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
the daily reading thereof or at least so frequently that whatsoever this Book contains may be kept in Memory A Second way of using this sacred Work is commanded by St. Charles in his Second Synod at Millan before cited to wit that when the Curats of any Neighborhood come to meet each other they should frequently commune about some part of this Catechism which is now become a commendable Custom and Usage every Week in the Famous Presbytery of S. Nicholas de Cardineto in Paris The Third way of using this Catechism is prescribed by the same St. Charles in his Third Synod at Millan where it is commanded that as often as the Curats are to administer any Sacrament they teach and expound to the People the Points and Doctrin of this Book the same is appointed in the Synod of Roan in Normandy The Fourth way of using this Book is propos'd in the Synod of Bourdeaux before cited where it is appointed that on all Holy-days the Curats teach the People out of this Catechism some of those things which it concerns all Christians to know The Fifth way is prescrib'd in the Synod of Cremona Anno 1603. Pag. 9. in these words By the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Ghost those Fathers that were in the Council of Trent commanded that as soon as may be the Roman Catechism might be written out of which as out of the most fruitful Breasts of our Holy Mother all the Clergy may suck the most sweet Milk of the Church's Doctrin That Custom therefore which was holily introduced into our Seminaries for all the Clergy to explain the Roman Catechism shall by all means be henceforth observ'd daily or at least thrice every Week by all Clerks that teach School The Sixth way is prescrib'd by the Fathers themselves in the very Preface of the Catechism THE PREFACE OF THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES By the Decree of the Council of TRENT Wherein the intent of the Council the necessity and use of the whole work are laid open SUch is the condition of the mind and understanding of man as that I The weakness of the light of nature when of it self with great labour and diligence it has discover'd and learn'd many of those things which belong to the knowledge of divine matters Yet the greatest part of those things whereby eternal salvation is to be attain'd and for which cause chiefly man was at first created and made after the image and likeness of God it could never have discover'd by the mere light of nature The invisible things of God as the Apostle teaches from the Creature of the world II. The necessity of supernatural revelation Rom. 1.20 Coloss 1.26 27. are indeed clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead But that mystery which was hid from all ages and generations does so far surpass all humane understanding that if it had not bin manifested to the Saints to whom it pleas'd God by the gift of faith to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ among the Gentiles it had bin impossible by any study or labor of man to aspire to that wisdom But whereas faith is conceiv'd by hearing III. The necessity of Teachers Rom. 10.14 15 16. it is manifest how necessary the labor and ministery of a legitimate and faithful teacher has always bin to the attaining eternal salvation For it is written How can they bear without a preacher and how can they preach except they be sent And indeed IV. God has never bin wanting to those that are his Heb. 1.1 2. Isa 49.6 Heb. 12.25 2 Pet. 1.17 from the very beginning of the World the most merciful and gracious God has never bin wanting to those that are his But by many and manifold ways has spoken to the fathers by the Prophets and according to the condition of times has chalk'd them out a certain and direct way to celestial happiness But because he foretold he wou'd give a teacher of righteousness for a light of the Gentiles and for salvation to the ends of the earth He has last of all spoken to us by his Son whom also by a voice sent down from the most excellent glory Ephes 4.21 he has commanded all to hear and obey his commands And then the Son gave some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers to preach the word of life that we may not be carry'd about as children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine but sticking close to the firm foundation of faith may be built together in the house of God in the Holy Ghost And lest any one shou'd receiv the word of God from the ministers of the Church V. How the pastors of the Church ought to be heard as the word of men and not as it is indeed the word of Christ our very Savior himself has appointed so great an authority to be given to their direction that he says He that bears you bears me and he that despises you Luc. 10.25 despises me Which yet he would not have to be understood of those only to whom he then spake but also of all those who by a lawful succession shou'd afterwards be receiv'd to the office of Teaching with whom he promis'd to be always present Matt. 28.20 even to the end of the world But whereas the preaching of the divine word ought never to be intermitted in the Church VI. The necessity of preaching Gods word so at this time with much greater piety and industry ought it to be endeavour'd that with sound and uncorrupt doctrine as with the food of life the Faithful shou'd be nourish'd and confirm'd For there are false Prophets gone out into the world 1 John 4.1 of whom the Lord said Jer. 23.11 I sent not the Prophets and yet they ran I spake not to them and yet they prophesi'd to corrupt the minds of Christians by divers and strange doctrines wherein their wickedness furnish'd with all the arts of Satan has proceeded so far that it seems scarcely possible to be kept in any bounds And were we not confirm'd by that excellent and clear promise of our Savior who affirms that he had laid the foundation of his Church so sure Matt 16.28 that the gates of Hell shou'd never be able to prevail against her It might at this time be very much fear'd that being on every side beset by her enemies oppos'd and try'd by so many engines and devices she shou'd utterly perish For VII Heresie breaking forth to omit those most noble provinces and countries which heretofore have piously and holily embrac'd and retain'd that true catholic religion which they received from their ancestors or forefathers but now leaving the right way have gone astray and do openly profess their greatest piety and religion to consist in this That they are departed and gone far away from the doctrine of their forefathers There
cast out far from the sight of God nor can they receive any comfort from any Hope that they shall ever enjoy so great a Good And This by Divines is call'd the Pain of Loss viz. That the Wicked in Hell shall for ever want the Light of the Vision of God But that which is added ye Cursed does wonderfully increase their misery and calamity For if when they are to be driven out from the presence of God they might be thought worthy of some small Blessing this might truly be some considerable comfort to them But for as much as they must expect nothing that can alleviate their misery when they are cast out the Divine Justice will rightly follow them with every Malediction and Curse And then follows Into everlasting-fire which other kind of Pain Divines call the Pain of Sense because it can be felt by the bodily Senses as in Stripes Buffetings and other more grievous kinds of punishments among which there can be no doubt that the torments of Fire do cause the most exquisite sense of Pain to which evil when it is added that all this wilt be For ever it is thereby shew'd that the pains of the Damn'd will be loaded with all kinds of punishments And This those words which are plac'd in the latter part of the Sentence more fully declare Which is prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels For whereas so it is that we can more easily endure all troubles if we have some Companion and Consort of our Calamity by whose prudence and humanity we may in some measure be reliev'd what at last will be the Misery of the Damn'd who tho loaded with so great Torments shall notwithstanding never be deliver'd from the company of the most accursed Devils And this indeed is the Sentence that shall most justly be denounc'd by our Lord and Savior upon the Wicked as being they who neglected all works of true Piety and gave neither Meat nor Drink to the Hungry and Thirsty took not in the Stranger cloath'd not the Naked and visited not the Sick and Imprison'd These are the things which the Curats ought often to inculcate into the ears of the Faithful XI Discourse of the last Judgment should be frequent and why Eccles 40. Aug. Ser. 120. de Temp. Greg. Hom. 3 9. in Eâ—â—â—ng Bernaâ—â— Serm. 1. in sesto omnium sanctorum For the Truth of this Article being rightly believ'd will have great force to bridle the wicked desires of the mind and hold men back from sinning Wherefore in Ecclesiasticus it is said In all thy works remember thy latter end and thou wilt not sin forever And indeed hardly will any one be carri'd head-long into wickedness whom this Consideration cannot recal to the study of Piety That sometime or other he must give an Account before the most just Judge not only of all his Actions and Words but also of his most hidden Thoughts and must suffer Punishment according to his desert But it must needs be that the Just will be more stirr'd up to do Justice and to rejoyce exceedingly tho he here lead his life in Want in Disgrace and Afflictions when he thinks in his mind of that Day when after the combat of this troublesome life he shall in the hearing of all Men be proclaim'd a Conquerer and shall be receiv'd into his heav'nly Country and adorn'd with Divine Honour What remains therefore but that the Faithful be exhorted to take the best manner of life and exercise themselves in the study of all Piety that so they may with the greater Joy and Security of Mind wait for and expect the coming of that great Day of the Lord and so as becomes Children with the greatest Earnestness to desire it ARTICLE VIII I Believ in the Holy Ghost Hitherto those things have bin expounded I. Fith in the Holy Ghost necessary so far as the Reason of the Argument seem'd to require which belong'd to the First and Second Person of the Holy Trinity Now it follows That those things also which in the Creed are deliver'd concerning the Third Person that is the Holy Ghost shou'd be explain'd In treating of which matter the Pastors shou'd use their utmost Endeavor and Diligence Act. 19.2 seeing it is to be suppos'd That a Christian Man may no more be ignorant of This part or not believe rightly concerning it than of the other former Articles Wherefore the Apostle would not suffer certain of the Ephesians to be ignorant of the Person of the Holy Ghost Of whom when he ask'd Whether they had receiv'd the Holy Ghost and when they answer'd That they knew not whether there was an Holy Ghost he presently ask'd them In whom therefore were ye baptiz'd In which words he signify'd That the distinct knowledg of this Article is necessary to the Faithful from which they have this Fruit especially that when they consider attentively That whatsoever they have they have it of the Gift and Bounty of the Holy Ghost then do they begin to think more modestly and humbly of themselves and to place all their Hope in Gods Protection which ought to be the First Step of a Christian to the highest Wisdom and Happiness We must therefore begin the explanation of this Article from the Force and Notion which here is included in that Name of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit for the very same may indifferently and rightly be said both of the Father and of the Son II What the Holy Ghost properly signifies for either of them is a Spirit and Holy for we confess that God is a Spirit and besides that the Angels and the Souls of the Pious are signify'd by this word there must care be taken lest the people by the ambiguity of the Word be led into Eror In this Article therefore it must be taught That the Third Person of the Trinity is understood by the name of the Holy Ghost after which manner in the Holy Scriptures both of the Old Testament sometimes and of the New Testament very frequently he is taken for David prays Ps 50.12 Wisd 9 17. 〈◊〉 1.9 Matt. 1.20 Luc. 1.35 And take not thy Holy Spirit from me In the Book of Wisdom we read Who has known thy counsel except thou give Wisdom and send thy Holy Spirit from above And elsewhere He created it by his Holy Spirit And in the New Testament we are commanded to be baptiz d In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And we read That the most Holy Virgin did conceive by the Holy Ghost and we are also sent by S. John to Christ Joh. 1.15 who baptizes us with the Holy Ghost and in many other places besides in reading we may meet with this Word And no one ought to wonder III. Why the H ly Ghost hâ—s no proper name That a proper name is not giv'n to the Third Person as there is to the First and Second for the Second Person
Death should fly from them This Immortality then is common to the Good and to the Bad. Furthermore XIV Four Gifts of the Glory of our Bodys the reviv'd Bodies of the Saints will have some signal and excellent Oraments whereby they shall be render'd much more Noble than ever they were before and specially these Four which are call'd Dowers or Gifts and have been observ'd by the Fathers from the very Doctrin of the Apostles Of these see S. Austin Serm 99. de Temp. Ambr. in Com. in 1. ad Cor. c. 15. The First of these is Impassibility Impassibility to wit a Dower or Gift which makes them that they cannot suffer any trouble nor be affected with any grief or inconvenience For the force of Cold the heat of Fire or the violence of Water cannot hurt them It is sown says the Apostle in Corruption but it shall rise in Incorruption But the Schoolmen call this Impassbility rather than Incorruption for this reason to shew that it belongs properly to the Glorious Body For Impassibility is not common to them with the Damn'd whose Bodies tho they be incorruptible yet they can burn and freez and be afflicted with divers Torments After this follows Brightness Brightness Matt. 13.33 Matt. 17.2 Phil. 3.21 1 Co. 13.4 wherewith the Bodies of the Saints shall shine as the Sun for so testifies our Savior in S. Matthew The Just says he shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father And lest any one may doubt thereof he has declar'd the same by the example of his own Transfiguration This the Apostle sometimes calls Glory Exod. 34.9 and sometimes Brightness Exod. 34.9 He will reform says he the Body of our Humility that it be made like to the Body of his Brightness It is sown in Dishonor it rises in Glory Of this Glory the people of Israel in the Wilderness saw a kind of resemblance when Moses's Face 2 Cor. 3.7 by talking with God and being in his presence did so shine that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look upon it Now this Brightness is a kind of shining Glory redounding to the Body from the most transcendent Happiness of the Soul so that it is a kind of Communication of that Bliss which the Soul enjoys after which manner also the Soul herself is made happy because on her part of the divine Happiness is deriv'd But with This Gift we are not to believe That all are alike adorn'd as they are with the former For all the Bodies of the Saints shall be indeed equally impassible but the same Splendor they shall not have For as the Apostle Testifies 1 Cor. 15.41 There is one Brightness of the Sun and another Brightness of the Moon and another Brightness of the Stars for Star differs from Star in Brightness so also is the Resurrection of the Dead With this Gift is joyn'd that which they call Agility or Swiftness Agility whereby the Body shall be freed from that weight wherewith it is now press'd And may with the greatest ease be so mov'd into what part soever the Soul would have it that there can nothing be swifter than that motion Aug. de Civit Dei l. 13. c. 18. 20. l. 22. c. 11. Hier. in Enc. c. 40. Subtilty even as S. Austin in his book De Civitate Dei and Hierom in Esaiam have taught Wherefore the Apostle says It is sown in Weakness it is rais'd in Power And to these is added that which is call'd Subtilty by vertue whereof the Body is wholly made subject to the government of the Soul serves her and is ready at her commands And this is shew'd by the Words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sown an Animal Body it is rais'd a Spiritual Body These are in a manner the chief heads which are to be taught in the explaining of this Article But that the Faithful may know what Fruit they may gather from the knowledg of so many XV. How many and what Fruits may be had from this Article The First and so great Mysteries First we must declare That we must give the greatest Thanks to God who has hid these things from the Wife and reveal'd them to little ones For how many Men have there been exceedingly commendable for Prudence or furnish'd with singular Learning who yet as to this most certain Truth have been stark blind That therefore he has made known these things to us who could not aspire to that understanding there is reason enough that with perpetual praises we celebrate his good-will and Mercy And then this great Fruit will follow from the Meditation of this Article The Second to wit That in the Death of them who are joyn'd to us either by kindred or friendship we can easily comfort both our selves and others which kind of comfort it 's manifest the Apostle us'd when he wrote to the Thessalonians concerning those that slept And also in all other afflictions and calamities 1 Thess 4 13. The Third the thought of the Resurrection to come brings us the greatest ease of our grief Job 19.24 as we have learn'd by Jobs example who by this only Hope bore up his afflicted and troubled mind that there would be a Time when at the Resurrection he should behold the Lord his God Besides this will very much prevail with the Faithful The Fourth to take great care to lead an upright and a just life and wholly clean from all pollution of sin For if they but consider those exceeding great riches which at the Resurrection shall be given and now are offer'd them they will easily be drawn to the study of vertue and piety And on the contrary The Fifth Joh. 5 29. There is nothing will have a greater force to bridle the Lusts of the mind and restrain Men from wickedness than to be often put in mind with what mischiefs and torments the wicked shall be punish'd who at that last day shall come to the Resurrection of Judgment ARTICLE XII THe Life everlasting The Holy Apostles our Leaders would conclude and shut up the Creed I. Why this is the last Article of the Creed wherein the sum of our Faith is contained with the Article of Life Everlasting both because after the Resurrection of the Flesh the Faithful are to expect nothing else but the reward of Everlasting Life and also that that perfect Happiness and which is full of all good things should be always before our Eyes and to teach us to fix our whole mind and all our thoughts thereupon Wherefore in teaching the Faithful the Curats shall never intermit to inflame their minds with the propos'd rewards of Eternal Life and shall teach them that all things yea even the most difficult are to be endur'd for the Christian names sake are to be esteem'd as easie and pleasant and that they should be render'd more ready and chearful to obey God But because
under these words II. What the Discipline of this Article is which in this place are us'd to declare our Happiness very many Mysteries lye closely hid they are so to be open'd that according to every mans capacity they may be clear'd The Faithful therefore are to be admonish'd That in these words Life Everlasting is signifi'd as well that Blessedness which satisfies the desire of the Bless'd as the Perpetuity of Life which the Devils and Wicked Men shall 1 also have Luc. 18.27 Matt 19.29 25.46 Aug. de Civ Dei l. 19. c 11 and so that Lawyer conceiv'd who in the Gospel asked of our Lord and Savior What he should do to possess everlasting Life as if he had said What must I do that I may come to that place where I may enjoy perfect felicity In this sense the Holy Scripture understands these words as may be gather'd from many places But by This name especially that most excellent Blessedness is call'd lest any one should think that it consists in corporeal and transitory things which cannot be Everlasting For neither could this word Blessedness sufficiently express what was design'd especially seeing there have not been wanting Men puffed up with an opinion of a vain kind of Wisdom who have plac'd the Chiefest Good in those things which are perceiv'd by the Senses For these things perish and grow old But Blessedness is to be limited by no term of Time yea rather these earthly things are farthest from true Happiness from which he is gone far away who is held with the Love and Desire of the World for it is written 1 Joh. 2.15 ibid. 17. 1 Pet. 2.11 Love not the World nor the Things of the World if any one love the World the Love of the Father is not in him And a little after The World passes away and the Concupiscence thereof These things therefore the Curats shall take diligent care to impress upon the minds of the Faithful that they may resolve to despise mortal things and know that in This life where we are not Citizens but Strangers they can have no Happiness Tho here also we may rightly be said to be Happy in Hope Tit. 2.13 If denying Vngodliness and worldly Desires we live soberly justly and godly in this World waiting for that blessed Hope and the coming of the Glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ These things when many who seem'd very wise understood not and thought that in This Life Happiness was to be sought they became Fools Rom. 1.2 and fell into the greatest Calamities But besides IV. Bliss must needs be Everlasting by Vertue of these words The Life Everlasting we perceive that Happiness once gotten can never be lost as some falsely have suppos'd for Happiness is made up of all kinds of Good without any mixture of evil Which seeing it satisfies the desire of Man it must necessarily consist in Eternal Life For neither can a Bless'd Man chuse but greatly desire forever to enjoy those good things which he has gotten Wherefore unless that Possession be sure and settl'd it must needs be troubl'd with an exceeding torment of Fear See S. Austin de Civit Dei lib. 12. c. 20. lib. 22. c. 29. 30. de libero arbit c. 15. de verb. Domini serm 64. serm 37 de Sanctis But how great the Happiness of the Bless'd who live in their Heavenly Country V. Everlasting Bliss cannot be express'd by Words is and that it can be comprehended unless merely in name by themselves only these very words which we name when we say The Bless'd Life sufficiently shew For if when to express any thing we use that name which is common to many other things we easily perceive that we want a proper name whereby plainly to express the thing When therefore Happiness is there signifi'd in words which suit no better with the Bless'd than with all the rest that live for ever this is an argument to us That there is some higher and more excellent thing which passes our Reason to signifie it perfectly by any proper name For tho in Holy Scripture there are very many other names given to this Heavenly Happiness such as are The Kingdom of God of Christ of Heaven Paradice the Holy City the New Jerusalem the House of our Father Yet it is plain that there is none of them all sufficient to explain the Greatness of it Wherefore the Curats may not pretermit the occasion offer'd them in this place VI. The force of this Article to perswade to Piety of inviting the Faithful by so ample rewards as are signified in these words Life Everlasting to Piety Justice and all Offices of Christian Religion For it is manifest that Life is us'd to be reckon'd among the greatest Goods of Nature and in this Good chiefly when we say The Life Everlasting is Blessedness said to be Now if we love nothing more if there be nothing more dear or more sweet to us than this slender and miserable Life which is subject to so many and so manifold Miseries that it may more truly be call'd a Death with what intention of mind with what earnestness ought we to seek after that Everlasting Life which being freed from all evils has a perfect and absolute supply of all good things For as the Holy Fathers have taught Chrysost in 30 c p. ad Theo. l. lapsum Aug. de Civit. Dei lib 22. c. 30. Aâ—se'm Ep. 2. de simil c. 47. seq Apoc 7.16 Ibid. 21.4 Serm. 64. de verb. Domini de Sâ—mb ad Catech. The Happiness of Eternal Life is to be defin'd A Freedom from all Evil and an enjoyment of all Good Of the Evil these Testimonies of Holy Scripture are very clear It is written in the Apocalyps or Revelation They shall hunger and thirst no more nor shall the Sun or the Heat fall upon them And again God shall wipe away every Tear from their Eyes and there shall be no more Death nor Sorrow nor Crying nor Grief because the first things are past away But then the Glory of the Bless'd will be boundless and the kinds of solid joy and pleasure will be innumerable The greatness of which Glory since our Understandings cannot conceive and since they can by no means enter into our Minds it is needsul that we enter into it to wit into the joy of our Lord that being every way compass'd about with it we may abundantly satiate the desire of our Heart But tho lib. 3. ult as S. Austin writes it seems more easie to number up the Evils we shall want than the Goods and Pleasures we shall enjoy yet it must be endeavored briefly and clearly to explain those things which may inflame the Faithful with the desire of getting this most excellent Happiness But first it is necessary to use this distinction VII Bliss twofold Essential Accidental which we have learn'd from the
and undertakes to lead a new way and manner of Life it is but just not to grant Baptism to any one that is unwilling to receive it or that refuses it but to them only who chearfully and freely receive it Wherefore by Holy Tradition it has bin receiv'd Aug. de poen Mediâ— c. 2. D. Thom. 2. p. q. 68. sect 7. and always observ'd Not to administer Baptism to any before he be ask'd whether he wills it Nay even in Children and Infants it must be suppos'd that that Will is not wanting Since the Will of the Church which answers for them is not obscure Besides Madmen and Furious XXXIX Wheter Mad persons ought to be baptiz'd and when D. Thom. 3.3 p. q. 86. art 12. who being sometimes in their Wits and then falling again into Madness have at that time no Will to receive Baptism are not to be baptiz'd unless there be danger of Life But when they are in such danger of Life if before they began to fall mad they gave any Tokens of their Will to be baptiz'd they are to be baptiz'd Note .. But if not we must abstain from administring it to such The same thing ought to be judg'd of them that sleep But if they never were in a sound mind so that they had no use of Reason they are to be baptiz'd in the Faith of the Church no otherwise than Children are who want reason as both the Authority and Practice of the Church sufficiently declare But besides the Will of Baptism XL. Three things requir'd in Adult persons to be baptiz'd Faith Penance and a Purpose to forsake sin Marc. 16.19 Faith also is very necessary to attain the Grace of that Sacrament for the same reason as was said concerning the Will For our Lord and Savior has taught He that believes and is baptiz'd shall be sav'd And then there is need that every one repent of his Sins and of his ill-spent life and resolve for the future to abstain from all sin For otherwise he that desires Baptism so as that he will not amend his custom of sinning is by all means to be rejected for there is nothing so contrary to the Grace and Vertue of Baptism as the Mind and Purpose of those is who never put to themselves an end of sinning Seeing therefore that Baptism is to be desir'd for this end that we might put on Christ and be joyn'd with him it is plainly manifest that he is deservedly to be rejected from Holy Baptism who purposes to persevere in sin and Vice Note But especially because none of all those things which belong to Christ and his Church are to be undertaken in vain And we know well enough if we consider the Grace of Righteousness and Salvation that Baptism will be in vain to him who purposes to live according to the Flesh Rom. 8.1 and not according to the Spirit Altho as to the Sacrament it self without all doubt he does receive the perfect Reason thereof only if so be when he is rightly baptiz'd he purposes to receive what by Holy Church is administr'd Wherefore the Prince of Apostles answer'd to that great multitude which as the Scripture says being prick'd at the Heart Act. 2.50 ask'd of him and the rest of the Apostles what they should do Do Penance says he and be baptiz'd every one of you And in another place Do Penance and be converted that your sins may be blotted out And S. Paul writing to the Romans plainly shews him who is baptiz d that by all means he ought to dye to sin and therefore he warns us not to yield our members as weapons of iniquity to sin but to yield our selves to God as those that are risen from the Dead Now if the Faithful often meditate on these things XLI How profitable this Doctrine of Baptism is they will be compell'd earnestly to admire that infinite goodness of God who being led by his own mercy only has bestow'd so singular and so divine a benefit upon them who deserv'd no such matter And then when they put before their Eyes how free their life ought to be from every crime who are adorn'd with so great a gift They will easily understand that this is first of all requir'd of Christians to study to lead every day of their Life so holily and religiously as if that very day they had receiv'd the Sacrament and grace of Baptism Altho to inflame their Souls with the study of true Piety there can be nothing more profitable than for the Pastors diligently to explain what the Effects of Baptism are Of these things therefore because it must often be treated XLII The Effects of Baptism The fi st Remâ—ssion of sins that the Faithful may the better perceive that they are plac'd in the highest degree of dignity and never suffer themselves at any time to be cast down thence by any wiles or violence of the adversary it is necessary to teach them this thing first of all that sin whether contracted by birth from our first-parents or committed of our selves altho it is so necessary that it seems not able to be imagin'd by the admirable vertue of this Sacrament is remitted and pardon'd This was long before prophesi'd by Ezekiel Ezek. 36.25 by whom our Lord God says thus I will pour clean Water upon you and ye shall be cleans'd from all your filthithiness And the Apostle to the Corithians after a long reckoning up of sins 1 Cor. 6.11 subjoyn'd And these things ye were but ye are Wash'd but ye are sanctified And it is manifest that this Docttine has bin always deliver'd by the Catholic Church For S. Austin in his Book which he wrote of the Baptism of Infants testifies thus Lib. 1 de peccat met remiss c 15 Eph. 85 ante medium Sess 5. can 5. By carnal generation we contract only original sin but by regeneration of the Spirit there is Forgiveness not only of orginal but also of wilful sins And S. Hierom to Oceanus All sins says he in Baptism are forgiven And that no one may doubt any more of this matter after the Definition of other Councils the Council of Trent has declar'd the same thing when she decreed an Anathema against those who presum'd to think otherwise or who doubted not to assert That tho in Baptism sin were forgiv'n yet it is not wholly taken away or pull'd up by the Roots but rac'd or scarr'd in a manner so that the roots of sin yet remain fasten'd in the Soul For to use the words of the same Holy Synod God hates nothing in the Regenerate because there is no condemnation to those who are truly bury'd with Christ by Baptism into death who walk not according to the Flesh But putting off the Old man and putting on the New which is created according to God they are made innocent spotless pure without hurt and lov'd of God Of this effect of Baptism See Aug. lib. 1.
no need to speak more in this place seeing any one may transfer hither matter enough pertinent to this point from what has bin spoken before when we treated of the Sacraments in general See Aug. lib. 6. contra Donatist c. 1. in Ep. Joan. Tract 5. Trident. Sess 7. But because from the Nature and Vertue of this Charater LV. Baptism not to be iterated and why it has bin defin'd by the Church that the Sacrament of Baptism is for no reason in the world to be iterated for this cause the Faithful should be admonish'd often and diligently by the Pastors that they suffer not themselves at any time to be led into error For this thing the Apostle has taught us Rom. 6.10 saying There is One Lord One Faith One Baptism And then when he exhorts the Romans that being dead with Christ by Baptism they beware that they lose not the life they had receiv'd from him when he says for in that Christ dy'd to sin be dy'd once he seems plainly to signifie This that as he cannot dye again so may not we dye again by Baptism Wherefore also Holy Church openly professes that she believes One Baptism Which that it is extreamly agreeable to the Nature and Reason of the thing is understood from hence that Baptism is a kind of Spiritual Regeneration or Birth As therefore by the power of Nature we are born and brought forth into the world Once only and as S. Austin says In Joan. Tract 11. The Birth of the Womb cannot be repeated So also is there only One Spiritual Birth nor is Baptism at any time ever to be repeated Of this matter see Trid. Sess 7. de Baptismo Can. 11. 12. item Concil Cartha Can. 1. Vien ut habetur in Clem. 1. lib. de Sum. Trinit D. August Tract 11. in Joan. Beda in cap. 3. Joan. Leo Magn. Ep. 37. 39. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 66. a 9. Nor let any one think that Baptism is iterated by the Church LVI Baptism not iterated when ministred with a Condition when she washes any one of whom it is uncertain whether he were before Baptiz'd using this Form of Words If thou art already Baptiz'd I Baptize thee not again but if thou art not yet Baptiz'd I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost For so Baptism is not to be said to be wickedly iterated but to be administer'd holily with the Adjunct In which case notwithstanding there are some things diligently to be heeded of the Pastors LVII How cautiously Baptism is to be administred with a Condition wherein almost daily offence is committed not without great wrong to this Sacrament For there are not wanting some that think that no sin can be admitted if altho without differencing they Baptize with this Adjunct Wherefore if an Infant be brought to them they think they ought to make no question whether it were Baptiz'd before and forthwith they proceed to give it Baptism but tho they are confident that that Sacrament had bin administer'd at home yet they doubt not to repeat with the Adjunct this Holy Washing in the Church Lib. 1. decretal tit de Baptism de quidam together with the Solemn Ceremony which yet without Sacriledge they cannot do and so bring upon themselves that blot which Sacred Writers call Irregularity For by authority of Pope Alexander That form of Baptism is permitted to them only of whom after diligent enquiry it remains doubtful whether they rightly receiv'd Baptism but otherwise it is never lawful to administer Baptism again no not even with the Adjunct Of the Irregularity here mention'd See Apostat rett Baptis c. Ex Literarum Consecr dist 4. cap. Eos qui l. 3. decretal de Baptismo ejus effectu c. de quibus But besides the other things which we obtain by Baptism LVIII The seventh Effect of Baptism The Opening of Heaven Beda in 3. c. Luc. Mat. 1.16 Mar. 2.10 3 â—a 3.21 This is as it were the Last whither all the rest seem to be referr'd to wit that it opens to every one of us the Gate of Heaven which before through sin was shut Now these things which by vertue of Baptism are wrought in us can in us perform plainly the same things which we read in the Gospel to have happn'd in the Baptism of our Savior For the Heavens were open'd and the Holy Ghost appear'd descending upon Christ our Lord in the likeness of a Dove Whereby is signifi'd to them that are baptiz'd that Divine Gifts are bestow'd on them and Heaven Gates open'd to them not indeed that so soon as they are Baptiz'd but at a more fit opportunity they may enter into that glory when being freed from all their miseries which in that blessed state can have no place for their mortal life they shall have Immortality And these truly are the Fruits of Baptism LIX Whence the inequality of Grace in Baptism which fruits as to the vertue of that Sacrament that they equally belong to all there can be no doubt But if we consider with what mind and affection every one comes to receive it it must needs be confess'd that one receives more and another less of this heavenly Grace and the other fruits of Baptism It remains now that we plainly and briefly explain LXX The Prayers Rites and Ceremonies of Baptism to be explain'd what is fit to be handl'd concerning the Prayers Rites and Ceremonies of this Sacrament For what the Apostle admonish'd concerning the gift of Tongues that it is unprofitable to speak what the Faithful understand not The same thing may be said concerning Rites and Ceremonies for they carry in them the Image and Signification of those things which are done in the Sacrament Now if the Faithful know not the meaning and vertue of those signs it will seem that the profit of those Ceremonies cannot be very great The Pastors therefore are to take pains to make the Faithful understand them and to assure themselves That tho they are not so exceeding necessary yet that they are to be much accounted of and had in great Honor. And this both the Authority of those that appointed them who without all dispute were he Holy Apostles and also the End for which they would have those Ceremonies us'd sufficiently teaches for so it is plain That the Sacrament is administer'd with the greater Devotion and Holiness and those excellent and transcendent Gifts which are contain'd therein are put before our Eyes as it were and Gods immense bounty the more impress'd upon the Souls of the Faithfulh Of these Rites see Dionys c. 2. de Eccl. Hier. Clem. Epist â— 3. Tertul lib. de Corona milit de Bapt. passim Origin hom 12 in num Cyp. Epist 70. item vide de consecr dist 4. But all the Ceremonies and Prayers which the Church uses in the administration of Baptism LXI The explication of
iniâ—ientur c. â— l. 2. c. 104. ascrib'd so much to this Sacrament that he doubted not to say That Novatus the Heretic could not receive the Holy Ghost because when he was baptiz'd he was not sign'd with the Seal of Chrism in his great Sickness But of this matter we have most clear Testimonies both from S. Ambrose which he wrote concerning those who are initiated and also from S. Austin in his Books which he wrote against the Epistles of Petiliâ—â— the Donatist both of which were so confident that there could be no doubt of the truth of this Sacrament that they taught and confirm'd it by many places of Scripture Wherefore the One testifies that those words of the Apostle Eph. 4.30 Psal 132. Rom. 5.5 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are seal'd And the Other that which is read in the Psalms As the oyntment on the Head which went down to the Beard even Aarons Beard as also that of the same Apostle The love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts through the Holy Spirit which is given us are to be apply'd to the Sacrament of Confirmation That Confirmation is a Sacrament see it prov'd Ambr. de Sacr. lib. 3. c. 2. l. de Spiritu Sancto c. 6. 7. Item Aug. de Trinit lib. 15. c. 26. in Epist Joan. Tract 3. 6. in Psal 26. And above all these Tertul. lib. de Resurr carn Cypr. Epist 7. Origen hom 9. in Levit. Hieron contra Lucifer Cyril Hierot Catech. 2. But altho by Melchiades it be said that Baptism is very nearly joyn'd to Confirmation IV. The difference of Confirmation and Baptism yet it is not to be accounted the same Sacrament but far disjoyn'd from the other For it is manifest that the Truth of Grace which all the Sacraments do severally give and the Truth also of the sensible thing which signifies that Grace do make them to be various and different Sacraments Epist ad Episc Hisp in medio Since therefore by the Grace of Baptism Men are begotten to a new life The First difference but by the Sacrament of Confirmation those who are already begotten grow to be Men and put away Childishness 1 Cor. 12.11 it is well enough known how much difference there is in the natural life betwixt Generation and Growth in stature the same difference there is between Baptism which regenerates us and Confirmation by vertue whereof we increase and receive perfect strength of Mind Besides The Second because there ought to be a new and distinct kind of Sacrament when the Soul runs into any new difficulty it may easily be perceiv'd that as we want the Grace of Baptism to reform the Soul by Faith so also it is very expedient that the Souls of the Faithful be strengthen'd or confirm'd that they may not be terrifi'd by the fear or danger of any pains punishments or death from the Confession of their Faith Which being done by the sacred Chrism of Confirmation it is thence plainly gather'd that the Reason or Nature of this Sacrament Loc. citato is plainly divers from that of Baptism Wherefore Pope Melchiades accurately prosecutes the difference betwixt them writing thus In Baptism Man is lifted into the Camp but in Confirmation he is arm'd for the Battel In the Font of Baptism the Holy Ghost gives Fulness of Innocence but in Confirmation he gives perfection of Grace In Baptism we are regenerated to Life Regeneration by it self saves those that receive Baptism in Peace but Confirmation adorns and prepares for the encounters But these things have not only been deliver'd by other Councils but especially decreed by the Sacred Council of Trent so that we may not now not only be of another opinion but neither may we by any means doubt hereof Laod. can 48. Meli. c. 6. Florent Constant Trid. Sess 7. But because it was shew'd before how necessary it was to teach of all the Sacraments in common V. Christ the Author of the Sacrament of Confirmation of whom they had their beginning We must therefore teach the same thing here of Confirmation that the Faithful may be more affected with the Sanctity of this Sacrament The Pastors therefore must teach that Christ our Lord was not only the author thereof as S. Fabian Bishop of Rome witnesses Epist 2. initio but appointed the Rite of Chrism and the words which Holy Church uses in the administration thereof which thing is easily allow'd by them who confess Confirmation to be a Sacrament seeing that all Sacred Mysteries are above the reach of humane nature nor can they be instituted by any but by God himself And now we must speak of the Parts thereof VI. The Matter of the Sacrament of Confirmation is Chrism and first of the Matter of it which is call'd Chrism which Name being borrow'd from the Greeks although thereby Prophane Writers signifi'd any sort of Oyntment yet Sacred Writers have made use thereof by a common custom of speech to signifie that Oyntment only which is made of Oyl and Balsom with the Solemn Consecration of the Bishop Wherefore the Two aforesaid corporeal things make the Matter of Confirmation Which composition of divers things as it declares the manifold Grace of the Holy Ghost which is given to those that are confirm'd so does it also shew the excellency of this Sacrament Now that This is the Matter of this Sacrament both Holy Church and Councils have always taught and also it has bin deliver'd by S. Dennys and very many others of the gravest Fathers but chiefly by Pope Fabian Epist 3. 〈◊〉 Episc Orient who witnesses that the Apostles receiv'd of the Lord the Confection of Chrism and left it to us See Aug. in Ps 44. vers 9. lib. 13. de Trinit cap. 27. Greg. in 1. cap. Cant. Conc. Laod. c. 48. Carth. 2. c. 3. 3. cap. 39. Dionys de Eccl. Hierar c. 2. 4. Of the Oyl See Amb. in Ps 118. lib. de Spirit Sanct. cap. 3. Cypr. Epist 70. Nor could any other Matter than that of Chrism VII Why Chrism appointed the Matter of Confirmation seem more proper to declare that thing which is wrought by this Sacrament For Oyl which is fat and is naturally durable and spreads it self does lively express that fulness of Grace which through the Holy Ghost runs down from Christ the Head and is pour'd upon his Members as the Oyntment which ran down Aarons beard even to the skirts of his garments Psal 132 2. Psal 4.48 Joh. 1.16 For God anointed him with the Oyl of gladness above his fellows And of his fulness have we all receiv'd Now what else does Balsom whose smell is most pleasant signifie but that the Faithful when by the Sacrament of Confirmation they are perfected send abroad such a sweetness of all vertues as that they can say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. We are the sweet savour of Christ
the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 when he says Purge out the old Leven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleven'd For Christ our Passover is sacrificed therefore let us banquet not with the old Leven nor with the Leven of malice and wickedness but with the unleven'd Bread of Sincerity and Truth Not that this Quality is to be thought so necessary XV. The Eucharist may be made of Leven'd Bread that if the Bread have it not the Sacrament cannot be made For either kind of Bread has the true and proper nature and name of Bread Altho no one ought by his own private authority or rashness rather alter the laudable Rite of his Church And by so much the less is it permitted to the Latin Priests to do it Conc. Floren. Sess ult lib. 3 decret de cel b Miss c. final whom the Popes have moreover commanded to perform the Sacred Mysteries with unleven'd Bread only And let this suffice for the explication of One part of the Matter of this Sacrament Where notwithstanding it is to be noted that it is not determin'd how much Matter ought to be us'd in making this Sacrament since the certain number of them who either may or ought to receive the Sacred Mysteries cannot be defin'd It remains now that we speak of the other Part of the Matter and Element of this Sacrament XVI Wine of the Grape the other Matter of the Eucharist And that is Wine press'd out of the fruit of the Vine wherewith a little Water is mixt For that our Lord and Savior us'd Wine in the Institution of this Sacrament the Catholic Church has ever taught seeing he himself said Mat 26.29 Mar. 14.25 I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine until that day In which place S. Chrysostom Hom. 83. in Mat. Of the fruit of the Vine says he which surely brought forth Wine not Water that so long before-hand he might be seen to pluck up by the roots the Heresy of them who thought that Water only was to be us'd in these Mysteries Yet the Church of God always mingl'd Water with the Wine XVII Water to be mingl'd with Wine Cypr. lib. 2. Epist. 3. Trid. Sess 22. de Saâ—ris Miss c. 7. Can. 9. Apoc. 17.15 First because our Lord Christ himself did so as is prov'd by the authority of Councils and by the testimony of S. Cyprian And then that the memory of the Blood and Water which came out of his Side might be renew'd And then as we read in the Apocalyps Water signifies the People Wherefore Water mingl'd with Wine signifies the Conjunction of the Faithful with Christ their Head And this by Apostolical Tradition Holy Church has always observ'd But altho the Reasons for mingling the Water with the Wine are so weighty Note that it may not be neglected under mortal sin yet tho it should be wanting the Sacrament remains But the Priests ought to take care XVIII A little Water to be mingl'd that as in the Sacred Mysteries they ought to mingle Water with the Wine so also that they pour but a little thereinto For by the Opinion and Judgment of Ecclesiastical Writers That Water is turn'd into Wine Wherefore Pope Honorius writes thus concerning it There has bin for a long time in your parts a pernicious abuse to wit that there is us'd a greater quantity of Water in the Sacrifice Habetur lib. 3. Decretal dâ— celeb Miss c. 13. than of Wine when according to the reasonable practice of the general Church there ought to be us'd a far greater quantity of Wine than of Water Of this Sacrament therefore there are only these Two Elements Note and it has bin rightly setl'd by many Decrees Et vide de consec dist 2. c. 1 2. seq That none may offer any thing but Bread and Wine notwithstanding which there were some presum'd to do so But now we must see how sit these two Symbols of Bread and Wine are XIX How convenient this Matter of the Eucharist is First John 9. to declare those things whereof we believe and confess them to be Sacraments And first they signifie Christ to us as he is the true life of Men. For the Lord himself says My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed Seeing therefore the Body of Christ our Lord yields nourishment of eternal Life to them who do purely and holily receive the Sacrament thereof rightly is it made of those things wherein this Life is contain'd that the Faithful may easily understand that by the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ their mind and Soul is fed These Elements also are somewhat available to this end Secondly Damasc lib. 4. de fide Orthod c. 14. that Men may learn and know that the Truth of Christ's Body and Blood are in the Sacrament for when we observe that Bread and Wine is dayly chang'd into human Flesh and Blood by the strength of Nature We may the more easily be led by this similitude to believe that the Substance of Bread and Wine by the Heavenly Benediction is converted into the true Flesh and true Blood of Christ Thirdly This admirable Change of the Elements helps also to shadow what is done in the Soul For as tho there appears outwardly no change of the Bread and Wine yet their substance truly passes into the Flesh and Blood of Christ so also tho nothing seems to be chang'd in us yet inwardly we are renew'd to life while we receive the true life in the Sacrament of the Eucharist Add hereto Fourthly that since the Body of the Church is compos'd of many Members this conjunction is not by any thing more clear'd than by the Elements of Bread and Wine For Bread is made of many Grains and Wine is press'd out of a Multitude of Grapes And so we tho we are Many yet they shew us to be strictly held together by the bond of this Divine Mystery and as it were made One Body Now it follows that we treat of the Form which ought to be us'd at the consecrating the Bread XX. The Form of the Eucharist as to the Bread defin'd and prov'd Not that the faithful people need to be much taught these Mysteries unless there be necessity for it is not necessary to instruct those persons in these matters who are not initiated in Sacred Things But lest by ignorance of the Form the Priests in making this Sacrament may make any foul mistakes We are taught therefore by the Holy Evangelists Matthew and Luke By Scripture Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 26.19 1 Cor. 14.22 and by the Apostle that This is the Form This is my Body for it is written when they had supp'd Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take and eat This is my Body Which Form of consecration seeing it was observ'd of
proper to the Children of God to be so inflamed with Love and Devotion towards him that being spent with most bitter labors they either feel almost no inconvenience or else they bear all things with a most chearful Spirit But the Pastors shall teach CIV The works of Satisfaction are Prayer Fasting Alms. that every kind of satisfaction is to be referr'd to these three especially Prayer Fasting Alms which indeed answer to those three sorts of Goods of the Soul of the Body and those which are call'd outward Goods all which we have receiv'd of God But there can be nothing more fit and convenient to pluck up the very Roots of sin CV Three Remedies for the Three Sicknesses of the Soul For whereas every thing that is in the world is either the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes or the Pride of Life there is no one who sees not that to these three Causes of Sickness are very rightly oppos'd so many Medicins to wit Fasting to the First Alms to the Second and Prayer to the Third Moreover CVI. By Prayers we satisfie to God by Fasting to our selves by Alms to our neighbor if we consider those who are offended by our sins we shall easily understand why to these Three especially all satisfaction is referr'd Now these are God our Neighbor and our Selves wherefore we appease God by Prayer we satisfie our Neighbor by Alms and we chastise our selves by Fasting But because many and divers Afflictions and Calamities press us while we are in this Life CVII A good use of the Afflictions of this Life the Faithful are chiefly to be taught that they who with a patient mind endure whatsoever Labor and Inconvenience God sends upon them have gotten full Matter of Satisfaction and Merit But those who against their Will and resisting as much as they can are forc'd to bear this kind of punishment deprive themselves of all the Fruit of Satisfaction and bear only the Revenge and Punishment of God revenging their sins by his just judgment But herein the immense Goodness and Mercy of God is to be celebrated with the highest Praises and Thanksgivings CVIII One can satisfie for another who has granted this to Human Frailty that One can satisfie for another And this indeed is very proper to this Part of Penance But then as to Contrition and Confession CIX None can be Contrite or Confess for another as there is no one can Grieve or Confess sor another so those that are indu'd with divine Grace can pay in another mans name what is owing to God Wherefore it comes to pass that after a certain sort one may seem to bear anothers Burthen Nor is there any place left for any of the Faithful to doubt of This CX How it comes that one can satisfie for â—nother seeing that in the Apostles Creed we confess the Communion of Saints For since we all are born again to Christ being cleans'd by the same Baptism and are partakers of the same Sacraments but above all since we are strengthen'd with the Meat and Drink of the same Body and Blood of Christ our Lord This most evidently shews that we all are Members of the same Body As therefore neither the Foot performs its Office for its own Profit A similitude but for the profit of the Eyes also and again that the Eyes see is not to be limited to their own advantage only but for the common advantage of all the Members So among us the Offices of Satisfaction ought to be esteem'd common Nor yet is this true without an Exception CXI Medicinal Satisfaction cannot be fulfilled by another if we consider All the Advantages which are receiv'd hereby For the Works of Satisfaction are a kind of Medicin and Cure which is prescrib'd the Penitent for curing the corrupt Affections of his Mind Which kind of Fruit of Advantage it is evident that they altogether want who satisfie not for themselves These things therefore shall be largely and clearly explain'd concerning the Three Parts of Penance Contrition Confession and Satisfaction But this ought specially to be observ'd by the Priests CXII When Absolution is to be deny'd that having heard Confession before they absolve the Penitent from his sins they are to take diligent Care that if haply he has taken away any thing either of the Goods or of the Credit of his Neighbor let him make full recompence for the sin whereof he seems deservedly to be condemn'd For no one is to be absolv'd unless he first promises to restore every one his own But because there are many Note who tho they largely promise that they will sufficiently do their duty yet it is certain that they never perform their promise Such are by all means to be compell'd to make restitution And that of the Apostle is often to be inculcated That he who stole now steal no more Ephes 4.10 but rather let him labor working with his hands that which is Good that he may have wherewith to give to him that suffers need But in appointing the punishment of Satisfaction CXIII How great Satisfaction is to be impos'd the Priests will consider that nothing is to be appointed by them for their own pleasure but that all things are to be directed by Justice Prudence and Piety And that sins may seem to be measur'd CXIV The Old Canons of Penance to be propos'd and Penitents may the better know the weight of their sins it will be worth the while sometimes to signifie to them what punishments have bin appointed for certain Faults Note by the Prescription of antient Canons Note The Nature of the Fault therefore shall temper the measure of all Satisfaction But of all kinds of Satisfaction CXV What kindâ— of satisfaction especially is to be impos'd it will be most suitable to appoint Penitents to give themselves to Prayer upon certain determin'd days and that they make Prayers to God for all men and especially for them who are gon out of this Life to the Lord. And they must also be exhorted CXVI The Vertue of Voluntary Penance to be added to the vertue of Sacramental that they often take upon themselves freely of their own accord to repeat those services of Satisfaction which were appointed by the Priest And that they so order their manners that when all those things which belong to the Sacrament of Confession are diligently perform'd yet that they never intermit the studies of the Vertue of Penance But if sometimes also Public Penance is to be prescrib'd for Public Offence CXVII Public Satisfaction to be impos'd upon public Offenders altho' the Penitent may refuse and pray to be excus'd yet he is not easily to he heard But he must he perswaded that those things which are wholsom or saving both to himself and others he accept with a free and chearful mind These things concerning the Sacrament of Penance and the several
that he might be able to teach the Mysteries of Christian Faith and the Precepts of the Divine Law to the People and stir up the Faithful to Vertue and Piety and reclaim them from Vice For there are Two Functions of a Priest Whereof the One is that he rightly make and administer the Sacraments The other that he instruct the people committed to his charge in those matters and things which are necessary to Salvation For Malachy testifies Mal. 2.7 The Priests Lips preserve knowledg and they require the Law from his Mouth Because he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts As therefore in one of these tho he be qualifi'd bu◠with small learning he may perform what he ought to do Yet the other requires no small but rather an exquisite stock of Learning altho the highest pitch of the Knowledg of hidden matters is not equally requir'd in all Priests but that which is sufficient for every one for the discharge of his own proper Office and Ministery Now this Sacrament is not to be given to Boys Furious or Mad-men LIV. Boys Furious and Mad-men not to be ordain'd because they want the Use of Reason altho if it were administer'd even to them also it ought certainly to be believ'd that the Character of this Sacrament is imprinted upon their Souls But what Year of Age is to be look'd for Not of ripe Age. for these several Orders it is easie to know from the Decrees of the Sacred Council of Trent Servants also are to be excepted Servants for neither ought he to be dedicated to Divine Worship who is not at his own dispose but in the Power of another And Men of Blood and Manslayers Man-slayers because by Ecclesiastical Law they are repell'd and are irregular Also Bastards Bastards and all those who were not begotten in lawful Wedlock For the same Law teaches that those that are dedicated to Sacred things should have nothing in them which might seem worthily contemptible or despicable to others Lastly Deform'd in Body they ought not to be admitted who are Creeples or deform'd with any notable Uncomeliness of Body For that Deformity and Debility must needs both cause offence and also hinder the Administration of the Sacraments And now these things being expounded LV. The effects of the Sacrament of Order The First it remains that the Pastors teach what the effects of this Sacrament are And it is manifest that tho the Sacrament of Order as before was said belongs chiefly to the profit and beauty of the Church yet the Grace of Sanctification is wrought also in the Soul of him who is initiated into Order Because he is render'd fit and qualifi'd for the due discharge of his Duty and for the administring of the Sacraments even as by the Grace of Baptism every one is made fit to receive the other Sacraments And it is evident that another Grace also is given in this Sacrament The Second to wit a special Power which is referr'd to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Priest indeed full and perfect as being he alone that can consecrat the Body and Blood of our Lord But in other Ministers of inferior Orders greater or less according as every one by his Ministery comes more or less to the Sacraments of the Altar And this also is call'd a spiritual Character The Character because they that are tinctur'd with Sacred Order are by a certain inward Mark impress'd upon the Soul distinguish'd from the rest of the Faithful and wholly bound to Divine Worship to which the Apostle seems to have had respect when he said to Timothy Neglect not the Grace which is in thee 1 Tim. 4. which was given thee through Prophecy with the Imposition of the Hands of the Presbytery And elsewhere 1 Tim. 7. I admonish thee that thou stir up the Grace of God which is in thee by the Imposition of my Hands This is sufficient to have bin spoken concerning the Sacrament of Order For we undertook to deliver to the Pastors only the more weighty heads of Matters that they might furnish them with arguments to teach and instruct the Faithful in Christian Piety Of the SACRAMENT of MATRIMONY BEcause the Pastors ought to propose to Christians a bless'd and perfect Life I. The Vertue of Continency to be desir'd of all 1 Cor. 7 7. it were much to be wish'd for them also what the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians that himself desir'd in these words I will that all Men be even as I my self To wit that All would follow the Vertue of Continence For there can nothing in this life fall out more happy to the Faithful than that the Mind being distracted with none of the cares of the World being quiet and restrain'd from every Lust of the Flesh may take rest and satisfaction only in the study of Piety and the Thoughts of heavenly things But because II. The Holiness of Matrimony diligently to be taught Joh. 2.2 as the same Apostle testifies every one has his own proper gift from God one after one sort and another after another sort and Matrimony is adorn'd with many and divine Blessings so that is is truly and properly reckon'd among the other Sacraments of the Catholic Church and the Lord himself honour'd the celebration of Marriage with his own presence it sufficiently appears that the Doctrin thereof is to be taught especially since we may observe that both S. Paul and the Prince of Apostles also have exactly left in writing in many places not only those things which belong to the Dignity but also to the Duties of Matrimony For being inspir'd with the Spirit of God they very well knew how great and how many advantages might come to the Christian Society if the Faithful rightly understood the Holiness of Matrimony and kept it inviolable And on the contrary That being not well understood or neglected that very many and very great Calamities and Hurts are brought upon the Church First therefore the Nature and Vertue of Matrimony is to be explain'd III. What is chiefly to be explained concerning Matrimony For since Vice often bears the Resemblance of Goodness heed must be taken lest the Faithful being deceiv'd with a false shew of Matrimony pollute their Soul with Filthiness and hurtful Lusts For declaring whereof some may begin with the signification of Matrimony Matrimony is therefore so call'd IV. The various names of Matrimony because the Woman desires to be married chiefly that she might become a Mother Matrem Or else because to conceive to bring forth and to bring up is the part of a Mother Matrix It is also call'd Wedlock Conjuginm à conjungendo a joyning together Wedlock because a lawful Woman is bound with her Husband as it were in one Yoak Besides it is call'd Marriage Nuptiae because as S. Ambrose says Marriage for Modesties sake Maids cover'd or veil'd themselves
seeing he requires it of us to reverence such kind of persons we ought therefore to do it to them who by God are dignfied with this Honor Whence it comes to pass that the Honor we have for our Parents we seem to have it for God rather than for Men. For so it is in S. Matthew when mention is made of Observance to Speriors Mat. 10.40 He that receives you receives me And the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians Eph. 6.5 teaching Servants Servants says he give obedience to your Masters according to the Flesh with fear and trembling in the simplicity of your heart as to Christ not with eye-service as pleasing Men but as the Servants of Christ Vide Aug. lib. 3. de Doctr. Christ c. 12. l. 4. Confess c. 9 10 11 12. Prosper l. 3. de Vita contempl c. 13. Bernard de Diligendo Deo Add hereto The third Difference That no Honor no Piety no Worship is given to God that is worthy enough towards whom our Love may be infinitly encreas'd And therefore it is necessary that our Love towards him grow more ardent 〈…〉 by his own Commandment we ought to love with all our Heart Deut. 6.5 with all our Soul Luc. 10.27 and with all our Strength But the Love we bear to our Neighbor is bounded within its proper Limits Mat. 22.32 for the Lord commands us to love our Neighbor as our selves But if any one exceed these Limits VI. so as to love his Neighbor equally with God Note he grievously sins If any one come to me Luc. 14.26 says our Lord and hates not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple According to which sense it is also said Luc. 9.60 Suffer the Dead to bury their Dead when one would first go bury his Father and afterwards follow Christ The Explication of which thing is more clear in S. Matthew Mat. 10.37 Ho that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Nor is it yet to be doubted VII How Parents to be lov'd but that Parents are highly to be lov'd and observ'd But yet in the first place it is necessary to Piety to pay the chief Honor and Worship to God who is the Father and Creator of all and so to love our mortal Parents that the whole force of our Love he referr'd to our Heavenly and Everlasting Father But if at any time the Commandments of Parents are against the Commandments of God VIII When Parents not to be obey'd there is no doubt but that Children are to prefer the Will of God before the Pleasure of their Parents being always mindful of that Divine Sentence Act. 5.29 We must obey God rather than Man Which things being explain'd IX What it is to Honor. the Curat shall interpret the words of the Commandment And first he shall shew what it is to Honor. And it is to think honorably of some one and very highly to esteem of all that is his Now X. How sitly the word Honor is here us'd to this Honor all these things are join'd Love Observance Obedience and Worship or Reverence Now in the Law this word Honor is excellently plac'd rather than that of Love or Fear altho Parents are very much to be lov'd and fear'd For he that loves does not always observe and reverence and he that fears does not always love But whomsoever a Man honors from his Heart him he also loves and fears When the Curat has explain'd these things XI First They are call'd Fathers that beget he shall then treat concerning Fathers and who they are that may be call'd by this Name For tho the Law speak of those Fathers chiefly of whom we were begotten yet this Name belongs to others also as we easily gather from very many places of Holy Scripture Besides those therefore that begat us Secondly The Prelats of the Church and Priests there are other sorts also of Fathers in Sacred Scripture as we touch'd before to all which their proper Honor is due First then the Rulers of the Church the Pastors and Priests are call'd Fathers as it is manifest from the Apostle who writing to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.14 says I write not these things to shame you but I warn you as my most dear Children For tho you had ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I begat you thro the Gospel And in Ecclesiasticus it is written Ecclus 44.1 Let us praise Men glorious and who were our Fathers in their Generation And then those are call'd Fathers to whom is committed the Government Thirdly Magistrat â—â— Magistracy or Power who govern the Commonwealth so Naamam was call'd by his Servants Father Furthermore Fourthly Tutors and Masters We call them Fathers to whose Care Trust Honesty and Wisdom others are committed Of this kind are Tutors and Guardians Teachers and Masters Wherefore the Sons of the Prophets call'd Elijah and Elisha Father 1 Reg. 5. 4 Reg. 2. 4 Reg. 13. Lastly Fifthly The Aged We call Old Men and Aged Fathers whom we ought also to reverence And let this be a chief Matter in the Precepts of the Curat XII Why Parents are to be honor'd to teach That Fathers of what kind soever but especially those of whom we were begotten are to be honor'd by us concerning whom the Divine Law makes special mention For they are Note as it were Here there are Ten Reasons certain Images of the Immortal God and in them we behold the Image of our own Beginning Life is given us by them God made use of them to bestow on us Mind and Soul by them being brought to the Sacraments and train'd up to Religion to Civil and Manly Education we are taught Integrity and Holiness of Manners Of the Duties of Children towards their Parents Vide Antonium Augustinum lib. 10. tit 19. And let the Curat teach XIII Here is rightly men son made of Mother That the Name of Mother is deservedly express'd in this Commandment that we may consider the Benefits and Merits of a Mother towards us with how great Care and Trouble she carried us in her Womb with how great Labor and Grief she brought us forth and bred us up Moreover XIV The first Honor due to Parents Parents are so to be observ'd that the Honor which we pay them may be seen to proceed from our Love and the inmost sense of our Soul to whom this Office is due especially seeing they are so well affected towards us as to refuse no Labor no Striving no Dangers for our sakes and nothing more pleasant can happen to them than to find that they are dear to their Children whom they love very dearly Joseph when he was in Egypt Gen. 46.19 was next to the King in Honor and
Punishments Lastly The Third which is a very soul thing let them be advis'd not to take that preposterous Counsel in the Education and Teaching of their Children For very many are imploi'd in this only Study and Care to leave their Children Riches and Mony a fair and large Estate whom they perswade not to Religion or Piety or learning of good Arts but to Covetousness and to increase their Family Nor are they careful of the Esteem or Salvation of their Children so that they have but Mony and are very Rich than which what can be said or thought more base And so it comes to pass that they leave them not so properly their Wealth as their Wickedness and their Vices to whom they become Guides not towards Heaven but towards everlasting Punishment Let the Priest therefore instruct Parents with the best Precepts and stir them up to the Fxample and parallel Vertue of Tobias Tob. 4. that when they have well train'd up their Children to Holiness and the Worship of God they may receive the plentiful fruits of their Love Observance and Obedience The Fifth COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE Thou shalt not kill THe great Happiness which is propos'd to Peace-makers I. How profitable it iâ— to explain this Commandment because they shall be call'd the Children of God ought very much to move the Pastors diligently and exactly to teach the Faithful what is to be learn'd from this Commandment For there can be no better way to reconcile the minds of Men than that the Law of this Precept rightly explain'd be so holily kept as it ought to be of all because then we may hope that Men being joyn'd one to another with the strongest Agreement of Hearts may preserve Peace and Concord intire But how necessary it is that this Commandment should be explain'd II. How necessary appears from hence That immediately after the drowning of the whole Earth this was the only thing which God first forbad Men Gen. 9.5 The bloud of your Lives says he will I require at the hand of all Beasts and at the hand of Man And in the Gospel among the Old Laws which first were explain'd by our Lord this is first whereof it is thus written in S. Matthew Matth. 5.22 For it has been said Thou shalt not kill And the rest which in that very place are recorded concerning this Matter And the Faithful ought attentively and willingly to hear this Commandment III. How this Commandment to be heard For if the Force of it be observ'd it is very available to defend every ones Life because in those words Thou shalt not kill Man-slaughter is utterly forbidd'n Therefore all Men ought to receive it with so great a pleasure of mind IV. This Command pleasant to be heard as tho if Gods anger being propos'd it were specially forbidd'n under the heaviest Punishments that none should be hurt Therefore as this Commandment is pleasant to be heard So the caution against this Sin which is forbidden by this Commandment ought to be full of Delight But when our Lord explain'd the Force of this Law V. Two things here commanded he shews that two things are contain'd in it The One that we do not kill which we are forbidd'n to do The other which we are commanded to do That we embrace our Enemies with a friendly Agreement and Love have Peace with all Men and lastly patiently to suffer all Inconveniences Now that Killing is forbidd'n VI. What killing not forbidd'n here First Exod. 12. throughout it is first to be taught what kind of Killing is not forbidd'n by the Law of this Commandment For to kill Beasts is not forbidd'n for if it be allow'd of God that Men should be fed by them it is but meet they be kill'd Of which matter S. Austin says thus When we hear says he Thou shalt not kill we understand not this to be spoken of Fruits because they have no Sense nor of irrational Animals because they are joyn'd with us on no account De civit Dei lib. 1. c. 20. Item de morib Manich. lib. 2. c. 13 14 15. There is another sort of killing allow'd Secondly which belongs to such Magistrates as have the Power of Death whereby by the Rule and Judgment of the Laws they punish wicked Men and defend the Innocent In which Office so that they behave themselves justly they are not only not guilty of Murder but very exactly obey this Divine Law which forbids Murder For seeing the end of this Law is for the Preservation of Mans Life and Safety the Punishments appointed by the Magistrates who are the lawful Avengers of evil have respect hither that all Boldness and Injury being repress'd by Punishments Man's Life may be safe Wherefore David says Psal 108.8 I will soon slay all the Sinners of the Earth that I might destroy out of the city of the Lord all the workers of iniquity Aug. Epist 154. citatur 23. q. 5. c. de occidentibus Item Epist 54. citatur ibid. c. Non est iniquitatis vide adhuc Ibid. alia capita D. Thom. 2.2 q. 64. a. 2. q. 108. a. 3. For which reason Thirdly neither do they sin who in a just War not drivâ—â— by Lust or Cruelty but with the only desire of the Public Good take away the Lives of the Enemies Aug. de Civit. Dei c. 26. citatur 23. q. 5. c. Miles Vide item de Bello D. Thom. 2.2 q. 40 per A. Articulos There are other Slaughters besides of the same kind Fourthly which are done expresly by God's Command The Sons of Levi sinn'd not tho they kill'd so many thousand Men in one day upon which Slaughter done God thus spake to them Exod. 23.26 Ye have consecrated your Hands this Day to the Lord. Nor is he guilty of this Commandment Fifthly who kills a Man not willingly nor advisedly but by accident Concerning which matter it is thus written in the Book of Deuteronomy Deut. 19. He that ignorantly slays his Neighbor and is prov'd to have had no hatred against him in time past but went with him honestly into the Wood to fell Timber and in the hewing down of Timber his Ax flew out of his Hand and the Head of his Ax slipping off the Handle struck his Friend and kill'd him These Slaughters are of that kind which because they are done not with a Will or Design are therefore in no case to be reckon'd sinful which is prov'd by S. Austin's Sentence for he says God forbid that those things we do either for a good or lawful End if beyond our Intention any Evil happen it should be laid to our charge Vide Aug. Epist 154. citatur 23. q. 5. c. de Occidendis Item vide multa capita dist 5. D. Thom. 2.2 q. 64. a. 8. Trid. Sess 14. de Reform c. 7. Where VII Two Cases to be observ'd notwithstanding Sin may be committed
might easily happen that she that was cast off by one Husband might be married to another For this Reason the Lord did forbid that either Men should be sollicited to leave their Wives XXIX Why this Law was made or that the Wives should behave themselves so sowr and churlish to their Husbands that for that cause there should be any necessity as it were laid on their Husbands to cast them off But now it is a greater Sin XXX A griâ—vous Sin to covet another Mans Wife since it is not lawful for another to marry a Woman tho she be divorc'd from her Husband unless her Husband be dead He therefore that covets another Man's Wife easily slides out of one Covetousness into another For either he will wish her Husband dead Note or to commit adultery with her And the same thing may be said of those Women that are betrothed to another XXXI Or a Woman betroth'd to another for neither is it lawful to covet them since they that endeavour to break these Contracts violate the most holy Band of Faith And as it is utterly unlawful to covet her that is married to another XXXII Or a Virgin consecrated to God so it is by no means lawful to desire her for his Wife that is consecrated to Gods Worship and Religion But if any one desires to marry a VVoman Note this Case that is already married supposing her not to be married and would not desire to marry her if he knew that she were married to another which we read happen'd to Pharaoh and Abimimelech Gen. 12. 20. who wish'd to have Sarah to be their VVife supposing her not to be married but to be Abraham's Sister and not his VVife he verily that is thus minded seems not to break this Commandment But that the Curat may lay open the Remedies XXXIII Remedies against hurtful Desires that are fit to take away this Vice of Covetousness he ought to explain the other part of the Commandment which consists herein That if Riches increase we set not our Hearts upon them and that we be ready to apply them to the Study of Piety and of Divine Matters and that we freely bestow our Mony in relieving the Miseries of the Poor And if we are in want that we bear our want with an even and a chearful Spirit and indeed if in diposing of our Goods we use Liberality we shall quench our Covetousness of other Mens Goods Now concerning the Praises of Poverty and despising of Riches in Sacred Scriptures and in the Holy Fathers it will be easie for the Curat to gather a great many things and to teach them to the Faithful Vide Hier. Epist 1. ad Heliod 8. ad Demetriadem 150. and Haedipiam q. 1. 16. ad Pammach Item Basil in regul fusius disputatis Interrog 9. Chrys in Epist. ad Rom. ad haec verba Salutate Priscam Cassian lib. de institut Monach. c. 13 33. collat 24. c. 26. Greg. hom 18. Ezech. Ambr. in c. 6. Lucae Leonem Magn. in Serm. de omnibus sanctis Aug. lib. 17. de Civit. Dei Epist 98. ad Hilar. Epist 109. By this Law it is also commanded XXXIV The other part commanding That very earnestly and with our utmost desire we wish that thing chiefly to be done not which we our selves will but what God wills as is taught in our Lords Prayer Now it is the Will of God chiefly XXXV What the Will of God towards us is that we be made holy after a singular Manner and that we keep our Soul sincere and upright and clean from every Spot and that we exercise our selves in those Duties of Mind and Spirit which are contrary to our bodily Senses and that our sensual Desires being brought into subjection being guided by Reason and the Spirit we lead the course of our Life aright and further that we utterly beat down the Force of those Senses which afford matter to our Lusts and Desires But to the quenching this heat of our Desires XXXVI The Antidotes of evil Desires The First this also will be very prevalent to put before our Eyes the Inconveniences we suffer thereby The First Inconvenience is That by Obedience to our Lusts Sin gets the utmost force and power in our Soul Wherefore the Apostle admonishes Let not Sin reign in your mortal Body Rom. 6.12 that ye should obey the Lusts thereof For even as if we resist our Lusts the Power of Sin decays so if we yield to them we throw our Lord out of his Kingdom and place Sin in his room Besides The Second another Inconveniency is That from this force of Concupiscence as from a kind of Fountain all Sins flow as S. James teaches and S. John says Jac. 1. 2 John 2.16 All that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life The Third Inconvenience is The Third That the true Judgment of the Mind is darkned For Men being blinded with the darkness of their Lusts think all those things good and excellent whatsoever they desire Besides The Fourth by force of Concupiscence the Word of God is oppress'd which is sown in our Souls by God that great Husbandman For thus it is written in S. Mark Some was sown among Thorns These are they which hear the Word and the cares of the World and the deceitfulness of Riches and so other things entring in by Concupiscence choak the Word and so make it unfruitful But now those that above others labor under this Vice of Concupiscence XXXVII These are guilty of this Vice of Covetousness First and whom the Curat ought therefore more earnestly to exhort to observe this Commandment Are those that are delighted with dishonest Sports and that immoderately abuse Games As also Merchants Secondly who wish for scarcity of things and dearness of Provisions and take it ill that others besides themselves do sell Commodities and sell cheaper than they In which case they also Sin Thirdly that wish others to want that either by selling or buying they may make a Gain of them And those Soldiers also Fourthly that wish for War that they may get Plunder Fifthly And those Physitians that pray for Diseases Sixthly And those Lawyers that desire a Throng and Multitude of Contentions and Law Suits Seventhly And those Trades-men who being greedy of Gain wish for Scarcity of such things as are for Food and other Necessaries thereby to get Profit to themselves Eighthly And in this kind they also grievously sin that are greedy and covetous of other Mens Glory and Praise not without some slandering of other Mens Credit and specially if they that thus covet it are idle Persons and of no worth For Fame and the Glory of Vertue and Industry is not the Reward of Sloth and Idleness THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES BY THE DECREE
1.13 But XXXII What we are to meditate on from this Petition that in the last place that may be explain'd which belongs to the Meditation of this Petition we must return to that which we touch'd upon in the Beginning that the Faithful in the Pronouncing of this Petition ought to be of an humble and lowly Spirit considering with themselves the violence of Desires which yet is rooted in their very Nature and repugnant to the Will of God thinking it self while containing it self in its own Duty to be below all other Natures whereof it is thus written All things serve thee and especially that he is but feeble who cannot only not do some Work acceptable to God but cannot so much as design it unless assisted by Gods Help Psal 118.91 Now because nothing is more great or magnificent XXXIII Wherein Man's greatest glory is plac'd nothing more excellent than as we said before to serve God and to lead our Life according to his Law and Commandments what can be more desirable to a Christian than to walk in the Ways of the Lord than to think nothing in his Mind than to undertake to do nothing that may be contrary to Gods Will He therefore that would follow this Exercise XXXIV All things out ill to them that submit not themselves to God and would keep himself carefully to that Resolution let him search out of the Divine Books for the Examples of those to whom all things succeeded ill when they would not reduce the Reason of their own Counsels to the Will of God Lastly let the Faithful be admonish'd to rest satisfied in the simple and absolute Will of God And let him that seems to himself to be in a lower Condition than his Dignity requires bear it patiently Let him not forsake his own Order but abide in his own Vocation in which he is call'd And let him subject his own Judgment to Gods Will who does better for us than we can wish to our selves If we are press'd with Poverty or Want XXXV How Men may live contented if with Sickness of Body if with Persecutions if with other Troubles and Difficulties we must certainly assure our selves that none of these things could come upon us without the Will of God which is the highest Rule of all things and therefore that we ought not to be much mov'd but to bear them with an undaunted courage always having in our Mouths that Saying Joh 1.21 The Will of the Lord be done And that of blessed Job As it pleas'd the Lord so has it been done The Lords Name be prais'd The FOVRTH PETITION Give us this Day our daily Bread THE Fourth Petition I. The Reason of the Order of the seven Petitions and the rest that follow afterwards wherein we properly and namely beg necessary Reliefs for our Souls and Bodies are referr'd to the former Petitions For our Lords Prayer has this Order and Rule that the begging of those things which belong to the Body and to the Defence of this Life follows after the Petitioning for Divine Matters For as Men are referr'd to God II. All our concerns to be referr'd to God as to their ultimate End So after the same manner the Goods of this Life are directed to the Divine good things which indeed are therefore to be wish'd and prayd for either because the Order of God so requires it or because we want those Assistances to the obtaining of Divine good things that by their Help we may attain to the End propos'd which consists in the Kingdom and Glory of our Heavenly Father and in doing and performing of those Commands which we know to be the Will of God Note Wherefore we ought to referr all the Power and Reason of this Petition to God and to his Glory The Curats therefore shall discharge their Duty to their Faithful Hearers III. Temporal things to be pray'd for according to Gods appointment that they may know that in praying for those things that belong to the Use and Advantage of Earthly Matters that our Minds and Desires are to be directed according to Gods Appointment nor are we to go aside from that in the least For what does the Apostle write in this Case We know not what to pray for as we ought We sin very much in these Petitions for Earthly and fading things These good things therefore are to be pray'd for as we ought Note lest making Request for any thing amiss we receive this Answer of God Ye know not what ye pray for Matt. 20.22 Now the Purpose and Design of him that prays IV. How to know whether our Prayer be good or bad will be a sure note of judging which Petition is evil which good For if any one prays for Earthly things with such a Heart as to think those things to be altogether good and to rest satisfied in them as in his desir'd End and seeks nothing else without doubt he prays not as he ought For as S. Austin says we seek not these Temporal things as our Goods but as our Necessaries Lib. 2. de Serm. Domini in monte Cap. 16. Item Epist 121. c. 6. And the Apostle in his Epistle to the Corinthians teaches Note That all things belonging to the necessary Uses of Life are to be referr'd to God's Glory 1 Cor. 10.31 For whether ye eat says he or drink or whatsoever else ye do do all to the Glory of God But that Gods Faithful may see of how great necessity this Petition is V. How the necessity of thiâ— Petition is to be shew'd the Curats shall observe how great need we have of these outward things for Food and Preservation of Life which they will the better understand if they compare those things together which were needful to our first Father and to the rest of Mankind afterwards for Life For tho he in the most ample Estate of Innocency VI. The difference between the State of Innocency and of Nature after the Fall from whence he and all his Posterity thro his Fault fell had need of Food to refresh his Strength yet there is a great difference betwixt the Necessities of his and of our Life For he had no need of Clothes to cover his Body nor of a House for his shelter nor of Arms for his Defence nor of Physick for his Health nor of other things the Help whereof we stand in need of to defend the Weakness and Frailty of our Nature that Fruit which the blessed Tree of Life yielded was sufficient to him for an immortal Life which since it never gave for any Labor of his or his Posterity Nor was Man to be idle in those so great Delights of Paradice VII Adam labor'd in Paradice to occupy which God plac'd him in that Habitation of Pleasure but no Labor had bin troublesom no Discharge of Duty had bin at all unpleasant to him he had for ever enjoy'd the most delightful Fruits from
and Benignity I will stand early to pray says the Prophet and will see because thou art a God that willest not Iniquity By how much the more Men know these things with so much the more hearty Worship and Devotion do they reverence God Psal 5. and with so much the more Delight do they feel how sweet the Lord is and how truly blessed all they are that hope in him And then being compass'd about with that most clear Light IV. A singular effect of Prayer they consider how mean their own Lowliness is and how great the Majesty of God is for S. Austin's rule is If I know thee I may soon know my self Therefore not relying on their own Strength they commit themselves wholly to Gods Goodness not doubting but that he who has embrac'd them with his Fatherly and Admirable Love will abundantly supply them with all things which are necessary both for Life and Salvation for this cauâ—e therefore they apply themselves to the highest Thanksgivings they are able to conceive in their Minds and which in Prayer they can comprehend which we read that David did who when he made this Prayer Psal 7.2 Save me from all them that persecute me concludes thus I will pray to the Lord according to his justice and I will sing to the Name of the Lord most high Of this sort there are innumerable Prayers of the Saints V. Of what kind the Prayers of Saints are the Beginning of which are full of Fear but the End full fraught with good Hope and Joy but it is wonderful how David's Prayers excel in this respect for when being troubled with Fear he began to pray thus Psal 3.3 Many there are that rise up against me and many there are that say to my Soul there is no Salvation for him in his God a little after being somewhat confirm'd he subjoyns tho thousands of the People came about me I will not fear And in another Psalm when he had bewail'd his Miseries and at last having put his Confidence in God he rejoyces incredibly in the Hope of eternal Bliss and he says Psal 4.8 For that very thing I will sleep and rest in peace What think we of this Psal 6.2 Lord rebuke me not in thy Fury neither correct me in thy Anger with how great Trembling and Horror must we believe that the Prophet said this On the contrary with how confident and chearful a Soul did he utter that which presently follows Psal 33.3 Depart from me says he all ye that work Iniquity because the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping But when he was afraid of Sauls Anger and Fury how lowly and humbly did he implore Gods Help Save me O Lord for thy Names sake and judg me in thy Strength and yet in the same Psalm he cheerfully and confidently subjoyns For behold God helps me and the Lord is the upholder of my Soul Wherefore he that betakes himself to Sacred Prayer VI. How to come to pray Let him go to God arm'd with Faith and Hope and that he may obtain that which he has need of let him by no means be distrustful Now in this last word of the Lords Prayer Amen VII The Dignity of the word Amen there are many Seeds as it were of those Rules and Meditations which we before mentioned And indeed this Hebrew Word was so common in our Saviours Mouth VIII What it properly signifies that it pleased the Holy Ghost to have it still kept in the Church of God The meaning of which Word in a manner is this Know thou that thy Prayers are heard for it has the Effect of Gods answering and sending him away with his good Grace after that by Prayer he has obtain'd what he desir'd This Sense the perpetual Practise of the Church of God has approved IX The use of this word in Mass which in the Sacrifice of the Mass when the Lords Prayer is pronounc'd she has not given this Word Amen to the Minister of the Sacred thing whose part it is to say But deliver us from evil but has reserv'd it being fitted to the Priest himself who being Interpreter between God and Men answers the People that God has accepted them Not that this Right is common to all Prayers Note for in the rest it is the Ministers Office to answer Amen but that of the Lords Prayer is particular for in other Prayers it only signifies Consent and Desire but in this it is an Answer that God has consented to the Prayer of the Petitioner Now this Word Amen is indeed variously interpreted by many X. The word Amen variously interpreted The Seventy Interpreters translate it So be it Others translate it Verily Aquila turns it Faithfully but it is but a small matter whether it be rendred one way or the other so that we understand it to have the Vertue before mentioned to wit of the Priest confirming that the thing pray'd for is granted Of which Sense the Apostle witnesses in his Epistle to the Corinthians For says he as many promises as are of God in him are Yea and therefore thro him Amen in God to our Glory This Word therefore wherein is a kind of Confirmation of those Petitions which hitherto we have asked XI It raises Attention is suited to us which also makes them attentive that use Prayer for it often happens that Men are distracted in Prayer and drawn elsewhere by various Thoughts Yea XII It is a Repetition of the whole Prayer and we pray with the utmost Study in this very Word that all things may done i. e. may be granted which before we pray'd for he or rather understanding that we have already obtain'd all those things and perceiving the present Vertue of the Divine help we together with the Prophet sing Psal 53.7 For lo the Lord helps me the Lord takes care of my Soul And there is no cause for any one to doubt but that God is moved both by the Name of his Son and by this word which he used so very often Who as the Apostle says Heb. 5.7 was always heard for his Reverence FINIS THE INDEX A ABbats permitted sometimes to administer the Inferior orders Pa. 310 Abraham's Pilgrimage 339 Abraham's Bosom 58 Absolution the Form of it 245 Who are to be absolv'd 271 The Power of Absolution to whom given 267 The Accidents remain in the Sacrament of the Eucharist without the Subject 218 How great Misery Adam brought upon himself and his Posterity 510 Adam in the State of Innocency wanted Food to refresh his Strength ibid. How great difference there is betwixt Adam's Necessities and ours ibid. Adam had not wanted many things which we want if he had not sinn'd ibid. Adam tho in the Paradise of Pleasure yet was not to be idle ibid. Adam in Paradise had no Grief ibid. Adam's Posterity depriv'd of the Fruit of the Tree of Life and curs'd with
gravest Divines For say they There are Two sorts of Good things whereof the one belongs to the very Being of Bliss The other follows upon that Bliss Wherefore for the better understanding thereof the First may be call'd Essential Goods and the other Accessory And indeed that solid Bliss which we may call by the common name Essential is plac'd in the Vision of God and enjoyment of his Beauty who is the Fountain and Principle of all Goodness and Perfection This is Life Eternal Joh. 17.3 says Christ our Lord to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Which Sentence S. John seems to interpret when he says 1 Joh. 3.2 Behold now we are the Sons of God But it does not yet appear what we shall be because we know when he shall appear we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is For he shews that Bliss consists in these two things both that we shall behold God near at hand as he is in his own Nature and Substance and also because we our selves shall be made as Gods For they who enjoy him VIII What kind of Persons the Blessed shall be in Glory tho they retain their own proper substance yet do they put on a kind of admirable and almost divine Form so that they may seem rather Gods than Men. But why this is so appears plainly from hence That every thing is known either by its own Being or else by a similitude and resemblance thereof But because there is nothing like God by help of which resemblance we can come to a perfect knowledg of him it follows that no one can see his Nature and Being unless his very Divine Being be pleas'd to joyn it self with us And this the Apostles words shew We now see as through a Glass darkly but Then face to face 1 Cor. 23.12 Aug. lib. 15. de Civ c. 9. Dâ—on Areop de diÌ„vin nom c. 1. For that he says darkly S. Austin interprets of a Resemblance fitted to know God by which also S. Dennys plainly shews when he affirms That the things above cannot be perceiv'd by any resemblance of things below for neither can the Being and Substance of that which is incorporeal be known by the resemblance of any corporeal things Especially when it is necessary that the Resemblance of things be less gross and more spiritual than those things whose resemblance they bear as experience teaches us in the knowledg of all things Now because it cannot be that the resemblance of any created thing can be found equally pure and spiritual with God himself hence it comes that we cannot perfectly understand the Divine Essence by any resemblance We may add also that all created things are restrain'd within certain limits of Perfection But God is Infinite nor can the resemblance of any created thing reach his Immensity Wherefore there is left this one way only of knowing the Divine Substance that he joyn himself with us and by some way beyond our Belief raise our Understanding higher and so we may be fitted to contemplate the Beauty of his Nature But this in the Light of Glory we shall have when being illustrated with that splendor we shall see God who is the true Light by his own Light For the Blessed shall behold God always present X. The Fountain of Bliss 2 Pet. 1.4 by which superlative and most excellent Gift being made partakers of the Divine Essence they shall enjoy true and solid Bliss Which we ought so to believe as that with a sure Hope we may expect it of the goodness of God for our selves as is said in the Creed of the Fathers For it says I expect the Resurrection of the Dead and the Life of the World to come These things are plainly Divine nor can we by words express or so much as in thought conceive them But some small resemblance of that Bliss we may perceive by sensible things A Similitude out of Anselm l. de Simil. c. 1â— for as Iron put into the Fire receives fire into it and tho the substance thereof be not chang'd yet something may be seen in it of a different substance to wit the Fire After the same manner they who are admitted into the glory of Heaven being inflam'd with the Love of God are so wrought upon that tho they cease not to be that which they are yet they may deservedly be said to be much more different from those which are in this life than Iron which is red hot from that which has no force of heat in it To speak the whole matter therefore in few words XI Wherein Essential Bliss consists That superlative and absolute Bliss which we call Essential consists in the possession of God For what can he want to make his Happiness perfect who enjoys the most perfect and gracious God Now to this Bliss there are some Ornaments to be added XII The Accessories of Bliss Aug de Civ Dei l. 22. c. 30. Rom. 2.18 which are common to all the Bless'd Which because they are less strange to human Reason will be the more likely to influence and stir up our minds the more earnestly Of this kind are those of which the Apostle seems to mean in his Epistle to the Romans Glory Honur and Peace to every one that does good The First For the Blessed shall indeed throwly enjoy Glory but not that glory only which we have shew'd to be Essential Bliss or very nearly related to the nature thereof but that also which consists in the clear and plain knowledg which every one shall have concerning the great and excellent dignity of another But then how great must that Honor be accounted which is given them by the Lord himself when they shall no longer be call'd Servants but the Friends the Brethren and Children of God Wherefore our Savior will thus salute them with the most kind and courteous expressions Luc. 12.4 Come ye blessed of my Father possess the Kingdom prepar'd for you That we may deserv'dly cry out Matt. 25.34 Thy Friends O God are too much honour'd But they shall also be highly prais'd and commended by Christ our Lord Ps 138.17 before his Heavenly Father and the Angels Besides The Second if Nature have planted the desire of Honor in the Hearts of all Men and especially of the Honor of those Men who are most excellent for Wisdom because they look upon them as the most commendable Witnesses of their vertue how much may we think will this add to the glory of the Blessed when they shall every one exceedingly honor and reverence one another It would be endless to reckon up all the Delights which the Glory of the Bless'd shall be crouded with The Third And indeed neither can we in Thought conceive them But yet the Faithful ought to be assur'd That whatsoever delights happen to us in this life or can but be wish'd for whether
they belong to the knowledg of the Mind or to the perfect disposition of the Body the Bless'd Life of the Saints in Heaven shall flow with plenty of all such things 1 Cor. 2.9 altho all this will be in a higher degree than Eye can see Ear hear or the Heart of Man conceive as the Apostle affirms For the Body which before was thick and burly The Fourth when in Heaven Mortality being taken away from it it shall be made tenuious and spiritual shall want no more sustenance And the Soul with the greatest contentment shall be exceedingly satisfi'd with the Eternal Food of Glory The Fifth Luc. 12.37 which the presence of the Master of that great Feast will minister to all And now who can desire costly Cloaths or Royal Ornaments for the Body The Sixth where there will be no use of such things but all shall be cloathed with Immortality and splendor and adorn'd with the Crown of Everlasting Glory And if to the happiness of Man The Seventh there be wanting a large and stately House what can be imagin'd either more large or stately than Heaven it self which shines every where with the Brightness of God And therefore the Prophet when he put before his Eyes the beauty of this dwelling and grew warm with the desire of coming to those Seats Ps 83.1 How lovely says he are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soul longs yea even faints for the Courts of the Lord My Heart and my Flesh have greatly rejoyc'd in the living God And that this might be the desire of all the Faithful That this may be the common voice of all as the Curats ought earnestly to wish so ought they with diligent study to endeavor it Joh. 14.2 For in my Fathers House says our Lord there are many Mansions in which shall be given greater or lesser rewards according to every ones desert 2 Cor. 9.6 For he that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that sows in Blessings shall reap of his Blessings Wherefore they shall not only excite the Faithful to that Bliss XIII The sure way of getting Bliss but also they shall frequently admonish them that this is the way to obtain it that being furnish'd with Faith and Charity and persevering in Prayer and in the due use of the Sacraments they exercise themselves in all offices of kindness towards their Neighbour and so by Gods mercy who has prepared that blessed glory for them that seek him it shall come to pass that at length that shall be fulfill'd which was spoken by the Prophet Isa 32.28 My people shall sit in the beauty of peace and in the Tabernacles of Safety and in wealthy Rest THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES BY THE DECREE OF THE Council of TRENT PART II. Of the SACRAMENTS SInce every Part of Christian Doctrin stands in need of the knowledge and diligence of the Pastor I. The Knowledge of the Sacraments necessary for the Curats See the Council of Trent Sess 17. Then surely the Discipline of the Sacraments which even by Gods command is necessary and very full of profit requires the skill and industry of the Curat and that by the diligent and frequent use thereof the Faithful may be fitted worthily and savingly to be made partakers of these most excellent and most holy things the Priests should stick close to the rule of that Divine Prohibition Give not that which is holy to dogs Mat. 7.6 neither cast ye your pearls before swine In the first place therefore II. The Word Sacrament taken diversly because we must treat in general of all the kinds of Sacraments we must begin with the Signification and Notion of the word Sacrament and explain the dubious meaning thereof that it may more easily be understood what the proper sense of the word in this place is Wherefore the Faithful are to be taught that the name Sacrament as to our purpose is taken by Prophane By Prophane Authors otherwise than by Sacred Writers for some Authors by the word Sacrament would signifie that Obligation when we are bound by Oath to some Service of which kind is that Oath wherewith Souldiers promise to do faithful service to the Common Wealth and this is call'd a Military Sacrament or Oath and this seems to be the most usual acceptation of the word amongst them But among the Latin Fathers And by the Fathers who have written Divinity the word SACRAMENT is taken to signifie some Holy Thing which lies close hid as the Greeks to signifie the same thing us'd the word Mystery Now in the same sense we understand the word Sacrament is to be taken when it is thus written in the Epistle to the Ephesians That be might make known to us the Sacrament of his will Eph. 1.9 And to Timothy Great is the Sacrament of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.6 Wisd 2.22 And in the Book of Wisdom They understood not the Sacraments of God In which places and many more may be observ'd that the word Sacrament signifies nothing else but some Holy Thing kept hid and secret Wherefore the Latin Doctors have thought that the Sacraments might conveniently be call'd certain Sensible Signs III. What the Name Sacrament here properly signifies which work or effect that grace which at the same time they signifie and as it were put before our Eyes Tho S. Gregory thought that they may therefore be call'd Sacraments because the Divine Power under the Veils of corporeal things secretly works Salvation D. Greg. in I Reg. c. 16. v. 13. Nor can any one suppose that this name Sacrament has lately been brought into the Church IV. The ancient use of the word Sacrament for he that shall have read S. Hierom and S. Austin will easily see that the ancient Writers of our Religion have very frequently us'd the name of Sacrament and sometimes also the name of Symbole or Mystical Sign or Sacred Sign to signifie that thing whereof we are speaking and let this be spoken concerning the Name of a Sacrament which also indeed agrees to the Sacraments of the Old Law to teach which the Pastors have no need seeing they are taken away by the Law and Grace of the Gospel See Hieron in Amos c. 1. v. 11 Tren c. 1. v. 15. Aug. in Joan. Tract 80. in fine contra Faust lib. 19. c. 12. Cypr. Epist 15. lib. de Bapt. Christi But besides the reason of the Name V. What a Sacrament is which hitherto has bin declar'd the Nature and Vertue of the thing is diligently to be inquir'd into and it must be taught the Faithful what a Sacrament is For there is no one can doubt but that a Sacrament is One of that kind of Divine Things whereby Righteousness and Salvation is obtain'd But tho there are many ways or reasons which may seem fit and accommodated to explain this matter yet there is none shews it more fully