man to thinke by reason that the Romane Church hath the true faith which God will haue him to belseue and is the true Church which he will haue him to obey Yet if we had not the supernatural light and inspiration of God mouing vs to that faith but that we were to goeby our owne thoughts onely then were it not a supernatural faith of absolute and infallible certainty as not proceeding from the authority of God nor had it proportion to supernatural glory But when reason dictateth somethinge to be true and God confirmeth it by the declaration of the Church which is as his voyce and hath his authority I being illuminated and inspired of him to beleeue the Church then whatsoeuer I soe beleeue I beleeue it for the diuine autority and although vnto reason it haue some obscurity and be not absolutely certaine as it is in reason onely yet as it is beleeued by faith it is absolutly and infinitly certaine because then it hath the testimony and authority of God And soe wisdome reacheth from end to end mihtily and disposeth all thinges sweetly Mightily Sap. 8. in that God assureth vs with his owne diuine word of the truth of our faith Sweetly in that he draweth vs euen by our owne reason soe to beleeue in him By reason we are brought to beleeue the true Church God illuminateth and inspireth vs to beleeue him speaking by that Church and by that supernatural light and gift of inspiration we produce acts of faith Now we will shew THAT THE SVPERNATVRAL light and gift of faith is all wais to the obedience of the Church BY that which hath bene said it doth appeare that faith is not a natural but a supernatural light and gift of God now we will shew that by it we are allwais to adhaere and firmely to beleeue the doctrine of the Church which is the second part of that which you haue answered to the question of faith The ennemy of mankind enuying at our felicity that we should haue and cooperate with that light of faith which he reiected and should by it attaine to that blessed state of glory which he must neuer obtaine cometh in the night time to sow in our harts many darke fallaces against faith and by false illusions and conterfeit inspirations often deceiueth vs and therefor we must haue some anes to try this deceiuing spirit and to discouer his false inspirations from the true and some power to allow or to disallow of particular mens spirits and by this we may see how necessary it is that there should allwais be in the world a continual Church infallibly assisted of God for the trying of spirits and discerning of them and that the diuine inspiration should allwais be with obedience to that Church I referre the reader to the ninth article of the Creede and to the eleauenth discourse of the Praecepts of the Church where I declare more fully the necessity and authority of such a continual Church where he may see how that we could neither know which were the true scriptures nor which were the true sense of them nor certainely destinguish betwixt true and false reason nor beleeue any thinge as certaine by faith but that all order and gouernment in religion were quite destroyed if we had not a continual visible Church with assurance from God of his diuine assistance with it and we were bounde to obey it in the deciding of all controuersys in religion which by proude and contentius men might be raised of any point though neuer soe cleere Here now I speake onely of the diuine light and inspiration vpon which we depende in all points of faith and I shew that being that this necessary light and inspiration may be counterfeited by our enemy we must of necessity acknowledge some external vniuersal power vpon earth authorized of God to try and to destinguish the seueral spirits of all men And this external power must either be assured by the diuine assistance of the verity of that which it declareth or els it were also deceiuing as the false spirit is and we should haue noe meanes to discerne the true spirit of God from the false but euery man might teach what he list vnder pretence of diuine inspiration Inspiration to faith must betryed by the Church There was neuer yet any man that labored to set abrode any errors in religion but as he pretended his doctrine to be of God soe he pretended the spirit of God to be after some sort with him but he will come to noe tryal of his spirit but would haue all to beleeue him vpon his owne bare word that he hath the spirit of God Soe the Archhaeretike that beginneth new doctrines in disobedience to the whole Church would haue men to take his word against all the world that then is that he hath the spirit of God and to prooue it he alleageth many reasons of his owne but he will not be tryed by any authority and soe his spirit being brought to be subiect to his priuate reason and all things being as you see finally resolued by it the controuersy coms in the end to that which in the former title is refuted and by which he is conuinced to wit that we are not to be resolued in matters of faith by our owne vnderstandings and priuate reasons onely but by the testimony of God inwardly in ourharts and externally as now I shew by the authority of the Church Tim 1.4 S. Paul saith that certaine shall depart from the faith attending to the spirits of error and doctrines of deuils Io. 1.4 By which we see that men may haue false spirits And S. Iohn sayeth beleeue not euery spirit but prooue the spirits if they be of God By which we see the same and also that we must haue some meanes for the tryal of false spirits Now what way can be thought more reasonable for the tryall of spirits then by the sentence of the whole Church which is giuen without partiality or respect of persons in generall to all alike Suppose two men going forth of the Church obstinatly manteining some new and contrary opinions to the doctrine of the whole Church and to each other Both of them pretende that they haue the spirit of God and yet they mainteine contrary doctrines to the whole world and to one another First it is certaine that both of them haue not the spirit of God for the spirit of God is the spirit of truth which can not be thus diuided Which then of them hath the true spirit how shall they be tryed The one of them alloweth of such and such scriptures and of such a sense of scriptures and the other denyeth all that he sayeth and yet pretendeth that he hath the spirit of God First this can not be decided by their spirits for as long as they hold contrary doctrines their spirits can neuer agree for the one of them to be tryed by the other Shall it
aske him Luc. 11. Many there are that satisfy themselues with this answere and because they say their prayers and doe morall good works they will stande in disobedience to the true Church and mainteine a religion which beganne at sometime in disobedience to all the Churches in the world therefor I will say somethinge to shew the weakenesse of it I say therefor that this man willfully deceiueth himselfe in that he either prayeth not as he ought to obtaine the diuine inspiration according to that of S. Ia. 4. Iames you aske and receiue not because you aske amisse or if he obtained it by his prayer he followed it not For although it be true that he who prayeth as he ought with a desire of following of the truth although he be then in a false religion and out of the state of grace obtaineth not withstanding of congruity the diuine inspiration to the true faith and shall come to haue the true faith if he will follow that spirit but if he beginne a religion in disobedience to the whole Church of Christ or follow a religion which soe beganne in obedience to no knowne Church then extant in all the world I say that either there is some defect in his prayer as there was in the Pharisys prayer who prayed not rightly or if he prayed rightly soe as that he was then inspired of God to the obedience of that which is the true Church that then he followed not the diuine inspiration but as that yong man of the ghospel who asking of Christ what he should doe to receiue euerlasting life when Christ told him Goe sell Whatsoeuer thou hast and giue to the poore and come follow mee Marc. 10. He followed not the diuine calling but was strucken sad and went away sorrowfull Soe doth he and soe doe many when God sufficiently inspireth them to the Catholike Church for although God speake to their harts and haue illuminated their vnderstandings to thinke at sometime that the Catholike faith is the true faith yet they sleight that good thought they are strucken sad to thinke of the persecution which they hazard in themselues children or freinds endangering their wordly preferment or riches on which they haue sett their harts and can not soe wel enioy in it and being dishartened with these thinges they follow not the calling of God And although for the present their conscience accuse them yet going on in their old way within a while they forgette that euer they were called and will tell you that they say their prayers and that the spirit directeth them in the way in which they are Where as indeede when they rightly considered of it the spirit of God directed them a quite contrary way and would againe direct them to the same way if they would seeke as they ought to be inspired of God and obey his inspiration when he speaketh to their harts In the next place therefor I will shew how the diuine inspiration to the true Church is to be prayed for I onely desire thus much of all those who are out of the Catholike Church that being as I haue shewed that the true faith which is by a supernatural light and gift of God is allwais with obedience to the Church they will resolue with themselues to seeke vnto God to be inspired to that Church And that if he speake to their harts soe as that they come once to thinke that the Catholike Romane Church is the true Church they take that word of God as a lanterne to their feete and follow it or els they are all ready condemned in their owne consciences and shall finde one day those words to be true which the Holy Ghost hath threatened Esa 65. Because I called and you haue not answered I spoke and you haue not heard c. you shall cry for sorrow of hart and for contrition of spirit you shall howle But let vs see AFTER VVHAT MANNER THE diuine inspiration to the true Church is to be sought for by those who are out of the Catholike Church HAuing shewed that natural reason without supernatural light and diuine inspiration is not sufficient to direct vs in matters of faith and that this supernatural light and inspiration to faith is allwais with obedience to the true Church The next thinge most necessary to be shewed is how to obtaine the diuine light and inspiration to that Church Diuerse haue setforth seueral marks to know the true Church by and in the ninth article of the Creede I destinguish the true from all false Churches by their continuall obedience to the head and Pastors of the Church But here I intreate of a more prime subiect necessary to be knowne before that to wit that being noe marks are sufficient to discerne the true Church by soe as to become à member of it without diuine light and inspiration by which they are brought to obey it I now shew how that efficacious light and inspiration is to be obtained But first I aduertise the Catholike reader that this point hath not cheifly relation to him but to those that are out of the Catholike Church Yet thus farre the Catholike is concerned in it as that he shall planely see by that which immediatly I am going to say that according to his owne grounds and according to reason he can not seeke vnto any other Church where as all other Churches according to reason ought allwais to be seeking vntill they come to it For this is the comfort of Catholikes and of none but Catholikes The Church can not erre that vnderstanding and firmely beleeuing that the Church shall neuer faile out of the world by teaching errors in faith but that it is the pillar and ground of truth Tim. 1.3 and that the spirit of God is With it vntill the worlds end to teach it all truth that it is builded vpon a rocke and that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it Io. 14. Mat. 16. And that Christ hath prayed for it that the faith of the cheife gouernour their of faile not in the gouerning of it and that the other gouernours of it might be sanctifyed in verity and that it is the body Luc. 22. the spouse the kingdome and the house of Christ Io. 17. Catholiks grounding themselues vpon all these places of holy scripture and vpon the ninth article of the Creede I beleeue the Catholike Church hold it a most horrible blasphemy against them to say that the Church can erre and a damnable heresy obstinatly to contradict it and hauing by reason of all these places continued allwais in obedience to it and soe kept constant to their auncient religion which was then extant in the world when all others beganne their new professions which then were not extant in any place of the world Catholiks according to these grounds must still continue as hitherto they haue all wais done in obedience to the same Church and can not seeke vnto
subiecteth vs as lyable to some punishment soe euery good worke which we doe in the state of grace aduanceth vs in the diuine grace and taketh away some of our due punishment But allthough Veniall sinnes depriue vs noâ— of the diuine grace nor make vs as the enemys of God guilty of eternall damnation yet we ought to beware of them and to be carefull especially that we gett noe euill habite nor affection to any Veniall sinne for that is very dangerous and if we gett not also a habit of repenting presently for it it will without doubt draw vs in the end into some Mortall sinne And in this sense we may say of Veniall sinnes that they depriue vs of Gods grace and euen kill our soules dispositiuely that is they dispose vs to Mortall sinnes bâ— which our soules are immediatly killed euen as a litle hole or leck in a shippe neglected causeth a greater breach by which she is suddenly ouer charged and sinketh downe to the bottome soe litle falts neglected bring great sinnes and are sometimes bewailed with euerlasting teares in hell And therfor to preuent great sinnes we must haue an eye ouer our lesser falts to mende them by times Besides a good and louing seruant will feare to offende in any thinge least by committing that by which his masters affection should bellessened towards him he might come in the end quite to loose his fauour This is that saith S. Hiero to 7. instrueÌ„s amicum quemdam Hierome which the Apocalypse reprooueth in the bishop of Ephesus who is called an Angell for that he had in his conscience the merits of many good works much labour and sufferings for Christs sake But because the edge of his former piety was somethinge dulled and the heate of his loue beganne to abate he is called and stirred vp to repentance Apoc. 2. I know thy works and labour and patience that thou canst not beare euill men and hast tryed them that say themselues to be Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars And thou hast borne for my name and hast not sainted But I haue against thee a few things because thou hast left thy first charity Be mindfull therefor from whence thou art fallen and doe pennance And what pennance may we read that the Saints of God haue done euen for litle Veniaâ—â— sinnes because they knew that by all such sinnes the grace of God was endangered and that the least degree of his grace was better to them and in it selfe more pretious then all this world S. Theresa conceiued soe greatly against the least oâ— her sinnes that she spoke of them as heinous offences and if it happened that in singing in the quire she missed in any thinge presently in the sighâ— of all she prostrated her selfe to the ground with such true shame and sorrow that the rest of thâ— Nunnes were interrupted from singing and could not goe on for teares Grant vs O Lord by the merits of thy Passion and by the prayers of thy blessed Mother and of the whole court of heauen that we may neuer loose thy grace by mortall sinne and may allwais feare to offende by veniall I haue done now my deere Reader that which I intended in this booke I haue giuen thee for thy instruction a breife Summe of the whole Christian Doctrine in a few short answeres to be gotten without booke and the declaration of them at large in their propper places I haue sett before thee in the Apostles Creede one supreme eternall and omnipotent Power God the beginner and conseruer of all creatures to be worshipped by thee And for thy comfort and Confirmation in the Catholike faith I haue shewed that there is noe true worship of God but in the Catholike Church of Christ The Catholike Church reacheth that an eternall retribution ofteward or punishment remaineth according to our works good or euill Good works by Gods grace are in our owne hands if we will What now remaineth but to excite our wills This also I haue done according to my ability exhorting thee to vertue and holinesse of life And now at last I intreate and coniure thee by the omnipotent power and infinite goodnesse of God that made thee by his iustice and mercy which one day thou must try by the torments of the damned and ioyes of the blessed soules by all which thou canst imagine to be feared or desired that thou feare 〈…〉 loue him Looke downe to hell and feare him in that horrible eternity Looke vp to heauen and loue him seeke him and enioy him in that happy state Resolue from this very instant vpon a vertuous life Beginne now a new and perseuer to the gaining of that euerlasting life which is the end of the Creede and of all Instruction Live sweet Iesu King of eternall glory Liue Liue and reigne in our soules here and in heauen for euer and euer Amen Laus Deo Dei genitrici Virgini Maria. A TABLE A ACTVALL sinne 715 Altare 603. Altares towards the east 603. Almes deeds 473 Amen 505 Angell Gabriel 510. 532. The time and place of the Angell Gabriel his apparition to the blessed Virgin 533. c. Anger 415. Remedys against anger 420 The Apostles preaching 137 The Ascension of our Sauiour 164 Atheisme and Atheists 78. 79. 80. c. Attributes of the diuine Persons in the Blessed Trinity 142 B BAptisme The necessity of Baptisme 283. Baptisme a Sacrament 284 The effect of Baptisme 285. The Baptisme of S. Iohn 286. The caeremonys of Baptisme 287 Beades 555. blessings of Beades 572 Aue Mary Bell. 564 Bloody sinnes horrible to nature 416 C CArnall sinnes 412. seuerely punished of God 422. the causes and rootes of Carnality 428. Remedys against Carnall sinnes 428 The Catholike Church prooued by induction from all other religions that are in the world 250. Catholikes according to their grounds can not with reason seeke vnto any other Church not doubt of their faith but all other Churches euen according to their owne grounds ought to doubt allwais and can neuer be satisfyed till they come to the Catholike Church 35. Character Vide Sacraments 275 Charity towards God and our neighbour 409.491 amongst the primitiue Christians 418 Ceremonys 287.598 Two kinds of Ceremonys 290. Childrens education 1 Christ 109. The faith of Christ euer from the beginning of the world 113. Christ the Messias was to be true God 120. Iesus Christ our Sauiour was the true Messias foretold by the Prophets 122. Christianity demonstrated by holy Scriptures and miracles 113. vnto 140. Christ was more sensible of paine then others 151. Christ prophecyed of his Passion 153. Christs Passion was voluntary 154. Christ the annointed as he was Prophet Priest and King 112. Christmas day 148 Church The Church must try the priuate spirits of all men 24.184.641 Noe order in religion but by the authority of the Church ibid. The Church can not erre 35. The authority of the Church 184.641 The Church is holy 177. It
to intice him but all was in vaine he told him that his mother had vsed to exhort him to martyrdome and that he would be with her The king asked him what it was to be à martyr The child answered marke this answere that to be à martyr was to suffer death for Iesus Christ and to liue for euer after The king asked him who Christ was He told him that he might see Christ in the Church meaning as à child the pictures and Crucifixes of Christ which were then to be seene in Catholike Churches and looking downe and getting à sight of his mother as she was tyed to the stake he cryed out let mee goe let mee goe to my mother and when the king hindered him he told him he thought he was à Iew and bate him by the thigh to gette away from him at which the king in a fury pushed him away commanding one of his senators to take him to bring vp in the Iewish sect But as he was carried away he gotte from him and running into the fireto his mother he had his desire which was to dy à martyr This child if he were not capable of much of the christian doctrine at that age yet his good mother had à care to ingraft in him at least such à zeale and soe much knowledge of the faith of Christ that it was admirable to heare à child of siue yeares old to giue such an answer to the question of martyrdome in which he publikely professed the faith of Iesus Christ and the assurance of eternall life by suffering death for it Our children are as this was then an innocent by baptisme But our parents are not as the mother of this child soe careful to instruct their children and therefor are there soe many weake and feeble Catholikes amongst vs because we want instruction in our youth and we want it soe much that many who are past children know not the cheife principles of the christian faith nor thinke that they haue any obligation to learne them which is the ground and cause of all their ignorance The first thing therefor and most necessary for euery christian to know is the obligation which he hath to learne the christian doctrine Tell mee then Question What obligation haue christians to learne the christian doctrine Answer Euery christian is bound vnder a mortal sinne to know the cheife points of the christian faith This is an obligation vnder à mortal sinne that is to say à deadly sinne à sinne by which our soules incurre death as great an obligation as can be The reason is because all that are come to the vse of reason are bounde not onely to an habitual faith such as children haue but also to an actual faith that is to produce acts of faith and actual faith supposeth some knowledge of what is to be beleeued and therefor euery one must haue some knowledge of those thinges which he is to beleeue Children before they come to the vse of reason haue onely the habit of faith which is giuen them in baptisme and this is sufficient to saue them that can haue noe more but when they come to the vse of reason then they come to the vse of their faith and are bounde to conuert themselues to à supernatural end by producing acts of faith and of the loue of God which they can not doe except they know something of him and therefor S. Ep. 119. Augustin sayth that knowledge is the engine by which the building of charity is raised vp to endure for euer Euery tradesman must know the trade which he professeth or els he cannot expect to haue by right the wages due to his trade The trade which we professe is the true worship of God in the christian faith we are therefor boūd to know what belōgeth to that profession otherwise we cānot expact the reward of good christians We deserue not indeede the honour of that name if we know not what is professed by it Eccl. 5. Be stedfast in the way of our Lord and in the truth of thy vnderstanding and in knowledge Saith holy Ecclesiasticus Cor. 1.14 and the Apostle saith that if any man know not he shall not be knowne Now to say in particular how much of the christian doctrine euery one is bounde to know and which are these cheife points of obligation to be learned can not be done in general termes to all alike for this obligation is to be measured according to the difference of capacitys and other circumstances which are to be considered in seueral callings of persons ◠Tho see ◠q. 1. art 5. S. Thomas and the common opinion of authors holdeth it absolutely necessary to saluation in euery one to haue an explicite faith that is expresly to beleeue the mysterys of the blessed Trinity and of the Incarnation and the twelue articles of the Creede and that it is à mortal sinne to be ignorant in the substance of those mysterys I should thinke it a very grosse ignorance in any Catholike not to know all these points to wit the mystery of the blessed Trinity in one God and three persons the mystery of the Incarnation in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God incarnated true God and true man that redeemed vs shall iudge vs and giue glory to the good What the Catholike Church is that the Sacraments of the Catholike Church giue grace to sanctify vs what it is that he receiueth in the Eucharist what he cometh to confession for what the Masse is whatmortal sinne is and that the Praecepts of the Church oblige vnder à mortal sinne This is as litle as can well be expected of all christians And this is conteined in the Summe of the christian doctrine which I haue deliuered to be gotten without booke the vnderstanding of which is sufficient to discharge the obligation which euery one hath to learne the christian doctrine I doe not say that it is absolutely necessary for euery one to vnderstande it all much lesse to gette it all without booke But I say that it is absolutly necessary for saluation to vnderstande the cheife points of it and that to be sure it were good to vnderstande it all and to gette it all without booke But it shall suffice for the present for all to know that they are bounde vnder à mortal sinne to know the head points and principal parts of the christian doctrine Let all then remember this obligatiō and those that haue bene negligent in performing it let them confesse their negligence and learne better hereafter For if any man know not he shall not be knowne Cor. 1.14 THE SECOND DISCOVRSE OF FAITH I INTENDE now to say something of faith in general à subiect necessary to be spoken of but it is hard to speake well and cleerely that which is necessary and sufficient to be spoken of it Prou. 25. Thou hast found honey eate that which sufficeth thee least perhaps being filled thou vomit it vp
These words are commonly applyed by authors to this purpose Honey is pleasant to the tast and necessary for many vses but it must be caten with moderation onely what is sufficient many by eating too much honey haue hurt themselues for our stomacks are not capable of much honey As honey is to our bodys soe is knowledge to our soules both pleasant and profitable What more pleasant to the vnderstanding then the knowledge of truth and some knowledge is necessary euen of the points of faith but many haue receiued hurt by too much desire and greedinesse of knowledge by seeking too curiously without humility into the mysterys of faith for our vnderstandings are too weake and of themselues vncapable of those glorious mysterys He that is a searcher of the maiesty shall be oppressed of the glory saith the same chapter of holy prouerbes This weakenesse I humbly acknowledge in my selfe and feare that I shall speake obscurely of this subiect and therefor I will craue the intercession of our blessed Lady Haile Mary c. Quest What is faith Answ Faith is à supernatural light and gift of God by which we beleeue and firmely adhere to the doctrine of the Church God giueth vs his diuine light and holy inspiration to beleeue the Catholike Church we by that superuatural light and gift of inspiration beleeuing it haue then the true faith Vnder three titles I wil comprehende all that is necessary to be said of this In the first place I will shew how that faith is à supernatural light and gift of God In the second I will shew how that this supernatural light and gift of God is all wais with obedience to the Church And although by these two titles the nature of faith be sufficiently declared and in all points we shall rest satisfyed with the authority of the Church yet I will adde one title more for the good of those that are out of the Catholike Church in which I will shew how this supernatural light and gift of God directing to the true Church is to be sought for and obtained by them THAT FAITH IS A SVPERNAtural light and gift of God ALthough such be the condition of mans vnderstanding that by the visible thinges which he seeeth made he may discouer something of the maker of them as is the omnipotent power and eternal diuinity of him that made them yet it cannot be thought that either man or any other creature can by its owne natural light onely attaine to glory which is supernatural but he must be eleuated by à supernatural power to produce such acts as haue proportion to the obtaining of it The apostle hath said this in plane termes Eph. 2. By grace you are saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gifâ— of God That which is natural is with in the sphaâ—e of nature but supernatural thinges are in a higher sphaere and therefor the state of glory which is supernatural can not be attained vnto but by à supernatural light of faith as being without the sphaere of nature God hauing ordained all creatures to his scruice serues himselfe of them according to their nature He appointeth vnto euery one its propper office and setteth it within the limits of its owne sphaere out of which of it selfe it can not passe Now the most blessed vision of God in glory which is obtained by true faith and the loue of him is supernatural to vs and therefor is not to be attained vnto by the light of natural reason as being out of that sphaere Seeing hearing and feeling are in different sphaeres and therefor they can not reach into nor medle with each others offices The sight tends to colours the hearing to soundes the feeling to palpable thinges and they keepe themselues within their owne sphaeres We see not voices we heare not the light nor colours nor doe we feele either of them Children and fooles catch at shaddowes and hearing the Eccoès which their voyces make they looke about to see them But wisemen know that this is foolish Why because they are in different sphaeres Euen soe it is à childish and foolish thing for men to study by natural reason to comprehende the mysterys of faith and to thinke by the natural light of humane faith to attaine to supernatural glory there being à farre gâ—eater distance betwixt natural and supernatural thinges then there is betwixt the sphaeres of hearing and seeing both of which are within the compasse of nature Therefor the state of glory which is supernatural can not be attained vnto by faith which is à natural light of reason but by faith which is a supernatural light and gift of God Secondly we see that there are many natural thinges which we can not vnderstande much lesse then should we thinke to comprehende the mysterys of diuine faith Who can vnderstande how the loadstone and Iett draw to themselues iron or litle sticks without either corporally touching them or hauing any spiritual influence in to them who can vnderstande the nature of the Remora à litle fish which yet is reported to stoppe the mighty force of a shippe vnder saile by onely cleauing vnto it Who can vnderstande the cause of those vast mountaines of water which mariners call Gusts and say they see in their Indian voyages to fly in the ayre and sometimes happen to fall vpon their shippes and to breake them into peeces Who can vnderstande the tydes of the flowing and ebbing of the sea depending as they say vpon the course of the moone yet soe different in seueral harbors All which thinges and many more hath God concealed from vs to keepe vs in humility and shall we thinke to make the mysterys of faith to be subiect to our vnderstandings We know not how the parts of a litle chippe or straw are continuated together and the best Philosophers acknowledge their ignorance in it and blesse God that hath humbled them in those obuious thinges and shall we presume vpon the mysterys of faith Those wise disputers that held disputation soe long with holy Iob prooued in the end to haue spoken vnwisely and our Lord appearing in à whirlwinde rebuked them saying Who is this that wrappeth in sentences with vnskillfull words Iob. 38. Gird thy loynes like à man I will aske thee answere thou mee And then he putteth seueral hard questions which he continueth in the 38.39.40 and 41. Chapters of Iob admirable to reade and which indeede noe man can sufficiently answere although they were but of natural thinges Now if man with all his witt can not vnderstande many thinges which are obuious in nature what proportion hath he in himselfe to the mysteries of diuine faith and if God will haue vs to see and to confesse our weakenesse in these lower and lesser thinges will he haue vs to rely vpon our owne reason in the mysterys of faith vpon which our saluation dependeth Eccl. 3. Seeke not thinges higher then thy selfe and search
confiding in the iustice and truth of his cause which giueth aduantage enough against all infidelity riseth vp against him At which some laughing others fearing his weaknes at length giuing him leaue to speake he beganne In the name of Iesus Christ attende O Philosopher what I say to thee There is one God the Creatour of heauen and earth and of all thinges â—isible and inuisible He made all by vertue of his Word and by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost he established them This Word which we call the Sonne of God taking pitty vpon mankind would be borne of a virgin conuerse amongst men and dy for them and he shall come againe and shall giue sentence vpon euery one according to their work That this is true we dispute not but we beleeue it Doe not therefore loose thy labour curiously to refute that which by faith onely is to be vnderstâ—ode Seeke not hâ—w this or that can be true in faith but if thou doest be leeue tell mee At which the Philosopher answered presently Credo I doe beleeue And giuing thanks to the bishop he perswaded the rest to beleeue with him protestâ—ng by oth that it was the power of God that had changed him and that by an inward and secret vertue he felt himselfe conuerted to the Christian faith Here this Philosopher confirmed what the bishop said and what we are saying that to dispute with curisity of matters of faith is to destroy faith which to be certaine must be grounded vpon the autority of God and not vpon the witts and disputations of men Out of all that which hath bene said we may gather two principal thinges Scruples of faith are but obscuritys of reason The first is for Catholikes that they cannot with reason trouble themselues with any scruples and doubts of faith for that those are but obscuritys and vncertaintys of our owne reason and not of the thinge it selfe which is beleued which is infallibly and infinitly certaine as proceeding from a supernatural light and gift of God by which we beleue the diuine authoritority And therefor if we perceiue our selues at any time to be ledde by the weaknesse of our reason into scruples and feares concerning any point of faith all of which haue the very same certainty let vs presently checke our selues and bring backe our thoughts to God againe to rely vpon him My soule what are we doeing whither doe we goe this is not the way to the blessed sight of God We must not thinke but beleeue we must not goe by thoughts but by certaintys noe wise man durst euer goe by this way which we are in we shall confounde and loose ourselues Let vs keepe the plane and common tracke which all haue gone which God hath commanded which our blessed Sauiour hath taught which his Apostles haue followed and all true beleeuers after them and that was to beleue by faith which is a supernatural light If thou doest beleeue in God rely vpon him and vpon the Catholike Church guided by him and not vpon thy owne witts And presently in all temptations let vs professe this beleefe saying I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and that not for my owne reason but for the authority of God Hoâ— 2. de Symb. Euseb Emissenus The faith of the Catholike religion is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternal saluation Whosoeuer shall forsake it followeth the euill guide of his owne vnderstanding Whosoeuer thinketh by his owne wisdome to attaine to the secrets of heauenly mysterys doth as one that will build without à foundation or that wil not enter at the doore but at the toppe of the house if in the night time he goe on without light he falleth downe to the bottome The second is for those that are not in the Catholike Church that they following a religion which beganne in priuate mens witts haue not the true faith nor shall euer come to haue it as long as they seeke it by their owne witts onely and by euidence of reason which some of them seeme to expect and stay for for this is to stande watching for larcks when the sky falls which shall neuer be yet shall as soone come to passe as that they shall come to haue the true faith without supernatural light and diuine inspiration therefor they ought to seeke for this and to haue recourse vnto God humbly beseeching him that he will enlighten and inspire them to the true faith And this by Gods grace I shall shew them how to haue recourse vnto God for soe as to obtaine it All points of faith according to reason But we are here to obserue that although faith be supernatural and natural reason be not sufficient to resolue vs finally in matters of faith nor to be relyed vpon in them yet all which we beleeue is according to reason and although all the mysterys of faith be not to be comprehended by vs yet we haue allwais reason soe to beleeue For God gouerneth this world wisely and sweetly according to the natures of his creatures and hauing giuen vnto man a reasonable nature by reason he bringeth him to that faith which he will haue him to beleeue giuing him rational and prudential motius to thinke in reason that that is the true faith First because as by reason we are brought to beleeue in God soe also for the certainty of all which we beleeue by reason we ground ourselues vpon the diuine autority Secondly reason also telleth vs that God gouerneth vs not by ourselues without dependâ—nce of and submission vnto any superiour authority vpon earth in points of religion but that he allwais inspireth vs to the obedience of the Church as in the next title I shall shew Thirdly we haue motiues credible enough to induce an vnderstanding and prudent man to beleeue that which is indeede thâ— true Church and to be gouerned by it and soe we haue all the reason in the world to beleeue the christian faith and the Romane Catholike Church the ignorant because they see in it all that they can desire to see or can see in the true Church to wit externally a most holy and wise gouernement learned men giuing their liues and holy men working of miracles and those as plane as miracles can be and soe frequent that euery ignorant man may either see them or heare of them soe certainely that he cannot in reason doubt of them all Then for the learneder sort they see that the faith of Christ by the most authentical writings that are in all the world is deduced euer from the beginning of the world vntil the comming of Christ and euer since his comming it is deduced vnto vs in none but in the Church of Rome and all other Churches of christians hauing goneforth of it they must either be haeretical or schismatical Churches or els there can be noe haeretical nor schismatical Churches in the world These are sufficient motius to an vnderstanding
continuing in sinne without repentance they fell still into more and more sinnes vntill at last their consciences were as it were seared vp and heardened against God and euen as it were quite dead As one in an apoplexy or strucken with some violent passion becometh pale voide of sense and suddenly dyeth that if you take him vp and turne him from side to side or call vpon him all is in vaine he is dead and gone and his body is then noe better then the body of a dead dogge or swine so great sinners hauing hardoned themselues against God they heare not his callings nor feele his inspirations but are quite senslesse and voide of spirituall life liuing onely as beasts that had no soule to be saued This I say againe is the depth and centour of all euâ—â—â—s when a man will resolue to continue still in sinne and laboreth against himselfe to blotte out the remorse and auersion from it which he hath by nature that so he may sinne without feare Prou. 18. and with contempt of God The impious when he commeth to the depth of sinns contemneth saith the holy Prouerbe This is indeede as deepe as a sinner can goe in this world for it is to bring a hell vpon earth and for men to become litle deuils something lesse then deuils in that they are not so obfirmed in sinne as the deuills are that are setled in an eternall duration of malice and paine which sinners in this world can not be but are in state of repentance but they come as neere as man can come to a diabolicall obstinacy resoluing with themselues to sinne against the Holy Ghost by finall impenitency These then in summe are the euills of sin To separate vs from God and from all coelestiall comfort to put vs into the deuils power and into the state of the damned in hell to bring miserys and aduersitys euen in this life and those not onely vpon the sinners themselues but also vpon their kinred and freinds after them to yeeld but a false short and base pleasure and then affrightments of conscience and sorrows and finally to harden our harts to the vtter contempt of God and of our owne soules Now what can the sinner answer to all this why will he for the base pleasure of sinne forsake God and incurre all these euills Against presumption he presumeth perhaps vpon the diuine mercy and saith that in the end God will pardon him but this is a most vaine presumption as though one should resolue vpon a wicked course of life to perpetrate all the mischeifes that he could deuise presuming of mercy that in the end the King would pardon him It were to destroy all orders and to make God the cause of disordering the whole world if men might doe what they would in hopes of pardon It is true the mercy of God is aboue all his works and more then his iustice in this that he sheweth it more pardoning often before he once condemne but his iustice also shall be fullfilled His mercys are commended to make vs to seeke for pardon but not to bring vs into presumption How many examples haue we of the terrible iudgments of God against sinne First vpon all mankind for the sinne of one Secondly vpon all but eight persons drowned in the deluge Thirdly vpon Kingdomes as the astonishing plagues that came vpon Aegypt and the swallowing vp of their King and his whole army in the sea Fourthly vpon citys as Sodome and Gomorra Fifthly vpon particular houses and familys as Dathan And Abyron who with their wines and familys were suddenly deuoured vp by the earth And vpon particular persons without number What an example was that in Ananias who for dissembling and lying to S. Peter and the Apostles was presently strucke dead and his wife comming in a litle after and mainteining her husbands ly Behold saith S. Act. 5. Peter there feete that haue buried thy husband at the doore and they shall beare thee forth Forth with she fell before his feete and gaue vp the ghost And sometimes for that which to vs would seeme noe great sinne What great offence should we thinke it to haue bene in Lotts wife to looke backe to see Sodome and Gomorra on fire yet presently it cost her her life What an example of the iustice of God was that vpon Moyses soe holy a man and of all men that euer were the speciall figure of Christ our Redeemer yet for an offence soe small that authors hardly destinguish in what it consisted he was depriued of that which aboue all thinges in this world he had most reason to desire to wit to see the Land of promise in the possession of the Israelites and the true worship of God flourishing in it euen as good Catholikes commonly desire to see the conuersion of England to the Catholike faith and God truely worshipped in it but that as his zeale was greater then ours soe was the desire which he had of that greater then ours is of this yet he neuer obtained it but euen then when it seemed to be soe neere that he had brought the people vnto the borders of the Land and as it were to the very last steppe into it they were drawne backe againe and he must neuer haue the happinesse to see them in it When saith S. Basil I behold Moyses soe great a man that it was said vnto him Thou hast found grace before mee Bas proe in lib. eth to 2. Exod. 33. and thy selfe I haue knowne by name yet because he said can we out of this rocke bring you forth water it was presently denounced against him that he should not bring the Israelites into the Land of promise And when I see him soe often praying and still praying in vaine and when I consider that all those great works which he did could not auaile to procure his pardon for soe short a word Then I beginne to thinke of that rigid seuerity of God of which the Apostle speaketh and how true the words of S. Peter are that if the iust man shall scarce be saued where shall the impious and wicked appeare Now who shall dare to presume vpon Gods mercy But he saith that he intendeth to repent presently after sin That is a good intention indeede and God forbidde but he should haue that intention But how doth he know that he shall performe it seeing that he can not assure himselfe of a moment of life after sinne to repent in How many chances is this life of ours subiect vnto slender and easily broken as a spiders webbe how many dy suddenly and if they be in sinne without repentance some by suddaine diseases some murthered some drowned some killed accidentally by chances which we heare of euery day And how many especially in England haue desired at their deaths the assistance of a Priest and could not obtaine it All these hazards doth the sinner vndergoe and one greater then them all to wit