alleadge against them the authority of the Church of Christ and will tell them Not the Iewes but the Church holdeth the books of Machabees to be canonical And his owne reason will tell him that to deny the authority of the Church is to deny all Scriptures and to confounde the order of the whole world Tertul. Tert. l. de coron militi◠c. 3. Amb. orat pro Theod. Aug. l. 8. de Genes con Manichaeos Oblationes pro defunctis facimus We make offerings for the dead S. Ambrose in his speech of the Emperour Theodosius prayeth for him Thou o Lord giue rest vnto thy seruant Theodosius S. August speaking of him that dyeth in sinne saith after this life he shall haue either the fire of Purgatory or eternal fire And in Psal 87. In this life purge mee and make mee soe that I may not neede the purging fire The doctrine of Purgatory is soe planely deliuered by the auncient fathers of the Church that Caluin could not deny or conceale it but l. 3. Instit c. 5. § 10. calleth it a most auncient obseruation of the Church and saith that the fathers as humane were deceiued But who can endure this saying in him were the auncient fathers of the Church and both the Church which was aunciently and which was when Caluin came into the world deceided and Caluin not deceiued shall Caluin take vpon him to correct the auncient fathers and present obseruations of the Church And shall any hazard his soule with Caluin against them He asketh what authority of Scriptures they had Must the whole Church be examined by him in the Scriptures And shall not he be thought an haeretike for this and to abuse the Scriptures in condemning of the Church S. Augustine shall answere him Aug. l. de cura pro mortuis Jn the books of the Machabees we read that sacrifice was offered for the dead but although in the auncient Scriptures it were not at all to be read the authority of the vniuersal Church is noe small matter which is cleere for this custome where in the prayers of the priest which to our Lord God are powered forth at his altare the commendation of the dead hath its place S. Augustins argument was good in which he prooued Purgatory both hy the Scriptures and the Church But if this be not enough for Caluin to whom nothing will serue but his owne will and word We will also produce his owne words against him l. 4. Instit c. 2. num 3. he saith that without controuersy nothing from the beginning untill that age was changed in doctrine To wit vntill the times of Tertullian Origen and Augustine of whom he was speaking If therfor this were the doctrine of the Church in those times it was the doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles euer from the beginning And soe Caluin is condemned by Scriptures fathers Church and by his owne words and Purgatory is prooued to be the true Catholike Apostolike doctrine There for pennances are rightly enioyned prayers may be said almes deeds giuen indulgences granted and many voluntary afflictions haue bene vndergone by the Saints and faithfull of the Catholike Church to escape the paines of Purgatory which although they be but temporal yet they are most greeuous and vehement more then can be spoken And because the Catholike doctrine of Indulgences by many is not vnderstoode I wil say somethinge of them in this which is also their propper place An Indulgence is as much as to say a fauourable remission or pardoning of some due punishment Such are the indulgences of the Church either absolute remissions without exchange or imposing of any other taske or exchanges of a greater into a lesser penalty The power of granting indulgences or absoluing from punishment which is all one was granted by Christ vnto his Apostles and especially to S. Peter to whom he promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Mat. 16. and told him whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen What can be vnderstoode by the keyes of heauen and the words following but power soe to open heauen gates as to take away all that hindereth for entring in at them to wit sinne and punishment He gave also the like authority to the rest of the Apostles saying whatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shal be loosed in heauen Mat. 18. If whatsoeuer they loose be loosed then punishment loosed by them on earth is loosed also in the sight of God in heauen Neither is there any good connexion in those words if they be not vnderstoode of absoluing as well from punishment as from sinne Now if any aske how it can be that sinnes of which the diuine iustice requireth soe much satisfaction should be satisfyed for with soe litle as some indulgences require and some indulgences require nothing at all to be done for the gaining of them he may vnderstande that indulgence or pardon of punishment is neuer granted but full satisfaction is made to God for the sinne For there is in the Church a treasury of Satisfactions soe great that it can neuer be exhausted by satisfying for sinnes There are in this treasury the satisfactions of Christ infinitly more then all the sinnes in the world can require There are also the good works of our B. Lady that had nothing of her owne to satisfy for There are the good works of S. Iohn Baptist of the Apostles and of many others whose works were much more satisfactory then their owne sinnes needed and may be applyed by the pastors of the Church to those that stande neede of them For the Church is a body and all the members of it haue a Communication and participation of good works with one another as we professe in the Creede saying I beleeue the Communion of Saints And the psalmist sayeth Ps 118. Col. 1. I am partaker of all that feare thee And S. Paul I now reioyce in suffering for you and doe accomplish those thinges that want of the passions of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church He did not fullfill the passions of Christ for any defect or want which was in them but that by his sufferings the passion of Christ was applyed actually to the Colossians as it is by the suffrages and good works which are done in the Church for others and by them their punishments are fully satisfyed for If any aske why the Pope onely and bishops giue indulgences I answere that the words of Christ before alleadged were spoken onely to S. Peter who was to be the Pope and to the Apostles who were at first the onely bishops of the Church And the practise of the vniuersal Church which ought to be our rule in all things hath bene allwais for the Pope and bishops and not for priests to grant Indulgences S. Augustine speaking of the obseruations of the Church saith If the Church through out the World frequent any of these things to dispute of
resurrection of Christ but his resurrection excelleth theirs in many respects First for that he raised himselfe as I haue said by his owne power and all others were raised by his power Secondly he was the first that euer aroze glorious Thirdly others aroze to death as well as to life Fourthly his resurrection was the cause and meanes of all our glorious resurrections In these respects S. Paul calleth him the first fruits of those that rize to life Cor. 15. Christ saith he is rizen from the dead the first fruits of them that sleepe In Christ all shall be made aliue But euery one in his owne order the first fruits Christ then those that are of Christ The resurrection of Christ ought to be a great comfort and encouragement to the good For his rizing to glory hath giuen vs hopes of a glorious resurrection Blessed be God saith S. Pet. 1.1 Peter and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead vnto an inheritance incorruptible We are encouraged to beare with patience all afflictions and all kind of persecutions in this world in hopes to rize glorious with him Christ is our head and we are the members of his body and he hauing made way through persecutions for vs we ought couragiously to follow him THE SIXT ARTICLE HE ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God Christ hauing consummated the worke of our redemption by his death on the Cros and after his death performed his resurrection and hauing after his resurrection remained forty dayes on earth to teach his disciples speaking of the kingdome of God that is to say instructing them concerning the gouernment of the Catholike Church which is the kingdome of God vpon earth he had done now all for which his father sent him and was to ascende into heauen and to carry mankind vnto that blessed place of glory which he had purchased for them He tooke therefor his disciples vnto mount Oliuet to be the witnesses of his ascension and lifting vp his eyes and blessing them he was gloriously elâ—uated in their sight and they being â—auished with ioy and spirituall consolation at it behold two Angels whom the Euangelist calleth men stoode beside them in white garments and said to them Act. 1. Ye men of Galily why stande you looking into heauen This Iesus which is assumpted from you into heauen shall soo come as you haue seene him going into heauen Thus would our Sauiour ascende that he might giue vnto the world a tast and scantling of the future glory and a memorial of his second comming This was the most glorious day that euer was to mankind For this is the day of our first entring into heauen The holy Prophet king Danid inuiteth all the world to the ioy of this day saying All ye nations clappe hands Ps 46. make iubilation to God in the voyce of exultation God is ascended in iubilation To day mans nature triumphed in the heauens and that soe glorious that it was exalted aboue all the coelestiall powers of Angels to the very right hand of God Ser. 3. de Ascen See ô man sayth S. Iohn Chrysostome how high thy nature is exalted Consider the distance of heauen and earth and of the lower to the higher heauens and from those higher heauens to the Angels and from them to the higher powers and from those to the seate where our Lord sitteth Humane nature is exalted thus high aboue all that nature which was of it selfe soe low that it could be noe lower became now soe high that it could be raised noe higher And the Holy Ghost to shew how high that glory was which mankind then receiued would inspire the Apostles to make such a remarkeable expression of it as to say that it was set at the right hand of God That as great Princes and eminent personages when they will shew a more then ordinary respect to some other Prince their freind they set him on their right hand soe the nature of man in Iesus Christ who was the Prince of mankind ascending into heauen the king of heauen and of the whole world would be said to set him on his right hand A greater expression of his loue could not be made then this yet thus would he haue his Apostles to expresse it Christ ascended both in body and soule for they being once vnited together in his resurrection were neuer more to be separated againe He ascended by his owne power and not as Elias Abacuc S. Phillip or others who were eleuated into the ayre carried by Angels for their soules and bodys being then vnglorifyed could not by their owne power ascende But Christ besides that he ascended by the power of his diuinity being in the state of glory his body was perfectly subiected to his soule and was therefor eleuated by it and stoode noe neede of the externall helpe of Angels In that he is said to sitt at the right hand of God we are to vnderstande a siguratiue manner of speech which God would haue to be vsed to accommodate himselfe to our weake vnderstandings which can haue nothing represented to them but by the species of corporal thinges and soe Christ is said to sitt at the right hand of God to shew how highly our nature was exalted in him although God haue noe hands nor corporal parts as being a spiritual substance that needeth not them Neither ought we to thinke by this that there is any precedency of place or degrees of dignity in the Persons of the B. Trinity but that the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are all of equall and infinite dignity Christ according to his humanity is said to sitte at the right hand of God in respect of creatures in that he is superiour to them in dignity and glory And according to his diuine nature he may be said to sitt at the right hand of God in this sense and to this end that we might not vnderstande as Arius did that the Sonne of God was inferiour to the Father For which reason the holy Psalmist also placeth the Sonne at the right hand of the Father Ps 109. and then presently in the same psalme the Father on the right hand of the Sonne to signify equallity betwixt them Let vs now apply this mystery to the profit of our soules that they may haue the benefit of it and receiue the giftes which were then giuen Ps 67. for it is written ascending on high he ledd captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to men Iph. 4. These gifts are too great to be spoken for vnto some he gaue then the gift of heauenly blesse Towit to the soules of those in limbus whom he freed out of captiuity and carried with him And to those whom he left behinde him on earth he gaue the promise of the Holy Ghost and performed that promise within a while sending him to comfort and
also he left one head to haue supreme authority vnder him in the gouernment of the Church which is his cheife kingdome conteining all the kingdomes of the world and therefor stoode much more neede of a head to gouerne and keepe vnity in it This as I haue shewed could be none but S. Peter whilst he liued for that Christ founded the Church on him gaue vnto him the keyes of heauen and made him the pastour of all his sheepe in such circumstances as are most euident for it Moreouer he is first named in the catalogue of the Apostles Mat 10. and said to be the first not for that he first followed Christ Amb. in Co. 2.12 for as S. Ambrose sayth Andrew first followed Christ before Peter and yet the primacy Andrew receiued not To him the Apostles had recourse as to their superiour he tooke vpon him cheifly to decide controuersys in General Councells to speake before the rest to worke miracles before the rest and was neuer murmured at by any of the Apostles as taking vpon him more then his due The auncient and holy fathers of the Church acknowledge as you haue seene his supreme authority And if all this be not sufficient let it suffize that it is the doctrine of the Catholike Church what vpstart teacher will beginne to contradict it or who will beleeue and follow him It was very necessary that Christ should ordaine one head and supreme power in the Church for the keeping of vnity and concord in it and that in all difficultys which should arize the Pastors of the Church might be called together by the cheife head the place of their meeting might be assigned by him and they be kept in vnity by obeying his authority S. Cyprian considered this as the onely meanes for the suppression of haeresys Cyp. defimplâ—â—t praeatorum siuâ— de vnit Eccles which the enemy of God laboreth soe much to raise and deliuereth it as the meanes instituted of Christ to keepe vnity in the Church The enemy saith this saint perceiuing his idols to be forsakâ—n and his temples to be deserted by the multitude of beleeuers inuented a new deceit to deceiue the vnwary by the name of a Christian raizing heresys and schismes to corrupt verity and to subuert faith This is ô brethren because we haue not recourse unto the origen nor seeke to the head Which if we would examine and consider there would neede noe long treatise nor many arguments to finde out the truth Our Lord said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. and againe after his resurrection Feede my sheepe Vpon him alone he buildeth the Church and commendeth to him the feeding of his sheepe And although he gaue equall authority to all the Apostles after his resurrection saying as my father sent mee All the Apostles equal in Apostle ship Yet Veteronely had the primacy Hiero. l. 1. aduers Iouin c. 14. soe I send you receiue the Holy Ghost whose sinnes c. Yet to manifest vnity be constituteth one chaire and by his authority he disposed the origen of that vnity to beginne from one The rest of the Apostles were that which Peter was The primacy was giuen to Peter that the Church of Christ might appeare to be one and one chaire S. Hierome Although all the Apostles in Apostleship were alike yet Christ for the better keeping of vnity and truth would haue one to be the head of them all that a head being once constituted occasion of schisme might be taken away By which we see how necessary it was in the opinion of these saints that one should be established as the supreme pastour and head of the Church and that although all the Apostles had the same power as bishops and had their authority immediatly from Christ himselfe and soe the Church was also founded vpon them that is vpon their necessary functions yet it was cheifly founded vpon S. Peter as the Primate and supreme pastour ouer all who had also from Christ himselfe the lawfull execution of that authority Now if one supreme head was constituted of Christ as necessary to keepe vnity and preuent schismes in the Church of God the gouernment of the Church required euer after that supreme power to remaine in successors to him and it was not to continue onely for thirty six or thirty seauen yeares as long as S. Peter liued there being afterwards as much if not more neede of it schismes and heresys being as likely to rize in the Church after the Apostles dayes when it was destitute of their presence as when it had their helpe and assistance and S. Cyprian as you see maketh this to be the origen of all schismes and heresys because they seeke not to the head And therefor as I shall shew in the next title it is a sufficient destinction to discerne all false Churches by that they beginne allwais in disobedience to the head of the Church and the Pastors of his Communion But hauing spoken of the head of the Church in the next place we will speake of Generall Councels Christ hauing chosen Apostles to gouerne the Church General Councells and amongst the Apostles one to be the head these then had the authority of the whole Church and all were bounde to obey them When therefor the general necessity of the Church requireth for the preuenting of schismes or heresys or the deciding of any controuersys that a Generall Councell should be called the head of the Church exercizeth his supreme authority summoning the Pastors together and appointing a place of meeting for them who consulting and resoluing vpon those questions their resolutions are to be imbraced by all as hauing authority from Christ himselfe who made him the lawfull head and them the lawfull Pastors of his Communion in place of S. Peter and the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost was sent for their assistance and whom Christ promised to be with vnto the consummation of the world Thus did S. Peter with some other pastors of the Church that could conueniently be present meete at Hierusalem and hauing ended their consultation they rehearsed their decrees and doubted not to call them the decrees of the Holy Ghost Act. 15. saying It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs. Such decrees as these are receiued by all as hauing indeede the authority voyce and consent of all true beleeuers that are in the world For euery true and faithfull christian giuing his voice as he ought to that assembly it hath the authority of the whole Catholike Church and of all the faithfull in the world Soe S. Athasius calleth the Councell of Nyce Ath. de gest Conc. Arim. an assembly of the whole world S. Leo calleth also the decrees of that Councell the deâ—rees of the whole world S. Augustine The sentence of a plenary Aug. l. de bâ—p cont Donat. l. 2. c. 4. or Generall Councell is the sentence of the whole
being reprehended by his superiour for it he tooke in such euill part his reprehension that he fell to say that the Saints were noe better then other men and when he was reprooued for his temeratious speech he fled to the scriptures demanding the contrary to be shewed by them and when the scriptures were produced against him he interpreted them after his owne sense and liking and when the interpretations of holy fathers were alleadged against him he scorned all saying that they were men and might erre Lastly the authority of the Church guided of God for the orderly gouernment of the world is obiected against him and when he saw that he must either sticke to the autority of God gouerning vs by the Church and deny his owne singularity or sticke to his owne singularity and deny allorder and gouernment of God he stucke like an haeretike to his owne singularity and rather then he would submitte vnto the Church he denyed God and fell to atheisme The end of this obtinate brute was at last to become madde and to dy roaring like a beast Now his last proposition was but consequence to the former for he that in matter of faith will beginne a nouelty by which he separateth himselfe from all religions and will obstinatly mainteine it against all Churches why may he not as well deny that there is a God seeing that he hath but his owne opinion for both The same experience we haue now a dayes of too many who by long continuance in heresy and disobedience to the true Church seeme to haue lost the very beleefe of God and all feare and feeling of him out of their harts and in this haeretical kingdome it is long since come to that that euery man in religion might in a manner hold what opinious he liked soe that he were not a Romane Catholike and as an enemy of the Catholike Church would but goe to their Churches A neighbour yet liuing not farre from this place mainteined publikly against the mystery of the blessed Trinity and the diuinity of our Sauiour and being many yeares since apprehended for it when he was brought to his tryall he was cleered and by publique authority set at liberty to teach his blasphemys as now he doth to all that will heare and learne them the Foreman of the sury who was a knight of the best ranke in this countrey of what religion I know not declaring as I haue heard that he would rather take the lines of twenty Papists then to haue the blood of one such man vpon him Tell one of our libertines that he is an atheist which a Romane Catholike presently would abhorre to heare most English Protestants make but a iest of it and many there are who seeme as though they would gladly be soe indeede that they might let goe the bridle to all liberty and follow their sensuality without restraint They seeing the wicked sometimes to prosper in their liues and in the end to dy life other men doe what they can to perswade themselues that there is neither heauen nor hell and to say in their harts that there is noe God This is now the plane case of many amongst vs and I could rehearse the prophane sayings of some of our great ones which I haue heard of to this purpose many yeares since but they are not worth the repeating He that will reade The Authour of the Protestant Religion l. 1. c. 4. may see more particularly how the doctrine of Protestants tendeth to atheisme and the vnworthy and atheisticall speeches of their authors and in The Suruey of the new Religion l. 8. almost all ouer but especially c. 3. he may see the same This is easy to be seene in all heresys that they beginning allwais in the contempt of the Church assume to themselues liberty of doctrine and that liberty of doctrine bringeth liberty of life now who doth not see the next and last consequence which liberty of life and doctrine runneth into It is therefor very necessary in these times to say somethinge for haeretiks in proofe of this first article of the Creede to preserue it as the hart roote and foundation of faith from their corruption and to let those libertines see their extreme folly that labour to beate out of their harts the feare of God But Catholiks who beleeue it as a point of the Catholike and Apostolike faith neede noe proofe of it because they haue it as they haue all other points of faith by the testimony of God manifesting himselfe to them who can not deceiue vs as we may doe our selues by our owne reason God is true Rom. 3. and euery man a lyer faith the Apostle and therefor we may mistrust ourselues but we can not mistrust God nor contradict the Church by which he speaketh to vs and gouerneth vs. If it be an irreuerence to stande in contradiction with a graue and reuerent person how much more must it be to contradict God were he not a madman that should oppose his physitian and denying that to be poyson which he affirmeth to be soe should take it and kill himselfe or if a man seeing a caldron full of melted led prepared by some workeman and were warned by him to take heed of it yet would not regard his words but because he saw not the fire vnder it nor any smoke in it should deny it to be hot and throw himselfe into it would not you thinke that he were worse then madde we ought to beleeue God the workman of the world and not like atheists who because they see not the fire of hell will not beleeue it but throw themselues into it and damne themselues And we must not onely beleeue in God and receiue for his authority all points of faith but we must also with our mouths Confesse our beleefe and defende it with our liues when neede requires Rom. 10. With the hart we beleeue vnto iustice but with the mouth Confession is made to saluation Saith the Apostle And the holy king saith I beleeued for which cause I spake And as S. Peter Psal 115. and S. Iohn answered to the high Priests and Princes of the Iewes we can not but speake the thinges which we haue seene and heard soe ought we in the like occasion to speake resolutly the thinges which we see Act. 4. and heare in the Catholike faith and say with S. Paul I am not ashamed of the ghospell And in all temptations both publike and priuate stande to our Creede Rom. 1.8 and professe I beleeue in God and the Catholike Church This I wish that all the world could truely say and I will bring all that I can to say soe and to beginne with the atheists of these times who in words say I beleeue in God but not in hart he shall see first that all the Angels and all nations of men giue testimony against him Secondly he shall see God and feele him by experience in himselfe Thirdly he
indeede Iesus but also because it was his propper name imposed not by chance but by the will and expresse commandde of his father the Angell forespeaking it to the blessed Virgin when he said Behold thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and sâ—alt beare a sonne Luc. 1. and thou shalt call his name Iesus He is called Christ to signify his dignity and speciall functions according to his humanity Christ. for Christ is as much as to say The Messias or Annointed and he was annoinsed in diuerse respects Priests and kings are annointed because they haue authority from God to represent his maiesty Prophets aunciently were annointed because they were the interpreters of God and dispensers of diuine mysterys as Priests and kings are also in their kind Christ had all these offices and according to his humane nature he was Prophet Priest and king after an eminent manner and therefor he was eminently and singularly annointed not by the hands of Prophets or Priests but spiritually by God himselfe Ps 44. Thou hast loued iustice and hast hated iniquity therefor God thy God hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes God annointed Christ and Prophets Priests and kings are annointed as lesser Christs that haue power vnder him Christ shewed himselfe a Prophet actually prophecying many thinges and in particular the most remarkeable passages of his owne death and resurrection As priest he offered the most holy Sacrifice of his body at the last supper and afterwards againe he offered the same sacrifice of his body vpon the Cros. He also shewed himselfe to be a king and to haue regall power that could bring kings to adore him and that he could haue brought other kings and all the kings of the world as well as them to his feete if it had pleased him Besides the Catholike Church is his kingdome he is the head and king of it allwais with it vnto the consummation of the world His onely Sonne our Lord. The Apostles in the former article hauing professed the Father who is the first Person of the Blessed Trinity now they professe the second Person in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God S. Iohn testifying that which is here professed saith Io. 1.4 We haue scene and doe testify that the Father hath sent the Sonne the Sauiour of the world And then presently he addeth whosoeuer shall confesse that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God God abideth in him and he in God This all good christians doe testify and confesse and for that end the Apostles made this article that we might allwais professe it We will see here CHRISTIANITY DEMONSTRATED THat which we beleeue and professe in this article was allwais beleeued by all true beleeuers euer from the beginning of the world All the quires of Angels in their first creation foresaw that the Sonne of God was to be incarnated in lesus Christour Lord and the good Angels willingly submitting to him and beleeuing in him were saued by his pretious blood But Lucifer and the wicked Angels could not endure to see the nature of man exalted to that high dignity aboue Angels that our nature should be assumed of God and not theirs which he could but would not assume noe where doth he take Angels saith S. Heb. 2. Paul but the seede of Abraham he taketh This was the sinne of Lucifer that ennuying and repining at the glory of humane nature in Iesus Christ he drew others into the same sinne with him and for aspiring to be aboue him in glory he was cast downe into the depth of the lake and lost that glory which he might and should haue had and which the good Angels haue by submitting to the diuine ordination in it This was beleeued by our first parents in paradise and euer since as I shall presently shew Christ was promised to them and after them to the following patriarks and after the Patriarks to Prophets they deliuered that faith to posterity vntill his comming he when he came deliuered it to the Apostles they to the Church the Church by a continuall succession of Pastors hath deliuered it vntill our times as it doth now to vs saying I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth and in Iesus Christ his onâ—ly Sonne our Lord. In this faith all miracles haue bene wrought that euer were wrought in testimony of faith This was confessed by heauen earth seas by liuing trees and sensible beasts and not onely by holy men but euen by the powers of hell all the creatures of God obeying Christ at his comming This the Apostles saw and were commanded by him to speake it and when they were forbidden by his enemys Act. 4. they answered we can not but speake the thinges which we haue seene and heard and would loose their liues rather then they would cease from publikely professing it S. Paul who saw not the miraculous life of Christ with his Disciples nor heard his preaching but was afterwards called and enlightened by him became notwithstanding soe assured of this verity and by true charity soe vnited vnto him that he thought it was vnpossible for any torments to separate him from him Rom. 8. â—ho then shall separate vs from the charity of Christ tribulation or distresse or famine or nakednesse or danger or persecution or the sword as it is written for we are killed for thy sake all the day we are esteemed as sheepe of slaughter But in all these thinges we onercome because of him that hath loued vs. For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalitys nor powers neither thinges present nor thinges to come neither might nor hight nor depth nor other creature shall be able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. S. Paul was rauished and enamoured with the beauty of Christs diuinity and was transformed as it were by loue into him confessing him to be the image of the visible Goâ— Colos 1. Heb. 1. The first borne of all creature by whom he made the worlds being the brightnes of his glory and the sigure of his substance Whom the Angels adore soe much more excellent then themselues as he hath inherited a more excellent name aboue them For to which of the Angels saith this holy Apostle did he say at any time Thou art my Sonne to day haue I begotten thee Colos 2. in whâ—m dwelleth all the fullnesse of the Godhead corporally All this did S. Paul say and professe of Christ It was then noe meruaile that with Gods grace he would defende him till death Thus did the Apostles professe of him and this profession they made good by many miracles which the enemys of christianity haue written of and confessed This the posterity of the Apostles haue allwais professed in former ages and haue stretched forth their hands and feete vpon racks and with cheerfull mindes haue yeelded their bodys into the hands of torturers
people not fearing the barbarousnesse of any but condemning all danger and labouring incessantly reiovced to suffer for him They mainteined the ghospell of Lesus Christ with such reasons force of spirit and miracles that being themselues vnlearned they confounded the learnedest of the world All were astonished at the hearing of them the fame of their preaching ringing in all places They confounded the Iewes silenced the oracles of the idols and with in a few yeares they filled the world with a numberlesse number of constant christians And this they did not by force of armes making of seditions or raising of partys to defende their cause or to increase their number but with humility and patience Thus did the faith of Christ beginne in the vertue and power of God and not as idolatry and Turcisme by the power and commande of the sword forcing of people to their obedience It beganne in litlenes pouerty humility and patience and increased as a grane of mustarde seede into a goodly tree hauing noe Princes or potentates of the earth to protect or to countenance it noe men of learning eloquence or humane pollicy to draw others vnto it but of such learning and eloquence as God infused into them God spoke in their mouths and with their hands and God soe speaking the prowde of the world came downe to their doctrine and became humble christians the rich of the world contemned riches the followers of vice beganne to loue vertue and a happy change was seene in the world by them They had to contest with Princes Iudges Priests Magistrates Philosophers artificers and all sorts of people who as their enemys mainteined their auncient rites and Priuileges against them Yet these poore and ignorant men kept still the christian faith on foote and maugre all the power which their enemys had the more they opposed it the more God increased it and the number of the faithfull was daily augmented that their enemys of all ranks and manner of callings in the end were contented to ioyne with them and to hazard their titles dignitys and profits and to forsake their owne wills and liues to obey Christ This was most miraculous euen as much as the miracles which they wrought and as planely testifyeth the power of God to haue brought these thinges to passe After the Apostles the same faith of Christ was still continued by others whom God raised as Apostles to succeede them and to whom he gaue the same spirit with sanctity of life and power of miracles to defende it And is at this day professed and defended by missions of Priests and religious men who goe as Apostles to preach the faith of Christ as I haue seene in Spaine euery yeare for the most part to be sent vnto the strange and rude people of the Indias for their conuersion and by soe many miracles make good that which they preach that it were a madnesse to question all those thinges which God hath wrought by them And euen here amongst vs vnworthy we see by continuall experiences the power which Christ promised to his Apostles of casting forth deuils Exorcismes to be practisedby christian Priests with good successe the powers of hell trēbling at the name of Christ are forced whether they will or noe to yeeld possession when they arecōmanded by it And to attribute this vnto art magicke by the cōmande of greater deuils ouer the lesse is that desperate refuge which the Iewes vsed against Christ himselfe Mat. 12. saying that in Beelzebub Prince of the deuils he did cast forth deuils and which was commonly obiected against the Apostles by their enemys and can not be true First for that the exorcismes of the Church are not done against the lesser deuils onely but with the greatest opposition hatred and despite that possible may be against the greatest and all the deuils of hell ouer whom there is none but God that hath supernaturall power Secondly the kingdome of the deuils is not soe diuided as that any of them should doe good or hinder euill except they be forced vnto it by the power of God yet by christian exorcists they are often forced to many thinges amongst Infidels to the destruction of infidelity and heresy and amongst christians of euill life to the hinderance and confusion of sinne which the deuills with all their power would mainteine Thirdly if we might attribute that which is done to the extirpation of infidelity heresy and confusion of sinne or for some good end to any other but the power of God we should neuer acknowledge nor could euer destinguish the power of God at any time to be exercized ouer the deuils although we saw them neuer soe much forced and neuer soe good effects to proceede of it but might attribute goodnes to the authour of euill And this was that manifest conuincing argument with which our Sauiour answered to the Pharisys when they made this very obiection against him If I in Beelzebub cast forth deuils Mat. 12. your children in whom doe they cast out We haue then for the comfort of christians christianity demonstrated by the holy scriptures of the old testament and the miracles of Christ and of the Apostles and of the continually succeeding and now being Church of Christ That which he taught and confirmed by miracles was that he was the Sonne of God the authour of life the promised Messias and Sauiour of the world This the Apostles preached after him and this we now preach in the Catholike Church Act. 4. and say with S. Peter neither is there any other name vnder heauen giuen to men where in we must be saued but in the euer blessed name of Iesus in him we blesse and honour God professing him in the Creede to be his onely Sonne our Lord. As the Sonne of God he is true God infinite in all perfections equall with the Father and the Holy Ghost and the very same in nature and essence with them according to which nature the Apostles in this article professe him our Lord. According to his humane nature he is also our Lord for that his humane nature being vnited to the diuine was exalted in dignity and made superiour vnto all creatures and had power aboue all men and Angels Mat. 28. All power saith he is giuen to mee in heauen and earth Christians that beleeue in Iesus Christ and carry in their name the name of him ought very much to honour themselues in it and to imitate him In baptisme they haue renounced the works of Satan to put on the armour and follow the warrfarre of Christians and then they receiued as also in the other Sacraments the souldiers garment of diuine grace their sinnes being forgiuen them by the merits of Christ Let vs then as his souldiers and seruants serue him and resist his enemys Let all the world open their eyes and harts to his diuine power and if they haue any feeling of God or desire to haue it and will consider the
to that bold persuasion of some who perswade themselues that saluation may be had in any religion or in either of some two religions or in any faith soe that they beleeue in Christ for they shall finde one day that disobedience to the true Church is a sinne which deserueth damnation S. Augustine againe in another place Epist. 104. Being out of the Church and diuided from the heape of vnity and the bond of charity thou shouldst be punished with eternal fire although thou shouldst be burned aliue for the name of Christ The Church is honored in the scriptures with many noble and glorious titles The titles of Church It is called the kingdome of God the house of God his spouse his faire one his onely one and the very body of Christ He gouerneth it as his kingdome he prouideth for it as his household and loueth it as his deere spouse and as his owne body pleasing and delighting himselfe in the soules of good Catholikes that serue him It is compared to the holy city of Hierusalem in which the true worship of God flourished and in which diuine sacrifice was duely offered It is compared to the arke of Noë out of which there was noe saluation but a general death and destruction Infidels that haue not the faith of Christ are out of the Church Haeretiks Schismatiks and excommunicated persons although they beleeue in Christ yet because they heare not the Church that is obey it not they are also our of it as heathens that participate not the benefits of it The Catholike Church hath two parts The triumphans and militant Church the one Triumphant the other Militant The Triumphant Church is the company of blessed soules in heauen who hauing gotten victory ouer their spirituall enemys in this life are now triumphing in euerlasting glory The Militant Church is the company of the faithfull vpon earth liuing as it were in a warrfare where we are allwais fighting with the enemys of our soules and by perseuering vnto the end in the seruice of God we shall be crowned like good and faithfull souldiers The Militant Church conteineth both good and euill liuers Mat. 3. and therefor it is compared to a field that beareth both good corne and cockle to a nette that gathereth together both good and euill fish The good are kept Mat. 13. but the bad are throwne away It is compared to tenne virgins fiue of which were wise and had prepared the light of good works against the comming of Christ to reward them Mat. 25. and therefor they were admitted into his heauenly nuptials but the other fiue came like fooles and although they had the faith of Christ and were christians yet wanting the oile of the loue of God and the light of good works they were excluded from his blessed ioyes By these and the like places we are giuen to vnderstande that it is not enough to haue the true faith and to be Catholikes if our liues be dissonant from our profession that we liue not like good Catholikes for there are many euill liuers in the Catholike Church who as bundles of cockle shall be throwne into the fire The Communion of Saints Communion of Saints S. Iohn Euangelist writing to the faithfull giueth them as the cause of his writing that you also may haue society with vs Io. 1.1 and our society may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ That is that you may keepe in the society and Communion of the Church and be partakers of those good works and meanes of saluation which are to be had in it For there in is the Catholike Church such a participation of good works that all Catholikes that are in the state of grace participate with one another in them and receiue benefit by the good works of others The reason is because the Catholike Church is as it were one body and all the members of it liue by the same spirit of the Holy Ghost and of Iesus Christ who keepe them in that holy vnion and Communion together And as all the members of the body concurre and helpe to the good of each other soe euery member of the Catholike Church helpeth to the good of the rest and receiueth good by the rest participating of their good works Ps 118. â—am partaker of all that seare thee Saith he holy psalme And in the Pâ—ter nester our Sauiour hath taught vs soe to pray that euery one should aske in the name of all saying giue vs forgiue vs c. Those who are guilty of mortall sinne as they haue noe reward of grace for any worke of their owne which is done in that state soe they loose the benefit which they should receiue by the good works of others For although they be members of the Catholike Church yet wanting the life of grace they are as dead and rotten members into which the rest haue noe spirituall influence The benefit which is reaped by the good works of others is participated by euery one in measure and proportion to the disposition which he hath for it and according to the intention of him that performeth the worke for as we are more or lesse in his intention soe doe we participate more or lesse benefit by the worke which he doth For this it is enough to say that our good works are offerings which we make to God and are therfor receiued and applyed by him according to the offerers intention By all which we may see what a happinesse it is to be in the Catholike Church Ps 83. and in the state of grace Blessed are they who dwell in thy house ô Lord. Now let vs speake OF THE AVTHORITY of the Church BY these words of the Creede it appeareth that the Catholike Church is of diuine authority for euery article of the Creede being of diuine authority and we being by this article bound to beleeue the Church it followeth that the Church hath diuine authority and that we are bounde to beleeue and to obey it as hauing the authority of God And therefor this article was most profitably and necessarily made by the Apostles as the ground and foundation of diuine faith and worship For although in the scriptures it be plane and by reason must needes be true that we are allwais to be gouerned by the authority of the Church yet this article being soe commonly and often professed it is agreat curbe to the rizing of new sects and haeresys all which beginne in the disobedience of some priuate men to the authority of the whole Church and it can not but be a horrour to their mindes and a greeuous wounde to their owne consciences to see how they contradict the common Creede of the Apostles And therefor S. Paul might well say that a man that is an haeretike is subuerted and sinneth Tit. 3. being condemned by his owne iudgment The authority of the Church is diuine in that it is declared also by the
secute from errour that at all times in all controuersys follow the sentence of the Church and adhaere to it And therfor the Apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost made this important article that we might neuer forgett our obedience to the Church but that in all doubts and difficultys we might haue recourse to it and say I beleeue the Catholike Church And that those who will stande against it may be knowne to be infringers of the law and Creede of the Apostles From hence is the beginning of all heresys that some priuate men will contradict the authority of the whole Church and obiecting against some particular point or points of faith they make themselues the iudges and determine as they will themselues They contende allwais about some particular point or points of faith and wrangle about them but if you aske them vpon what authority they contradict the Catholike Church and all the Churches in the world separating from them they are then out of their witts and know not what to say knowing that if they pretende the word of God the same question confoundeth them againe demanding vpon what authority they dare interprete the word of God against the Catholike Church and against all the Churches in the world besides that the word of God is against them commanding both in the Creede and scriptures to beleeue the Church If we will giue them satisfaction in those particular points and difficultys it is but of curtesy for we confesse that there are many points of faith which by our owne reason we cannot comprehende the most reasonable and best satisfaction is because the Catholike Church soe teacheth otherwise as I haue shewed we should neither haue Creede nor scriptures nor God Contende not then with haeretiks about particular points but aske them vpon what authority they dare question them what Church will they follow If they will fall from the Catholike Church to some company of haeretiks that beganne at some time against all Churches or if themselues will beginne such a company they are here condemned in this article The authority of the Church is the rule the guide the sure anker to which we must all wais hold It is a rocke which dasheth in peeces all temptations of faith and obiections of haeretiks and keepeth vs free from doubts and feares as in a quiet and safe harbour Let vs now speake OF THE GOVERNMENT of the Church THe Church in holy scriptures is compared to a well ordered citty such an one as Hierusalem was when the seruice of God slourished in it But the gouernment of the Church of Christ doth farre excell that For it is a gouernment which God hath taken a neerer charge of as hauing in his owne person instituted it first and engaged himselfe by promise allwais to protect and defende it and therfor he must at all times prouide such gouernors for it as shall carefully mainteine his diuine seruice in it Esa 62. Vpon thy walls Hierusalem I haue appointed watchmen all the night for euer they shall not hold their peace It is compared to the army of a campe set in array Cant. 6. glorious in it selfe and terrible to its enemys for the order which it hath The order and good gouernment of the Church consisteth in the dew subordination of subiects to their superiors As in our bodys seueral offices are giuen to seueral parts and all of them constituted vnder one head And as in a common wealth some beare offices and others without offices obey them and all are finally reduced vnto some head and supreme power and that supreme power subordinate lastly to God that impowred it soe in the gouernment of the Church some haue authority ouer others and one head is placed ouer all These are the pastors whom God hath appointed and disposed into that order Rom. 13. Those thinges that are of God are ordained Saith the Apostle that is to say they are with order and to be with order is to be not all alike but with subordination of inferiors to superiour powers and soe the order of the Church consisteth in people subordinate to their pastors and of pastors subordinate vnto one supreme head vpon earth And the head and pastors of the Church exercizing their power most fully in a General Councell it will be sufficient for the gouernment of the Church to speake of the head and of General Councels Christ chose out of all the world some to be his disciples Of the head of the Church out of his disciples he tooke some to be Apostles and out of his Apostles he chose one to be the head and to haue authority ouer his whole Church These vnderstanding by the disciples all those that were vnder the Apostles were then the whole Church of Christ S. Peter was chosen by him as the head and supreme pastour ouer all both pastors and people Him and his successors we call the vicars of Christ that is to say he that beareth vpon earth the person and place of Christ who is in heauen the cheife head of the Church Neither can it in reason offende any that we call S. Peter and his successors in that office the Vicars of Christ For if S. Paul might authorize what he did in punishing and pardoning of the Corinthian with the authority of Christ and could lawfully say that he did it in the name vertue Cor. 1.5 Cor. 2.2 and person of Christ he being but a subiect of the head pastour of the Church with much more reason the cheife pastour and head of the Church may be called the Vicat of Christ he performing and executing that office after a more eminent manner in the name vertue and person of Christ Christ first promised this authority when asking his disciples whom they thought him to be Peter answered Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Then â—esus answering said to him Mat. 16. Blessed art thou Simon 〈…〉 I say to thee thou art Peter that is to say a rocke and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gaâ—es of hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bounde also in the heauens and what soeuer thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the heauens By which it is most euident that some greater dignity and preeminonce was intended to Peter then to the rest of the Apostles First it was a most singular high mystery that which Christ asked and Peter then professed and which before then perhaps was neuer reuealed to any of the Apostles and which flesh and blood could not reueale that is by humane meanes could not be vnderstoode Moreouer Christ then blessed him and spoke vnto him after a most particular and energious manner of speech calling him a rocke which was not his name nor had ary relation to him more then to the rest of his
Apostles but in respect of some mystery to wit as he was to be the prime foundation of the Church amongst them Then the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were particularly promised to him hauing first called him a rocke and promised to build his Church vpon that rocke Which can not be vnderstoode of Christ for Christ spoke not then to himselfe but to Simon besides the Church was then all ready builded vpon Christ but here he speaketh for the future and promiseth that it should be builded vpon Simon whom he called Peter and said thou art a rocke and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and therefor he must not be vnderstoode then to say that he would build it vpon another rocke and not vpon that For although the Church were builded cheefly vpon Christ yet then he spoke of Simon and therefor it must be builded vpon him also to whom he then also said I will giue to thee By all which it is manifest to any that hath not the spirit of contradiction and wrangling about any thinge that Christ did not say here that he would build his Church vpon himselfe but vpon Simon whom therefor he called a rocke And vnto this all the holy fathers agree that he founded his Church vpon S. Peter although they grant also that which is true to wit that the Church was founded vpon Christ and also vpon Peters Confession as a meanes and preparation for the building of it upon his person That which Christ here promised he afterwards performed when before his Ascension he spoke to Peter and gaue vnto him the care of his flocke asking him first Io. 21. Simon of Iâ—hn louest thou mee more then these and Peter answered yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Then he bad him feede his lambes And againe he asked him Simon of Iohn louest thou mee and Peter answered againe Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Christ not contented with all this asked him againe the third time louest thou mee and Peter answering Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Then he badde him feede his sheepe Now what could all this signify that Christ should soe often aske of Peter if he loued him and if he loued him more then the rest and that Peter should againe and againe professe his loue to him and that he should haue the care of Christs lambes and sheepe but that as Peter had professed before the rest his faith in him when he promised the supreme authority to him soe he should professe his loue especially aboue the rest when he gaue him that authority And this authority being ouer the lambes and sheepe it is general ouer all the whole flocke great and litle pastors and people all being conteined in the denomination of lambes and sheepe Eusebius Emissenus Ser. de net Io. Enang he first committed his lambes and then his sheepe to him because he made him not onely a pastour but the pastour of pastors He is therefor the pastour of all for beside lambes and sheepe there is nothing in the Church And S. Bernard If thou louest mee Peter seede my sheepe What sheepe the people of this or that city Ber. l. 2. de consid ad Eugen. c. 8. countrey or kingdome to whom is it not plane that he assigned in particular none but all Tâ—ere is nothing excepted where noe destinction is made S. Gregory It is plane to all those that reade the ghâ—spell that from our Lords mouth the charge of the whole Church was deliuered to Peter Prince of the Apostles Greg l. 4. Ep. 76. It is indeede soe plane in the ghospell that for all the senses which most places of the scriptures admitte and in which the holy fathers haue diuersely vnderstoode them yet as Maldonat hath obserued vpon this place of S Iohn 21. there was neuer any father either of the Latine or Greeke Church that vnderstoode this place contrary to that sense yet Luther and Caluin are soe bold as not onely to question it but also to contradict it and to stande in this contradiction against them all and against the whole Church S. Denis calleth S. Peter the supreme glory and most auncient tuteur and safeguard of dinines De din. nem c 3. And hauing bene present when he and S. Paul were martyred at Rome he writeth to Timothee who was his fellow disciple to S. Paul the manner how they saluted one another before martyrdome ad Tim. When saith he the two pillars of the world were separated Paul said to Peter Peace be with thee foundation of Churches shepheard of the ewes and lambes of Christ Peter said to Paul Goe in peace preacher of the good mediatour and captaine of the health of the iust Thus did S. Paul salute S. Peter with that which was his prime and propper title of the shepheard of Christs flocke The holy fathers also speake in such termes of S. Peter and giue him such titles as planely expresse an eminency of power and authority ouer the rest of the Apostles Hyp. deconsamma mundâ— Tert. prascrip c. 22. Cyp. ep 40. aliâ—s lib. 1. ep â— Pet. Alex ser de poenit Amb. in c. 2. ad Gal. Opt l 2. cont Donat. Cyr. Catech. 2. 1. 17. Greg N.Z. or 7 â—piph haer 51. Chrysosâ—ora 5. in Iudaos Damesus ep 2. Hiero. in psal 13. Hyppolitus Peter the Prince of the Apostles Tertul. The Rocke of the Church Cyprian One God one Christ one Church one chaire founded vpon Peter by our Lords voice Pet. Alex. Peter the Prince of tâ—e Apostles S. Ambrose To Peter alone the grace of the primateship amongst the Apostles was giuen S. Optatus In the citty of Rome the Episcâ—pal chaire was first giuen to Peter in which Peter the head of all the Apostles satte S. Cyril Hieros calleth him the Prince of the Apostles S. Greg. Naz. The safety of the Church S. Epiphan The captaine of the disciples S. Chrysos The Prince of the Apostles S. Damasus The onely Prince of the Apostles S. Hierome Peter the head of the Church S. August Who knoweth not most blessed Peter to be the Prince of the Apostles The primacy amongst the Apostles by speciall grace is praeeminent in Peter S. Leo Peter alone is chosen of all the world to be set ouer the vocation of all nations Aug. tract 56. in lo. l. 2. dâ— bap cont Donat. c. 1. Lee ser 3. de anniuers Assumpt and all the Apostles and all the fathers of the Church Neither doth the supremacy of Christ ouer the Church hinder the supremacy of S Peter in spiritual affaires any more then his supremacy in temporal power hindereth the supreme authority of temporal Princes in temporal affaires Christ of himselfe was the head of all authority both spiritual and temporall but after his ascension into heauen he being visibly absent from vs as he left kings with supreme authority in the temporal gouernment of their kingdomes soe
Church And speaking of the validity of baptisme done by haeretiks which validity S. Cyprian and some others of that time denyed he hath these words Neither durst we affirme any such thinge to wit as that the baptisme of haeretiks is valid were we not well grounded vpon the most vniforme authority of the whole Church vnto which vndoubtedly S. Cyprian would haue yeelded if in his time the truth of this question had bene cleered and by a General Councell established Greg in registro l. 1. c. 24. S. Gregory that he esteemed of the foure Generall Councells of Nyce Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon as of the foure ghospels of Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Blessed Theodosius before S. Gregorys time went vp into the pulpit as Metaphrastes declareth in his life and pronounced publikly Let him be accursed that esteemeth not the foure holy Councels equal with the foure ghospells An edict was setforth by the Emperour Valentinian and Martian his collegue in which the decrees of the Councel of Chalcedon are commanded to be obserued in these words Let now all prophane strife be laid aside for verily he is impious and sacrilegious that after the sentences of soe many Priests shall thinke that there remaineth any thinge by his opinion to be handled Another decree is extant of the Emperour Martian to the people of Constantinople in which he sayth We haue forbidden all to dispute of religion for one or two can not finde out those secrets especially when soe many venerable Priests with extreme labour and much prayer could not discouer the truth but by the diuine authority It is indeede a most vaine thinge to dispute of the truth of those thinges which a Generall Councell hath declared to be true because all such thinges haue bene already sufficiently disputed by the best authority of the world That therefor which by a General Councell is established as of faith remaineth allwais firme and certaine in its truth for God is not changed nor can his words euer be but true and the words of a General Councell are the words of God Christ and the Holy Ghost teaching them all truth Mat. 28. Io. 14 16. That which by some former Councell hath bene but obuiously and sleightly handled as being then out of question may be more illustrated by a following Councell and such orders and constitutions as are agreeable to some times may be repealed as not conuenient for other times and soe S. Augustine saith that the former are sometimes amended by the following but noe General Councell signed vnto by the head and Pastors of the Church can euer be declared for false nor any thinge which is declared by such a Councell Some conuenticles of haeretiks as that of the Arians at Ariminum and of Nestorians at Ephesus haue bene declared for false because they were not general of the whole world nor called and ratifyed by the bishop of Rome as all General Councels vsed and ought to be But those which were true Councels and were truely authorized by him were neuer questioned afterwards nor any thinge in them But although a General Councell includeth the authority of the whole Church yet it is not necessary that euery member of the Church be present at it it is sufficient that the voice and assent of euery member of the Church be with the Pastors of the Church for as it is not required that euery member of a kingdome be personally present at the Councell table of the king but onely the king and Peeres of the realme who haue authority ouer all and as the superiors onely and magistrates of the Commune Wealth which are present in consultation make lawes for the good of all and all are bounde to obey them as the lawes of that nation and commune wealth which they defende with their liues and are guilty of death if they breake them because they proceede from the general and lawfull authority soe the head of the Church and pastors that are in Communion with him being placed by Christ and the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church haue lawfull authority to determine for all and all are bounde to obey their decrees for that they are the decrees of all and that assembly is the whole Church in authority Thus an assembly of the cheife of the â—raëlits is called in holy scripture all Israël Reg. 3. â— and as I haue shewed the holy fathers haue called General Councels assemblys of the whole Church and of the whole world Neither is it necessary that all the bishops of the Church be personally present at them For that is morally impossible and very inconuenient some being necessary to remaine for the performing of Episcopal functions All the Apostles were not present with S. Peter at the Councell of Hierusalem but onely those which could be spared from their places which all at once can not be General Councels consist onely of bishops Neither can Councels enely of bishops or euer did any other but bishops take place by their owne authority in them And therfor S. Leo in his Epistles and S. Augustin commonly call them Councels of bishops In the acts of the Councell of Chalcedon these words are some times repeated Synodus Episcoporum est non Clericorum Superfluos mitte foras The Councell is of bishops not of Clerks Those that are supersluous let them be put forth The Abbot Auxentius being inuited to the Councell answered It is not for Monks to teach others but to be taught This is due onely to the dignity of bishops As for temporal Princes as such they neuer had any spiritual iurisdiction in the Church of Christ for that was giuen to Peter and the Apostles The Emperour Theodosius writing to the Councell of Ephesus sayeth It is not lawfull for mee that am noe bishop to intermedle in Ecclesiastical affaires The Emperour Valentinian being sollicited by some bishops to cause a Councell to be called for the deciding of certaine questions then in controuersy answered It is not for mee that am but in the ranke of the people to medle with those thinges Let the Priests to whom they belong agree among themselues to meete where they like These Emperours spoke like wise men and good Christians Cor. 1.7 Euery one in the vocation that he was called in it â—et him abide saith the Apostle Bishops are called to gouerne in spiritual temporal Princes in temporal thinges and they must not goe forth of their propper callings Bishops made not themselues bishops God gaue that authority to them and whosoeuer haue it must haue it of God I will giue Pastors saith God by his Prophet and they shall feede you with knowledge and doctrine Hier. 3. And S. Heb 5. Par. 2.26 Paul speaking of priesthood sayth neither doth any man take the honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron Ozias king of Iuda resisting the Priests and comming boldly to the altare to vsurpe without calling their authority and office
against the deuils power Sixtly the corporal life of man as he is ordained to the society of other men requireth a superiour authority to be in some for the gouerning of others and soe an orderly gouernment is necessary for vs in the Church of God and for this we haue the Sacrament of orders in which power is giuen to some in spiritual things Seauenthly for the continuance and conseruation of humane nature a continuall succession and propagation of mankind is necessary in the world and for this the spiritual life of man requireth that it be done by a Sacrament for the orderly propagation of men and the increase of soules to the worship of God This is by the Sacrament of Matrimony which as it is a duety of nature is onely for corporal generation but as it is a Sacrament it giueth grace for the increase of soules in the diuine worship The number of the Sacraments shall appeare furthermore out of the scriptures in that which I haue to say of euery Sacrament in particular The same is declared by diuerse Councels And although the fathers haue had noe occasion in their writings to name them alltogether yet they haue made mention of them all as occasion serued Neither is it necessary that we should assigne the time when euery Sacrament in particular was instituted of Christ We know the times of the institution of some of them and we know that for forcy dayes betwixt his resurrection and his Ascension he frequently appeared vnto his Apostles and taught them many things which they were to obserue in the Church which are not mentioned in the scriptures and we know that the Sacraments of the Church must be of Christs teaching and ordaining We haue for the number of the Sacraments the same authority that we haue for any of the scriptures to wit the authority of the Church which although it declare not the time when the scriptures were written yet it assureth vs of all their verity and soe it doth of the number of the Sacraments ad Casulan S. Augustine giueth vs this rule that for those thinges which are generally receiued by the Church if their beginnings be not knowne they are to be taken for Apostolical traditions but such is the number of seauen Sacraments therefor they are of Apostolical tradition Thus much of the Sacraments in general let vs now come to their particular declarations OF BAPTISME OF THE NECESSITY OF baptisme BAptisme is commonly called the doore of the Sacraments because it is the entrance to the rest necessary to be had before them For vntill we be christened we are not christians and vntill we be made christians we can not receiue the Sacraments of the people of Christ Baptisme is our first spiritual generation and before generation we haue noe operation because we are not soe before baptisme we haue noe spiritual being in grace and therefor it is to be supposed before the rest of the Sacraments be receiued the words of S. Iohn being then verifyed he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God Io. 1. For as we are borne the children of Adam and of wrath in our corporal births soe in baptisme we are borne the sonnes of God by grace through the merits of Iesus Christ As necessary then as generation is to the corporal being of all men soe necessary is baptisme to the being of all soules in the diuine grace and fauour and as necessary as birth is to the perfection of man in this world soe necessary is baptisme to come to the perfect state of glory Vnles a man be borne againe of water and the spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God Iâ— 3. By which words it appeareth that Baptisme is a Sacrament that is to say an outward rite or signe that causeth grace in vs. Baptisme a Sacrament We haue a rite and outward signe in the water and we haue the effect of grace in that the kingdome of heauen is obtained by it Heretiks that would confounde all things in the Church of God haue gone about to take away our christendome from vs affirming quite contrary to the words of Christ that a man not borne of water may enter into the kindome of heauen pretending that children are sanctifyed by their parents faith and therefor will not baptize them But this as I haue said is directly contrary to the words alleadged and in it selfe most absurde in that it maketh the kingdome of heauen to come to children not by grace but by inheritance from faithfull parents and supernaturall glory to be obtained by natural and corporal meanes Children are not absolutly holy in that they come of holy parents good parents are indeede a meanes to thee sanctification of their children by procuring for them that which God hath ordained for their sanctification but the goodnes of the parent can not merit grace for the child nor sanctify him This must be done by applying the merits of Christs passion to children in some Sacrament And soe the children of the Iewes in the law of Moyses were saued by the faith of their parents in this sense that they hauing the true faith applyed vnto their children those meanes of sanctification which God then ordained for them but neither in the law of Moyses nor of nature were children euer sanctifyed by onely being borne of good parents but somethinge was allwais done to them as Circumcision or some other outward signe for their sanctification which although it were farre inferiour to our baptisme yet it was necessarily required there being noe proportion betwixt kinred in blood and the diuine grace and glory S. Augustin Doe not beleeue Aug. l. 3. de anima eâ—â—s origineâ— 9. doe not say that children before baptisme can haue their original sinne forgiuen them if thou wilt be a Catholike OF THE EFFECT OF BAPTISME THE propper and particular effect of Baptisme is to make him that receiueth it to become a member of the body of Christ as being admitted into his Church by it and to dispose and prepare him for the rest of the Sacraments after it The general effect of Baptisme which it hath commune with all the Sacraments is to giue grace to the sanctification of soules and this it doth after soe full and plentifull a manner that it remitteth all sinne whatsoeuer original and actual great and litle and forgiueth all punishment due to it in the next world Rom. 6. We are buried saith the Apostle together with him by Baptisme vnto death That is to the death and destruction of sinne and of all punishment after it We haue a figure of this in Naaman the leptose Prince of Syria who washing himselfe in the waters of Iordan Reg. 4 5. as the Prophet had praescribed to him he came forth soe cleane and perfectly cured that the Holy Ghost saith his flesh was restored as the flesh of a litle child Ezechiel prophecyed of this saying I will powre out
God because God sheweth himselfe there in glory as a King reigning in the mindes and hearts of his Saints who are in perfect loue and subiection to him And supposing here that which we prayed for before to wit that it be for the honour of God we may be vnderstoode to pray that our soules may be freed out of the prison of our bodys Phil. 1. and come soone to that happy state as the Apostle desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ The Kingdome of Heauen is the first thing Mat. 6. which we ought to aske for our selues Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the iustice of him and all these things shall be giuen you besides Christ said this to his disciples after that he had delinered the Pater noster to them in which he taught them first to aske the honour of God and then those things which were good for themselues and amongst all those things in the first place the kingdom of heaven Tract 102. This is saith saint Augustin that full and perfect ioy which we ought to pray for and which oll our prayers ought to aime at as the only true ioy Here the Romane Catechisme admonisheth Pastors to excite their people to the loue of that Kingdome by the sentences of holy Scriptures which are indeede frequent enough for it But in order to this it ought to be sufficient that Christ hath said in few words Aske and you shall receiue that your ioy may be full For what ioy should we desire but that which is full ioy and fullnesse of ioy is not to be had but in heauen Euery thing aspireth to that in which its cheife and full ioy consisteth Sensible things to that which pleaseth the senses liuing things to the conseruation of life and those things which haue onely being and noe life delight in that which is according to their nature and seeke to it because there is the fulnes of their ioy And shall the soule of man which is reasonable aboue all these things forsake that which is its cheife and full ioy All corporall things tende with violence thither where their cheife ioyes are and rest not contented vntill they enioy them The Sunne Moone and Planets reioyce in their courses the Starres in their stations and keepe themselues in them because there is the fullnes of their ioy The creatures of the earth are some aboue the earth some within it and some part within and part without it as trees and herbes and will not liue otherwise because there is the summe of their delight The fishes of the Seas and fresh waters seeke allways to be there and striue by violence to that place Light thinigs tende vpwards and heauy things to the centre of the earth because there they haue the fulnesses of their ioy The fulnesses of our ioy is noe where but in Heauen and why doe not we then seeke to it and abhorre all that hindereth vs of it We liue in this world as it is were out of our element in a place most lothsome to our soules a deadly prison condemned to dy continually and in danger of eternall death Rom. 7. What ioy can we take in this condition Vnhappy that I am saith the Apostle who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death The Kingdome of God is diuersely vnderstoode First it is general ouer all the world as he gouerneth and prouideth for his subiects which are the multitude of all creatures Secondly it is more particularly ouer the Catholike Church as the people of a Kingdome gathered together to worship him as their true King Thirdly more particularly yet his Kingdome is with the iust in whose harts he reigneth by grace of whom Christ the Kingdome of God is with you Luc. 17. Lastly his Kingdome is most especially ouer the blessed to whom at the day of iudgement he shall say Mat. 25. Come the blessed of my Father possesse you the Kingdome prepared for you Here we aske that we and all people may soe liue in the Communion of the Catholike Church by Faith and good works that in the end we may obtaine the glory of Heauen For this Kingdome is not otherwise obtained but by such faith as S. Gal. 5. Paul requireth which worketh by charity as by those who haue giuen meate drinke and cloths for Gods sake and they shall be excluded that come with the profession onely of Catholiks saying Mat. 7. Lord Lord open vnto vs but bring not with them the light of good workes Not euery one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but he that doth the will of my Father of which point Saint Augustine wrote a booke de fide operibus in which he sheweth that the Epistles of S. Paul were misconstrued by some of those times as though he required not good works after baptisme cap. 14. but that faith alone did iustify And therefore saith he the other Epistles of Peter Iames and Iude were written to auouch vehemently that fait without good works profiteth nothing THE THIRD PETITION THY will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Man hath not a greater enemy then his owne will when it is not gouerned by the will of God All good things which we haue come by the goodnesse of the diuine will and all euills that befall vs come through the malice of our owne wills The ignorance of our vnderstandings neuer hurteth our soules but when it is voluntary and all our sinnes proceede from thence that either we will not doe what we know is to be done or will not know what we are to doe Esa 5. Hence is that curse of the Prophet Woe vnty you that call euill good and good euill putting darknesses light and light darknesse putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter This curse commeth by the euill of our wills because we will follow our owne blindnes and not the will of God which ought to be our rule and guide in all things The malice of men beganne presently to be much vpon earth and the cogitations of their hart were soe bent vpon vpon euill that a deluge of waters was sent to destroy them This euill was in their harts that is to say in their wills because they followed not the will of God which is sweet and lightsome but their owne wills which are darke and bitter in effect and so haue all the euils of the world come Therefore we are topray and to labour with ourselues for conformity with the will of God Besides we not knowing what is best for vs aske that some times which is hurtfull as sicke folkes in a feauer desire that which hurteth them and as children who would take poison for treacle if they had there owne wills and therefore sicke folkes and children haue keepers whose wills they must follow and be directed by We are as children in our wills and vnderstandings both deficient by sinne God is our
are acknowledged for holy men and Saints euen by Protestant authors These great seruants of God were most singularly deuoted to his blessed Mother many wayes Some of them instituted particular deuotions to her and inuiting all to those deuotions haue spared noe labour to increase her honour and the number of her seruants But this needes not for that I haue shewed it to haue bene the deuotion of the Catholike Church in those times in which her enemys confesse and must needes confesse the true faith of Christ to haue flourished if euer it flourished That which the Catholike Church still laboureth for is to preserue in her people the same deuotion which was then giuen to her And therefor she consecrateth Churches erecteth altares instituteth holy dayes and omitteth nothing to setforth her worthy prayses and the power of her intercession which afterwards I shall shew The English Protestant Church is not yet soe auncient but that I haue knowne diuerse who haue remembred the like deuotion to haue bene in this kingdome to her when the Catholike religion flourished in it English men were then blessedly and singularly aboue other nations deuoted to her reioycing in her patronage and ioyfull solemnitys But now that ioy is turned into hatred and contempt and her cheife solemnitys are blotted out and prophaned by them and yet absurdly and without consequence they will seeme to honour the Saints commaÌ„ding their holydayes to be kept Is it not an absurde and malicious proceeding in them to her to commande the holydayes of the Saints and Angels as lawfull and fitting and to take away the cheife holy dayes of our B. Lady yet this the English protestant Church hath done as may be seene in their commune prayer booke where the Feasts of the Apostles and of other Saints and of the Angels are commanded by their Church and not the Natiuity and Assumption of our B. Lady which were allwais held her cheife solemnitys As for her Annunciation and Purification they may obserue them in honour of the Conception and Presentation of Christ and cunningly seeme as though they would honour her but this cunning is worth nothing to those that vnderstande her Natiuity and Assumption to be her cheife and most propper feasts and soe auncient that S. Hierome and S. Augustine haue left sermons which they made of them and which they taking away keepe noe day at all as propper to her It is the nature of malice to hate all that which is worthy of loue and of enuious persons to hate that which their enemys loue though neuer soe good This is the very true cause why the beginners of this English religion would take away her two cheife holydayes They see the Catholike Church to aduance her honour and to be 〈◊〉 â—ularly deuoted to her and therefor of malice and enuy to the Church they labour what they can to pull downe her honour and to disgrace her What iniury had the most blessed of women and their particular patronesse done to them in what had she deserued this at their hands but that they would oppose the Catholike Church S. Hierome speaking of the feast of the Assumption saith If we be commanded to honour God in his Saints how much more in this solemnity Ep. ad Paul Eustoch to 9. I would all Englishmen had knowne these words and remembred them when the beginners of their new religion tooke away that festiuall day they would not perhaps haue permitted this disgrace to haue bene put vpon their patronesse in whom their nation had soe long bene honored as to let them take away her Assumption which according to S. Hierome and to reason is much more to be honored then the Assumptions of other Saints which they keepe But let vs goe on in honoring of her We will now gather together out of the sentences of the holy fathers alleadged a posy as it were of our B. Ladys prayses taking onely the summe of them in breife First for her sanctity they affirme her to haue excelled all creatures there being nothing in heauen and earth to compare with her all but God inferiour to her As for sinne it is certaine that she neuer committed the least Venial sinne in soe much that S. Augustine will haue noe mention of sinne to be made in her Aug. l. de nat gra c. 8. Sess 6. c. 23. and the Councell of Trent doth sufficiently declare it She had the grace of all vertues faith hope charit 〈◊〉 humility patience chastity meeknes fortitude c. in an eminent degree aboue all She was a perpetual Virgin Con. Ephes Chalced. Syn. 6. c. 2. Mariae Virginitas ante partum in partu post partum intemerabilis Marys Virginity before her child bearing in her child bearing and after her child bearing vnuiolated She did not onely obserue perpetual Virginity but she obserued it by vow According to S. Augustin l. 4. de Sancta Virginitate and S. Gregory Naz. orat in Sanctam Natiuitatem and it is inferred out of her answere to the Angell when she said how shall this be done because I know not man Luc. 2. That is to say I can not lawfully know man as the hebrew children said to Nabuchodonosor we worship not thy Gods that is we must not and cannot lawfully worship them Dan. 3. But the B. Virgin might lawfully haue knowne man if she had not made a vow to the contrary Neither is there otherwise any congruity in her answere Dr Kellison is of opinion that she was the first that euer vowed perpetual Virginity In 3. part for saith he although Chastity were held in great esteeme both amongst the Iewes and Gentils before the comming of Christ yet they vowed it not for euer but onely for a certaine time S. Ambrose confirmeth it when he calleth her the standart bearer of virginity Amb. to 2. de inst Virg. c. 5. Bed in Luc. 1. as going before all in the perpetuall vow of it But S. Bede saith more planely that she was the first that emancipated herselfe to that vertue which must be vnderstoode by perpetual vow for there were diuerse before her that vowed it for a time Soe that we may number this amongst our B. Ladys prayses that she was the first foundres of the perpetual vow of Virginity and soe she is the particular patronesse of Priests and religious persons that follow her in that vow She had more ouer a gift of God to make those to be Virgins that conuersed with her and soe saith S. Hierome that she made S. Ioseph to be a Virgin and S. Ambros that she made S. Iohn Baptist to be a virgin by her virginal conuersation that as it is written of the Cedar tree and of the flowers of vines Amb. de Instit virg c. 7. that they driue away all venemous beasts from about them so the blessed Virgin had the vertue to expell all vnchast desires and carnall inclinations from those that came about
they are as due to them as wages are to workemen And we may speake by experience to them that know not the truth that our labour is without comparison greater then the labour of day tale workmen I haue no more to say of the Praecepts of the Church You haue seene first the authority of the Church to be diuine and her Praecepts to oblige vnder amortall sin Secondly you haue in particular the declaration of them Let vs keep them with deuotion and zeale of the honour of the Church that coÌ„mandeth them She is the immaculate spouse and glorious Bride of God She is our mother and neuer was there any mother so disirous of her childreÌ„s good nor so efficaciously procuring their true prefermeÌ„t as the Catholik Church doth ours The mother of the Zebedoes was sollicitous for her sonnes with Christ asking to haue them neere him in his Kingdome but she knew not what she asked The Catholike Church asketh nothing for her children but that which God will haue her to aske and which he inspireth her how to procure and which they if they will obey her are sure to obtaine and that is the highest honour and greatest felicity of all honours and felicitys to be made indeede the courtiers and fauorits of Christ in his euerlasting Kingdome Let vs then obey her Eccli 3. As he that gathereth treasure soe he that honoreth his mother And then a little after he is cursed of God that doth exasperate his mother How much then ought we to honour the whole Catholike Church and with what reuerence to receiue her Precepts THE TVVELFTH DISCOVRSE OF SINNE I Haue now a most hidous and fearefull monster to set before your eyes I meane to describe vnto you the euill of sinne which is indeede the most hideous monster of the world so deformed that neither men nor Angels can comprehende the deformity of it none but God can rightly vnderstande it and he vnderstanding it is moued with infinite detestation and auersion from it as from that which is most opposite of all things to his goodnesse and most hurtfull to his creatures I would stire vp in your hearts a vehement abhorring and vtter renouncing of sinne This is all the fruite saith the Prophet that sinne be taken away Esa 27. and this is all the fruit which I desire and labour for in you and which you ought to labour for in your selues to haue your sinnes taken away fot this we preach catechise and exhort that we may detest all sinne and fly it as the most dreadfull monster in the world We may conceiue somethinge of the power and malice of sinne by the vision which Saint Iohn had in the twelfth of the Apocalipse Apoc. 12. First he saw a very glorious woman soe glorious that she was clothed with the Sunne and had the Moone vnder her feete and vpon her head a crowne of twelue starres Then there appeared another signe in the Heauens a great dragon with seauen heads and tenne hornes and seauen diademes on his head And this dragon was soe strong and powerfull that he drew downe from Heauen the third part of the starres and cast them to the earth and assalting the glorious woman for all her glory he put her to flight and although she had giuen her the wings of an Eagle to fly into the desert yet the dragon sending forth of his mouth a flood of waters ouertooke her with them and had swallowed her vp if she had not gotten helpe By this dragon we may vnderstande something of the power and malice of sinne Sinne is the enemy of all glory it ascended into the Heauens and threw downe from thence the celestiall Angels and made them who were as the starres of Heauen in naturall beauty to wander now vpon the earth and vnder it full of shame and paine The Church farre more glorious in the sanctity of soules then the Sunne is in corporall brightnesse and which may well be signifyed by the glorious woman iâ— sometimes so persecuted by the sinnes of Infidels and euill Catholiks that although the true worship of God be neuer quite banished out of the world yet in some places it is so obscured that the Church in those places is driuen into corners as it were into the desert Sinne is that monster which brought the flood of all humane miserys and a reall flood of waters vpon the Church in the deluge and had quite swallowed her vp if God had not miraculously saued her Sinne hath brought plagues vpon houses citys and Kingdomes and taged in the end so violently destroying of soules that the Sonne of God was incarnated to destroy it It made the Sunne to be eclipsed with a horrible darkenesse the roofe of the Temple of Hierusalem and the rocks there abouts to be rent in peeces the ground to tremble graues to open and dead bodys to rise againe at the destruction of it It made our Saviour to weepe vpon Hierusalem and it made HierusaleÌ„ within a while to be as a stinking graue that swelled vp to an incredible hight with the multitude of dead carcases which were in it It made thousands of that people to languish away with famine and hundreds of thousands to come into their enemys hands and to become subiect to their slauery and torments Sinne hath brought haeresys into the Church of Christ and by them cruell blood â—hed amongst ChristiaÌ„s It is the cause of all dissentions and all the euills that euer were were caused by sinne It maketh the prowde to be contemned the enuious to be enuyed the contentious to be killed the couetous to be full of perplexity the luxurious to dispaire and all sinners to detest that in the end which once they loved and to be full of horrour when they come to dy Wise and holy men haue liued hard and austere liues to keepe themselues cleare from sinne and haue chosen to submitte themselues rather to the cruellest deaths that sinners could devise to inflict then to be sinners with them These are the effects of sinne what monster could euer doe the like if those tall and strong men that terrifyed the Israelites were called monsters for their extraordinary strength and tallnesse why may not we call sinne a monster which hath such power Num. 13. and if excesse or defects or disorders of members make monsters How monstruous is sinne that is the originall cause of all the excesses defects and disorders that euer were it peruerteth the order of all our actions it corrupteth our nature and euen as poyson put into wine intoxicateth it quite and changeth it all into poyson so sinne corrupteth all that is good in our soules and all our good workes being poysoned with one mortall sinne goe downe with it into hell What reason then haue we to abhorre and to fly from sinne If we looked behinde vs and saw a Lyon Beere or terrible Serpent pursueing vs at our heeles our harts would faint presently our whole bodys would
is Catholike 178. It is One 180. The honorable titles of the Church 181. The Church Triumphant and Militant 181. The gouernment of the Church 195. S. Peter was the head of the Church by the institution of Christ 196. c. The true Catholike Church is destinguished from all false Churches 214. The beginning of all false Churches 215.235 The Church proposeth pious obiects to our mindes to moue vs to pious considerations 564. The Church must decide all controuersys in religion 184.641.711 Commandements The ten Commandements oblige by the Law of nature 379. God the authour of the ten Commandements 381. Priests must see that the Commandements be kept 379. The Commandements possible to be kept 383. How the Commandements are to be diuided 387 Communion of Saints 182. Of deuout Communion 308. Vnder one kind 316. Communion at Easter time 664 Concupiscence 441. Degrees of Concupiscence 442. Confession 253.322 662. of intire confessions 337. Cleerenes in confession 344. Confession once a yeare and in diuerse circumstances is of obligation 662. The benefits of confession 663 Confirmation 296. The ceremonys of Confirmation 297. The effect of Confirmation 297 Conscience Sinnes against Conscience 674. Remorse and terrour of Conscience 695. Examine of Conscience 329. c. Continuance in sinne 359. 696 Contrition 329 Couetousnes 443. Remedys against Couetousnes 445. Councells Generall Councells 205. Generall Councells consist of bishops 209 Counsaile Good to aske Counsaile 674 Creede The authority of the Apostles Creede 76 Cros. The signe of the Cros. 49. How the signe of the Cros is to be made 4â— What is signifyed in the signe of the Cros. 51. The Cros is to be honored and worshipped by Christians 60. The power and vertue of the Cros. 63 Crownes shauen 368 Curiosity in points of faith is dangerous and groundlesse 10.16.17.18 c. Customes of the Church 64â— D DEtraction 434. Remedys against Detraction 439 Deuill The deuill is bounde in the Law of Christ 498 Distractions in prayer 473.506 Doctrine Obligation to learne the christian Doctrine 7 Duell 417 E. EAst Altares towards the East 603 Education of children 1 Ember dayes 654 Eucharist 298. 664. The Eucharist excelleth all the Sacraments 299. What is conteined in the Eucharist â—00 c The Eucharist a Sacrament 305. The effects of the Eucharist 321 Examine of conscience 329 Exorcismes 139.293.364.534 Extreme-Vnction 360. Extreme-Vnction a Sacrament 361. The effect of Extreme-Vnction 361. F FAith is supernaturall and therefor not to be sought into by naturall reason 12.13 c. 19. Faith accordeth with reason 21. Faith is allwais with obedience to the Church 25. How the true faith in the obedience to the true Church is to be prayed for 34. c. Faith alone iustifyeth not 482 Fasting commended in the Scriptures 646. Fasting includeth two things 657. Fasting dayes are to be obserued according to the intention of the Church 656 Father vide Parents God a Father 77.477 Font consecrated 291 Freewill 673.708 Frydayes fast 655 G GHost The Holy Ghost 56.142.173 Glory The state of glory 259. 480.481 God a Father 77.477 Plenty to the seruants of God 487. Angells and men giue testimony of God 84. Naturall feeling of God 91. Naturall reason doth demonstrate the supreme power of God 96. Creatures sometimes called Gods in the Scriptures 108. God in all places but especially in heauen 479. God not the authour of sinne 704. God the supreme and principall we the inferiour and instrumentall causes of our owne good 710. God a spirituall substance infinite in perfection 105.108.675 God fathers 3.292 Gouernment of the Church 195 Grace What Grace is 268 H HEauen Vide Glory Hell 160.682 c. Head The Head of the Church 196.215 c. Noe Secular Prince as such is the head of the Church of Christ 234 Haile Mary c. 508. The Haile Mary next vnto the Pater Noster is the best of all prayers 555 Hardnes of hart by much sinning 696. c. Heresy leadeth to atheisme 79.80.81 c. Heresy is a peruersednes and obstinacy of minde by which one will mainteine some doctrine contrary to the whole Church 216. c. Heretiks make the grounds of diuine faith to be as vncertaine as the grounds of Philosophy 705 Holydayes 404.659 Holy bread 656.625 Holy Ghost 56.142.173 Holy water 624 Honour The Honour of God first to be sought and prayed for 479.503 The honour of this world is vaine and vncertaine lost by sinne 687.690 I IESVS 111 Ignorance inuincible 674 Images to be worshipped 389. c. Immortality of the soule and the Resurrection of the body vnderstoode sometimes as the same thinge 257 Incarnation 57.142.532.556 The mystery of the Incarnation often commemorated in the Catholike Church 150 Iniurys to be pardoned 420.490 c. Inuocation of Saints 460. c. Iudaisme and Turcisme reiected 112.113 c. 250 Iudgment 169 K KIngdome of heauen 480. vid. Glory The Kingdome of God diuersly vnderstoode 482. Knowledge Too much desire of knowledge 10.53 Knowledge of the christian doctrine necessary to be had by all 7 L LAdy The Angelicall Salutation of our blessed Lady 509. c Our blessed â—ady was full of grace 510.515 The promises made vnto the Patriarks of Christs coming of their seede were fullfilled in our blessed Lady 513. The auncient fathers of the Catholike Church sing the praises of out blessed Lady 517. Protestants dishonour our blessed Lady 524. The Assumption of our blessed Lady 518. The summe of our blessed Ladys prayses out of the fathers 529. Our blessed Lady blessed among woemen 530.531 Our blessed Lady the Mother of God and to be honoured as such 538. c. It was meete and conuenient that our blessed Lady should excell all creatures in sanctity 541. The power of our blessed Lady in fauour of her freinds 544. c. and against her enemys 548. Our blessed Lady present at our deaths 553 Latine tongue vsed in the Church seruice 627 Lent 651 Luxury vid. Carnal M MArke S. Marks solemnity 655 Mary vid. Lady Masse 575. The Masse is the Christian Sacrifice 576. c. 582. The Sacrifice of Masse continueth for euer 584. Masse a commemoratiue sacrifice yet a true sacrifice 594. The caeremonys of the Masse 598. The diuision of the Masse 604. Meditations vpon the Masse 622. The authour of the Masse 621. Masse in Latine 626. The fruits and benefits of the Masse 633. And those not onely spirituall but also temporall 637. A commendable deuotion to heare Masse euery day 638. All are bound to heare Masse on holydayes 660 Matter the Matter and forme of the Sacraments and intention of him that administreth them 27â— Matrimony a Sacrament 369. The loue and duety of married folkes 369. c. The tribulations of marriage must be considered before hand 373. c. Those that marry must declare concerning three things 374 The vse of matrimony not conuenient at all times 375. Marriage forbidden to be celebrated in some times 640. Merits The Merits of Christ must be applyed