some things hard to be understood which the unlearned and unstable wrest as they do the other Scriptures to their own Destruction Furthermore Tenthly the Sacred Scripture is defil'd by soul and dishonest Blots when wicked Men turn the Words and Sentences thereof which ought to be us'd with all reverence to any Prophaness as to Raillery fabulous and vain Conceits Flatteries Detractions Fortune-telling Enchantments and such like Of which Sin the Sacred Synod of Trent commands to beware And then as they honor God Eleventhly who implore his Aid and Help in their Calamities So he denies God his due Honor that calls not upon him for help whom David reproves when he says They have not call'd upon God Psal 15.5 they tremble for fear where no Fear was But they intangle themselves in a far more detestable Sin Twelfthly who with an impure and defil'd mouth presume to curse and blaspheme the Holy Name of God which is to be bless'd and extol'd by all Creatures with the highest Praises or even the Name of the Saints that reign with God Which Sin is verily of so high and cursed a Nature Note that sometime the Sacred Scripture 3 Reg. 21.13 Job 1.12.29 when the Discourse is of Blasphemy uses the word Benediction But because the terror of Pain and Punishment is us'd very much to restrain Men from the Liberty of Sinning XXIX The Appendix to the second Commandment Therefore the Curat the better to stir up the minds of Men and more easily to prevail with them to keep this Commandment shall diligently explain the other Part of it Exod. 27. which is as it were the Appendix For the Lord will not hold him guitless that takes his Name in vain And first he may teach XXX Why Threats joyn'd to this Commandment that it was very reasonably done to joyn Threatnings to this Commandment that so both the weight of the Sin and the goodness of God towards us who is not delighted with Men's Destruction might be acknowledg'd that we might not undergo his Wrath and Displeasure he terrifies us by these saving Threatnings to the end that we may rather experience his Kindness than his Displeasure The Curat may press this Point XXXI What the Curats are to do First and may insist earnestly upon it that the People may know the grievousness of the Sin and loath it the more heartily and use the greater diligence and caution against it He may further shew Secondly how prone and ready Men are to commit this Sin So that it was not enough to establish a Law about it without adding Threatnings also For it is incredible how profitable this Consideration is For as nothing is so hurtful as Carelesness and Security of Mind Thirdly So the knowledg of our own Weakness is very profitable And then he may also shew XXXII What mischiefs the Transgression of the second Commandment brings that there is no certain Punishment appointed of God but only that threatens in general that whosoever intangle themselves in this Sin shall not go unpuish'd Wherefore the various Punishments wherewith we are daily afflicted ought to warn us of this Sin For we may easily conjecture hence that Men fall into very great Calamities because they obey not this Commandment The Consideration whereof it is likely will make them more wary for the Time to come Let the Faithful therefore being terrifi'd with a Holy Fear with all their endeavour avoid this Sin Mat. 12.36 For if an Account must be given in the last Judgment of every idle word what shall be said concerning the most heinous Crimes which carry in them a great Spight and Contempt of Gods Name The Third COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE Remember that thou sanctifie the Sabbath Day Six Days shalt thou labor and do all thy Work But the seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Thou shalt not do every work therein thou and thy Son and thy Daughter and thy Servant and thy Maid thy Cattle and the Stranger that is within thy gates For in six Days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things that are in them and he rested in the Seventh Day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and sanctified it IN this Commandment of the Law I. What is commanded in this third Commandment the Outward VVorship which we owe to God is rightly and orderly appointed For this is a kind of Fruit as it were of the former Commandment Because whom we devoutly worship inwardly being led by the Faith and Hope we have in him we cannot chuse but honor him with external VVorship and render him thanks Vide Trid. Decr. de ciborum delectu festu diebus sess ult sub finem Item D. Thom. 2.2 q. 122. art 4 item de Consec dist 3. multis capitibus And because these things cannot easily be done by those who are occupi'd with worldly Businesses II How indulgent God is there is a certain Time appointed wherein they may conveniently be done Since therefore this Commandment is of that very kind III. Very useful often to explain this Commandment as brings forth admirable and profitable Fruit It much concerns the Curat to be very diligent in explaining thereof And to beget an ardent Study therein the first word of this Commandment Remember has great Force For as the Faithful ought to remember such a Commandment So it is the Office of the Pastor both by teaching and admonishing often to bring it into their Remembrance But how greatly it concerns the Faithful to obey this Commandment is perceiv'd from hence IV. How profitable to observe this Commandment That by a diligent Observance of this they are more easily induc'd to the keeping of the other Commandments of the Law For since among other things which they ought to do on Festival Days V. Why we must come to Church on Holy Days they have need to come to Church to hear Gods VVord and when they have learn'd what the VVill of God is that they also follow it that with their whole Heart they may keep the Law of the Lord VVherefore in Sacred Scripture the VVorship and Celebration of the Sabbath is very frequently commanded Exod. 16.20.31 Lev. 16.19.23 â—6 Deut 3. â—s 66. â—4 Hier. 1. â—ze 10.22.46 as we may see in Exodus Leviticus Deuteronomy and in the Prophecies of Isayah Jeremy and Ezekiel In all which places there is given a Commandment concerning this VVorship of the Sabbath De praedic verbi Dei Vide Trid. Sess 5. c. 2. Vide singularem hac de re libellum S. Caroli Borrom in actis Eccles Mediol Vide etiam acta Eccles Bononiens But Princes and Magistrates are to be exhorted to help the Prelates of the Church with their Authority VI. The Magistrates Duty to promote Gods worship in those things especially which belong to the Support and Increase of this Worship of God
Functions of the Priestly Order XLVIII Five Degrees in the Priestly Order Which Order tho it be but One yet it has different Degrees of Dignity and Power The first is of those who are simply call'd Priests The first of Priests whose Functions have hitherto been declar'd The Second is of Bishops who are plac'd over of their several Bishoprics The second of Bishops to govern not only the other Ministers of the Church but the Faithful People also and with the utmost vigilance and care to take regard of their Salvation Wherefore in Sacred Scripture they are often call'd The Shepherds of the Sheep Whose Duty and Office Paul describes as we read in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 20.29 in that Sermon he made to the Ephesians And also a kind of Divine Rule of that Ministery of a Bishop has bin deliver'd by Peter the Prince of Apostles According to which 1 Pet. 5.2 if the Bishops would study to square their actions it cannot be doubted but that the Pastors will both be and be accounted good Now the same persons are call'd both Bishops and Pontifices or High Priests taking that name from the Ethnics who were us'd to call the chief of their Priests Pontifices or High Priests The Third Degree is of Archbishops The third of Archbishops who preside over many Bishops and these are also call'd Metropolitans because they are Prelates of those Cities which are accounted as it were the Mothers of that Province wherefore they have a higher place and larger Power than Bishops altho in their Ordination they differ in nothing from Bishops In the Fourth Degree are plac'd Patriarchs The Fourth of Patriarchs i. e. the First and Highest Fathers In old time besides the Supreme Bishop of Rome there were in the whole Church only Four Patriarchs nor yet were they all alike in Dignity For the Patriarch of Constantinople altho this Honor was last of all given to him yet for the Majesty of the Empire he obtain'd the higher place The next is the Patriarch of Alexandria whose Church Mark the Evangelist by order of the Prince of Apostles sounded The third is the Patriarch of Antioch where Peter first had his See The last is the Patriarch of Jerusalem which Church S. James the Brother of our Lord built Above all these the Catholic Church has always had a Veneration for the Roman Chief Bishop or Pope The Fifth of Supream Bishop or Pope whom in the Council of Ephesus Cyril Archbishop of Alexandria calls the Father and Patriarch of the whole World For since he sits in the Chair of Peter the Prince of Apostles wherein it is manifest that he sat to the end of his life she acknowledges in him the Supreme degree of Dignity and fulness of Jurisdiction not as given by any Synodical or Human Constitutions but of God Wherefore he being Father and Governor of all the Faithful and of the Bishops also and other Prelates with what Office or Power soever they be endu'd presides over the Universal Church as Peters Successor and the true and lawful Vicar of Christ our Lord. Of the Primacy of the Pope see Anatol. Epist 3. citat dist 22. c. sacro sancta Greg. lib. 7. Epist 64 65. Nicol. Pap. Epist ad Mediolanens citatur dist 22. c. omnes Vide etiam ead dist c. Constantin Conc. Chalced. in Epist ad Leonem From these things therefore the Pastors shall teach XLIX What is to be taught concerning Order both what are the principal Offices and Functions of Ecclesiastical Orders and Degrees and who is the Minister of this Sacrament For it is evident that this Administration belongs to a Bishop L. The Minister of this Sacrament is the Bishop which is easie to prove both from the Authority of the Sacred Scriptures and most certain Tradition the Testimony of the Fathers the Decrees of Councils and the Usage and Practice of Holy Church But tho it be permitted to some Abbots to administer the Lesser but not Sacred Orders yet there is no one doubts that this Office is properly the Bishop's to whom only of all the rest and besides him to no body else it is lawful to receive into the other Orders which are call'd the Greater and Sacred For only the Bishop and he alone ordains Subdeacons and Priests but the Bishops by the Tradition of the Apostles which has always bin preserv'd in the Church are consecrated by Three Bishops It now follows to explain LI. Get care to be us'd in receiving anâ— to Priesthood who are fit for this Sacrament and especially for the Priestly Order and what things are chiefly requir'd in them From hence it will not be hard to determin what ought to be observ'd in the giving of other Orders according to the Office and Dignity of each of them Now that there is very great caution to be us'd in this Sacrament is thus gather'd because the other Sacraments give Grace to the Sanctification and Use of them by whom they are receiv'd But those that are admitted into Sacred Order are therefore partakers of Heavenly Grace that by their Ministery they may help forward the Salvation of the Church and consequently of all Men. Whence we understand it comes to pass that upon certain appointed days only when according to the most antient practice of the Catholic Church solemn Fastings are appointed Ordinations are perform'd to wit that the Faithful People with Devout and Holy Prayers might beseech of God that the Ministers of such kind of sacred things might be render'd more fit to exercise so great a Power as they ought to do and to the profit of the Church First therefore integrity of Manners is very much commendable in him that is to be made a Priest LII Integrity of Life necessary in making a Priest not only because if being conscious to himself of any mortal sin he procure or but even suffer himself to be receiv'd into Sacred Order he intangles himself in a new and a most extream wickedness But also because he ought to shew himself a Light and a Guide of Vertue and Innocence to others For this cause what the Apostle commanded Titus and Timothy Tit. 1. 1 Tim. 3. is to be declar'd to the Pastors and also it is to be taught That the Deformities of the Body which in the Old-Law by the commandment of the Lord excluded any from the Ministery of the Altar in the Evangelical Law is specially to be apply'd to the deformity of Mind Wherefore we consider that that Holy Custom is preserv'd in the Church that they who are to be ordain'd endeavor diligently first to purge their Consciences by the Sacrament of Penance Furthermore LIII Knowledg also necessary to a Priest there is requir'd in a Priest not that knowledg only which belongs to the Use and Ministring of the Sacraments but he ought also to be so furnish'd with the knowledg of Sacred Scripture
50. in c. 12. Zach. super illud In die planctûs magnus erit fructus thori immaculati THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES BY THE DECREE OF THE Council of TRENT PART III. Of Gods COMMANDMENTS contain'd in the DECALOG THat the Decalogue is the Sum and Epitome of all Laws S. Augustin has observ'd in his Writings For tho the Lord spake many things I. The Decalog the Sum of all Laws Quaest. 140. super Exod. Matth. 22. yet there were but Two Tables of Stone given to Moses which are call'd the Tables of the Testimony to be in the Ark. And all the other things which God commanded if they are diligently observ'd so as to be understood do depend upon those Ten Commandments which were written in the Two Tables And how again those Ten Precepts depend upon these Two to wit of the Love of God and of a man's Neighbor upon which depends the whole Law and the Prophets Seeing therefore that it is the Sum of the whole Law II. The Pastors rightly to understand and explain the Decalog the Pastors ought to be conversant in the contemplation thereof Day and Night not only to direct their own Life according to this Rule but also to instruct the People committed to their charge in the Law of the Lord. For Mal. 2.7 Let the Priests mark this the Priests Lips preserve Knowledge and they enquire of the Law at his mouth because he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts Which thing most especially belongs to the Pastors of the New Law who are nearer to God and ought to be transformed from Brightness to Brightness as by the Spirit of the Lord And seeing that Christ our Lord call'd them by the name of Light it is properly their Parts 2 Cor. 3. â— Gal. 6.1 to be a Light to those that are in Darkness the Teachers of the Vnwise the Instructors of Babes and if any one be overtaken in any fault those who are Spiritual ought to restore such a one But in Confessions they bear the person of a Judge III. The knowledg of the Decalog very necessary to Confession and give Sentence according to the quality and kind of the Offence Wherefore unless they are minded that their own Ignorance shall betray themselves and deceive others it is necessary that they be very watchful and very well skill'd in the Interpretation of the Divine Laws that they may make a right Judgment concerning every Action and the Omission of every Duty and as the Apostle has it 2 Tim. 4.16 That they teach found Doctrin i.e. free from Error and that they heal the Diseases of Souls Tit. 2.14 which are their Sins that the People may be acceptable to God following good works And now in Discourses of this kind IV. Why the Decalog so religiouâ—â—ly to be observ'd the Pastor shall propose both to himself and to others such Arguments as may perswade to the Obedience of the Law And amongst other things which may well drive men to the Observance of the Commands of this Law This has very great force That God is the Author of this Law For tho it be said to be given by Angels Gal. 13.29 yet no one can doubt that God himself is the Author of the Law Of the truth whereof not only the Words of the Lawgiver himself which shall by and by be explain'd afford sufficient testimony but almost infinite other places of Scripture which the Pastors will easily meet with For there is no one who feels not V. God the Author of the Law of Nature that a Law is implanted in his Soul by God whereby he can discern good from evil that which is honest from that which is dishonest what is just from what is unjust The force and Vertue of which Law seeing it differs not from that which is written who is there that dares deny that God is the Author as of the inward so also of the written Law Therefore when God gave the Law to Moses VI. Why he gave the Written Law it must be taught that he rather made this Divine Light which by ill manners and daily perversness was now almost darkn'd much more illustrious than that he gave a new one lest happly the People hearing the Law of Moses spoken irreverently of might think themselves not bound to the Observation of it For most certain it is that we are not to obey these Commandments because they were given by Moses VII Why we must obey the Laws of the Decalog but because they are implanted in our Souls and are explain'd and confirmed by Christ our Lord. Now this Consideration will help much VIII Obedience to the Law of God how to be enforc'd and has great force to perswade that it is God who made this Law Of whose Wisdom and Justice we cannot doubt nor can we escape his infinite Power and Vertue Wherefore when by the Prophets God commanded that the Law should be observ'd he said that he was the Lord God and in the beginning of the Decalog I am the Lord thy God Exod. 20.1 and elsewhere Malach. 1.6 If I am a Lord where is my Fear Now that God has declar'd his Will IX God to be thanked for the giving of the Law wherein is contain'd our Salvation will stir up the minds of the Faithful not only to keep the Commandments of God but also to be thankful to him And therefore the Scripture in many places declaring this very great Benefit warns people to observe its Dignity and God's Beneficence as in Deuteronomy Deut. 4.6 This says it is your Wisdom and your Understanding before the People that all hearing these Commandments may say This is a wise and an understanding People and a great Nation And again in the Psalms Psal 147.10 He has not dealt so with every Nation and he has not manifested his judgments to them But if the Curat shall moreover declare the manner of the giving of the Law from the Authority of Scripture X. With how great Majesty the Law was given the Faithful will easily understand how piously and humbly they ought to honor or reverence the Law receiv'd from God himself Exod. 19.10 for it was commanded of God to all that Three Days before the giving of the Law they should wash their Clothes and not touch their Wives that so they might be more holy and better prepar'd to receive the Law and be present on the Third Day and then when they were brought to the Mountain from whence the Lord by Moses was about to deliver the Law Moses alone was commanded to ascend up into the Mountain whither the Lord came with very great Majesty and fill'd the place with Thunder and Lightning with Fire and thick Clouds and began to speak with Moses and gave him the Law Which thing the Divine Wisdom would not have done XI Why the Law given in this terrible manner but to admonish
us that the Law is to be receiv'd with a pure and humble mind and if we neglect the Commandments that Punishment hangs over our heads from the Divine Justice And let the Curate shew also that the Commandments of the Law are not difficult XII It must be shew'd that the Law is easy Aug. Ser. 47 de tempore which he may teach even from this one reason of S. Austins when he says How I pray is it said to be impossible for Man to love I say to love the bountiful Creator the most loving Father and then also his flesh in our Brethren But now Rom. 13.8 He that loves has fulfill'd the Law VVherefore the Apostle S. John plainly testifies 1 Joh. 5.3 That Gods Commandments are not grievous for nothing could have bin requir'd of man more justly more deservedly and more profitably Lib. de diligendo Deo lib. 1 Confes c. 5. as S. Bernard wittnesses and therefore S. Austin admir'd the exceeding great kindness of God Speaking to God in this manner VVhat is Man that thou wouldst be lov'd by him and if he do not do it thou threatnest him mighty punishments is not this punishment great enough that I love thee not But if any one offer this excuse XIII The excuse of the Weakness of our Nature is vain Luc. 11.13 that he is hindred thro the Infirmity of Nature so that he cannot love God it must be taught that God who requires our Love does implant in our Hearts the Vertue of Love by his Holy Spirit Now thus good Spirit is given of our Heavenly Father to them that ask it So that S. Austin pray'd well Give what thou commandest and command what thou wilt Because therefore we have Gods help ready at hand XIV God's help is ready at hand and especially since the Death of Christ our Lord by which the Prince of this World was cast out there is no reason for any one to be discourag'd with the difficulty of the matter For there is nothing hard to a loving mind Aug. in Psal 111. Bernard Serm. de Dominica in ramis Palmer item in Sermone de Magdal Moreover to perswade the same thing it will very much avail XV. We all are necessarily oblidg'd to the Obedience of the Law if it be explain'd that the Law is necessarily to be obey'd especially seeing in our days there are not wanting those who are not affraid wickedly and to their great hurt to say That whether the Law be easie or difficult yet it is no ways necessary to Salvation Whose wicked and impious Opinion the Curat shall confute by Testimonies of Sacred Scripture and especially of the same Apostle by whose Authority they endeavour to defend their Impiety 1 Cor. 7.10 What therefore says the Apostle Circumcision and Vncircumcision are nothing but the Observation of the Commandments of God Now that he elsewhere repeats the same Opinion he says that a New Creature only avails in Christ 1 Cor. 6.15 we plainly understand that he calls him a Creature in Christ who observes God's commandments For he that has Gods Commandments and keeps them loves God John 14.2 as our Lord himself in S. John testifies If any one love me he will keep my Saying For tho a Man may be justified Note and of an impious person may be made pious before he fulfil all the Commandments of the Law in outward Actions yet it cannot be that he who is of Age to use his Reason can of wicked be made just unless he have a mind ready to keep all God's Commandments Lastly XVI What Fruits or Advantages the Keepers of the Law have that the Curat may not pass over any thing whereby the Faithful may be brought to keep the Law he shall shew how large and sweet the Advantages thereof are which he may easily prove by those things which are written in the 18th Psalm for therein are celebrated the Praises of the Law of God whereof this is very great which much more largely shews the Glory and Majesty of God than the very Heavenly Bodies themselves do by their Beauty and Order which as they draw all Nations even the very Barbarous ones into the Admiration of them So do they force them to acknowledge the Glory Wisdom and Power of the Maker and Creator of all things And indeed the Law of the Lord converts Souls to God For knowing his VVays and what the most holy VVill of God is by his Laws we turn our feet into the VVay of the Lord. And because they only who truly fear God are VVise he has bestow'd this Power upon it to give VVisdom to little ones Hence it is that they who observe Gods Law heap to themselves true and mighty joys both in this Life and the Life to come from the Knowledge of Divine Mysteries Nor is the Law to be observ'd of us so much for our own Advantage XVII The Law to be observ'd for God's sake as for Gods sake who has reveal'd his VVill in his Law to Mankind which seeing the other Creatures follow it is much more meer that Man himself should follow it Nor is this to be pass'd by in silence XVIII The Reward of obedience very great that even herein especially God has manifested his Mercy and the Riches of his Goodness towards us that seeing he could not oblige us to glorifie him without rewarding us he would notwithstanding join his own Glory and our Advantage together That what is profitable to Man the same should be to God's Glory Now because this thing is very great and excellent the Curat shall teach as the Prophet in the last place says In keeping them there is great reward For there are promis'd to us not only those Blessings which seem to belong rather to the earthly felicity that we should be bless'd in the City and bless'd in the Field but there is offer'd a full Reward in Heaven and good measure heap'd and thrust together and running over which by pious and just Actions by the help of the Divine Mercy we merit The First COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me Thou shalt not make to thy self a graven thing c. ALtho this Law were given the Jews in the Mount from the Lord I. The words of the Law and the History of the people of Israel to be explain'd yet because by Nature it was long before impress'd and written in the minds of all and for that reason God would have all men always to obey it it will be very profitable diligently to explain those words wherein it was proclaim'd to the Hebrews by Moses the Minister and Interpreter of it and the History of the people of Israel which is full of Mysteries And first II. The History of the people of Is ael briefly explain'd he