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
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
was strucken of God with a suddaine leprosy which then in the sight of all broke forth of his forhead soe that for his prowde aspiring to the dignity and office of Priests he was then for his leprosy to be excluded euen from the people And Saul for offering of holocaust being a king onely and noe Priest although compelled as he thought by necessity vnto it lost notwithstanding his kingdome from himselfe and from his posterity for euer Some times Emperours and Prince are present at General Councells to grace and protect them from turbulent men but they giue not their voices in any thinge Soe Constantine the first christian Emperour was present in the first General Councell of Nyce but how he came in the last of all and hauing a litle low seate sette for him he satte not downe vntill the bishops made him a signe to sitt downe And as for the decrees of the Councell we reade that three hundred and eightteene bishops subscribed to them but not that Constantine euer subscribed Soe also men of more sanctity of life and eminent in abilitys although not bishops are sometimes called to assist in General Councels but not to giue sentence or to subscribe to the decrees by their owne authority The gouernment therefor which Christ ordained in his Church was by S. Peter and the Apostles that is to say by one head or cheife bishop and by inferiour bishops vnder him And their authority is most full and obliging when it speaketh by a General Councell Then the head of the Church exercizeth more fully his supreme authority calling together the pastors of the world and assigning to them the place of their meeting The bishops and others who for sanctity wisdome and learning are in reason to be thought the best deseruing of the whole world are present at them Being come together solemne dayes of prayer are instituted for the inuocation of the Holy Ghost Euery one of this absolute company hath then liberty to speake his minde freely and by the grounds of his owne religion is bounde not to dissemble but to speake the truth according to his conscience they being for the most part meere strangers to one another All things being well examined they subscribe in order first the head bishop and then the rest after him according to their dignity This is the harmony which Christ hath composed in his Church of people concording with their pastors and of pastors with their supreme head Now what more satisfaction can our soules desire then from such an assembly of soe many holy and learned men who haue the voyce of the whole Catholike Church and the assistance of Christ and of the Holy Ghost Let any christian speake truely and he must needes confesse that it would be a horrour to his conscience and that his owne thoughts would condemne him of errour if he were condemned by such an authority And therfor S. Paul might well say that the haretical man is condemned by his owne iudgment Tit. 3. Because he seeing his doctrine to be publikely condemned by the general sentence of the whole Catholike Church that then is in the world can not but see his owne peruersed obstinacy in still mainteining it and that he breaketh the concord of people with their pastors confoundeth all order of gouernment in the Church destroyeth the certaine ground of all diuine veritys and maketh the Creede scriptures and all principles of faith to become subiect to the censure of euery priuate man Wherefor the Apostle biddeth vs to take heed of such men and our blessed Sauiour himselfe hath commanded vs to regard them noe otherwise then as Heathens and Publicans Victor an auncient and graue authour Vis l. 2. de pâ—rses Vandal who liued in the age of S. Augustine about twelue hundred yeares since relateth a passage worthy to be remembred to shew the comfort and confidence which Catholikes haue in General Councells and how that haeretiks are affrayed and dare not stande to them Hunnericus king of the Vandals persecuting the Church summoned the Catholiks of his dominions to come to Carthage to a publike disputation with his Arian bishops Bishop Eugenius in the name of the Catholikes answered in this manner Let the kingknow that trusting in God we are ready and very glad to haue a publike triall of our cause but we desire that all the world may be present at it for we will not take vpon vs to decide the generall cause by our particular votes Let therfor all those beyond the seas know that the vniuersall cause is here to be treated and not onely the cause of the Affrican Prouinces for we will be tryed by the vniuersal authority and consent of all And when the king returned answere by his Prefident that he would grant him his desire if he would bring all the world vnder his power Eugenius replyed againe Thou shouldest not desire that request of mee which is not in my power to performe That which I say to the king is that if his maiesty desire indeede to be sdtisfyed in our religion which onely hath the true faith let him sende vnto his friends and I will sende vnto my fellow bishops and especially to the Romane Church which is the head of all Churches The bishop suspecting the intention of the king denyed to come to his city and wisely appealed to the generall authority and especially to the bishop of Rome but noe haeretike will euery yeeld to that appeale where the question is to be tryed by the vniuersal authority of the whole Church but as owles and battes fly from the sunshine soe doe they from such a glorious tryall and as they beganne in the disobedience of a few obstinate persons or of some one silly man soe they are affrayed to be tryed by the vniuersal Church which is at all times and was then when their disobedience beganne Disp Lyps Luther was contented to haue a tryall of his doctrine by single disputation and when that worthy man Dâ— Eckius the glory of Swedland publikely confuted and shamed him he broke forth into blasphemous words vnworthy to be repeated But he durst not come to the Councell of Trent which he needed not to hâ—ue feared if he would haue submitted to the authority of the vniuersall Church as all good Christians ought to doe Now let vs see WHICH IS THE CATHOLIKE Church Quest Giue mee a difference betwixt the true and all salse Churches Ans The true Charch continueth allwais in vnion and obedience to its head pastors all false Churches beginne in dissentions and disobedience to the head and pastors of the Church Thus S. Cyprian S. Hierome and others alleadged S. Peter being constituted of Christ as the head and supreme pastour of the Church as I haue shewed and is confirmed by all that which I haue to say of his successour the Bishop of Rome and that authority being necessary to remaine allwais after him we must see at all times and in all
the rewarde which we shall haue after victory ought to be a great encouragement vnto vs. We shall haue the grace of God which is the kings eldest daughter and by it euerlasting glory in the kingdome of heauen Remember then that thou art the souldier of God and in all temptations thinke that he then calleth thee forth to fight for him in his owne presence and before the host of his Angells and Saints and that in the sight of them all and in their hearing he had made the promise of thy reward and besides that he will soe helpe thee that thou art sure of victory if thou wilt Who in this case would not runne vnto the batle This is the case of euery one of vs. Apos 2. God hath promised to him that ouercommeth I will giue to eate of the tree of life to wit euerlasting and he giueth vnto euery one sufficient meanes to ouercome Is he not a coward in the sight of God and before the whole court of heauen that shall refuse to fight vpon these termes Thinke what this reward is an eternity of happines And when thou hast thought for a good space say to thy selfe I can not comprehende that eternall happinesse Ep. 205. ad Cyr Hicros Ps 83. In the Epistles which are commonly said to be S. Augustins he describeth a vision which himselfe had to his purpose and I will giue it you as neere as I can in the same words and stile I was saith he in my cell at Hippo resting and greedily thinking of the glory of the blessed and of the greatnes of their ioy and being compelled by the intreaty of my deere Seuerus once the disciple of venerable Martin bishop of Turon I desired to setforth a short treatise of this matter but hauing pen in my hand to write to most holy Hierome for his opinion in it when I had begunne the exordium of my salutation behold a suddaine light such as our times hath not seene nor can be spoken with our tongues entred into my cell and filled it with an vnspeakeable sweetnes of all odours Which when I saw I was soe astonished that the powers of my minde and body were quite taken from mee For J knew not then that the right hand of God had exalted his seruant Because at that very hower did S. Hierome depart this world And therefor because mine eyes had neuer seene the like brightnes nor euer had I felt such sweetnes I wondered and was quite rauished with it And being in this sort I heard a voyce comming forth of that light saying to mee Augustine what dost thou meane dost thou thinke to put the sea into a litle dish to hold all the earth in the compasse of thy hand to detaine the heauens from their naturall course shall thy eye see that which none could see shall thy eares heare more then the eares of any and those things which haue not entred into any hart dost thou thinke to conceiue them where is the end of that which is endles how wilt thou measure that which is immense The sea shall be put into a litle dish the earth shall become a handfull and the heauens shall sooner stay their course then thou shalt vnderstande the least part of that ioy and glory which the blessed enioy But that thou shouldst vnderstande that which I know now by experience not to vndertake impossible things Seeke not to vnderstande but labour to gett that glory which thou wouldest conceiue Thus S. Hierome would preuent his letter and satisfy him by experience in that which he desired to vnderstande to wit that the glory of the Saints is aboue humane vnderstanding It is enough for vs to thinke that it is a life in which God is enioyed for euer but here we can not comprehende what God is what euer is or what that life is in which God is enioyed and which they lead in heauen O the infinite goodnes of God! O eternity O sweet life in which that infinite good is eternally enioyed That which is good and the best in euery thinge that is conteined in God the summe and hight of perfection I say all in this word Perfection And this perfection thou shalt allwais desire Ps 23. and haue it allwais there as thou defirest in God How beloued are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts my soule coueteth and fainteth vnto the courts of our Lord. My hart and my flesh haue reioyced towards the liuing God This is the end of the Creede and of true faith that we gaine euerlasting life This is the finall but infinite reward which Catholiks onely and none but good Catholiks come to receiue that our soules shall be placed in perfect spirituall pleasures and our bodys in corporall and shall still aime at that which is most perfect and enioy that perfection which they aime at to wit God in his glory THE FIFT DISCOVRSE OF THE SACRAMENTS I INTENDE to declare the Sacraments vnto you which as they are the most estimable iewels and pretious ornaments by which the merits of Christs Passion are applyed for the sanctification of our soules soe it is very necessary for all to be well instructed in them that those holy mysterys being receiued with due reuerence may blesse and effectually sanctify the receiuers of them Mat. 7. Giue not that which is holy to doggs neither cast you your pearles before swine Saith our blessed Sauiour That is that holy things are not to be giuen to the vnworthy and as S. Augustine hath noted especially the Sacraments which are vnderstoode by pearles as the most pretious of holy thinges That I may speake worthily of them and you receiue benefit by my speech we will say the Haile Mary for our Blessed Ladys intercession Haile Mary c. Quest What is a Sacrament Answ A Sacrament is an outward signe which causeth grace in vs. To be a Sacrament is to be an outward signe and to be an outward signe is to be somethinge that may be perceiued outwardly by the senses By the sense of seeing we perceiue in the Sacraments the thinge which is done as the ablution in baptisme and by the sense of hearing the words that are said and in that which is done and said consisteth the nature and essence of euery Sacrament as it is an outward signe to our senses S. Augustine The word is ioyned to the element and there is a Sacrament The Sacraments cause grace in vs Tract 80. in Io. because they are the meanes which Christ hath instituted to sanctify vs by and we can not be sanctifyed but by the diuine grace being caused in vs. OF THE EFFECTS OF THE Sacraments THE prime and propper effect of euery Sacrament is to cause grace for they are not onely signes to signify that God then giueth grace but they haue power giuen them of God to cause grace in the soules of those that worthily receiue them that as a Cherry tree produceth a cherry and a
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
moderne enemys of the Catholike Church reiect the holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist at Masse soe that granting that which was offered on the Crosse they deny for euer after all Sacrifice to the Law of Christ They grant in this that which is true indeede that the Law of Christ was founded vpon the sacrifice of the Cros as offered for our redemption but denying any sacrifice to continue afterwards in that Law they deny the continuance of the supreme worship of God in it which nations haue euer vnderstoode by Sacrifice They doe in this as though some people should choose a king and should promise vnto him a glorious reigne amongst them and then should honour him with Royal and Soueraigne worship but for one day or one hower only soe they professe themselues Christians and promise a glorious Kingdome of God among them and then they giue him the supreme homage of Sacrifice but once onely to wit for that day and hower on which Christ suffered death It had bene the part of good Christians that being a Sacrifice was to be some corporall thing offered to God as his cheife and highest homage to haue bene thinking which of all corporall things in the world was most perfect and to haue thought it most worthy to be the continuall Sacrifice of the Law of Christ rather then to haue denyed a continuall Sacrifice at all to it This was the Sonne of God from all eternity thinking and contriuing to effect and he effected it when hee instituted his owne sacred Body to be conteined in the Eucharist and soe to continue vnto the consummation of the world with vs that we might allwais haue a most mysterious miraculous and glorious Sacrifice the most perfect of all corporall things worthy of his diuine Law to be daily offered in it And so he prouided a Sacrifice for his people more perfect then euer any people had before the most perfect which any can haue and which in some sense may be said to be infinitly perfect This had bene a thought worthy of a Christian and not to deny à Sacrifice in which the supreme worship of God consisteth to continue allwaies in the Faith of Christ and to ioyne with the Turks onely who haue a Law without a continuall Sacrifice But wee will shew by the Scriptures Church and Fathers that the Eucharisticall Sacrifice of Masse is a true Sacrifice The holy King and Prophet misteriously describeth it in these words Our Lord sware and it shall not repent him Ps 109. thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Who hath sworne our Lord God It must be true then that which is sworne What hath he sworne that Christ is a Priest For how long for euer offering by the hands of Priests What kind of Priest was Christ and his Priests to be they were to be of the order of Melchisedech What order was that what kind of Sacrifice did Melchisedech offer Read the 14. of Genesis and you shall finde that Melchisedechs Sacrifice was in bread and wine Soe that the Sacrifice of Christian Priests was to be according to it Let now the enemys of the Catholike Church shew any action of the life of Christ or any mystery in his Church if they can that accordeth with Melchisedechs Sacrifice except it were at his last supper that he then offered the Eucharist as a Sacrisice and left it as a Sacrifice to be offered afterwards at all times by his Priests in the Catholike Church Take away that Sacrifice and we haue none at all left according to Melchisedechs nor noe Priests according to his order The Eucharist therefore is the sacrifice which the Prophet was inspired to describe after this mysterious manner as to be according to the order of Melchisedech in the Priests that offered it a lib. 4. strom Clem. Alex. b ep 63. ad Cecil lib. 5. Saint Cyprian c demostr Euseb Caesat d CoÌ„ment in Ps 109 Basil e de Abra ham Patriarc l. 3. Saint Ambrose f in ps 109 Saint Chrysostome g ep ad Euagr. lib. 16. de Cin. Dei S. Herome h S. Augustine H. and others commonly cited by authours haue thus vnderstoode this place The Prophet Malachy speaking of the reiection of the Iewish Sacrifices and of the acceptable Sacrifice which the Gentils should offer in the Law of Christ hath thâ—se words I haue no will in you saith the Lord of hosts and gift I will not receiue of your hand Mal. 1. For from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe great is my Name amongst the Gentils and in euery place there is sacrifyzing and there is offered to my Name a cleane oblation It is not possible by this to conceiue but that the Law of Christ for the conservation of the diuine worship was to haue a Sacrifice to be offered all ouer and at all times in it He speaketh not there of any vnproper Sacrifice as of good workes c. but of a true and proper Sacrifice as those of the Iewes were to which he there compareth and perferreth it Neither doth he speake of the Sacrifice of the Cros for that was not offered in euery place but only on Mont Caluary The auncient holy Fathers haue commonly vrged the Iewes and other enemies of the Catholike Church with this place vnderstanding by it a daily Sacrifice to be offered all ouer in the Church of Christ So saint Iustinus a Dial. cum Triphon Martyr b lib. 4. cont haer 32.33.34 saint Irenaeus c l. 3. cont Marcion Tertullian saint d l. 1. c. 18. Cyprian e Aduers Iud. in Ps 95. saint Chrysostome f l. 8. c. 35. de ciu dei saint Augustine saint g 4. de orthoxa side c. 14. Iohn Damascene and others It appeareth also euen by the manner of instituting the Eucharist that it was to be offered as a Sacrifice for where as Cor. 1.11 we read This is my Body which shall be deliuered for you and Luc 22. This is the Chalice c. which shall be shed for you Saint Luke hath in the Latine text and all the Euangelists and saint Paul in the Greeke text haue which is giuen and which is shed in the present and to be giuen and shed can haue no other sense there but to be offered as a Sacrifice So that it was not onely for the future to be offered but euen then was offered as a Sacrifice and it was afterwards to be offered as then But that which is to be obserued as most manifestly conuincing against our Protestants of England is that we being commanded to doe it for a commemoration of him that is to say of his being offered on the Crosse at his death and he being then also according to our enemys offered as a Sacrifice what commemoration of that offering doe they make in the Eucharist who make it no Sacrifice nor offering at all Catholiks say that as the true
him to his brethren and his father awakening and by the will of God vnderstaÌ„ding is said not a word to Cham himselfe but falleth vpon his sonne and curseth him Gen. 3. Cursed be Canaan a seruant of seruants shall he be to his brethren What meaneth it saith S. Greg. l. 22. moral c. 18. Gregory that C ham sinning his sonne Canaan bore the sentence of reuenge but to teach that the sinnes of the reprobate prosper here and are punished afterwards C ham laughed saith S. Hierome at his fathers nakednesse and Canaan bore the sentence that thou maist know that sinnes are punished in the branches and not in the roote It hath happened sometimes that many thousands haue lost their liues for the sinne of onely one or two persons Iud. 20. Two of the tribe of Beniamin sinning with another mans wife caused the ruine of thousands of their brethren For the rest of the tribes rising vp in reuenge against them ouerthrew them in batle their city was taken and strucken with the sword from men euen to beasts and all the cittys and villages of Beniamin were consumed with fire for the sinne of two onely Nay the whole people of Israel after soe many testimonys of the power of God protecting them were brought into feare of vtter ruine by the sinne of one onely man Achan had taken of the spoâ—les of Iericho which God had forbidden and presently three thousand choice men of Israel are put to flight and some slaine by a contemptible enemy By which the people were soe amazed that as the Scripture saith their harts melted like water Ios 7. And Iosue and the auncients prostrating themselues on the ground and couering their heads with dust in the end were giuen to vnderstande that God punished them for the sinne of one man and imputed his sinne to all Israel saying Israel hath sinned and transgressed my couenant and taken of the anathema and stolne and lyed when Achan onely had done soe Seeing therfor that sinne is punished not onely in ourselues but in many others of our kindred and allyance and in successions of children for many generations afterwards we ought to haue some respect vnto them and not for a moment of pleasure to doe that for which they shall be miserable and shall curse vs when we are dead and gone Fiftly the very pleasure of sinne is a false and deceitfull pleasure not worthy of that name And in this sinners are miserably deceiued that they take the way of vertue to be hard and painefull and the way of sinne to be the soft and sweet way where as indeede it is quite contrary by the generall consent of all wisemen For although our corrupted nature abhorreth restraint and like the wild asse runneth after liberty by which it corrupteth more and more but if we consider the helpe of the diuine grace which is denyed to none and the comfort which God sends to his seruants their yoke is truely sweet and their burden light and ioyfull and we shall flude that their is noe comparison betwixt the pleasures of sinners and the inward satisfaction which the iust enioy and therefor the hard and stony way is expresly declared by holy Scripture to be the way of sinne and not of vertue Eccl. 21. The way of sinners is paued with stones and in their end darknesse and paines And therfor the diuine wisdome describeth them as tyred and afflicted trauelers crying out We are weried in the way of iniquity Sap. 5. and perdition and we haue walked hard wayes but the way of our Lord we haue not knowne The true difference betwixt these two wayes is that the one of them seemeth broad and easy at first and therfor many walke in it but in the end it is hard and intollerable the other seemeth hard in the beginning but if we endeauour with ourselues and make but a litle resistance at the first we sinde case and comfort presently in it This the wicked haue not knowne nor thinke vpon they say they will haue pleasures for the present and complaine of God that his reward is long in comming but they are deceiued the seruants of God stay not for their wages they are allwais receiuing comfort in his seruice He promiseth for the future an eternall reward in Heauen and to shew the truth of his promise and to encourage to it he sendeth such comfort after euery good worke as though he would giue them now a scantling of those heauenly ioyes And that comfort is soe great and full to them that they would not change it for all that the world can giue What sinner euer enioyed the like ioy to that which S. Hierome describeth himselfe to haue had after a violent conflict in which costantly resisting he gott the victory Ad Eustoch ep 22. I call God to witnesse saith he when after many teares that my eyes stoode setled and fixed vp to heauen I seemed then to be euen amidst the troopes of Angells and ioyfully to sing We will run after thee in the odour of thy ointmeÌ„ts Cant. 1. This is the reward which God bestoweth out of hand vpon his seruants and not only vpon those whom we call great Saints but in some measure vpon all his seruants presently after euery good worke in a full satisfaction of conscience which sinners in their pleasures neuer haue Againe the pleasure of sinne is soe short in duration that although it were neuer so great it were nothing to compare with eternity which is lost by it For being that there is noe constant pleasure but in him who is the supreme good without any mixture of euill therefore if one had all the power honour and wealth of this world yet he should not allwais haue content in them except he allwais vsed them to the honour of God Iob. 21. They lead their dayes in wealth and in a moment saith Iob they goe downe to hell Sinners may perhaps lead many dayes and perhaps all their life time in wealth and riches but not in pleasures they shall scarce ouer enioy one whole hower together of continuall ioy but some vexation or other shall crosse their delight either for something which they want and would haue or for something which they haue and would want and many times they goe downe to hell for not one halfe quarter of an howers pleasure Lysimachus King of Macedonia waging warre against the Scythians was brought vnto that extreme thirst that for a cuppe of cold water he sold his Kingdome and when he had drunke it of he is recorded to haue cryed out O God! for how short a pleasure haue I lost a Kingdome The pleasure of sinne is not alwais indeede soe short as this was although sometimes shorter as when we curse or sweare or blaspheme the name of God and by many other sinnes in consent and in word and in many sinnefull acts which last as it were but for a moment but the kingdome