Articles of the faith and other such like things And after when the child groweth in yeares the godfather and godmother are bound to haue care to instruct it in matters of faith and in good maners if the father and mother be herein negligent And moreouer it is to be noted that by Baptisme they become alyed by a spiritual affinitie to the partie that is baptised and to his father and mother as wel he that baptiseth as the godfather and godmother Of the Sacrament of Confirmation S VVE haue spoken sufficiently of Baptisme tel me now I pray you what meaneth confirmation or Chrisme which is the second Sacrament M The second Sacrament is called Confirmation because the effect therof is to confirme the baptised in faith as we shal say by and by It is also called Chrisme which is a greeke word and signifieth vnction because in this Sacrament the forehead of the person that receiueth this Sacrament is anointed with holie Chrisme For as in Baptisme the baptised is washed with water to signifie that the grace of God washeth his soule from all spot of sinnes so in Chrisme the forehead is anointed to signifie that the grace of God anoynteth the soule so comforteth and fortifieth it that it may fight against the diuel and confesse boldly the holy faith without feare of torments or of death it selfe S In what time ought this Sacrament to be receiued M It ought to bee receiued when the childe is come to vse of reason because then hee beginneth to confesse his faith and hath need to bee confirmed and established in the grace of God S Doth this Sacrament worke any thing else besides the fortifying of the soule M It leaueth a caracter or marke fixed and printed in the soule which neuer can bee scraped out therefore this Sacrament can not bee receiued oftner then once S What neede is there to imprint in the soule any other marke seing that of baptisme may suffice M This second caractar or marke is not imprinted without cause For that by the first a mā is only knowen to be a Christian that is of the familie of Christ but by this second it is knowne that he is a souldier of christ and therefore he carrieth in his soule the armes of his captaine as in the world souldiers carrie them on their garments whosoeuer receiue this Sacrament and goe into hell shall haue the greater confusion for that euery one shall see that they made professiō of the souldiers of christ are after so fowly reuolted from him Of the Sacraments of the Eucharist S MAY it please you declare to me nowe the third Sacrament first tel me what meaneth this word Eucharist M This is a greeke word also it signifyeth gratefull memorie or thanks giuing For in this Sacramēt memorie is made thanks are giuen to God for the most excellent benefite of the holy Passion of our Sauiour and withall there is giuen the true bodie bloud of our Lord for which wee are bound to render perpetuall thanks to God S Declare to me more fullie all that is contained in this holy Sacrament that knowing the greatnes thereof I may the better honour it M The Hoast which you see vpon the Altar before it be consecrated is nothing else but a litle bread made in forme of a thin Wáfer cake but immediatly when the Priest hath pronounced the consecration there is present in the Hoast the true bodie of our Lord and because the true bodie of our Lord is liuing and vnited to the Diuinitie in the person of the Sonne of God therefore together with the bodie is the blood also and the soule and the Deitie and so whole Christ God and man In the same maner in the Chalice before the consecration there is nothing else but a litle wine with a litle water but suddenly the consecration being ended there is the true blood of Christ and because the blood of Christ is not forth of his bodie therefore in the Chalice together with the blood are the body the soule and the Deitie of the same Christ and so whole Christ God man S I doe yet see that the Hoast after the consecration hath the figure of bread as before and that which is in the Chalice the figure of Wine as before M So it is that in the Hoast there remaineth the figure and also the colour and the taste of bread which was there before but not the substance of bread which was before And so vnder the forme of bread there is not bread but the bodie of our Lorde And the better to vnderstand this I wil giue you an example You haue heard that Lots wife was conuerted into a statute of salt those that saw the statute did see the figure of Lot his wife which then was not any more Lots wife but vnder the figure of a woman was salt As there fore in that conuersion the inward substance was changed the outward shape remayned so in this Mysterie the inward substance is changed from bread into the bodie of our Lord the outward figure of bread remaining which was there before The same also you are to vnderstand of the Chalice that is that there is the figure the taste the colour the smel of wine yet is there not the substance of wine but the blood of our Lord vnder that forme of wine S It seemeth to me a great thing that a great body as that of our lord can be vnder so litle a forme as that of the consecrated Hoast M It is certainely a great thinge but the power of God is also great who can do greater things then we can vnderstand and so Christ when he said in the holie gospel that God could make a camel which is a beast bigger thē a horse to passe through the eye of a nedle he added that with mē these things are impossible but with God al things are possible S I would be glad to haue some example how the same bodie of our Lord can be in so manie hostes as are in so many Altars M It is not needfull to vnderstand the wonders of God but it sufficeth to beleue them seeing we are certain that God cānot deceiue vs. Yet I wil giue you an example for your consolation It is sure that our soule is but one is whole in al the members of the body al wholly in the head al in the feet yea whole in euery litle part of our bodie what marueill is it then that God can make the body of his Sonne to be in many Hoasts seeing one and the same soule to bee whole intire in so many so diuers and distinct parts of the bodie It is read in the life of S. Anthonie of Padua that the same time hee was Preaching in a citie of Italie he was also by Gods power in Portugal to do some other good works And if God could make Saint Anthonie to be in two places at one
time so farre distant that in his proper forme wherefore can he not make that Christ be present in manie Hoasts vnder the forme of the same Hoast S Tel me I pray you if Christ depart from Heauen when he commeth into the Hoasts or remaineth he stil in Heauen M When our Lord beginneth to be present in the holie Hoast he departeth not from heauen but by diuine power hee is both present in Heauen and in the Hoast Take the example of our soule when one is a childe of few daies old and very little as you see and being measured is founde to bee but one Palme in length after increasing he becommeth double so bigge as he was before and so being measured he is aboue two Palmes Now I demande of you if the soule which was first in one palme only hath left that palme to come into the second or no Sure it is that it hath not left it neither is it inlarged because it is inuisible so that without leauing the first it commeth also into the second euen so our Lord leaueth not heauen to come into the Hoast neither leaueth the one Hoast to be in an other but he is present in Heauen in all the Hoastes at once S Now I haue learned that which is contained in this most holy Sacrament I desire to know what things are requisite to receiue it worthely M Three things are requuired the first is that the partie doe confesse himselfe of all his sinnes procure that he be in the grace of God when hee goeth to communicate for that one of the causes wherefore this Sacrament is giuen to vs vnder the forme of bread is to the end we vnderstand that it is giuen to liuing men not to dead-men to nourish the grace of God and to increase it The second thing is that wee be altogether fasting that is at the least from midnight forward we haue taken nothing no not somuch as a litle water The third that we wel vnderstand what we do and that we haue deuotiō vnto so great a mysterie therfore this sacrament is not giuen to children neither to fooles neither to any other that hath not the vse of reason S How oftē ought we to cōmunicat M The bond of holy Church is to communicate at least once a yeare that at Easter Yet it is conuenient to do it oftner so it be by the aduice of our ghostly father S Declare now vnto mee the fruite which is gotten by this Sacrament and the ende for which it was instituted M For three causes Christ our Lord hath instituted this most noble Sacrament First that it should be the meate of soules secondly that it should be a sacrifice of the new law thirdly that it might be a perpetuall memorie of his Passion and so a most deare pledge of his loue towards vs. S What effect doth it worke in respect it is the meate of soules M It worketh that effect which corporall meate worketh in bodies therfore it is giuen to vs in forme of bread for like as bread conserueth naturall heate wherein the life of the bodie consisteth so this most holie Sacrament when it is worthely receiued conserueth and increaseth charitie which is the life and health of the soule S What effect doth it worke as it is a Sacrifice M It reconsileth God vnto the world obteyneth manie benifits not only for the liuing but also for the dead that are in purgatorie You must vnderstand that in the old Testament they offered vnto God manie Sacrifices of beastes but in the new Testament in place of al those Sacrifices is succeeded the Masse in which by the hands of the Priest is offered vnto God the most acceptable Sacrifice of the bodie and bloud of his Sonne which was signified in al those sacrifices of the old Testament S What effect worketh it as the memorial and pledge of the loue of our Lord towards vs M It maketh vs mindful of so great a benifite and in flameth vs to loue him againe that hath loued vs so much And therefore like as God in the old Testament would haue the Iewes not only to eate Manna which he sent them from Heauen but also haue them keep one vessel ful of the same in memorie of all the benefits he shewed them when he brought them out of Egipt so Christ would that this most holie Sacrament should not only be eaten by vs but also that it be conserued on the Altar and sometimes carried in Procession that when soeuer we see it we may remember his infinite goodnes towards vs. But in particular the holie Masse is a briefe representation of the whole life of our lord that the same may stil remaine in our mindes S I would know how the Masse is a representation of the life of Christ that thereby I may become more deuout and attentiue when I am present thereat M I wil declare it briefly The Introitus or beginning of the Masse doth signifie the desire which the holie Fathers had of the comming of our Lord. The Keyrieleison signifieth the voice of the same Patriarches and Prophets demanding of God this comming of christ so long desired Gloria in excelsis signifieth the Natiuitie of our Lord. The prayers next following signifie his presentation offering in the Temple The Epistle which is reade at the lift end of the Altar signifieth the preaching of S. Iohn Baptist Who inuited al men to Christ The Gradual signifieth the conuersion of the people by the preaching of S. Iohn The gospel which is read at the right end of the altar signifieth the preaching of our Lord which bringeth vs from the left hand vnto the right that is from temporal things to eternall from sinne to grace lights also are carried incense burned to signifie that the holie Gospel hath lightened the world filled it with the good sauors of the glorie of God The Crede signifieth the first conuersion of the holie Apostles and other Disciples of our Lord. The secret prayers after the Creede signifie the secret practises of the Iewes against Christ The Preface which is songue with a lowd voice and endeth with Osanna in excelsis signifieth the solemne enterance which Christ made into Ierusalem on Palme-sunday The Canon signifieth the Passion of our Lord. The eleuation of the holie Hoaste and Chalice representeth to vs that Christ was eleuated vpon the Crosse The Pater noster signifieth the praier of our Lord whiles he did hang on the Crosse the breaking of the Hoast signifieth the wound made by the speare percing his side The Agnus Dei signifieth the lamentation of the Maries at the taking downe of Christ from the Crosse The communion of the Priest signifieth the burial of Christ The Post-communion song with ioy signifieth the Resurrectiō Ite missa est signifieth the Ascēsion The benediction of the Priest signifieth the comming of the Holie Ghost The Gospel at the end of Masse signifieth the preaching
beneath in which men do dwel which are the two most noble creatures of all others the which also all others do serue as they are also bound to serue God who hath made them of nothing and placed them in so high estate The declaration of the second Article S DEclare vnto me now the second article what signifyeth And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord M The same God omnipotent of whom wee haue spoken in the first article hath one true and naturall Sonne who is called Iesus Christ that you may see in some sort howe God hath begotten this Sonne take the example of a looking-glasse whē one doth looke in a glasse presently he produceth an Image of himselfe so like as no difference can be found in so much as it is not onely like in shape but in moouing also for that if the man mooue the Image wil also mooue and this Image being so like is not made by any labour neither is it long in making nor with instruments but in a moment and with one looke onely In like manner you haue to thinke that God beholding him selfe with the eye of vnderstanding in the glasse of his Diuinitie doth produce an Image most like vnto him selfe And because God hath geuen vnto this Image al his owne substance his owne being which wee can not do in beholding our selues in a glasse therefore that Image is the true Sonne of God albeit our Images which wee see in glasses are not our sonnes Hereof you must gather that the Sonne of God is God as the Father and one the same God with the father seeing he hath the same substance that his Father hath furthermore you haue together that the Son of God is not yonger then his Father but was alwaies as his father alwaies was because he was begotten by Gods only beholding himselfe and God hath alwaies beholden him-selfe Lastly you haue togeather that the Sonne of God was not begotten with help of a woman nor in length of time nor in delight of concupiscence nor any other imperfection because as it hath bin said hee was begotten of the Father alone by the only beholding himselfe with the most pure eye of his diuine vnderstanding S What doth it meane that this Son of God is called Iesus Christ M This name of Iesus signifyeth a Sauiour Christ which is his surname signifyeth high Priest and king of all kings because as I haue told you in declaring the signe of the Crosse the Son of God became man to redeeme vs againe with his blood to bring vs to eternall saluation And so when hee became man he tooke this name Sauiour to shew that he was come to saue vs he was honoured by his Father with the title of Highest Priest and Supreame King for that Christ doeth signifye all this and hereof wee are called Christians S What is the reason that all men take off their caps or bowe downe when Iesus is named which is not done to other names of God M The reason is because this is the proper name of the Sonne of God and all other names are common and againe because this name doth represent vnto vs how God humbled himselfe for vs in making himself man Therefore we for gratitude bow our selues vnto him and not onely wee men but the Angels of heauen also and the diuels of hell doe bow to this name the one for loue and the other by force for that God will that all reasonable creatures do bowe vnto his sonne seeing that he hath abased himselfe for our loue to the death of the Crosse S Wherefore is it saide that Iesus Christ our Lord M Because he hath created vs together with his Father and so is our Master and Lord as his Father is And moreouer for that by his trauels and Passion hee hath brought vs againe from the captiuitie of the Diuel as we shall say by and by Of the third Article S IT Followeth that you declare vnto me the third Article what it meaneth who was conceiued by the Holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie M In this Article is declared the new and merueilous maner of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God You know that all other men are borne of father and mother that the mother remaineth not a Virgin after the conceiuing and bringing foorth of a childe But the Sonne of God intending to make him selfe Man would haue no Father in earth but a Mother onely to wit the perpetuall and most pure Virgin Marie in whose wombe the Holie Ghost the third person in Trinitie one and the selfe-same God with the Father and the Sonne by his infinite power formed of her moste pure blood the bodie of a most perfect childe at the same time created a most noble soule ioyning it to the same bodie all which the Sonne of God vnited to his owne Person And so Iesus Christ that before was onely God became man who as hee is God hath a Father without a Mother and as he is Man hath a Mother without a Father S I would haue some example or similitude to vnderstand how a Virgin can conceiue M The secrets of God must be beleeued although they be not vnderstood because God can do more thē we can easely vnderstand therefore it is said in the beginning of the Creed that God is omnipotent Yet there is a fit example in the creation of the world You know that ordinarily the ground doth not bring forth corne vnlesse it be plowed sowne watred with raine warmed with the sunne and yet in the beginning when corne was first brought forth the earth being neither tilled nor fowne watred nor warmed and so was a virgin in her kinde suddenly by the only commandement of God almighty by his powre it brought foorth corne euen so the vnspotted wombe of the B. Virgin MARIE without companie of man at the only commandement of God by the worke of the Holy Ghost brought foorth that precious corne of the liuing bodie of the Sonne of God S If Iesus bee conceiued by the Holie Ghost it seemeth that it may be said that the Holie Ghost is his Father as he is man M It is not so because to be a Father it is not sufficiēt to make a thing but it is necessarie that it be made of the substance of the maker and therefore we say that the Maison is not the father of the house because he maketh it of stones and not of his proper substance So the holie ghost hath made the bodie of the Sonne of God but he hath made it of the blood of the virgin not of his own proper substance and therefore the Son of God is not the Sonne of the Holie Ghost but the Sonne of God the Father as he is God because hee hath his Godhead of him and he is the Son of the B. virgin as he is man for that he hath mans flesh of her S Wherefore is it said
that the holie Ghost did this worke of the Incarnation Did not the Father and the Sonne also concurre therein M That which one Diuine Person worketh the other two worke likewise the same because they haue one and the same power wisdome and goodnesse yet notwithstanding the workes of power be attributed vnto the Father those of wisdome vnto the Son those of loue vnto the Holie Ghost and because this was a worke of the highest loue of God towards mankinde it is therefore attributed vnto the holy ghost S I would haue some example to vnderstand how all the three diuine Persons haue concurred to the Incarnation and yet the Sonne is onlie Incarnate M WheÌ„ one man putteth on a garment two others do help to cloth him three do then concur to the clothing of him yet one only is clothed so all the three diuine Persons concur to worke the Incarnation of the Sonne of God but onely the Sonne is incarnate and made man S Wherefore is it added in the article Borne of the Virgin Marie M Because in this also there is a strange mysterie that is that the Sonne of God came foorth of the wombe of his Mother at the end of the ninth moneth without paine or harme of his said Mother not leauing any signe there at all euen as hee did when rising from death he went out of the close Sepulchre and when he entred and went foorth of the chamber where his Disciples were the doores being shut there vpon it is saide that the mother of our Lord Iesus Christ was alwaies a Virgin before his birth in his birth and after his birth Of the fourth Article S VVHat meaneth that which followeth in the fourth article Hee suffered vnder Pontious Pilate was crucified dead buried M This Article conteineth the most profitable mysterie of our redemption and the summe is that Christ after he had conuersed in this world about thirtie three yeares and had taught with his most holy life his doctrine and his miracles the way of saluation was vnjustly caused by Pontius Pilate who was gouernour of Iewrie to be whipped and nayled vpon a Crosse vpon the which hee dyed and by certaine holy men was buried S Concerning this mysterie there do occurre vnto me some doubts I desire by you to be cleered of theÌ„ to the end I may be the more grateful vnto God for so great a benefite by how much I shall the better vnderstand it Tell me then if Christ be the Sonne of God omnipotent how happened it that he was not deliuered by his Father out of the handes of Pilate Or rather if the same Christ be God wherefore did hee not deliuer himselfe M Christ could if hee would haue deliuered himselfe by a thousande meanes out of the handes of Pilate Yea more the whole world had not bin able to do him any euil if he had not bin willing and this is clearely seene because he knew foretolde vnto his Disciples that the Iewes would seeke to put him to death that they would whippe him stone him and finallie kill him Yet he did not hide himselfe but went to meete his enemies And when they sought to take him and knew him not hee said vnto them himselfe hee was that man for whom they sought at which time also they al faling backwards as dead meÌ„ he did not depart thence as he might haue done but expected permitted them to recouer theÌ„selues after he suffred him selfe to be taken bound led like a meeke Lambe where they would S For What cause did Christ being innocent suffer him selfe to be vniustly crucified and slaine M For manie reasons But the principal reason was to satisfie vnto God for our sinnes For you haue to know that the offence is measured according to the dignitie of him who is offended and contrariewise the satisfaction is measured according to the dignitie of him who doth satisfie as for example if a seruant should geue his Prince a blow it should be esteemed a most greeuous offence according to the greatnes of the prince but if a prince should giue his seruant a blowe it were a smal matter according to the base estate of the seruant And contrariwise if a seruant take off his cappe vnto his Prince it is but little esteemed but if the Prince should take off his vnto his seruant it would be a notable fauour according to the rule we speake of Now because the first man and with him al we haue offended God who is of so infinite dignitie the offence did require infinite satisfaction and because there was neither man nor Angel of so great dignitie therefore the Sonne of God came who being God and of infinite dignitie hauing taken mortal flesh in the same flesh he submitted him selfe for the honour of God to the death of the Crosse and so satisfied with his paines for our faults S What other cause is there for which Christ would suffer so bitter a death M To teach vs by his example the vertues of Patience Humilitie Obedience and of Charitie which are foure vertues signified in the foure extreame parts of the Crosse because greater patience can not be found then to suffer vniustly so ignominious a death nor greater humilitie then for the Lord of all Lordes to submit him selfe to be crucified betwixt thieues nor greater obedience then to be willing rather to die then not to fulfil the commandement of his Father nor greater charitie then to yeeld his life to saue his enimies And you must know that Charitie is more shewed in deedes then in wordes more in suffering then in doing And so Christ who would not only bestow vpon vs infinit benifits but suffer also die for vs hath shewed that he loueth vs most ardently S Seeing Christ is God and man as you saied before and it semeth that God can not suffer nor die how do we then say that he suffered and died M Christ being God and man can suffer not suffer die not die for in that he is God could neither suffer nor die but as he is man he could both suffer and die and therefore I â—old you that being God hee was made man to satisfie for our sinnes suffering the paines of death in his most holie flesh which he could not haue done if he had not been man S If Christ haue satisfied his Father for the sinnes of all men whence â—ommeth it that so many are damned that we haue neede to doe penance for our sinnes M Christ hath satisfied for the sins â—f all men but it is necessarie to apâ—lie this satisfaction in particular to â—his man and to that man which is one by faith by the Sacraments by good workes and particularlie by penance therefore we haue neede â—o do penance other good works though Christ haue suffered and wrought for vs And the cause that many are daÌ„ned or remaine enemies to God is for that either they