we shall finde that they were instituted immediatly by Christ to rule and consequently commanded to be cōtinued and to be obeyed in his Church for he who instituteth an authority to rule by the very institution of it commandeth obedience to it and that it be perpetuated and vsed to that end for which it was instituted 11. For what end are Bishops necessarie in the Church For many ends whereof we shall speake in the Sacrament of Order and chiefly to take care of the common and to gouerne the Church for gouernment is a thing in it selfe absolutely necessarie vnto all Communities in so much that though we may see some communitie gouerned by superiours without lawes and prosper for a while yet we shall neuer finde that there was anie seene gouerned by lawes without superiours and if there were any such the lawes would be but occasions of quarrells and dissensions Wherefore as euerie man by his vnderstanding directeth himselfe so is the Bishop the vnderstanding that directeth the whole for Bishops are the heads and Princes from whom all inferiour Priests and directors in particular Churches are to take their rules and iudgement in all spirituall affaires 12. How doe we know that Christ instituted the gouernment of the Church himselfe and did not leaue it to the Church to doe it Because we know that he came into the world to erect and establish a Church which in it selfe should haue ordinarie power to conserue and propagate it selfe as we see all States and Communities doe Now he who hath vnderstanding knoweth that this cannot be done but by ordering of gouernours so that the institution of the verie Church it selfe which is a thing that no man can deny to come from Christ doth necessarily implie the institution of the gouernment of it 13. But how doe we know that those gouernours instituted by Christ were Bishops and not Priests or Lay Elders We know this first because we are told expresselie in scripture that Bishops were appointed by the holy Ghost to gouerne the Church of God Secondlie we know it by the same rule whereby we know all thinges that we beleeue in the Church for since you see that Bishops that is men consecrated by a speciall ordination are gouernours in the Church ouer all the Christian world if one should aske you who made them such I am sure you would say they were made such by others who are dead that were themselues such and those againe by others and so vpwards to the Apostles themselues who were made such immediately by Christ which is as strōg a motiue as anie we haue to receaue the Blessed Trinitie Incarnation Sacraments and all other mysteries of our faith And therefore he who denieth necessitie of gouernment by Bishops in Christ his Church is as absolute an hereticke as he who denieth anie thing that Christ hath taught and he who impugneth it impugneth Christ and seeketh to destroy his Church 14. Are all Bishops equall No for as S. Peter was chiefe amongst the Apostles so is the Bishop of Rome who succeeded to S. Peter chiefe amongst all Bishops and it belongeth to him as supreme Prince of the Church to pronounce the definitiue sentence in all matters of Church controuersies for as it is not fitting that there should be more then one king in a kingdome one master in a house and one pilot in a ship so is there but one head ouer the whole Church 15. If Christ be the head of all the Church what need is there of anie other head especially since you say there cannot be two heads Christ alone is the supreme and absolute head and the Bishop of Rome is only his Vicare and ministeriall head And this was necessarie because Christ being now ascended into heauen he doth not conuerse with his Church anie more in a visible manner but gouerneth it spiritually and inuisibly wherefore seeing that the members of his Church here vpon earth are corporall and visible it was necessary that they should haue also a visible head to gouerne them and instruct them according to the exigencie of their capacitie in this world 16. What then is the Church It is the societie or companie of those who are baptized and serue God by professing the true faith and by being vnited amōgst themselues and with their visible head the Bishop of Rome 17. Which be the markes to know the true Church from all false ones They are principally foure Sāctity Vniuersality Succession and Vnity that is to be holy to be vniuersall to be Apostolicall to be one 18. Is the true Church then allwaies holy Yes certainly both in doctrine and practise for holinesse is the thing which Christ came chiefely to settle in his Church 19. What is it to be holy It is to teach and practise those vertues which leade vs to heauē which is the life that Christ Iesus came to giue vs. And this can be no where but in the true Church faith being the first principall vertue that putteth vs in the waie to heauen and from it springeth good liuing and execution correspondent and also miracles wrought in token of holinesse which are the workes of God whereby his Church doth shine throughout the world not only to the confirmation of those faithfull who are weake but also to the cōuersion of Infidells And this marke of holinesse and miracles agreeth to none but to the Roman Church for although there may be more and greater wickednesse amongst Catholikes by reason of the multitude of the professors of the Catholike religion nay of it selfe the wickednesse must needs be greater for those who haue not so good thinges to offend against cannot be so wicked and as the Philosopher saith Corruptio optimi pessima a good thing when it is corrupted becomes starke naught yet is there also great and extraordinary holinesse Whereas amongst other sects there is neuer anie man heard of who whilest he liued had the reputation and credit amongst wise men to be a Saint or of extraordinary holinesse and deuotiō Congregations of men and woemen absteining from pleasures and separating themselues from the world none are found vnlesse such as were begun in Catholike times Extraordinary acts of pennance or heroicke vertues are not to be looked for And as for miracles they do not pretend vnto them in their churches In fine very little more then nature affordeth is to be seene amongst them sauing some bare words of God and Christ 20. Must the Church also be vniuersall Yes certainly for Christ commanded his Apostles to preach through the whole world and there can be no doubt but that they did what they were bidden And this also is a marke belōging only to the Roman Church for she alone is found in euery part of the Christian world all Heretikes being euery kinde in some countries but none in all 21. What is meant by the churches being Apostolicall To be Apostolicall is to receiue their beliefe from the Apostles by a continuated
as men vse ordinarily to do for this kinde of position is a token of wearinesse but in heauen there is no wearinesse and therefore no bodie sitteth there but all shall stand vp right as it is generally conceaued which is the naturall position of man yet our Sauiour is sayd to sit because by this manner of speach is expressed the perfect repose which he enioyeth and shall enioy for all eternity in heauen 34. Why is he sayd to sit at the right hand of his Father He is not sayd to sit so as that we should imagine the Father to be at the left hand of his Sonne or in the middle betwixt the Sonne the Holy Ghost for seeing that these three persons are one only Diuine essence which is essentially in all places it is impossible that one person should be in one place and another in another place but euery one is euery where Wherefore he is sayd to sit at the right hand of his Father thereby to signifie that as man he excells all creatures whatsoeuer in glory maiesty and power and also to signifie that he is equall to his Father in Maiesty and glory which equality though it be principally to be vnderstood as he is God for as man he is without comparison inferiour to his Father yet the same honour from vs is to be giuen to Christ man which is due to him as God by reason of the vnion his humanity hath with his diuine person for seeing that adoration is directed to the person who is adored if one should adore him as man with one kinde of worship and as God with another he would diuide Christ and suppose him to be two persons ARTICLE VII 35. DEclare the seuenth Article From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead I belieue that this our blessed Redeemer Iesus Christ in the end of the world after the raigne of Antichrist shall come from heauen with most great power and glory to iudge all men both liuing and dead giuing to euery one the reward or punishment which he hath deserued saying to the iust come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world and to the wicked Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angells 36. Shall Christ iudge vs as man or as God He shall iugde vs both as man and as God for it is reasonable that he should iudge as man to reward those who deserued it through the merits of his owne humanity and likewise to giue sentence against those who haue neglected to make vse of his sacred death for their owne saluation He shall iudge vs also as God and not only he but also all the blessed Trinity although it be particularly attributed to the second person because it is an act of wisedome the acts whereof are attributed to the sonne because they depend of the vnderstanding 37. When shall he iudge those that are dead There are two iudgements the one particular which is when euery man dyeth the other generall which will be when all men shall take their bodies againe for then the body and the soule being vnited they shall receiue ioyntly the iudgement which they did ioyntly deserue and they shall receiue it with shame or glory before the whole world and all together to the end that as soone as the sentence is giuen the earth opening it selse may swallow vp all the wicked at once and the heauens receiue all the blessed ARTICLE VIII 38. DEclare the eight Article I belieue in the holy Ghost I belieue in the holy Ghost who is the third person of the blessed Trinity and proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and is in all and euery thing equall to the Father and to the Sonne that is he is God eternall infinite omnipotēt creatour and lord of all thinges as much as the Father and the Sonne 39. Why is the holy Ghost represented ordinaryly in the forme of a doue and sometimes also in the forme of fiery tongues and of a cloude The reason of it is because he hath appeared vnder these formes to make vs by these visible thinges apprehēd the effects which he worketh in vs as by a doue innocency by fire charity by a cloude a plenitude of glory wherewith we shall be enuironed in heauen 40. Were these creatures vnited to the holy Ghost as the nature of man is vnited to the sonne of God No for they were meere figures made by the hands of Angells or by God to represent vnto vs the effects of the holy Ghost which being represented these signes remained no more but did vanish presently away ARTICLE IX 41. DEclare the ninth Article The holy Catholike Church Communion of Saints I belieue also that there is a Church that is to say a societie of reasonable creatures vnited to God by supernaturall gifts Which church hath two principall members whereof one is called the church triumphant which conteineth all the blessed in heauen the other is called the church militant which consisteth of mortall men who fight perpetually with the flesh the world and the diuell which church is a visible congregation of all faithfull Christians that are baptized and vnited here vpon earth into one common body I belieue also that each member of this congregation doth partake of the assistance of all the rest and likewise of the assistance of the church triumphant 42. Why is this Church called holy and catholike It is holy because it hath the head which is Christ holy and also for that it hath many holy members besides the faith law and Sacraments are all holy and lastly because the holy Ghost doth neuer forsake it but doth allwayes informe it with sanctitie and glorify it with miracles And it is called Catholike that is vniuersall both for time and place It is also called such because all the faithfull in what part soeuer of the world they be must be vnited to it to be saued 43. Why did the Apostles sett downe in the Creed these two conditions of holinesse and vniuersality Because they are two infallible markes of the true Church to which vnity is also added as a third marke seeing that the Apostles call it the Church in the singular number and not Churches 44. What signifyeth the Communion of Saints It signifyeth that all the holy members of the church are so vnited to one another by the same faith and by brotherly vnion that as in a mans body all the members are partakers of the good or euill of each member thereof so do they partake of the goods and sufferings of one another according to the charity which euery one hath himselfe and according as it shall please the holy Ghost to distribute them who doth deuide the spirituall goods of the church as well as his graces as he pleaseth himselfe Besides all the goods of the church are common the sacraments are instituted for all euery one
succession And this also none hath done but the Roman Church nether doth anie Protestant lay claime vnto it for aske any Protestāt whether they receiued their doctrine from the Apostles or no they will answer yes by whose hands they will answer by the scripture But a Catholike saieth by succession from his forefathers and they by succession from theirs and so vpwards to the Apostles themselues without interruption Now the question of being Apostolicall is not only whether they beleiue the same thing that the Apostles did belieue but withall whether those who now are did receiue their beliefe from the Apostles by a true continuated succession or no. 22. How is the true Church also one It is such first because it hath one principle in which all that are of it do agree wherein if others should agree they could not be of any other Religion but Catholike and this is Tradition to which none layeth claime but the Roman Church Neither haue other Churches any one such principle as to make all that agree in it to be of the same Religion with themselues for the scripture which is their only supreme rule is of itselfe subiect to the seuerall misinterpretations of euery priuate spirit Secondly it is one because all that are in it professe one and the same faith and vse the same Sacraments Thirdly it is one in gouernment because the members of it are all vnited vnder one head the Bishop of Rome for as S. Peter had amongst the Apostles so haue his Successours amongst Bishops the princely and definitiue sentence And this is a marke to be found no where but in the Roman Church although it be a thing verie necessarie for the ending of controuersies which cannot be ended where equality is on both sides a thing that may easily fall out if there be not one supreme head ouer all as we see by dayly experience 23. What thinges are necessary to make a member of the Church Three that is Baptisme true faith with the profession thereof and vniō And therefore Pagans are not of it because they want baptisme nor Heretikes because they professe not the true faith nor Schismaticks because although they be baptized and professe the true faith yet they do not keepe that vnion which is necessarie to knitt the members of Christ his mysticall bodie together 24. Are all Catholikes of the Church Yes except only excommunicated persons 25. Are ill liuing Catholikes of the Church Yes but they are as dead members of a liuing bodie for they want the loue of God and his grace which is the life of this mysticall bodie But at the end of the world these also shall be cast out of the Church and be separated from the blessed in heauen where the Church shall remaine only triumphant for all eternitie 26. Are all Christians of the Church No for all schismatikes heretikes and excommunicated persons are Christians though imperfect ones and yet they are not of the Church LESSON XI Of a Christian 1. WHo is he properly whom we call Christian He who hauing been baptized professeth to belieue in Iesus Christ 2. From whom doth the name of Christian distinguish vs From Iewes Turkes and all Infidells 3. Who is a Catholike Christian That Christian who belieueth and professeth the true faith of Iesus Christ and cōmunicateth in Sacraments and publike seruice of God with that Christian Church which is dispersed through the world and is vnited in one visible head the Bishop of Rome 4. From whom doth this word Catholike distinguish vs From Heretikes and Schismatikes 5. Who is an Heretike That Christian who refuseth to belieue any point taught as a matter of faith by the Roman Catholike Church when it is sufficiently proposed to him as such 6. Who is a Schismatike That Christian who in Sacraments and publike seruice of God refuseth to communicate with the Roman Catholike Church or with the head of the Roman Catholike Church or with anie member of the Roman Catholike Church 7. Why do you call it the Roman Catholike Church We do not call it Roman as if there were any other Catholike Churches besides the Roman Catholike nether do we call it so as if the particular Church of Rome were the whole Catholike Church for as it is a particular Diocesse it is only one part of the Catholike Church but we call it so because all the Catholikes of the world are vnited in the Bishop of that particular Church as in their generall Pastour And so the word Roman is not limited to the particular territorie of Rome but it doth signifie a property belonging to the whole Church to wit that relation which the whole Church and euery member of it acknowledgeth towardes the Bishop of Rome as to their head appointed by Christ to gouerne his whole flock And therefore the word Roman taken in this sense is of no lesse extent then the Church it selfe so that he who is not a Roman Catholike is no Catholike at all 8. Is it sufficient to make one a Catholike in point of faith that he b◅eue the same thinges that the Catholike Church belieueth No vnlesse the Catholike Church be also the ground of his beliefe for whosoeuer doth belieue any point vpon no other groūd but only because it seemes to his priuate iudgement to be contained in scripture or to be in it selfe true yea though he should belieue in this manner euery thing that the Church belieueth yet he would not be a Catholike and so may be damned for want of faith And the reason of it is because seeing that faith is to belieue a thing because God reuealeth it and that there is no infallible way without a miracle whereby God his reuelation cometh to vs but only by the Churches propositiō it followeth that we cannot belieue anie thing certainly vpon the motiue of God his reuelatiō vnlesse our beliefe be likewise grounded vpon the Churches proposition Wherefore the faith of a Catholike must consist in submitting his vnderstanding and adhering to the Church and in belieuing euery thing because she proposeth it for all other perswasiōs of our owne discourse are resolued at last into our particular iudgements or els into the iudgements of other particular men and so cannot breed in vs Catholike and diuine faith but only opinion or human beliefe 9. What signe is there whereby to know whether ones beliefe is grounded vpon the Catholike Churches proposition or no The best signe is when you do without difficultie assent to any thing as soone as you know that it is proposed by the Catholike Church for if you haue the least doubt of any thing which you know to be proposed by the Church it is an infallible signe that your beliefe in all the rest relyeth vpon some other groūds which sway more with you then the authority of the Church or els that you haue no firme beliefe at all but only an opinion or coniecture grounded vpon your owne discourse 10. Who is a good
in cloures layed vpon straw began to feele hunger and cold such like extremities as we see it fareth with all children ARTICLE IV. 19. DEclare the fourth Article Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried I belieue that Iesus Christ to redeeme the world with his pretious blood after that he had ended the time which his Father ordained for his dwelling vpon earth suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Gouernour of Iury being scourged crowned with thornes and nailed vpon the Crosse on the which after three houres he dyed and his body which remained allwayes vnited to his diuinity as was his soule being taken downe from the crosse was buried in a new sepulcher 20. Why did the Apostles presently after that they had declared our Sauiours birth passe to his death without making mention of his life For two reasons first to let vs know that the end of his coming into this world was to dye for vs. Secōdly because he who knoweth the miraculous birth of our Sauiour and the charity wherewith he suffered death for vs that is the beginning and ending of his life cannot choose but know that his whole life was full of miracles and goodnesse And therefore S. Paul professeth to know nothing but Iesus Christ crucified for by knowing this he knoweth all the rest and must needs be replenished both with hope in his merits and with loue to wards his person 21. Hew did Christ suffer He did not suffer in his Diuinity for his two natures diuine humane did each of them allwayes retaine that which is proper to each nature wherefore seeing that his Diuinity cannot be subiect to griefe it was impossible that he should suffer any thing as God but only as man and as man he suffered both in his body and in his soule 22. What did he suffer in his body He suffered the greatest torments that euer man endured in all his fiue senses and in euery part of his body from the very bottome of his feete to the toppe of his head 23. What did he suffer in his soule He suffered the greatest griefe that could be being not only tormented by his enimies but also abandoned by his friends and betrayed by one of his Apostles and he suffered chiefely by the sinnes of man which was the most cruell griefe to his goodnesse that could be Besides whereas all those who suffer for God receiue a celestiall comfort which doth strengthen them in their paines our blessed Sauiour that he might suffer the more did depriue him selfe of comfort and abandon his nature wholy to griefe and paine 24. How could he suffer seeing he was blessed from the first instant of his conception His beatitude did not hinder him from suffering because he restrained his whole blisse to the superiour part of his soule without letting it passe to the inferiour part or to his bodie 25. Where did he suffer At Hierusalem the place appointed by God for sacrifices for it was expedient that the true sacrifice should be accomplished at the same place where all the figuratiue sacrifices of the old law had been performed 26. Why did he suffer the death of the Crosse Because it was the most vnworthy death of all others and most ignominious inflicted only vpon rogues and notorious malefactors 27. How did he die By the separation of his soule from his body but neither part was separated from his Diuinity as when a bow is broken the two partes of the bow are separated from one another but the bowstring remaineth still fastened to both ARTICLE V. 28. DEclare the fifth Article Descended into hell the third day rose againe from the dead I belieue that Iesus Christ as soone as he was dead went with his soule into hell that is into Limbo to triumph ouer the diuell and to deliuer the soules of all the faithfull who dyed in the state of grace since the beginning of the world who were kept in Limbo as in a prison from whence they could not come forth vntill Christ had paied the price of their redemption and came himselfe to deliuer them I belieue also that the third day which was the Sunday Iesus Christ rose againe from death most triumphant and glorious 29. What is vnderstood by this word Hell Hell hah principally foure significations first it is vsed for the place where the damned are to be eternally secondly for the place where the children are that dye with originall sinne thirdly for the place of Purgatorie and fourthly for the place where the soules of holy men were kept before the coming of Christ And the word Hell in the Creed is principally to be vnderstood in this sense which place by his presence was made a Paradise to verifie what he had promised the good thiefe this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise 30. Why is Christ his resurrection called by S. Augustine the faith of Christians rather then his death Because it is no hard matter to belieue that Iesus Christ dyed for death is naturally due to euery man but it is very hard to belieue that he did rise againe from death because no man can raise himselfe from death to life And therefore his Resurrection is a cleare argument of his Diuinity In so much that the Iewes damanding of Iesus Christ some miracle for proofe of his doctrine he gaue them no other marke of it but only that he would rise againe from death so that his Resurrection is the miracle of miracles and the proper miracle of Christianisme ARTICLE VI. 31. DEclare the sixth Article Ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God the Father allmighty I belieue that Iesus Christ after that he had remained forty dayes with the holy Apostles to instruct them and to proue with many apparitions his true Resurrection mounted vp in their sight to heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father as Lord and gouernour of all creatures his body and soule being replenished with the glory of his Diuinity 32. How did Christ ascend into heauen He ascended into heauen not as God but as man for a God he was neuer absent from heauen yet he ascended by the force of his Diuinity which of its owne nature gaue him that power He did also ascend by the force of the glorie wherewith his soule and his body were replenished and which was due to him naturally by reason of his hypostaticall vnion And therefore although he was compassed round with all the Angells yet he had not the assistance of any to ascend but did ascend through his owne proper force And for this reason we say not commonly that he was carried but that he ascended into heauen whereas the Church speaking of our Lady sayeth that she was carried because she did not ascend by any force of her owne naturally due to her but by the force which she receiued from allmighty God 33. Why is Christ sayd to sit in heauen We must not imagine that Christ doth sit in heauen
doth receiue profit by the sacrifice preaching doth instruct whosoeuer will heare euery man in the church may assist his companion by prayer the liuing do assist the dead in purgatorie by almes and good deeds and the blessed in heauen do assist the liuing vpon earth by their continuall intercession for them to allmighty God ARTICLE X. 45. DEclare the tenth Article Forgiuenesse of sinnes I belieue that to the holy Catholike church only and to no other society there is giuen by God power for true forgiuenesse of sinnes by meanes of the holy sacraments whereby men from being children of the diuell and guilty of eternall damnation do become the children of God and heires of Paradise 46. How doth the Church forgiue sinnes By the meanes of Priests who as God his Ministers haue power to forgiue sinne by vertue of the sacraments and particularly of Baptisme and of Pennance by Baptisme only once but by Pennance as often as man sinneth and truly repenteth for it And this benefit is so much the greater because it is particular to the law of grace for no man either in the law of nature or in the law of Moyses euer had power to remit sinne ARTICLE XI 47. DEclare the eleuenth Article Resurrection of the flesh I belieue that in the end of the world all men shall rise taking againe the selfe same bodies which they had when they were liuing and this by the power of God to whom nothing is impossible but the elect shall haue their bodies glorious and beautifull and shall be lifted vp with their bodies into the aire to meete Christ at the day of iudgement whereas the cursed shall remaine on earth hideous and woefull to behold 48. Why did not the Apostles say the resurrection of man but the resurrection of the flesh To shew to vs that whereas man doth consist of two parts soule and body the body is only that which perisheth by death the soule being immortall and consequently vncapable of resurrectiō for nothing is reuiued but that which is first dead 49. Shall we rise in the same bodies that we had whilst we liued Yes to the end that the same body which contributed in this world to our good or euill life may likewise receiue an eternall recompense or punishment And in effect if we did not receiue the same body which dyed it would not be a resurrection but a new production for since that to be resuscitated signifyeth to take life againe that which is resuscitated must be the same which dyed before 50. How shall this be done We are sure that it shall be done and S. Paul is so certaine of it that he telleth vs that if the dead shall not rise Christ hath not risen We are sure also that it shall not be done by our owne forces for Philosophers teach vs that that which is once corrupted cannot be naturally reproduced but it shall be done by the hand of allmighty God who can make againe when he pleaseth that same thing which he hath once made 51. Shall all bodies rise with the same defects they had whilst they lived as being dwarfes giants lame monsters and the like No for these defects and deformities proceed only from the excesse or defect of nature whose worke they properly were But the worke of their resurrection being properly the worke only of God it must needs be perfect and without all defeat and therefore it is generally belieued that all the blessed shall rise in that perfect stature which nature should haue giuen them at the three and thirtith yeare of their age at which age our blessed Sauiour did rise himselfe ARTICLE XII 52. DEclare the twelfth Article Life euerlasting I belieue that there is reserued for good Christians life euerlasting by enioying the sight of God full of felicity and free frō all kinde of euill as contrarywise for infidelles and bad Christians there is a life full of eternall punishment ouerwhelmed with misery and voide of all good 53. In what doth the happinesse of this eternall life consist In knowing and louing God for knowledge and loue are the pleasures of the soule or minde which must needs be greater then the pleasures of the body since that the body hath pleasure by the mīde for take away the mīde or reflexion vpon the obiect and it hath none Now the content of loue encreaseth to the proportion of knowledge and amongst knowledges the most vniuersall giueth the greatest pleasure What pleasure then must it be to see God in himselfe who is beyond all causes and in whom all thinges are conteined We shall discerne in him the essences and reasons of euery particular thing from the creation of the heauens and millions of Angells to the parting of two dusts in the high way so that no variety can be sought which is not found in him Neither can we desire any change for no body desireth a change or variety vntill he hath a satiety of what he enioyeth that is vntill he hath perfectly knowne it and found it lesse then his desires for till then he hath rest content and quiet in the obiect he enioyeth Now God is farre beyond the capacity of our desires so that for all eternity we shall finde in him more then we can desire and consequently for all eternity haue vnspeakable content and rest in him Besides euery ones memory shall contribute to this contentment by remembring the dangers they haue escaped of loosing so great a good and by calling to minde their owne good actions wrought by them through God his grace in this world especially those great ones martyrdome teaching and virginity which speciall contents caused by the memorie of those vertuous heroike actions are called by some Diuines Aureolae 54. In what shall the paine of the damned consist It will consist likewise chiefely in the soule for as pleasure cometh to the body from the soule so doth griefe and therefore as the pleasure of the soule is greater then the pleasure of the body so must the griefe of the soule by being depriued of this pleasure needes be a paine surpassing without comparison all corporall paines 55. Must this next life needs be eternall Yes for those who see God cānot choose but loue him aboue all thinges God as we sayd before doth neuer faile to blisse them that loue him wherefore since that nether the blessed can leaue to loue nor God will leaue to blisse those that loue him their happinesse can haue no end And as for the damned they can neuer begin to loue because they want God his grace without which we cannot loue God aboue all thinges and therefore they must needs remaine for all eternity in the same miserable state into which they haue cast them selues through their owne fault 56. Shall the glorie of the Saints be equall in heauen No some shall haue greater glorie then others according as they haue serued God more or lesse in this world Yet all shall be equally content in
not wonder if in some cases the Priest imposeth so small a pennance in respect of the grieuous offences of the Penitēt as it happeneth in those who confesse great sinnes at the houre of death for the least outward act is significatiue and sufficient to testify our present intention 34. What do you gather from its being satisfactorie I gather from thence that the satisfaction ought to correspond to the grieuousnesse of the Penitents offences and that it ought to be a penall satisfaction that is such as doth chastise the body and manifest in the Penitēt zeale of God his iustice and a spirit of godly reuenge vpon himselfe for the sinnes he hath committed 35. What do you gather by its being medecinall I gather from thence that the pennance which the Priest imposeth ought to be proportioned to the diseased humour of the Penitent and such as may withdraw him from sinne and that it ought accordingly to be augmented or lessened as he findeth his Penitent to amend himselfe more or lesse 36. What do you gather by its being significatiue Since that its signification doth consist in testifying the sincerity of our inward repentance and an acknowledgement of our obligation to do worthy fruits of repentance in this life I gather first that when we haue performed the pennance imposed by the Priest we ought not therefore to desist but we must still go on in bewailing our sinnes all our life time for as S. Augustin sayth Poenitere est poenam tenere to repent is to perseuer in paine to the end sayeth he that one may punish by reuenging in himselfe that which he hath committed by sinning he therefore doth perseuer in paine who alwayes punisheth that which it grieueth him to haue committed Secondly I gather in case that the Priest should either through necessity as it happeneth when a Penitent is in danger of death or else through ignorance or by too much indulgence impose so small a pennance as would haue no proportion with the grieuousnesse of the sinnes whereof the Penitent is guiltie that then the Penitent by doing that small pennance must not thinke himselfe released of the debt he oweth for his sinnes nor acquitted of the obligation he hath to doe worthy fruits of repentance but he must do them voluntarily or by the aduise of his Ghostly father which will be more meritorious 37. Are we then obliged to do worthy fruits of repentance Yes for as by the Sacrament of Baptisme we do solemnly renounce the world and promise to abstaine from sinne so we do by the Sacrament of pennance which is a second Baptisme and called by the Fathers a laborious Baptisme not only renew our former promise made in Baptisme but also we do adde a new purpose signified by the pennance imposed by the Priest and accepted by the Penitent of repairing by worthy fruits of repentance the harme which we haue suffered by sinne And therefore the Councell of Trent teacheth that in the pennance for sinnes committed after Baptisme is contained not only a cessation from sinne a detestation of sinne and a contrite and humble heart which thinges are required in Baptisme but also satisfaction by fasting almes praier and other pious exercises of a spirituall life 38. From whence ariseth the obligation of worthy fruits of repentance It ariseth from two heads first from the precept for they are expressely commanded by God Secondly from the nature of the thing it selfe for the light of reason doth teach vs that we are bound both to satisfy God his iustice and also to repaire our owne losses when we are able the one being a kinde of restitution to be made to God and the other a kinde of restitution due to ourselues Wherefore to know how farre this precept of doing worthy fruits of repentance bindeth we must cōsider these two principall ends for which they were commanded And as for the first end which is to satisfy God his iustice for the temporall paine remaining after that the guilt of sinne is remitted you must note that the Minister of God cannot know how much repentance and contrition the Penitent hath nether can the Penitent nor the Minister know the value of the sayd contrition nor how much more he ought to do for due satisfaction and therefore in the primitiue Church they vsed to impose austere pennances for euery mortall sinne which they were to performe for a long time together yea for some sinnes they were to do pennance all their life time that so God his iustice might be more fully satisfied but in after ages the Church hath mitigated that former austerity releasing the Penitentiall Canons by frequent Indulgences which she granteth from time to time for the generall good of the Church which Indulgences vpon such occasions do likewise remit the paine due to sinne being granted by authority of the keies of the kingdome of heauen Wherefore it is certaine that we are not for the present obliged to the Penitentiall Canons but it sufficeth if the Priest impose such pennances as haue some proportion in chastising the sinner with as much paine and affliction as he tooke vnlawfull delight and content in his vnbridled passions by sinfull actions which also may be prudently moderated vpon iust occasions by remitting the Penitent for the rest to the generall fasts and mortifications obserued in the Church and to such voluntarie afflictions as he himselfe shall make choise of In which kinde it is to be noted that euery one is bound to vse voluntarily such pennances as he findeth necessary to keepe the spirit of compunctiō from decaying in his heart and to preserue him from danger of falling into a contempt of God his wrath and of reparation due to his iustice And therefore although it be true that we are not bound now to the actuall practise of the Penitentiall Canons yet we are obliged to be so prepared and disposed in minde as to be ready to vndergoe them in case they were absolutely necessary to satisfy the diuine iustice or that they were enioyned vs by the Church From whence it followeth that although those sinners who haue not leisure to do worthy fruits of repentance because they are surprised by death presently after their conuersion shall be purged by the paines of Purgatorie and so be saued as also those shall be who haue had leisure to do worthy fruits of repentance but haue performed them slackely and negligently yet those who neuer had an intention to do worthy fruits of repentance in this life or if they had such an intention did afterwardes when they had leisure totally neglect to do them will not finde a Purgatorie in the next world but eternall punishment in hell for their contempt of God his precept in not performing that which his iustice exacteth from vs in this life The second end for which the worthy fruits of repentance were commanded by God is medicinall and satisfaction as it hath relation to this end is defined thus Est
which may draw your minde to distractions and therefore it ought to be the first thing you do after you are risen Secondly shortly to remember that all other businesses of the world or studies whatsoeuer be bables and thinges not concerning you in respect of this and that it is the maine helpe to do you good in this life and the next For the rest I remit you to seeke it in treatises of purpose made of this subiect amongst others I recommend vnto you one made by Antonius Molina a Carthusian whose printed meditations also are very good for beginners to practise themselues in 5. In what is vocall praier better then mentall praier and mentall praier better then it Vocall praier hath two excellences aboue mentall the first is that ordinarily the praier is made by some who haue more skill then we haue and therefore is more perfect for the most part then one of our mentall praiers Secōdly it keepeth from distractions much because our eyes and when we say them without bookes our memories hold our vnderstanding to the matter better then when we haue no such determination But likewise on the other side it hath two disaduantages one that it doth not so well fill our soules being nether so much laboured as what we make our selues nor so naturally proportioned to vs as what we do our selues Secondly the affections conceiued by vocall praier do not moue vs to action so strōgly as those which proceed from meditation But that which giueth weight both to the one and other sort of praying is attention so that two Aue Maries sayd with thinking of what you say is better then two paire of beades tumbled ouer with your minde vpon an other businesse LESSON XXXIV Of praying to Saints 1. MAy we not pray also to God by the mediation of others to grant vs his diuine assistance Yes and especially by the Saints and Angells for the praiers of the blessed in heauen are afficacious with allmighty God and by praying to them we get them to pray for vs. 2. Is it lawfull then to pray to Saints Yes but we must not do it in the same manner as we vse to pray to God for we pray to God as to our soueraine Lord that he will haue mercy vpon vs and giue vs his grace but the Saints can nether forgiue vs our sinnes nor conferre grace vpon vs and to demād it of them were to wrong our creator and to attribute that homage to a creature which is due to God alone but our praier to them is that they will pray to God for vs as being most neerely vnited to his diuine Maiesty by charity and eternall blisse Which kinde of praier hath alwayes been practised in the Church for if we may desire men here vpon earth to pray for vs much more may we desire the Saints in heauen to do it who being confirmed in charity cannot be lesse willing to assist vs and being more perfectly vnited to God cannot choose but haue as much power to obtaine from him what they demand in our behalfe nether can they be ignorant of our miseries or of their owne fauour with allmighty God 3. May we pray to Saints in the same manner as to our blessed Sauiour No for first our blessed Sauiour is God as well as man secondly he only is the immediate intercessour betwixt God and vs who hath power and authority of himselfe to intercede for vs whereas the Saints do intercede only by the force of his intercession Thirdly he is the only vniuersall mediatour betwixt God and vs for he only redeemed vs and so he only hath power to obtaine what he pleaseth for all the world by vertue of his owne infinite dignity and proper merit whereas the Saints can obtaine nothing but only through his merites Fourthly he is the only person vpon whose consideration all graces are granted Yet all these prerogatiues do not hinder but that we may pray to the Saints in an inferiour way and that they also may pray for vs without doing any wrōg to our blessed Sauiours soueraine mediation Which is euident by the like example in Princes here vpon earth for a king may loue one of his Fauorits so much as that he may resolue not to grāt any grace but through his consideration yet this doth not hinder but that one may employ other persons towards this Fauorite to obtaine of the king the graces which they desire and also that one may demand a thing from the king himselfe vnder the fauour and protection of his Fauorite In the same manner although allmighty God doth not grant any grace but by the merits of Iesus Christ yet this doth not hinder but that the Saints may demand the same for vs through themerits of Iesus Christ since we doe the like dayly for one another and also that we may desire them to intercede for vs to Iesus Christ himselfe 4. How can the Saints heare our praiers You must not thinke that they heare with eares that is that they haue this sensible passion which we call hearing But by hearing in this question is vnderstood knowing and there can be no doubt but that the Saints may know all thinges that concerne them since that they know God in whom all thinges are contained and who is the doer of all thinges that are done Besides the Scripture assureth vs that Angells know what men doe here vpon earth and the same Scripture telleth vs also that the Saints in heauen are like Angells 5. What obligation haue we to pray to Angells and Saints To answer your questiō you must know that Angells and Saints are in perfect blisse and happinesse whether we pray to them or no from whence you will perceiue that all seruice and honour done to Saints by vs redoundeth rather to our owne profit then to theirs And therefore although honour in it selfe be due vnto them yet they are then best honoured when we ourselues do profit by it and grow better by honouring them for this is euen to them an increase of an accidentall kinde of glory From-whence it followeth that the keeping of holy dayes building churches and setting vp altars to God in memorie of Saints is to be moderated according to the vtility which redoundeth to the Church by it and in proportion the praiers or what sort of deuotions soeuer are vsed in priuate to their honours are to be gouerned by the same principle Now the vtility redounding to the Church is first that whereas humane nature is easily weary of being carried aboue it selfe by praier and other spirituall exercises the wearinesse of deuotion is in part holpen by this holy variety Secondly the memory of God his goodnesse and benefits towards mankinde is made familiar vnto vs by making often commemoration of his Saints vpon whō he bestowed his graces most plentifully and who were many times the instruments he vsed to conferre many singular benefits vpon his whole Church Againe whereas mens humours and
states of life be so diuerse it happeneth out that euery man may haue examples in their owne kinde to be affected vnto and many times this maketh a greater profit by such an affinity to their owne condition then by a great deake of preaching or good counsel And so you may see what obligation there is to honour Saints and to pray vnto them towit when the Church for the cōmon good of her children presseth it then that is to be done whatsoeuer she commandeth and it is a sinne to omit it But in other occasions and at other times euery particular man as farre as he findeth need or helpe by this variety in his priuate deuotion so farre he doth very well to follow it especially if he findeth that it stirreth vp a failing deuotion in him for the end of this as of all all other pious exercices must be God himselfe and the better performing of our duty towards him 6. What thinke you of the vse of pictures and hanging of lampes before them in honour of the blessed Virgin and other Saints First as for pictures if we belieue nature and experience the vse of them in generall is very profitable and in some sort necessary in the Church of God for the instruction and spirituall profit of the faithfull First for memories sake for as often as we see pictures so often do we remember the thing painted and whether we haue need of often remēbring heauen and heauenly thinges let euen our cold and euill life beare testimony Secondly when a man saith his praiers before a picture of our Sauiour or of any Saint by addressing himselfe vnto it he maketh thereby a great apprehension of the Saint as if he himselfe were present vnto whom he praieth and by cōsequēce praieth with a greater respect and attention Thirdly it serueth for an addresse of the praier and especially if he vse any corporall gestures withall for as the ancient Christians were vsed to turne themselues to the East and the Iewes towards the Temple when they would adore God the East and Temple seruing for a determination of their action so much more when I bow or do any other reuerence or pray before a picture it is a determination of my praier or respect vnto God or vnto that Saint whose picture it is Lastly it is a helpe to him that praieth for pictures beare with them an expression oftentimes which would cost many words and workes of our memory As he who looketh on a crucifixe if he desire to represent to himselfe and fixe in his heart the wounds and passion of our blessed Sauiour he may finde a great facility and quickenesse to do it by hauing the picture before his eyes As for hanging lampes before pictures of Saints it is to represent their glory in heauen or the burning charity with which they were endued here on earth and so these and such like expressions are apt to breed a greater apprehension in men which is a meanes to make them pray the better and consequently obteine more at God his hands and therefore are allowed and recommended in the Catholike Church 7. How are we to pray to Saints By honouring them here vpon earth and by obseruing their feastes according to the order of the Church and also by reading their liues by saying such praiers to them as are approued by our Pastours and chiefely of all by imitating the vertues which they did particularly excell in 8. Are we to pray to all the Saints alike No for we ought to haue a particular deuotiō to our blessed Lady aboue all the rest because she is the Mother of God and most neare vnto him of any creature And amongst the other blessed we ought chiefely to pray to our Angell Gardien seeing that it hath euer been the constant faith of Christians that euery one hath an Angell for his gouernour for our Sauiour hath told vs that the Angells of the little ones see the face of his heauenly Father And next we are to pray to such particular Saints as we our selues make choise of to be our Patrons 9. What praier is ordinarily vsed to our blessed Lady The Aue Maria. LESSION XXXV Of the Aue Maria. 1. SAy the Aue Maria Haile Marie full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst all women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe Iesus Holy Marie Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and in the houre of our death Amen 2. Who made this prayer The holy Catholike Church borrowing the words wherewith the Angel and Saint Elizabeth did salute the blessed Virgin The first words Haile full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst all women were spoken by the Angel Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe were spoken by Saint Elizabeth The Church hath added the other words which make the second part of the praier or rather the holy Ghost hath made the whole praier by whom all three the Angell Saint Elizabeth and the Church haue been inspired 3. Declare the first sentence of this praier Haile Marie full of grace our Lord is with thee The first word vsed by the Angell is a salutation which importeth all happinesse which one can desire for in Latin it is Aue which cometh from aueo which signifieth to desire or wish for and there is vnderstood some nowne as salutem pacem gaudium c. but none is expressed in particular because he who vseth this word wisheth to him whom he saluteth all kinde of happinesse that he himselfe will ioyne to the word and can imagine or desire Which expression was most proper from the Angel to the blessed Virgin since that the cause of his coming to her was to bring her the newes from whence all happinesse was to come both to her selfe and to the whole world The second word Marie doth signifie her person and her dignitie Her Person because it was her owne proper name giuen vnto her by the inspiration of tho holy Ghost as we may piously belieue her dignitie because it signifieth in Hebrew Mistresse or Ladie and who can be more truly Mistresse and Ladie of all thīges then she who is Mother to the Creatour of all thinges It signifieth also the sea starre and she is truly a starre that conducts all those who take her for their guide through the sea of the world into a secure hauen By the next word the Angel doth shew that she was replenished with grace and worthily is her soule declared full of graces because she had the priuiledge as it is piously belieued and taught by the Church neuer to be infected with originall sinne and most certainly neuer to commit any the least veniall actuall sinne Full of Grace because her life was a true mirrour of chastity humilitie meekenesse obedience patience faith hope charity and in fine of all vertues By those other words our Lord is with thee the Angel doth aduertise the blessed virgin of the mystery which was