Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
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A31329
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The catechism for the curats, compos'd by the decree of the Council of Trent, and publish'd by command of Pope Pius the Fifth / faithfully translated into English.; Catechismus Romanus. English
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Catholic Church.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing C1472; ESTC R16648
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482,149
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617
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and clearly than S. Austins Definition which all the School Doctors after him have follow'd D. Aug. lib. 10. de Civit. Dei c. 5. Ep. 2. A Sacrament says he is a sign of a Holy Thing Yet in the same sence it is said A Sacrament is a Visible Sing of an Invisible Grace instituted or appointed for our Justification Which Definition that it may be the better understood VI. The Definition of a Sacrament explain'd the Pastors shall explain the several Parts of it And first they must teach that all sensible things are of two kinds some are therefore invented that they may be Signs others are made choice of not to signifie any other thing but meerly for their own sakes Of this number may be reckon'd almost all things which are in nature But of the first sort are to be accounted the Names of things Writings Ensigns Images Trumpets and many other things of the like kind for if you take away from Words the vertue of Signifying then the Cause also why those words were made use of seems to be taken away These therefore are Signs properly so call'd For as S. Austin testifies That is a Sign Aug l. 2 de Doct. Christi c. 1. which besides the thing it offers to the Senses it causes also that by it we come to the knowledge of something else as by a Footstep which we see made upon the ground whereby we easily know that somebody whose Foot-step appears has pass'd there Which being so VII A Sacrament prov'd to be a Sign Aug de doct Christi l. 7. c. 9. Et Epist 23. de Catec rud c. 26. Tertul. de Resâ—â—rect carnis c 8. Greg. in â— Reg. l. 6. c. 8. post i. it it is plain that a Sacrament is of that kind of things which are us'd for signication's sake For by a kind of Resemblance and Likeness it declares to us that thing which God by his Power works in our Souls which Power cannot be perceiv'd by Sense For Baptism that what is taught may be better known by an example when we are outwardly wash'd with water with the Use of Certain and Solemn words signifies this to us That by the Power of the Holy Ghost all Pollution and Filthiness of Sin is wash'd away and our Souls enrich'd and adorn'd with that excellent Heavenly Gift of Righteousness And at the same time that very Washing of the Body as shall be said in its proper place works or causes that thing in the mind which it signifies But it is also clearly gather'd from Scripture that a Sacrament is to be reckon'd among Signs For the Apostle concerning Circumcision a Sacrament of the Old Law Gen. 17.10 which was given to Abraham Gen. 17.10 the Father of the Faithful in his Epistle to the Romans writes thus Rom. 4.11 And he took the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith And in another place when he affirms that we all who are baptiz'd in Jesus Christ Rom. 6.3 are baptiz'd in his Death We may know that Baptism has this signification to wit as the same Apostle says Rom. 6.4 That we are bury'd with him by Baptism into Death And this will be no small profit to the Faithful to understand that the Sacraments are Signs for by this means it will come to pass that they will more easily believe those things to be Sacred and Holy which are signifi'd and contain'd in and wrought by them And knowing the Holiness of them they will be the more mov'd to worship and reverence the Divine Bounty towards us It now follows VIII How many kinds of Signs there are l. 1. de doct Christ c. 1. Natural Aug. de doct Christ l. 2. c. 1. seq to explain these words Of a Holy Thing which is the other part of the Definition which to do well must be a little further repeated what S. Austin accurately and subtily has disputed concerning the truth of Signs For some Signs are call'd Natural which beget in our minds the knowledge of some other thing besides it self and this as was before shew'd is common to all Signs as Smoak whereby presently is understood that there is Fire And this Sign for this Cause is call'd Natural because Smoak does not in the Will signifie Fire but the Use of things causes that when any one sees Smoak only he presently in his mind and thought perceives that there is also the nature and vertue of Fire underneath which as yet lies hid Now there are some Signs Appointed by Men. Aug. ibid. c. 3. which are not by Nature made Signs but invented and appointed by men for that purpose as to talk with one another and to tell freely to each other the sense of their minds and to be able to undestand each others Opinions and Counsels But how various and manifold these are may be understood by this that some of them belong to the Sight others to the Hearing and the rest to the other Senses For when we Nod to any one and for example signifie any thing by removing a Flag it is plain that that signification belongs only to the Sight As the Sound of Trumpets Pipes and Viols which is made not only for Delight but sometimes also for a Sign belongs to the judgment of the Hearing by which Sense especially are words conceiv'd which have the greatest vertue to express the inward thoughts of our mind But besides these things which we have hitherto spoken of â—â—ven of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de doct 〈…〉 3. c. 9. and which are appointed by the Will and Consent of Men to be Signs there are others given of God of which yet that there is more than one kind all do agree For there are some Signs which are of God commended to men for this reason only Signiâ—ying onlâ— Exâ—d 12.15 to signifie or to admonish Of which kind were the Purificatoons of the Law the Show-bread and many other things which belong to the Ceremonies of the Mosaical Worship But God appointed others Both signifying and effecting Concil Trid. Sess de Sacr. which had not only the vertue of signifying but of working also and amongst this later kind of Signs it manifestly appears that the Sacraments of the New Law are to be reckon'd for they are Signs given of God not invented by Men which we verily believe to contain in them the efficacy of that Holy Thing which they signifie But as we have shew'd that there is a very great variety of Signs so also the Holy Thing is not to be thought to be of one manner only But as to the aforesaid Definition of a Sacrament IX What the Holy Thing is which a Sacrament signifies Divines shew that by the Name Holy Thing is signifi'd the Grace of God which makes us Holy and adorns us with the Habit of all Divine Vertues for to this Grace they have deservedly thought that the proper Name Holy Thing is
they are for they offer our Prayers and Tears to God Wherefore in the Gospel our Lord has taught that little ones are not to be offended Mat. 18.10 because their Angels in Heaven always behold the Face of their Father which is in Heaven Therefore they are to be invocated both because they always behold God XIX Angels to be invocated and most willingly undertake the Patronage of our Salvation committed to them The Holy Scriptures are Testimonies of this Invocation For Jacob beg'd of the Angel with whom he wrestl'd yea and compel'd him to bless him Gen. 32.27 for he professes he would not let him go before he bless'd him Nor did he beg a Blessing to be given him of him only whom he saw but of him also whom he saw not when he said Gen. 48.16 The Angel who deliver'd me out of all evil bless the Children Whence it may also he gathered XX. The Honor given to the Saints lessens not the Glory of God That the Glory of God is so far from being lessen'd by the Honor and Invocation of the Saints who sleep in the Lord and by reverencing their Reliques and Ashes that thereby it is very much increased and Men's Hope the more stirr'd up confirm'd and exhorted to the Imitation of the Saints Which Duty is prov'd from the Second Council of Nice the Council of Gangre and the Council of Trent and from the Authority of the Holy Fathers Nicen. Conc. 2. Act. 6. Gangr can 20. citatur dist 30. c. Siquis per Superbiam Trid. sess 25. item Conc. Chalced. sub finem in 6. Synod general c. 7. Conc. Geron. c. 3. Aurel. 1. c. 29. Damasc de Ortho. Fid. lib. 4. c. 6. But that the Curat may be better prepar'd to refute those that are Adversaries to this Truth XXI The same confirmed by the Fathers let him chiefly read S. Hierom let him chiefly read S. Hierom against Vigilantius and Damascen Libro 4. de Orth. Fid. c. 16. According to whose Account XXII The same prov'd from Apostolical Tradition which is a principal thing is added the Practice receiv'd from the Apostles and always kept and preserv'd in the Church of God Dionys c. 7. Hier. Eccles Iren. lib. 5. contra haeres c. 19. Athan. Serm. in Evang. de sancta Deip. Euseb lib. 13. Praepar Evang. c. 7. Cornel. Pap. Ep. 1. Hil. in Psal 126. Ambr. in lib. de Viduis Of which thing who can desire a more strong or clear Argument than the Testimony of Holy Scripture XXIII The same testified by Scripture which wonderfully celebrates the Praises of the Saints for there are divine Commendations of some Saints whose Praises seeing they are celebrated in Sacred Scripture what reason is there that Men should not have a singular honor for them Altho for this cause also they are the rather to be Honor'd and Invocated XXIV The Saints help us with their merits because they earnestly Pray for the Salvation of Men and for their Sake and Merit God bestows many Benefits upon us For if there be joy in Heaven over one Sinner doing Penance XXV Prov'd Luc. 15.15 will not the Cittizens of Heaven also help the Penitent being requested will they not beg Pardon of Sin for us and Reconcile the Grace of God to us But if it be said as said it is by some XXVI The Patronage of the Saints not superfluous that the Patronage of the Saints is needless because God without an Interpreter hears our Prayers those Words of S. Austin easily convince these Sayings of Impious Men There are many things which God grants not unless by a Mediator and Intercessor Aug. quaest 149. super Exod. Serm. 2. 4. de S. Steph. And this is confirmed by the clear Examples of Abimelech and Job's Friends XXVII Confirmed by Examples whose sins God forgave not but by the Prayers of Abraham and Job Gen. 20. Job 42. But if it be said XXVIII Objections answered Mat. 8.10 Luc. 7.3 That this is done thro the want and weakness of Faith that we use the Saints as Intercessors and Patrons how will answer to the Example of the Centurion who tho he had that singular Commendation for his Faith which our Lord God bestow'd upon him yet he sent the Elders of the Jews to our Savior to beg Health for his sick Servant Wherefore XXIX The Invocation of the Saints hurts not the Unity of the Mediator Heb. 9.12 if we must acknowledge that there is only One Mediator propos'd us Christ our Lord to wit He who only has reconcil'd us thro his Blood to our Heavenly Father and who having finish'd our Redemption and once entred into the Holies ceases not to intercead for us yet it can by no means follow from hence that we may not have Recourse to the Favour of the Saints For if it be therefore unlawful to use the Assistance of the Saints because we have one Patron Jesus Christ the Apostle would never have done it nor would he ever have committed himself so earnestly to the Prayers and Assistance of the Brethren yet alive For surely the Prayers of the Living do not less diminish the Glory and Dignity of Christ the Mediator Note than the Intercession of those Saints that are in Heaven But who is there XXX The Invocation of Saints prov'd lawful by many Miracles whom the wonderful things that have bin done at the Graves as the Blind the Lame the Maim'd and otherwise diseased Persons restor'd to Health and Soundness the Dead recover'd to Life the Devils cast out of Mens Bodies do not convince of the Honor which is due to the Saints and of our Protection which they undertake which things S. Ambrose and S. Austin in their Writings have largly testified not that they heard of them as many others have done or that they have read of such things as very many very grave Men have done but that they themselves saw them Amb. Epist 85. Serm. 95. Aug. de civit Dei lib. 22. c. 8. Epist. 137. What need is there of many Proofs for this If the Clothes XXXI The Vertue of Reliques confirms the same if the Handkercheifs if the very of Shadow of the Saints before they departed out of this Life drove away Diseases and restor'd the Sick to Health who can be so bold as to deny that God by the Sacred Ashes the Bones and other Reliques of the Saints does wonderfully work the same things This is shew'd by that dead Body 4 Reg. 13.21 which being haply let down into Elisha's Grave upon the touching of his Body immediatly reviv'd But that which follows XXXII These words contain not a distinct Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self a graven thing nor every likeness which is in Heaven and which is in the Earth beneath nor of those things which are in the Waters under Earth Thou shalt not adore them nor worship them Some thinking this