ghospell which he was to preach and to make manifest his diuine and soueraigne power that he was the authour of life and death Mahomet indeede had many wayes by false impostures to delude his souldiers but being once dead his power was at an end In his life time he shewed himselfe an Anti Christ to Christ prowdly extolling himselfe aboue the Sonne of God and promised to his followers that he would rize againe from the dead but as I say he being once dead his power was at an end and his promise vanished away with him His promise was to rize againe to the world eight hundred yeares after his death and although he tooke soe long a space for it yet now that space is runne and eight hundred yeares being past long since Mahomet is still as dead as he was and we haue noe newse of his rising againe The whole world was witnesse of our Sauiour Christ his death thousands of people saw what he suffered and beheld his death vpon the Cros and the third day after he roze againe to life and made his enemys the witnesses of his resurrection But we will insist a litle longer vpon this point of our blessed Sauiours resurrection for it is a most material and maine ground of the Apostles in their preaching for the foundation of the christian faith and conuersion of Insidels as may be seene all ouer in their acts and Epistles S. Act. 13. Paul preaching Christ to the Synagogues when he had shewed his descent according to the diuine promise from the Patriarks he concludeth all with the testimony of his resurrection and repeateth it ouer againe Vrging
it as by reason a most efficacious motiue and conuincing argument fully to satisfy their vnderstandings and to draw them to beleeue in him First Christ would soe notify the mystery of his resurrection in his life time as that his very enemys might stande in expectation afterwards to see the performance of it and that by it he might not onely encourage his disciples and reinforce them who as faint harted souldiers had forsaken him in his Passion but also that it might serue as a testimony to the world of the verity of his doctrine and that his sufferings were voluntarily vndergone and of his owne good will that soe the scandall of the Cros might be taken away and all seeing his power might beleeue in him And therefor he spoke of it and promised it first whilst he liued and would in his Passion be publikely accused of it vntill he had made it soe knowne that the Priests of the Iewes and Pharisees hearing ofit might labour all they could to hinder it and that all their labour might appeare to be in vaine When therefor they had gotten their malice fullfilled and according to their desire had procured his death they came together to Pilate and said Sir Mat. 27. we haue remembred that the seducer said yet liuing after three dayes I will rize againe Commande therfor the sepulcher to be kept vntill the third day least perhaps his disciples come and steale him away and say to the people he is rizen from the dead c. And Pilate said you haue a guard gâ—e guard him as you know And they departing made the sepulcher sure sealing vp the stone with watchmen Thus would Christ haue his resurrection to be taken notice of and to be opposed before it came to passe and would permitte his enemys to vse what meanes they could to preuent and hinder it or to conceale it But what is man to compare with God or who can hinder the diuine ordinance by these meanes the resurrection of Christ became better testifyed and was made more apparent afterwards when he made good his word and performed it On the third day early in the morning the deuout women being come to the monument Mat. 28. Behold there was made a great earth quake For an Angell of our Lord descended from heauen and comming rolled backe the stone and sate vpon it and his countenace was as lightening and his garment white as snowand for feare of him the watchmen were affrighted and became as dead And the Angell answering said to the women feare not you For I know that you seeke Iesus that was Crucifyed He is not here for he is rizen as he said Come and see the place where our Lord was laid All these thinges the watchmen were made witnesses of and testifyed them to the cheife Priests who consulting together gaue them a great summe of money to say that his disciples had come by night and had stolne him away when they were a sleepe and promised to them that if the President should come to heare of it they would perswade him and secure them Who notwithstanding would not be perswaded by them but taking the particular examination of it from the watchmen themselues informed Caesar of the truth of it and by his information and other motiues the Emperour was soe moued in affection towards Christ that he proposed in the senate for diuine honour to be giuen to him by the Romanes and being offended that he obtained it not he protected those that were deuoted vnto him and commanded vnder paine of death that none should hinder their deuotion But Christ would not leaue his resurrection with these onely although sufficient testimonys of the good women and euill watchmen but would appeare aliue vnto many more and remained forty dayes after it vpon earth that by many apparitions in which he often shewed himselfe he might giue sufficient proofe of it Mar. 16. We haue how that first he appeared to Mary Magdalene after that to two disciples going to Emaus after that to all the disciples together except Thomas who then was not with them after that to them all againe when Thomas was with them and permitted him to be incredulous of his resurrection and not to beleeue the rest of the Apostles affirming it that he might both see him and feele him to be rizen againe and should confesse him in those circumstances to be his Lord and his God Cor. 1.15 And S. Paul mentioneth to the Corinthians how that he appeared to more then fiue hundred brethren together Thus would our Sauiour take still more and more witnesses of his resurrection before that he would ascende into heauen Act. 1. sâ—ewing himselfe aliue after his Passion by many arguments For he was seene heard felt and did eate with the liuing And the mystery of his resurrection was soe manifest and certaine that all our Euangelists in their ghospels would record it without feare of either Iew or Gentil disproouing them in it and soe certaine that Iosephus the best historiographer of those times and who flouriâ—hed immediatly after them could not with his honour although a Iew question the truth of it or omitte to speake of it but hath recorded it for true amongst the publike and remarkeable thinges that then happened commonly knowne and vnquestioned and hath left in his history this worthy saying of Christ There was in these times Iesus a wise man if it be lawfull to call him a man Iosl 18. antiquit c. 6. for he was a worker of miraculous thinges and a teacher of those that desired the truth and adioyned vnto himselfe many both of the Iewes and Gentils This was Christ him did Pilate crucify at tâ—e accusation of the cheife of our nation But those that louâ—d him yet forsooke him not for â—e appeared againe vnto them the third day aliue Because the Prophets by the inspiration of God foretold these and other innumerable miracles of him In which words of this authour is conteined the summe of all that which I haue said of the miracles of Christ to wit that he confirmed his doctrine with miracles and his miraculous life by his resurrection from the dead the Prophets being inspired to foretell these thinges of him And as Christ himselfe first founded the ghospell of our beleefe in the fanctity of his owne life and miracles The Apostles preaching soe also would he haue the same faith to be propagated afterwards by the sanctity and miracles of his Apostles First their holines of life was admitable euen to their enemys They were contented with shame pouerty hungar cold heate imprisonment banishment whipps and all kind of disgraces and crueltys that they might honour Christ and enioy him And soe willingly did they suffer without euer repenting them of that which they had done for Christs sake that after persecution they still beganne againe to preach him carrying his ghospell from place to place and proclaiming it amongst all sorts of
soe obscured and thy sacred and life giuing face to become pale and void of life as a roote from a thirsty ground that there is noe beauty nor comlinesse in it It was by vs that thou camest into this plight thou didst beare our sinnes and they put thee to paine and disfigured thee Thinke now O Christians of that which you beleeve and confider who he was and what he suffered for you Iesus Christ the onely sonne of God suffereth for man the master for the seruant the Creatour for his creature he that made Angels and men heauen and earth he of whom and by whom and in whom are all thinges he bore our infirmitys our sorrowes he carryed Rom. 11. and became as a lepar strucken of God and humbled Esa 53. He was wounded for our iniquitys and with the waile of his stripe we are healed our sinnes drew blood of his sacred body and crucifyed and killed him Heauen stoode astonished the sunne was ecclypsed a terrible darknesse was spred ouer the earth the earth was shaken graues opened and the bodys of the dead roze vp to life againe at this mystery and shall it make noe impression in vs Behold ô Christians Christ expired on the Cros and say often with your selues who is this that is Crucifyed and dead who is this that is crucifyed and dead It is the onely sonne of God whom the Angles adore the latchet of whose shoe S. Iohn Baptist was not worthy to loose Thinke then againe what he was crucifyed for It was to take away our sinnes and to blesse vs with euerlasting glory O blessed Lord O God our Sauiour how great was thy loue to vs and thy hatred to sinne that could cause the miracle of thy incarnation and death for our redemption I reioyce in thy merits by which I am redeemed and being now at liberty I dedicate my selfe for euer to thy seruice Keepe thou my soule and let it neuer forsake thee The benefit which we haue by the death of Christ was praefigured vnto vs in the law of Moyses where guilty persons that had sled to the cittys of sanctuary were set at liberty and went home pardoned at the death of the high Priest Our high Priest was Iesus Christ heauen is our blessed home sinne banished vs from thence but thither we returne againe by the death of Christ Heb. 10. hauing considence saith the Apostle in the entring of the holys in the blood of Christ Let vs serue him as we ought and then indeede we may haue confidence in him THE FIFTH ARTICLE HE descended into hell the third day he arose againe from death The Apostles hauing in the former article professed the Passion and death of Christ declare now his victory and triumph ouer it That which by this article is proposed to be beleeued is that the soule of Christ departing in death from his body descended truely into hell For as long as his body remained in the sepulcher his soule was separated from it and all that while was descended into hell Some haeretiks haue wickedly denyed this article of Christ his descension into hell ignorantly vnderstanding by hell his sepulcher Not considering that his descending into the sepulcher was professed before in the former article and therefor there needed not another article to repeate it ouer againe and to say that he descended into the sepulcher Neither is it a propper manner of speech in that sense for the body of our Lord was then dead and descended not but was laid by others in the sepulcher This therefor can not be vnderstoode of his body descending into the sepulcher but of his soule descending into hell Aunciently by hell some place in general was vnderstoode where the soules of men resided after death and it was not onely taken for the place of the damned but also for the residence of the iust As when the holy Patriaâ—ke Iacob mourning for the death of his sonne Ioseph said Gen. 37. I will descende vnto my sonne into hell and when the Apostle saith Phil. 2. In the name of Iesus euery knee bow of the caelestials terrestrials and insernals For hell in Latine is as much as to say a place inferiour vnto vs or below vs which is therefor in the earth For the vnderstanding of which we may destinguish fower places in the earth the receptacles of soules departed Fower kinds of hell First there is the lowest hell of euerlasting damnation which is the furthest place from heauen as most suetable to those whose liues and actions were furthest of and most opposite to God and therefor in respect of punishment it is the deepest hell Secondly the next aboue that in paine is Purgatory Thirdly aboue purgatory is the place where the soules of those are detained who dy onely in original sinne Fourthly aboue that there was a place for the soules of the iust that dyed before Christ not hauing the guilt of any sinne or satisfaction to make for it For it was not conuenient that any should enter into heauen before Christ who purchased it for all and therefor those soules remained in an inferiour place vntill the death of Christ and then he descending to them freed them from that place This was some times called the bosome of Abraham because Abraham was the father of the elect and comprized as it were in him all the iust as Christ came of his seede who was the head of all the iust Thither therefor did our blessed Sauiour descende to blesse and to free those holy soules And perhaps he would also shew himselfe to the soules of purgatory for their comfort as also to the damned soules for their terrour and rebuke Christ was buryed on the fryday on which he suffered For the death of the Cros was held in that ignominy that the law commanded those that were Crucifyed to be taken from the Cros on the same day After his buriall he remained in the sepulcher all that day and all Saturday and part of Sunday vntill about breake of day all which time his soule was descended into hell Then he released the iust out of that place in which they were detained and brought them with him to the sepulcher where vniting his soule and body together againe the third day he arose from the dead not as those who haue bene reuiued by the power of others to a second life and to dy a second death but by his owne power he aroze againe to dy noe more For the diuine nature being allwais present with his body and soule as vnited with them in the vnity of person he had power to raise himselfe and by his owne power he tooke life againe and aroze glorious and therefor he said of himselfe Io. 10. I yeeld my life c. I yeeld it of my selfe and I haue power to yeeld it and I haue power to take it againe We reade of diuerse who haue bene raised from death to life both before and since the
resurrection of Christ but his resurrection excelleth theirs in many respects First for that he raised himselfe as I haue said by his owne power and all others were raised by his power Secondly he was the first that euer aroze glorious Thirdly others aroze to death as well as to life Fourthly his resurrection was the cause and meanes of all our glorious resurrections In these respects S. Paul calleth him the first fruits of those that rize to life Cor. 15. Christ saith he is rizen from the dead the first fruits of them that sleepe In Christ all shall be made aliue But euery one in his owne order the first fruits Christ then those that are of Christ The resurrection of Christ ought to be a great comfort and encouragement to the good For his rizing to glory hath giuen vs hopes of a glorious resurrection Blessed be God saith S. Pet. 1.1 Peter and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead vnto an inheritance incorruptible We are encouraged to beare with patience all afflictions and all kind of persecutions in this world in hopes to rize glorious with him Christ is our head and we are the members of his body and he hauing made way through persecutions for vs we ought couragiously to follow him THE SIXT ARTICLE HE ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God Christ hauing consummated the worke of our redemption by his death on the Cros and after his death performed his resurrection and hauing after his resurrection remained forty dayes on earth to teach his disciples speaking of the kingdome of God that is to say instructing them concerning the gouernment of the Catholike Church which is the kingdome of God vpon earth he had done now all for which his father sent him and was to ascende into heauen and to carry mankind vnto that blessed place of glory which he had purchased for them He tooke therefor his disciples vnto mount Oliuet to be the witnesses of his ascension and lifting vp his eyes and blessing them he was gloriously elâ—uated in their sight and they being â—auished with ioy and spirituall consolation at it behold two Angels whom the Euangelist calleth men stoode beside them in white garments and said to them Act. 1. Ye men of Galily why stande you looking into heauen This Iesus which is assumpted from you into heauen shall soo come as you haue seene him going into heauen Thus would our Sauiour ascende that he might giue vnto the world a tast and scantling of the future glory and a memorial of his second comming This was the most glorious day that euer was to mankind For this is the day of our first entring into heauen The holy Prophet king Danid inuiteth all the world to the ioy of this day saying All ye nations clappe hands Ps 46. make iubilation to God in the voyce of exultation God is ascended in iubilation To day mans nature triumphed in the heauens and that soe glorious that it was exalted aboue all the coelestiall powers of Angels to the very right hand of God Ser. 3. de Ascen See ô man sayth S. Iohn Chrysostome how high thy nature is exalted Consider the distance of heauen and earth and of the lower to the higher heauens and from those higher heauens to the Angels and from them to the higher powers and from those to the seate where our Lord sitteth Humane nature is exalted thus high aboue all that nature which was of it selfe soe low that it could be noe lower became now soe high that it could be raised noe higher And the Holy Ghost to shew how high that glory was which mankind then receiued would inspire the Apostles to make such a remarkeable expression of it as to say that it was set at the right hand of God That as great Princes and eminent personages when they will shew a more then ordinary respect to some other Prince their freind they set him on their right hand soe the nature of man in Iesus Christ who was the Prince of mankind ascending into heauen the king of heauen and of the whole world would be said to set him on his right hand A greater expression of his loue could not be made then this yet thus would he haue his Apostles to expresse it Christ ascended both in body and soule for they being once vnited together in his resurrection were neuer more to be separated againe He ascended by his owne power and not as Elias Abacuc S. Phillip or others who were eleuated into the ayre carried by Angels for their soules and bodys being then vnglorifyed could not by their owne power ascende But Christ besides that he ascended by the power of his diuinity being in the state of glory his body was perfectly subiected to his soule and was therefor eleuated by it and stoode noe neede of the externall helpe of Angels In that he is said to sitt at the right hand of God we are to vnderstande a siguratiue manner of speech which God would haue to be vsed to accommodate himselfe to our weake vnderstandings which can haue nothing represented to them but by the species of corporal thinges and soe Christ is said to sitt at the right hand of God to shew how highly our nature was exalted in him although God haue noe hands nor corporal parts as being a spiritual substance that needeth not them Neither ought we to thinke by this that there is any precedency of place or degrees of dignity in the Persons of the B. Trinity but that the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are all of equall and infinite dignity Christ according to his humanity is said to sitte at the right hand of God in respect of creatures in that he is superiour to them in dignity and glory And according to his diuine nature he may be said to sitt at the right hand of God in this sense and to this end that we might not vnderstande as Arius did that the Sonne of God was inferiour to the Father For which reason the holy Psalmist also placeth the Sonne at the right hand of the Father Ps 109. and then presently in the same psalme the Father on the right hand of the Sonne to signify equallity betwixt them Let vs now apply this mystery to the profit of our soules that they may haue the benefit of it and receiue the giftes which were then giuen Ps 67. for it is written ascending on high he ledd captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to men Iph. 4. These gifts are too great to be spoken for vnto some he gaue then the gift of heauenly blesse Towit to the soules of those in limbus whom he freed out of captiuity and carried with him And to those whom he left behinde him on earth he gaue the promise of the Holy Ghost and performed that promise within a while sending him to comfort and
encourage them If we will haue these gifts and will ascende with Christ we must forsake sinne that hindereth vs of him Ser. 2. de Ascen Our sinnes saith S. Augustine as netts intangle us and as chaines ty vs downe to the earth that we cannot ascende and therfor as the psalmist hath said let vs breake their fetters Let vs leaue of our pride our couetousnesse our carnal sinnes that being cured from them we may ascende with our physitian Thus S. Augustine and I will adde thus much to him that as euery one is inclined to some particular sinnes or sinne by which as by a greater chaine and maine roote he sticketh fast in the earth and is hindred from ascending to Christ soe ought we to labour more earnestly to roote out that sinne out of our harts which is more particular and propper to vs and which we are most guilty of that we may sing with ioy vnto God thou hast broken my bondes I will sacrifice to thee the hast of praise Ps 115. Let vs keepe in our mindes the Ascension of Christ and haue considence in him who sitteth at the right hand of God allwais ready to pray for vs. Io. 1.2 We haue saith S. Iohn anaduocate with the Father Iesus Christ If Christ after his resurrection had assumed to himselfe the glory of this world and liued as a Prince vpon earth hauing the whole world for his dominion as subiect to him he would haue had followers enough we should all haue flocked vnto his court but that would haue bene of curiosity in many and of an vnperfect loue such as the Apostles sometimes bore to him when he was visibly with them but how much more ought we to desire to be with him in heauen and to aspire vnto that blessed court he would ascende thither that we might follow him thither for this is all that he desireth Faâ—hâ—r whom thou hast giuen mee Io. 17. I will that where I am they also be with mee Christ is indeede our beloued spouse and the onely treasure of a christians soule we ought to loue him aboue all and to seeke in all thinges to please him and to remaine with him and therefor he would ascende into heauen to draw vs after him and that our harts might be where our treasure is and our conuersation in heauen Let then euery one now resolue to leaue of all sinne and beginne to set forward in his Ascension with Christ and let vs thinke that being now in our iourney to heauen wards euery day and euery hower we are drawing neerer and neerer to him THE SEAVENTH ARTICLE FRom thence he shall come to iudge vs all both the quicke and the dead Christ hath many honorable and worthy titles He is our Sauiour or Redeemer he is our Aduocates and he is our Iudge In the former articles the Apostles haue deliuered his two first titles now they propose him as our Iudge Cor. 2.5 We must all be manifested before the iudgement seate of Christ saith S. Paul that euery one may receiue the propper thinges of the body according as he hath done either good or euill There are two iudgements in which Christ sitteth as iudge ouer vs. First there is the priuate and particular iudgment of euery one at his death Secondly there is a general day of iudgment for all Our soules departing in death from our bodys are presently set before the iudgment seate of Christ who as iudge shall call them to an account of all whatsoeuer they haue thought said or done and weighing all with an exact and iust ballance he shall giue sentence iustly according to our works Besides this God would for many reasons ordaine one solemne day for the general iudgement of all First for the greater honour of Christ our iudge that as he was publikely in the sight of the world condemned by the wicked soe he might publikly and in the sight of the world shew his power and innocency and condemne them Secondly for the greater honour of the iust Thirdly for the greater confusion of the deuils and of the damned soules God then making a publike manifestation of his loue of goodnes and of the hatred which he beareth to sinne with infinite liberality rewarding the one and with extreme and vtmost seuerity punishing the other Fourthly being that we see posterity for the most part to imitate their praedecessors and to follow the wayes which they haue trodden out to them and this imitation of good or euill praedecessors to last sometimes for many yeares and ages and may last we know not how long it is conuenient that there should be in the end one general day of iudgment in which it might appeare how much euery one hath contributed to the good or euill of others after them euen to the end of the world Lastly that the body and soule which haue accompanied together in this life and both of them concurred iointly in their works may meete and be vnited againe and remaine together in pleasure or in paine for euer Christ shall performe this office of iudge euen as he is man For as kings delegate their authority to those whom they make iudges to iudge and to giue sentence in person of the king soe would God honour the humanity of Christ giuing him authority as iudge in his place according to S. Iohn Io. 5. He hath giuen him power to doe iudgment also because he is the sonne of man S. Peter preaching in Cornelius his house the mysterys of the life and death of Christ after that he had spoken of his Passion and resurrection he draweth to an end in these words Act. 10. He commanded vs to preach to the people and to testify that it is he that of God was appointed iudge of the liuing and of the dead It is then Iesus Christ that shall call vpon the blessed and from his glorious iudgment feate shall say to them Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the woâ—ld And it is he who from a terrible tribunal shall pronounce to the wicked Mat. 25. Get ye away from mee you cursed into fire euerlasting which was prepared for the denill and his Angels In this sentence of the damned there is a double punishment included The one is the great losse which they incurre and for euer must susteine of the sight of God and fruition of him in glory the other is of an vnspeakeable ragious paine which besides their losse they must for euer endure The first is intimated by gett ye away from mee The second by that which followeth of euerlasting fire Which two punishments of losse and paine ioyned with eternity cause in the damned an vtter desperation and rage and those also eternall Euen as slaues when they are condemned to the gallyes or to grind in mills or the like slauerys all their life time are setled and established in that state of misery as
before it remaining still there according to them Neither are those similitudes alleadged to any purpose by the fathers vnles we vnderstande a change of the former into a new substance as there was in them The Iuy bush before it be hung vp is noe signe of wine and when it is hung vp it becommeth a signe but there is nothing aboue nature in that conuersion because there is a change onely in the signification which then it hath but not in a new substance or nature But the holy fathers acknowledge some thinge supernaturall in this conuersion and compare it with conuersions of substances which were miraculous therefor there is here a transubstantiation or conuersion in the substance Otherwise there were noe parity in their comparisons nor connexion in their speech WITH WHAT DEVOTION we ought to receiue the Eucharist BY that which hath bene said of this Sacrament we may vnderstande somethinge of the deuotion which is due to it and thinke that soe great a miracle which God worketh continually in his Church to shew his loue to vs and to enrich our soules obligeth vs to a high and eminent degree of gratitude to him and that all the deuotion that we can possibly stirre vp in our selues is too litle for it The Apostle admonisheth vs to try and to proue ourselues before we come to this mystery least insteede of life and happinesse which we should obtaine by worthily receiuing it we incurre iudgment and death by an vnworthy communion in mortal sinne O how damnable is the malice of that man that commeth with such a sinne to this communion to vnite goodnes to malice purity to impurity Christ to his filthy soule Thou stoppest thy nose at noysome carrions and lothsome stenches yet thou wilt force thy sauiour into thy stinking brest which is most horrible and lothsome to him vntill thou hast prooued and purged it What punishment maist thou expect The arke of our Lord was but a weake figure of Christ yet entring into the cittys of the Philistiims the enemys of God they were punised with greeuous plagues and being set in their tâ—mple it strucke downe their Dagon and broke it in peeces for onely standing beside it then how darest thou that art in mortal sinne come soe boldly vnto Christ as to take him in to thee Reg. 1.5 The Philistiims vsed outwardly great reuerence to the arke carrying it from city to city and setting it in their temple beside their God yet touching it as idolatours with impure hands Reg. 1.5 they were punished with such sores and diseases that as the holy Ghost saith the howling of euery city went vp into heauen And when it came from amongst them and stoode in the confines of Bethsames although the Bethsamits beheld it with ioy and receiued it with Holocausts and victimes yet seauenty men of the people and fifty thousand of the common people were strucken of our Lord for beholding it that lamenting they cryed out Reg. 1.17 Who can staÌ„de in the sight of this holy Lord God Oza was punished an Israelite also and seruant of God fortouching it suddenly and as he thought vpon necessity to hold it vp from falling yet because hedid it not with sufficient wariues it cost him his life being presently strucke dead in the place And darest thou come soe boldly not to touch the Arke but to receiue the B. Sacrament in mortal sinne how knowest thou that God wil spare thee more then he did them thy irreuerence being infinitly greater then theirs was Thou art baptised in the blood of this Sacrament and when thou prophanest it thou abusest as much as euer thou canst that sacred blood Thou apprehendest and imprisonest thy sauiour within thee with the Iewes thou persecutest his honour and life And this being a christian to Christ thy master and who must one day be thy iudge If thou wert guilty of some heinous crime and shouldst entertaine in thy house him who were shortly to call thee to his tribunall and to iudge thee wouldest thou not seeke to please him in his entertainment doe soe then to Christ giue him entertainment as he desireth that he may proue afterwards a fauourable iudge to thee This sacrament is the miracle of miracles the memorial of the maruelous things by which God would shew his loue to vs Zach. 2. and to abuse him in it is to touch him in the aple of his eye and to wound him at the hart For euery thinge as it is higher in perfection soe the contempt of it is of a higher malice and this being the most perfect of all the Sacraments infinite in perfection the irreuerence done to it is of the highest and of infinite malice And therfore it deserueth greater punishments S. Paul threatening iudgment to those that receiue vnworthily as not discerning the body of our Lord. Therfor saith he are there among you many weake Cor. 1.11 and feeble and many sleepe that is to say many are sicke and by But if the diseases and deaths of those dayes proceeded from thence that the B. Sacrament was not receiued with sufficient reuerence what shall we thinke of these deadly times in which now we liue but that they haue proceeded from the same cause the B. Sacrament hauing bene of later yeares soe extremely prophaned The beginners of these heresâ—s who soe often consecrate the sacred host and sacrilegiously receiued it brought into the christian world these floods of bloodshed which still continue to the massacre of many thousands of christians all ready past and now without doubt it is a greater cause of deaths and miserys to vs then it was in S. Pauls dayes to christians Consider therfor when thou goest to receiue what it is that then thou receiuest and prepare in thy selfe loue and reuerence towards it It is Christ thy redeemer thy Iudge and thy omninipotent God If thou receiuest him in mortal sinne thou damnest thy soule by a sinne aboue mortal sinnes which are of frailty it being of malice without either profit or pleasure to thy selfe but onely for the deuils pleasure that tempted thee to that sacrilege Humble thy selfe vnto God and prepare thy selfe with a cleane conscience to receiue into thee that soueraigne guest which the Angels of heauen desire to behold and with trembling reuerence adore his glory dispose thou thy selfe with Angelical reuerence and purity to receiue him The first thinge which thou must doe is to make a good and intire confession of rhy sinnes as I shall â—hew in the next Sacrament and not onely to cleanse they soule from mortal but as much as thou canst also from venial sinnes After confession giue not thy selfe to vnnecessary imployements or conuersation which may coole and hinder thy deuotion but keepe thy selfe more retired in thy minde praying vntill masse beginne and if it beginne not presently thou maist reade in some treatise of the B. Sacrament if thou hast it or walke quietly vntill masse At massetime attende deuoutly
Word it may be said to be infinite in grace The fullnes of his grace was also eminent aboue all in that grace was giuen to him as to the head source and fountaine which was to serue vs all with grace of his fullnes saith S. Iohn all we haue receiued noe grace being euer giuen to any but as flowing from the merits of his passion Next vnto Christ the B. Virgin had the greatest fullnes of grace For grace is giuen vnto creatures with proportion and in order to the offices and dignitys to which God designeth them and soe the B. Virgin had a greater proportion of grace then any Angell or Saint had for that she was designed to a higher office and dignity then any Angell or Saint was Her grace was to be such as might render her worthy to be the woman whom God would choose aboue all women to take flesh of to nourish him in her wombe to bring him forth to the world to haue the charge of his infancy and education and to haue him subiect vnto her as the Euangelist declareth him to haue bene For all which a great measure and proportion of grace was necessary that as her charge and dignity was eminent aboue all soe might her grace be suetable vnto it In the third place is the fullnes of grace which the Angels and Saints had to the fullfilling of those works to which God had ordained them And soe S. Steuan had fullnes of grace in order to the well performing of a Deacons office to confounde the Iewes and to be the first martyr and encourager of others to suffer martyrdome for Christ by his example and soe to enter into glory Soe that Christ according to his humanity was most eminent in grace goodly of beauty aboue the sonnes of men Ps 44. in that his humane nature was vnited to the diuine word and was the fountaine of grace to vs. Our Blessed Lady was next to him in that she had the highest office and greatest charge in relation to the mystery of the Incarnation The Angells and Saints were in a lower degree then she yet they also had fullnes of grace in their measures and in proportion to their offices They all haue fullnes of grace but in seuerall kindes and in a different nature The Angels and Saints in the lowest place our B. Lady aboue them and Christ in a higher nature transcending both them and her And our B. Lady had not onely a higher nature of grace then the Angels and Saints had but she had also a greater capacity in her soule which God created as a more ample and capable vessell conteining a greater measure of grace then they could conteine although full also in their measure and capacity and therefore she is compared to that huge vessell called the Sea Reg. 3.7 which Salomon caused to be made for the Temple which conteined ten thousand gallous according to Authors and vnto the maine Ocean Chrysol ser 146. Albert. sup missus Bonau in spec virg cap. 2. But it is to be obserued that our blessed Sauiour being not onely creature according to his humanity but also the Creatour of the world according to his diuine nature hee is not to be numbered in the number of creatures and therfore the Saints and holy Fathers commonly say that our B. Lady in grace and glory surpasseth all creatures not numbring Christ and so wee say properly that she is aboue all pure creatures that is to say onely creatures But that wee may not seeme to exaggerate towards her prayses more then due and to say any thing without good grounds you shall see as much and more then we haue said to be grounded vpon the solidity of many bundreds of yeares standing euer from the times of the primitiue Church of Christ for the first six hundred yeares when the very enemys of the Catholike Church that now are confesse the Christian Faith to haue bene most pure from errour and the Church most flourishing the holy and learned men of those times haue setforth her prayses after the same manner and in the very same termes which wee now vse and haue prayed vnto her calling her Mistres Lady Queen Mother of God and the like titles to honour her and to increase the denotion of people vnto her First in the first age Saint Iames the Apostle in in his Lyturgy which he made for the Church service would not omitt to make a commemoration of her But beginning the words of the Haile Mary as the Angell did he repeateth them and calleth her most holy vndefiled blessed aboue all our Queene Lady Mother of God Saint Ignatius liued in the same age was disciple to Saint Iohn Euangelist and died a glorious Martyr in the next age after hedeclareth how greatly she was honored euen then when she liued that multitudes of people came to visit her when they were cōuerted to Christianity Great is the concourse of people saith he that goeth to see the Queene of Heauen Ign. ep 1. and to heare her and againe hee calleth her the Mistres of the Christian Faith Saint Denis first Philosopher of Athens and then the disciple of S. Paul in his booke de diuinis nominibus cap 33. relateth how that himselfe after his conuersion went to see her for that she was left to be the comfort and ioy of Christians after the Ascension of Christ and in his Epistle to Timothe hee describeth the manner of her departure out of this life how that all the Apostles except S Thomas being brought together miraculously from the severall parts of the world to be present at her death with deuout Canticles they celebrated her funerals for three dayes the Angels ioyning their heauenly melody with them and that Saint Thomas comming the third day and desiring to see her sacred corps her tombe was opened that he might see her at least after her death but he saw her not for that she was not there to be seene A great sweetnes issued out of the Sepulcher and the linnens in which she was wrapped were left in it but her sacred body was not there Thus Saint Denis and he concludeth this narration saying That it could not bee thought but that as God would preserue her Virginal body free from corruption in the Conception of her Sonne soe he would preserue it from corruption after her death and Assume it to the glory of Heauen before the generall glorification of other bodys at the day of iudgment Saint Iohn Damascen relateth this history out of S. Denis De dorm deip whom he citeth as an eye witnesse of it and sayeth that her tombe and linnens that were left in it were transferred in the time of the Emperour Marcion with great solemnity from Hierusalem to Constantinople Saint Augustine doth not onely approoue of the corporall Assumption of our blessed Lady into Heaven but also prooueth it as most congruous to the dignity of the Mother of God Aug. de Assump
freinds This I should not doubt to prooue if neede were by whole armys of men and douils defeated by her But I will alleadge noe more but the two examples of her two notorious enemys Nestorius and Constantinus Copronymus Nestorius was her professed enemy for as he conceited a humane person in Christ as man soe by consequence he robbed his Mother of her supreme title of the Mother of God He would haue her to be called Christotoca or Christipara the Mother of Christ but not Thâ—otoca or Deipara the Mother of God S. Cyril Patriarke of Alexandria vndertooke cheifly against him and spared noe labour to reduce him from his errors often writing vnto him and giuing him seueral meetings to conuince him in presence but all proouing in vaine a General Councell was conuened at Ephesus in which Cyril praesided in place of S. Celestine then Pope Thither came Nestorius with his followers and there he was put to such a publike shame that with six onely complices he went out of the Concell refusing to submitte to it and soe his opinions became haeretical and accursed And although when he saw Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople who had some what fauoured his cause to forsake him afterwards for the disastrous ends of many of his followers he would then seeme to repent yet he had too much haeretical pride to goe thorough with his repentance and to submitte although to the whole world but continuing still in his obstinate minde he suffered condigne punishment euen in this world wandeâ—ing from place to place as a vagabond and desperate Cain and in the end was swallowed vp by the earth aliue It being also recorded of him that his blasphemous tongue was eaten out with wormes before his death Pratcol verb. Nestorius The second example is of Constantin the fift Emperour of that name soe contemptible to posterity that he hath purchased the fowle Surname of Copronymus for that he defiled the font in baptisme He was a very euill man a prophanour of holy things euen to the breaking of Crosses and Crucifixes and a publike scoffer especially at the B. Virgins merits in derision of whom he vsed to hold vp a purse full of money and to aske his souldiers what it was worth and when they had told him what they thought he put forth the money and held vp the empty purse asking them what it was worth then and when they answered that it was worth nothing noe more said he was Mary when Christ was out of her But God punished his blasphemys with many and greeuous punishments First as one sinne is punished with another soe he punished him by most horrible sinnes and by a most enormious course of life which he permitted him to fall into euen to the denying of his christendome and to set vp altars vnto Venus whose nightly solemnitys he kept and killed children to sacrifice vnto her But in the end his pleasures forsooke him and the punishments of God came as a deluge vpon him afflicting him by grecuous paines of feauers goutes and soe horrible a leprosy that in a rage of torment he died crying out I am burnt with euerlasting fire Prateol verb. Constantinus Pray for vs blessed Mother of God NOW AND IN THE HOWER OF OVR DEATH ALTHOVGH the enemy of God be allwais laboring against vs going about as a Lyon to deuoure our soules yet he striueth most against the hower of our deaths waiting then as a serpent at our heeles that is to say at the hinder end of our liues to supplant vs knowing that his time is then but short Apoc. 12. The deuill is descended to you saith the voice from heauen hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle time And therefor amongst many other helpes which we haue then in the Catholike Church we implore the assistance of the Mother of God especially against that hower The death of S. Steuanking of Hungary is worthy of memory in which it was a more honorable spectacle both in the sight of God and man to see his Peeres rounde about him to weepe teares of deuotion when he commended them and his kingdome to our B. Ladys protection then the sweetest hower that euer they enioyed of his wordly maiesty He fell sicke against the feast of her Assumption and made his prayer that he might dy on that day on which the death and Assumption of the Mother of God is celebrated by the Church The day being come the Sacraments and holy rites were administred to him and in the presence of his Prelates and Peeres hauing made a speech in which he tendred his crowne into her hands he departed this life leaâ—ing them with their eyes and faces bathed in teares It hath often bene a comfort to mee to thinke of the happy passage of a yong Gentleman with whom I assisted at his death Who being at the last assalted with a strong and violent agony he constantly called vpon our B. Lady with a lowde and earnest voice often repeating Blessed Mother of God be my Aduocate Blessed Mother of God be my Aduocate And presently casting his eyes towards the bedfeete he seemed there to receiue comfort and putting on a sweet and pleasant aspect with a smiling contenance he departing this world as though some had called him out of prison I say noe more but that which S. Hierome expresly saith and that is that our B Lady helpeth and is present with those that dy That she helped him Hier. ad Eusto I make noe question of it for his earnest prayer but both at that time and euer since I haue thought that she was also visibly then present with him I haue now performed what I promised in honour of the B. Virgin You haue heard her saluted full of grace and you haue seene how this salutation was new and reserued onely for her You haue seene her become the Mother of God and the sonne of God declared to haue bene subiect to her you haue heard her extolled by Prophets in the house of Zachary whilst she liued and what hath bene written of her after her death you haue heard the fathers of the primitiue Church one by one singing her prayses and the whole Catholike Church in a full quire answering after them to desire her prayers you haue seene by some examples how beneficial her prayers are to her freinds and the iudgments of God vpon her enemys Let vs honour her whom God hath soe honored and let vs dedicate our selues from this very instant to her protection all our life time and at the hower of our death Amen THE NINTH DISCOVRSE OF THE ROSARY I Intende now to declare to you the mysterys of the Rosary or Beades which as it is a deuotion so much frequented by all sorts of Catholiks not onely vnlearned but also euen by the most learned and holiest of the Catholike Church soe it is fitting that all should vnderstande it and know how solid and pious it is But fist we will say
not onely see him but tooke him ioyfully into his armes Luc. 2. and then blessed God singing like the swanne before his death Now thou doest dismisse thy seruant ô Lord according to thy word in peace Because mine eyes haue seene thy saluation The fift ten is said in honour of Christ disputing in the Temple His parents hauing bene at Hierusalem to solemnise the feast of the Paschâ— returning home againe and thinking him to haue bene in the company that returned with them they came a dayes iourney and sought him amoÌ„gst their kinsfolkes but not finding him they returned to Hierusalem to seeke him there and after three dayes they found him sitting in the midst of the Doctours astonishing all with his wisedome and answeres These are the fiue ioyfull mysterys The fiue sorrowfull are these First the Praying of Christ in the Garden when the very apprehension of his future Passion was so vehement that he burst forth into a sweat of blood to thinke of it The second is his whipping at the pillar The third is his crowning with thornes The fourth is the carrying of his Crosse when after that they had weakened him with many torments they led him or rather trailed him about the streets of Hierusalem with his heauy Crosse on his shoulders vntil he was soe spout that they who of pitty would not ease him of it in the end of cruelty tooke it from him to prolong his life vntill they had crucifyed him The fift it his crucifying and death All which passages were in themselues most dolorous and next vnto Christ were most greeuous to our blessed Lady who if she were not corporally present at them so as to see euery one of them yet without doubt she was spiritually present at them all and saw by reuelation all which he suffered according to the prophecy of Simeon that a sword should pierce her soule Luc. 3. to wit the sword of sorrow which passed through her sonne In honour of these fiue sorrowfull mysterys we say other sine tenns The fiue glorious are first the Resurrection when Christ rose triumphing ouer death on Easter Sunday the Angell appearing to comfort the deuour women and to the terrour of the souldiers that watched at the monument The second is his Ascension at which the Apostles were rauished to behold his glory The third is the Comming of the holy Ghost on Whit Sunday with terrible and astonishing glory to strengthen the disciples of Christ in the faith of his Ghospell The fourth is the glorious Assumption of our Bâ— Lady whose soule departing from her body in death was presently glorifyed and the third day according to auncient Authors returning to her body to glorify it they were both together assumpted into Heauen for if it bee probably thought of those bodys which arose from the dead in the Resurrection of Christ that they ascended with him glorious into Heauen we can not thinke with reason that the sacred body of which our Lord tooke flesh should corrupt in the earth and remaine soe vntill the day of iudgement vnglorifyed The sift is her glorious Coronation in the Celestiall Court And although these two last mysterys of the Assumption and of the Coronation of our blessed Lady may seeme to some to be the same yet there is a great difference betwixt them her Assumption intending onely her state of glory in generall to wit that she was assumed body and soule into Heaven and her Coronation importing her particular state of glory as she is crowned the Queene of Heauen aboue all Angels and Saints These are in breife the fifteene mysterys of the Rosary The siue ioyfull are the Annunciation The Visitation The Natiuity The Purification of our Lady and the Presentation of Christ The Finding of him disputing in the Temple The siue sorrowfull are The Praying in the Garden The Whipping at the pillar The Crowning with thornes The carrying of the Crosse The Crucifying and death of Christ The fiue glorious are his Resurrection his Ascension The Comming of the holy Ghost The Assumption and Coronation of our blessed Lady When we haue not time or leasure to say all the fifteene tenns in honour of the fifteene mysterys wee may say siue in honour of any fiue of them either of the fiue ioyfull or of the fiue dolotous or of the fiue glorious as we will allwais concluding with the Apostles Creede in profession of our faith It is true all doe not vnderstande that these mysterys are thus conteined in the Rosary nor allways remember them when they say their Beades but the Church of God vnderstoode and remembred them in the approouing and allowing of that deuotion It is not necessary that euery one vnderstande all the mysterys that are conteined in his prayers but he shall please God if he conforme his intention to the intention of the Church in them Luc. 3. although he vnderstande them not Who can vnderstande saith Saint Augustine all the ceremonys of the Church yet we please God in obseruing them because we conforme our intentions to the intention of the Church which was directed by the holy Ghost to ordaine them It were indeed very good that all vnderstoode the mysterys of the Rosary and therefore we expounde them And it were very good that all remembred them when they say their Beades and therefore before euery ten I vse to mention in particular the mystery of that ten as for example before the first Patâ—r Noster Isay Blessed Mother of God by thy Annunciation pray for mee Before the second I say Blessed Mother of God by thy Visitation pray for mee and so forth of the rest whether I say the whole Rosary or onely fiue tenns of it by which meanes one shall attende better to the deuotion which he is performing and performe more expresly that which the Church intendeth by it which is to set holy obiects before our eyes and to propose to our consideration the mysterys of our faith The intention therefore of the Catholike Church by the Rosary is to keepe the ignorant especially those that can not reade imployed in this deuout exercise and to propose vnto all the remembrance and consideration of holy things From whence proceedeth that coldnesse loosnes and auersion from good works and holy exercises which is in many but from the want of consideration of pious things Hier. 12. with desolation is all the land made desolate saith Hieremy because there is none that considereth in the hart Good obiects proposed are the seede of good thoughts and bring forth good purposes and good works The feede must first be sowne in the senses that by the vnderstanding and will the fruit of good works may be produced and therefor as holy Iacob placed rodds of diuerse colours before his ewes that they might conceiue and bringforth lambes of diuerse colours like them soe the Pastors of the Catholike Church set before their people holy obiects that by beholding them they may conceiue good
words and signifying it also in action consecrating vnder two destinct formes to represent the separation of his Body and Blood in his Passion This although it be a commemoratiue and representatiue sacrifice representing and cōmemorating hisbeing offered on the Cros yet that bindereth not but it is a true Sacrifice as that was and of the very same thing after a different manner offered For if the figuratiue sacrifices of the law of Moyses were true sacrifices which represented this not as yet come but when it was to come after many hundreds of yeares how much more may that of the last supper be a true sacrifice which represented it as immediatly to bee offered and how much more may ours be a true sacrifice which representeth it as all ready offered Those were representations of a true sacrifice yet themselues also true sacrifices therefore it is not contrary to the nature of a sacrifice to be the representation of a sacrifice But they say that the sacrifices before Christ were true and reall creatures representing a future sacrifice different from them but we say that we offer vp the same thing that is represented in it how can it be the same and yet a representation of it Yes we offer vp the same Body that was offered on the Crosse and represent the same body offered in a different manner The same thing in a different state and condition may represent it selfe as it was before or shall be bereafter in another manner and state If a champion that had ouercome his enemy should represent afterwards the manner of his encounter then he should represent himselfe in a different state and that which represented should be the same as the thing which it did represent If Dauid for his greater glory had in his owne person exhibited to the people his victory ouer the Philisthaean Gyant then he had bene both a representation of Dauid and true Dauid representing the victory which himselfe had gotten so the Body of our Lord as it is offered at Masse representeth it selfe as it was offered on the Crosse and is the same in a different manner and state on the Crosse it was after a cruell and bloody manner as fighting on the Altare it is after an vnbloody manner as in peace after the victory Thus also the same sacred Body of our Lord in his glorious Transfiguration represented it selfe as it was to be in the state of glory afterwards Soe that the same thing may represent it selfe and the Masse may be a representatiue and commemoratiue sacrifice of that of the Cros and yet offer the same thing that was then offered Nay by how much more vnion that which representeth hath to that which it doth represent the more liuely and naturall is the representation of it as it were a more liuely and naturall representation of Dauids victory represented by himselfe then by another because it had more connexion and relation to the former action The being therefore a commemoratiue and representatiue sacrifice doth not hinder the Masse for being a true sacrifice of the same thing which is represented in it It representeth the oblation of the Crosse and in all places wheresoeuer Masse is said there the death of our Redeemer is commemorated and the same thing is offered all ouer and the very same that was offered on the Crosse The words of S. Chrysostome shall declare this point of the Christian doctrine What doe we saith he doe not we offer euery day we doe offer indeede Hom. in 7. ad hob and that in commemoration of his death And this is but one host and not many because he was but once offered and this Sacrifice is an example of that We offer still the same thing not to day one Lambe and to morrow another but allways the very same Because it is offered in many places are there therefore many Christs No! but the same Christ Here he is intirely and there intirely the same body This is enough in confirmation of the Catholike verity and we will dispute no more of it but blesse God for it Attende then ô Christian and consider the diuine loue to thee and how much thou art honoured in this mistery Thou by thy sinnes hadst lost the fauour of God and wert condemned for euer to be banished from him he to redeeme thee out of that state sent his onely sonne to suffer doath for thee who hauing giuen his life to restore thee to the state of grace would not leaue thee so but would remaine allwais with thee and be offered euery day for thee to keepe thee in that happy state With what loue and reuerence then ought we to be present at Masse Hauing said thus much of the Masse as it is a Sacrifice Let vs now come to THE PARTS AND CHREMONYS OF MASSE BEFORE that I speake of the parts and ceremonys of the Masse in particular I will say something of the nature of ceremonys in generall The vse of ceremonys in the seruice of God is grounded vpon the condition of our nature for man being a corporall creature must honour God according to his nature after a corporall manner Angels onely by intellectuall and and spirituall acts honour God because they are onely Spirits but men being both spirituall and corporall both spiritually and corporally according to there nature must honour him spiritually with inward acts of minde and corporally with outward actions of the body and therefore we pray not onely by spirituall and mentall prayer as the Angels doe but also with vocall words and vse ceremonys to signify outwardly our inward reuerence to the mysterys which are signifyed by them So that ceremonys are in vertue and effect words being altogether as proper signes and indeede more naturall to expresse our affections then words are The Sonne of God hauing assumed the nature of man by humane actions glorifyed his Father not onely spiritually with his minde but also corporally with his body by words and ceremonys when he prayed sometimes lifting vp his hands sometimes his eyes sometimes kneeling and prostrating himselfe and he iustifyed the like ceremonys in his disciples as when in that glorious solemnity in which they and the Hebrew children conducted him solemnly into Hierusalem they vsed both words and ceremonys to expresse their affection and ioy in him They cryed out Luc. 19. Mat. 21. Blessed is he that commeth King in the Name of our Lord Peace in Heauen and glory on the High And they carried boughs and spred their garments for him to treade vpon and when the Pharisys desired him to rebuke them they were rebuked themselues for desiring it The Magdalene comming to be cleansed at the fountaine of life spoke not with words but by many ceremonys her earnest repentance weeping washing and wipeing our Saviours feete kissing his sacred Body and annointing his head and when the Pharisy murmured at it Christ iustifyed those actions in her and gaue him to vnderstande that if he also had done
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
that suppose he hath time of repentance granted whether he shall make good vse of it or nee and if he repent for that time whether he shall not fall againe into the same sinne for one sinne disposeth to another and if it be forgiuen the first time we are not sure of pardon the second or third time which we committe it One sinne damned all mankind to death and to loose the glory of God for euer The deuill told Eue that she should not dy if she sinned but it was a delusion of the deuill and soe it prooued God had said in what day soeuer thou shalt eate thou shalt dyâ— and eating she sinned Gen. 2. and died It is a delusion of the deuill to take from vs the feare of death after sinne and for any man to thinke that he shall not dy before he repent he being then subiect euery moment to death S. Hom. 22. in 2. ad Cor. c. 10. Iohn Chrysostome they say to themselues God hath granted the benefit of repentance to some euen in their last old age What thou saith he shalt thou also haue it perhaps I shall saith the sinner O why dost thou say perhaps I shall Say rather perhaps I shall not and then what will become of mee I shall be damned Thinke that it is thy soule which thou dost deliberate on If thou wert to goe to the warres wouldest thou say I will not dispose of my affaires first perhaps I shall returne againe many haue done soe Or if thou wert thinking to marty wouldst thou say I will marry a poore woman perhaps I shall grow rich many haue done soe Or if thou wert to build a house wouldst thou lay rotten foundations and say perhaps my house will stande why wilt thou then vpon rotten and vncertaine grounds build the saluation of thy soule all these are vncertaintys and soe is thy life and thy repentance Death commeth as a thelfe and we know not at what hower the theife will come The rich man was glorying in his riches and presently he heard a voice from God saying Luc. 12. this night they require thy soule of thee Absalom was domineering with a glorious army of rebells and presently his army is lost and himselfe riding away is hung by the haire in a tree and there commeth loab with three lances and sticketh them all in his hart Our liues are as the turne of a dy subiect to many vncertaintys and soe is our repentance If we are truly wise we will take the safest way and that is to fly sinne and to be allwais prepared for death He that were to passe through a dangerous wildernes in which many had bene killed would he not choose the safest way that he could The way of vertue is a safe way the way of sinne is full of danger thousands haue perished in it and none can perish but in it some indeede haue turned backe and forsaken that way againe but that is a hazard Fly grom drunkennesse Amb. exhort ad poenit saith S. Ambrose from concupiscence and from euill talke Man ought not onely after his sinne to refraine these thinges but also when he is sound and in good health because he knoweth not whether he shall repent and Confesse his sinne to God and to the Priest There are two thinges either he shall repent or he shall not Which of them shall come to passe I know not but that which I counsaile is to leaue the vncertaine and to choose the certaine All that can be said is that he may repent but this is vnâ—â—rtaine Certaine it is that if he hath sinned he hath deserued hell and that if he repent not he shall be damned Let not the sinner then flatter himselfe with presumption of the diuine mercy and of repentance It is a flattery of the deuill to delude and to draw him into hell Consider sinne as it is in it selfe and the euills that of themselues follow it Behold it as a monster that commeth to kill thee and to deliuer thee into the deuils power Thinke the most horrible spectacle that thou canst deuise to thinke and know that thy soule in sinne is more horrible and deformed then it Our soules saith S. Chrysostome in possession of the deuill is in worse state then our bodys possessed by him For although sinners saith he foame not at the mouth roare not with their voices nor writh their heades and eyes as possessed persons doe yet they are much more deformed inwardly and in the sight of God And in another place declaring how all things are confounded by sinne He affirmeth that it maketh men in some respects worse then deuills for the deuills saith he hurt not those of their owne kind but men by sinne care not what hurt they doe to one another and of malice will kill euen their neerest freinds and kindred Thus much of the malice of sinne Now OF THE AVTHOVR OF SINNE SVCH being the malice of sinne as is declared soe contrary to reason and to the goodnes of God it cannot stande with his diuine goodnes to impute the malice of it to him and to make not him the authour of it Some things there are soe manifest in themselues that euen at the first apprehension without disputing we assent vnto them and although strong and difficult arguments may seeme sometimes to arize against them as they may against all veritys whatsoeuer yet they are allwais to be granted and to be kept as firme and vndenyable principles Now if there be any thinge manifest in it selfe and to be kept as a firme and certaine principle it is that God is infinit in goodnes infinitly hating sinne and therefor can not be the authour of the euill which it conteines but it must proceede from some cause which is quite opposite to the goodnes of God And although some arguments might be obiected against this yet it is an extreme boldnes and prophanenesse in any man to question the truth of it but euen as all Philosophers agree to the Axiome that the whole is greater then any of its parts although arguments are often obiected against it soe ought we allwais to agree and much more firmely to ground ourselues vpon this verity that all goodnes is of God and that the euill which we doe is of ourselues according to that of the Prophet Perdition is thine O Israel Ose 13. onely in mee thy helpe But heretiks contemning all authority and denying the principles which the whole Catholike world receiueth to follow their owne fancys and conceits make the mysterys of faith to be more vncertaine then the principles of Philosophy They would be ashamed to be brought to deny that which all Philosophers had setled and are ashamed to deny that which Christ and the Holy Ghost and all the Doctors of the Catholike Church haue taught and established in faith but one arch haeretike will coÌ„tradict them all and gette followers to mainteine his singularity against them Thus