relate and so distinguish the Substance yet not substantially And. a Son being a Living thing proceeding from a Living thing of the same nature as from a Principle remaining in it and Knowledge in God being such in respect of he Divine Essence known That is truly call'd Son This Father Likewise God loving Himself the same thing is Loving and Loved yet as such distinct therefore there is besides in God a a third call'd Divine Love Also Love intelligent things proceeding from their proper Good which is Truth consisting in this that the Object be in the Knowledge Divine Love proceeds from the Divine Essence as Object in the Divine Knowledge that is from Father and Son Whiâ—h Love is call'd Holy Spirit because He makes us Holy by inspiring us with Love of God or Charity as also Comforter Again â— Person being an Individuall or One Intelligent substance and God having no Accidents The distinction in him must bee of Persons There are then in One God three Persons yet not necessarily Three Things Of these the Second took our Nature not by charging God but by joyning Man to God's Person And therefore the Second because 't is proper to Knowledge or Wisedome to teach us or be our Master A shore History of some signal passages belonging to our Saviour Godâ— being made Man to redeem Mankind from Sin and put him in the way to Heaven which consists see in seeing God and Love of God disposing and determining necessarily to this Man is to love God as being All-Good Our most bountifull benefactour and whose Likeness or Image we bear And our Neighbour being made for the same End wee are that is for God we ought to wish him that End and means to it that is love him as our self Also Love of God necessarily disposing to see â—â—m who loves God has great reason to hope to see him grounded in his Goodness and faithfulness to his promise put none can love or hope un ess knowing the things which motives why taught by Faith which se-curely relies On God's Truth saying such things and Tradition or the Infallible Attestation of the Church that he 〈◊〉 them There are then three virtues call'-Theologicall or immedily respecting God necessary to mankind's saluation Faith Hope and Charity Faith being a Knowledge of supernaturall things the way to advance Faith is to increase that Knowledge by Study of such things that is by Prayer of which Mentall has three parts To Know the truth of the point To resolve according to that Knowledge and To raise the heart to God expecting a Blessing Vocall Prayer is better than Mentall as being compos'd by able men and less distractive But worse as â—ess satiating the Soul Less proportion'd to it and Desective the two first parts mention'd Hence of Mental the written are bâ—st for beginners of Vocall Those which are best understood and Well attended to Lastly â— Prayer being the use of Considerations â—â—â—i caâ—ioâ—sly moving to â—ove of God The fruit of Prayer is to advance Charity that iâ— Prayer is the high way to Heaven wheresore without Iâ— Retreat in vertue is inevitable Moreover Charity or â—ove obliging us to give what 's due to those wee love 't will make us render To God Service To our selves what 's best for us that is 't will make us prefer a greater good before a less which is perform'd by Temperance and avoyd a greater harm before a less which is done by Fortitude To our Neighbour If Infeiour or Equall Love Good will If superiour Obedience and Respect which belong to Justice Yet these three Virtues unexcited by Love of Heaven avail not to It though in some sort conformable to Nature They become severall particular Virtues as respecting severall Objects Also Discretion being The right se 〈…〉 of ouâ— Affectiâ—â—â— in oâ—dâ—r to Act on and the three fore and Virtues giving this who has thâ—m has also Dscretion or Prudence There are then â—our Morall or Cardinall Virtues according to which who acts since not byast by ill affections needs not scruple his action though it hap to be imperfect in some other respect Christian Life is a Practice of the three Theologicall and four Morall virtues for God's sake which is done by Chariâ—y Whâ—r fore since the Life of a Christian is to move towards God and Love of God or Charity makes us do so It onely is a Christians Life and he dead without It. Wherefore what causes ibis death is Mortall Sin which springs from love of Creatures above all things bringing neglect of our Duties yet not every such neglect Mortall but In those to our Neighbour such as would absolutely break Friendship In those to our selves such as done us by another would make us fall out with him In those towards God such misrespect as to our Neighbour were want of â—ove Other Neglects are Venial From what 's said follows is most full of Pleasure and Credit Also It fits us for the next world For who loves God or aâ—y thing for it's self is dispos'd to love it ever Wherefore Love of God or desire to see him remaining in a soul separated It shall see him else would bee miserable for loving him and God cruell Further The pleasure of the Mind had by Knowledge infinitly surpassing that of the body and The seeing all Truths in God as in the supreme Cause being the highest Knowledge the Sight of God beatifies a Soul To which is consequent content in our own former Actions and Friend But the things desired by the wicked are temporall fading therefore the dâ—sires of them remaining â—xâ—â—ssively tâ—rments with Greeâ— which inflicted by another is truly Pain Infinit as being in the Soul and Enledss In regard Those Desires must ever remain unchang'd The Soul as indivisible being unaccessive Yet Veniall Affections are changeble therefore may be purg'd Also Souls shal finally receiue their Bodies because Their desires of them are naturall The manner â—ow with The endowments of Glorify'd and contrary Dispositions of damned Bodies Hence A virtuous life finally brings Insinit more Pleasure Honour and Power than a wicked and is above need of wealth The means to bring corrupt Mankind to loue God being Miracles and Teaching and this ineâ—â—icacious unless lively conceited by the Teachers therefore Divine Love or the Holy Ghost was to descend upon the Apostles in virtue of which primitive vâ—gour Christ's doctrin was brought down from them to us that is the Church is truly Apostolical and Catholik as planted by the Apostles universally as having some of her profession in each câ—untry as the only eminent Congregation in Câ—â—istendome Also Having an entire Body of Faith or Doctrin fit to promote Sanctity Laws Customes conformable to that Faith and extraordinary Sanctity attainable by her Principles and practis'd by her children she is likewise Holy Lastly Her rule of Faith Tradition Her externall Profession of Faith and Her Government being the same all ovâ—r She is also One
not so fully as I desir'd Know then that Vocal prayer has two excellencie over Mentall The first is that 't is made by some who have more skil then wee have and therefore is more perfect for the most part then one of our Mentall prayers Secondly it keeps from distraction much because by our eyes if we read them or our memories if we say them without book it holds our understanding to the matter better then when wee have no such determination But likewise on the other side it has two disadvantages one that it does not so weâ—l fill our souls being neither so much labour'd as what we make our selves nor so naturally proportionable to us as what we do our selves Thirdly for the most part it wants some of the three parts mention'd or rather wholy demurrs upon the last neglecting the two former But those which are call'd written meditations if they be wel done are very good for beginners that practise themselves sel me now which prayers you think the best S. I must needs say the beads and the Primer or Manuall for I have no other M. If you do those wel you are wel sped But what I would counsel you is to chuse such prayers as you understand rather then those you do not As I fear you understand but few in your Primer So that though that be best in it self yet those more befit you which you better understand And as for your beads I fear you attend but little when you say them you should therefore have some mystery of our Saviour's or our Lady's life to thank God for in every two or three Ave Maries which might make you think of what you did Two tens thus feelingly sayd were better then three payr of beads tumbled over with your mind upon your breakfast S. Sir I will endeavour to get them as you say M. But in the mean time tel mee what 's the necessity or profit of prayer S. Sir it pleases God spends our time well obtains all benefits of him and fulfils his commandments M. This is very true but I look yet for another at your hands which is that t is the very way or walk to Heaven S. Sir you said that Clarity was the way to Heaven M. And is not Prayer the consideration of things necessary to our salvation and not a dry consideration but a moving of our will out of them and lastly the excercising of our Affections towards God Almighty procur'd by the said consideration Now how do you think we journey to heaven but by our affections or come to affections but by consideration so that you see Meditation is nothing but the right way to Heaven in which other men are lead by sermons reading good books and the like but the meditatour goes of himself by his own pains and industry Moreover the use of Mentall praver being the thinking on or considering that which is the chiefest good wee have also our soul being ever carry'd backward unless by due consideration it bee forc'd against the stream of our naturall inclinations hence we must needs live blindly and go two steps back for one towards heaven without the use of Prayer or something equivalent to it And thus much may 〈◊〉 for the Utility and Necessity of Prayer EIGHTH CONFERENCE M. TO go on do you think hee loves you that beats you without a cause or keeps your own from you S. No Sir perhaps indeed a friend may beat one hee loves when there 's some reason for it but otherwise hee 's no friend and shews litle love M. Therefore if you love God your self and your Neighbour you must not hurt them but do them all the good you can especially if it be due unto them What can you do to God S. Good I can do none to him but my duty is to be carefull in such things as concern his honour such as be all things which belong to prayers the Church M. You say well and in Latin the rites of serving God are call'd Religiones whence this virtue is by Divines call'd Religion Priests specially Bishops and Curats and such as have care of the publik ceremonies of the Church entitled Religiosi as also such men as binde themselves to certain pious observations are call'd Religiosi or Religions for the same reason Wel tel mee first what do you ow to your self S. Nothing Sir for I can forgive my self if I did ow any thing to my self and so it would be no debt or duty M. Now you speak beyond your skil for seing you are made by God of a determinate nature in so making you hee has directed you to some actions which you by your own free-will must not transgress but second and so you are bound to the conservation of your self and ow to your self the endeavours conformable to such actions and the principles of these actions are not to prefer a lesser good before a greater nor to chuse a greater harm before a lesser And this is done by two vertues Temperance by which you abstain from a less good to get the greater and Fortitude or Valour by which you undergo the less harm that you may avoid the greater What do you ow your Neighbour S. I have borrow'd nothing but those who have ow what they have borrow'd or taken otherwayes from him M. Do you not know your Neighbours are either your Equalls your Betters or your Inferioors To your Inferiours you ow love and to be ready to do them any good you can as others your betters have done and daily are ready to do for you To your Equalls the same in substance although in an other degree To your Superiours and Betters Duty or Obedience and Respect All this you ow to your Neighbours the vertue wheâ—eof is ordinarily call'd Justice So have you found three vertues call'd morall or Cardinall Concerning which you are to know two things The first that wee ought to exercise them for the Love of God if we will have them profit us for going to heaven although they have in them selves a kind of good For as you see in a fair picture garden or castle or any such thing an impression of Reason call'd Art which is delightsome and conformable to our nature so also in the morall actions of man there is a decorum or honestas which gives content both to the doer and the spectatour which entices morall men to do such actions The other is that every one of these is divided into diverse sorts and kinds according to severall matters in which they are imploy'd For example Fortitude in an action full of difficulty is called Courage in suffering Patience in length Perseverance in warr Valour c. Temperance towards women is call'd Chastity in drink Sobriety in action Modesty c. Iustice towards God Religion or devotion towards your Country Parents Piety
Temple when they would adore God the east and temple serving for a determination of their action whereby their adoration was known to be to God so much more when I bow or do any other reverence or pray before a picture 't is a determination of prayer or respect to God or that Saint whose picture ' tis Lastly 't is a help to him that pray's for it bears with it an expression oftentimes which would cost many words and works of our memory As who looking on a Crucifix would in his heart feel the wounds and passions of his Redeemer to represent them either to God the Father or to his own soul may find a great facility and quickness by having the picture before his eyes These advantages I know not how others esteem but experience has perswaded mee that they are of very great importonce S. I understand this wel but I see not why they should be honor'd or lights hung before them for this much less can there bea reason why they should be carry'd in processions or pilgrimages made more to one than to another especially of the same Saint M. As for simple reverence 't is a barbarousness and want of common sence to deny them that if you admit the use of them for if they were us'd for a religious end they are belonging to God and Holy and therfore to be treated with respect try but any that deny this in somewhat they esteem holy and you shal find nature teaches them the same good manners and 't is a mear shortness of discourse to disallow that to pictures which themselves grant to other things for example to Churches a Bible and such like Now the reason of preferring one picture before another is some antiquity or venerablenes of the figure or other rarity which carries a force with it to stir up human hearts in some extraordinary degree And men coming with a greater apprehension pray the better and obtain more at God's hands also this opinion of graces redoubles devotion and causes men to hang lights or carry them in processions or the like which Actions are the children of faith pass'd and the mothers of faith and devotion following and therefore allow'd and recommended in the Catholik Church S. I imagin if I should ask you any thing concerning Reliks of Saints you would answer me in the same manner you have done about honoring of pictures and therfore I will rather reflect upon that which Reliks make me think on that is the Souls in Purgatory But I hope I can satisfy my self For if they be in any pains me thinks 't is fair reason that the prayers of good people should have as much force for them as for another since by their fresh memory and the affection of the living towards them they seem as yet to be of our society and friendship M. You say true and so you may learn the meaning of that Article of our Creed The Communion of Saints For Saints or holy persons being all either in pain or pleasure you see how those who are saying communicate with the other two by praying to the Saints in heaven and for them in purgatory for whom also as for us those in Heaven pray And likewise if you look well you shall find the explication of all the rest in these discourses so that you may be able to give an indifferent accompt of all and make that profit to your self as to find the way to heaven and eternal happiness whither God of his mercy bring us all Amen The Catechist must not forget to exhort his Catechumen to the profitable use of prayers to Saints and the like devotions so as to be circumsâ—ect and not subject to the superstitions credulity of some poor people who think good life and holiness stand in exteriour work and mear exhibition of these devotions AN ADDITION TO THE FORMER CATECHISM Concerning the use of BEADS THE Beads are a kind of Counters made to keep the memory of a certain number of prayers which we have proposed to our selves to say A Method very fit for such poor people as cannot read and are of too weak capacity for Meditation The prayers most usuall in this kind are the Pater noster and Ave Maria the former left by our Saviour Jesus Christ to his Church the later from ancient times used in the same Church so fitly joyn'd together for good peoples devotion so that to make good use of our Beads we must understand welthese two prayers The Pater noster or Our Father is ordinarily thought to consist of Seven Petitions or as others count them six without prejudice or disrespect to which opinions I think it may be properly divided into two parts one consisting of three Salutations or wel wishings The other of three Petitions correspondent to the three Salutations The three Salutations are according to the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity Essence Wisdom and Goodness The first salutation therefore â—after the address or determination of the person to whom we speak which is done in these words Our Father which art in heaven consists in the next following words hallowed be thy Name A Name is a word signifying what the thing signify'd by the Name is And so this Salutation belongs to Essence the property of the Father Holy is that which is stable and fixt in vertue and goodness For sanctus comes of sancio which is as much as to make a firm constant or irrevocable sentence And by holy Writ and Ecclesiastical use the word sanctus is appropriated to vertue supernatural goodness putting which together to sanctify and hallow the name of God must be that the Essence or Nature of God be firm and constant in Goodness But because we do not wish for what already is this must not be understood of the Name of God in himself but in us The meaning then is that we wish all men and other creatures in word and deed may carry themselvs towards God as towards Sanctity and Holiness it self having that opinion and esteem of Him and bearing themselves towards Himâ— sâ—oâ—â— And it seems to be in short what the Psalms and Canticles more largely dilates in these and the like words Bless our Lord al ye works of our Lord and the following Sing to our Lord al the whole Earth Praise our Lord all ye Nations O praise our Lord from Heaven And many more such like The second Salutation is Thy Kingdome come Which we understand by this word Kingdom to belong to Wisdom For regnum which signifies Kingdom is deriv'd a regendo from governing and Government is an order of Subjects and to order is the work of Wisdome as we see in all arts and businesses 't is the charge of the wisest to direct and order what 's to be done and the office of the strongest or quickest to pat in execution what 's order'd The meaning of this Salutation we learn from Saint Paul who teaches us