that they may be honor'd and that we being warn'd by their Example might conform our selves and our Manners to their holy Lives De cultu usu Imaginum vide Conc. Nicen. 2. Act. 6. Histor tripart lib. 6. c. 41. Euseb lib. 8. Hist Eccles c. 14. Cyril lib. 6. contr Jul. Aug. lib. 1. de consensu Evang. c. 10. Vide item Sextam Synod Can. 82. Conc. Rom. sub Greg. 3. Conc. Gentiliac item aliud Rom. Pontif. in vita Sylvestri Item Lactant. carm de Pass Domini Basil Orat. in S. Barlaham Greg. Nyss Orat. in Theod. Brud hym de S. Cas hym de S. Hippolyt Item apud Baron Annal. Eccles an 57. n. 116. deinceps Vide terum Aug. contr Faust lib. 22. c. 73. I am the Lord The Appendix to all the Commandments the Lord thy God strong jealous visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy upon thousands in them that love me and keep my Commandments XLI Two things to be explain'd There are in the last part of this Commandment two things diligently to be expounded The first is The first is the Reward That altho for that most heinous wickedness of the breach of the first Commandment and the ready inclination of Men to commit it the Punishment is fitly laid down in this place yet this Appendix is common to all the Commandments For ev'ry Law leads Men to the keeping of the Commandments by Reward and Punishment Hence come those so frequently repeated Promises of God in sacred Scripture For to omit the Testimonies of the Old Testament which are almost innumerable it is written in the Gospel Mat. 19.17.5 6 7. Mat. 5.10 If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments and elsewhere He that do's the Will of my Father which is in Heaven he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 6.23 and also Every tree which brings not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire and Every one that is angry with his brother shall be guilty of the judgment and elsewhere If ye forgive not men neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins The other is The other is Punishment That the Perfect are to be taught this Appendix for a far different Reason than Carnal Men are For XLII Punishment displeases not the Perfect to the Perfect who are mov'd by the Spirit of God and obey him with a ready and chearful mind it is like a kind of glad tidings and a great Argument of God's good-will towards them for they own the Care of their most loving God who in a manner compels them to his Worship and Reverence sometimes with Rewards sometimes with Punishments they acknowledge his infinite good-will towards them who will command them and use their Labor to the Glory of his divine Name Nor do they only acknowledge this but they are in good hope that he commanding what he pleases will also give ability whereby they may obey his Command But to the Carnal XLIII Punishment moves the carnal most who as yet are not freed from the Spirit of Bondage and abstain from Sin more out of fear of Punishment than love of Vertue the sense of this Appendix is grievous and bitter Wherefore they are to be assisted with pious Exhortations Note and led by the hand as it were to the Obedience of the law But the Curat as often as there is occasion to explain any Commandment shall propose these same things to himself That there are two Spurs XLIV Two Spurs as it were to be used both to the Carnal and Spiritual which being put in this Appendix do very much rouse Men up to the observation of the Law For in that God is call'd Strong The first is The Strong God it is by so much the more diligently to be explain'd by how much the Flesh which is little mov'd by the Terrors of God's Threatning oftentimes fansies to her self divers ways whereby she may avoid the Wrath of God and escape the Punishment threatned Now he that is verily persuaded that God is strong Psal 138 7â— will say that of King David Whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whither shall I fly from thy Presence And sometimes also the Flesh distrusting the Promises of God believes the Power of the Enemy to be so great that she thinks her self not able to endure it But he that by a firmâ—â—nd stable Faith doubting nothing relies upon the Strength and Power of God this Consideration will certainly recreate and confirm Psal 26. â— for he says The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear But the other Spur is God's Zeal or Jealousie For sometimes Men think that God takes no care of Human Matters The other is the Zeal of God nor whether we keep or break his Laws whence follows a great disorder of Life But when we believe that God is Zealous the Meditation hereof easily holds us in our Duty Now the Jealousie which is attributed to God XLV What Zeal is attributed to God signifies no Disturbance of Mind but that Divine Love and Charity whereby God suffers no Soul that goes a whoring from him to go unpunish'd but as many as commit Fornication against him he destroys God's Jealousie therefore is his most calm and most upright Justice XLVI God's Zeal defin'd whereby a Soul corrupted with false Persuasions and wicked Lusts is rejected and cast off by God as an Adulteress Now we feel this Jealousie of God to be most sweet and delightful XLVII When we feel God's Zeal when in that Jealousie is evidenc'd his most excellent and incredible Good-will towards us for neither can there be found either a more ardent Love or a greater and stricter Conjunction amongst Men than that of those that are married Therefore God shews how dearly he loves us Note when often comparing himself to a Bridegroom or a Husband he calls himself Jealous Wherefore let the Curat teach from hence XLVIII With how great Zeal God is to be worship'd That Men ought to be so earnestly bent upon the Worship and Honor of God that they may rather be rightly called Jealous than Lovers by his Example who says of himself I am jealous with Jealousie for the Lord God of Hosts Yea and let us imitate Christ himself who says thus The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up But the meaning of the Commination is to be explainâ—â— XLIX The Transgressors of the Law not unpunish'd Deut. 7.9 That God will not endure any Sinners but either he will chastise them as a Father or punish them sharply and severely as a Judge Which Moses signifying in another place That thou mayst know says he that the Lord thy God is the strong God and faithful keeping covenant and mercy for them that love him and for them that
is no country how remote soever no place so well fortifi'd there can no corner of Christ'ndom be found whereinto this plague has not endeavour'd secretly to creep For those who intended with themselves to corrupt the minds of the faithful VIII By what arts she scattered her errors knowing well that they cou'd not have particular conference with all to whisper their venome into their ears have gone another way to work whereby they have much more easily and diffusedly scatter'd the seeds of their impious errors For besides those vast volumes wherewith they have endeavoured to overthrow the Catholic religion whereof to beware there was no great need perhaps of any great pains or circumspection since they contain'd so manifest heresie they have also writt'n infinite books which carrying in them a pretence of godliness it is incredible how easily they have deceiv'd the unwary minds of the simple Wherefore the fathers of the general Council of Trent IX Why the Council of Trent commanded Sess 14. cap. 7. and Sess 25. in the end that this Catechism shou'd be publish'd being earnestly desirous to apply some wholesome remedy to this so great and dangerous evil thought it not enough to determine the more weighty points of Catholic doctrine against the heresies of our times but held it further necessary to appoint some certain way and rule of instructing Christian people in the rudiments of faith Which in all Churches they are to observe to whom is lawfully committed the charge of pastor and teacher There have been many heretofore imploy'd in this kind of writing X. The authority and scope of this Catechism very commendable both for piety and learning But yet the Fathers thought it wou'd be very useful That a book shou'd be publish'd by authority of the holy Synod whence the Curates and all others to whom the office of teaching is committed many find and fetch certain precepts and rules for the edification of the faithful that as there is one God and one faith so also there may be one common rule and prescript form of teaching Christian people all offices and duties of piety Now there being so very many things which seem to belong to this matter XI What it is this Catechism treats of it is not to be suppos'd therefore that it was the design of the holy Synod to comprehend and exactly explain all the dogms or opinions of Christian faith in one book which they are use to do who profess to handle all the whole doctrine and institution of religion For that wou'd be a labor almost endless and indeed not so very suitable to the purpose But because the holy Synod intended to instruct only the Curats and those who have cure of Souls in the knowledg of those things which most properly belong to the Pastoral office and accommodated to the capacity of the Faithful she undertook to handle those things only which might assist the pious endeavour of the Pastors in this matter if they have not bin so conversant and well skill'd in the more difficult disputes of divine matters Which things seeing they are so XII What things are to be observed in teaching before we come to handle those things severally in which the sum of this doctrin is contain'd the order of our design requires That some few things which Pastors ought to consider and lay before their eyes shou'd be explain'd That they may know whither as to the end all their aim labors and studies are to be directed And by what means they may the more easily compass and effect the thing they desire This therefore seems to be the chief to remember XIII The first That all Christian knowledg or learning is contain'd in this point or rather as our Savior says Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Wherefore the labor of a Preacher in the church ought especially to be imployed in this That the faithful may earnestly and from the very bottom of their souls desire to know Jesus Christ and him crucifi'd 1 Cor. 2.2 and most assuredly perswade themselves and with the deepest affection and devotion of heart believe Acts 4.2 That there is no other name under Heav'n given to men whereby they must be sav'd For he is the propitiation for our sins But because hereby we know that we know him XIV The second 1 Joh. 2.3 if we keep his commandments the next thing and as we have already said very closely join'd with it is That he also evidence that the faithful ought not to lead their life in sloth and idleness 1 Joh. 2.6 but that we ought so to walk even as Christ walked and that with our utmost endeavors we shou'd follow after justice godliness faith charity meekness Tit. 2.14 For he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself an acceptable people zealous of good works Which the Apostle commands the Pastors to teach and exhort But whereas our Lord and Savior has not only said XV. T e third Matt. 22.40 1 Tim. 1.5 Rom. 13 18. but by his own example has also evidenc'd That all the whole Law and Prophets do depend on Love or Charity and the Apostle afterwards confirm'd That Charity is the end of the commandment and the fulfilling of the law none can doubt but that this as a principal duty ought with all diligence to be taken care of That the faithful be excited to the sincere love of the immense goodness of God towards us and being inflam'd with a kind of divine ardor be wrapp'd up to the supream and most perfect good To adhere to which he sufficiently feels it to be the most true and solid happiness who can say with the Prophet Psal 72.25 1 Cor. 12. â—1 2 Cor. 13.8 What have I in Heav'n but thee and what on earth do I desire besides thee This indeed is that more excellent way which the Apostle has shewn when he directs all the course of his doctrine and teaching to charity which never fails For whether any thing be propos'd to be believ'd to be hoped to be done the love of our Lord ought always so to be recommended therein that any one might perceiv all the works of perfect christian vertue to have their birth or original from love only nor are they to be referr'd to any other end than to love only But whereas in teaching any thing XIV The four h. it is of very great importance whether you teach it in this or that way or method so especially is this to be reputed very useful in teaching Christian people For the age understanding manners and condition of the hearers is to be observed 1 Cor. 9.19 That he who teaches may become all things to all men 1 Cor. 4.12 and that he may gain all to Christ and be able to approve himself a faithful
that it is much better to be cast into Prison than to be cast into everlasting Torments in Hell and that it is far more grievous to be condemn'd by the Judgment of God than of Men And moreover that they ought humbly to fly to Gods Help and Mercy of whom they may obtain whatsoever they have need of There are other kind of Excuses Note which the Prudent Curats and such as are careful in the discharge of their Office may easily meet with and so at length make their People carefully to follow those works that are good The Eighth COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE Thou shalt not hear false Witness against thy Neighbor OF how great I. The frequent explication of this Commandment necessary Jac. 3.2 not only Advantage but Necessity also the Diligent Explication and Admonition of the Duty of this Commandment is the Authority of S. James warns us in these words If any one offend not in Words he is a perfect Man And again The Tongue is indeed but a little Member and yet it boasts great things Behold a little Fire how great a Wood it kindles And so forth to the same purpose Whereby we are admonish'd of two things First II. The vice of the Tongue very extensive Psal 11.5.31 That the Vice of the Tongue extends very far which is also confirmed by that saying of the Prophet All Men are Lyars That it is in a manner the only Sin which seems proper to all Men. The Other III. The Tongue the instrument of innumerable mischiefs That thence proceeds innumerable Mischiefs since often times by the fault of an ill-tongu'd Person the Estate Fame Life yea and the Salvation of the Soul are lost either of him who is wrong'd because he cannot patiently endure the Disgrace but is pievishly discontented at it or of Him that does the wrong because being deterr'd with a little Shame and a false Opinion of any ones Credit he cannot be brought to make Satisfaction to him that is wrong'd Wherefore the Faithful are here to be admonish'd IV. How this Commandment to be receiv'd To give very great Thanks to God for this so wholsom a Command of not bearing false Witness Whereby not only we our selves are forbidden to wrong others but also by this Obedience we are forbidd'n to be wrong'd by others But we will proceed in this Commandment after the same way and manner V. In this Commandment are two Laws Forbidding Commanding as we did in the rest to wit observing therein two Laws The One forbidding to bear false Witness The other commanding to measure all our Words and Works with naked Truth all Dissembling and Deceit being layd aside Of which Duty the Apostle admonishes the Ephesians in these words Doing the Truth in Love Ephes 4.15 let us increase in him in all things Now the First part of this Commandment has this Sense VI. What this Commandment forbids That tho by the Name of false Testimony is signified whatsoever is constantly said of another either in good or evil part whether in Judgment or out of Judgment Yet that Testimony is especially forbidd'n which in Judgment is falsly given by one that is sworn For a Witness swears by God because the VVords of one so justifying them and using the name of God thereupon have very much VVeight and Belief Now because this Testimony is dangerous Note it is therefore specially forbidd'n for sworn VVitnesses unless debarr'd for weighty Reasons or that their Dishonesty and Naughtiness be manifest the Judge himself cannot refuse since it is the express Command of the Divine Law Matth. 18. that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should stand But that the Faithful may plainly understand this Commandment VII Who is said to be our Neighbor they are to be taught what this word Neighbor signifies against whom it is unlawful to bear false VVitness Now our Neighbor as is gather'd from the Doctrin of Christ our Lord is any one whosoever that wants our help whether he be related to us or not whether of the same City or Town or a stranger whether a Friend or an Enemy Vide Aug. Epist. 52. ad Macedon de Cath. rudibus 26. For it is wicked to believe that it is lawful to speak any thing falsly in Evidence against Enemies VIII It is wicked to bear false Witness against Enemies whom by the Command of God and our Lord we ought to Love Yea IX Unlawful to bear false Witness against â—â—les self Lib. 2 de civit Dei c. 20. and because every one in a certain sort is Neighbor to himself it is not lawful for any one to bear false VVitness against himself which thing they that commit branding themselves with the mark of Shame and Disgrace wound both themselves and the Church whose Members they are after the same manner as they trouble the City who willfully kill themselves For so says S. Austin Nor to those that rightly understand could it seem not to be forbidd'n that any one should be a false VVitness against himself because in the Commandment it is added Against thy Neighbor If any one therefore bear false VVitness against himself let him not therefore think that he is not guilty of this Sin since he that loves takes his rule of loving his Neigbor from himself But because we are forbidd'n to wrong our Neighbor by false VVitness X. For Friendship 's sake we may not bear false Witness let no one therefore think the contrary to be allow'd us by Perjury to profit or advantage him that is related to us by Nature or Religion For we must not gratifie any Body by a Lye or by Vanity much less by Perjury VVherefore S. Austin de mendacio ad Crescentium c. 12.13 14. teaches from the Sentence of the Apostle that a Lie is to be reckoned among false Testimonies altho it be spoke in the false Commendation of any one For handling that place 1 Cor. 1.5 But we are found false Witnesses of God if we bear witness against God that he rais'd Christ from the Dead whom he raisd not if the Dead rise not The Apostle says he calls it false Testimony if any one lies concerning Christ and what seems to belong to his Praise But it very often happens XI He that favors one hurts another that he that favors one Person wrongs another and is a certain means of causing the Judge to err who sometimes being misled by false Witnesses is forc'd to determine somtimes injuriously against that which is right And sometimes it happens XII How dangerous it is to make use of false Witnesses that he that has overcome in Judgment by means of any ones false Testimony and goes away unpunish'd rejoycing in his unjust Victory he takes up a custom of corrupting and using false VVitnesses by whose help he hopes to attain to whatsoever he desires But this even to the Witness himself falls out very
in the First Parents both of our Kind and of our Sin and even to this day we have offended by our Wickedness yet he continues his Love towards us nor do's he lay aside that special Care over us Whom if any one thinks that he forgets Men XII A great Sin to say that God forgets Men. Exod. 17.7 he is mad and most unworthily dishonors God God is angry at Israel for the Blasphemy of that Nation which thought it self forsaken of the Divine Care For we read in Exodus They tempted the Lord saying Is God among us or not And in Ezekiel Ezek 8.12 God is angry at the same People because they said God sees us not the Lord has left the Earth The Faithful therefore are to be deterr'd by these Authorities from that wicked Opinion That God can be unmindful of Men. In which sense we may hear the Israelites complaining of God in Esay's Prophecy Note and God on the contrary clearing himself from that their foolish Complaint in a gracious Similitude For thus we read there Isa 49.14 Sion said The Lord has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me To whom God answers Can a Woman forget her Infant that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb Tho she may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have carried thee in my Arms. By which Places tho this be clearly confirm'd XIII God never forgets Men. yet that the Faithful may be fully perswaded that God can at no time lay aside the Care of Men so as not to give them the Effects of his Fatherly Love the Curats shall prove this Matter from the most clear Example of the first of Mankind whom after the neglect and violation of God's Command when you hear them more sharply accus'd and condemn'd with that dreadful Sentence Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the Earth by thy Deed in labor shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy Life Thorns and Briars shall it bring thee forth and thou shalt eat the Grass of the Earth when you see them driven out of Paradice and to take away all hope of return thither when in the entrance of Paradice you read that there is plâ—c'd a Cherubin holding a Flaming Sword turning hither and thither when you understand that they were punish'd with both inward and outward Sorrows by God's revenging their Wrong Would you not think now Observe that Man's Business were done Would you not believe that he were stripp'd not only of all Divine Help but also expos d to all kinds of Wrongs But yet even in these so great Tokens of God's Wrath and Revenge there arise some Sparks of God's Love towards them Gen. 3.2 For says the Scripture The Lord God made for Adam and for his Wife Coats of Skins and he put them upon them And this was a very great Argument that God would never at any time be wanting to Men. The Efficacy of this Sentence XIV God's Love to Man never drawn dry by any Injury Psal 76. Habac 3.2 Mich. 7.18 That the Love of God is not to be exhausted by any Sinfulness of Man David express'd in these Words Will the Lord keep his Mercy in his Anger And this Habacuc speaking to God expounds while he says When thou art angry thou remembrest Mercy So Michaeas Who O God is like to thee who takest away Iniquity and put'st away the Sin of the Relique of thine Inheritance Thou wilt no more send forth thy Fury because thou lov'st Mercy Verily thus the Case is XV. God helps in extremity When we think our selves utterly lost and depriv'd of God's Protection then especially of his Infinite Goodness do's God seek and take care of us For in his Anger he restrains the Sword of his Justice nor do's he cease to pour out the inexhaustible Treasures of his Mercy God's Creation and Providence therefore have a very great Efficacy XVI How rightly God call'd a Father to shew how God loves and defends Mankind But yet that Work of Man's Redemption shines so bright between the other two that the most gracious God and our Father has illustrated his infinite Kindness towards us by pressing in this third Benefit upon the rest Wherefore the Curat shall declare to his Spiritual Children XVII Why we are call'd and are the Children of God and diligently inculcate into their Ears this passing excellent Love of God towards us that they may know that being redeem'd after a wonderful manner they are become the Sons of God For Joh. 1. â—1 says S. John He has given them power to become the Sons of God and they are born of God For which cause Note Baptism which we have as the first Pledge and Token of our Redemption is call'd the Sacrament of Regeneration for thereby we are born the Children of God for our Lord himself says Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and we must be born again And the Apostle S. Peter 1 Pet. 1.25 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible thro the Word of the living God By vertue of this Redemption we have both receiv'd the Holy Spirit XVIII How great the Benefit of Redemption is Rom. 15. and are dignified with Gods ' Grace by which Gift we are adopted the Sons of God as the Apostle S. Paul writes to the Romans Ye have not receiv'd the Spirit of Bondage again to Fear but ye have receiv'd the Spirit of Adoption of Sons in whom we cry Abba Father The Efficacy and Vertue of which Adoption 1 John 3.8 S. John explains after this manner Ye see how great Love the Father has given us that we should be call'd and be the Sons of God These things being explain'd XIX What we ow to God our Father the Faithful are to be admonish'd what return they ought to make to God our most loving Father that they may know what Love and Devotion what Obedience and Veneration they ought to perform to their Creator Governor and Redeemer and with what Hope and Affiance they ought to call upon him But to take away that Folly XX. A great Error to be remov'd and the better to guide the perversness of the Opinion of such as think a prosperous State and happy course of Life is the only Argument that God loves us but when we are exercis'd of God with Adversities and Calamities that that is a Sign that God is angry and has wholly estrang'd his good will from us It must be shew'd XXI When God chastises he loves Job 9.21 Psal 88.34 when the Lords hand touches that the Lord does not do this as an Enemy but that by striking he heals us and that a Wound that comes from God is a Medicine For he chastises sinners That by that Discipline he might make them better and by the present Punishment he redeems them from everlasting Destruction For indeed he visies our