repeate in honour of it as by the signe of the Cros the masse the Creede the Haile Mary and the like in which it is still commemorated that we behold in them the fullfilling of that great vision which Moyses had Exo. 3. when our Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middes of a bush and the bush was on fire and was not burnt By which the Conception of Christ was fignifyed to be of the blessed Virgin without detriment of her Virginity and that he was to be borne without paine to her And this vision as it signifyed the Sonne of God vested with our nature was soe high and glorious that Moyses was commanded to bare his feete for the holinesse of the very ground on which it appeared Iob. 16. He at whose beck the pillars of heauen tremble and dread is inuolued in the myserys of our nature to draw vs to vertue and to saue vs by his merits THE FOVRTH ARTICLE SVffered vnder Pontius Pilate was Crucifyed dead and buried The Apostles hauing professed Christ in the glory of his diuinity as the onely Sonne of God and in the mystery of his conception and ioy of his birth set him now before our eyes in his passion and death That sacred body which was conceiued by the Holy Ghost and was vnited to the diuine word in the wombe of a Virgin we behold it now in the hands of cruell executioners who haue free power to torment and to kill it see now that body nailed vpon a Cros and soe exposed to the scorne of the world That face of life whose beauty the Angells desire to behold is left pale and dead without comlinesse and beauty The horrible paine which Christ suffered in his Passion is not to be apprehended by vs but was without doubt soe great in it selfe that the apprehension of it in him had bene sufficient to haue bereaued him of life if he had not supported nature by supernaturall meanes as he did in that agony which he suffered in the garden by the apprehension onely of his future Passion Mat. 26. when he said my soule is sorrowfull euen vnto death For his body as it was conceiued and framed onely of the Virgins blood was of a more tender complexion and more sensible of paine then others are and soe he had a more liuely apprehension greater horrour and more repugnance from the torments of his Passion which he foresaw and according to the inferiour part of his soule he desired and prayed to be freed from although they were woluntary to him For the vnderstanding of which we are to vnderstande two powers in the soule of man commonly called the Superiour and Inferiour part or portion of the soule The superiour power is in respect of its higher operations of reason and will which it hath equall with the Angels The inferiour part or portion of the soule is the inseriour powerwhich it hath as it is sensitiue causing vs to feele by our senses as inferiour creatures doe According to the superiour of the soule the Passion of Christ was nothing sorrowfull to him as not being contrary to his reason and will but it was most voluntary nay ioyfull to him he went as a gyant to runne that race and was straightened vntill he had perfected the baptisme of his Passion According to the inferiour power of the soule as it is sensible he could not but feele paine and his senses did abhorre the torments of his Passion for otherwise they had bene noe torments vnto him and as the complexion and constitution of his body was more perfect soe was he more sensible of paine and therefore the very apprehension of his Passion had a more violent effect in him then the paines of death is euer read to haue had in any other causing a sweat of blood to runne downe to the earth from him This would he suffer before his Passion to shew that his sorrows were aboue all sorrows and most horrible to him Yet he would preserue his life vntill he had suffered those thinges and fullfilled that which the scriptures had foretold of him For two reasons the Apostles would specify that Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate First for the more particular and exact relation of his Passion to shew that the Prophecys were fullfilled that had signifyed the time about which it should be And secondly for the performance of his owne words to shew the accomplishing of that which himselfe had foretold when speaking of his Passion he said Mat 20. they shall deliuer him to the Gentils to be mocked and scourged and crucifyed Which was fullfilled when the Iewes apprehending him deliuered him to Pilate and his souldiers who were Gentils and scourged and crucifyed him For the cheife of the Iewes seeing that they could not resist the doctrine which he preached nor the power of his miracles caused him to be apprehended and to be sent as a malefactour to Pontius Pilate who was then the Romane President of Iury Crucifyed and who by the instigation of the Iewes adiudged him as they desired to the death of the Cros which was held in that place the most disgracefull kind of death that malefactours could suffer and was soe much abhorred by the law that we reade in deuteronomy he is accursed of God that hangeth on a tree Deut. 21. Yet this the most reprochfull of all deaths was Christ contented to vndergoe for vs and that in a most ignominious manner betwixt two the eues We haue in the scriptures many mysterious types and honorable figures by which God would foreshew the death of his sonne Innocent Abel murthered by his brother was a figure of Iesus Christ killed by the Iewes Gen. 4. Gen. 22. The Sacrifice which Abraham was commanded to offer in his onely sonne was a type of Christ offered for vs on the Cros. Exo. 12. The vnspotted lambe which the Israëlits were commanded to offer when they came out of Aegypt represented also our Sauiour offered for our redemption of whom the Prophet saith Hier. 11. and I as a mild lambe that is carried to a victime The brazen serpent which God commanded to be erected that the people beholding it might be cured from the stings of the fiery serpents was as it were the shaddow of Christ nailed on the Cros. For as those that were wounded by serpents were cured by that and as of vipers and scorpions a medicine is made against their poyson and stings soe the malice of sinne committed by man was cured by man againe in Iesus Christ contrary to him By a man death sayth the Apostle and by a man the resurrection of the dead Cor. 1.15 And as the brazen serpent was in shew a serpent but had noe sting nor poyson to hurt but vertue to cure the stings of other serpents soe Christ in the similitude of the slesh of sinne had noe sinne Rom. 8. but tooke away the sinnes of the world and therefor
signe of the Cros vpon her brest and that soe she should be cured She did soe and was restored to perfect health This happened in S. Augustines time in the city in which he liued and himselfe hauing had the examining of it caused it to be published We haue then S. Paul and those that liued in the Apostles times honoring the Cros as we now doe and we may see by the writings of their successors the Saints of the primitiue Church the power and vertue of the signe of the Cros and what deuotion was then borne to it He whom all this is not sufficient to moue but shall still oppose this blessed signe sheweth an intollerable obstinacy in himselfe and that he needeth rather some meanes to mollify his hart and to moue his will then any arguments to conuince his vnderstanding and therefor let him haue recourse vnto God by prayer as I shewed in the last title of the former discourse that he will enlighten and inspire him to the truth for he may deceiue himselfe but God can not deceiue him I haue now noe more to say of the signe of the Cros. You haue seene first how it is to be made Secondly what mysterys are conteined in it to wit the mysterys of the B. Trinity and of the Incarnation Thirdly what reuerence we ought to beare vnto it Let vs confesse the greatnes of God in the mystery of the blessed Trinity and feare him let vs acknowledge his loue in the mystery of the Incarnation and loue him and let vs honour that holy signe by which those mysterys are signifyed The Cros is the sword of Christ the glory of christians the terrour of deuils our armes and armour against all dangers both of body and soule It is saith S. Augustine the chaire in which our master satte to teach vs. Aug. tract 119. in lo. to 3 1. ad Tim. 3. He taught vs from thence a lesson of all vertues of perfect charity towards God and our neighbour of humility patience meekenesse fortitude pouerty and of perfect resignation with the will of God in all things If thou feelest thy selfe cold in the loue of God negligent in frequenting the Sacraments in comming to masse c. and hast but litle feeling of goodnes nor care of Gods seruice in thee behold Christ vpon the Cros heare him how he calleth vpon thee to see him paining vnto death for the loue of thy soule If thou art offended at thy enemy and dost not forgiue him behold thy master on thee Cros and heare him not onely forgiuing but excusing and praying for his enemys If thou feelest in thy selfe a desire of praise worldly glory and preferment behold the sonne of God in his passion become the abiect of men that a notorius condemned theefe was preferred before him If by sicknesse soares and other like afflitions thou art moued to impatience see him in his Passion how he gius his blessed head his face his hands his feete and his whole body as a lambe to his enemys to be bounde to be beaten to be nailed stabbed cut and wounded as they would themselues See the blood running out of his crowned head by drop after drop where the thornes pierced it and out of his hands and feete and wounded side not by drops but by a continuall course vntill they were left dry What did he say to those that tormented him and in his torments vpbraided him with false crimes all that time he answered not a word in his owne behalfe but with silence went on stoode still or layed downe as they would haue him that carried him from place to place and from one paine to another he neuer opening his mouth to desire any ease or to intreate for any thing to teach thee meekenesse He defended innocency against the power of kings priests and presidents to teach thee fortitude in Gods cause He became naked to teach thee pouerty He tooke the cuppe of his Passion willingly from the Angell and drunke it vp to the bottome more then ne needed for the health of mankind because it was for the honour of God and his diuine will that he should doe soe Learne thou to resigne thy will to the will of God and to be contented in all occasions as he shall dispose of thee Finally there is neither writing nor preaching nor any words whatsoeuer that imprinteth soe much the loue of God in our harts nor moueth soe efficaciously to all vertues noe not the holy scriptures themselues nor any remedy soe good against all kind of sinnes as the meditation of Christs Passion which is read vnto vs in the signe of the Cros. L. 6. in Ep. ad Rom. Origen asking by what meanes we shall performe the Apostles words that sinne reigne not in vs Rom. 6. answereth where the death of Christ is carried there sinne can not reigne for saith he the Cros of Christ hath such power that if we beare it before our eyes and keepe it in our mindes noe concupiscence noe lust noe anger noe enuy can ouercome vs He â—5 in Mâ—t. to 2. the whole army of sinne is put to slight S. Chrysostome let them attende that are ashamed of the Cros of Christs Passion For if the Prince of the Apostles S. Peter were called Satan when he had not learned the mystery of the Cros Mat. 16. because he said Lord be it farre from thee this shall not be vnto thee how shall they be pardoned that dare to deny the Cros now when it is preached all ouer let none be ashamed of these signes of our saluation but let vs carry the Cros of Christ about vs as a ioyfull crowne for all things that are conducing to saluation are accomplished in it When we are regenerated the Cros is present when we are fedd with the most sacred soode when we are placed in the order of consecrating all ouer and at all times that signe of victory is vsed Wherefor let vs haue that signe in our houses in our windowes on our foreheades and in our mindes with much deuotion It is the signe of our saluation of our vniuersall liberty of the mildnesse and humility of our Lord. When therefor thou signest thy selfe with the signe of the Cros thinke of the mystery of the Cros and extinguish the fire of wrath and other Passions in thee When thou signest thy selfe with the signe of the Cros arme thy face with confidence and thy minde with the thoughts of freedome For Paul exhorting to true freedome calleth vs to the memory of the Cros saying you are bought with a great price Cor. 1.6 This was the price of the Cros. We must not onely make it with our singars on the body but with consideÌ„ce on our soules and if soe thou make it none of the wicked deuills will dare to encounter thee when he seceth the speere of his mortall wound For if we are affraid to behold the place where condemned persons are executed what dost thou
against the deuils power Sixtly the corporal life of man as he is ordained to the society of other men requireth a superiour authority to be in some for the gouerning of others and soe an orderly gouernment is necessary for vs in the Church of God and for this we haue the Sacrament of orders in which power is giuen to some in spiritual things Seauenthly for the continuance and conseruation of humane nature a continuall succession and propagation of mankind is necessary in the world and for this the spiritual life of man requireth that it be done by a Sacrament for the orderly propagation of men and the increase of soules to the worship of God This is by the Sacrament of Matrimony which as it is a duety of nature is onely for corporal generation but as it is a Sacrament it giueth grace for the increase of soules in the diuine worship The number of the Sacraments shall appeare furthermore out of the scriptures in that which I haue to say of euery Sacrament in particular The same is declared by diuerse Councels And although the fathers haue had noe occasion in their writings to name them alltogether yet they haue made mention of them all as occasion serued Neither is it necessary that we should assigne the time when euery Sacrament in particular was instituted of Christ We know the times of the institution of some of them and we know that for forcy dayes betwixt his resurrection and his Ascension he frequently appeared vnto his Apostles and taught them many things which they were to obserue in the Church which are not mentioned in the scriptures and we know that the Sacraments of the Church must be of Christs teaching and ordaining We haue for the number of the Sacraments the same authority that we haue for any of the scriptures to wit the authority of the Church which although it declare not the time when the scriptures were written yet it assureth vs of all their verity and soe it doth of the number of the Sacraments ad Casulan S. Augustine giueth vs this rule that for those thinges which are generally receiued by the Church if their beginnings be not knowne they are to be taken for Apostolical traditions but such is the number of seauen Sacraments therefor they are of Apostolical tradition Thus much of the Sacraments in general let vs now come to their particular declarations OF BAPTISME OF THE NECESSITY OF baptisme BAptisme is commonly called the doore of the Sacraments because it is the entrance to the rest necessary to be had before them For vntill we be christened we are not christians and vntill we be made christians we can not receiue the Sacraments of the people of Christ Baptisme is our first spiritual generation and before generation we haue noe operation because we are not soe before baptisme we haue noe spiritual being in grace and therefor it is to be supposed before the rest of the Sacraments be receiued the words of S. Iohn being then verifyed he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God Io. 1. For as we are borne the children of Adam and of wrath in our corporal births soe in baptisme we are borne the sonnes of God by grace through the merits of Iesus Christ As necessary then as generation is to the corporal being of all men soe necessary is baptisme to the being of all soules in the diuine grace and fauour and as necessary as birth is to the perfection of man in this world soe necessary is baptisme to come to the perfect state of glory Vnles a man be borne againe of water and the spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God Iâ— 3. By which words it appeareth that Baptisme is a Sacrament that is to say an outward rite or signe that causeth grace in vs. Baptisme a Sacrament We haue a rite and outward signe in the water and we haue the effect of grace in that the kingdome of heauen is obtained by it Heretiks that would confounde all things in the Church of God haue gone about to take away our christendome from vs affirming quite contrary to the words of Christ that a man not borne of water may enter into the kindome of heauen pretending that children are sanctifyed by their parents faith and therefor will not baptize them But this as I haue said is directly contrary to the words alleadged and in it selfe most absurde in that it maketh the kingdome of heauen to come to children not by grace but by inheritance from faithfull parents and supernaturall glory to be obtained by natural and corporal meanes Children are not absolutly holy in that they come of holy parents good parents are indeede a meanes to thee sanctification of their children by procuring for them that which God hath ordained for their sanctification but the goodnes of the parent can not merit grace for the child nor sanctify him This must be done by applying the merits of Christs passion to children in some Sacrament And soe the children of the Iewes in the law of Moyses were saued by the faith of their parents in this sense that they hauing the true faith applyed vnto their children those meanes of sanctification which God then ordained for them but neither in the law of Moyses nor of nature were children euer sanctifyed by onely being borne of good parents but somethinge was allwais done to them as Circumcision or some other outward signe for their sanctification which although it were farre inferiour to our baptisme yet it was necessarily required there being noe proportion betwixt kinred in blood and the diuine grace and glory S. Augustin Doe not beleeue Aug. l. 3. de anima eâ—â—s origineâ— 9. doe not say that children before baptisme can haue their original sinne forgiuen them if thou wilt be a Catholike OF THE EFFECT OF BAPTISME THE propper and particular effect of Baptisme is to make him that receiueth it to become a member of the body of Christ as being admitted into his Church by it and to dispose and prepare him for the rest of the Sacraments after it The general effect of Baptisme which it hath commune with all the Sacraments is to giue grace to the sanctification of soules and this it doth after soe full and plentifull a manner that it remitteth all sinne whatsoeuer original and actual great and litle and forgiueth all punishment due to it in the next world Rom. 6. We are buried saith the Apostle together with him by Baptisme vnto death That is to the death and destruction of sinne and of all punishment after it We haue a figure of this in Naaman the leptose Prince of Syria who washing himselfe in the waters of Iordan Reg. 4 5. as the Prophet had praescribed to him he came forth soe cleane and perfectly cured that the Holy Ghost saith his flesh was restored as the flesh of a litle child Ezechiel prophecyed of this saying I will powre out
thee downe instantly into hell and what it is to want the mediation of Christ of our B. Lady thy good Angell thy patrone and of all the Saints and the suffrages of the Church thou wouldst not remaine one moment in that state It is a humane thinge saith S. Gregory to erre but diabolical to perseuer in it If we fall into sinne we doe but like men if we rize againe we doe as the Saints haue done but if we perseuer in sinne we are like the deuil who must remaine in sinne for euer OF EXTREME-VNCTION THIS Sacrament hath for its propper effect to giue grace and strength against temptations at our death For the hopes of our enemy being then at the last he striueth all he can against vs. Apoc. 12. The deuill is descended to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle time Said the heauenly voice which S. Iohn heard Some he tempteth to presumption others to dispaire some by too much loue to their freinds and family some thinke of nothing but the riches which they leaue some by too much desire of life that they will not apprehende nor prepare themselues for death and generally as we draw neerer to our ends we grow more subiect to extremitys of passions all which the deuill knoweth how to make vse of to our hurt But his commune temptation is to terrify sinners with greeuous feare and affrightments at their sinnes past Sap. 4. They shall come fearefull in cogitation of their sinnes and their iniquitys on the contrary shall conuince them Saith holy wisdome Neither shall their naturall courage and strength then auaile them any thinge though neuer soe bold and bragging in time of health Great Saints haue shewed much feare at their death S. Hilarion whose perfection S. vita Hilar. Hierome describing saith that great concourse of bishops priests Clergymen and monks sought to him the temptation of christian matrons followed him multitudes of the common people potentates and iudges came to receiue holy bread and oile of him and yet his minde continued fixed on solitude yet for all this when he came to dy he was oppressed with such a feare and horrour of death that to encourage his soule he said Goe forth what dost thou feare goe forth my soule what dost thou doubt of thou hast serued Christ now almost seuenty yeares and dost thou feare death If Saints at their death haue bene thus terrifyed what may they expect who haue committed many sinnes and perhaps but lately repented for them and perhaps but sleightly and haue but few good works then for their comfort Therefor our Sauiour hath prouided this Sacrament as an armour for vs against that time S. Iames Iam. 5. is any man sicke among you let him bring in the priests of the Church and let them pray ouer him anoiling him with oile in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and our Lord shall lift him vp and if he be in sinnes they shall be remitted him By which words we haue the practise of the Catholike Church well prooued and Etreme Vnction declared to be a Sacrament that is an outward signe that sanctifyeth vs. There is an outward signe in the external rite of anoiling and in the forme of words signifyed by prayer And that this outward signe causeth grace vnto sanctification the words following doe declare in that sinnes are remitted which can not be but by grace being receiued And it followeth hence that Christ instituted it For the Apostles had not the power of instituting such signes neither could S. Iames haue promised remission of sinnes by it if Christ had not instituted it Luth. Praef. ad nou Test and giuen it that power It is true Luther reiects this Epistle of S. Iames denying it to be canonical and calling it an Epistle of straw but the authority of the whole Church hath declared it for canonical And if the whole Church be not sufficient for Luther we will put Caluin into the ballance against him an authour at least of equall grauity with him Caluin l. 3. Instit. c. 17. and Caluin holdeth it for canonical S. Bernard in vita Malach. relateth of S. Malachy that he assisting with a sicke woman and not thinking her to be in such danger as to require the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction departed from her without ministring it but she dying in his absence he returned againe full of sorrow and pittying that she should want the benefit of it he fell to his prayers restored her to life againe And then saith S. Bern he anoiled her knowing that by this Sacrament sinnes are remitted and that the prayer of faith saueth the sicke The holy oile is then applyed as a spiritual salue to the senses because by occasion of our senses we committe sinne But beside the spiritual remedy which our soules gaine by it it hath also a corporal effect of giuing health to the body as the Apostle declareth the sicke being saued and alleuiated by it By reason of which effect this Sacrament is not giuen in danger of death by warre or otherwise but onely by sicknes OF THE SACRAMENT of Orders THE Sacrament of Orders is that which Priests Deacons Subdeacons and others receiue when they are ordained by which they receiue spiritual power for the gouernment of the Church Tim. 1.4 That it is a Sacrament it appeareth by the words of S. Paul to Timothy Neglect not the grace which is giuen thee by prophecy with imposition of the hands of the priesthood By this it hath all which is conteined in the nature of a Sacrament the imposition of hands and the words that are said which are there signifyed by Prophecy being an external signe Amb. in Tim. by which grace in giuen Vpon which words S. Ambrose saith that Timothy by the imposition of the hands of priesthood was designed to the worke ard receiued authority that he durst offer sacrifice to God in our Lords steede The same power is expressed by the words of the bishop when heordaineth priests saying Receiue thou authority to offer for the liuing and the dead in the name of our Lord. To offer there is to offer sacrifice as S. Ambrose also expresseth it and to offer sacrifice is the most propper office of priests priest and sacrifice going allwais together soe that there can be noe priest but he must haue power to offer sacrifice The propper and peculiar effect of this Sacrament is to giue grace to exercize worthily Ecclesiastical functions Which power and grace as it is in the Church of Christ is most high and eminent aboue all dignitys For what can be compared to the dignity of christian priests Both in respect of their power of Orders by which they consecrate the most blesed host and also in respect of their power of iurisdiction by which they remitte sinnes Neither of which is within the Angels power And therefor priesthood is not obtained in
thy saluation and what he requireth to be done by thee He standeth at the doore of thy hart and desiring to enter he knocketh enlightening thy vnderstanding and inspiring thy will to open to him that is to consent to the good worke to the which he moueth thee and if thou wilt open it he entreth with his sanctifying grace and blesseth thee But he doth not enter whether thou wilt or noe he craueth entrance and giueth thee power to open vnto him and if thou wilt not open thy hart and haue blessing blame none but thy selfe Say Peccaui I haue sinned Soe did Dauid Manasses Iob and all true repenters euer say and neuer said Peccasti thou hast sinned to God but if thou makest God the authour of thy sinne and not thy owne freewill thou blamest him and sayest Peccasti thou hast sinned to him Which were noe humility in thy selfe nor repentance at all noe man repenting but for his owne sinnes There remaineth now to speake OF THE SEVERALL KINDES OF SINNE Quest How many kindes of sinne are there Ans There are two kindes of sinne Originall sinne and Actuall sinne Quest What is the difference betwixt Original and Actuall sinne Ans Original sinne is that Which we are borne in Actuall sinne is that which we committe THE first diuision of sinne may be into Original and Actuall And although Originall sinne were Actuall as it was acted and committed by Adam and were Mortall in that it brought death both to him and vs yet for more cleerenes we will destinguish first Original and Actuall and then Mortall and Veniall sinne Original sinne is that which we contract from Adam our Origen and which we committe not ourselues but bring into the world with vs. Adam was placed in paradise his soule endowed with Originall iustice and in his body he was immortall He had the commande of all earthly creatures enioying freely the pleasures of them and without dying should haue bene transferred after a time to the pleasures of heauen These gifts were giuen to him and his posterity and they successiuely had obtained them if they had not sinned but he sinning we are depriued of that originall iustice and other gifts and the wart and priuation of them is called Originall sinne in vs. We haue noe wrong done vs in this that we are borne depriued of our fathers gifts because they were giuen to him and his posterity onely vpon condition that they sinned not As though a King of his owne freewill should bestow some place of honour and benefit vpon a subiect for himselfe and his posterity to enioy after him vpon condition that they allwais kept themselues obedient and loyall to him but if he or any of them should be found guilty of treason then they should loose that place and benefit Now he or some of them breaking the condition by disobeying the King they are iustly depriued of that place Soe the gifts and graces which God gaue to Adam for himselfe and for vs were noe way due but of the goodnes and liberality of God and granted conditionally if we remained loyall to him we committing treason are iustly depriued of those gifts which he had and are borne without them The reason of this is because the father and children in this case are as it were all one man and haue as it were all one will and as that which is done by one onely part of man to wit by his will is attributed to the whole man and punished in all the rest of his parts soe the sinne which was committed by Adam is iustly punished in all men because all men were his children and as it were one man in him A spend thrift father wasteth his estate not onely from himselfe but also from his children because they are supposed and are indeede in riches one body and one minde with him and can blame none but him who consumed those riches which they should haue had Soe all men in Adam were one man his will was the will of all he consumed the riches which we should haue had and we are iustly depriued of them Actuall sinne is that which we committe Actuall sinne and is therefor called Actuall because we act it ourselues and bring it not originally into the world with vs. And soe the sinne which Adam committed and which is original in vs was Actuall in him because he acted it and had it not by infection from another as we haue from him Quest How many kindes of Actuall sinne are there Ans There are two kindes of Actuall sinne Mortall sinne and Veniall sinne Quest What is the difference betwixt Mortall and veniall sinne Ans Mortall sinne quite depriueth vs of Gods grace Veniall sinne onely lesseneth and diminisheth the feruour of the loue of God in vs. MORTALL sinne is as much as to say Deadly sinne It is a mortall and deadly wound bringing death to our soules in that it taketh quite away the diuine grace from them which is their spirituall life Rom. 6. The stipends of sinne saith the Apostle are death That is the reward of mortall sinne This is the sinne which is allwais vnderstoode when we read or name sinne in generall and speake of the malice of it A monster soe deformed that if we could see the deformity of it we should thinke truly that all the torments of this world were rather to be suffered then one mortall sinne to be committed It diuideth vs from God it putteth vs into the deuils power it bringeth eternall punishments and temporall to the ruine of Kingdomes cittys and many noble familys it causeth feares and terrors of conscience and leaueth our soules hatefull and most horrible in the sight of God We can not expresse nor conceiue with sufficient horrour the state of our soules when they are in mortall sinne Our bodys when they are dead become pale cold and ghastly but much more our soules in deadly sinne We behold with horrour the body of one that had killed drowned or hanged himselfe and it is not a horrour to kill our owne soules If any of this company should now suddainely fall downe and dy before vs we should all be terrifyed and affrighted at it then how should we feare to fall into mortall sinne by which we are instantly killed and dead Ber. ad Eug. l 4. c. 6. Esa 57. An asse falleth and there is allwais some to helpe her vp againe A soule perisheth and none regardeth it Saith S. Bernard soe the Prophet the iust perisheth and there is none that considereth in his hart If our head our breast or any other part paine vs we complane and cry O my head my breast c. And we wounde our soules vnto death and neuer thinke nor say O my soule How greatly haue the Saints of God detested mortall sinne how greatly haue they bewailed it in themselues and in others what pennance haue they vndergone to satisfy for it what paines haue they taken to draw others out of
the Councell of Trent after the decision of controuersys in faith and declaratioÌ„ of the diuine truth in the next place would prouide for Catechizing that the true doctrine declared might be deliuered to the people And for this end they caused the Romane Catechisme to be made and that not to incite Pastors howsoeuer to instruct but to propose such a manner of instuction as was most propper for times of heresy as it declareth of purpose in the Preface where speaking of the suttelty of haeretiks in insinuating of their new and poysonsome doctrines it hath these words Wherefore to apply some remedy to these pernicious euills the Fathers of the Oecumenicall Councell of Trent haue thought it not sufficient onely to determine the cheife points of the Catholike doctrine against the haeresys of these times but haue also deemed it necessary to setiforth a certaine forme and manner of instructing of Christian people which in all Churches should be followed by those who haue the office of a lawfull Pastour and teacher Now for the forme and manner of instructing which it deliuereth it is by Discourses Speeches or Sermons made vpon seuerall parts of the Christian doctrine such as the auncient fathers of the Church haue left of the same subiect and haue called Homilys which in Greeke also is the same as to say Discourses or Sermons And for the methode which it hath obserued in those Discourses it is such that a more profitable can not be deuised for by it Catholiks are soe taught in doctrine that they are also confirmed in faith and piously excited to holinesse of life Three principall thinges then are intended in the Romane Catechismes Discourses The first is Instruction of the ignorant the second is Confirmation of the Catholike faith the third Aedification to good life As for instruction it performeth it very abundantly and more at large in those subiects which it treateth of then other Catechismes commonly doe As for the second it confirmeth the Catholike doctrine especially against moderne heresys soe as in that breuity is very sufficient for the satisfaction of any that would haue a care of his soule As for the third which is Aedification to good life it sometimes threateneth with such zeale the iudgments of God to make vs to feare him and againe when the subiect requireth it layeth open soe efficaciously the bowels of his loue and mercy to draw vs to loue him that we haue in it not onely a Catechisme for instruction but also soe many Sermons and exhortations to vertue and Pastors by following of that methode in these three things may well be said to pay the debt which they owe both to the wise and vnwise The same methode of discourse I desire to obserue and the same three things I will labour to imitate with that spirit that it shall please God to giue mee For the first which is instruction considering that in the opinion of authors some expresse and explicite knowledge of the mysterys of faith is absolutly necessary for euery one to haue soâ— necessary that to those that are come to the vse of reason there can be noe saluation without it I haue therefor collected a short and easy Summe or abbreuiation of the Christian doctrine conteined in the answeres to a few questions which moe doubt but compriseth as much as is absolutly necessary for Lay people to know and more then authors in rigour exact of them The learning then and indifferent vnderstanding of that Summe shall satisfy the obligation which all haue to learne the Christian doctrine and shall excuse them from the sinne of ignorance which they might incurre In which answeres I doe not intende the rigorous definitions of those things which are there asked but onely to declare soe much as is necessary for the vnderstanding and in breife for the remembring of that point This I often explicate to the people and procure that they haue it with them to get without booke for I finde by experience that neither explication onely withour getting somethinge without booke nor the getting without booke onely without explication is sufficient for the people to learne the christian doctrine I haue explicated the same things ouer and ouer againe many times and vntill I gaue them somethinge in breife for their memory I perceiued that my labour was in a manner lost especially with the yong and ruder sort who when I came to examine againe were as farre to seeke as at first And on the other side I haue knowne some children who through their parents care haue knowne all Cardinal Bellarmins litle Catechisme without booke yet for want of explication haue bene litle or nothing better for it Wherfor to bring the people both to vnderstande and to remember the christian doctrine I was forced to vse these meanes to giue them that Summe to gett without booke for their memory and to expounde it to them as they doe in their â—rones in France onely with this difference that where as there the people haue onely the cheife parts of the Christian doctrine read to them before the explication I require that they say it themselues answering all together alowde to the questions of the Summe for by this meanes the most rude and ignorant hearing others answere and answering with them come in time to learne the answeres whether they will or noe and that much more easily in their owne language then those who gett without booke whole psalmes in Latine by onely hearing and singing them with others in the Church As for explication I sometimes expounde all the Summe in breife for the ignorant and sometimes for the good of all I make a discourse after the manner of some of the following Discourses either of Faith or of the Signe of the Cros or of some article of the Creede or other part as occasion shall serue and as is most agreeable to that dayes solemnity The second thinge which I labour for is to confirme in the Catholike faith by such proofs of the Catholike doctrine as may suffize for that purpose And that you may better vnderstande how I proceede in this I desire you to take good notice in the Creede For in the other Discourses there is noe difficulty For the vnderstanding of which you are to minde well the methode which the Apostles haue obserued in composing of it which they carried with them in their liues and left behinde them at their deaths as a rule of diuine faith First against Atheists who would perswade themselues that there is noe God they laid this ground I beleeue in God Secondly against Pagans who on the contrary beleeue in many Gods they professe their beleefe in one onely God the maker of heauen and earth Thirdly against Iewes and Turks and all such as they foresaw might beleeue in one God yet deny Christ they professe their beleefe in Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God Yet all this was not sufficient finally to resolue in point of faith For being
himselfe signifying his death on the Cros Io. 3. said as Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert soe must the sonne of man be exalted Christ suffered voluntarily of his owne free-will Christ suffered voluntarily and could if it had peased him haue escaped all or any part of his Passion and death This he often shewed in his life time Sometimes when they would haue killed him he became presently inuisible to their sight and walked through the midst of them without being seene Sometimes he preuented them absenting himselfe seeing their inward thoughts and harts to be bent against him Sometimes he shewed that he had power ouer their mindes mouing them as he would and asswaging the malice which was in them vntill the hower of his suffering came and when his hower was come he came forth amongst his enemys and euen then he moued multitudes of people to follow and to glorify him but a few dayes after when they came to apprehende him he would then be taken and would not defende himselfe or be defended by others He would with a word of his mouth strike them downe to the ground to shew that he had them in his power and could haue freed himselfe but he would let them rize againe and would goe away prisoner with them to fullfill the will of his father by suffering and dying for vs. Christ suffered for the redemption of all and redeemed all that is by his Passion he purchased meanes for the saluation of all These meanes are the Sacraments of the Catholike Church Those that are baptized and receiue worthily the rest of the Sacraments as they are necessary for them are saued by the merits of Christ in them Those that are not baptized or receiue not the Sacraments as they are necessary for them perish not through any defect in the Passion of Christ by which they had sufficient meanes to be saued but through their owne sinne because they will not apply those meanes to themselues which Christ by his Passion procured for their saluation The least paine of our Sauiours Passion or the least action which he did in his life time had bene sufficient to haue redeemed the whole world and a thousand worlds if it had bene offered to that end by him as the full price of our redemption because it proceeded from the diuine Person which was of infinite dignity but it was not intended soe by him He ouervalued the purchase of our soules and by a superabundant grace would giue more then he needed when he gaue his life for them and would haue nothing to stande for the price of our redemption without his death This he would doe to testify his loue towards vs and to giue vs an example of many vertues Quest What doe we gett by Christ redeeming vs Answ We gett the forgiunesse of our sinnes and the acceptance of our good works by the merits of Christs Passion applyed vnto vs in the Catholike Church The Sacraments of the Catholike Church haue their vertue and effect by the Passion of Christ Those that worthily receiue them are sanctifyed and haue the remission of their sinnes and being then in the state of grace the good works which in that state are done by them are acceptable to God and haue proportion to supernatural glory The Sacraments therefor hauing by the merits of Christs Passion power and vertue to sanctify vs we haue by his merits the forgiunesse of our sinnes and the acceptance of our good works Man had committed sinne in paradise and all mankind was infected with that sinne and our nature being once tainted it corrupted still more and more and we fall in our life times into many actuall sinnes All the good works which we could doe were of noe value nor could we by any meanes make satisfaction for any sinne either originall or actuall because there is noe condignity in person and works betwixt vs and God that was offended The Sonne of God was therefor incarnated in Christ that the diuine nature vniting to it selfe the nature of man might soe dignify it by that vnion in him that he could make satisfaction for our sinnes and obtaine for vs the remission of them and that our good works being then done in the state of grace might become acceptable to God and proportionable to glory which of themselues they could not be We could haue sinned still more and more heaping sinne vpon sinne and increasing our damnation but we could haue done nothing in that state by which we could rise from any sinne Soe that the remission of our sinnes and the acceptance of our good works to the obtaining of euerlasting glory is to be attributed to the merits and power of Christs Passion which is actually applyed vnto vs by the Sacraments of the Catholike Church The Apostles would particularly professe in the Creede the Passion of Christ and that he dyed to confounde those haeretiks that should deny his death as some haue done These are sufficiently refuted by this article and by all the Euangelists affirming that he gaue vp the ghost That is is to say that his ghost spirit or soule which is all one departed and was separated from his body death being nohting els but the departure or separation of the soule from the body For this reason also the Apostles would declare that Christ was buried to confirme his being dead But although he would haue his body to be buried as the bodys of other men yet he would preserue it from corruption in the earth because it was most decent that that sacred body which was soe miraculously framed by the Holy Ghost without corrupting the Virginity of his mother should after death be free from all corruption according to that which the holy king had prophecyed thou shalt not giue thy holy one to see corruption Ps 15. To conceiue somethinge of the greatnesse of this mystery we may consider who it was that suffered these thinges that it was one whose person infinitly surpassed in power wisdome beauty riches and all kind of dignity and goodnesse the most renowned Prince that euer was in the world And if it be a horrible thinge to thinke of the murthering of any man and much more of some great and gracious Prince and a cruell spectacle to behold it what feeling ought christiins to haue of the Passion of Christ when they consider it But it is but a weake comparison to compare Christ to any earthly Prince Io. 1. S. Iohn saith that he was the Word which was with God and that this Word was God O almighty God what then shall we say or thinke of this mystery thy power and maiesty seemeth here to be lessened thy wisdome is dispised thy goodnes questioned brought to tryall and condemned O blessed Sauiour whom S. Paul describeth to be he whom God hath made the heire of all Heb. 1. the brightnesse of his glory and the figure of his substance how comes thy brightnesse to be
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
the faithfull dispersed ouer the world Which is in substance the same that is here answered for euery one that hath the true faith and is in vnion with the head and Pastors of the Church by obeying them is a member of the true Châ—â—ch and all these put together make the whole Church But because Schismatiks although they beleeue in all points yet are out of the Church as diuiding themselues from it by disobedience to the head and Pastors theirof therefor to be a member of the Church we require vnion with the rest of the members vnder one head to wit the Pope who is for the time the successor of S. Peter the Vicar of Christ and the Head of the Church Now for the explication of this article In the first place the Church is said to be holy Holy It is holy in diuerse respects First in respect of the eminent holines of Iesus Christ the cheife head of it Secondly for the holy gouernment which Christ instituted and allwais conserueth in it Thirdly it is holy in respect of the holy sacrifice which it hath of his most sacred body and in respect of the holy Sacraments and obseruances that are in it Fourthly in respect of the Vicarhead Pastors and people whose holinesse it includeth Christ ascending into heauen made S. Peter the head of all the Apostles and of the whole Church to remaine as Vicar to himselfe vpon earth commending particularly to him the charge of his sheepe that is of all faithfull christians that are in the Church as in his sheepfold This charge was performed by him whilst he liued and after his death by men of great holines who succeeded him ioyning their blood vnto his as it were in a continuall streame of martyrdome for almost three hundred yeares after the Ascension of Christ After them those who haue succeeded in that chaire and office haue bene for the most part men of great holinesse as they haue great meanes to be and as it is fitting they should be in that holy office The Church is also holy in many other inferiour Pastors and people of all sorts and callings of Martyrs Confessors and Virgins who haue illustrated it with their holy liues and haue rendred it a deere and amiable spouse to Christ Lastly the Church is holy as being by its authority the ground of all holines there being none at all but in it For there can be noe holinesse in this world if not grounded vpon true faith Heb. 11. without which it is impossible to please God And being there can be noe faith that can please God but in the Catholike Church all holinesse that is amongst men is in the holy Catholike Church The Church is called by the Apostles Catholike Catholike which is as much as to say vniuersal to destinguish the true Church of Christ from all false Churches of christians which they saw might rize vp in following times and did euen then beginne to rize in their times None of which can be said to be Catholike or vniuersal but priuate and particular Churches which beginne by opposing of the Catholike and vniuersal Church then extant when those new sects beginne First the Church is vniuersal in doctrine for that it teacheth all ouer the same doctrine and yeeldeth obedience to the same gouernment vnder one head and soe the Church of Rome is Catholike and the Church of Protestants is not Catholike for that protestants agree in name onely and nor in doctrine and also because some of them acknowledging a head vpon earth as the English Protestants did and some of them acknowledging noe head vpon earth they haue not all obedience to the same authority which obedience must necessarily be had to be the same Church and to be the true Catholike Church For the Apostles made this article to keepe vs allwais in the odedience of the true Church and that those might be knowne to haue the true faith of Christ who retaining the doctrine which is professed by the whole Church which then is and obeying the authority of it submitte in all controuersys to that which it teacheth and say with the Apostles I beleeue the Catholike Church and therefor two Churches that obey two different authoritys can not both of them be vniuersal and Catholike Secondly the true Church is vniuersall in times for that it must be at all times and neuer soe vanished out of the world that there should neede any to restore it againe for God doth not soe vnequally destribute his graces as to leaue the the world at any time without meanes of saluation which cannot be without a true and lawfull Church Besides the Apostles Creede is to be said at all times and soe we are allwais to say I beleeue the Catholike Church which we could not allwais say if at some time there were noe true Catholike Church in the world Thirdly the Church is vniuersal in place for if S. Paul could with truth apply those words of the psalme their sounde hath gone forth vnto all the earth Ps 18. and vnto the ends of the â—ound world the words of them to the Church of Christ in the Apostles times when it was nothing soe much dilated as now God be thanked it is we may now with good reason call it Catholike in respect of all places when the sounde of the Apostles doctrine is soe much enlarged that there is hardly any place of the world whither the Catholike Church doth not send her subiects to preach Out of this vniuersality of the Church it followeth One that there is but one true Church in which saluation may be had for vniuersality importeth vnity and if there be vnity in the Church and that this vnity be necessarily required and included in the word Catholike or vniuersal which signifye hâ— many agreeing in the same thinge then two Churches which are not vnited in the same Communion and obedience to the same authority can not both of them haue meanes of saluation for if they could both haue meanes of saluatioÌ„ and yet might lawfully disobey each others authority then we should not be bounde to obey it nor could it lawfully require obedience to it which is contrary to the words of Christ binding vs to the obedience of the Church and contrary to this article and to all reason and gouernment S. Augustine There is nothing which a christian ought soe much to feare as to be separated from the body of Christ Aug. tract 27. which is for certaine the one Catholike Church For if he be separated from the body of Christ he is not a member of him If he be not a member of him he is not nourished with his spirit By which it is plane in the doctrine of this saint that it can not be a true Church which is separated from the true Church and by consequence two Churches which separate from each other can not both be true Therefor let those take head that hearken
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
God because God sheweth himselfe there in glory as a King reigning in the mindes and hearts of his Saints who are in perfect loue and subiection to him And supposing here that which we prayed for before to wit that it be for the honour of God we may be vnderstoode to pray that our soules may be freed out of the prison of our bodys Phil. 1. and come soone to that happy state as the Apostle desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ The Kingdome of Heauen is the first thing Mat. 6. which we ought to aske for our selues Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the iustice of him and all these things shall be giuen you besides Christ said this to his disciples after that he had delinered the Pater noster to them in which he taught them first to aske the honour of God and then those things which were good for themselues and amongst all those things in the first place the kingdom of heaven Tract 102. This is saith saint Augustin that full and perfect ioy which we ought to pray for and which oll our prayers ought to aime at as the only true ioy Here the Romane Catechisme admonisheth Pastors to excite their people to the loue of that Kingdome by the sentences of holy Scriptures which are indeede frequent enough for it But in order to this it ought to be sufficient that Christ hath said in few words Aske and you shall receiue that your ioy may be full For what ioy should we desire but that which is full ioy and fullnesse of ioy is not to be had but in heauen Euery thing aspireth to that in which its cheife and full ioy consisteth Sensible things to that which pleaseth the senses liuing things to the conseruation of life and those things which haue onely being and noe life delight in that which is according to their nature and seeke to it because there is the fulnes of their ioy And shall the soule of man which is reasonable aboue all these things forsake that which is its cheife and full ioy All corporall things tende with violence thither where their cheife ioyes are and rest not contented vntill they enioy them The Sunne Moone and Planets reioyce in their courses the Starres in their stations and keepe themselues in them because there is the fullnes of their ioy The creatures of the earth are some aboue the earth some within it and some part within and part without it as trees and herbes and will not liue otherwise because there is the summe of their delight The fishes of the Seas and fresh waters seeke allways to be there and striue by violence to that place Light thinigs tende vpwards and heauy things to the centre of the earth because there they haue the fulnesses of their ioy The fulnesses of our ioy is noe where but in Heauen and why doe not we then seeke to it and abhorre all that hindereth vs of it We liue in this world as it is were out of our element in a place most lothsome to our soules a deadly prison condemned to dy continually and in danger of eternall death Rom. 7. What ioy can we take in this condition Vnhappy that I am saith the Apostle who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death The Kingdome of God is diuersely vnderstoode First it is general ouer all the world as he gouerneth and prouideth for his subiects which are the multitude of all creatures Secondly it is more particularly ouer the Catholike Church as the people of a Kingdome gathered together to worship him as their true King Thirdly more particularly yet his Kingdome is with the iust in whose harts he reigneth by grace of whom Christ the Kingdome of God is with you Luc. 17. Lastly his Kingdome is most especially ouer the blessed to whom at the day of iudgement he shall say Mat. 25. Come the blessed of my Father possesse you the Kingdome prepared for you Here we aske that we and all people may soe liue in the Communion of the Catholike Church by Faith and good works that in the end we may obtaine the glory of Heauen For this Kingdome is not otherwise obtained but by such faith as S. Gal. 5. Paul requireth which worketh by charity as by those who haue giuen meate drinke and cloths for Gods sake and they shall be excluded that come with the profession onely of Catholiks saying Mat. 7. Lord Lord open vnto vs but bring not with them the light of good workes Not euery one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but he that doth the will of my Father of which point Saint Augustine wrote a booke de fide operibus in which he sheweth that the Epistles of S. Paul were misconstrued by some of those times as though he required not good works after baptisme cap. 14. but that faith alone did iustify And therefore saith he the other Epistles of Peter Iames and Iude were written to auouch vehemently that fait without good works profiteth nothing THE THIRD PETITION THY will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Man hath not a greater enemy then his owne will when it is not gouerned by the will of God All good things which we haue come by the goodnesse of the diuine will and all euills that befall vs come through the malice of our owne wills The ignorance of our vnderstandings neuer hurteth our soules but when it is voluntary and all our sinnes proceede from thence that either we will not doe what we know is to be done or will not know what we are to doe Esa 5. Hence is that curse of the Prophet Woe vnty you that call euill good and good euill putting darknesses light and light darknesse putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter This curse commeth by the euill of our wills because we will follow our owne blindnes and not the will of God which ought to be our rule and guide in all things The malice of men beganne presently to be much vpon earth and the cogitations of their hart were soe bent vpon vpon euill that a deluge of waters was sent to destroy them This euill was in their harts that is to say in their wills because they followed not the will of God which is sweet and lightsome but their owne wills which are darke and bitter in effect and so haue all the euils of the world come Therefore we are topray and to labour with ourselues for conformity with the will of God Besides we not knowing what is best for vs aske that some times which is hurtfull as sicke folkes in a feauer desire that which hurteth them and as children who would take poison for treacle if they had there owne wills and therefore sicke folkes and children haue keepers whose wills they must follow and be directed by We are as children in our wills and vnderstandings both deficient by sinne God is our
bread of God or if you thinke that he onely can prosper you and reward you euen with temporal blessings why doe you serue any other but him for them Serue God and be constant to his seruice according to the rules of the Catholike Church â—nd you can want nothing that is good for you Holy Toby was constant to the seruice of God and euen in time of great persecution he had enough both for himselfe and for others and although he lost much and gaue much away for Gods sake yet God allwais increased his store It ought to be a comfort to vs to heare king Dauid in his old age sing I haue bene yong Ps 36. for I am old and I haue not seene the iust forsaken nor his seede seeking bread This day We are taught here to aske but for one day and soe from day to day that we may haue confidence in God and not set our mindes too much vpon riches and of prouiding without end as some doe who neuer know when they haue enough Esa 5. Woe to you that ioyne house to house and lay field to field euen to the end of the place shall you alone dwell in the midst of the earth Their couetousnes is with out limit as though all had bene made for them and theirs Better were it for them to thinke how to liue in an orderly and discreete way and to bring vp their children in the feare and seruice of God with an indifferent competency Some authors vnderstande here by bread the blessed Sacrament of Eucharist which appeareth as bread and is indeede the bread of Angels in that it conteineth him who feedeth the Angels with the ioy of his presence Hence S. Ambrose taketh occasion to commende the often receiuing of the blessed Sacrament saying if it be our daily bread why shall we be a yeare before we receiue it THE FIFT PETITION AND forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them their trespasses against vs. Amongst the infinite testimonys of the loue of God towards vs There is none greater then the passion of Christ by which the maine fountaine of his mercy was opened to cleanse us from sinne that we might hope and aske confidently that our trespasses might be forgiuen And as the Councell of Trent hath declared there is none in this world soe free from sinne Ia. 3. but that he may say this petition Saint Iames speaketh in general in many things we offende all Eccl. 7. And the wise man was inspired to say There is not a iust man in the earth that doth good and sinneth not We all then haue reason to pray for this and as there is not any euill in the world so great as sinne so there is nothing which we haue more reason to pray for then the forgiuenesse of sinnes Esa 7. The iniquity of the house of Iacob shall be forgiuen and this is all the fruit that his sinne be taken away It is indeede all the fruit that a sinner can desire to haue his sins taken away and it is fruit enough for so he hath the cheife thing which he can wish for in this world to wit grace by which he hath right vnto heauen Yet as great as this fruit is of the forgiuenes of our sinnes we are not taught so much as to aske it but with this condition that we will forgiue to our neighbour his trespasses against vs. Christ was a most perfect master of all vertues and nothing was there necessary or good for vs to learne but he hath taught it most perfectly both by word and by worke yet of all the lessons which he hath giuen there is nothing so much inculcated by him as charity and meekenes to others First in his owne person he hath giuen vs such an example that we cannot comprehende the dignity of it The very Sonne of God to suffer words and blowes and in the end death it selfe by his wicked and cursed seruants that he might change their curse into blessings what shall we say or thinke of this He could with one twinkle of his eye haue destroyed his enemys and freed himselfe but he would let them goe on in persecuting of him vnto death and then pray for them He was scoffed at and held his peace he was accused and answered not for himselfe he was strucken and bore it patiently hee was crucifyed and prayed for those that crucifyed him his whole life and death was a continuall patterne of this vertue and for his words his paraboles and preachings they were allways commending it tending continually to the loue of God by the loue of our neighbour And S. Iohn his beloued disciple that slept in his bosome was so filled with the same spirit of his master that in his first Epistle declaring how great a connexion there is betwixt the loue of God and the loue of our neighbour he proceedeth to these earnest termes Io. 1.4 If any man shall say that I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyer And it is recorded of this holy Apostle that at his death these were his last words litle children loue one another And when he had repeated this Sentence often ouer to his disciples they desiring him to speake something els to them he reprooued them for it telling them that it was a saying worthy of their master It is to be obserued here that where as other vertues are asked onely in generall hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdome come c. this is asked in particular that we be forgiuen as we forgiue Now what Christian is there that can professe himselfe a disciple of Christ and yet stande at defyance against his neighbour how can he say this soueraigne prayer euery day and let his hart fester so long against any man that the sunne set before he pacify himselfe If we read in the law of Moyses of some examples in which the Saints of God haue taken revenge of their enemys as when Elias commanded fire to come downe from Heauen to consume the two Captaines of King Ochosias and their souldiers it was by particular inspiration and in zeale of iustice that Kings might learne reuerence to the seruants of God Besides Christ was not then come who was to mollify the hardnesse of that law by more mildnesse in the law of grace and therefore he said you haue heard that it was said of old Mat. 5. Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thy enemy But I say to you loue your enemys doe good to them that hate you For if you loue them that loue you what reward shall you haue doe not also the Publicans this and if you salute you brethren onely doe not also the heathens this be you perfect therefore as also your heauenly Father is perfect We haue the examples of Martyrs Confessors and of all sorts of Saints who in the law of Christ haue come to this perfection as to loue those that hated them S. Steuen being appreheÌ„ded
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