follow Thou shalt not work Nor do's it signifie that only for otherwise it would be sufficient to say in Deuteronomy Observe the Day of the Sabbath Deut. 12. But seeing that in the same Place it is added to sanctifie it by this word is shew'd that the Day of the Sabbath is Religious and consecrated to divine Actions and holy Duties We therefore do then fully and perfectly celebrate the Sabbath-day XVII The true Sanctification of the Sabbath Esay 58.13 when we perform Duties of Piety and Religion to God And that this is evidently a Sabbath which Esay calls delightful because Holy-days are as it were the Delights of God and Pious Men. Wherefore if to this religious and holy Observance of the Sabbath we add Works of Mercy Esay 58.6 surely they are many and very great Rewards which in the same Chapter are propos'd to us The true and proper Sense of this Commandment therefore is XVIII What the true sense of this Commandment is That Man both in Soul and Body might be careful to set apart some certain determin'd Time from Bodily Business and Labor to worship and reverence God devoutly Now in the next part of this Commandment is shew'd XIX What the second Part of the Commandment requires That the Seventh day is dedicated by God to Divine Worship for thus it is written Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God The meaning of which words is That Sabbath is consecrated to the Lord and that on that Day we pay him our Duties of Religion and that we know the Seventh day to be Sign of the Lord's Rest Now this Day is dedicated to God XX. Why this Day is dedicated to God because it was not fit that the rude People should have the power of chusing the Time after their own Will lest haply they might imitate the Religion of the Egyptians Therefore of the Seven days the last was chosen for the Worship of God XXI Why God chose One Day Which thing indeed is full of Mystery Wherefore in Exodus and in Ezekiel the Lord calls it a Sign See therefore says he that ye keep my Sabbath For it is a Sign between me and you in your Generations The First Reason that ye may know that I am the Lord who sanctifie you It was a Sign therefore which shew'd that Men ought to dedicate themselves to God and to keep themselves holy to him since we see even the very Day to be dedicated to him for that Day is Holy because then especially Men ought to exercise Holiness and Religion And then it is a Sign and Monument The Second as it were of the wonderful Creation of the World And it was moreover given as a Sign to remember and warn the Israelites The Third that they might remember that they were delivered and freed by God's help from the most hard Yoak of the Egyptian Bondage And this the Lord shew'd in these words Deut. 5.25 Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt and the Lord thy God brought thee out thence with a strong hand and stretched-out arm therefore he has commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day The Fourth And it is also a Sign both of the Spiritual and Eternal Sabbath Now the Spiritual Sabbath consists in a holy and mystical kind of Rest XXII What the Spiritual Sabbath is to wit when the old Man being buried with Christ is renew'd to Life and studiously exercises it self in those Actions which are agreeable to Christian Piety Ephes 5 2. For they who sometimes were Darkness but now are Light in the Lord ought to walk as Children of the Light in all Goodnesâ— Justice and Truth and not to communicate with the unfruitful Works of Darkness But the Heavenly Sabbath as S. Cyril says upon that place of the Apostle XXIII What the Heavenly Sabbath is S. Cyril lat l. 4 in Jo. c. 5 1. There remains therefore a Rest to the People of God is that Life wherein we shall live with Christ and enjoy all good things and Sin be utterly pluck'd up by the Roots according to that Esa 53.8 There shall no Lion nor evil Beast go up thither but there shall be a pure way and it shall be called Holy For the Soul of the Saints in the Vision of God gets all good things Wherefore the Pastor must exhort and encourage the Faithful with these words Heb. 4.2 Let us make haste to enter into that Rest Now besides the Seventh day XXIV That Jews had other Feasts besides the Sabbaths the Jews had other Festival and Sacred Days appointed by God's Law whereby the Memory of their greatest Benefits was renew'd Of those other Feasts see Levit. 23. Num. 29. Deut. 16. and if you would know the moral meaning of the Feasts of this kind see Cyril de Adoratione in spiritu verit lib. 17. D. Thom. 1.2 q. 102. art 4. ad 10. But it pleas'd the Church of God XXV Why the Sabbath chang'd The First Reason that the Worship and Celebration of the sabbath-Sabbath-day should be transferr'd to the Lord's-day For as on that Day the Light did first shine upon the World so by the Resurrection of our Redeemer which open'd us an Entrance to Eternal Life which hapned on that Day our Life was recall'd out of Darkness into Light and for this cause the Apostles would have it call'd The Lord's Day Besides The Second Reason in Sacred Scripture we find that this was a Solemn Day because therein the Creation of the World began and because the Holy Ghost was given to the Apostles But the Apostles in the beginning of the Church XXVI Why other Feasts apopointed and aftewards in the sollowing Times our Holy Fathers appointed other Holy-days that we might devoutly and holily call to remembrance God's Benefits Now among these are to be reckon'd as the most remarkable XXVII The Order of Holy-days those Days that are consecrated to Religion for the Mysteries of our Redemption and then those that are dedicated to the most Holy Virgin Mother Note and to the Apostles and Martyrs and the other Saints which reign with Christ in whose Victory the Goodness and Power of God is prais'd due Honor done to them and the Faithful stirr'd up to the Imitation of them And because to the keeping of this Commandment XXVIII Idleness forbidd'n that part of it has great Force which is express'd in these words Six Days shalt thou labor but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of God The Curat ought diligently to explain that part For from these words it may be gather'd That the Faithful are to be admonish'd that they lead not their Life in Sloth and Idleness But rather being mindful of the Apostles Advice 1 Thes 4.11 That every one do his own business and labor with his hands as he commanded Besides XXIX No
and to command the People to obey the Precepts of the Priests Now as to the explaining of this Commandment VII The way of explaining his Commandment pains must be taken to teach the Faithful in what things this Commandment agrees with the rest and in what it differs from them For by this means they shall know the cause and reason why we honor and keep Holy not the Sabbath but the Lord's Day There seems therefore a manifest Difference VIII How this Commandment differs from the other Nine because the other Commandments of the Decalogue are natural and perpetual nor may they be alterd for any Reason Whence it comes to pass that tho Moses's Law be abrogated yet Christians observe all the Commandments contain'd in the Two Tables Wich they do Note not because Moses commanded so but because they are agreeable to Nature by Vertue whereof Men are driven to observe them Now this Commandment of keeping Holy the Sabbath IX This Command as to time is ceremonial if we consider the appointed time it is not fixd and constant but alterable nor does it belong to Manners but to Ceremonies Nor is it Natural because we are not instructed or taught by Nature on that Day rather than on any other to give Worship to God But from that Time when the People of Israel were deliver'd from the Bondage of Pharaob they kept Holy the Sabbath Day But the Time when the Observance of the Sabbath was to be taken away X. Why and when the Sabbath Day ought to be changed into the Lord's Day was the same with that wherein the rest of the Jewish VVorship and antiquated Ceremonies were remov'd to wit at Christ's Death For since those Ceremonies were as it were certain shadows or images of the Light and Truth it was therefore but necessary that at the coming of that Light and Truth which is Jesus Christ they should be remov'd Gal. 4.10 for which cause S. Paul to the Galatians when he reprov'd the Observers of the Mosaical Rites wrote thus Ye observe Days and Months and Times and Years I am afraid of you lest haply I have bestow'd on you labor in vain Col. 2.16 On which score he wrote also to the Colossians And thus much concerning the Difference But this Commandment agrees with the rest XI Wherein this Commandment agrees with the rest not in Rites and Ceremonies but because it has something which belongs to Manners and the Law of Nature For God's Worship and Religion which is express'd in this Commandment has its Being from the Law of Nature since it is natural to spend some Hours about those things which belong to the Worship of God whereof this is an Argument That among all Nations we see there were certain appointed Days and those Public ones too which were consecrated to the performance of Sacred and Divine Matters For it is natural to Man to allow some certain Time to those things that are necessary to the discharge of Business as to the Sleep and Rest of the Body and such like And as to the Body Observe this Similitude so by the same Natural Reason it is that we allow some Time to the Mind that she may refresh her self with Divine Contemplation And therefore since there ought to be some part of Time for performance of Divine Matters and giving due Worship to God this belongs to the Commandments of Manners For which cause the Apostles decreed to consecrate the First day of the Seven XII Why the Sabbath chang'd into the Lords day Apoc. 1.10 1 Cor. 16.2 to Divine Worship which they call'd The Lord's Day For S. John in the Apocalyps makes mention of the Lord's Day and the Apostle on the Moon of the Sabbaths which is the Lord's Day as S. Chrysostom interprets it commands Collections to be made that we may know that even then already the Lord's Day was accounted Holy Chrysost Hom. 13. in Corinth Amb. item Theophylact. Vide etiam Can. Ap. c. 67. Ignat. Epist ad Magnes Just Apol. 2. Tertul. in Apol c. 16. de Coron Milit. c. 3. de Idol c. 14. Cypr. Epist. 33. Clement Alexand. l. 5. Strom. satis ante finem Orig. Hom. 7. in Exod. And now that the Faithful may know what they ought to do on that Day XIII Four Parts in this Commandment and from what Actions they ought to abstain it will not be amiss for the Curat diligently and to a Word to explain this Commandment which may well be divided into Four Parts The First therefore in general proposes what is prescrib'd in these words XIV What the Words teach Remember that thou sanctifie the Sabbath-day Now for this cause in the beginning of the Commandment is that word Remember fitly added because the Sanctification of that Day belongs to Ceremonies Of which thing it seem'd the People are to be admonish'd First since tho the Law of Nature teaches that at some time or other God is religiously to be worship'd yet it has not appointed any certain Day whereon this ought chiefly to be done Moreover Secondly the Faithful are to be taught that from those Words may be gather'd the Way and Manner how it is convenient to do Work all the Week to wit so as always to have regard to the Holy-day on which Day seeing an Account is to be given to God as it were of our Works and Actions it must needs be that we do such Works as will neither be rejected by the Judgment of God and which 1 Reg. 2.5 as it is written shall not wound or offend our own Conscience Lastly Thirdly VVe are taught which we ought carefully to observe to wit That there are not wanting Occasions to make us forgetful of this Commandment either being led by the Example of others that neglect it or out of love to Shews and Plays whereby we are very much led away from the holy and religious Observance of this Day And now come we to the Signification of the Sabbath Sabbath is an Hebrew word XV. What the Sabbath is which in English signifies a Cessation to keep Sabbath is therefore call'd in English Gen. 23. Exod. 20.12 Deut. 5.14 to cease and rest In which Signification the Seventh day was call'd by the name of Sabbath because the whole VVorld being finish'd and perfected God rested from all his VVork which he had done for so the Lord in Exodus calls this Day But afterwards Note not only this Seventh Day but for the Dignity of that Day even the whole VVeek also was call'd by that name in which sense the Pharisee in S. Luke said Luc. 18.12 I fast twice in a Sabbath And thus much of the Signification of Sabbath Now the Sanctification of the Sabbath in Sacred Scripture is a Cessation from all Bodily Labor and Business XVI What it is to sanctifie as plainly appears from these words of the Commandment which
to make a supremacy to any one he is thereby plainly confess'd to be imperfect Wherefore such want is inconsistent with the nature of God This is prov'd by many places of holy Scripture for it is written Hear ô Israel The Lord our God is one God Deut. 6.4 Exod. 20.3 â—â— 41.9.44 6 Eph. 4.5 Besides God's commandment is Thou shalt have none other gods before me or in my sight And by the Prophet he often admonishes I am the first and the last and besides me there is no God The Apostle also plainly witnesses There is one Lord one Faith and one Baptism Nor need we therefore wonder because sometimes even the holy Scripture it self seems to ascribe the name of God to Creatures For that it so calls Prophets and Judges Gods this is not done after the same manner which the Gentiles us'd which foolishly and wickedly phanci'd that there were more Gods than one But by a certain custom or form of speaking it wou'd signifie some excellent vertue or office which by the Grace of God was bestow'd upon them Christian Faith therefore believs and confesses That God in his nature substance and essence is but one As for the confirmation of the truth it is declar'd in the Creed of the Council of Nice But rising yet higher it so understands One as it worships Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity Of which mystery we are now to begin to speak for it follows in the Creed Father But because the word Father is attributed to God X. How the name Father is proper to God not for one reason only it must therefore first be declar'd what is the most proper signification of this place Some even of those whose blindness Faith never illuminated did yet think God to be an eternal substance from which all things had their beginning and by whose providence they are govern'd and kept in their proper state and order By a similitude therefore taken from humane affairs they call'd him Father as they do him from whom is sprung a Family and by whose counsel and command it is rul'd So for this it was that they call'd God a Father whom they acknowledg'd the Maker and Governour of all things The same name also have the holy Scriptures used when speaking of God they wou'd shew that the creation power and admirable providence over all is to be ascrib'd to him For thus we read Deut. 32.6 Is not he thy Father who bears thee who made and created thee And elsewhere Have we not all one Father Has not one God created us But much more commonly XI God the Father of Christ in a special manner Rom. 8.15 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.17 Heb. 1.21 and by a kind of peculiar name especially in the books of the new Testament God is called the Father of Christians who have not receiv'd the spirit of bondage to fear but the spirit of adoption to be the sons of God by whom they cry Abba Father For such love has the Father bestow'd upon us that we shou'd be call'd the sons of God and be so But if we be sons then heirs heirs indeed of God and joynt-heirs with Christ who is the first begotten among many brethren and is not asham'd to call us brethren Whether therefore you regard the common reason of creation and providence or that special one of adoption rightly do the faithful profess that they believ God to be a Father But besides those notions we have already explain'd the Curates shou'd teach that at the hearing the name Father the mind is to mount up to higher mysteries For that which is hid and shut up in that inaccessible light where God dwells and which humane reason and understanding cou'd never attain to nor so much as suspect That the divine oracles under this name Father begin to unfold to us For this name shews us XII The name Father shews a plurality of persons That in the being of God not one Person only but a distinction of Persons is to be believ'd For there are three Persons in one God-head The Person of the Father who is begotten of none Of the Son who was begotten of the Father before all worlds Of the Holy Ghost who from all eternity also proceeds from the Father and the Son But the Father in this substance of the Godhead is the first Person who together with his only begotten Son and holy Spirit is one God and one Lord not in the singularity of one person but in the Trinity of one substance But now these three Persons are to be understood as distinct only in their proprieties for it would be a great wickedness but to imagine that there is any thing unlike or unequal in them For the Father is not begotten The Son is begotten of the Father The holy Ghost proceeds from them both And thus we confess that the three Persons have the same being and the same substance So that in the confession of the true and eternal Godhead we do holily and religiously worship both a propriety in the Persons an unity in the essence and equality in the Trinity For when we say that the Person of the Father is First XIII How the First person is a Father it it not so to be understood as if we thought any thing to be first or last greater or less in the Trinity Far be it from all the faithful to think so impiously since Christian Religion teaches that the same Eternity the same Majesty and Glory is alike in all the three Persons But we truly and confidently affirm That the Father forasmuch as he is the beginning without beginning is the first Person which as it is very distinct by the propriety of Father so is it suitable to this one Person chiefly for this reason Because he begat the Son from all eternity For it is plainly signifi'd to us That he always was both God and Father together whensoever in this Confession we pronounce these names together of God and Father But because we cannot be either more dangerously busi'd XIV That we should not too nicely search into the Trinity or more miserably wander in the search or notion of any thing than of this point which is of all others the most profound and difficult the Curats ought to teach That the terms by which this mystery is signifi'd and which are proper both to the Essence and Persons are religiously to be retain'd and let the Faithful understand that there is both Unity in the Essence and distinction in the Persons But that they ought not more narrowly to pry into these things Prov. 25.27 always bearing in mind that saying He that is a searcher of Majesty shall be oppress'd with the glory of it For this which our Faith assures us of ought to satisfie us that thus we are taught of God whose Oracles not to give credit to wou'd be the highest folly and misery in the world Go says he and teach all
of his to stir up both in Abraham's Seed and in many other Men the expectation of a Saviour For when once the Jewish Commonwealth and Religion became Setled This began to grow more common and known to his people For there were many things which signifi'd and many Men which foretold What and how great good things that Saviour and our Redeemer Jesus Christ was to bring us And indeed the Prophets whose Minds were illuminated with Light from Heav'n foretold the people of the Birth of the Son of God Isa 7.15 8.3.9.6.11.1.53 throughout Jer. 23.5.30.9 Dan. 7 13.9.24 and the wonderful works which he shou'd perform when he shou'd be made Man his Doctrin Manners Kindred Practice Death Resurrection and other Mysteries of him and all this they taught so plainly as tho they had bin done before their Faces So that excepting the difference of time only we cou'd not discover any diversity between the Predictions of the Prophets and the preaching of the Apostles between the Faith of the old Patriarchs and our own But now we will speak of the several parts of the Article Iesus is his proper name VII What the name Jesus signifies and by whom it was given Luc. 1.31 who is God and Man and it signifies a Saviour and this name was given him not by chance nor by the judgment or will of Men but by the counsel and command of God For so the Angel told Mary his Mother Behold thou shalt cenceiv in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus and afterwards he not only commanded Joseph the Husband of the Virgin to call the Child by that name but also tells the reason why he was to be so call'd For he says Joseph thou Son of David Mat. 1.21 fear not to take to thee Mary thy Wife for that which is born in her is of the Holy Ghost And likewise her Son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their Sins We read in Holy Scripture of many who were of this name As the son of Nun VIII The name Jesus suitable to Christ especially who succeeded Moses and led the people whom Moses deliver'd out of Egypt into the Land of Promise which was deny'd to Moses Josedech the son of a Priest was call'd by the same name But how much more truly ought we to believ That our Saviour ought to be call'd by this name who has brought light liberty and salvation not to one People or Nation only but to all Men of all ages oppress'd not with Famine or with Egyptian or Babylonian Bondage but sittng in the shadow of Death and miserably fetterd in Sin and the chains of the Devil and has purchas'd for them a Right and Inheritance in the Kindom of Heav'n and reconcil'd them to God the Father In them we see Christ our Lord shadow'd who heaps upon mankind those Blessings here mention'd Now all those names before spoken of which by divine appointment were to be given to the Son of God are all to be referr'd to this one name Jesus For whereas all the other in some measure had only touch'd the Salvation he was to give us this one conteins the whole weight and vertue of the compleat Salvation of Mankind And to the name of Iesus IX Why the name Christ added to the name Jesus this name of Christ is also added which signifies Anointed and is a name both of Honour and Office nor is it proper to one thing but common to more For our old Fathers were us'd to call Priests and Kings whom God had commanded to be anointed for the dignity of their Office Christs The Priests were they Reg 12 3.24.6 who in their daily Prayers recommended the people to God and offer'd Sacrifice to God for them Kings had the government of the people committed to them and to them chiefly belongs the power of the Laws to protect the Innocent and to correct the boldness of the Wicked Because therefore both of these Offices seem to relate to the Majesty of God in the Earth therefore those that were chosen to the Office of King or Priest were anointed with Oyl It was customary also to anoint the Prophets who as the Interpreters and Ambassadors of the immortal God open'd to us the Secrets of Heav'n and by wholesome Precepts and foretelling things to come warn'd Men to mend their manners But when Jesus Christ our Saviour came into the World X. Christ a Prophet King and Priest he undertook the Part and Office of all these three Persons Prophet Priest and King and for these causes he is call'd Christ and anointed for the discharge of those Offices not by the act of any mortal but by the influence and vertue of his Heav'nly Father not with earthly Oyntment but with spiritual Oyl when the fulness of the Holy Spirit and Grace and a more plentiful measure of all gifts was pour'd into his most Holy Soul than the Being or Nature of any other Creature was able to receiv and this the Prophet plainly shews when speaking to the Redeemer himself he said Ps 44.7 Thou hast lov'd Righteousness and hated Iniquity therefore God even thy God has anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows The same thing but much more plainly has the Prophet Isaiah shew'd in these Words Isay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has sent me to preach to the meek Jesus Christ therefore was that great Prophet and Teacher XI How Christ a Prophet Priest and King who taught us the Will of God and by whose teaching the whole World has receiv'd the knowledg of our Heav'nly Father and this name does much more truly and excellently belong to him because all whatsoever that were honour'd with this name of Prophet were but his Disciples and for this cause chiefly were they sent That they shou'd prophesie of this Prophets coming to save all Men. The same Christ was a Priest not of the same Order as the Priests of the tribe of Levi under the old Law were but of that of which the Prophet David sings Ps 189 4â— Heb. 5.7 Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech Which Argument the Apostle writing to the Hebrews handles excellently But we acknowledg Christ to be a King also not only as he is God but as he is Man and partakes of our Nature Luc. 1.33 Of whom the Angel testifies He shall reign for ever in Jacob and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Now this Kingdom of Christ is Spiritual and Eternal XII How and by whom Christs Kingdom is govern'd begun indeed on Earth but perfected in Heav'n And by his wonderful Providence performs the Office of King of his Church He governs it he defends it from the snares and violence of its enemies he gives it not only Holiness and Righteousness but also Power and Strength to
persevere And altho both good and bad Men are within the limits of this Kingdom and consequently all Men do belong to it yet those chiefly and above the rest experience the most excellent Goodness and Bounty of our King who lead their life innocently and uprightly according to his Laws Not that this Kingdom came to him by any humane Birth-right or Inheritance tho he came of the stock of the noblest Kings But he was a King in this respect Because God bestow'd upon that Man whatsoever Power Excellency and Dignity the nature of Man was capable of To him therefore God deliver'd the government of the World and to him he subjected all things He has already begun his reign but in the day of Judgment he shall enjoy it fully and perfectly His only Son In these Words are yet higher Mysteries propos'd to the Belief and Contemplation of the Faithful concerning Jesus XIII Christ the Son of God and true God to wit that he is the Son of God and true God as the Father himself is who begat him from all Eternity We moreover do confess him to be the Second person of the Trinity and in all respects equal to the other two For there ought nothing to be no nor so much as phanci'd in the mind to be any thing unequal or unlike in the divine Persons since we acknowledg that they have only one Being one Will one Power This is plain from many Oracles of Holy Scripture but especially that Testimony of S. John does exceeding plainly shew it 1 Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God But when we hear that Jesus is the Son of God we ought not to imagine any earthly or mortal thing of his Birth XIV The eternal Generation of Christ ineffable But we ought constantly to believ and with the greatest devotion and affection of mind to honour that Birth whereby the Father from all Eternity begat the Son which to comprehend by Reason or perfectly to understand we can by no means do it But as amaz'd at the wonderfulness of the Mystery we ought with the Prophet to say Who can declare his Generation This therefore we ought to believ Isay 53.8 That the Son is of the same Nature of the same Power and Wisdom with the Father as we confess more largely in the Nicene Creed For it says And in Jesus Christ his only begott'n Son begott'n of the Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begott'n not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made But of all those things which are made use of as Similitudes to shew the manner and way of his Eternal Generation XV. A similitude that seems to come neerest the matter which is taken from the Thought of our mind wherefore S. John calls the Son his Word 1 Joh. 1. For as our mind after a sort understanding it self phancies its own Image which Divines call Word so God so far as humane things may be compar'd with divine understanding himself begets his eternal Word altho it is better to contemplate what Faith proposes and with a sincere Heart to believ and confess that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man begotten indeed as God of the Father before all Ages and Generations but as Man born in time of his Mother the Virgin Mary And tho we acknowledg his Twofold Nativity XVI Christ one person the only Son of his Father yet we believ him to be but One Son For it is One Person only in whom the Divine and Humane Nature meet together And as to his Divine Generation he has no Brethren or fellow Heirs he being the only Son of his Father but we Men the Potters-Clay and the work of his Hands But if we consider his Humane Generations he not only calls many by the name of Brethren Rom. 8.17 he uses them as Brethren That they together with him may obtain the glory of his Fathers Inheritance who by Faith have accepted Christ as their Lord and do in truth shew forth their Faith which they profess in his name by works of Charity Wherefore he is call'd by the Apostle The first begott'n among many Brethren Our Lord. Many are the things which in Holy Scripture are spok'n concerning our Savior XVII Why divers Epithets given to Christ whereof some as appears plainly agree to him as he is God Others as he is Man For he has different Properties according to his different Natures We therefore truly say That Christ is Almighty Eternal Infinite and this he has from his Divine Nature Agen we say of him That he suffer'd was dead and rose again and these things no one doubts but that they are agreeable to the Nature of Men. But besides these there are some things agreeable to both Natures as in this place where we say our Lord. If therefore this name be suitable to both Natures we may well surely call him our Lord. For as he is eternal God XVIII Why Christ is called our Lord. as the Father so also is he equally Lord and Father of all things And as he is not One and the Father Another God but One and the self same God so also is not he One Lord and the Father Another Lord but both One Lord. But rightly also for many reasons as he is Man is he call'd our Lord. And first because he is our Redeemer and has deliver'd us from our sins has he rightly got this power both to be and to be call'd our Lord. For so the Apostle teaches He humbl'd himself and became obedient to death Phil. 2.7 even the death of the Cross for which reason God has highly exalted him and giv'n him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every Knee should bow V. 10. of things in Heav'n and things in Earth and things under the Earth and that every Tongue shou'd confess that Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father And after his Resurrection he says of himself Matt. 28.18 All Power is giv'n to me in Heav'n and in Earth For this other Reason also he is call'd Lord because in this one Person the two Natures Divine and Humane are joyn'd together For by this wonderful conjunction he merited to be made our Lord and Lord of all things that were created altho he had not dy'd for us but especially of the Faithful who obey and serve him with the utmost intention of Mind What remains therefore but that the Curate for this Reason perswade his faithful people to consider That it is most just that above all men in the World we who have our very name of him and are call'd Christians and cannot be ignorant what great Benefits he has bestow'd on us and this especially that by his Grace We know all these things by Faith It is most just
And because the Latins have borrow'd the Name Ecclesia Church III. What is properly to be understood by the name Church from the Greeks after the publishing of the Gospel they transferr'd it to Sacred Matters But what the Meaning of this word is is to be shew'd The word Ecclesia Church signifies a Calling forth Act. 19.39 But Writers afterwards us'd it for a Council and Assembly Nor is it much to the matter whether that people worshipp'd the true God or a false Religion For in the Acts it is written of the Ephesians That when that Scribe had appeas'd the Rabble he said If ye enquire of any other matter it may be resolv'd in a lawful Church or Assembly He calls the Ephesians who were worshippers of Diana a lawful Church Nor are the Gentiles only which knew not God but the Councils also of Evil and Wicked Men sometimes call'd a Church I have hated says the Prophet Ps 25.5 the Church of the Wicked and I will not sit with the Vngodly But then by the common custom of the Scriptures This word is taken to signifie the Christian Common-wealth and the Congregations of the Faithful To wit those who are call'd to the light of Truth and the knowledg of God that casting away the darkness of ignorance and error they may worship the living and true God with Piety and Holiness and to say all in a Word The Church as S. Austin says S. Aug. in Ps 49. is the Faithful People dispers'd throw the whole World Nor are they trivial Mysteries which are contain'd in this Word IV. What Mysteries are contain'd in the word Church For in Calling forth which Ecclesia or Church signifies at first sight shines forth the Benignity and Splendor of Gods Grace and we understand That the Church differs very much from Other Common-wealths For They are establish'd by Human Reason and Prudence But This by the Wisdom and Counsel of God For he has Inwardly call'd us by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost but Outwardly by the Ministery and Labor of the Pastors and Teachers Besides from this Calling V. How the Church differs from a Synagogue what ought to be our end to wit the knowledg and passession of things Eternal he will best perceive who shall have consider'd why in old times the Faithful People under the Law were call'd a Synagogue i. e. a Congregation or flocking together For as S. Austin teaches They had this name given them because after the manner of Cattel to which it is more suitable to flock together they look'd only at earthly and transitory things And therefore rightly is the Christian People call'd not a Synagogue but a Church because despising earthly and mortal things it follows after those things only which are heavenly and eternal There are besides many other Names which are full of Mysteries VI. Other Names of the Church 1 Tim. 3.13 deliver'd to signifie the Christian Common-wealth For it is call'd by the Apostle the House and Building of God but if I tarry long says he to Timothy that thou mayst know how to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of God the Pillar and Ground of Truth And the Church is therefore call'd a House First because it is as it were one Family which one Father or Master governs and in which is a communion of all spiritual good things It is also call'd Christ's Flock of Sheep Second whereof he is the Door and Shepherd It is call'd the Spouse of Christ Third 2 Cor. 11.2 I have betrothed you as a chast Virgin to one Husband which is Christ says the Apostle to the Corinthians And the same Apostle to the Ephesians Men love your wives even as Christ loved the Church Eph. 2.5 And of Matrimony This is a great Mystery says he but I speak in Christ and in the Cburch Lastly Fourth Eph. 1.23 Col. 1.24 The Church is call'd the Body of Christ as may be seen in the Epistle to the Ephesians and that to the Colossians And all these severally avail very much to stir up the Faithful to behave themselves worthy of the immense goodness and mercy of God who has chosen them to be his people These things being explain'd VII The Church Militant and Triumphant Aug. Ench. c. it will be necessary to reckon up the several Parts of the Church and to teach the differences of them whereby the people may the better understand the Nature Properties Gifts and Graces of the Church so much belov'd of God and for that cause never intermit to praise the most holy Name of God Now of the Church there are especially Two Parts whereof the One is call'd Triumphant the Other Militant The Triumphant is that most glorious land happy company of the blessed Spirits VIII Which is Triumphant and those who have triumph'd over the World the Flesh and the Devil and being deliver'd and safe from the Troubles of this life enjoy eternal Bliss But the Church Militant is the company of all the Faithful IX Which Militant Aug. lib. 12. de Civ Dei c. 9. which yet live in the earth Which therefore is call'd Militant because she has continual War with those most implacable Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil Nor is it yet to be thought that there are Two Churches but that of the same Church as was said before there are Two Parts whereof the One is gone before and has already obtain'd the Heavenly Country The Other daily follows till at last being joyn'd with our Saviour she shall rest in everlasting Happiness Now in the Church Militant there are two sorts of Men Good and Bad X. In the Church Militant are both Good and Bad Men. 2 Tim. 2.19 Concil Trid. sess 6. c. 12. Mark this the Wicked being indeed partakers of the same Sacraments profess the same Faith as the Good do but in their Life and Manners are far unlike Now these in the Church are call'd Good who are conjoin'd and knit together not only in profession of Faith and communion of Sacraments but also in the Spirit of Grace and Bond of Charity of whom it is said The Lord has known who are his and Men also may think and conjecture who they are that belong to this number of Pious Men but no one can certainly know And therefore it is not to be thought that Christ our Saviour spake of This Part of his Church when he remitted us to his Church and commanded us to obey Her For since She is out of our knowledge who can be assur'd to whose Judgment we are to fly and whose Authority we must obey The Church therefore includes both the Good and Bad as both the Holy Scripture and the Writings of Holy Men Testifie according to which Sentence is written that of the Apostle Ephes 4.4 There is One Body and One Spirit Now this Church is known XI By what Figures and Similitudes
the Church was signifi'd Mat. 13.17 Mat. 13.24 Luc. 3.17 Mat. 15.12 being compar'd to a City built upon a Mountain which may be seen every where for seeing that all must obey her it is necessary that she be known Nor does she contain the Good only but the Bad also as the Gospel in many Parables teaches as when it commemorates that the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Church Militant is like to a Draw-net let down into the Sea or to a Field in which Tares were over-sown or to a Treshing-flore in which is contain'd the Corn with the Chaff or to the Ten Virgins whereof some were Wise some Foolish Gen. 7. And long before also in Noah's Ark in which not only those living Creatures which were Clean but the Unclean also were shut up together we may behold the figure and similitude of this Church But tho Catholic Faith truly and constantly affirms that both the Good and Bad do belong to the Church yet from the same rules of Faith the Faithful ought to be taught that there is a far different reason and account of either part For as the Chaff upon the Threshing-flore is mingled with the Corn or as sometimes dead members remain joyn'd to the Body Eph. 4.4 so also are Wicked Men contain'd in the Church Whence it comes XII Who are shut out of the Church that there are but three sorts of men only sut out of her First Infidels and then Heretics and Schismatics and lastly Excommunicate persons The Ethnics because they never were in the Church nor ever knew her nor were made partakers of any Sacrament in the Christian Society and the Heretics and Schismatics because they have fallen off from the Church nor do they belong to the Church any more than Vagabonds or Renegadoes belong to an Army from which they ran away Yet it is not to be deny'd but that they are in the power of the Church as those who may be judg'd by her and condemn'd with an Anathema Lastly The Excommunicate persons also in that by the judgment of the Church they are turn'd out of her they belong not to her Communion till they repent But as concerning the rest even the Wicked and Ungodly persons it is not to be doubted but that they yet continue in the Church And this is diligently to be taught the Faithful that if it chance the life of the Prelates to be wicked yet the Faithful are to assure themselves that they are in the Church that therefore they lose nothing of the power And then the Parts of the Universal Church are us'd to be signifi'd by the name of the Church XIII Private Families Pastors and Sacred Places also call'd the Church 2 Cor. 1.1 1 Cor. 16.19 Col 4.16 1 Thes 1.1 Rom. 6.4 Mat. 18.17 as when the Apostle names the Church which is at Corinth Galatia Laodicea Thessalonica and he also calls the Private Families of the Faithful Churches For he commands the Church in the House of Priscilla and Aquila to be saluted And in another place Aquila and Priscilla says he salute you much in the Lord with his domestic Church Also writing to Philemon he uses the same word Sometimes also by the name Church are signifi'd the Prelates and Pastors thereof If he bear not thee says Christ tell it to the Church in which place are design'd the Rulers of the Church And the Place also where the people meet together either to the Sermon or for the sake of any other sacred matter is call'd the Church But especially in this Article the Church signifies the Multitude of Good and Bad together and not those only who govern but those also who ought to obey And then the Properties of this Church are to be open'd to the Faithful XIV The Properties of the Church whereby they may know how great a Benefit God bestows on them who happen to be born and brought up in her Her First Property therefore is describ'd in the Creed of the Fathers First That she be One Cant. 6.8 that she is One My Dove is One says he my Beautiful One is One. But now so great a multitude of Men as is scatter'd far and wide is call'd One for those reasons which are written by the Apostle to the Ephesians for he preaches that there is only One Faith One Lord One Baptism Eph. 4.4 and there is also One Ruler and Governor Invisible which is Christ Ephes 1.21 whom the Eternal Father has made Head over all his Church which is his Body But the Visible Governor is He XV. A Visible Head necessary for the Churches Unity who by Lawful Succession possesses the Chair of Peter the Prince of Apostles of whom this was the approv'd Sentence and Judgment of all the Fathers that this Visible Head was necessary both to settle and preserve the Unity of the Catholic Church Which thing St. Hierom well saw and wrote against Jovinian in these words There is One elected that a Head being constituted the occasion of Schism might be taken away And to Damasus Let Envy slack let the ambition of the Roman Pride be gone I speak to the Successor of the Fisher and the Disciple of the Cross following no Chief but Christ I am consociated to your Holiness i. e. in Communion of Peters Chair I know that the Church is built upon that Rock Whosoever shall have eaten the Lamb without This House is profane If any one be not in Noahs Ark he shall perish by the prevalence of the Flood Which also was long before prov'd by Irenaeus and Cyprian Iraeu lib. 3. contra Haeres c. 3. B. Cypr. de Simpl Prelat in principio fere who speaking of the Unity of the Church says The Lord says to Peter I O Peter say to thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church He builds his Church upon One And tho after his Resurrection he gave part of this Power to all the Apostles and said As the Father sent me I also send you receive ye the Holy Ghost yet that he might manifest Vnity He by his own Authority dispos'd the Original of that same Vnity which was to begin in One c. And then Optatus of Milevis says Optatus initio lib. 2. ad Farmen It cannot be charg'd upon you as of ignorance seeing you know that in the City of Rome was first plac'd by Peter the Episcopal Chair in which Peter the Head of all the Apostles sate In which One the Vnity of the Church has been kept of all lest the other Apostles should challenge every one his own severally so that now he is a Schismatic and a Prevaricator who puts up another Chair in competition with this single one And afterwards St. Basil has left in writing thus Basil hom 29. quae est de poenit Peter is put in the Foundation for he said Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and he receiv'd
this Answer that he was a Rock for though he might be a Rock yet he was not a Rock as Christ was for Christ was a Rock truly immoveable but Peter only by virtue of that Rock for God bestows his own dignities upon others Mark this He is a Priest and he makes Priests He is a Rock and he makes a Rock and what things are his he bestows on his Servants Lastly St. Ambrose St. Ambrose says If any one object that the Church is content with One Head and Husband Jesus Christ and needs no other the answer is ready For as we account Christ our Lord not only the Author but the Bestower also of all the Sacraments for He it is that Baptizes and absolves and yet he makes Men the outward Ministers of the Sacraments So he has plac'd over his Church which he governs inwardly with his Spirit a Man to be the Vicar and Minister of his Power For seeing the Visible Church wanted a Visible Head our Saviour accordingly appointed Peter the Head and Pastor of all the Faithful when in most ample expressions he commended to him the feeding of his Sheep that he would have him who succeeded to have plainly the same power of ruling and governing the whole Church Besides XVI The way to preserve Unity for time to come 1 Cor. 12.11 12. Eph. 4.34 there is One and the same Spirit says the Apostle to the Corinthians who bestows Grace on the Faithful even as the Soul does Life on the Members of the Body To preserve which Vnity when he exhorts the Ephesians he says Be earnest to preserve the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For as the Body of Man is made up of many Members and all are nourish'd by one Soul which gives Seeing to the Eyes Hearing to the Ears and divers Faculties to the other Senses So the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church is made up of many Faithful People There is also One Hope Eph. 4.4 as the Apostle testifies in the same place to which we are call'd for we all hope for the same thing to wit Eternal Life and Happiness Lastly There is One Faith which all must hold and profess 1 Cor. 1.10 Let there be no Schisms among you says the Apostle And there is One Baptism which is a Sacrament of the Christian Faith Another property of the Church is XVII The Second That she be Holy 1 Pet. 2.9 First that she is Holy which thing we have learn'd from that place of the Prince of Apostles But ye are a chosen generation a Holy Nation But she is call'd Holy because she is consecrated and dedicated to God for so other things of this kind though they are corporeal are us'd to be call'd Holy when they are given and dedicated to divine worship Of which kind in the Old Law were the Vessels Vestments and Altars In which sense the First-born also who were dedicated to the Most High God were call'd Holy Nor should any one wonder Note that the Church is call'd Holy altho within her are contain'd many Sinners For the Faithful are call'd Holy because they are made the People of God and by receiving Baptism and Faith have consecrated themselves to Christ altho in many things they offend and perform not the things they have promis'd even as they who profess any Trade or Art tho they observe not the rules thereof are yet call'd Tradesmen Wherefore S. Paul calls the Corinthians Sanctifi'd and Holy 1 Cor. 1.2 amongst whom it is manifest there were some whom he sharply reproves as Carnal and charges with many other Crimes She is also to be call'd Holy Secondly because as the Body she is joyn'd with her Holy Head Christ the Lord who is the Fountain of all Holiness from whom are pour'd forth the anointings and riches of Divine Goodness Excellently does St. Austin interpret those words of the Prophet S. Aug. in Ps 85.8 Keep thou my soul because I am Holy He dares says he and the Body of Christ dares and that one Man crying out from the ends of the Earth with his Head and under his Head dares say I am Holy For she receiv'd the Grace of Holiness the Grace of Baptism and of Remission of sins And a little after If all Christians and all the Faithful being baptiz'd in Christ have put him on as the Apostle says Gal. 3.27 As many of you as have been baptiz'd have put on Christ if they are made Members of his Body and yet say that they are not Holy they do wrong to the very Head whose Members they are made Add to this Thirdly That the Church alone has the legitimate worship of Sacrifice and the saving use of the Sacraments by which as by the efficacious instruments of Divine Grace God works true Holiness in us So that whosoever are truly Holy cannot be out of this Church It is plain therefore that the Church is Holy and Holy indeed because she is the Body of Christ by whom she is sanctifi'd and wash'd in his Blood Concerning the Holiness of the Church see Justin Martyr in both his Apologies Tertul. in his Apologie August against Fulgen. c. 17. Greg. Moral b. 37. c. 7. The Third Property of the Church is The Third That she be Catholic S. Aug. Ser. 131. 181. de Tempore that she be stil'd Catholic to wit Vniversal which appellation is truly given her because as S. Austin testifies From the East to the West the Brightness of one Faith is spread abroad For the Church is not as in the Public Affairs of Men or in the Conventicles of Heretics bound to the limits of One Kingdom only or to One sort of Men But she embraces in the Bosom of her Charity all Men whether they be Barbarians or Scythians Servants or Free-men Male or Female Wherefore it is written Apoc. 5.6 10. Thou by thy blood hast redeem'd us O God out of every tribe and language and people and nation and hast made us a kingdom to our God And of the Church says David Ps 2. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession And I will remember Ps 86. Rahab and Babylon who shall know me and A man was born in her Besides all the Faithful which have ever been from Adam to this day or who shall be while the World endures and profess the true Faith belong to this very Church Eph. 2.20 which was built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets all which were constituted and founded upon that One Corner-stone Christ who made Both to be One who has proclaim'd Peace to them that are near and to them that are afar off And she is call'd Vniversal for this reason Because all that desire everlasting Salvation are bound to lay fast hold of and to embrace her no otherwise than they who went into
our Wickedness by the Blood of his only begotten Son so that he freely endur'd the Punishment which for our sins we had deserv'd and the Just was condemn'd for the Unjust the Innocent was put to a most bitter death for the Guilty Wherefore when we seriously consider with our selves 1 Pet. 1.18 19. That we were not redeem'd with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without spot or blemish we shall easily conclude that nothing could possibly come to us more advantagious than this power of forgiving sins which shews the unutterable of Providence of God and his exceeding Love towards us And from this consideration it must needs be X. Mortal Sin how great an Evil. that a mighty advantage redound to us For he that offends God by any mortal Sin whatsoever Merits he before had by the Death of Christ and his Cross he straightway loses all and the Gate of Paradice which before being shut our Savior by his Passion has open'd to all he has shut again against himself Which when we remember we cannot chuse but that the consideration of Mans Misery will extreamly grieve us But if we bend our mind to this admirable Power which God has given to his Church and being confirm'd in the Faith of this Article believe that this Power is offer'd to every one so that being assisted by Gods help he may be restor'd to his former state of dignity then are we forc'd with the highest joy and gladness to exult and give immortal Thanks to God And truly if those Medicines are us'd to seem welcome and pleasant which the skilful and careful Physitian prepares for us when we are sick how much more pleasant ought those remedies to be which the Wisdom of God has appointed for the cure of our Souls and consequently for the recovery of Life and especially when they carry with them not a weak doubtful Hope of Health as those Medicines do which are apply'd to the Body but when they bring most certain Health to those who desire to be heal'd The Faithful therefore are to be admonish'd XI The Benefit of Remission of Sin diligently to be us'd after they have known the dignity of so ample and so excellent a Gift that they study religiously to convert it to their own advantage For it can hardly be that he who makes no use of a thing that is profitable and necessary can be suppos'd not to despise it and specially seeing the Lord has deliver'd to his Church this Power of forgiving sins to this end that all might use this wholsome remedy For as no one without Baptism can be expiated or cleans'd so whosoever is minded to recover the Grace of Baptism which he lost by mortal sin must necessarily betake himself to that other kind of expiation to wit the Sacrament of Penance But here the Faithful are to be warn'd XII The Easiness of obtaining Pardon not to be abus'd Aug. in Joan. Tract 33. lib. 50. Hom. 41. Amb. lib. 2. de poenit c. 1.2 11. that hearing of so large a Power of Pardon and that it is not to be limited to any term of Time not to take encouragement either to sin the more readily or to repent the more slowly For since by the one they are manifestly discover'd to be injurious to and to affront this Divine Power they are unworthy that God should bestow any Mercy upon them and by the other it is much to be fear'd lest being overtaken by Death in vain they confess the Forgiveness of Sins which by their sloth and putting off they have deservedly lost ARTICLE XI THe Resurrection of the Body That this Article has a great influence to establish the truth of our Faith I. How necessary the Belief of this Article This does abundantly evidence that it is propos'd to the Belief of the Faithful not only by the Holy Scriptures but is confirm'd by many reasons also Which since we see it not done in the other Articles of the Creed we may perceive that the Hope of our Salvation is grounded herein as on a most foundation as the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 15.14 If there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen again but if Chrst be not risen again then is Our Preaching vain and your Faith is vain In explaining hereof therfore the Curat shall take no less pains and care than the wickedness of many has labour'd to overthrow it For that great and excellent advantages redound to the use of the Faithful by the knowledge hereof will by and by be shew'd But first of all this is to be noted II. Why the Resurrection of Men call'd the Resurrection of the Flesh That in this Article the Resurrection of Men is call'd the Resurrection of the Flesh. And this is not done without good reason For the Apostles would teach what is necessarily to be suppos'd That the Soul is immortal Wherefore lest any one might think that the Soul dy's together with the Body and that Both were to be restor'd to life again seeing that by many places of Holy Scripture it is plainly manifest that the Soul is immortal for this reason in this Article there is mention made of the Resurrection of the Flesh only And tho frequently in Holy Scripture the word Flesh signifies the whole man as in Esaias Isay 40.8 All Flesh is grass and in S. John The word was made Flesh Yet in this place the word Flesh signifies the Body that we may understand that of the Two Parts Soul and Body of which Man is made the One only to wit the Body is corrupted and returns into the Dust of the Earth out of which it was made that the Sout remains uncorrupt But then whereas none can be restor'd to Life III. The Soul not said to rise again 2 Tim. 2.14 unless he had been first dead the Soul is not properly said to rise again And there is mention made of the Flesh to confute that Heresie which during the Apostles life was Hymenaeus and Philetus's who taught that when in Holy Scripture mention was made of the Resurrection it was not to be understood of a Resurrection of the Body but of the soul whereby we rise from the death of sin to an innocent life From these words therefore it is plain that this error is taken away and the true Resurrection of the Body is confirm'd But it is the Curates Part to illustrate and clear this Truth by Examples taken out of the Old and New Testaments IV. How the Resurrection of the Flesh is to be prov'd and out of all other Church Histories For some were restor'd to life by Elilijah and Elisha in the Old Testament others besides those which Christ our Lord rais'd from death by the Holy Apostles and many others 3 Reg. 17.19 4 Reg. 4.34 which Resurrection of many confirms the Doctrine of this Article
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
call to mind how he has by solemn promise oblig'd himself to God when he was initiated in Baptism and will also consider with himself whether in his Life and Conversation he has behav'd himself in such a manner as the very Profession of Christianity obliges and undertakes That therefore what is to be taught III. What the Name Batism signifies Eight kinds of Baptism See Damass lib. 4. de fide Orthod 10 might be made the more intelligible it must be declar'd what the Nature and Substance of Baptism is after that the signification of the word Baptism shall have bin explain'd There is none who know not that Baptism is a Greek word which tho in Holy Scripture it signifies not only that Washing or Cleansing which is joyn'd with this Sacrament but even all other kinds of Washing yea and sometimes is extended to signifie Suffering also Yet among Church-Writers it signifies not every kind of Washing of the Body but that which is annext to the Sacrament and is not ministred without the prescrib'd Form of Words which signification the Apostles by the Institution of Christ frequently made use of Now the Holy Fathers made use of other names also to signifie the same thing For S. Austin testifies that it was call'd the Sacrament of Faith IV. By what other names the Sacrament of Baptism is call'd D. Aug. Epist 25. in sin Heb. 10.15 because they who receiv'd it made profession of the Faith or Belief of the whole Christian Religion Others call'd this Sacrament Illumination because the heart is illuminated by the Faith we profess in Baptism For thus says the Apostle Remember the former days wherein being illuminated ye underwent a great fight of sufferings to wit signifying when they were Baptiz'd Besides S. Chry. 10.5 Chrysostom in his Oration to those who were baptiz'd calls it both a Purgation whereby through Baptism we purge away the Old Leven that we may be a New Lump and a Burying and a Planting and Christ's Cross The reason of all which Names may be gather'd from the Epistle to the Romans And why S. Denys call'd it the Beginning of the most Holy Commandments S. Dionys de Eccl. Hier. c. 2. is evident seeing that this Sacrament is the Gate as it were through which we enter into the fellowship of Christian Life and from thenceforth begin to obey Gods commands and this will suffice briefly to be taught concerning the Name of Baptism Of the various Names of Baptism See Greg. Naz. Orat. in Sancta Lumina Clem. Alex. lib. 1. Paedag. c. 6. But as to the Definition of the Thing Tho there may many others be gather'd out of Sacred Writers V. The Definition of Baptism yet That seems more fit and suitable which we may learn from our Lords own words in S. John's Gospel and from the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And the Apostle when he spake of the Church Ephes 5.26 Cleansing her in the Laver of Water in the Word For through Adam by nature we are born the Children of Wrath but by Baptism we are born again in Christ the Children of Grace For he gave power to men to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.13 even to them that believe in his Name who are not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wiâ—l of man but of God But in what words soever the nature of Baptism chances to be explain'd VI. How the Sacrament of Baptism is made the people are to be taught That this Sacrament is made by Washing with which according to the institution of our Lord and Saviour must needs be us'd certain and solemn words as the Holy Fathers have always taught as is shew'd by the plain testimony of S. Austin The Word is added to the Element and so the Sacrament is made But the Faithful must be carefully taught An Error to be mark'd not to fall into that Error not to think as it is vulgarly us'd to be said that That Water which is kept in the Holy Font to make the Sacrament is the Sacrament For then only is it to be call'd the Sacrament of Baptism when in truth we use Water to wash any one adding those words which were instituted by our Lord. Of this see Chrysost hom 24. in Joan. Aug. l. 6. contra Donatist c. 25. Conc. Florent Trid. item August Tract 80. in Joan. Now because in the Beginning when we spake of Sacraments in general VII The Matter of Bap â—â—m is natural Water we said that every Sacrament consists of Matter and Form therefore what each of these is in the Sacrament of Baptism must be declar'd by the Pastors The Matter therefore or the Element of this Sacrament is any kind of natural Water whether of the Sea or the River or a Pond or a Well or a Fountain that is us'd to be call'd Water without any adjunct Joh 3.5 For our Savior has taught Except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God â— h. 2.26 and the Apostle says That the Church was cleans'd by the Laver of Water And we read in the Epistle of S. John 1 Joh. 5.8 There are Three which bear record in Earth The Spirit the Water and the Bloodâ— this may be prov'd also from other testimonies of Holy Scipture But that which S. John the Baptist said Maâ— 3. that the Lord was coming that would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire this can by no means be understood of the Matter of Baptism but ought to be apply'd either to the inward working of the Holy Ghost or at least to the Miracle which appear'd on the day of Pentecost Act. 2.3 when the Holy Ghost came down from Heaven upon the Apostles in the likeness of Fire whereof in another place Christ our Lord foretold Act. 1.5 John indeed baptiz'd with Water but ye shall be baptiz'd with the Holy Ghost not many days hence But this we may observe from the Holy Scriptures to have bin signifi'd before-hand by the Lord VIII The Matter of Baptism figur'd in the Old Testament Gen. 6.5 2 Pet. 3.10 both in Figures and in the Oracles of the Prophets For the Flood whereby the World was cleans'd because the wickedness of man was great in the Earth and all the thoughts of his heart wholly set upon evil carri'd the Figure and Resemblance of This Water as the Prince of Apostles in his former Epistle shews And the Passage through the Red-Sea signifi'd this Water 1 Cor. 10.1 as S. Paul writing to the Corinthians expounds it 4 Reg 5.24 to omit the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian and the admirable virtue of the Pool of Bethsaiday Job 5.2 and many others of the like kind Wherein it plainly appears
Savior Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God have relation to the time after his Passion If therefore the Pastors diligently handle these matters there can be no doubt but that the Faithful will come to understand and with truly devout Souls will reverence the excellent dignity of this Sacrament and especially when they consider that those excellent and rich Gifts which when Christ was baptiz d were manifested by the signification of Miracles to be given and bestow'd by the secret influence of the Holy Ghost upon all those that are baptiz'd For as if our eyes were open'd as Elisha's servants were that we could but be able to behold those heavenly things 4 Reg. 6.17 there can no body be thought to be so void of common sense as not to be carried into the greatest Admiration of the mysteries of Baptism Why then should we not think it will be so when the Pastors shall have laid open the Riches of this Sacrament in such sort that tho the Faithful cannot behold them with their bodily Eyes yet with the Eye and sharpness of their Soul illuminated with the splendor of Faith they may be able to contemplate them And now it will seem to be not only profitable but necessary also to shew by whom this Sacrament is to be ministred XXII The Ministers of this Sacrament of three Ranks both that they to whom chiefly this Office is committed may labor to discharge it holily and devoutly and also that none stretching beyond their own limits might rashly seiz upon anothers possession or proudly enter upon anothers Office 1 Cor. 15. seeing the Apostle admonishes to keep a due Order in all things The Faithful therefore may be taught That there are three degrees of those who may minister Baptism And in the first place are to be reckon'd the Bishops and Priests to whom it is given by Right of their Office and not by any extraordinary dispensation or power to exercise this Function For to Them in the Apostles the Lord gave commandment Matt. 28.19 Isiâ— l. 2. de Offic. Eccles c. 4. saying Go ye and Baptize Tho the Bishops that they might not be forc'd to leave the more weighty charge of instructing the people are us'd to leave the Ministery of Baptism to the Priests And that the Priests have in themselves a Right to exercise this Function so that even in presence of the Bishop they may minister Baptism is manifest both by the practice of the Church and the Doctrin of the Fathers For since they are instituted to consecrate the Eucharist which is the Sacrament of Peace and Vnity it is but requisite that they should have power of administering all those things by which necessarily any one may be made partaker of that Peace and Vnity And if at any time the Fathers have said That the Power of Baptizing hath not bin permitted to the Priests but by leave of the Bishop it seems that it should be meant of that Baptism only which was accustom'd to be ministred with great and solemn Ceremony on some certain days of the year In the next rank of Ministers are the Deacons to whom The Deacons by concession Distinct 93. c. 13. Any other person in necessity without the consent of the Bishop or Priest it was not allow'd to minister this Sacrament as is witness'd by many Decrees of the Holy Fathers The lowest rank is of those who in a forcible necessity may baptize but without the use of the solemn Ceremonies of this sort are all persons yea even of the Lay-people whether Men or Women what Sect soever they profess for this power is permitted even to Jews Infidels and Heretics when necessity compels provided that in so doing they intend to do what the Catholic Church does in that kind of administration These things both many Decrees of the ancient Fathers and Councils have confirm'd and there is also an Anathema decreed by the Holy Council of Trent against those who presume to say That Baptism tho given by Heretics in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost with an intention of doing what the Church does is not true Baptism Trid. Sess 7. Can de consec dist 4. c. 24. Aug. l. 7. cont Donatist c. 53. Ibid. l. 3. c. 10. l. 2. cont Parmen Conc. Later c. 1. Conc. Florent in Decret Eugenii Wherein verily we may admire the exceeding Goodness and Wisdom of our Lord XXIII Why lawful for all to Baptize for seeing this Sacrament must necessarily be receiv'd of all as he appointed Water to be the Matter thereof than which nothing can be more common so also would he have no one excluded from the Administration thereof although as was said before it be not lawful for all to use the solemn Ceremonies not as tho the Rites or Ceremonies are of more Dignity but that they are of less necessity than the Sacrament Nor may the Faithful suppose that this Office is permitted promiscuously to all in such a manner as that it is not very fit to appoint some Order and Degree of Ministers For if Men be present a Woman ought not if a Clerk be present a a Layman ought not if a Priest be present a Clerk ought not to take upon himself the administration of Baptism Altho Midwives which have bin us'd to baptize are not to be disallow'd tho sometimes in the presence of a Man who is unskilful in performing this Sacrament which otherwise seems more properly to be the office of a Man they should perform it To these Ministers who as has bin already said The Antient use various Names and necessity of God-Fathers Tertul. lib de Baptis c. 18. de Coron milit c. 3. do administer Baptism may be added another sort of Ministers who by the most ancient practice of the Church have bin wont to be made use of at the sacred and saving celebration of Baptism These we now call God-Fathers and God-Mothers tho formerly they were commonly call'd by Sacred Writers Vndertakers Answerers Sureties Concerning the reason of whom because the Office belongs to all Lay-people in common the Pastors shall exactly teach that the Faithful may understand what things are most necessary for the right discharging thereof And first he must shew what the cause is why at Baptism besides those that Minister the Sacrament there are also requir'd God-Fathers and Vndertaters which indeed will appear to all to be exceedingly well done if they consider that Baptism is a Spiritual Regeneration or New-Birth 1 Pet. 2.2 by which we are born the Children of God for of this New-Birth speaks S. Peter Even as New-born Infants desire you the reasonable milk without hypocrisie As therefore when any one is born into the world he presently wants a Nurse and a Schoolmaster by whose assitance and labour he is educated and instructed in
Quin Corpus When therefore Sacred Writers found that they could by no means shew in one Word IV. Why this Sacrament call'd the Eucharist the Dignity and Excellence of this admirable Sacrament they endeavour'd to express it in more Words or Names For sometimes they call'd it the Eucharist which word we may render in English The Good Grace or the Thanksgiving And indeed rightly is it call'd the Good Grace both because it foreshews the Life Everlasting Rom. 6.23 whereof it is written Eternal Life is the Grace of God And also because it contains in it Christ our Lord who is the true Grace and the Fountain of all Gifts Nor do we less fitly interpret it a Thanksgiving For when we offer this most pure Host or Sacrifice we daily give God infinite Thanks for all his benefits towards us and especially for so excellent a benefit of his Grace which he gives us in this Sacrament But that very Name also is very agreeable with those things which we read were done by Christ our Lord at the instituting this Mystery For Mat. 26.16 Mar. 14 22. 1 Cor. 11.24 Luc. 22.19 Ps 110.5 taking Bread he brake it and gave thanks David also when contemplated the greatness of this Mystery before he would pronounce that Verse The merciful and gracious Lord has made a remembrance of his Wonders he has given Food to them that fear him thought it good first to give Thanks Confession or Thanksgiving and Magnificence is his work Chrysost hom 24. in 7. ad Cor. ad haec verba Calix Benedictionis Cypr. l. de lapsis Ambr. lib. 5. de Sacram. c. 3. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 73. a. 4. It is also oft call'd a Sacrifice of which Mystery shall be spoken more largely afterwards It is also call'd a Communion V. Oâ—her names giv'n to the Eucharist Sacrifice Communion 1 Cor. 10.16 Damasc l. 4. â— l. Orthod c. 4. which name is taken from that place of the Apostle where he says The Chalice of Blessing which we Bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread which we break is it not the participaton of the Body of Christ For as Damascen has explain'd it This Sacrament couples us to Christ and makes us Partakers of his Flesh and of his Deity and reconciles us to one another in the same Christ and consolidates us as it were into one Body See Iren. lib. 5. cap. 7. Chrys hom 44. 45. in Joan Cyril in lib. 7. in Joan. c. 13. Cyril Hier. Catech. 4. Aug. Tract 26. in Joan. Trid. Sess 13. de Euch. in Praefat. Conc. Nicaen 21. Carth. 4. c. 77. 26. q. 6. passim Whence it comes to pass that it is also call'd the Sacrament of Peace and Charity The Sacrament of Peace and Charity that we may know how unworthy they are of the name of a Christian who practise enmity and that Hatred Strife and Discord are by all means to be rooted out as the most odious plague of the Faithful Especially seeing that in the daily Sacrifice of our Religion we profess not to be so studious and careful of any thing as of Peace and Charity It is also by Sacred Writers commonly call'd a Viaticum Vlaticum or Travellers Bait on his Journey Both because it is our Spiritual Meat wherewith we are sustain'd in the Pilgrimage of this life and because it gives us strength to attain to eternal Glory and Happiness And therefore according to the ancient appointment of the Catholic Church none of the Faithful were to depart this life without this Sacrament And the most antient Fathers following the Authority of the Apostles A Supper 1 Cor. 11.24 Cypr. de Coena Domini sometimes call'd the Holy Eucharist by the name of a Supper because in that saving Mystery of the Last Supper it was institued by Christ our Lord. Not that we ought therefore after our Meat or drink to consecrate or receive the Eucharist VI. The Eucharist to be consecrated and taken fasting since that wholesome practice introduc'd by the Apostles as the antient Writers have noted has always bin kept and observ'd namely that it should be receiv'd fasting Aug. Ep. 188. c. 6. And now the Reason of the Names being explain'd VII The Eucharist truly a Sacrament it must be taught that this is truly a Sacrament and that it is one of those seven which Holy Church has always religiously observ'd and reverenc'd For when the Consecration of the Chalice is made it is call'd The Mystery of Faith Besides to omit almost infinite Testimonies of Sacred Writers who have ever thought That this ought to be reckon'd among the true Sacraments it is manifestly prov'd from the very Reason and Nature of a Sacrament for therein are outward and sensible Signs And then it has both the Signification and effectual working of Grace And besides all this neither the Evangelists nor the Apostles leave any room to doubt that it was instituted by Christ All which things coming together to confirm it to be a true Sacrament it is evident that all arguments to prove it to be so are needless August l. 3. de Trinit c. 4. l. 20. contra Faust c. 13. Ambr. l. 1. de Sacram. c. 2. Trid. Sess 13. de Euch. c. 5. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 73. art 1. Now this is diligently to be observ'd of the Pastors VIII The name Sacrament given to many things in the Eucharist that there are many things in this Mystery to which sometimes Sacred Writers have attributed the Name of a Sacrament For sometimes the Consecration and Receiving but frequently the very Body and Blood of our Lord which is contained in the Eucharist is us'd to be call'd the Sacrament For S. Austin says That this Sacrament consists of two things De Cate. rud l. 5. c. 16. viz. the Visible appearance of Elements and the Invisible Flesh and Blood os our very Lord Jesus Christ August hic ad sensum potius quam ad verba citatus sed lege hac de materia librum Lanfranci contra Berengarium constat 23. tantum capitibus Vide de Consecr dist 2. ferè tota And after the same manner we affirm Note That this Sacrament is to he ador'd Trid. Sess 15 de Euch c 5. can 6. to wit understanding the Body and Blood of the Lord. But it is plain that all these are not so properly call'd Sacraments But the Species of Bread and Wine have the true Reason of this name Sacrament But how much this Sacrament differs from all the rest is easily perceiv'd for the other Sacraments are perfected in the use of the Matter to wit while they are administer'd to any one For Baptism then takes the Nature of a Sacrament IX The Eucharist differs from the other Sacraments First Secondly when a person is indeed wash'd with Water But to the perfection of the Eucharist the Consecration of the Matter is
Christ our Lord the same has bin always us'd in the Catholic Church We might here forbear the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers By Fathers and Councils which to reckon up would be endless and the Decree of the Council of Florence which is open and ready for all to see especially since by those words of our Savior Do this in commemoration of me we plainly see the same thing In Decret de Sacram. Item Trid. Sess 13. cap. 1. For what the Lord commanded to be done Note ought to be referr'd not only to what he did but also to what he said And we must know that indeed it chiefly belongs to the Words which were utter'd no less for the sake of Effecting than for the sake of Signifying As to the Fathers see Amb. lib. 4. de Sacram. c. 4. 5. Chrys hom de Prodit Judae Aug lib. 3. de Trinit c. 4. Iren. lib. 4. cont Haer. c. 34. Orig. lib. 8. cont Celsum Hesich lib. 6. in Levit. c. 22. Cyril Alex. Epist. ad Calosorum Episcop Tertul. lib. 4. contr Marc. in Hier. Epist. 1. But this may easily be perswaded by Reason By Reason For the Form is that whereby is signifi'd that thing which is wrought in this Sacrament Now when these words signifie and declare that thing which is done i. e. the conversion of the Bread into the true Body of our Lord it follows that the Form is to be put in those very Words in which meaning we may take that which is written by the Evangelist He Blessed Mat. 26. For he seems to mean as if he had said Taking Bread he Blessed it saying This is my Body For tho the Evangelist plac'd these words Take and Eat before Note yet it is plain that thereby is signifi'd not the Consecration of the Matter but the Vse only Wherefore they ought indeed by all means to be pronounc'd by the Priest but to the making the Sacrament they are not necessary As also that Conjunction For is pronounc'd in the Consecration of the Body and Blood Note for otherwise it would come to pass that if this Sacrament were to be administer'd to no body it ought not or cannot be done Whereas there can be no doubt but the Priest pronouncing the words of our Lord after the manner and appointment of Holy Church doth truly consecrate the proper matter of Bread altho it may then chance that the Holy Eucharist be not administer'd to any body at all And now as to the Consecration of the Wine XXI The Form of the Eucharist as to the Winâ— defin'd and prov'd Decretal lib. 3. de celeb Miss c. 6. which is the other Matter of this Sacrament for the same reason before mention'd there is need that the Priest rightly know and understand the Form That therefore we must certainly believe is comprehended in these words This is the Chalice of my Blood of the New and Eternal Testament the Mystery of Faith which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins â— Of which words there are many gather'd from Sacred Scripture By Scripture Luc. 22.20 1 Cor. 11.25 Mat. 26.28 But some have bin preserv'd in the Church by Apostolical Tradition For that which is said This is the Chalice is written by S. Luke and by the Apostle But that which follows Of my Blood or my Blood of the New Testament which shall be shed for you and for many for the Remission of sins was partly said by S. Luke and partly by S. Matthew But those words Of the Eternal and Mystery of Faith Holy Tradition By Tradition the interpreter and keeper of Catholic Unity has taught us But of this Form no one can doubt And Reason if he mind in this place also what was said before of the Form of Consecration which is us'd over the Element of Bread For it is manifest that by these words which signifie the substance of the Wine to be converted into the Blood of our Lord the Form of this Element is chang'd Wherefore since those words plainly declare this thing it is plain that there is no other Form to be made But they express besides XXII Three Effects of Christ's Blood certain admirable Fruits of Christ's blood shed in his Passion which specially belong to this Sacrament One is an Entrance to the Eternal Inheritance which comes to us by right of the New and Eternal Testament Another is an Entrance to Righteousness by the Mystery of Faith For God has offer'd Jesus through Faith in his Blood to be our Reconciler that he might be just and the justifier of him who is of the Faith of Jesus Christ The Third is the Forgiveness of Sins But because these very words of Consecration are full of Mysteries XXIII The words of the Consecration of the Wine explain'd Decretal lib. 3. de celeb Miss c. 6. and are very suitable to the matter we must consider them more carefully Now that it is said This is the Chalice of my Blood it must be thus understood This is my Blood which is contain'd in the Chalice Rightly therefore and very fitly here whilst the Blood as it is the Drink of the Faithful is consecrated there is mention to be made of the Chalice or Cup For neither would Blood seem to signifie sufficiently this kind of drink unless it were in some Vessels It then follows Of the New Testament which for this reason is added that we may understand that the Blood of Christ our Lord is not now given to Men in a Figure as it was done in the Old Testament for we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews Without Blood a Testament is not dedicated Heb. 9.16 but really and truly which properly belongs to the New Testament Wherefore the Apostle says Therefore Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death those who are call'd might receive the promise of eternal inheritance But the Word Eternal is to be referr'd to the eternal inheritance which of right comes to us by the death of Christ our Lord the eternal Testator That whit follows The Mystery of Faith excludes not the Truth of the thing but that which lies close hid and farthest off from the sight signifies that it is to be believ'd with a steady Faith But these words in this place have another meaning than they have when they are attributed to Baptism sor it is call'd the mystery of Faith because by Faith we perceive Christ's Blood hid under the Species of Wine But we properly call Baptism the Sacrament of Faith as the Greeks call it the Mystery of Faith because it contains the whole profession of Christian Faith Altho for another reason also we call the Blood of our Lord the Mysterie of Faith to wit because therein especially human reason finds much difficulty and labor when Faith offers to us to believe that the Son of God both God and Man suffer'd Death for us which
XXVII The same confirm'd by consent of Fathers and first it must be taught that there is nothing doubtful or uncertain in them Especially since the authority of Gods Church has thus interpreted them To the knowledg of which sense we may come by a twofold way and means The first is by consulting the Fathers who flourish'd both in the beginning and so down through every Age of the Church and were the best Witnesses of the Doctrin of the Church But all these by an exact consent and agreement have most plainly taught the truth of this Opinion Of which to bring the several Testimonies because it would be a most tedious labor it shall be sufficient to mark or rather to shew a few things whereby a judgment may easily be made of the rest S. Ambrose therefore first produces his Faith who in his Book of those that are initiated in the Mysteries testifies Lib. 4. de Sacra de tis qui Myster init c. 9. vide de consec dist 2. plutib in locis Chrys ad Popul Antioch homil 60 61. That the true Body of Christ is taken in this Sacrament as his true Body was taken of the Virgin and this is to be held with most certain Faith And in another place he teaches That there is Bread before the Consecration but after the consecration the Body of Christ Another witness hereof is S. Chrysostom one of no less Fidelity and Gravity who professes and teaches this Truth both in many other places and especially in his 60th Homily of those who unworthily receive the Sacred Mysteries as also in his 41 and 45. Homilies upon S. John For he says Let us obey and not contradict God tho that which is spoken seem to be contrary to our Reason and our very Eyes for his Word is infallible our Senses are easily deceiv'd To these exactly agrees what S. Austin the vigorous defender of Catholic Faith always taught And first expounding the Title of the 33. Psalm he writes To carry himself in his own hands is to Man an impossible thing and is proper to Christ alone For He was carri'd in his own hands when giving that Body of his he said This is my Body And besides Cyril Justin and Irenaeus in his fourth Book upon S. John so plainly affirm the true Flesh of Christ to be in this Sacrament that his words cannot be rendred obscure by any sallacies or captious interpretations But if the Pastors want any other Testimonies of the Fathers it is easie to add more as S. Dennys Hilary Hierom Damascen and innumerable others The grave Sentences of whom concerning this matter we may read collected and gather'd together by the Labor and Industry of learn'd and pious Men. Divus Augustinus in Ps 33. Conc. 1. a medio ad finera usque Cyril l. 4. in Joan. c. 33. 14. l. c. 13. Just Apolog. 2. sub finem ad Antonium l'ium lren l. 5. cont haeret c. l. 5. in Joan. c. 34. Dionys Eccles Hier. c. 3. Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit Hierom Epist ad Damasum Damasc l. 4. de Orthod fid c. 14. There remains another way whereby we may find out the judgment of Holy Church in those things which belong to Faith to wit the contrary Doctrin and Opinion being condemn'd And it is manifest that the Truth of the Body of Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was so scatter'd and spread abroad through the whole Church XXVIII The same further confirm'd by Decrees of Councils and willingly embrac'd by all the Faithful that when Berengarius five hundred years ago presum'd to deny it and asserted That there was only a Sign he was forthwith condemn'd by the Sentence of all in the Council of Verceils which by Authority of Leo IX was conven'd and himself retracted his Opinion and condemn'd it with an Anathema Who afterwards returning to the same impiety was condemn'd in three other Councils one at Tours and two at Rome whereof the one was call'd together by Pope Nicholas II. and the other by Pope Gregory VII And afterwards the Faith of the same Truth was more fully declar'd and settl'd in the Councils of Florence and Trent If therefore the Pastors shall diligently have explain'd these things not to say any thing of those XXIX And by Reason who being blinded and harden'd in their Errors hate nothing more than the Light of Truth they will be able to confirm the weak and to affect the Souls of the devout with the greatest joy and delight Especially since the Faithful may not doubt but that the Belief of this Perswasion is to be reckon'd among the other Articles of Faith For when they believe and confess God's Power to be supream over all things The First they must needs believe that he wants not Power to effect this great Work which we admire and worship in the Sacrament of the Eucharist And then The Second when they believe the Catholic Church it must needs follow that they believe also that this is the truth of this Sacrament as we have explain'd it And indeed there can be no greater sweetness and profit to the Faithful XXX How great the Churches Dignity by reason of the Sacrament of the Eucharist than to contemplate the dignity of this most profound Sacrament For first they perceive how great the Perfection of the Law of the Gospel is which has the priviledge to have that thing in Truth and Reality which in the time of the Mosaical Law was only shadow'd by Signs and Figures Wherefore it was divinely said of S. Dennys De Eccl. Hier. c. 3 p. 1. That our Church is in the middle between the Synagogue and the upper Jerusalem and participates of both And indeed the Faithful can never sufficiently admire the perfection of Holy Church and the height of her Glory seeing there seems to be but one step or degree only betwixt her and the Bliss of Heaven For This we have common with those in Heaven that both of us have Christ God and Man present with us But we are below them this one step They being present there enjoy the blessed Vision But We with a firm and constant Faith worship him being present with us but hiding himself far from the sense of our Eyes under the admirable cloathing of the Sacred Mysteries Besides in this Sacrament the Faithful experience the most perfect Love of our Savior Christ For it highly became his goodness never to withdraw from us that Nature which he took of us but as much as may be to be and to be conversant among us That at all times that might seem to be truly and properly said Prov. 8. My delight is to be with the Children of Men. And now in this place the Pastors must explain XXXI Whole Christ as God and Man contain'd in the Eucharist not only that the true Body of Christ and whatsoever belongs to the true Nature of a Body as
not profit that Grace is given in the Eucharist the Pastors ought to admonish that it is not so to be understood as tho' it were not necessary that he who will indeed profitably receiv'd this Sacrament should not before obtain Grace For it is manifest that as natural Food does nothing at all profit a dead Body so also the sacred Mysteries profit not that Soul which lives not in Spirit And therefore they have the species or shew of Bread and Wine to signifie Note that they were instituted indeed not to call a dead Soul to Life again but to preserve Life But this is therefore spoken LII By the Eucharist is given the first Grace and why because even the First Grace which All ought to have before they presume to receive the sacred Eucharist in their mouth lest they eat and drink judgment to themselves is not given to any except in Wish and Desire they receive this very Sacrament For This is the End of all the Sacraments and the Symbol of Ecclesiastical Vnity and Conjunction neither can any one out of the Church obtain Grace And then Note because the Body is not only serv'd by Natural Food but also increas'd and the Taste daily receives new pleasure and sweetness from it so also the Meat of the sacred Eucharist does not only keep the Soul alive but it also adds strength to it and causes that the Spirit be more and more mov'd with the Delight of divine things Sap. 16.20 for this cause it is that Grace is rightly and most truly said to be given in this Sacrament for it may well be compar'd to Manna wherein every sweetness of Taste was perceiv'd Now that in the Eucharist are remitted and pardon'd the lesser sins LIII Lesser sins remitted thro the Eucharist which are commonly call'd Venial there 's no one ought to doubt for whatsoever the Soul has lost by the heat of desire while she committed some small offence in some light matter all That the Eucharist restores wiping away all those lesser faults even as for there seems no reason why we may not make use of the common similitude that which is daily lost and decays by the force of the innate Heat we feel to be refresh'd and renew'd by little and little by natural Sustenance Wherefore rightly was it said by St. Ambrose concerning this heavenly Sacrament Lib. 4. de sac c. 6. lib. 5. c. 4. This daily Bread is taken for a Remedy of our daily Infirmity Innocent 111. lib. 4. de Myst Miss c. 44. Cyril lib. 4. in Joan. c. 17. lib. 3. c. 36. Inter opera D. Bernardi habetur cujusdam Sermo Domini qui incipit Panem Angelorum singularis est de Euch. videatur D. Thom. 3. p. q. 79. Mark well But this is to be understood of those sins with the Sense and Pleasure whereof the Soul is not much mov'd There is moreover such Vertue in the sacred Mysteries LIV. The Eucharist strengthens against harms that it keeps us pure and clean from sin and safe from the violence of Temptations and prepares our Soul as it were with a heavenly Medicine or Antidote that it be not easily infected Aug. Tract 26. in Joan. l. 1. op 2. ad Cornel. or hurt with the Poyson of any deadly Contagion or Disease And for this Cause also as S. Cyprian testifies when in old times the Faithful were hal'd away by the Rabble to slaughter and Torments for the Confession of the name of Christ lest haply they being overcome with the bitterness of their Pains should faint in the Sacred Combat it was an old custom in the Catholic Church for the Bishops to give them the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord. And it also restrains and suppresses the Lust of the Flesh LV. The Eucharist restrains Lust For while it more and more inflames our Souls with the Fire of Charity it must needs quench the Heat of Concupiscence Lastly LVI The Eucharist clears the way to eternal Glory Joh. 6.53 That we may comprehend all the Advantages and Benefits of this Sacrament in one word The Sacred Eucharist has a mighty force to gain eternal Glory for it is written He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Vide Chrys de Sacerdotio dialogo 6. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 79. art 2. By the Grace of this Sacrament also the Faithful while they live here in this World enjoy the highest Peace and Tranquility of Conscience And then by the vertue hereof being strengthen'd even as Elias was 3 Reg. 19.8 who in the strength of his Cakes bak'd on the Ashes walk'd as far as to Horeb the Mount of God when the time shall come for them to pass out of this Life they shall ascend to eternal Glory and Bliss All these things will be very largely explain'd by the Pastors if they will but handle the sixth Chapter of S. John wherein are laid open the manifold Effects of this Sacrament or running through the admirable works of Christ our Lord shall shew since we rightly and deservedly account them bless'd who receiv'd him into their Houses while he liv'd in this mortal life or who by the very Touch only of his Garment or of his Sleve recover'd Health that we are much more happy and bless'd into whose Souls he disdains not to enter cloath'd now with immortal Glory to heal all their Wounds to adorn them with the most excellent endowments and to unite them to himself But it must be taught by Whom these mighty Fruits of the Eucharist LVII A threefold way of receiving the Eucharist De Consecr dist 2. c. 46. Sess 13. c. 8. now mention'd may be perceiv'd Nor is there One only way of Communicating that the Faithful may learn to emulate the better Gifts Rightly therefore and wisely have our Ancestors as we read in the Council of Trent distinguish'd three ways of taking this Sacrament For some receive the Sacrament only Sacramentally as those sinners who are not affraid to take the sacred Mysteries with an impure Mouth and Heart 1 Cor. 11.19 who as the Apostle says Do eat and drink the Lords Body unworthily Aug. in Joan. tract 16. contra Dom. l. 5. c. 8. Of these S. Austin writes thus He that abides not in Christ and in whom Christ abides not without all doubt he eats not Christ's Flesh altho carnally and visibly he press with his Teeth the Sacrament of his Flesh and Blood Those therefore that being thus affected receive the Sacred Mysteries not only hereby receive no fruit 1 Cor. 11.19 but as the Apostle himself testifies they eat and drink judgment to themselves But others are said to receive the Eucharist Spiritually only Spiritually Gal. 5.6 and they are those who being kindl'd with a lively Faith which works by Love eat that heavenly Bread in desire and
thing only lest in any thing we may offend the Majesty of God we wholly forsake the custom of sinning By these Steps or Degrees therefore we come to this most excellent Vertue of Penance XII Heaven promis'd to Penance which may well be accounted a divine and heavenly Vertue Because to it the Holy Scripture promises the Kingdom of Heaven For in S. Matthew it is written Do Penance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matt. 4 17. And in Ezekiel Ezek. 18.21 If a wicked Man do Penance for all the sins which he has done and shall keep all my commandments and do justice and judgment he shall live And also in another place Ezek. 33.11 I will not the Death of a sinner but that the wicked Man be converted from his evil way and live Which that it is to be understood of that bless'd and eternal Life is plainly evident But of External Penance it is to be taught XIII External Penance which is the Sacrament that it is That wherein the Reason or Nature of the Sacrament consists and that it has some external things subject to the senses whereby those things are declar'd which are done inwardly in the Soul And First XIV Why Christ instituted this Sacrament The First Cause it seems necessary to be explain'd to the Faithful Why it was that Christ our Lord would have Penance in the Number of the Sacraments And hereof this was certainly the cause That we might doubt the less concerning the Remission of sins which God had promis'd us when he said Ezek. 18.12 If the wicked man do Penance c. For it must needs be that we be very dubious in our minds of our inward Penance seeing every one deservedly ought to fear concerning his own judgment of those things he does himself Now therefore that the Lord might relieve our sollicitude he instituted the Sacrament of Penance wherein through the Absolution of the Priest we may consider that our sins are forgiven us and our Consciences by the Faith which justly ought to be given to the vertue of the Sacraments are more quieted For neither are the words of the Priest legitimately pardoning our sins to be receiv'd otherwise than of Christ himself Mat. 6.22 who said to the Lame-man Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee Vide Concil Trid. Sess 14. c. 1. Innoc. 1. Epist 91. inter Epist Aug. And then The Second Cause seeing that no one can obtain Salvation but through Christ and the benefit of his Passion it was fit and very profitable to us that such a kind of Sacrament as this should be instituted by the Vertue and Efficacy whereof Christs Blood flowing to us might do away our sins committed after Baptism and that we might acknowledg with due thankfulness that we owe the Benefit of our Reconciliation to Christ our only Savior But that Penance is a Sacrament XV. Penance prov'd to be a Sacrament the Pastors may easily shew thus For as Baptism is a Sacrament because it blots out all our sins and especially that which was contracted by our Birth For the same reason Penance must truly and properly be call'd a Sacrament because it takes away all sins done after Baptism in the Will or in the Act. And then which is the chief seeing those things which are done outwardly both by the Penitent and by the Priest do declare those things which are inwardly wrought in the Soul who is there can deny that Penance is endued with the true and proper reason or nature of a Sacrament For a Sacrament is a sign of a Sacred thing But a sinner that does Penance by the Notes of Words and Things plainly expresses That he has withdrawn his mind from the Filthiness of sin And also from those things which are done and said by the Priest we easily understand the Mercy of God forgiving those sins Altho those words of our Savior plainly shew this thing Mar 16.19 I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shall loose in Earth shall be loos'd also in Heaven For the Absolution of the Priest pronounc'd by words signs that Remission of sins which it works in the Soul Nor are the Faithful to be taught only that Penance is to be reckon'd in the number of the Sacraments XVI The Sacrament of Penance may be iterated but also that it is One of Those that may be iterated For to Peter asking Whether Forgiveness of sin might be given seven times Our Lord answer'd Matt. 18.22 I say not to thee till seven times but till seventy times seven Wherefore if we have to do with such men as seem to distrust the supreme Goodness and Mercy of God the Souls of such are to be confirm'd and to be supported with the Hope of Divine Grace Which they will easily do by the handling of this Point and of very many others which they meet with in the Holy Scriptures and also with those Reasons and Arguments which they may find in S. Chrysostoms book de Lapsis and S. Ambrose's books of Penance Chrysostom 5. lib. de Laps repar habetur de Poen dist 3. c. talis Ambr. de poen lib. 1. c. 1 2. vide Aug. lib. de vera falsa poen c. 5. citatur de poen dist 3. c. adhuc instant Now since the Faithful ought to know nothing more than the Matter of this Sacrament XVII The Matter of Penance what it must be taught that herein chiefly this Sacrament differs from the rest that the Matter of the other Sacraments is some natural thing or made by Art But that which is as the Matter of this Sacrament of Penance are the Actions of the Penitent to wit Contrition Confession and Satisfaction as has bin declar'd by the Council of Trent S ss 24 de poenit c. 3. can 4. because so far as by Gods institution they are requir'd in the Penitent to the Integrity of the Sacrament and to the full and perfect Remission of sins for this reason they are call'd Parts of Penance Nor are these Acts said by that Holy Synod to be as the Matter Note because they have not the true Reason of Matter But because they are not Matter of that kind which is us'd extrinsecally as Water in Baptism and Chrism in Confirmation But then XVIII In What sense sin is the Matter of Penance As to what is said of Others that the sins themselves are the Matter of this Sacrament there will seem to be no difference therein if we consider well For as we say that Wood is the Matter of Fire which by the force of the Fire is consum'd So sins which are blotted out by Penance may rightly be call'd the Matter of this Sacrament Now the explication of the Form also is not to be omitted by the Pastors XIX The Form of the Sacrament of Penance because the knowledg thereof will
of are referr'd as to their proper Heads The Curat therefore shall use all Care and Diligence to bring the Faithful to the Hatred of them and to deter them from so horrid a Wickedness But to go on with these Parts Therefore they also are Thieves Who are Thieves First that buy stolen Goods or keep things that were found lent or taken away For S. Austin says If thou hast found a thing and restorest it not thou hast robb'd Lib. 50. Hom. hom 9. de verbis Apost Serm. 19. But if the true Owner can by no means be found Note those Goods that are found are to be given to the use of the Poor But if the Finder cannot be brought to restore them Note he thereby plainly shews that he would take away all things from every Body if he could They entangle themselves in the same guilt Secondly who in Buying and Selling use Deceit and vanity of Words the Lord will revenge their Cheats But they are more wicked and unjust in this kind of Theft Note that sell deceitful and corrupt Wares instead of true and good Commodities or that deceive the Buyer in Weight Measure Tale or Order Deut. 25.17 For in Deuteronomy it is written Thou shalt not have divers weights in the Bag. And in Leviticus Levit. 19.35 Do nothing unjust in judgment in mete-yard in weight or in measure let the Balances be just let the Weights be just let the Bushel and the Quart be just Prov. 20.32 for divers Weights are an abomination to the Lord and a deceitful Balance is not good It is plain Theft also in those Laborers and Artificers Thirdly who require a full and whole reward of them for whom they have not done their just and due labor Neither are unfaithful Servants and Stewards of their Lords or Masters other than Thieves Fourthly but rather by so much worse than the other kind of Thieves who are not trusted with the Keys because from such a thievish Servant nothing in the House can well be lock'd or shut up Moreover Fifthly they seem to steal who with feigned and hypocritical words or by deceitful lies extort Mony from others whose sin is by so much the greater because they add Theft to a Lye They also are to be reckoned in the number of Thieves Sixthly who being put into some private or publick Office using none or but little care therein neglect their Duty and enjoy the Reward and Wages only It would be very tedious and difficult Seventhly as we said before to go thro the other multitude of Thefts found out by restless Covetousness which has known all the ways of getting Mony and therefore it seems fit we should speak of Rapine or Extortion which is the other head of these Wickednesses If the Curat shall first have admonish'd the People to remember that Sentence of the Apostle Note They that will become rich 1 Tim. 6.9 fall into temptation and the snare of the Devil Nor does this Precept suffer any one in any case to exceed it Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you Matt. 7.22 do ye also to them And let them always think on that Tob. 4.16 Luc. 6.31 What you would not should be done to you see that you do it not to another Extortion therefore is very large XVIII The First kind of Extortion or Robbery For they who pay not Laborers their due Reward are Extortioners or Robbers And these men S. James calls to Penance in these words Goe to now ye rich men lament houling in your miseries which will come upon you Of which Penance he subjoyns a Reason For behold the hire of the â—â—borers that reap'd your fields which you have defrauded them of cryes and the cry thereof has entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth And this kind of Robbery is higly condemn'd in Leviticus Deuteronomy Malachi and Tobit Levit. 19.13 Deut. 24.14 Malach. 3.9 Tob. 4.4 15. In this crime of Robbery are included The Second those that do not pay or do turn to other uses or take to themseves the Customs Tributes Tithes and other things of like kind which are due to the Governors of the Church and to the Magistrates Hitherto do belong Usurers The Third the most rigid and cruel Extortioners who pill poor People and rack them with Usury Now XIX What Usury is That is Usury whatsoever is receiv'd above the Principal which was lent whether Mony or any thing else that may be bought or valued with Mony Ezec. 18.8 For thus it is written in Ezec. Vsury and increase thou shalt not receive And our Lord in S. Luke says Luc. 6.31 Lend ye hoping for nothing from thence Now this was always accounted a most grievous wickedness XX. Usury a hateful Crime and even very hateful among the Gentiles Hence came that Saying What is Usury what is it does it say to kill a Man For they that take Usury sell the same thing twice or sell that which is not De Vsura vide 14. q. 3 q. 4. passim Vide item titulum de Vsuris Decretalibus D. Thom. 2.2 q. 78. item Amb. lib. de Sab. c. 14. Also Judges that receive Bribes are Robbers The Fourth kind of Robbery who Sell Judgment and being greas'd in the Hand with Bribes and Rewards overthrow the rignteous Causes of the Poor and Needy Also Cheaters and Defrauders of their Creditors The Fifth and those who take up Goods on their own or other Mens Credit and do not discharge their Trust are guilty of the same Crime of Robbery whose sin is the greater because by occasion of their Unfaithfulness and Deceit to the great Damage of the Countrey are fain to sell all things the dearer to whom that Sentence of David seems properly to belong Tho wicked Man borrows and will not pay again And what shall we say of those Rich Men Psal 36.12 who of them that are not able to pay them The Sixth require that they trusted them with with rigidness and also contrary to God's Command take those things of them for Pawns which are necessary to cover their Bodies Exod. 22.26 27. For God says If thou receive of thy Neighbor a Garment for a Pledg thou shalt restore it him before the Sun set for it is the only thing wherewith his Skin is cover'd and he has no other to sleep in If he shall cry to me I will hear him for I am merciful We will appeal against the Cruelty of the Exaction and consequently the Robberies of these Men. Titulum habes de pignoribus in Decretal lib. 3. tit 21. Vide Amb. lib. 5. de Offic. c. 6. Of the number of those that are by the Holy Fathers call'd Robbers The Seventh are those who in time of Dearth or Scarcity keep their Corn from the Market and by their Fault cause Provisions to be dearer
fulfil the Desires of the Flesh That natural and well-govern'd Power of Concupiscence therefore XIV Two good sorts of Concupience which transgresses not its Limits is not forbidden and much less that spiritual Desire of an upright Mind whereby we are stirr'd up to desire those things that are against the Flesh For to this kind of Desire the Holy Scriptures exhort us Covet ye my Sayings and Come unto me all ye that desire me Wisd 6.1 Eccles 24.26 In this Interdict therefore XV. What Concupiscence is here forbidden not the very Power it self of Coveting which we use as well for that which is Good as for that which is Evil but the use of corrupt Desire which is call'd the Concupiscence of the Flesh and the Incentive to Sin and if it have the Assent of the Mind join'd with it it is always to be accounted vicious and is utterly forbidden That Lust of Concupiscence therefore only is forbidden XVI The Concupiscence of the Flesh explain'd which the Apostle calls the Concupiscence of the Flesh to wit those Motions of Desire which have no measure of Reason and which are not contain'd within the Limits appointed by God This Covetousness is condemn'd XVII Reasons why Concupiscence is forbidden The First The Second either because it desires that which is evil as Adultery Drunkenness Murder and such like heinous Wickedness of which the Apostle says Let us not covet evil things even as they coveted them 1 Cor. 10.6 Or else because tho the things themselves were not by Nature evil yet there is some other cause why it is evil to desire them Of which sort are those things which God or his Church forbids us to have for we may not so much as desire those things which it is unlawful for us to have Such kind of things in the Old Law were the Gold and Silver whereof Idols had been made which the Lord in Deuteronomy Deut. 7.26 forbad that any one should covet Besides The Third for this Reason this vicious Covetousness is forbidden because those things it desires are anothers as House Servant Maid Field Wife Ox Ass and many other things which being anothers the Law of God forbids to covet them And the very Desire of things of this kind is wicked XVIII This Concupiscence is Sin and when it is committed and to be reckon'd among the worst of Sins when the Mind yields her Assent to the Desire of them For then it becomes Sin when after the Impulse of evil Desires the Mind is delighted with that which is evil or do's not resist it as S. James when he shews the Beginning and Progress of Sin teaches in these Words Jac. 1.14 Every one is tempted being drawn away and enticed by his Concupiscence And then when Concupiscence has conceiv'd it brings forth Sin and Sin when it is finish'd begets Death Vide D. Thom. 1.2 q 4. art 7. 8. item Aug. lib. 12. de Trinit c. 12. item de Serm. Dom. in Monte c. 23. Greg. hom 19. in Evang. l. 4. Moral c. 27. in Respons 11. ad Interrog Aug. Hieron in Amos c. 1. Seeing therefore it is thus by Law provided XIX The Scope of the Ninth and Tenth Commandments Thou shalt not covet the meaning of these Words is that we restrain our Desires from those things which belong to others For the Thirst of Desire of other Mens Things is immense and infinite nor can it ever be satisfied as it is written A covetous Man will not be satisfied with Mony Eccl. 3.5 Of whom it is thus said in Isaiah Esa 5.8 Wo to you that join House to House and Field to Field But by the Explication of the several Words XX. The Words expounded the Foulness and Greatness of this Sin is more easily understood Wherefore the Curat shall teach XXI What House here signifies That by the Word House is signified not only the Place which we dwell in but the whole Inheritance as is observ'd from the Use and Custom of Divine Writers In Exodus it is written Exod. 1.21 That Houses were built of the Lord for the Midwives to signifie that God had better'd and enlarg'd their State and Condition From this Interpretation therefore we observe XXII What is here meant by coveting another's Hou e. That in the Law of this Commandment we are forbidden greedily to covet Riches and to envy other Mens Wealth Power Nobility but to be content with our own State whatsoever it be whether low or high And then we ought to know that the coveting another Man's Glory is forbidden for this also belongs to House Now follows XXIII What by Ox and Ass Nor Ox nor Ass Which shews that we may not covet not only those things that are of greater concern as House Nobility and Glory because they belong to others but also things of small moment whatsoever they are whether Animate or Inanimate And then it follows XXIV What by Servant Nor his Servant Which is to be understood as well of Slaves as of other Servants which as the rest of the Goods of another Person we may not covet And as for Freemen XXV They that serve others are not to be entic'd away who serve at pleasure either for Wages or Love and Observance no one ought to corrupt or persuade them either by Words or Hope or Promises or Rewards to forsake them to whose Service they have freely oblig'd themselves Yea Note and if they depart from their old Masters before their time the sooner to come to the new ones by authority of this Commandment they are to be admonish'd by all means to return till their full time be expir'd Now that in this Commandment there is mention made of our Neighbor XXVI Why here is mention made of Neighbor the meaning is That the Vice of those Men might be shewd that use to covet the Neighboring Fields and the nearest Houses or any such things that border upon them For Neighborhood Note which consists in Friendship is betray'd and turn'd from Love into Hatred by the Vice of Covetousness Yet they do not break this Commandment XXVII He that desires to buy other Mens Goods does not sin that desire to buy of their Neighbor those things they have to sell or give them a just price for them For such Persons not only do not injure their Neighbor but they very much help him seeing he has more need of and benefit by the Mony than of the things he sells Now after this Law of not coveting anothers Goods XXVIII The Law of not coveting another Mans Wife explain'd there follows another which forbids us to covet another Mans Wife By which Law not that Lust of Concupiscence only whereby an Adulterer desires another Mans Wife is forbidd'n but also that wherewith any one being affected desires to marry anothers Man's Wife For at that time when a Bill of Divorce was allow'd it
are daily enrich'd and adorn'd Each of these Parts God himself by the Mouth of David has pronounc'd to be a necessary Part of Prayer Ps 39.15 in these Words Call upon me in the day of tribulation and I will deliver thee and thou shalt honor me Vide Basil lib. Constitut Monast c. 2. But how much we stand in need of Gods Bounty and Goodness III. We stand in very great need of God who is there that is ignorant if he do but consider the exceeding great want and misery of Man But how propense the Will of God is to Mankind IV. How great Gods goodness towards us us is and how liberal his Benignity all Men know that have Sight and Understanding For wheresoever we cast our Eyes whithersoever we turn our Thought the wonderful Splendor of God's Bounty and Good-will shines about us For what have Men which they have not receiv'd of God's Liberality V. Why we ought to give thanks to God and if all things are his Gifts and Largesses what reason is there that all Men should not with all their Power celebrate our most bountiful God with Prayses and Thanksgivings But of each of these Duties VI. Many degrees or ways of Prayer both of asking any thing of God and of giving him Thanks there are many Degrees whereof some are more excellent and perfect than others That the Faithful therefore may not only pray but also excellently perform that Duty of Prayer The Pastors shal propose to them the most excellent and perfect way of Praying and as diligently as they can exhort them to it But what is the best and most excellent Degree of Prayer VII The best and most excellent degree of Prayer to wit That which just and pious Men use who being well grounded on the firm Foundation of the true Faith by certain Degrees of an excellent Mind and Prayer arrive to that height as to contemplate the infinite Power and immense Bounty and Wisdom of God Where also they attain to a most assured Hope that they shall obtain both whatsoever they ask at present and also the fulness of unspeakable good things which God has promis'd that he will give to them that devoutly and from their Heart beg his divine Help Vide. Bernard Serm. 4. de Quadrag in Serm. de quatuor modis orandi Basil loco jam citato By these two Wings as it were VIII The two Wings of the Soul the Soul being rais'd up to Heaven approaches even to God with fervent Desire whom she adores with all the Honor of Thanks and Praises because by him she has bin made partaker of the greatest Benefits and then with singular Devotion and Veneration as an only Child to her most dear Father she doubts not to lay open whatsoever she stands in need of Which way of Praying IX How great the Souls liberâ—â— in Prayer is Ps 141.3 Psal 61. the Sacred Scriptures express by the Word Pourirg out for the Prophet says I pour out my Prayer in his sight and I pronounce my tribulation before him The meaning of which word is that he conceals nothing that he hides nothing but he pours out all things that comes to pray flying with Confidence into the Bosom of God his most dear Father For hereto the heavenly Doctrin exhorts us in these words Psal 54. Pour out your Hearts before the Lord and cast your care upon him S. Austin means this Degree of Prayer when in his Book call'd Enchyridion cap. 7. he says What Faith believes that Hope and Charity prays for There is another Degree of those X. Another degree of Prayer who being oppress'd with mortal Sin yet with that Faith which is call'd dead strive to raise themselves and climb up to God but by reason of the faintness of their strength and the exceeding weakness of their Faith they are not able to raise themselves higher from the Earth but yet bemoaning their Sins and their Consciences being grievously troubled humbly and submissively repenting at that very far distance they implore of God Pardon of their Sins and Peace The Prayers of these have their place with God XI This degree of Petitioners are heard Matth. 11.28 An Example For their Prayers are heard yea the Merciful God invites this sort of Men most heartily Come to me says he all ye that labor and are laden and I will refresh you Of this sort of Men was that Publican who not daring to lift up his Eyes to Heaven went away notwithstanding says our Saviour more justified than the Pharisee Quomodo Peccatores audiuntur Vide Aug. in Joan tr 44. 73. de verb. Dom. Ser. 53. D. Tho. 2.2 q. 83. art 16. There is another Degree of those XII Another degree of Prayer who as yet have not receiv'd the light of Faith but yet the Goodness of God kindling the glimmering light of their Nature are earnestly stirr'd up to the desire and study of Truth Which that they might be taught they most earnestly pray who if they continue in that Mind God of his Mercy does not reject their endeavours An Example Which we see verified in the Example of Cornelius the Centurion Act. 10.2 Note For the Doors of Gods Bounty are shut to none that heartily beg it of him The last Degree is of those XIII The last degree of Prayer who not repenting of their Sin and Wickedness but rather adding Sin to Sin are nevertheless not asham'd to ask God Pardon of their Sins in which they are minded to continue who being in such a state ought not indeed to presume to ask Pardon even of Men. The Prayers of such God hears not XIV This degree of Petitioners are not heard For thus it is written of Antiochus Now this wicked man besought the Lord of whom notwithstanding he did not obtain Mercy Wherefore they that are involv'd in this grievous Misery Note are earnestly to be exhorted that casting away the Will of Offending they truly and from the Heart turn themselves to God Of those things that are to be pray'd for NOW because in the several Petitions I. Nothing to be pray'd for but what is just and honest it is taught in their proper place what is to be pray'd for and what not It will be sufficient in this place to admonish the Faithful in general that Men ask of God such things as are just and honest lest if they ask any thing unseemly they should be sent away with this Answer Ye know not what ye ask Matth. 20.22 Now we may ask whatsoever may rightly be wish'd Note as those most ample promises of our Lord testifie Ask whatsoever ye will and it shall be done for you Joh. 15.7 For he promises that he will grant all things Wherefore we must direct our first wish and desire according to this Rule II The first thing we ought to pray for The Second i. e. to refer our utmost
by Fasting we cleanse away the Spots of our own Life And altho all these are profitatable for all kinds of Sin yet they are suitable and fit in a proper manner for those several Sins which we mention'd before The LORD'S PRAYER Our Father which art in Heaven SInce this Form of Christian Prayer deliver'd by Jesus Christ I. The Entrance of the Lord's Prayer has such Vertue that before we come to the Requests and Petitions we are to use certain Words for a Preface or Entrance whereby when we come devoutly to God we may do it with the greater assurance it is the Curat 's Duty to shew them distinctly and clearly that pious Persons may go the more chearfully and may know that they are to deal with God as with a Father Orationem Dominicam explicant Tertul. in lib. de Orat. Cyprian in lib. de Orat. Dom. Cyril Hierosol Catech. 5. Mystag Chrysost Hom. de Orat. Dom. Hieron Theoph. Euthim. in cap. 6. Matth. Amb. lib. 4. de Sacram. c. 4. Aug. Epist 121. ad Probam Item de Serm. Domini in Monte lib. 2. c. 5 6 7 8 16. Hom. 42. Item de Bono perseverantiae c. 2. sequ Serm. 126 135 182. de Temp. Item Cassian collat 7. c. 18 19 20 21. D. Thom. in Opuscul 2.2 q. 83. c. 9. Now as for the Entrance Note if you respect the Words it is very short but if you consider the Matter it is very weighty and full of Mysteries And the first Word which by God's Command and Institution II. Why God call'd Father we use in this Prayer is Father For tho our Saviour could have begun this Divine Prayer with any Word that had more Majesty in it The first Reason of Creator for example or of Lord yet these which might also strike us with Dread he omitted But he made use of that Word that might minister Love and Affiance to them that pray to or beg any thing of God For what is more sweet than the Name of Father which carries in it Love and Indulgence Vide D. Leon. Serm. 6. de Nat. Dom. D. Thom. 1. p. q. 33. a. 1. But for what Reasons the Name of Father is suitable to God III. Why the Name Father given to God The first Reason the Faithful may be taught from those Heads of Creation Government and Redemption For when God created Man after his own Image he bestow'd not that Image upon the other Creatures For this singular Privilege wherewith he adorn'd Man he is rightly in Sacred Scripture call'd the Father of all Men not only of the Faithful but also of Infidels And from his Government may be taken an Argument The second That by regarding and advising well of Man's Advantage by a special kind of Care and Providence he affords us his Fatherly Love But that in the Explication of this Argument we may the better understand God's Fatherly Care over Men IV. Of the Ministers of God's Providence it seems proper to say somewhat of the Guardianship of Angels in whose Protection Men are For by God's Providence V. To every one is given of God a Guardian Angel this Business is committed to the Angels that they should keep Mankind and be at hand with all Men that they receive no great damage For as Parents if their Children are to go any infested and dangerous Journy appoint Keepers to go with them and secure them from harm so our Heavenly Father in this Journy wherein we are making towards our Heavenly Country has put Angels over every one of us by whose help and diligence being guarded we may escape the Snares privily laid by our Enemies and beat back their terrible Assaults made against us and by their direction we may hold on strait in our Journy lest any Error being cast in our way by our treacherous Adversary he might entice us out of the Way that leads to Heaven Now VI. The Advantage of the Guard of Angels of how great advantage to Men this Care of God and his singular Providence is the Charge and Administration whereof is committed to the Angels who have a middle Nature betwixt God and Men appears by Examples whereof the Sacred Scriptures furnish us with abundance which testifie that oftentimes by God's Goodness it came to pass that in the very sight of Men the Angels wrought wonderful things Whereby we are admonish'd that innumerable things of this kind which do not fall under Sight are profitably and savingly wrought by the Angels the Guardians of our Safety The Angel Raphael VII Raphael's Benefits to Tobias who was Tobias's Companion and the Guide of his Journy appointed by God brought him on his Journy and home again in safety And he was Assistant to him that he might not be devour'd of that great Fish and shew'd him how great Vertue there was in the Liver Gall and Heart of that Fish He drove out the Devil Tob. 1.2 and fettering and hindring his Power he kept him from hurting Tobias Tob. 6. And taught the young Man the true and lawful Use and Institution of Matrimony Tob. 12. And restor'd Sight to blind Tobias Also that Angel that deliver'd the Prince of Apostles VIII The Benefits of the Angel that guarded S. Peter affords plentiful Matter to the Curats for Instruction of their devout Flock concerning the admirable Advantage of the Care and Custody of Angels when they shall shew that the Angels illustrating the Darkness of the Prison and raising Peter from Sleep by touching his Side loosing his Chains breaking his Bands warning him to rise and taking his Sandals and his other Apparel to follow him and when they shall teach that by the same Angel Peter being set at liberty was led out of Prison thro the Watch and lastly that the Gates being open'd he was put into safety Of this kind of Examples IX Profitable to relate these Examples as was said before the History of Sacred Scripture is full whereby we see how great the Power of those Benefits is which God bestows upon Men by the Ministry and Service of Angels Nor are they sent only upon some certain and particular account but even from our very first beginning they are charg'd with the Care of us and plac'd over Men in particular for defence of their Safety Now X. The profitableness of the Doctrin of the Guardianship of Angels this Advantage will follow upon the diligent handling of this Doctrin That the Minds of the Hearers will be attentive and rous'd up to the acknowledging and reverencing this Fatherly Care and Providence of God towards them He that will read more concerning the Creation and Excellency of the Angels let him look back to the First Article of the Creed pag. 13. And here the Curat shall commend and highly extol the Riches of God's Goodnes's towards Mankind XI How great the Riches of God s Gooâ—ness towards us is whom tho
of a certain Prince of the Pharisees on the Sabbath-day to eat Bread Luc. 14.1 by which word we see is signified whatsoever belongs to Meat and Drink For the perfect Signification of this Petition XIX We here pray for necessaries only we must further observe that by the Word Bread we are not to understand an abundant and exquisit plenty of Meat and Clothes but only what is simply necessary as the Apostle wrote Having Food and Raiment 1 Tim. 6.8 Prov. 30.8 let us therewith be content And Solomon as we said before pray'd Give me only necessary Food And of this Sparing and Frugality we are admonish'd in the next Word XX. We here pray for nothing for Luxury For when we say Our we pray for that Bread that is for our Need not for Wantonness Neither do we say Our as tho we were able to get it by our own Industry without God Psal 10â— For David says All things wait on thee to give them Meat in season when thou givest it them they gather it when thou openest thy Hand all things are fill'd with Goodness And in another place The Eyes of all things hope in thee O Lord and thou givest them their Meat in due season but because it being necessary for us it is given us of God the Father of all who by his Providence feeds all things living And for this cause also it is call'd Our Bread XXI Why this Bread is call'd Ours because we are to get it lawfully not by Wrong Deceit or Theft For whatsoever we get to our selves by ill Arts it is not ours but other Mens and very commonly either the Getting of it or the Possession or at least the spending of it is very Calamitous but on the contrary according to the Sentence of the Prophet there is great Peace and Happiness in the honest and toilsom Profits of pious Men Psal 127.2 For says he because thou shalt eat the labors of thy hands happy art thou and well it will be for thee And now for those that seek their Bread by their honest Labor XXII God blesses the Laborious Deut. 28.8 God promises them the Fruit of his Blessing in that place The Lord will send his Blessing upon thy Stores and upon all the works of thy hands and he will bless thee Nor do we only beg of God for our selves XXIII What we pray for Thirdly that we may use that which thro our Sweat and Labor we have gotten by the help of his Bounty for that is truly call'd Ours but we pray also for a good Heart that what we have justly gott'n we may also well and wisely make use of Daily In this Word also lies an Admonition to Frugality and Parsimony XXIV By the word Daily we are taught Frugality of which we spake last for we pray not either for Dainties or many sorts of Meat but only for that which satisfies the Necessities of Nature so that here they may be asham'd who being weary of common Meat and Drink seek for the most rare sorts of Dainties and Wines Nor by this Word Daily XXV The same Word condemns Covetousness Isa 5.8 are they less blam'd against whom Isaias utters these dreadful Threats Wo to you that joyn house to house and field to feild even to the utmost extent of place will you only dwell in the midst of the Earth For the Covetousness of these Men is inexpressible of whom it is thus written by Solomon Eccle. 5.6 A covetous Man will not be satisfied with Mony Hitherto belongs also the Saying of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will become rich fall into temptation and the snare of the Devil Besides XXVI It shews us to be mortal we call it Our daily Bread because we are fed therewith for the Supply of our Vital Moisture which is daily consumed by the force of natural Heat Lastly XXVII It teaches us to pray diligently there is this Reason for this Word because it is to be pray'd for daily that we may be kept in this practice of loving and worshiping God and that we may assuredly perswade our selves as true it is that our Life and Health depends upon God Give us How much matter these two words afford XXVIII The Force of these words to be explain'd Luc. 4. to exhort the Faithful devoutly and holily to worship and reverence the infinite Power of God in whose hands are all things and to loath that wicked Pride of Satan All things are delivered to me and I give them to whom I will there is none that sees not for at the pleasure of God alone all things that are given are preserv'd and increas'd But what need is there XXIX The Rich beg their daily Bread may some one say for Rich Men to pray for their daily Bread seeing they abound with all things They have this Necessity for praying in this manner not that those things may be given them of which by Gods Bounty they have enough but that they lose not those things which they have in abundance Wherefore as the Apostle writes 1 Tim. 6.27 Let them hence learn not to be overwise nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives to all men all things liberally to enjoy Note Now S. Chrysostom gives this Reason for this necessary Petition Hom. 14. oper imperfect in Matth. not only that he would supply us with Food but that when the Hand of the Lord does relieve us with giving to our daily Bread a wholsom and therefore a healthful Vertue he would cause our Food to nourish our Body and our Body to be serviceable to our Soul But what is the Reason why we say XXX Why we pray here in the plural Number Give us in the the Plural Number and not Give me Because it is the Property of Christian Charity not that every one be careful for himself only but that he take pains for his Neighbor also and in taking care for his own Advantage that he remember others also Add hereto Another Reason that the Gifts which God gives to any one he gives not to the End that he alone should possess them but that he should communicate to others what things he has above Necessity For says S. Basil Hom. 6. varior arg S. Ambrose Serm. 81. It is the Bread of the Needy which thou detain'st it is the Cloaths of the Naked which thou loock'st up it is the Redemption the Freedom the Mony of the Miserable which thou hidest in the Earth This Day This Word admonishes us of our common Infirmity XXXI What this word to Day signifies For who is there that if by his only Labor he be past Hope to be able to provide the necessary Expences of Life for a long while does not trust at least that he shall provide Food for one Day But neither does God allow us the Power of this Confidence since
he commands us to beg our Meat of him every Day Which Sentence has this necessary Reason XXXII The Lords Prayer to be said daily because we all want daily Bread therefore we must all daily use the Lords Prayer And thus much of the Bread which being receiv'd into our Mouth nourishes and sustains our Body which God of his admirable Bounty bestows upon all in common as well on the Faithful as Infidels as well on the Pious as Impious Matth. 5.46 Who causes his Sun to rise upon the Good and upon the Evil and rains upon the Just and on the Vnjust The other Bread XXXIII Fourthly we here pray for Spiritual Bread and which we also pray for in this place is Spiritual whereby all things are signified whatsoever are requir'd for the Safety and Salvation of the Spirit and Soul For as the meat wherewith the Body is nourished and sustaind is of many sorts so the Meat which preserves the Life of the Soul and Sprit is not of one kind only For the Word of God is the Food of the Soul First For Wisdom says Prov. 9.5 Come ye eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine which I have mingled for you Now when God takes away from Men the Use of this Word XXXIV When the Food of God's Word is taken away Amoâ— 8.11 which he uses to do when he is much provok'd by our Sins he is said to send a Famine upon Men For thus it is in Amos I will send a Famin upon the Earth not a Famin of Bread or a Thirst of Water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. Now as it is a certain Sign of Death approaching XXXV A singular Comparison when Men cannot take Food or having taken it cannot keep it so it is a very great Argument that their Salvation is in danger who either desire not God's Word or if they have it will not endure it and pour out that impious Cry against God Job 21.14 Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways In this Madness of Soul XXXVI The Despisers of Gods Word in this Blindness of Mind they are taken who disregarding those Catholic both Bishops and Priests that are put over them and cutting themselves off from the Holy Roman Church have given themselves over to be govern'd by Heretics that corrupt the Word of God But then XXXVII Christ the Bread of the Soul Joh. 6.15 Christ our Lord is the Bread of the Soul For he says of himself I am the Living Bread that came down from Heaven It is past belief with how great Pleasure and Joy this Bread then fills devout Souls they are most afflicted with Earthly Troubles and Inconveniences That holy Quire of Apostles may serve us for an Example of whom it is thus recorded Act. 5.41 They went out from the presence of Council rejoycing The Books of the Lives of Holy Men are fill'd with Examples of this kind And of those inward Joys of Good Men God speaks thus Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcomes I will give the hidden Manna But especially this Bread is Christ our Lord XXXVIII Christ in the Eucharist is the Bread of the Soul which is substantially contain'd in the Sacrament of the Eucharist This unspeakable Pledge of his Love he gave us when he was about to return to his Father of which he said He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood dwells in me and I in him Take ye and eat This is my Body Job 6.65 Mat. 26.6 1 Cor. 11.64 And the Curat shall fetch those things which belong to the profit of the Faithful from that place where the Force and Vertue of this Sacrament is particularly explain'd Pag. 181. And here it is said XXXIX How Christ in the Eucharist is the Bread of the Soul Our Bread because it belongs to the Faithful i. e. to those who joyning Charity with Faith by the Sacrament of Penance wipe away the Spots of Sin who remembring themselves to be the Children of God take and worship this Divine Sacrament with the greatest Holiness and Veneration they are able Vide Tertul. lib. de Orat. Cypr. item de Orat. August alios locis citatis supra pag. 473. But why is it call'd Daily There is a twofold Reason XL. Why Christ is call'd our daily Bread Psal 54.25 The one is That in the Sacred Mysteries of the Christian Church it is offered to God daily and given to those that devoutly and holily desire it The other is That we ought daily to receive it or at least so to lead our Life as to be fit daily to take it and eat it Let those that think otherwise Note unless by reason of a long Interval they ought not to he fed with this saving Banquet of the Soul hear what S. Ambrose says If it be thy Daily Bread why dost thou take it but once a Year Lib. 5. Sap. c. 4. Vide etiam de Consec dist 2. But in this Petition the Faithful are specially to be exhorted XLI The Issue of this Petition to be left to God That when they have honestly and well advis'd and been industrious in getting the Necessaries of Life they leave the Success to God and refer their Desires to his Pleasure Psal 45.23 who will not always leave the Just in a tottering condition For either God will grant the things desired Note and so they shall have their Wish or else he will not grant them and that is a most certain Argument that what is desired is neither for their Salvation nor Advantage since God denies it to the Pious who takes greater care of their Welfare than themselves do Upon this Point the Curats may enlarge themselves in explaining those Reasons which are excellently collected by S. Austin in his Epistle to Proba The last thing in discoursing upon this Petition is this XLII Why God gives good things to Rich Men. That Rich Men well consider their Wealth and Plenty and that they receiv'd them from God and let them think with themselves that those good things are therefore heap'd upon them to distribute them to the Needy To which sense agree those things that are disputed by the Apostle in his first Epistile to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 whence the Curats may fetch Divine Precepts enow for the clearing this Point both profitably and savingly The FIFTH PETITION And forgive us our Debts as we alsso forgive our Debtors SInce there are so many things that signifie God's Infinit Power to be join'd with the like Infinit Wisdom and Goodness I. Christ's Passion a singular Token of his Love to us that whithersoever we turn our Eyes and thoughts we meet with the Tokens of his Immense Power and Goodness verily there is nothing that more evidently shews his most profound Love and admirable Charity towards us than that unspeakable Mystery of the Passion of Jesus Christ from whence sprang that
to beg of God not to suffer us to be led into Temptation but also in that Sermon which he made to the Holy Apostles about the time of his Death when indeed he said that they were clean he admonish'd them of this Duty in these words Joh. 13.10 Mat. 26.4 Pray that ye enter not into Temptation Which Admonition being made again by Christ our Lord he said a great Charge upon those that have Cure of Souls to be diligent in stirring up the Faithful to the frequent use of this Prayer that when every hour there are so great Dangers of this kind intended against Men by their Enemy the Devil they may earnestly beg of God who alone is able to drive them away in this Prayer Lead us not into Temptation But the Faithful will understand how much need they have of this Divine Help IV. How great the necessity of this Petition is if they but remember their own Weakness and Ignorance if they remember that Sentence of Christ our Lord The Spirit indeed is ready but the Flesh is weak if they remember what heavy and destructive Accidents Men would fall into by the Devil's means if they were not upheld by the help of God's Right Hand What clearer Example of Man's Weakness can there be Examples of our Weakness than that of Sacred Quire of Apostles who before were of a stout Courage but upon the first Terror laid in their way forsook our Savior and fled Altho that of the Prince of Apostles himself is yet more clear who after so large a Profession of singular both Resolution and Love to Christ our Lord when but a little before being very confident of himself he said thus If I were to die with thee yet I will not deny thee yet presently at the Voice of a silly Maid he protested with Oaths that he knew not our Lord. Mat. 26.35 And the Reason is Note because his Strength was not answerable to that very great Willingness of his Spirit But if the most holy Men have grievously sinn'd thro the Weakness of Human Nature Note again to which they trusted too much how are others to fear who come far short of them in Holiness VVherefore let the Curat propose to the Faithful the Fights and Dangers wherein we are daily engag'd V. To how many Dangers of Temptations Men are expos'd while our Souls continue in these mortal Bodies which on every hand the Flesh the VVorld and Satan oppose VVhat Anger what Lust or Covetousness can do in us how few are there in the VVorld that are not compell'd to their great damage to feel VVho is there that is not wearied with these Goads who feels not these Thorns VVho is not scorch'd with these secret Firebrands And indeed their Blows are so many and their Importunities so various that it is a very hard matter not to receive some grievous VVounds And besides these Enemies which lodge and live with us there are moreover those most bitter Enemies of whom it is written Eph. 6 22â— We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against the Rulers of this World of Darkness against Spiritual Wickedness in Heavenly things For to the inward Combats VI. How great the violence of the Devils is the outward Violence and Assaults of the Devils join themselves for they seek to catch us both by open Force and secret Snares cast upon our Souls so that we can very hardly escape them Now these the Apostle calls Princes for the Excellency of their Nature VII Why the Devils call'd Princes for by Nature they excel Men and all other Creatures that fall under Sense he also calls them Potestates or Powers because they not only excel in Strength of Nature but of Power also he also calls them Rulers of the World of Darkness for they govern not the Clear and Light VVorld i. e. Good and Pious Men but the Dark and Gloomy VVorld to wit those who being blinded with the Spots and Darkness of a naughty and wicked Life are delighted with the Devil the Prince of Darkness He also calls the Devils Spiritual Wickednesses VIII Why Spiritual Wickednesses What Carnal Wickedness What Spiritual Wickedness i.e. the VVickedness both of Flesh and Spirit The VVickedness which is call'd Carnal kindles our Desires to sensual Lusts and Pleasures But Spiritual Wickedness are evil Purposes and corrupt Desires which belong to the Superior part of the Soul which are by so much worse than the rest by how much the Mind and Reason it self is higher and more excellent Which Wickedness of Satan Note because he chiefly aims at this to deprive us of our Heavenly Inheritance therefore the Apostle said in Heavenly things Whence we may learn IX The Devil's Malice that the Enemies Forces are great their Courage undaunted their Hatred against us cruel and infinite That they wage perpetual War so that there can be no Peace or Truce with them And how bold they are that word of Satan shews which we read in the Prophet Isa 14.13 I will climb up even to Heaven He set upon our first Parents in Paradise he withstood the Prophets he sought for the Apostles and as our Lord says in the Evangelist Luc. 12.31 He would have winnow'd them as Wheat nor did the very Face of Christ himself make him blush or asham'd The Apostle therefore express'd his insatiable Desire and indefatigable Diligence when he said 1 Pet. 5.8 Your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion wheels about seeking whom he may devour And yet not one Devil only tempts Man X. Many Devils oppose one Man but sometimes many Devils join together against particular Men which thing that Devil confess'd who being ask'd of Christ our Lord what his Name was Marc. 5.9 Luc. 8.30 answered My Name is Legion to wit a Multitude of Devils which vex'd that miserable Man Mar. 12.45 And it is written of another That he took with him Seven other Spirits more wicked than himself and entring in they dwelt there There are many indeed who feel not the Impulse and Force of the Devil in themselves XI The Devils tempt not wicked Men and why and therefore think there is no such matter who that they are not oppos'd by the Devil there is no wonder seeing they have freely given up themselves to him They have no Piety no Charity none of that Vertue worthy a Christian and therefore they are wholly in the Power of the Devil nor is there any need of Temptations to destroy them in whose Souls they give him leave to abide But those that have dedicated themselves to God XII The Devil chiefly tempts the Pious leading a Heavenly life while they are on Earth Satan seeks most of all by his Incursions These he most bitterly hates for these at all times he says Snares The History of Sacred Scripture is full of the Examples of Holy Men whom tho they were of a strong Resolution
Dan. 3.49 which we read happen'd to the Three Children that were cast into the burning fiery Furnace Dan. 6.22 Dan. â— and to Daniel whom the Lions hurt not even as the Flame scorch'd not those Children But according to the Sense of the great S. Basil XVI The Dev l call'd Evil. S. Chrysostom and S. Austin the Devil is specially call'd the Evil one because he was the Author of Mans Fault that is of his Sin and VVickedness whom God uses as his Minister in punishing wicked and criminous Men for God appoints to Men all the Evil they suffer for their Sins which the Sacred Scripture means when it says Amos 3.6 Is there any evil in the City which the Lord has not done And Esa 45.7 I am the Lord and there is none other forming the Light and creating Darkness making peace and creating Evil. And the Devil is call'd Evil for this Cause Another Reason because tho we had done him no hurt yet he always makes VVar against us and persecutes us with mortal Hatred But if because we are armed with Faith Note and protected with Innocence he cannot hurt us yet he makes no end of tempting us with outward Evils and vexing us by all the means he is able wherefore we pray God that he would deliver us from the Evil one Chrysost hom 20. in Matth. hom 5. in Job Aug. in Ecclesiast dogmat c. 57. Basil in hom quod Deus non sit auctor malorum non procul à fine Now we say from Evil XVII Why we pray to be deliver'd from Evil and not from Evils not from Evils for this Reason because the Evils which happen to us from our Neighbors we lay upon him as the Author and Perswader that we may not therefore be angry against our Neighbors but turn all our Hatred and Anger against Satan himself by whom Men are driven to do us the Injury If therefore your Neighbor has hurt you in any kind Note when you pray to God our Father beg of him not only to deliver you from Evil i. e. from those Injuries which your Neighbor lays on you but that he would snatch that very Neighbor of yours out of the Power of the Devil by whose impulse Men are led into Deceit We must also know XVIII When we are not heard herein what we must do if by our Prayers and Vows we are not deliver'd from Evils that we ought patiently to endure those things that press us understanding that so it pleases God that we should patiently suffer them VVherefore it is by no means fit for us either to be angry or to grieve because God hears not our Prayers but we must referr all things to his VVill and Pleasure esteeming it to be profitable to us and for our Good which pleases God that it should be so and not that which we would have to be otherwise Lastly XIX Here all inconveniences are patiently to be endur'd 2 Tim. 3.12 the Devout Hearers are to be taught That whilst they are in the Stage of this Life they ought to be ready to bear all kinds of Inconveniences and Calamities not only with a patient but also with a chearful and glad Heart For all says the Apostle that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution And Act. 14.21 Thro many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Again Luc. 24.26 Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his Glory for it is not fit that the servant should be greater than his Lord as it is very unfit according to S. Bernards Sense that the Members should be delicat under a thorny Head Serm. 5. de omnibus Sanctis The Example of Vriah is very excellent for our Imitation An Example who when David exhorted him to stay at home said 2 Reg. 11.11 The Ark of God and Israel and Judah dwell in Tents and shall I go into my house Being furnished with these Reasons and Meditations Other Examples if we come to pray we shall obtain that tho we were on all sides girded and compassed about with Evils yet we shall be kept safe even as those three Children that were untouch'd by the Fire or at least as the Machabees we should constantly and stoutly endure all Adversities In Reproaches and Torments we will imitate the Sacred Apostles Act. 5.41 Who being beaten with Stripes did heartily rejoyce that they were counted worthy to suffer Disgrace for Christ Jesus So we being thus prepar'd will sing with the greatest Pleasure of Mind Psal 118. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart was afraid for thy Word I will rejoyce in thy word as he that has found great Spoils The SEAL of the LORDS PRAYER Amen THis Word Amen I. Prayer must be rightly concluded or so it is S. Hierom in his Commentaries upon Matth 6.6 calls the Seal of the Lords Prayer Wherefore as we before admonish'd the Faithful concerning the Preparation which is to be made before we go about to pray to God so we thought it convenient that they should know the Cause and Reason of the Close and End of this Prayer For it is of no less moment devoutly to end Note than to be careful how to begin our Prayers to God Let the Faithful know therefore that the Fruits II. The fruit of this Particle we obtain by the End of our Lords Prayer are many and that very profitable but the most advantagious and welcome Fruit is the obtaining of those things which we have pray'd for whereof enough has already been spoken For by the former Part of this Prayer we not only obtain to have our Prayers heard but also some greater and more excellent things than can by Words be express'd For since Men in Praying III. The Advantage of Prayer discourse with God as S. Cyprian says the Divine Majesty is after an unutterable manner brought nearer to the Person that prays than to others and besides it adorns them with singular Gifts So that they who devoutly pray to God may be compared to them that come to the Fire who if they are cold begin to grow warm if they were warm begin to grow hot So they that come to God by Prayer according to the Measure of their Devotion and Faith go away more warm'd for their Minds are inflam'd for Gods Glory their Souls inlightned after an admirable manner they are exceedingly enrich'd with Divine Graces for thus it is written in Holy Scripture Psal 20 14. Thou hast prevented him with the blessing of sweetness Moyses in this case is an Example for all An Example Exod 34 35. 2 Cor. 3. â—3 who by reason of his walking and talking with God did shine so with a kind of Divine Brightness that the Israelites could not look on his Eyes or Countenance Verily they that pray with that earnest Study Note do wonderfully enjoy Gods Majesty
Eucharist call'd Our daily Bread ibid. See Sacrifice The Event of things to be left to God 549 VVhen we suffer Evil we must fly to God for Help Pag. 544 VVe pray not for deliverance from all Evil. 546 Some things which are commonly accounted Evils are yet very advantageous ibid. VVe pray against those Evils that can bring no Advantage to the Soul 547 From what Evils we are to pray to be deliver'd ibid. The Evils our Neighbors do us are to be ascrib'd to the Devil 549 Deliverance from Evil to be begg'd of God 544 Examples of Human Infirmity 533 Examples which may encourage us to hope well 546 Extream-Vnction 283 The Sacrament of Extream-Vnction why so call'd ibid. The Matter and Form of Extream-Vnction 285 VVhat time the Sacrament of Extream-Vnction to be us'd 287 They are not fit to receive the Sacrament of Extream-Vnction that want the use of Reason 288 VVhat Parts of the Body are to be anointed ibid. The Sacrament of Extream-Vnction may be iterated 289 The Preparation of Extream-Vnction ibid. The Minister of Extream-Vnction ibid. The Utility of Extream-Vnction 290 The fittest time of Extream-Vnction Pag. 287 VVhy Sick Persons receiving the Sacrament of Extream-Vnction are not heal'd 291 F FAith necessary to Salvation 9 Many Degrees of Faith 10 VVhat we are first of all to believe 13 The Knowledge of Faith much more certain than that of Human Reason 16 The Faith of God's Almighty Power how necessary it is 24 The Faith of our Redemption was always necessary to Salvation 29 30 The Faith of the Old Fathers and ours is the same 30 Faith must go before Penance 241 Faith is necessary in Prayer 467 Firmness of Faith is a chief Point in Praying well ibid. False-witness what it is 427 The wrong done by False-witness 428 429 False-witness forbidden not only in Judgment but out of Judgment also 429 A Lie accounted amongst False-testimony 432 Fasting and Alms to be joyn'd with Prayer See Alms. VVhat the Name Father signifies in God see the First Article of the Greed. 14 VVhy the first Person of the Trinity call'd Father Pa. 21 Who are call'd Fathers 385 Fathers of what kind soever are to be honor'd 3â—6 God the Father of all 382 God-fathers at Baptism and what belongs to them see Baptism 158 c. See Parents Figures of Christ's Conception and Nativity 43 Figures of Christ's Cross 48 Figures of Confession 261 The Form of the Sacrament of the Eucharist 203 204 The Form of the Sacrament of Penance 245 The Form of the Sacrament of Baptism 151 The Form of the Sacrament of Extream-Unction 285 The Form of Confirmation 186 The Form of Praying to God and to the Saints different 464 Fornication the Calamities proper to it 409 The Detestableness of Fornication ibid. Frugality to be us'd 422 The Fruit of the Tree of Life 510 The excellent Fruit of Prayer is the obtaining our Desires 551 G IN honest Gain there is Peace 514 We ought not to be ignorant of the Person of the Holy Ghost 79 The proper Signification of the Holy Ghost Pag. 80 Why He has no proper Name given him ibid. The Holy Ghost in all things equal to the Father and Son 81 The Holy Ghost is God 82 The Holy Ghost proceeds from Father and Son 83 The admirable Effects of the Holy Ghost 85 Why the Holy Ghost call'd a Gift 84 Glory what it is 494 The Glory of God how pray'd for 485 The Glory of the Saints unutterable 119 We must confess One God only and no more 18 Why God call'd a Father 19 What the word Father signifies in God ibid. An Almighty Power attributed to God 22 God the Creator of all 27 What God created he preserves 27 28 God is the Author of the Law 334 It is easie to love God 335 Why God call'd Jealous 354 Why God threatens Punishment to the third and fourth Generation 355 God's Goodness overcomes his Justice ibid. How God's Name is honor'd 357 c. Many Names given to God 358 How God is to be prais'd ibid. God holds him not guiltless that takes his Name in vain Pag. 368 God is first to be lov'd and then our Parents 383 God's Providence towards Men. 474 God forgets not Men. 476 God's Good-will and Mercy towards Men. 477 God's Love towards Men shew'd in their Redemption 478 When God's Hand touches us he do's it in Love not as an Enemy ibid. Why God chastises whom he loves 478 God is not ignorant of our Calamities 479 God is the God of all ibid. God is every where and How 483 Why God is said to be in Heaven ibid. How God is to be lov'd from the Soul 484 What is first of all to be begg'd of God 485 How we pray God's Name to be sanctified 485 486 God's holy and terrible Name needs not Sanctification ibid. How God's Name is sanctified in all ibid. God's Name to be sanctified in our Deeds and not in our Words only 486 487 God's Providence concerning Man's Salvation 487 God has not call'd us to Sloth and Sluggishness 497 God never forsakes us Pa. 497. God affords us his Help to attain to the Kingdom of Heaven ibid. We cannot love God as we ought without the Help of his Divine Grace 500 Without God's Direction and Help we cannot so much as aspire to Christian Wisdom ibid. God heals the Soul of those that are justified not the Body 501 God requires our utmost Love in all that we do for him 506 All the Works of God are Good 506 507 God bestows his Goodness upon all his Works 507 Why above all thing 's we prefer God's Will 507 508 God's VVays past finding out 507 God do's better for us than we can desire 508 All Necessaries for our Life are to be referr'd to God's Glory ibid. God's Infinit Power to be worshipp'd 515 God is ready to forgive the Sins of the Penitent 524 God is offended at Sin ibid. God is a most bountiful Father ibid. God is most firm to his Justice 525 How God tempts those that are his 537 How God suffers Good Men to be tempted 598 How God is said to lead us into temptation Pag. 538 God gives us Power to tread down Satan 540 God gives Power to overcome our Enemies ibid. God's Goodness many ways frees us from Evils 547 God will not have us utterly free from all Inconveniences 548 God comforts those that are prest with Adversity ibid. God uses the Devil as his Servant in inflicting Punishments on the Wicked ibid. What Grace is 172 How the Eucharist confers Grace 198 H WHy God chose the Hebrew People 339 The Deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt ibid. Why God suffer'd the Hebrews to be so oppress'd 340 Why the Promises made to the Hebrews were perform'd Four hundred years after ibid. Hell the Signification of the word 57 How Christ descended into Hell 58 How many Places are thereby signified 57 What Arts Heretics use to disperse their impious Doctrins 3 â— Who may
contra duas Epist Pelag c. 13. lib 3. c. 5 in Ench. c. 64. lib. 1. de nupt concupisc c. 25. Item Greg. lib. 9. Epist 39. Conc. Vien Florent in Mater de Sacram. It most be confess'd indeed XLIII Concupiscence remaining in those thâ—t are baptiz'd is not sin Augâ—st as in the same place by authority of That Holy Synod has bin decreed that even in those that are baptiz'd there does remain Concupiscence or a kind of scum But that has not truly the Reason or Nature of sin For according to S. Austin In little Children baptiz'd the guilt of Concupiscence is absolv'd tho the Concupiscence it self remain till Death And elswhere he testifies The Guilt of Concupiscence in Baptism is loos'd but the Infirmity remains For Concupiscence which proceeds of sin is nothing else but an Appetite of the mind by its own nature repugnant to Reason Which motion notwithstanding if it have not the Consent of the Will or Negligence joyn'd with it is far from the true nature of sin But when S. Paul says I had not known Concupiscence to be sin Rom. 7.7 if the Law had not said Thou shalt not covet By these words he means not the very Concupiscence it self but the Corruption of the Will The same Doctrine S. Gregory taught writing thus Lib 9 Regist Epist 39. If there be any who say that in Baptism sin is forgiven only superficially or as to the outward commission of it what can be spoken more like an Infidel than this since by the Sacrament of Faith the Soul is absolv'd from sin even to the very Roots thereof And to prove this he uses the testimony of our Savior when in S. John he says Joh. 13.10 He that is wash'd needs not but to wash his Feet but is clean throughout Now if any one would see an express Figure and resemblance of this matter XLIV A Figure of Bapti m. 4 Reg. 9.14 let him contemplate the History of Naaman the Syrian's Leprosie who when he had wash'd himself seven times in the Water of Jordan he was so cleans'd from his Leprosie as the Scripture witnesses That his Flesh became like the Flesh of a little Child Wherefore the proper Effect of Baptism is the Forgiveness of all sins whether contracted by Original Corruption or by our own Fault For which cause it was instituted by our Lord and Savior as to omit other Testimonies the Prince of Apostles shew'd in most clear words Act. 2.38 when he said Repent and let every one of you be baptiz'd in the name of Jesus Christ for the râ—mission of sins Of concupiscence remaining in those that are baptiz'd See Aug. lib. 1. de peccat merit remiss c. 39. Item lib. 1. cont duas Epist Pelag. c. 13. l. 3. c. 3. in medio lib. 1. de nupt concupisc c. 23. 25. Item lib. 6. cont Julian q. 5. de verb. Apost Serm 6. But now in Baptism not only sins are remitted XLV The Second effect of Baptism The remission of the Punishment due to sin Rom. 9.3 but also all the Punishments of sins and wickedness are graciously pardon'd of God For tho it be common to all the Sacraments that by them is communicated the vertue of Christ our Lords Passion yet of Baptism only is it said by the Apostle that through it we dye and are bury'd together with Christ Whence Holy Church always understood that without exceeding great wrong to this Sacrament it could not be that those Offices of Piety or Devotion which by a usuâ—â— name the Fathers call'd works of Satisfaction could be enjoyn'd to him that was to be cleans'd by this Sacrament That the Punishments due to sin are remitted in Baptism See Ambros in cap. 11. ad Rom. Aug. lib. 1. de nupt concupisc c. 33. in Ench. cap. 4. D. Thom. 3. Art p. q. 69. art 2. unde nec nulla est imponenda penitentia Greg. lib. 7 regist Epist 24. habetur de consecrat dist 4. cap. Ne quod absit D. Thom. p. q. 68. ar 5. Nor are the things which we here teach contrary to the practice or custom of the Ancient Church XLVI Works of Penance before Baptism to what purpose which antiently requir'd the Jews when they were to be baptiz d to fast forty days together For that was not ordain'd for satisfaction For those that receiv'd Baptism were by that means admonish'd that for the more reverencing of the Dignity of that Sacrament they should for some time without intermission give themselves to Fasting and Prayer But tho we ought to be assur'd that in Baptism the Punishment of Sin is pardon'd XLVII What Punishments are not remitted in Baptism yet no one is freed from that kind of punishment which is deserv'd of the Civil Judgement for any grievous Crime So as that he that deserves to dye should be freed by baptism from the punishment appointed by the Laws Note Notwithstanding the Religion and Piety of those Princes is highly to be commended who that the Glory of God in his Sacraments might be made the more illustrious do at the Fonts remit and pardon that punishment also Besides Baptism procures us after the stage of this life a freedom and discharge from all those punishments which follow Original Sin for by merit of our Lord's Death it is that we obtain these things But as was said before Rom. 5.6 by Baptism we dye with him For if as the Apostle says we are planted together with him in the likeness of his Death we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection But if any one ask XLVIII Why after Baptism we are not freed from all Misery of Life why immediately after Baptism and even in this mortal life we are not freed from these inconveniences and are not carry'd by vertue of this Sacred Washing into that perfect state of life in which Adam the first Father of Mankind was plac'd before he sinn'd we must answer that this is thus done for Two reasons especially The First of which is The First Reason That we who by Baptism are knit to the Body of Christ and are made his Members might not receive greater dignity than our Head Since therefore Christ our Lord tho from his first birth he had the Fulness of Grace and Truth yet he laid not down the Frailty of Humane Nature which he took before he had endur'd the torments of his Passion and Death it self and then he rose to the Glory of Life Everlasting who can wonder when he sees the Faithful who have already by Baptism got the grace of the righteousness of Heaven to be notwithstanding yet cloath'd with weak decaying Bodies that afterwards having gone through many labors for Christ's sake and last of all even through Death it self they may be called again to life and be found worthy to enjoy an everlasting Age with Christ Another cause why after Baptism
there remain in us the infirmity of the Body The Second Reason Diseases sense of Grief and the motions of Concupiscence is This to wit that we may account them as the Husbandry and Matter whereupon our vertues are to exercise themselves whence we may get a more plentiful Harvest and larger Rewards For when with a patient mind we endure all the inconveniences of this life and by the Divine Assistance bring all the evil affections of our Hearts under the government of Reason we ought assuredly to hope that the time will come 1 Tim. 4.7 when if with the Apostle We have fought the good fight and finish'd the course and kept the faith the Lord the righteous judge in that day will give us also the crown of righteousness which is laid up for us And thus the Lord seem'd to do also with the children of Israel whom tho be deliver'd from the bondage of the Egyptians and drown'd Pharaoh A Figure and his armies in the Sea yet he did not immediately bring them into that blessed Land of Promise â— but first exercis'd them with many and various fortunes and then when he put them into the possession of the Promis'd Land he put the other Inhabitants out of the possessions of their Fathers and some other Nations which they could not destroy were left remaining that God's people might never want occasion of exercising their Warlike Vertue and Courage To these may added The Third Reason that if through Baptism besidse those heavenly gifts wherewith the Soul is adorn'd there were given Bodily endowments also it might well be suspected that many would come to Baptism seeking rather the advantages of This Life than the Glory which is to be hop'd for in the Future Whenas yet what is seen is not false and uncertain 2 Cor. 4. but those good things which a Christian ought always to propose to himself and which are not seen are true and eternal But yet in the mean time the condition of this Life which is full of Miseries XLIX Christians are not without comfort when they suffer wants not its pleasures and joys For what can be more pleasant or desirable to us who now by Baptism are grafted into Christ as branches than to follow him our Captain with the Cross on our Shoulders and not to be tir'd by any labours nor hinder'd by any dangers so as not to press forward with all diligence to the reward of the high calling of God Some to receive of the Lord the Laurel of Virginity others the Crown of Teaching and Preaching others the Palm of Martyrdom and others the other Ornaments of their Vertues Which excellent Badges of Renown and Tokens of Honor would not be given to any unless first we exercis'd our selves in the Stage of this troublesom Life and stoutly kept our ground in the Battel But to return to the Effects of Baptism I. The Third Effect of Baptism Infusion of Grace It must be explain'd that by vertue of this Sacrament we are not only deliver'd from those evils which are truly said to be the greatest of all but also We are enrich'd with the best and most excellent endowments For our Souls are fill'd with Divine Grace whereby being made just and the children of God Mar. 16.17 Eph. 5.26 Sess 6. c. 7. de justifie we are train'd up to be heirs of eternal Salvation also For as it is written he that believes and is Baptiz'd shall be sav'd and the Apostle testifies The Church is cleans'd by the Laver of Water in the Word But Grace as the Council of Trent has decreed to be believ'd of all under pain of an Anathema is not only that by which we have Remission of Sins but it is a Divine Quality inherent in tho Soul and as it were a kind of Splendor and Light which wipes away all the Stains and Spots of our Souls and makes our Souls more beautiful and glorious and this is plainly gather'd from Holy Scripture when it says that Grace is pour'd out and it is us'd to call that Grace the Pledge of the Holy Ghost And to This is added a most noble Train of all Vertues LI. The fourth Effect of Baptism Infusion of Vertues Tit. 3. D. Aug. 23. which together with Grace is pour'd of God into the Soul Wherefore when the Apostle to Timothy says He has sav'd us by the Laver of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost which he has pour'd abundantly upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour S. Austin expounds those words Abundantly pour'd to wit says he For the Remission of Sins and for an abundance of Vertues Of this Effect of Baptism see Chrysost hom ad Neoph. Baptiz Damasc lib. 2. de fide Orthod cap. 36. Lactant. lib. 3. Divin Instit c. 25. Aug. Epist 23. ad Bonifac. item l. 1. de peccat meritis remiss cap. 29. Prosp l. 1. de vocation gent. cap. 9. And then by Baptism we are joyn'd and knit to Christ as Members to the Head As therefore from the Head flows Vertue and Spirit LII The fifth Effect Connexion to Christ our Head whereby all the several parts of the Body are fitly mov'd to perform their proper functions so also of the Fulness of Christ our Lord is shed upon all those who are justifi'd Divine Grace and Vertue which renders us fit and ready for all Offices of Christian Piety That by Baptism we are knit to Christ as Members to the Head See Aug. Ep. 23. item l. 1. de peccat meritis remiss c. 16. Prosp de vocat Gent. lib. 1. c. 9. Bernard Serm. 1. in Coena Dom. D. Thom. 3. p. 7.69 art 5. Nor ought it to seem strange to any LIII Whence the Difficulty of doing well even in those that are Baptiz'd if tho thus we are furnish'd and adorn'd with plenty of vertues yet we find a great deal of difficulty and pains in the very beginning or at least before the compleating of pious and honest actions For it so happens for this reason not as though those vertues from which those pious actions spring are not given us of the Divine Bounty but because after Baptism there remains a sharp strugling of the carnal Desire against the Spirit in which contest notwithstanding it would ill become a Christian either to faint or grow cowardly Phil. 4.8 Since being encourag'd with the goodness of God we ought to strengthen our selves with an assur'd Hope that time will be when by daily use and exercise of living well 2 Cor. 3.11 Whatsoever things are comely whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are holy all these will seem easie and pleasant These things let us willingly consider these things let us chearfully perform that the God of Peace may be with us Besides LIV. The sixth Effect of Baptism A Character by Baptism we are sign'd with a Character which can never be blotted out of our Soul of which there is