relate and so distinguish the Substance yet not substantially And. a Son being a Living thing proceeding from a Living thing of the same nature as from a Principle remaining in it and Knowledge in God being such in respect of he Divine Essence known That is truly call'd Son This Father Likewise God loving Himself the same thing is Loving and Loved yet as such distinct therefore there is besides in God a a third call'd Divine Love Also Love intelligent things proceeding from their proper Good which is Truth consisting in this that the Object be in the Knowledge Divine Love proceeds from the Divine Essence as Object in the Divine Knowledge that is from Father and Son Whiâ—h Love is call'd Holy Spirit because He makes us Holy by inspiring us with Love of God or Charity as also Comforter Again â— Person being an Individuall or One Intelligent substance and God having no Accidents The distinction in him must bee of Persons There are then in One God three Persons yet not necessarily Three Things Of these the Second took our Nature not by charging God but by joyning Man to God's Person And therefore the Second because 't is proper to Knowledge or Wisedome to teach us or be our Master A shore History of some signal passages belonging to our Saviour Godâ— being made Man to redeem Mankind from Sin and put him in the way to Heaven which consists see in seeing God and Love of God disposing and determining necessarily to this Man is to love God as being All-Good Our most bountifull benefactour and whose Likeness or Image we bear And our Neighbour being made for the same End wee are that is for God we ought to wish him that End and means to it that is love him as our self Also Love of God necessarily disposing to see â—â—m who loves God has great reason to hope to see him grounded in his Goodness and faithfulness to his promise put none can love or hope un ess knowing the things which motives why taught by Faith which se-curely relies On God's Truth saying such things and Tradition or the Infallible Attestation of the Church that he 〈◊〉 them There are then three virtues call'-Theologicall or immedily respecting God necessary to mankind's saluation Faith Hope and Charity Faith being a Knowledge of supernaturall things the way to advance Faith is to increase that Knowledge by Study of such things that is by Prayer of which Mentall has three parts To Know the truth of the point To resolve according to that Knowledge and To raise the heart to God expecting a Blessing Vocall Prayer is better than Mentall as being compos'd by able men and less distractive But worse as â—ess satiating the Soul Less proportion'd to it and Desective the two first parts mention'd Hence of Mental the written are bâ—st for beginners of Vocall Those which are best understood and Well attended to Lastly â— Prayer being the use of Considerations â—â—â—i caâ—ioâ—sly moving to â—ove of God The fruit of Prayer is to advance Charity that iâ— Prayer is the high way to Heaven wheresore without Iâ— Retreat in vertue is inevitable Moreover Charity or â—ove obliging us to give what 's due to those wee love 't will make us render To God Service To our selves what 's best for us that is 't will make us prefer a greater good before a less which is perform'd by Temperance and avoyd a greater harm before a less which is done by Fortitude To our Neighbour If Infeiour or Equall Love Good will If superiour Obedience and Respect which belong to Justice Yet these three Virtues unexcited by Love of Heaven avail not to It though in some sort conformable to Nature They become severall particular Virtues as respecting severall Objects Also Discretion being The right se 〈…〉 of ouâ— Affectiâ—â—â— in oâ—dâ—r to Act on and the three fore and Virtues giving this who has thâ—m has also Dscretion or Prudence There are then â—our Morall or Cardinall Virtues according to which who acts since not byast by ill affections needs not scruple his action though it hap to be imperfect in some other respect Christian Life is a Practice of the three Theologicall and four Morall virtues for God's sake which is done by Chariâ—y Whâ—r fore since the Life of a Christian is to move towards God and Love of God or Charity makes us do so It onely is a Christians Life and he dead without It. Wherefore what causes ibis death is Mortall Sin which springs from love of Creatures above all things bringing neglect of our Duties yet not every such neglect Mortall but In those to our Neighbour such as would absolutely break Friendship In those to our selves such as done us by another would make us fall out with him In those towards God such misrespect as to our Neighbour were want of â—ove Other Neglects are Venial From what 's said follows is most full of Pleasure and Credit Also It fits us for the next world For who loves God or aâ—y thing for it's self is dispos'd to love it ever Wherefore Love of God or desire to see him remaining in a soul separated It shall see him else would bee miserable for loving him and God cruell Further The pleasure of the Mind had by Knowledge infinitly surpassing that of the body and The seeing all Truths in God as in the supreme Cause being the highest Knowledge the Sight of God beatifies a Soul To which is consequent content in our own former Actions and Friend But the things desired by the wicked are temporall fading therefore the dâ—sires of them remaining â—xâ—â—ssively tâ—rments with Greeâ— which inflicted by another is truly Pain Infinit as being in the Soul and Enledss In regard Those Desires must ever remain unchang'd The Soul as indivisible being unaccessive Yet Veniall Affections are changeble therefore may be purg'd Also Souls shal finally receiue their Bodies because Their desires of them are naturall The manner â—ow with The endowments of Glorify'd and contrary Dispositions of damned Bodies Hence A virtuous life finally brings Insinit more Pleasure Honour and Power than a wicked and is above need of wealth The means to bring corrupt Mankind to loue God being Miracles and Teaching and this ineâ—â—icacious unless lively conceited by the Teachers therefore Divine Love or the Holy Ghost was to descend upon the Apostles in virtue of which primitive vâ—gour Christ's doctrin was brought down from them to us that is the Church is truly Apostolical and Catholik as planted by the Apostles universally as having some of her profession in each câ—untry as the only eminent Congregation in Câ—â—istendome Also Having an entire Body of Faith or Doctrin fit to promote Sanctity Laws Customes conformable to that Faith and extraordinary Sanctity attainable by her Principles and practis'd by her children she is likewise Holy Lastly Her rule of Faith Tradition Her externall Profession of Faith and Her Government being the same all ovâ—r She is also One
not onely to hope but to be confident of it if he dy with this love of God M. And what considerations make him confident S. The considerations of the Goodness of God his love towards mankind and his immutable constancy who hath promis'd happiness to those that love him M. I but what if a man does not love God S. He can have litle hope of ever seeing God M. True his Hope must be dead and a far of seeing God gives not Bliss but to those that love him yet if he has an intention to labour for the Love of God he may have some otherwise 't is Presumption not Hope M. Now you are arriv'd to Hope and Charity see if there were not a step before which you thought not of For unless a man know thus as you have said of God how can he love him or hope for any thing at his hands by what means or vertue do you come to know these things S. By Faith Sir for Almighty God having told us that he is such as you have declar'd either in his own person by Jesus Christ or by his Messengers Angels and Prophets we can no more doubt whether it be so or no seeing God is all Truth and a falshood cannot spring from Truth M. So far wel but how do you know God spake it for I am sure your self heard him not S. Those told me who told me all the rest and so I have no more reason to doubt of this than of all the rest You answer according to your pitch but a wise man would ask better testimony for things above nature and which bee hard to beleeve than for other ordinary things Can you then tel me what warrant God hath giv'n us to beleeve that this our doctrin comes from him S. Sir I have heard talk that wee must beleeve what the Church beleeves according to the Colliers Faith but I know not why M. Why do you not see that the Church is the congregation of Christians which is dispers'd through the whole world and therefore cannot come together to frame a ly If then they consent together that such a thing was deliver'd to them for the doctrin of Christ it cannot chuse but be so And this is that which Divines call Tradition to which no Heresy layes claim and upon which Religion is so grounded that even all hereticks must acknowledge this same Authority for the receiving Scripture So that you see your warrant is the Universality of the Church which cannot be universal in time if she hath once corrupted the former faith For a wrong faith makes a wrong or rather no Church Nor can she be universal in place if she maintain a ly For so many countries as are necessary to make Universality cannot agree to make a ly And so casting your accompts you see you have found three vertues Faith Hope and Charity which Divines cal Theologicall that is conversant or imploy'd about God because you see in Faith we rely upon God's Truth in Hope upon his Liberality Charity likewise we ground on this that he is all Perfection and Goodness SEVENTH CONFERENCE M. IT follows seeing we know Christian life and perfection consists in these three Vertues to seek now the means to attain to them Can you tell me what those means be S. Sir how should I of my self be able who knew not whither we were to go unless you had directed me M. See you not that Faith is a knowledge by which you understand what 's necessary for your salvation your profession then being to get knowledge and learning how can you be ignorant by what means you are to obtain and increase Faith Nay if you look into it your Learning is but Faith For do you not trust your Grammars and Syntaxes that this Verb is of such a conjugation this Nown of such a Declension or Gender or hath thus or thus in the genitive case or plural number that it must have such a case or construction that such a syllable is long suchshort that such and such customes and places were among the Romans or Grecians and the like As then you get Learning so you must get Faith S. Sir we get learning by study But I have heard that we must get Vertue by praying And so we get play not learning M. I child but there 's this difference betwixt your prayer for vertue and your prayer for play that the one is a Study the other not And not to detain you long you have heard perhaps that some Prayer is mentall some vocall And first to tel you what mentall prayer is know there be three parts of it The first is to know and be sure of the truth you are to consider and this rather belongs to him who prescribes the meditation in our present purpose for 't is his part to give a strong and plain consideration that hee who comes to prayer need not much ado to be convinc'd of the truth The next part is to make a resolution according to the knowledge propos'd by exhorting himself out of the weightiness of the consideration and this is properly Meditation for meditor signifies to think on oft conn or exercise somthing this part then being frequent beating upon good life the rectifying of our heart and will is properly meditation The third is to turn our heart to God for whose sake we are to do al things and from whom wee are to expect the encrease of our labours For as al the husbandman's labour is to litle purpose unless God send rain heat and fair weather at due seasons so likewise unless God direct our lives 't is to little purpose what ever our endeavours go about Touching the Preparation to prayer what 's substantial is that your thoughts be not preoccupated by any other care either of play or study or any other such matter which may draw you away and therefore it ought to be the first thing you do after you are risen Then shortly to remember that all other business be bables and things not concerning you in respect of this and this the onely thing which can do you good in this life and the next Thus much is enough for a Catechism the rest you are to seek-in treatises made purposely of this subject amongst the rest I recommend to you a little one of Antonius Molina a Carthusian As concerning vocall prayer I hope you can tel me what that is S. Yes Sir Vocall prayer is that we say in our Primers and beads and other books M. How does this differ from the other and in what is it better or worse than Mentall prayer S. It differs because we have set words in our books which those who meditate have not But sure Mentall prayer is better because the greater sort use it Yet Vocall is better for mee for I know not how to mâ—dâ—tate M. 'T is well answer'd though
such dross but til then remaining in pain partly for their temporal losses by death but chiefly for their spirituall want being not able to attain Bliss which they infinitly desire til by the Churches help God of his mercy rectifies them and accomplishes their purgation yet so as by Fire S. Me thinks Sir in al this you talk not of burning or gnashing of teeth or such corporeall pains which I have been taught are in Hell and Purgatory M. These things are said to be in Hell metaphorically when spoken of souls which want their bodies and signify no more than that they are tormented by fire as who is frighted or dazel'd is tormented though not burn'd But are you able to tel me why and when souls shall receive their bodies S. The time is at dooms-day The cause why they receive them is I think their love to them M. Do you not remember you told me the wicked have not their desires and the just desire nothing but according to God's will If so it seems your consequence wil not be very good But to make it so you must know naturally a man desires every thing because 't is good and good is as much as convenient to the desirer who is not onely Soul but Body too wherfore if naturall desire cannot be frustrated or disappointed by God the Authour of nature and the desires of our life remain after death it follows that the desire of good to our person is naturall and remaining after death and therefore must needs be supply'd Can you tell me how this great work is to be done S. Sir I know we shal al arise at the great day more I know not M. I le help you when that Day comes Christ shall appear in the ayr over Hierusalem as 't is thought and suddenly all parts of the earth and sea shall render their carcases and whole Mankind be restor'd to their Bodies Where on the one part the Saints shall be carry'd in the ayr to meet Christ the others shall remain below viewing their glory dreading their own misery till judgment being given those rest happy for ever with our Saviour the other are swallow'd into hell After which day all motion shall cease and there shall be no change or alteration but a state of permanency for ever S. Yes Sir but I doubt not there will be other great differences betwixt the Saints and the damned if you would please to tell me them M. Do you not remember the gifts you told me were conferr'd on Adam as to his Body those very same shal be perfected in the Saints As for health they shall have impassibility so that nothing can hurt them For their strength they shall have a power which nothing can resist call'd Impenetrability For Agility they shal have a power in the twinckling of an eye to pass beyond any determin'd distance whatsoever And lastly for Beauty they shall have power to shine and shew themselvs in what glory they please As for the Damned the heaviness of their minds shall make them not onely uncapable of all these advantages but such distemper'd deform'd and every way ill-compos'd Bodies as are most sutable to so sadly and so outragedly distemper'd mindes S. What shall the Saints do with these perfections if there be no motion M. These are not for use but powers and qualities necessarily following the state of the soul in the body of which shee is to be Mistress and to have power to use it as her self pleases And so you see what good life brings you to both in this transitory and the next eternall world Can you shew me now that the Blessed have all that even wicked men can desire S. Sir I see they have more pleasure then this world can affoord And as for honour I see Saints are more honour'd then Alexanders and Augustuses Power I know not how they have or wealth M. Wealth is not here desir'd but for necessity or magnificence the time of both which is pass'd and for power sure they want not that who have all they wish and can meet with nothing to resist their will The Catechist also here hath great occasion to press his Catechumen to good life by lively representing him the greatness of the Ioyes and Pains of the next world which are most incomparably moving if he declare them well ELEVENTH CONFERENCE M. NOw you are so learn'd as to know what it was to which Christ labour'd so much to bring mankind I pray tell me what means he us'd to plant his doctrin so that it should continue so many ages so deeply rooted in the heart of man as we see it has and beleeve it shall S. Teaching and Miracles which are the greatest Confirmations that can be M. Thus much you told me long ago but what more do you not know Si me vis stere dolendum est primum ipsi tibi I mean that if a man be not perswaded affectionately of a thing himself he cannot well perswade another Consider then how necessary it was to send the Holy Ghost that is the plenitude of it upon his Apostles after his Ascension Which according to the outward apparition fill'd their hearts with fiery zeal and their tongues with the praises of Almighty God that they might be vehemently conceited themselves of the truth and of the great good the knowledge thereof brought to the world and earnestly desirous to breed the like conceit in others and so it might descend in vertue of the first plantation by ordinary means to the end of the world But tel me who were those chiefly that receiv'd the Holy Ghost S. The Apostles were the chief and all others who came since have learn'd of them and so I see the Church is truly Apostolical M. Yes and onely shee ask any Hereticks whether they receiv'd their doctrin from the Apostles they will answer yes By whose hands they answer by the scripture But a Catholike says from his Forefathers they from theirs c. so that none lays claym to have their Church Apostolical but onely Catholicks For the question 's not whether there were al the while some of their Religion but whethese who now are were taught and receiv'd it from them by true succession For if two studying one thing in divers times finde the same the one does not receive it from the other and so 't is not true succession But where did the Apostles preach S. Through the whole world for such was Christs command nor can there be any doubt but they did what they were bid And so I see the Church is Catholik over the world M. How can that be seeing the Alcâ—ran is in as great a part of the world as Christ's Gospel Nay some Heresies have been spred in the greater part of the Christian world But because you are no very great Historian I wil read you this riddle You ought
therefore to know that the true Church is the onely Catholick in three respects First because it alone was at first planted by the Apostles in the whole world which is clear since only one pretends her doctrin by succession from Them which al planted by them must needs do Secondly because it alone is found in the whole compass of the Christian world all Hereticks being every kind in some Countries but none in all Thirdly because it alone commands in that part of Christianity where Religion is in vigour And these three come out of it's very nature for being the Truth it alone can overcome So you have now two signes or marks of the true Church The third is sanctity can you tel how the true Church is onely Holy S. Sir I see ther 's more praying more works of charity devotion penance austereness and the like in the Catholick Church than among Protestans But what is among others I know not M. 'T is wel answer'd but to go more orderly you know sanctity is nothing but the practise or Confirmation in those virtues that lead us to heaven which is the life God Almighty sent his onely Son to give us This consists in Three things First in Faith and Doctrin wherein you shall find all hereticks in the points of difference swarve from this end and the Catholick Church hold to it as in praying to Saints praying for the dead and the like Secondly in Laws and Customs which because they are according to Faith must needs be different according to it Thirdly in Life and executions of those Rules wherein likewise the difference must hold with this caveat that there may be more and greater wickedness among Catholicks by reason of the multitude of the professors of that Religion nay of it self for who have not so good things to offend against cannot be so wicked S. How then can Holiness be a sign of the true Church if there be so much wickedness in the members of it M. Though there be much and perhaps more wickedness among Catholicks yet is there more Sanctity also For among others there is hardly ever any man of extraordinary devotion heard of Congregations of men and women abstaining from pleasures and separating themselvs from the world none are found unless such as were begun in Catholick times extraordinary acts of penance or heroick virtue are are not to be look'd for In fine very little more then nature affooâ—ds besides some bare words of God and Christ And this follows of necessity from the nature of being the true Church which by the soundness of its root needs must confiâ—m and have effect whâ—m the false ones fail But is there no other mark of the Church besides these three Apostolik Catholik and Holy S. Yes and I have been taught 't is Unity M. You say well And to be One It must first have one principle in which all of this Religion agree wherein if others should also agree they could not be of another Religion This Principle is Tradition to which none lay claym but onely Catholicks Secondly it must bee One in the Trofession of this faith that is in Sacraments For seeing Catholick Religion sprung from one Master Jesus Christ necessary 't is that it 's Râ—tes as it were Essentiall Actions which being outward Expressions of our Faith and so proportion'd to it are delivered by the same Jesus Christ be the same also whence no congregation but his Church can agree in all these no more then any other can agree in all Faith Thirdly in Government his Church must be One that there may be some end of controversies Civil and Theological which happen betwixt her children and this in Eqâ—ality cannot be Therefore amongst the Apostles S. Peter amongst Bishops His Successours have the supreme and definitive sentence What touches Faith we have already sufficiently explicated For the second can you tel me what a Sacrament is S. No indeed for though I have often heard of it I cannot remember it M. Sacramentum comes of sacer or sacrando and it is by which somewhat is made holy or an holy deed and because a Secret by an Oath becomes holy it being a sacriledge to reveal it after oath such an Oath is call'd Sacramentum and from the oath the secret sworn is also styl'd Sacramentum and in Greek Sacramentum is call'd Mysterium that is a Mystery So because Christians us'd their rites amongst themselves and kept them from the knowledge of Infidels they were called Sacramenta As the rites of Ceres or other false Gods which were done hiddenly were called Mysteria But you must distinguish a little more exactly betwixt other ceremonies and Sacraments S. Sir I know not what you mean for I am a meer stranger in this matter M. Then you must know there were Sacraments in the Jew's law there are in Christs law as also things called Sacramentalia that is Sacramentals Which are all to be distinguish'd For Sacraments are as wee may so call them the main hinges or knots of a Christian life and their institution is from Christ Sacramentals are instituted by the Church and are but certain formalities and Blessings As for the Sacraments of Jews you are to understand that as God Almighty brought them to love and serve him by temporal promises and rewards that he might give them celestial in the next world so their Sacraments made them but capable of temporal blessings as Circumcision made the Jew one whose part was in the land of promise their Purifications made a man one who might offer sacrifice be heard for children for good years for peace for long life c. wherefore were they said to cleanse the body not the soul to be empty poor instruments or elements Now the Sacraments of Christians give the inward thing which their promises signify As Baptism makes a man one of those whose share is in Heaven Penance one to enter the Christian Church and be heard when he prays for Heaven And the like These Sacraments therefore when receiv'd as they ought are efficacious give true goods that is spiritual graces to those who participate of them But can you tel me how many Sacraments there are S. Seven Baptism Confirmation Eucharist Penance Order Extreme-Unction and Matrimony Please you tel me why there are so many M. Did not I tel you they were the hinges of Christian life Now the soul being in a body proportionate to it Christian life is also proportion'd to this temporal Consider then that our corporal life is maintain'd by these degrees In birth it takes t 's beginnining next it gets greatness and strength to live among so many contraries and difficulties as this world is ful of Then it conserves it self while it may perform the actions for which 't was made And lastly gives life to others to succeed it's defect