Out of Eccles ch 34. v. 27. He that sheddeth bloud and he that defraudeth the hired man are brethren And out of S. Iames ch 5. v. 4. Behold the hire of the workmen that have reaped your fields which is defrauded by you crieth and the cry hath entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath CHAP. XXI The foure last Things expounded Q. WHat are the Foure Last Things A. Death Iudgement Hell and Heaven Eccles ch 7. v. 28. Q. What understand you by Death A. That we are all mortall and shall once die how soone we are uncertain and therefore must be alwayes prepared for it Q. How prove you that A. Out of Heb. ch 9. v. 27. It is decreed for all men once to die And out of S. Matth. ch 25. v. 13. Watch ye therefore because ye know not the day nor the houre Q. What is the best preparative for death A. A godly life and to be often doing Penance for our sinnes and saying with S. Paul I doe desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. ch 1. v. 23. Q. What else A. To remember often that of S. Matth. ch 16. v. 26. He that will save his life shall lose it and he that shall lose his life for me shall find it Q. What understand you by judgement A. I understand that besides the generall judgement at the last day our soules as soone as we are dead shall receive their particular judgement at the tribunall of Christ according to that Blessed are the dead that die in our Lord from henceforth now saith the spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Apoc. 14. ch v. 13. Q. What is the best preparitive for this judgement A. To remember often that of Heb. ch 10. v. 21. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God And that of 1 Cor. ch 11. v. 31. For if we did judge our selves we should not be judged Q. What understand you by hell A. That such as die in mortall sin and the disfavour of God shall be tormented there both day and night for ever and ever Apoc. ch 20. v. 10. There shall be weeping howling and gnashing of teeth the worme of conscience shall alwaies gnaw them and the fire that tormenteth them shall never be extinguished S. Matth. ch 8. and S. Mark ch 9. Q. What understand you by heaven A. That the elect and faithfull servants of God shall reigne with him for ever in his Kingdome where he hath prepared such delights and comforts for them as neither eye hath seen or eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of man 1 Cor. ch 2. v. 9. Q. How prove you that A. Out of S. Matth. ch 7. v. 21. He that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven he shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Q. VVhat utility is there in the frequent memory of these last things A. Very great according to that In all thy works remember thy last things and thou shalt never sinne Eccles chap. 7. Which God of his great mercy give us grace to doe Amen CHAP. XXII The Ceremonies of the Masse Expounded Q. WHo ordained the Ceremonies of the masse A. The Church directed by the Holy Ghost Q. For what end did she ordaine them A. To stirre up devotion in the people and reverence to the sacred mysteries Q. For what other end A. To instruct the ignorant in spirituall and high things by sensible and materiall signes and by the glory of the Militant to make them apprehend something of the glory of the Triumphant Church Q. What warrant hath the Church to ordain Ceremonies A. The authority of God himselfe in the old Law commanding many and most stately Ceremonies in things belonging to his service See the whole book of Leviticus Q. What besides A. The example of Christ in the new Law using durt and spittle to cure the blind the deafe and dumb he prostrated at his prayer in the Garden three times he lifted up his eyes to heaven and groaned when he was raising Lazarus from the dead which were all Ceremonies Q. Did he use any Ceremonies at at his last Supper where he ordained the Sacrifice of the Masse A. He did for he washed the feet of his Disciples he commanded a roome to be prepared covered with hangings or adorned S. Mark ch 14. v. 15. He blessed the Bread and the Cup and exhorted the Communicants Q. What meaneth the Priests coming back three steps from the Altar and humbling himselfe before he beginneth A. It signifies the prostrating of Christ in the Garden when he began his Passion Q. Why doth the Priest bow himself again at the CONFITEOR A. To move the people to humiliation and to signifie that by the merits and Passion of Christ which they are there met to commemorate salvation may be had if it be sought with a contrite and humble heart Q. Why doth he beat his breast at MEA CULPA A. To teach the people to return unto the heart and signifie that all sinne is from the heart and ought to be ascribed to the heart with hearty sorry Q. Why doth the Priest ascending to the Altar kisse the Altar in the middle A. Because the Altar signifies the Church composed of divers people as of divers living stones which Christ kissed in the middle by giving a holy kisse of peace both to the Jewes and Gentiles Q. What signifies the INTROITE A. The desires and groanings of the antient Fathers after the coming of Christ Q. Why is the INTROITE repeated twice A. To signifie the frequent repetition of their desires and supplications Q. Why doe we adde unto the INTROITE GLORIA PATRI c. Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost Amen A. To render thankes to the most Blessed Trinity for our redemption accomplished by the Crosse Q. What meanes the KYRIE ELEISON A. It signifies Lord have mercy on us and is repeated thrice in honour of the Father thrice in honour of the Son and thrice in honour of the Holy Ghost Q. Why so often A. To signifie our great necessity and earnest desire to find mercy Q. What meanes the GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO A. It is the song which the Angells sung at the birth of Christ and used in this place to signifie that the mercy which wee beg was brought us by his birth and death Q. What meanes the Collect A. It is the Priests Prayer and is called a Collect because it collecteth and gathereth together the supplications of the multitude speaking them all with one voice and because it is a collection or summe of the Epistle and Gospell of the Masse for the most part of the yeare especially of all the Sundayes Q. Why doth the Clarke say AMEN A. He doth it in the name of the People to signifie that they all concurre with the Priest in his petition or Prayer Q. What meaneth the
garment his Scepter of a reed and shewing to the people with loe the man Q. What by the sixth houre A. His unjust condemnation to death his carrying of the Crosse his stripping and nailing to the Crosse Q. What by the ninth houre A. His drinking gall and vinegar his dying on the Crosse and the opening of his side with a speare Q. What by the Evensong A. His taking downe from the Crosse and the darknesse which was made upon the face of the earth Q. What by the Compline A. His Funerall or Buriall Briefly thus The Mattins and Lauds his Agony and binding in the Garden the Prime his scoffes and false accusations the third houre his cloathing with purple and crowning with thornes the sixth houre his condemning and nailing to the Crosse the ninth houre his yeelding up the Ghost and the opening of his side the Evensong his taking from the Crosse and the Compline his Buriall The particulars of the Office Expounded Q. WHy doth our Ladies Office alwaies begin with an AVE MARIA A. To dedicate the Office to our Lady and beg her aid for the devout performance of it to Gods honour Q. VVhy doe we begin every Houre with Incline unto mine aid O God O Lord make hast to helpe me A. To acknowledge our infirmity and misery and the great need we have of divine assistance not only in all other things but also in our very prayers according to that of the Apostle No man can say LORD JESUS but in the Holy Ghost Q. VVhy do we add to this Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost A. To signifie that the intention of the Office is in the first place to give one equall glory to the most Blessed Trinity and to invite all creatures to do the like this is the principall aime of the whole Office therefore we not onely begin every Houre but also end every Psalme with the same Verse Q. VVho ordained the GLORIA PATRI A. The Apostles according to Baronius in his 3. Tome the yeare of Christ 325. Q. Why do we joyne unto the GLORIA PATRI SICUT ERAT As it was in the beginning both now and alwaies world without end A. Because that was made by the Councell of Nice against the Arrians who denied Christ to be coequall and consubstantiall to his Father or to have been before the Virgin Mary Q. Why after this for a great part of the yeare and especially betwixt Easter and Whitsontide doe we say ALLELUIA ALLELUIA A. Because that is a time of joy and ALLELUIA is an Hebrew word signifying Praise ye the Lord with all joy and exultation of heart Q. Why were it not better changed into English A. Because it is the language of the very Blessed in heaven according to Apoc. ch 8. v. 6. Therefore the Church hath forbidden it to be translated into any other language Q. Why in Lent and some other times do we say instead of ALLELUIA Praise be to thee O Lord King of eternall glory A. Because those are times of penance and therefore God must be praised rather with teares then exultation Q. VVhy do we alwaies say for the Invitatory Haile â—ary full of grace our Lord is with thee A. To congratulate and renew the memory of our Blessed Ladies joy conceived at the conception of her Sonne Jesus and to invite both men and Angells to doe the like Q. VVhat signifie the five Verses following the Invitatory which begin Come let us exult unto our Lord A. The five wounds of Christ from which all our Prayer hath its force and merit and in honour of which those Versicles are said Q. VVhat meane the Hymnes A. They are a Poeticall expression of the Prerogatives and Praises of our Lady Q. VVhy are so many Psalmes used in the Office A. Because they were dictated by the Holy Ghost and do containe in a most moving manner all the affections of piety and devotion Q. Why are there but three Psalmes in most of the houres A. In honour of the most Blessed Trinity to whom chiefly the whole Office is directed Q. Why was the Office divided into so many Houres A. I have told you the chief reason already and one other reason was that so there might be no houre either of day or night to which some Houre of the Office might not correspond Q. What doe the Mattins correspond to A. To the first second and third Watch of the night consisting of three houres apiece and therefore the Mattins consist of three Psalms and three Lessons Q. What doe the Lauds correspond to A. To the fourth Watch of the night Q. VVhat doe the Prime the third the sixth and ninth houres correspond to A. To the first the third the sixth and ninth houres of the day Q. VVhat do the Evensong and Compline correspond to A. To the Evening Q. VVhat mean the Benedictions or Blessings given before the Eessons A. They are short Aspirations to beg divine assistance and the first is in honour of the Father the second in honour of the Son the third in honour of the Holy Ghost Q. What do the Lessons contain A. The mysticall praises of our Blessed Lady taken out of the Prophets Q. Why doe we end every Lesson saying But thou O Lord have mercy on us A. To beg that the praises and vertues of our Lady which we have there read may be deeply setled in our hearts and that God would pardon our former negligence in both his and her service Q. Why is it answered Thanks be to God A. To render thankes to God for his mercy in bestowing such a Patronesse on us as the Blessed Virgin Mary Q. What mean the Responsories A. They are so called because they answer unto one another Q. VVhat are the Antiphones A. The Verticles which are begun before the Psalmes Q. VVhy doe wee rise up and stand at the MAGNIFICAT BENEDICTUS and NUNC DIMITTIS A. To signifie our reverence to the Gospell out of which those are taken Q. VVhat is the Collect A. It is the Prayer and is so called because it collecteth and gathereth together all the Petitions and supplications of the whole Office Q. VVhy is the Collect alwaies ended with those words Through our Lord Jesus Christ c. A. To signifie that he is our only Mediator of Redemption and principal Mediator of Intercession and that we cannot merit any thing by our prayers unlesse we make them in his Name Q. VVhy make we a Commemoration of the Saints A. To praise God in his Saints according to the advice of the Psalmist Psa 150. and to commend our felves to their merits and prayers Q. VVhy end we every houre with those words And let the soules of the faithfull through the mercy of God rest in peace A. That the poore soules in Purgatory may be partakers of all our Prayers and supplications Q. VVhy is the whole Office ended with some Hymne or Antiphone to our Lady A. That by her it may be presented to her Son and by him to his eternall Father FINIS A Table of the Chapters and principall Contents of this Book Chap. 1. WHat a Christian is And of the Blessed Trinity pag. 1 Chap. 2. Faith explicated 6 Chap. 3. The Creed expounded 9 1. Article 10 2. Article 17 3. Article 22 4. Article 24 5. Article 27 6. Article 30 7. Article 32 8. Article 37 9. Article 39 10. Article 62 11. Article 64 12. Article 68 Chap. 4. Hope and Prayer explicated Chap. 5. The Pater Noster expounded 84 Chap. 6. The Haile Mary or Angelicall Salutation expounded 96 Chap. 7. Charity expounded 102 Chap. 8. The X. Commandements expounded 108 1. Commandement 114 2. Commandement 130 3. Commandement 133 4. Commandement 140 5. Commandement 147 6. Commandement 149 7. Commandement 152 8. Commandement 155 9. 10. Commandements 159 Chap. 9. The Commandements of the Church expounded 162 Chap. 10. The Councells of Christ and his Church expounded 172 Chap. 11. An Exposition of the 7. Sacraments 176 1. Baptisme 184 2. Confirmation 192 3. The Eucharist 193 4. Penance 210 5. Extreme Vnction 219 6. Holy Order 222 7. Matrimony 231 Chap. 12. The cardinall Vertues expounded 239 Chap. 13. The Gifts of the Holy Ghost explicated 241 Chap. 14. The 12 Fruits of the Holy Ghost expounded 243 Chap. 15. The Works of Mercy 246 Chap. 16. The 8. Beatitudes 249 Chap. 17. Kinds of sin explicated 250 Chap. 18. The 7. Deadly Sins expounded 261 Chap. 19. The sins against the Holy Ghost 276 Chap. 20. The sins that cry to heaven for vengeance 280 Chap. 21. The foure last Things 283 Chap. 22. The Ceremonies of the Masse expounded 287 Chap. 23. The Office of our B. Lady expounded 307 VVHat faults the Printer through his ignorance in this Language hath committed the courtesie of the Reader may correct and chiefly these Errata Pag. 19. lin 6. read any thing p. 39 l. 2. dele in p. 41. l. 1. r. feed my lambâ— p. 47. l. 3. r. consolation p. 58. l. 19. â— 20. r. every false tongue shall p. 60. l. 8 r. over us p. 103. l. 3. r. is it a. p. 119. â— r. two Cherubins p. 141. l. 1. r. bound p. 145. l. 15. r. your Prelates l. 17 your soules p. 150. l. 1. r. mortall p 159. l. 10. r. wife Thou p. 162. l. 6. â— help it p. 173. l. 5. r. reward p. 183. l. 〈…〉 r. administration p. 189. l. 12. r. Godâ— child p. 217. l. 18. r. thy sinne p. 23 l. 10. r. Lia. p. 248. l. 10. dele of p. 290 〈…〉 2. r. sorrow
There be in number twelve as you may see in Gal. ch 5. Q. What is the first A. Charity whose nature and effects you know already Q. What is the second A. Ioy by which we are enabled to serve God with cheerfull hearts Q. What is the third A. Peace which keepeth us unmoved in our minds amidst the stormes and tempests of this world Q. What is the fourth A. Patience which enableth us to suffer all adversities for the love of God Q. What is the fifth A. Long animity which is an untired confidence of mind in expecting the good things of the life to come Q. What is the sixth A. Goodnesse which maketh us hurt no man and doe good unto all Q. What is the seventh A. Benignity which causeth an affable sweetnesse in our manners and conversation Q. What is the Eighth A. Mildnesse which allayeth in us all the motions of passion and anger Q. What is the ninth A. Fidelity which maketh us punctuall observers of our Covenants and Promises Q. What is the tenth A. Modesty which suppresseth in us all pride and haughtinesse Q. What is the eleventh A. Continency which maketh us not only abstemious in meat and drinke but in all other sensible delights Q. What is the twelfth A. Chastity which keepeth a pure soule in a pure body Q. VVho are they that have these fruits A. The Children of God onely for whosoever are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. ch 8. v. 14. CHAP. XV. The Works of Merey Expounded Q. HOw many are the Workes of Mercy Corporall A. Seven 1. To feed the hungry 2. To give drinke to the thirsty 3. To cloath the naked 4. To harbour the harbourlesse 5. To visit the sicke 6. To visite the imprisoned And 7. To bury the dead Q. How prove you that these workes are meritorious of a reward A. Because Christ hath promised the Kingdome of heaven as the reward of them Come O ye blessed of my Father saith he and possesse ye the Kingdome c. for I was hungry and ye gave me to eat c. S. Mat. ch 25. v. 35 36. Q. When are we said to feed and cloath Christ A. As often as we feed and cloath the poore in his Name what ye have done saith he to one of my little ones that ye have done unto me the same ch v. 40. Q. Is the reward of these works a reward of Justice A. It is according to 2 Tim. ch 4. v. 8. I have fought a good fight saith S. Paul there is a crowne of Justice laid up for me which our Lord will render to mee at that day a just Iudge Q. VVhat other proofe have you A. Out of Heb. ch 6. v. 10. For God is not unjust that he should forget the worke and love which you have shewed in his Name who have ministred unto the Saints and do minister Q. How many be the Workes of Mercy Spirituall A. Seven also 1. To give counsell to the doubtfull 2. To instruct the ignorant 3. To admonish sinners 4. To comfort the afflicted 5. To for give offences 6. To beare patiently the troublesome 7. To pray for the quicke and the dead Q. How prove you prayer for the dead A. First out of of the places above-cited for Purgatory Secondly out of 1 S. John ch 5. v. 16. He that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not unto death let him aske and life shall be given him not sinning to death i. by finall impenitence therefore it is lawfull to pray for all such as die penitent and confessing their sinnes And in 2 Mach. ch 12. we read It is therefore a wholesome and holy cogitation to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sinnes Q. How shew you these workes to be meritorious A. Out of Dan. ch 12. v. 2. They which instruct others unto Justice shall shine as starres for all eternity CHAP. XVI The eight Beatitudes Q. WHat are the eight Beatitudes A. The summe of them is 1. Poverty of spirit 2. Meeknesse 3. Mourning 4. To hunger and thirst after Justice 5. Mercifulnesse 6. Cleannesse of heart 7. To be Peace-makers 8. To suffer persecution for Justice sake See S. Mat. ch 5. Q. VVhence ariseth the necessity of suffering Persecution A. Because all that will live piously in Iesus Christ shall suffer Persecution CHAP. XVII The kinds of sinne explicated Q. WHy is it necessary for a Christian to know the natures and the kinds of sin A. That so he may detest them and avoid them Q. How many kinds of sinne be there A. Two kinds namely Originall and Actuall sin Q. What is Originall sin A. It is a privation of Originall Iustice which we inherit from our first Parent Adam and are all born in that privation or Originall sin Q. How prove you that A. Out of Rom. ch 5. v. 12. Therefore as by one man sin entred into the world and by sin death and so unto all men death did passe in whom all have sinned Q. What are the effects of Originall sinne A. Concupisence ignorance evill inclinations pronenesse to sin sicknesse and death Q. How is Originall sinne taken away A. By holy Baeptisme Q. Whither goe Infants which die without Baptisme A. To the upper part of hell where they indure the pain of losse though not of sense and shall never see the face of God Q. How prove you that A. Out of S. Iohn ch 3. v. 5. Vnlesse any one be borne againe of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Q. What is Actuall sinne A. It is a thought word or deed contrarie to the Law of God Q. What is a sin of Omission A. To omit any thing willingly which is commanded by God or by his Church Q. Why is Actuall sin so called A. Because the materiall part of it is commonly some voluntary act of ours Q. Is all sinne voluntary and deliberate A. It is speaking of Actuall sinne for no man sinneth in doing that which is not in his power to avoid Q. VVhat other proofe have you A. Because the whole Gospell of Christ is nothing else but an Exhortation to doe good and avoid evill then which nothing were more vaine if it be not in the free election and power of man as assisted by Gods grace to do or not to do such things Q. What Scripture have you for that A. Out of Gen. ch 4. v. 7. If thou doe well shalt not thou receive again But if thou dost ill shall not thy sinne be forthwith present at the doore but the desire thereof of sin shall be under thee and thou shalt have dominion over it Q. What besides A. Out of Deut. ch 30. v. 19. 20. I call to witnesse this day heaven and earth saith our Lord that I have proposed to thee life and death blessing and cursing choose therefore life that thou maist live Q. What other yet A. Out of 1 Cor. ch 7. v. 37.