he comes to yeares of vnderstanding which he professed in baptisme by the months of those that then carried him And in another place he saith that christians should vse it as à looking glasse morning and night to examine themselues in their faith by it L 1 dosymb 1. By all which it doth appeare first that the Creede is of diuine autority as made by the Apostles and deliuered by word of mouth from them to posterity as the written word of the new Testament was from hand to hand to be beleeued with diuine faith Secondly out of S Ambrose and S. Augustine that it being a kea and a looking glasse which the Apostles made for vs we ought with great reuerence to keepe it and to vse it as such often frequenting it to locke vp the infernal darknes from vs and to open the diuine light vnto our soules and to examine ourselues in faith by it as by a looking glasse that soe we may allwais keepe constant to the Catholike Church Quest Say the Creede Answ I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. Who was conceiued by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was Crucifyed dead and buried He descended into hell the third day he arose againe from death He ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty From thence he shall come to iudge vs all both the quicke and the dead I beleeue in the Holy Ghost The holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints The forgiuenesse of sinnes The Resurrection of the flesh Life euerlasting Amen THE FIRST ARTICLE I Beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth In this article the Apostles professe their beleefe in the first person of the blessed Trinity in the following articles they professe the second person and the third But we are not here to vnderstande that God the Father without the Sonne and the Holy Ghost made the world for euery external worke which God doth is done by all the Persons of the blessed Trinity the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost hauing all the same vndiuided power all equally concurring to the making of the world and of euery thinge that is conteined in it The Father is named first and the creation of the world is here particularly attributed to him because he is the first Person from whom the Sonne and the Holy Ghost eternally proceede God is rightly termed a father to signify his power loue and care ouer vs. God a father For as fathers beginne the generation that commeth of them and gouerne their children and prouide for them soe is God the beginner of this world he gouerneth it with his power and by his prouidence conserueth it Deut. 32. Is not he thy father that hath possessed thee and made and created thee By heauen and earth are vnderstoode all creatures heauenly and earthly that is both spirituall and corporal creatures And in this the power of God is expressed by his external works soe as is sufficient to destinguish him as the supreme power and to putt vs in minde of our duety to him and dependance of him as giuing vs our being and still conseruing vs in the being which we haue and which all creatures should presently and in an instant loose if he should withdraw his diuine helpe from them and there would be noe creatures at all but as there was once nothing but God God is the most perfect of all thinges and therefor a spirit all ouer by his power and his power is himselfe He is not conteined in any place now noe more then he was before the creation of the world He was all wais the same power the same goodnes and those infinite He euer had a decree to create the world and that eternall decree he performed in time making the Angels onely spirits men both spiritual in their soules and corporall in their bodys and other creatures as we see onely corporall He made heauen a place of glory for the good and hell a place of punishment for the wicked He desireth the saluation of all and giueth sufficient meanes of saluation to all that being the end for which he made vs. In this article we doe not say I beleeue in Gods makers c. but I beleeue in God the maker c. In which we haue two thinges professed Atheâ—sts First the essence and existence of God against prophane and wicked atheists and secondly against Pagans the being of one onely God This is here but breisly professed for the Apostles made the Creede but onely as an abbreuiated profession and rule of faith to ground and guide vs in the articles which we were to beleeue they prooued them in their preaching as neede required yet that there is a God as in the Creede they suppose it soe also they might doe in their preaching and needed not to prooue it to Iewes or Gentils who were then onely in the world and were neuer likely to deny it But now in these times of soe many heresys I doe not see that any point of faith whatsoeuer is more necessary to be prooued For heresy as it is a corruption of the true faith soe it corrupteth and destroyeth by litle and litle the very hart and roote of all faith and as it annulleth the authority of the Church it taketh away the foundation of all certainty and openeth a gappe to euery mans errors to say what he listeth and for shamelesse atheisme to enter in by it For make it once lawfull to disobey the Church which is the onely authority of God externally vpon earth as all archhaeretiks doe who beginne their new doctrines with obedience to noe Church then extant in all the world and then it followeth that euery man without controle may beleeue and teach what he will himselfe for there is noe authority vpon earth to controle him and soe he may as well teach atheisme as heresy Secondly those that are of God are ordained saith the Apostle that is to say they are with order Rom. 13. and he requireth there that we be subiect to higher powers not onely of necessity but for conscience sake now order importeth subiection and subordination of inferiors to superiour powers if then you take away this subiection and subordination of inferiors to superiours as haeretiks doe by disobeying the Church you take away all order in religion and by consequence you take away God and bring in atheisme and a worse disorder then is in hell How hateful then is heresy to God which is opposite to all religion and how dangerous is atheisme In Collar Patrum and necessary to be preuented in haeretical times Cassianus relateth an example of this in which he sheweth by experience that heresy leadeth into atheisme He sayth that there was a certaine religious man who beginning first of indiscretion to make comparisons betwixt the Saints and
long as they liue soe the damned are setled in that state of desperation rage and horrible torment to endure it and to endure it still and can neuer change or alter from it In all thy works remember thy latter ends Eccli 7. and thou wilt not sinne for euer This is the last thinge which the Apostles would mention of Christ in the Creede and which ought to leaue a great feare and vehement horrour in the mindes of the wicked to whom he shall come as to his enemys that can expect noe fauour from him And therfor this day is called the day of our Lord. Because Christ shall come as a terrible Lord to them and shall call them to a strict account for the neglect of their seruice to him and they hauing receiued good thinges in this life but wickedly imployed them haue then euill to receiue but the iust who haue serued God duely and haue not sought after the pleasures and goods of this world but haue then good thinges to receiue haue reason to reioyce and to be comforted at the thought of this day and therefor at the departure of Christ in his Ascension from the Apostles the Angels were sent to comfort them with the remembrace of his second comming saying Ye men of Galilee why doe you stande looking into heauen Act. 1. this Iesus which is assumpted from you into heauen shall soe come as you haue seene him going into heauen He commeth as a spouse full of ioy to the iust and blesseth them with euerlasting blessings because they haue prouided the light of good works Let vs doe soe and we shall be admitted into his ioyfull nuptials and receiue blessings of him Thus you vnderstande what is meant by the quicke and the dead to wit the state of the good and of the euill the one of them liuing spiritually with the life of grace the other being dead in sinne But perhaps it may be vnderstoode also of corporal life with which some shall be then liuing on earth when Christ shall come and shall be iudged with those that were dead before that day And who knoweth but he himselfe may liue to see the terrible appearence of Christ comming to iudge him and that presently dying he shall rize againe to receiue the sentence of his iudgment for Christ himselfe hath said that of that day or hower noe man knoweth Mar. 13. neither the Angels in heauen How much then ought we to feare and preuent it and not to remaine one day noe nor one hower in mortall sinne THE EIGHT ARTICLE I Beleeue in the Holy Ghost Hitherto the Apostles in all the former articles haue deliuered those thinges which concerne the first and second person of the B. Trinity the Father and the Sonne now they professe the third Person in the Holy Ghost S. Act. 19. Paul comming to Ephesus found certaine disciples soe ignorant that asking them if they had receiued the Holy Ghost they answered that they had not soe much as heard that there was a Holy Ghost This had bene indeede a very great ignorance in them if they had bene Christians which they were not and the mystery of the blessed Trinity was to be but obscurely deliuered to the Iewes as I haue shewed in another place treating of it They were the Disciples of S. Iohn Baptist baptized by his baptisme which could not giue the Holy Ghost and were not as yet baptized with christian baptisme in which the Holy Ghost is giuen and therfor it was a lesse ignorance in them But for any of vs not to know what the Holy Ghost is were an extreame ignorance And therefor we will first declare who the Holy Ghost is and why he is soe called The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the B. Trinity and is as much as to say The holy spirit And although the Father and the Sonne and the holy Angels are holy spirits yet they are not The Holy Ghost of whom we are speaking When therefor we say the Holy Ghost we meane the diuine Person of the Holy Ghost as when Christ commanded baptisme in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost The first Person of the blessed Trinity is called The Father because the Sonne and the Holy Ghost proceede from him The second Person is called The Sonne because he proceedeth as sonne from the Father The third Person is called the Holy Ghost or holy spirit because he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne by way of mutuall inspiration The Holy Ghost is true God omnipotent eternall and infinite in all perfections the very same in essence and nature with the Father and the Sonne And therefor S. Peter threatening Ananias for his deceit and ly which he had told said Ananias why hath Satan tempted thy hart Act. 5. that thou shouldst ly to the Holy Ghost tâ—ou hast lyed to God And therefor in the words of baptisme he is commanded to be named as the same in Godhead with the Father and the Sonne and S. Iohn saith There be three which giue testimony in heauen the Father the Word Io. 1.5 and the Holy Ghost And these three be one Three in destinction of Persons one in the vnity of nature and essence And because the Holy Ghost proceedeth both from the Father and the Sonne therefor he is sometimes said in the Scriptures to be the spirit of the Father and sometimes the spirit of the Sonne THE NINTH ARTICLE THe holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints The Apostles hauing professed their beleefe in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth and in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord borne and crucifyed in the nature of man and their beleefe in the Holy Ghost they had giuen vs in breife the mysterys of the B. Trinity and of the Incarnation The next thinge which they minded was to make an article of beleeuing the Catholike Church Which article was noe lesse necessary then any of the former nay in this it was the most necessary of all that by beleeuing the Church we come to haue the truth of the former and to vnderstande rightly all the articles of the christian faith And therefor as S. Augustine hath obserued the Prophets haue spoken planelyer of the Church then they haue done of Christ himselfe Aug. in Is 30. because the authority of the Church is the rule and guide by which we are to be directed in all thinges which we beleeue of him and all true beleeuers are kept in the vnity of true faith and that faith which was founded by him continueth allwais inuiolated by continuall obedience to the Church This then being the end and intention of this article let vs now come to the declaration of it Quest What is the Catholike Church Answ The Catholike Church is the congregation of all faithfull Pastors and people vnited together as a body with its head S. Augustine defineth the Church to be the congregation of all
to that bold persuasion of some who perswade themselues that saluation may be had in any religion or in either of some two religions or in any faith soe that they beleeue in Christ for they shall finde one day that disobedience to the true Church is a sinne which deserueth damnation S. Augustine againe in another place Epist. 104. Being out of the Church and diuided from the heape of vnity and the bond of charity thou shouldst be punished with eternal fire although thou shouldst be burned aliue for the name of Christ The Church is honored in the scriptures with many noble and glorious titles The titles of Church It is called the kingdome of God the house of God his spouse his faire one his onely one and the very body of Christ He gouerneth it as his kingdome he prouideth for it as his household and loueth it as his deere spouse and as his owne body pleasing and delighting himselfe in the soules of good Catholikes that serue him It is compared to the holy city of Hierusalem in which the true worship of God flourished and in which diuine sacrifice was duely offered It is compared to the arke of Noë out of which there was noe saluation but a general death and destruction Infidels that haue not the faith of Christ are out of the Church Haeretiks Schismatiks and excommunicated persons although they beleeue in Christ yet because they heare not the Church that is obey it not they are also our of it as heathens that participate not the benefits of it The Catholike Church hath two parts The triumphans and militant Church the one Triumphant the other Militant The Triumphant Church is the company of blessed soules in heauen who hauing gotten victory ouer their spirituall enemys in this life are now triumphing in euerlasting glory The Militant Church is the company of the faithfull vpon earth liuing as it were in a warrfare where we are allwais fighting with the enemys of our soules and by perseuering vnto the end in the seruice of God we shall be crowned like good and faithfull souldiers The Militant Church conteineth both good and euill liuers Mat. 3. and therefor it is compared to a field that beareth both good corne and cockle to a nette that gathereth together both good and euill fish The good are kept Mat. 13. but the bad are throwne away It is compared to tenne virgins fiue of which were wise and had prepared the light of good works against the comming of Christ to reward them Mat. 25. and therefor they were admitted into his heauenly nuptials but the other fiue came like fooles and although they had the faith of Christ and were christians yet wanting the oile of the loue of God and the light of good works they were excluded from his blessed ioyes By these and the like places we are giuen to vnderstande that it is not enough to haue the true faith and to be Catholikes if our liues be dissonant from our profession that we liue not like good Catholikes for there are many euill liuers in the Catholike Church who as bundles of cockle shall be throwne into the fire The Communion of Saints Communion of Saints S. Iohn Euangelist writing to the faithfull giueth them as the cause of his writing that you also may haue society with vs Io. 1.1 and our society may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ That is that you may keepe in the society and Communion of the Church and be partakers of those good works and meanes of saluation which are to be had in it For there in is the Catholike Church such a participation of good works that all Catholikes that are in the state of grace participate with one another in them and receiue benefit by the good works of others The reason is because the Catholike Church is as it were one body and all the members of it liue by the same spirit of the Holy Ghost and of Iesus Christ who keepe them in that holy vnion and Communion together And as all the members of the body concurre and helpe to the good of each other soe euery member of the Catholike Church helpeth to the good of the rest and receiueth good by the rest participating of their good works Ps 118. â—am partaker of all that seare thee Saith he holy psalme And in the Pâ—ter nester our Sauiour hath taught vs soe to pray that euery one should aske in the name of all saying giue vs forgiue vs c. Those who are guilty of mortall sinne as they haue noe reward of grace for any worke of their owne which is done in that state soe they loose the benefit which they should receiue by the good works of others For although they be members of the Catholike Church yet wanting the life of grace they are as dead and rotten members into which the rest haue noe spirituall influence The benefit which is reaped by the good works of others is participated by euery one in measure and proportion to the disposition which he hath for it and according to the intention of him that performeth the worke for as we are more or lesse in his intention soe doe we participate more or lesse benefit by the worke which he doth For this it is enough to say that our good works are offerings which we make to God and are therfor receiued and applyed by him according to the offerers intention By all which we may see what a happinesse it is to be in the Catholike Church Ps 83. and in the state of grace Blessed are they who dwell in thy house ô Lord. Now let vs speake OF THE AVTHORITY of the Church BY these words of the Creede it appeareth that the Catholike Church is of diuine authority for euery article of the Creede being of diuine authority and we being by this article bound to beleeue the Church it followeth that the Church hath diuine authority and that we are bounde to beleeue and to obey it as hauing the authority of God And therefor this article was most profitably and necessarily made by the Apostles as the ground and foundation of diuine faith and worship For although in the scriptures it be plane and by reason must needes be true that we are allwais to be gouerned by the authority of the Church yet this article being soe commonly and often professed it is agreat curbe to the rizing of new sects and haeresys all which beginne in the disobedience of some priuate men to the authority of the whole Church and it can not but be a horrour to their mindes and a greeuous wounde to their owne consciences to see how they contradict the common Creede of the Apostles And therefor S. Paul might well say that a man that is an haeretike is subuerted and sinneth Tit. 3. being condemned by his owne iudgment The authority of the Church is diuine in that it is declared also by the
alleadge against them the authority of the Church of Christ and will tell them Not the Iewes but the Church holdeth the books of Machabees to be canonical And his owne reason will tell him that to deny the authority of the Church is to deny all Scriptures and to confounde the order of the whole world Tertul. Tert. l. de coron militi◠c. 3. Amb. orat pro Theod. Aug. l. 8. de Genes con Manichaeos Oblationes pro defunctis facimus We make offerings for the dead S. Ambrose in his speech of the Emperour Theodosius prayeth for him Thou o Lord giue rest vnto thy seruant Theodosius S. August speaking of him that dyeth in sinne saith after this life he shall haue either the fire of Purgatory or eternal fire And in Psal 87. In this life purge mee and make mee soe that I may not neede the purging fire The doctrine of Purgatory is soe planely deliuered by the auncient fathers of the Church that Caluin could not deny or conceale it but l. 3. Instit c. 5. § 10. calleth it a most auncient obseruation of the Church and saith that the fathers as humane were deceiued But who can endure this saying in him were the auncient fathers of the Church and both the Church which was aunciently and which was when Caluin came into the world deceided and Caluin not deceiued shall Caluin take vpon him to correct the auncient fathers and present obseruations of the Church And shall any hazard his soule with Caluin against them He asketh what authority of Scriptures they had Must the whole Church be examined by him in the Scriptures And shall not he be thought an haeretike for this and to abuse the Scriptures in condemning of the Church S. Augustine shall answere him Aug. l. de cura pro mortuis Jn the books of the Machabees we read that sacrifice was offered for the dead but although in the auncient Scriptures it were not at all to be read the authority of the vniuersal Church is noe small matter which is cleere for this custome where in the prayers of the priest which to our Lord God are powered forth at his altare the commendation of the dead hath its place S. Augustins argument was good in which he prooued Purgatory both hy the Scriptures and the Church But if this be not enough for Caluin to whom nothing will serue but his owne will and word We will also produce his owne words against him l. 4. Instit c. 2. num 3. he saith that without controuersy nothing from the beginning untill that age was changed in doctrine To wit vntill the times of Tertullian Origen and Augustine of whom he was speaking If therfor this were the doctrine of the Church in those times it was the doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles euer from the beginning And soe Caluin is condemned by Scriptures fathers Church and by his owne words and Purgatory is prooued to be the true Catholike Apostolike doctrine There for pennances are rightly enioyned prayers may be said almes deeds giuen indulgences granted and many voluntary afflictions haue bene vndergone by the Saints and faithfull of the Catholike Church to escape the paines of Purgatory which although they be but temporal yet they are most greeuous and vehement more then can be spoken And because the Catholike doctrine of Indulgences by many is not vnderstoode I wil say somethinge of them in this which is also their propper place An Indulgence is as much as to say a fauourable remission or pardoning of some due punishment Such are the indulgences of the Church either absolute remissions without exchange or imposing of any other taske or exchanges of a greater into a lesser penalty The power of granting indulgences or absoluing from punishment which is all one was granted by Christ vnto his Apostles and especially to S. Peter to whom he promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Mat. 16. and told him whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen What can be vnderstoode by the keyes of heauen and the words following but power soe to open heauen gates as to take away all that hindereth for entring in at them to wit sinne and punishment He gave also the like authority to the rest of the Apostles saying whatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shal be loosed in heauen Mat. 18. If whatsoeuer they loose be loosed then punishment loosed by them on earth is loosed also in the sight of God in heauen Neither is there any good connexion in those words if they be not vnderstoode of absoluing as well from punishment as from sinne Now if any aske how it can be that sinnes of which the diuine iustice requireth soe much satisfaction should be satisfyed for with soe litle as some indulgences require and some indulgences require nothing at all to be done for the gaining of them he may vnderstande that indulgence or pardon of punishment is neuer granted but full satisfaction is made to God for the sinne For there is in the Church a treasury of Satisfactions soe great that it can neuer be exhausted by satisfying for sinnes There are in this treasury the satisfactions of Christ infinitly more then all the sinnes in the world can require There are also the good works of our B. Lady that had nothing of her owne to satisfy for There are the good works of S. Iohn Baptist of the Apostles and of many others whose works were much more satisfactory then their owne sinnes needed and may be applyed by the pastors of the Church to those that stande neede of them For the Church is a body and all the members of it haue a Communication and participation of good works with one another as we professe in the Creede saying I beleeue the Communion of Saints And the psalmist sayeth Ps 118. Col. 1. I am partaker of all that feare thee And S. Paul I now reioyce in suffering for you and doe accomplish those thinges that want of the passions of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church He did not fullfill the passions of Christ for any defect or want which was in them but that by his sufferings the passion of Christ was applyed actually to the Colossians as it is by the suffrages and good works which are done in the Church for others and by them their punishments are fully satisfyed for If any aske why the Pope onely and bishops giue indulgences I answere that the words of Christ before alleadged were spoken onely to S. Peter who was to be the Pope and to the Apostles who were at first the onely bishops of the Church And the practise of the vniuersal Church which ought to be our rule in all things hath bene allwais for the Pope and bishops and not for priests to grant Indulgences S. Augustine speaking of the obseruations of the Church saith If the Church through out the World frequent any of these things to dispute of
is Catholike 178. It is One 180. The honorable titles of the Church 181. The Church Triumphant and Militant 181. The gouernment of the Church 195. S. Peter was the head of the Church by the institution of Christ 196. c. The true Catholike Church is destinguished from all false Churches 214. The beginning of all false Churches 215.235 The Church proposeth pious obiects to our mindes to moue vs to pious considerations 564. The Church must decide all controuersys in religion 184.641.711 Commandements The ten Commandements oblige by the Law of nature 379. God the authour of the ten Commandements 381. Priests must see that the Commandements be kept 379. The Commandements possible to be kept 383. How the Commandements are to be diuided 387 Communion of Saints 182. Of deuout Communion 308. Vnder one kind 316. Communion at Easter time 664 Concupiscence 441. Degrees of Concupiscence 442. Confession 253.322 662. of intire confessions 337. Cleerenes in confession 344. Confession once a yeare and in diuerse circumstances is of obligation 662. The benefits of confession 663 Confirmation 296. The ceremonys of Confirmation 297. The effect of Confirmation 297 Conscience Sinnes against Conscience 674. Remorse and terrour of Conscience 695. Examine of Conscience 329. c. Continuance in sinne 359. 696 Contrition 329 Couetousnes 443. Remedys against Couetousnes 445. Councells Generall Councells 205. Generall Councells consist of bishops 209 Counsaile Good to aske Counsaile 674 Creede The authority of the Apostles Creede 76 Cros. The signe of the Cros. 49. How the signe of the Cros is to be made 4â— What is signifyed in the signe of the Cros. 51. The Cros is to be honored and worshipped by Christians 60. The power and vertue of the Cros. 63 Crownes shauen 368 Curiosity in points of faith is dangerous and groundlesse 10.16.17.18 c. Customes of the Church 64â— D DEtraction 434. Remedys against Detraction 439 Deuill The deuill is bounde in the Law of Christ 498 Distractions in prayer 473.506 Doctrine Obligation to learne the christian Doctrine 7 Duell 417 E. EAst Altares towards the East 603 Education of children 1 Ember dayes 654 Eucharist 298. 664. The Eucharist excelleth all the Sacraments 299. What is conteined in the Eucharist â—00 c The Eucharist a Sacrament 305. The effects of the Eucharist 321 Examine of conscience 329 Exorcismes 139.293.364.534 Extreme-Vnction 360. Extreme-Vnction a Sacrament 361. The effect of Extreme-Vnction 361. F FAith is supernaturall and therefor not to be sought into by naturall reason 12.13 c. 19. Faith accordeth with reason 21. Faith is allwais with obedience to the Church 25. How the true faith in the obedience to the true Church is to be prayed for 34. c. Faith alone iustifyeth not 482 Fasting commended in the Scriptures 646. Fasting includeth two things 657. Fasting dayes are to be obserued according to the intention of the Church 656 Father vide Parents God a Father 77.477 Font consecrated 291 Freewill 673.708 Frydayes fast 655 G GHost The Holy Ghost 56.142.173 Glory The state of glory 259. 480.481 God a Father 77.477 Plenty to the seruants of God 487. Angells and men giue testimony of God 84. Naturall feeling of God 91. Naturall reason doth demonstrate the supreme power of God 96. Creatures sometimes called Gods in the Scriptures 108. God in all places but especially in heauen 479. God not the authour of sinne 704. God the supreme and principall we the inferiour and instrumentall causes of our owne good 710. God a spirituall substance infinite in perfection 105.108.675 God fathers 3.292 Gouernment of the Church 195 Grace What Grace is 268 H HEauen Vide Glory Hell 160.682 c. Head The Head of the Church 196.215 c. Noe Secular Prince as such is the head of the Church of Christ 234 Haile Mary c. 508. The Haile Mary next vnto the Pater Noster is the best of all prayers 555 Hardnes of hart by much sinning 696. c. Heresy leadeth to atheisme 79.80.81 c. Heresy is a peruersednes and obstinacy of minde by which one will mainteine some doctrine contrary to the whole Church 216. c. Heretiks make the grounds of diuine faith to be as vncertaine as the grounds of Philosophy 705 Holydayes 404.659 Holy bread 656.625 Holy Ghost 56.142.173 Holy water 624 Honour The Honour of God first to be sought and prayed for 479.503 The honour of this world is vaine and vncertaine lost by sinne 687.690 I IESVS 111 Ignorance inuincible 674 Images to be worshipped 389. c. Immortality of the soule and the Resurrection of the body vnderstoode sometimes as the same thinge 257 Incarnation 57.142.532.556 The mystery of the Incarnation often commemorated in the Catholike Church 150 Iniurys to be pardoned 420.490 c. Inuocation of Saints 460. c. Iudaisme and Turcisme reiected 112.113 c. 250 Iudgment 169 K KIngdome of heauen 480. vid. Glory The Kingdome of God diuersly vnderstoode 482. Knowledge Too much desire of knowledge 10.53 Knowledge of the christian doctrine necessary to be had by all 7 L LAdy The Angelicall Salutation of our blessed Lady 509. c Our blessed â—ady was full of grace 510.515 The promises made vnto the Patriarks of Christs coming of their seede were fullfilled in our blessed Lady 513. The auncient fathers of the Catholike Church sing the praises of out blessed Lady 517. Protestants dishonour our blessed Lady 524. The Assumption of our blessed Lady 518. The summe of our blessed Ladys prayses out of the fathers 529. Our blessed Lady blessed among woemen 530.531 Our blessed Lady the Mother of God and to be honoured as such 538. c. It was meete and conuenient that our blessed Lady should excell all creatures in sanctity 541. The power of our blessed Lady in fauour of her freinds 544. c. and against her enemys 548. Our blessed Lady present at our deaths 553 Latine tongue vsed in the Church seruice 627 Lent 651 Luxury vid. Carnal M MArke S. Marks solemnity 655 Mary vid. Lady Masse 575. The Masse is the Christian Sacrifice 576. c. 582. The Sacrifice of Masse continueth for euer 584. Masse a commemoratiue sacrifice yet a true sacrifice 594. The caeremonys of the Masse 598. The diuision of the Masse 604. Meditations vpon the Masse 622. The authour of the Masse 621. Masse in Latine 626. The fruits and benefits of the Masse 633. And those not onely spirituall but also temporall 637. A commendable deuotion to heare Masse euery day 638. All are bound to heare Masse on holydayes 660 Matter the Matter and forme of the Sacraments and intention of him that administreth them 27â— Matrimony a Sacrament 369. The loue and duety of married folkes 369. c. The tribulations of marriage must be considered before hand 373. c. Those that marry must declare concerning three things 374 The vse of matrimony not conuenient at all times 375. Marriage forbidden to be celebrated in some times 640. Merits The Merits of Christ must be applyed
the faithfull dispersed ouer the world Which is in substance the same that is here answered for euery one that hath the true faith and is in vnion with the head and Pastors of the Church by obeying them is a member of the true Châ—â—ch and all these put together make the whole Church But because Schismatiks although they beleeue in all points yet are out of the Church as diuiding themselues from it by disobedience to the head and Pastors theirof therefor to be a member of the Church we require vnion with the rest of the members vnder one head to wit the Pope who is for the time the successor of S. Peter the Vicar of Christ and the Head of the Church Now for the explication of this article In the first place the Church is said to be holy Holy It is holy in diuerse respects First in respect of the eminent holines of Iesus Christ the cheife head of it Secondly for the holy gouernment which Christ instituted and allwais conserueth in it Thirdly it is holy in respect of the holy sacrifice which it hath of his most sacred body and in respect of the holy Sacraments and obseruances that are in it Fourthly in respect of the Vicarhead Pastors and people whose holinesse it includeth Christ ascending into heauen made S. Peter the head of all the Apostles and of the whole Church to remaine as Vicar to himselfe vpon earth commending particularly to him the charge of his sheepe that is of all faithfull christians that are in the Church as in his sheepfold This charge was performed by him whilst he liued and after his death by men of great holines who succeeded him ioyning their blood vnto his as it were in a continuall streame of martyrdome for almost three hundred yeares after the Ascension of Christ After them those who haue succeeded in that chaire and office haue bene for the most part men of great holinesse as they haue great meanes to be and as it is fitting they should be in that holy office The Church is also holy in many other inferiour Pastors and people of all sorts and callings of Martyrs Confessors and Virgins who haue illustrated it with their holy liues and haue rendred it a deere and amiable spouse to Christ Lastly the Church is holy as being by its authority the ground of all holines there being none at all but in it For there can be noe holinesse in this world if not grounded vpon true faith Heb. 11. without which it is impossible to please God And being there can be noe faith that can please God but in the Catholike Church all holinesse that is amongst men is in the holy Catholike Church The Church is called by the Apostles Catholike Catholike which is as much as to say vniuersal to destinguish the true Church of Christ from all false Churches of christians which they saw might rize vp in following times and did euen then beginne to rize in their times None of which can be said to be Catholike or vniuersal but priuate and particular Churches which beginne by opposing of the Catholike and vniuersal Church then extant when those new sects beginne First the Church is vniuersal in doctrine for that it teacheth all ouer the same doctrine and yeeldeth obedience to the same gouernment vnder one head and soe the Church of Rome is Catholike and the Church of Protestants is not Catholike for that protestants agree in name onely and nor in doctrine and also because some of them acknowledging a head vpon earth as the English Protestants did and some of them acknowledging noe head vpon earth they haue not all obedience to the same authority which obedience must necessarily be had to be the same Church and to be the true Catholike Church For the Apostles made this article to keepe vs allwais in the odedience of the true Church and that those might be knowne to haue the true faith of Christ who retaining the doctrine which is professed by the whole Church which then is and obeying the authority of it submitte in all controuersys to that which it teacheth and say with the Apostles I beleeue the Catholike Church and therefor two Churches that obey two different authoritys can not both of them be vniuersal and Catholike Secondly the true Church is vniuersall in times for that it must be at all times and neuer soe vanished out of the world that there should neede any to restore it againe for God doth not soe vnequally destribute his graces as to leaue the the world at any time without meanes of saluation which cannot be without a true and lawfull Church Besides the Apostles Creede is to be said at all times and soe we are allwais to say I beleeue the Catholike Church which we could not allwais say if at some time there were noe true Catholike Church in the world Thirdly the Church is vniuersal in place for if S. Paul could with truth apply those words of the psalme their sounde hath gone forth vnto all the earth Ps 18. and vnto the ends of the â—ound world the words of them to the Church of Christ in the Apostles times when it was nothing soe much dilated as now God be thanked it is we may now with good reason call it Catholike in respect of all places when the sounde of the Apostles doctrine is soe much enlarged that there is hardly any place of the world whither the Catholike Church doth not send her subiects to preach Out of this vniuersality of the Church it followeth One that there is but one true Church in which saluation may be had for vniuersality importeth vnity and if there be vnity in the Church and that this vnity be necessarily required and included in the word Catholike or vniuersal which signifye hâ— many agreeing in the same thinge then two Churches which are not vnited in the same Communion and obedience to the same authority can not both of them haue meanes of saluation for if they could both haue meanes of saluatioÌ„ and yet might lawfully disobey each others authority then we should not be bounde to obey it nor could it lawfully require obedience to it which is contrary to the words of Christ binding vs to the obedience of the Church and contrary to this article and to all reason and gouernment S. Augustine There is nothing which a christian ought soe much to feare as to be separated from the body of Christ Aug. tract 27. which is for certaine the one Catholike Church For if he be separated from the body of Christ he is not a member of him If he be not a member of him he is not nourished with his spirit By which it is plane in the doctrine of this saint that it can not be a true Church which is separated from the true Church and by consequence two Churches which separate from each other can not both be true Therefor let those take head that hearken
also he left one head to haue supreme authority vnder him in the gouernment of the Church which is his cheife kingdome conteining all the kingdomes of the world and therefor stoode much more neede of a head to gouerne and keepe vnity in it This as I haue shewed could be none but S. Peter whilst he liued for that Christ founded the Church on him gaue vnto him the keyes of heauen and made him the pastour of all his sheepe in such circumstances as are most euident for it Moreouer he is first named in the catalogue of the Apostles Mat 10. and said to be the first not for that he first followed Christ Amb. in Co. 2.12 for as S. Ambrose sayth Andrew first followed Christ before Peter and yet the primacy Andrew receiued not To him the Apostles had recourse as to their superiour he tooke vpon him cheifly to decide controuersys in General Councells to speake before the rest to worke miracles before the rest and was neuer murmured at by any of the Apostles as taking vpon him more then his due The auncient and holy fathers of the Church acknowledge as you haue seene his supreme authority And if all this be not sufficient let it suffize that it is the doctrine of the Catholike Church what vpstart teacher will beginne to contradict it or who will beleeue and follow him It was very necessary that Christ should ordaine one head and supreme power in the Church for the keeping of vnity and concord in it and that in all difficultys which should arize the Pastors of the Church might be called together by the cheife head the place of their meeting might be assigned by him and they be kept in vnity by obeying his authority S. Cyprian considered this as the onely meanes for the suppression of haeresys Cyp. defimplâ—â—t praeatorum siuâ— de vnit Eccles which the enemy of God laboreth soe much to raise and deliuereth it as the meanes instituted of Christ to keepe vnity in the Church The enemy saith this saint perceiuing his idols to be forsakâ—n and his temples to be deserted by the multitude of beleeuers inuented a new deceit to deceiue the vnwary by the name of a Christian raizing heresys and schismes to corrupt verity and to subuert faith This is ô brethren because we haue not recourse unto the origen nor seeke to the head Which if we would examine and consider there would neede noe long treatise nor many arguments to finde out the truth Our Lord said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. and againe after his resurrection Feede my sheepe Vpon him alone he buildeth the Church and commendeth to him the feeding of his sheepe And although he gaue equall authority to all the Apostles after his resurrection saying as my father sent mee All the Apostles equal in Apostle ship Yet Veteronely had the primacy Hiero. l. 1. aduers Iouin c. 14. soe I send you receiue the Holy Ghost whose sinnes c. Yet to manifest vnity be constituteth one chaire and by his authority he disposed the origen of that vnity to beginne from one The rest of the Apostles were that which Peter was The primacy was giuen to Peter that the Church of Christ might appeare to be one and one chaire S. Hierome Although all the Apostles in Apostleship were alike yet Christ for the better keeping of vnity and truth would haue one to be the head of them all that a head being once constituted occasion of schisme might be taken away By which we see how necessary it was in the opinion of these saints that one should be established as the supreme pastour and head of the Church and that although all the Apostles had the same power as bishops and had their authority immediatly from Christ himselfe and soe the Church was also founded vpon them that is vpon their necessary functions yet it was cheifly founded vpon S. Peter as the Primate and supreme pastour ouer all who had also from Christ himselfe the lawfull execution of that authority Now if one supreme head was constituted of Christ as necessary to keepe vnity and preuent schismes in the Church of God the gouernment of the Church required euer after that supreme power to remaine in successors to him and it was not to continue onely for thirty six or thirty seauen yeares as long as S. Peter liued there being afterwards as much if not more neede of it schismes and heresys being as likely to rize in the Church after the Apostles dayes when it was destitute of their presence as when it had their helpe and assistance and S. Cyprian as you see maketh this to be the origen of all schismes and heresys because they seeke not to the head And therefor as I shall shew in the next title it is a sufficient destinction to discerne all false Churches by that they beginne allwais in disobedience to the head of the Church and the Pastors of his Communion But hauing spoken of the head of the Church in the next place we will speake of Generall Councels Christ hauing chosen Apostles to gouerne the Church General Councells and amongst the Apostles one to be the head these then had the authority of the whole Church and all were bounde to obey them When therefor the general necessity of the Church requireth for the preuenting of schismes or heresys or the deciding of any controuersys that a Generall Councell should be called the head of the Church exercizeth his supreme authority summoning the Pastors together and appointing a place of meeting for them who consulting and resoluing vpon those questions their resolutions are to be imbraced by all as hauing authority from Christ himselfe who made him the lawfull head and them the lawfull Pastors of his Communion in place of S. Peter and the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost was sent for their assistance and whom Christ promised to be with vnto the consummation of the world Thus did S. Peter with some other pastors of the Church that could conueniently be present meete at Hierusalem and hauing ended their consultation they rehearsed their decrees and doubted not to call them the decrees of the Holy Ghost Act. 15. saying It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs. Such decrees as these are receiued by all as hauing indeede the authority voyce and consent of all true beleeuers that are in the world For euery true and faithfull christian giuing his voice as he ought to that assembly it hath the authority of the whole Catholike Church and of all the faithfull in the world Soe S. Athasius calleth the Councell of Nyce Ath. de gest Conc. Arim. an assembly of the whole world S. Leo calleth also the decrees of that Councell the deâ—rees of the whole world S. Augustine The sentence of a plenary Aug. l. de bâ—p cont Donat. l. 2. c. 4. or Generall Councell is the sentence of the whole
de obitu fratris Pauls authority And S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose signify that it is all one to say the Romane faith and the Catholike faith All which they would neuer haue said if they had not thought the Romane chaire to haue had preeminence and authority aboue all and vnderstoode the words of S. Paul in that sense that the faith of the Romanes was renowmed in the supreme authority of that sea and therefor we may rightly alleadge those scriptures according to the auncient fathers interpretations for the supremacy of the bishop of Rome But we will produce their plane testimonys immediatly from the Apostles times Anacletus who liued with the Apostles hath these words Ep. 3. ad omnes Epis This holy and Apostolicall Romane Church not onely from the Apostles but euen from our Lord and Sauiour himselfe hath obtained the principality and eminency of power ouer all Churches and ouer the whole flocke of the people of Christ he himselfe saying to S. Peter Mat. 16. Thou art Peter c. And they also themselues consented vnto it that he should be aboue all the rest of the Apostles and should be Cephas that is to say the head and beginning of the Apostle ship who deliuered the same forme to his successors and the rest of the Apostles to bishops to be held by them If any difficult causes arize amongst you referre them to this head that by the apostolicall iudgment they may be ended for such is the will of our Lord who hath soe determined as by the foresaid places is declared Therfor this Apostolical seate is constituted of none other but of our Lord himselfe to be the hinge and the head as is said before of all Churches That as the doore is guided by the hinges soe by the disposition of our Lord all Churches should be gouerned by this holy seate S. L. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus who liued in the next age after the Apostles reckoneth vp all the bishops of Rome vnto Eleutherius who then gouerned to shew the succession of that supreme authority from S. Peter and saith that in all cases of controuersy we should haue recourse vnto the Apostolical traditions and try them by the Church of Rome Tertullian L. depudicitia who liued in the same age with him calleth the bishop of Rome Pontificem Maximum Episcopum Episcoporum The highest Priest the Bishop of bishops S. Cyprian De vnitate Eccles who liued in the next age after them speaking of the beginning of heresys saith in substance all which I am saying to wit that all schismes and heresys haue begunne by disobedience to the head of the Church and particularly specifyeth to what head to wit to the successour of S. Peter that is for the time and saith that if we would seeke to that iudge all controuersys would soone be at an end And speaking of the bishops of Rome L. 4. ep 9. from hence saith he all heresys haue rizen and still arize because that bishop who is but one and presideth ouer the Whole Church is despised by the prowde presumption of certaine men and he whom God hath dignifyed is iudged by men as vnworthy of dignity In the next age liued S. Athanasius a glorious Confessour and for forty yeares and more in which he was bishop the prime pillar of the Catholike Church in the easterne parts against the Arian haeretiks Apud Theoâ—â—et â— 4. c. 3. He reckoneth vp the Churches of the seueral parts of the world and saith that they and the whole world consented to the Councell of Nyce in which the primacy of S. Syluester then bishop of Rome was acknowledged and declared And it is here to be obserued that the Arians who are the auncientest of all sects now extant out of the Catholike Church beganne but in these times when the Romane bishop had bene honored for about three hundred yeares as the Vicar of Christ vpon earth And the same saint together with the fathers of the Councell of Alexandria wrote vnto Felix 2. then bishop of Rome after this manner To the honorable holy father Felix Pope of the Apostolical seate of the city of Rome Athanasius and all the bishops of the Aegyptians Thebaians and Lybians by the grace of God assembled in the holy Councell of Alexandria We suggest vnto your holy Apostleship that you would vouchsafe to vs of your wounted care ouer vs c. Because most holy father our praedecessors and we haue receiued helpe of your Apostolical scate We implore that Apostolicall and according to the canons the cheife seate that we may haue helpe from thence from whence our auncestors haue had their doctrines orders and relcefe Vnto that we haue recourse as to our mother that we may be nourished at her breasts And as the mother own not forgett her child soe doe not you forgette vs committed to your charge For our enemys haue inuolued vs in noe small troubles apprehending and threatening vs with irons vnles we will yeeld to their errors Which without your knowledge we will not presume vpon the canons hauing decreed that in cases of moment nothing should be done without the Romane bishop Therfor God hath placed you and your praedecessors the bishops of Rome in the toppe of all that you might haue a care of all Churches hauing the iudgment of all bishops committed to you For we know that in the great Councell of Nyce of three hundred and eighteene bishops it was established by all that without the sentence of the Romane bishop noe Councell should be called nor any bishops condemned although these and many other necessary thinges be taken away from vs and burnt by turbulent haeretiks c. Likewise it was agreeably defined by the foresaid fathers that if any of the bishops shall haue in suspicion the Metropolitan Comprouinciales or Judges let him appeale to your holy seate of Rome to whom the power of binding and loosing was giuen by speciall priuilege by our Lord himselfe c. Thou art the deposer of prophane haeresys inuaders and infesters as the Head and Doctour and Prince of orthodoxe doctrine and vnspotted faith After S. Athanasius in the next age liued S. Optatus bishop of Mileuetum in Affricke who made a catalogue of all the Popes from S. Peter to Siricius who then gouerned and writing against the haeretike Parmention he telleth him that in setting vp a chaire contrary to the Chaire of Rome he could not pleade ignorance knowing that the first was giuen to S. Peter to be at Rome and particular chaires to the other Apostles L. 1. conc Parm. that he might be knowne for a schismatike and praeuaricatour that should set vp a chaire in opposition to it Amb. in 3. ad Tim. S. Ambrose speaking of Damasus then bishop of Rome saith that all the world being Gods yet the Church onely is hit house whose Rectour or Ruler at this time is Dumasus S. Hierome also liued in the time of this
must prooue it by extraordinary fignes and miracles such as are propper to God onely and proportionable to that kind of commission Soe did Moyses prooue by miracles that he was sent of God soe did Christ prooue his authority by miracles But if they haue neither miracles to prooue extraordinary nor succession of lawfull pastors for ordinary commission but vpon their owne bare word onely will draw men from obedience to their lawfull pastors we must take them for such as Core Dathan and Abiron were who disobeying their pastors and hauing noe commission from God to shew for it they and their followers sunke downe visibly into hell Now for miracles to iustify their disobedience to the Church they neither haue nor can possibly haue for that God will not approoue of any such disobedience but hauing ordained the gouernment of the Church to be by S. Peter as supreme head and by 〈◊〉 Apostles as pastors vnder him and Christ â—auing promised to be with them all dayes to the consummation of the world we must at all times looke vnto the successors of S. Peter and his pastors as to the lawfull authority of the Church of Christ and allwais obey them and we must take those for false Churches that disobey their authority And therfor S. Cyprian solidly rebuketh Nouatus the â—aeretike for separating himselfe from the Communion of Cornelius then Bishop of Rome and concludeth that the Church of Christ being but one and not conteining both those that are with in and those that are out of it those onely saith he are in the Church Cyp. l. 4. op c. who are in the COmmunion of Cornelius successour to Fabianus But that they may not thinke to excuse their disobedience by any pretences I stoppe all pretences whatsoeuer and preuent all answeres that can possibly be deuised by that which followeth They can not deny but there haue bene and are false Churches of christians in the world but there neuer was nor now is any false Church of christians but it might haue if it would the same pretences and haue the same ground for them that any of these haue they being commune to all disobedient and obstinate persons that will stande out against the Church therefor all which any of them can pretende for themselues are but vaine pretences and if euer there were any false Church of christians in the world they are all false Churches As for the first S. Paul saith that there must be heresys Cor. 1.11 Which being held by a Communion of many there is then a false Church He that readeth D Prateolus of the beginnings of heresys and seeeth the absurditys which they haue obstinatly mainteined will easily grant that there haue bene false Churches of Christians in the world He shall finde some against the whole B. Trinity some against one of the Persons some against another some against the diuinity some against the humanity of Iesus Christ some against the blessed Virgin some against the Angels some against the Saints one saith that Christ is the sunne which we see to shine another saith that himselfe is Christ another maketh himselfe to be the Holy Ghost some will haue all to marry some will haue none to marry some soe affected to sobriety that they held wine vnlawfull to be drunke euen to the consecrating of water insteede of it some are running naked others are foming quaking and changing gastly countenances as a signe and point of perfection another cryeth downe learning and will haue noe triall of the truth but by force of armes commanding for that purpose his disciples at his death to make a drumme of his skinne All which I mention in relation to the Apostles words and to my first proposition that there haue bene false Churches in the world and withall to obserue what absurde errors men would runne into if there were not at all times an authority of visible pastors guided by the Holy Ghost to gouerne the Church and all were bounde to be gouerned by them Now if any of these were a false Church it was for their obstinacy in those errors and for their disobedience to those pastors which the primitiue Church acknowledged to haue by succession from S. Peter the supreme authority and to the pastors of their Communion as hauing at all times the lawfull authority of the whole Church And these were as I haue shewed the Bishops of Rome and the pastors that were in Communion with them none els hauing any pretence vnto that succession Then for the second proposition I aske any one of those sects that are now out of the Catholike Romane Church what pretence can they haue which is not common to all the rest and which all the false Churches that are or euer were and which they confesse to be false Churches might not if they would haue alleadged for themselues as well as they to excuse there disobedience If they pretende errors in the doctrine of their pastors or if they alleadge priuate spirit or if they pretende authority from the true Church but inuisible or if they say that they were thrusten out of the Church against their wills or if they pretende immediat commission from God to disobey all authority vpon earth in religion who doth not see that all these are but vaine pretences common to all that will vse them and which if they were to be allowed of a gappe were opened for all turbulent and disobedient persons to runne out of the Church vnder some of these pretences at any time when they would themselues Neither is there any thinge which any of them can pretende but that which all the rest may as well take for pretence and all the false Churches that euer were whom they confesse to be false Churches may as well pretende as they And if this be not soe I desire and challenge any wise and learned man of whatsoeuer sect out of the Romane Church to study and to thinke with himselfe of any lawfull pretence and excuse for their disobedience to the Romane Church and then to take some other which he holdeth to be a false Church and conferring them together to propose to his owne conscience whether that pretence agree not as well to the other as to his owne And if he can deuise none which is propper to his owne Church more then to false Churches then I warne and charge him to returne againe to the obedience of that authority which the primitiue Church first obeyed and which the Romane Church hath allwais obeyed and which his Church and all others haue at some time goneforth of and disobeyed and this was as I haue shewed the authority of the bishop of Rome and his pastors All those Churches that are now extant out of the Romane Church went first out of it by disobedience to the head and pastors of the Romane Church and as for Protestants they confesse that they went forth and separated themselues from it Aug. l. 2. cont Crescon c.
and in that forme of words Mat. 28. which Christ commanded saying teach ye all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost After baptisme a Cros with holy Chrisme is made vpon the toppe of the head to shew the grace which then he hath receiued and that euer after he is to fight vnder the banner of the Cros. This vnction after baptisme is a kind of lesser Confirmation for although it haue not the force and vertue of a Sacrament yet it helpeth to strengthen the soule in the grace of Baptisme and faith of Christ as a deuout caeremony particularly instituted for that end The linnen Apoc. 7. cloth or Chrysome which is put ouer them signifyeth the white garment of glory which the elect haue in company of the lambe and which is purchased by Baptisme The wax light which is put into his hand signifyeth the light of good example which he is to carry in his works These are the cheife caeremonys of Baptisme which the Church vseth and to question the caeremonys of the vniuersal Church saith S. Ep. 118. Augustine or to dispute of them as though they were not to be done is most insolent madnesse As for the name of the child the best is to follow the general custome of the Church which is also commended in the Romane Catechisme and that is to impose allwais the name of some saint in whom he may haue both a patterne to imitate and a patrone to helpe him Die 20. August Surius relateth how that S. Steuan imposed his owne name vpon the Prince of Hungary assigning it to him euen before he was borne It is a thing much reprehended by the Councell of Trent to giue such strange and exoticall names as some doe to their children And it is not onely a vaine and prophane thinge outwardly but also iniurious to the children themselues The poore infant must take that name whether it will or noe for all the life time and perhaps when it is dead shall then curse the parent that imposed it when it shall goe to hell for want of a patrone by whose assistance it might haue liued and dyed in better estate Besides a phantastical name being once begunne is occasioned to remaine still in that kinred if the children be not wiser then their father was Baptisme being a Sacrament of absolute necessity when present danger of death vrgeth and noe Priest is at hand it may and must be giuen by any of the Clergy and in absence of all the clergy by a lay man and in absence of a man by a woman They may giue the essence of Baptisme but the caeremonys are not to be attempted vpon by any but by Priests It is good therefor for all but especially for Midwiues to know how to baptize in time of necessity They are to powre water vpon the head or vpon some other part of the child or to dippe some part of it into water and to say I Baptize thee N. in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And this is a sufficient Baptisme OF CONFIRMATION COnfirmation is a Sacrament for it hath all which is included in a Sacrament to wit to be an outward signe by which grace is caused in the soule That it causeth grace it appeareth in that the Holy Ghost was receiued by it S. Cyprian then they are sanctifyed and the sonnes of God Act. 2. Ep. 70. when they are borne of both Sacraments speaking of Baptisme and of Confirmationâ— Melchiades Pope who liued a thousand and three hundred yeares since writing to the bishops of Spaine saith I sought whether Baptisme or imposition of hands was the greater Sacrament Know that they are both great Sacraments He speaketh there of Baptisme and Confirmation soe that comparing them together he durst preferre neither of them they being both great Sacraments And indeede if Confirmation be to be compared with Baptisme it must needs be a great Sacrament The caeremâ—nys of Confirmation The oile of Confirmation is the sacred Chrisme made of the oile of oliues a fluid and softening liquor of which I haue spoken in Baptisme and of balsome which preserueth from corruption Both very propper to this Sacrament Godfathers are vsed also here as in Baptisme for suretys A Cros with holy oile is made in the forhead to shew our confidence in the Cros of Christ and that we must neuer be ashamed to follow him with our Crosses A litle stroke on the cheeke is giuen by the bishop saying Pax tecum Peace be with thee to shew that by patience in persecution we receiue euerlasting peace The propper effect of this Sacrament is to giue strength and fortitude to mainteine constantly the faith of Christ in persecution This effect appeared presently in the Apostles when hauing on Whitsunday receiued this Sacrament by the Holy Ghost descending soe gloriously vpon them they became then soe changed that they who in the Passion of Christ had shewed such weaknesse as all of them to forsake him and Peter the cheife of them to deny him thrice ouer for the words of a silly girle were now soe encouraged and confirmed that they cameforth of that place like lyons not fearing all Hierusalem nor all the world but Peter and the eleauen that were with him comming openly into the streets and a great multitude gathering about him he beganne to preach Christ Act. 2. and said Ye men bretâ—ren let mee boldly speake vnto you And he spoke soe boldly and with such spirit vnto them that on that day there were conuerted about three thousand soules And when they were apprehended afterwards and and brought before the Councell Act. 5. they went from the sight of the Councell reioycing because they were accounted worthy to suffer reproch for the name of Iesus such was the grace of Confirmation in them OF THE EVCHARIST Quest What is the Blessed Sacrament of Eucharist Ans The Blessed Sacrament of Eucharist is the very true body and blood of our Lord vnder the signes of bread or wine TO be the Eucharist two things are required The inward substance and outward signes or species The inward substaÌ„ce is the body and blood of our Lord the outward signes or species is the appearence which it hath of bread or wine The same substance of Christ which is in the Eucharist is also in heauen but the Eucharist is not in heauen because he is not there vnder the signes of bread or wine The same signes of bread and wine are vpon the altare before as after the consecration but the Eucharist is not there before coÌ„secration because then the substance of Christ is not vnder those signes but the bread and wine being consecrated into the body of our Lord by the infinite power of God Christ is vnder those species and it is then the B. Sacrament of Eucharist This is commonly called the Blessed Sacrament for that it is
thee downe instantly into hell and what it is to want the mediation of Christ of our B. Lady thy good Angell thy patrone and of all the Saints and the suffrages of the Church thou wouldst not remaine one moment in that state It is a humane thinge saith S. Gregory to erre but diabolical to perseuer in it If we fall into sinne we doe but like men if we rize againe we doe as the Saints haue done but if we perseuer in sinne we are like the deuil who must remaine in sinne for euer OF EXTREME-VNCTION THIS Sacrament hath for its propper effect to giue grace and strength against temptations at our death For the hopes of our enemy being then at the last he striueth all he can against vs. Apoc. 12. The deuill is descended to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle time Said the heauenly voice which S. Iohn heard Some he tempteth to presumption others to dispaire some by too much loue to their freinds and family some thinke of nothing but the riches which they leaue some by too much desire of life that they will not apprehende nor prepare themselues for death and generally as we draw neerer to our ends we grow more subiect to extremitys of passions all which the deuill knoweth how to make vse of to our hurt But his commune temptation is to terrify sinners with greeuous feare and affrightments at their sinnes past Sap. 4. They shall come fearefull in cogitation of their sinnes and their iniquitys on the contrary shall conuince them Saith holy wisdome Neither shall their naturall courage and strength then auaile them any thinge though neuer soe bold and bragging in time of health Great Saints haue shewed much feare at their death S. Hilarion whose perfection S. vita Hilar. Hierome describing saith that great concourse of bishops priests Clergymen and monks sought to him the temptation of christian matrons followed him multitudes of the common people potentates and iudges came to receiue holy bread and oile of him and yet his minde continued fixed on solitude yet for all this when he came to dy he was oppressed with such a feare and horrour of death that to encourage his soule he said Goe forth what dost thou feare goe forth my soule what dost thou doubt of thou hast serued Christ now almost seuenty yeares and dost thou feare death If Saints at their death haue bene thus terrifyed what may they expect who haue committed many sinnes and perhaps but lately repented for them and perhaps but sleightly and haue but few good works then for their comfort Therefor our Sauiour hath prouided this Sacrament as an armour for vs against that time S. Iames Iam. 5. is any man sicke among you let him bring in the priests of the Church and let them pray ouer him anoiling him with oile in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and our Lord shall lift him vp and if he be in sinnes they shall be remitted him By which words we haue the practise of the Catholike Church well prooued and Etreme Vnction declared to be a Sacrament that is an outward signe that sanctifyeth vs. There is an outward signe in the external rite of anoiling and in the forme of words signifyed by prayer And that this outward signe causeth grace vnto sanctification the words following doe declare in that sinnes are remitted which can not be but by grace being receiued And it followeth hence that Christ instituted it For the Apostles had not the power of instituting such signes neither could S. Iames haue promised remission of sinnes by it if Christ had not instituted it Luth. Praef. ad nou Test and giuen it that power It is true Luther reiects this Epistle of S. Iames denying it to be canonical and calling it an Epistle of straw but the authority of the whole Church hath declared it for canonical And if the whole Church be not sufficient for Luther we will put Caluin into the ballance against him an authour at least of equall grauity with him Caluin l. 3. Instit. c. 17. and Caluin holdeth it for canonical S. Bernard in vita Malach. relateth of S. Malachy that he assisting with a sicke woman and not thinking her to be in such danger as to require the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction departed from her without ministring it but she dying in his absence he returned againe full of sorrow and pittying that she should want the benefit of it he fell to his prayers restored her to life againe And then saith S. Bern he anoiled her knowing that by this Sacrament sinnes are remitted and that the prayer of faith saueth the sicke The holy oile is then applyed as a spiritual salue to the senses because by occasion of our senses we committe sinne But beside the spiritual remedy which our soules gaine by it it hath also a corporal effect of giuing health to the body as the Apostle declareth the sicke being saued and alleuiated by it By reason of which effect this Sacrament is not giuen in danger of death by warre or otherwise but onely by sicknes OF THE SACRAMENT of Orders THE Sacrament of Orders is that which Priests Deacons Subdeacons and others receiue when they are ordained by which they receiue spiritual power for the gouernment of the Church Tim. 1.4 That it is a Sacrament it appeareth by the words of S. Paul to Timothy Neglect not the grace which is giuen thee by prophecy with imposition of the hands of the priesthood By this it hath all which is conteined in the nature of a Sacrament the imposition of hands and the words that are said which are there signifyed by Prophecy being an external signe Amb. in Tim. by which grace in giuen Vpon which words S. Ambrose saith that Timothy by the imposition of the hands of priesthood was designed to the worke ard receiued authority that he durst offer sacrifice to God in our Lords steede The same power is expressed by the words of the bishop when heordaineth priests saying Receiue thou authority to offer for the liuing and the dead in the name of our Lord. To offer there is to offer sacrifice as S. Ambrose also expresseth it and to offer sacrifice is the most propper office of priests priest and sacrifice going allwais together soe that there can be noe priest but he must haue power to offer sacrifice The propper and peculiar effect of this Sacrament is to giue grace to exercize worthily Ecclesiastical functions Which power and grace as it is in the Church of Christ is most high and eminent aboue all dignitys For what can be compared to the dignity of christian priests Both in respect of their power of Orders by which they consecrate the most blesed host and also in respect of their power of iurisdiction by which they remitte sinnes Neither of which is within the Angels power And therefor priesthood is not obtained in
which they represent they are to be worshipped with a holy and religious worship though relatiuely and secondarily onely the goodnes of the thinge represented being the prime motiue of that worship And this is confirmed for that all men by nature apprehende the iniurys done to the images of their enemys as done to their enemys themselues the prototypes of those images and therfor by the same reason we must apprehende that the worship which we giue to the images of our freinds as to Crucifixes holy pictures and the like is giuen to the prototype represented by them Therefor images are to be worshipped with secondary and relatiue worship for the prototypés sake which is primely and principally worshipped in them That which the Catholike Church doth in this is commended all ouer in the scriptures the arke the temple the vessell and ornaments of it the priests garments and the like being to be worshipped with inferiour religious worship for the relation which they had to God They prayed towards the temple in reuerence to it the vessel of it were not to be touched with vnconscerated hands The ground on which Moyses saw that great vision was called holy Exod. 3. and as such was to be honored with his bare feete when he trode on it onely in relation to the vision that appeared to him in that place Make then this argument That which hath relation to holy things is holy and to be worshipped in that relation images and pictures haue relation to holy things therefor they are holy and to be worshipped in it But it displeaseth the enemys of the Catholike Church to haue it called adoring of images This ought not to displease them for creatures are often said in the scriptures to be adored Abraham being amongst the Hethaits lawfully adored before the people of the Land Iacob adored Esau Gen. 23. and Esau adored him againe Ioseph adored Iacob Dauid adored Saul the Prophet Nathan adored Dauid and we are commanded psal 98. to adore the footstoole of God which must be vnderstoode of some creature in relation to him And if all this satisfy not let them agree with vs that images and pictures as they haue relation to holy things are to be honored and for the name let them call it reuerence honour worship or the like as they please The Catholike doctrine in this was aunciently questioned by haeretiks but is was declared by the Councell of Nyce against them and those accursed that should deny it The Apostles in their canons haue commended the vse of images and pictures to vs and the fathers in their writings haue declared them to haue bene vsed in their times as now they are in the Catholike Church S. Cont. Iul. Basil speaking of the saints saith for which cause the historys of their images I honour and publikely adore For this as deliuered by the Apostles is not to be prohibited but in all Churches we erect their historys S. Chrysostome in his Lyturgy the priest coms forth carrying the ghospell with the Clerke before him hauing a light and turning to the image of Christ he bendeth his head What more could we haue desired them to say Was it now truely said of Caluin that for the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ images were not worshiped these Saints hauing liued farre with in that time Or is it true that which our enemys make their people to beleeue that we committe idolatry by it giuing diuine honour to creatures The contrary is an auncient heresy noted in Marcyon Manichaeus Xenaias and others who were then recorded as haeretiks for it and the wicked Iulian as he Apostatized from the christian faith denying his christendome soe did he also deny to worship the holy images that represented the mysterys of that faith and pulling downe that which the pious woman whom Christ cured of the blody flux had erected of him and which for some hundreds of yeares vntill his reigne had bene reuerenced by christians he set vp his owne insteede of it but the diuine indignation quickly appeared against his prophanesse fire descending from heauen and breaking it in peeces diuided the head from the shoulders of the image of that wicked man Hist Trip. l. 6. c. 1. Eusebius l. 1. c. 13. relateth how that Abagatus king of the Edissens in Syria sent vnto Christ desiting him to come and cure him and that Christ wrote backe letting him know that himselfe could not then come but that after his death one of his disciples should cure him And that a painter being sent by the king to bring him at least the liuely countenance of him when he should haue drawne his picture the brightnesse of his face did soe dazle the painters eyes that he could not goe on with his worke Where vpon Christ tooke a cloth and applying it to his sacred and life giuing face printed his blessed countenance vpon it Lib 4 hist c. 26. and sent it to the king This is recorded by diuerse authors and Euagrius mentioneth the miracles which were wrought by that picture For what end now did Christ thus draw this miraculous picture and send it to the king Was it to be cut in peeces and abused as haeretiks doe the pictures of him or els to be kept and honored for his sake Truely as it was the picture of Christ whom he loued and worshipped he could not in reason but loue and worship it and if he had done otherwise he had not shewed himselfe the freind of Christ The worship of images is not then forbidden by nature but is grounded vpon the nature of images and of our nature who are to worship holy hings And such worship is deduced as you haue seene from the Scriptures warranted by Councels and by practise of the primitiue Church and by miracles and therefor whatsoeuer obiections that can be made against it must either be as they are vaine cauils or plane forgerys of contentious and dissembling men Neither is the worship of reliques as it is vsed in the Catholike Church contrary to this Commandement Reliques but for the same reasons to be allowed of for that we haue noe prohibition either in general or in particular forbidding them to vs but rather the quite contrary as we haue said of images natural reason instructing vs to worship that as holy which hath relation to holy thinges and it is deduced from the Scriptures as before and also by diuerse miracles recorded in the Scriptures to haue bene wrought by reliques The body of a dead man was restored to life by touching the bones of Prophet Eliseus Reg. 4.13 and there vpon it is said Eccli 4◠that the dead body of Elizeus prophecyed And in the new testament the woman that was troubled with an issue of blood came behind Christ and touched the hemme of his garment saying within herselfe If I shall touch onely his garment I shall be safe Mas. 9. And Christ turning vnto her commended her
Act. 5. and she was cured In the acts of the Apostles we haue that people put their sick and lame folkes in the streets and high wayes with in the compasse euen of S. Act. 19. Conc. Nyc Peters shaddow that it might touch them as he passed by and cure them of their infirmitys Act. 3. 4. and that the napkins or hand kercheifs of S. Paul being laid vpon the sicke cured them The second Councel of Nyce alloweth of the worship of holy reliques The tombes of Saints were aunciently worshipped in the Catholike Church S. Aug. l 22. de Câ—â— D. â— c. â— Augustine relateth the miracles which were done at S. Steuans tombe S. Hierome cont Vigilant we honour the reliques of Martyrs that we may worship him whose Martyrs they are We honour the seruants that the honour of the seruants may redounde vnto the master who saith the that receiueth you receiueth mee And this is soe plane in the holy fathers that the Magdeburgians confesse their authority but condemne them for it which is sufficient to condemne themselues in the opinion of all wise men that they starting vp against their Superiors and against theauthority of the whole Church that was then when they beganne would resist the whole world then present and also stande at defyance with the auncient fathers By that which hath bene said of holy images and reliques the worship of Saints is also prooued lawfull for that we worship them not as God but as his seruants in relation to him who is their master That which is commanded in the first commandement is the true worhip of God to wit as it is in the Catholike Church and therefore atheisme and all false worship of infidelity and heresy is forbidden in it Necromancy and all kind of witchcraft superstitious obseruations and actions such as yong women doe to see him that must be their husband or to finde somethinge that is lost These if they be not excused by ignorance committe a mortal sinne against the first Commandement in that they implicitly acknowledge supernatural power to be in some other thinge beside God and soe they worship stranges gods THE SECOND COMMANDEMENT THOV shalt not take the name of God in vaine By this Commandement we are not forbidden absolutly to sweare but to take the name of God in vaine To sweare may be lawfull nay sometimes worthy of praise but to take the name of God in vaine is allwais vaine and vnlawfull It is an act of diuine honour and worship to sweare in due circumstances for by such an oth we acknowledge the supreme goodnes Deut. 6. and first verity to be in God Thou shalt feare thy God and him onely shalt thou serue and by his name thou shalt sweare Ps 61. And king Dauid all shall be praysed that sweare by him Cor. 2.1 The Apostles sometimes confirmed their sayings by oth Apoc. 10. The Angels are also â—ead in the Scriptures to haue sworne as the Angell that appeared to S. Iohn sware by him that liueth for euer and euer Nay God himselfe Gen. 22. the Lord of Angels is read to haue sworne in diuerse places of the old testament our Lord called Abraham saying by my owne selfe I haue sworne Psal 109. And in the Psalmes our Lord sware and it wil not repent him Soe that there is noe doubt but it is lawfull to sweare if the conditions of a lawful oth be obserued As for the conditions of a lawfull oth authors commonly vnderstande them to be conteined in the words of Hieremy Hier. 4. Thou shalt sweare our Lord liueth in truth and in iudgment and in iustice The first condition is verity that it be true that which we call God to be the witnesse of The second is that it must be also with iudgement and not rashly and inconsideratly as some doe vpon euery friuolous occasion abusing the holy name and maiesty of God This is a very great irreuerence For if it be an irreuerence to a king or great personage to be called as witnesse of triuial and friuolous things of noe moment as of killing of flyes or picking of strawes much more is it against the diuine maiesty to be called rashly and indiscretly as a witnesse without necessity The third condition is iustice that it be iust and lawfull that which we promise and sweare to This condition was wanting in Herods oth who hauing sworne to the daughter of Herodias to grant her whatsoeuer she should aske and she asking the head of S. Iohn Baptist he was then either to breake his oth or to doe that which was worse to deliuer the life of a iust and innoceÌ„t man into the hands of a malicious and spitefull woman It was also wanting in those wicked Iewes who meeting together swore that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed S. Paul Act. 23. Such oths neuer binde for noe oth can make an vnlawfull thinge to be lawfull but the oth being past the worke is still as vnlawfull as before and if he performe it he committeth two mortal sinnes one in swearing and an other in performing an vnlawfull thinge Catholiks that liue in the dominions of infidels or haeretiks must be very wary of any oths which are tendered to them and consider well before they take them If the oth intrench any way vpon Religion as praeiudicial to the Catholike faith Act. 5. they must not take it for the whole world nor hearken to it but must answere resolutly as S. Peter did saying God must be obeyed rather then men If it seeme not much to concerne religion the best is to take aduize of the lawfull nesse of it and if an answere be required presently before that we can haue aduize we may commende it breifly to God and hauing first resolued with ourselues firmely that we will not offende our conscience we may consider of the grounds for the lawfullnesse of it an we must by all meanes iudge it lawfull before we take it If we thinke that it hath sufficient probability and that our doubt be but a timorous feare we may iudge it lawfull and then take it but if we finde not sufficient probability that we can iudge it lawfull but that we hang in suspense and doubt of the lawfullnes of it it is by noe meanes to be taken for he that doubteth of the lawfullnes of the oth and yet taketh it sinneth and is condemned by his owne conscience as doeing of that which he could not iudge to be lawfull but at least doubted to be vnlawfull That which is obserued in such oths is that there is but litle thanks afterwards to those that take them An. 464. Baronius recordeth of Hunnericus king of the Vandals that being himselfe an haeretike he sent an oth vnto his Catholike subiects in which they were to sweare that after his death they would admitte of his sonne Hildericus to be their king and that they should
passion worke but litle to their amendment Parents must also prouide for their children with a moderate care and not as some doe who vnder pretence of proulding for them neuer thinke themselues rich enough These ought to consider that their children are the children of God and he will prouide for them if they serue him and the best foundation of riches and of a long and prosperous race is to bring vp their children in the knowledge and feare of him for if God build with them their houses will stande Many poore children who haue bene left without parents haue prospered better with the blessing of God then others haue done with large reuenewes left them Finally parents must be most of all carefull that they giue noe ill example to their children this being that vpon which the good or euill of the whole world very much dependeth euen as the goodnes of the branches dependeth of the roote and bole of the tree Otherwise occasion is giuen for children to learne their parents vices and to teach them to their children againe and soe vice goeth from generation to generation by the ill example of parents and as the links of a chaine are drawne by one another and fall one after another soe fathers draw their children downe into sinne after them that for many generations they come in the end to meete all in hell I et parents and children often reade the booke of Toby they haue there an example of a good father and of a good sonne and God blessing them both THE FIFT COMMANDEMENT THOV shalt not kill By which we see that this as all other places of scripture hath its propper sense For as S. Aug. de ciu c. 20. sayth we are not forbidden here to kill meate for our sustenance nor to kill men in our owne defence as in a iust warre or for execution of iustice vpon malefactors Because nature allowing and requiring these things God doth not disallow of them Some also by particular inspiration of God haue lawfully killed as Moyses who although he were the mildest man in the world yet when he saw an infidel heathen beating one of the people of God moued with a holy zeale he killed him and buried him in the sand This was lawfull as being by diuine inspiration in signe of future mysterys Exod. 32. Soe when he saw the people committing of idolatry he ioyned vnto him those that were of our Lord the Leuites and sent them to kill the idolatrous people and they returning with the slaughter of about three thousand men he commended them saying you haue consecrated your hands this day to our Lord that blessing may begiuen to you Phinees also moued with the like zeale Nu. 5. killed the two fornicators in their wicked act and auerted the wrath of God by it God the authour of the Commandements dispensed then in the keeping of them and soe they were not formally broken That which is forbidden here is to kill vpon priuate authority and not onely to kill Anger but also all actions of anger by which the peaceable conuersation of men is disturbed Mat. 5. You haue heard saith Christ how it was said of old thou shalt not kill and who soe killeth shall be in danger of iudgement but I say to you that whosoeuer is angry with his brother shall be in danger of iudgment and whosoeuer shall say to his brother Raca shall be in danger of Councell And whosoeuer shall say thou foole shall be guilty of the hell of fire By which we are taught the right vnderstanding of this Commandement to be not onely to prohibite killing but also to be inwardly angry or to make outward shewes or to giue words of anger Of all the sinnes which are committed by men none are soe horrible to nature as the sinnes of blood Is 8. and to shew how great a sinne it is to kill Christ would call the deuill a mankiller from the beginning because the malice and euill of murder could not be better expressed then by putting it and the deuill together and making him the authour of it Cain was the first mankiller amongst men who inticeing his brother into the fields roze vp against him and killed him And presently he was strucke with such a horrour at his crime that he despaired of mercy and like a desperate reprobate went hanging downe his head thinking that euery one that saw him would kill him and cried Gen. 4. Loe now thou dost cast mee out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face I shall be hid and I shall be a vagabonde and fugitiue vpon earth euery one therefor that findeth mee shall kill mee And God to increase this horrour of murder in vs both in the law of nature and of Moyses prohibited the eating of blood Lou. 17. Nay they were not soe much as to let blood to ly open vpon the ground but to couer it And euen dumbe beasts that could not sinne were to loose their liues if they killed any man All this was that men should abhorre the sinne of murder and not be ouer bloody then when the true worship of God was mainteined rather by force and by shedding of their enemys blood then propagated by patience as now it is in the faith of Christ Here enter those ignominious single combats of which the Councell of Trent hath these words That the detestable vse of Duells contriued by the deuill to a bloody death of the body and destruction of the soule may be quite banished out of the Christian world In which yong men who vnderstande not what belongeth to wisdome and true glory meete in the field to wound teare and kill one another like madd doggs And after their miserable deaths they become infamous to posterity purt out of the Communion of Saints both of the militant and triumphant Church of God and depriued of christian buriall to ly like doggs in the fields That the words of the Apocal. 22. are fully verifyed in them Without are doggs sorcerers and murderers There is a booke here newly published called LA DESTRVCTION DE DVEL in which is shewed how contrary to reason and true christian honour Dâ—â—els are and in which is declared how that the Marshals of France and diuerse Gentlemen of quality haue protested against them and promised that they will neuer regard any challenge nor fight a duell vpon any occasion of iniury whatsoeuer An heroicall and christian like minde guided by vertue and discretion will make iniurys honorable through patience which is the most propper vertue and honour of christians Christ was borne patient liued a patient life and at his death his patience was most eminently great more then we can vnderstande He founded his Church first in his owne sufferings and then in those of his Apostles after him and after them he enlarged it by the patience of many martyrs and soe he still continueth and preserueth it And therefor christians
the lawes of God Lastly we pray for all people euen our enemys the conuersion of Infidels Iewes Turks and haeretiks to the Catholike faith And we pray not onely for the liuing but also for the dead of which I haue spoken in the Sacrament of Pennance as a deuotion both charitable to them and profitable to ourselues It is a deed of charity to pray for them because they can not pray for themselues and it is profitable to vs because beside the reward of our owne good worke we shall be sure to haue their intercession both now in purgatory and afterwards when they come to heauen For they are not like the cupbearer of Pharao who prosperous things succeeding to him forgotte his friend of whom in prison he had receiued comfort Now let vs see TO WHOM WE ARE TO PRAY WE pray to God as to the supreme power and first authour of all benefits acknowledging all goodnes to proceede from him And therefor prayer in the Apocalypse is assimilated vnto incense and is called a sacrifice because it respecteth God as the source and first authour of goodnes We pray also to our blessed Lady and to the Angels and Saints as the freinds of God for their prayers and intercession to him But an haeretike will presently obiect that if prayer be a kind of sacrifice how doe we pray to the Saints all sacrifice being to be offered to God Our prayers indeede may be called and are a kind of sacrifice because we either expresly confesse the supreme power of God or implicitly acknowledge it by all prayers The prayers which we make immediatly to God are a kind of Sacrifice because by them immediatly and directly we acknowledge his supreme and diuine power The prayers which we make by the mediation of the Saints are also sacrifices in their kind because mediatly and indirectly they acknowledge the same in that finally they tende vnto God by the Saints praying to him as we desire The prayers which we make to Saints are a kind of sacrifice as they tende vnto God as they tēde vnto the Saints they are not sacrifices because they acknowledge not the supreme and diuine power to be in them It was an auncient heresy in the primitiue Church to deny the inuocation of Saints mainteined by vigilantius and other haeretiks Hier. cont vigil and of purpose refuted by S. Hierome and others of the holy fathers but time which is the abolisher of all heresys had abolished this and the Catholike Church which suruiued all times had suruiued this heresy and buried it in the obliuion of men vntill some vnruly spirits of these later yeares who would be ruled by noe Church in the world raked vp this heresy out of the dirt and set it on foote againe But you shall see the inuocation of Saints breifly made good by scriptures Councels the authority of the auncient Church and by reason Turne to the 48. Chapter of Genesis and you shall finde there the Patriarke Iacob blessing the children of Ioseph and inuoking the Angels and Saints vpon them in these words Gen. 48. The Angell that deliuereth mee from all euills blesse these childrën and be my name called vpon them the names also of my fathers Abraham and Isaac Here this holy Patriarke after that he had twice called vpon God then inuoked his Angell and the Saints Abraham and Isaac who as yet were not in perfect glory And if they onely departing as holy men in the fauour of God might be prayed vnto before that they had the perfect glory of heauen with much more reason the Saints of God may now be prayed vnto when they are in that perfect state And he that shall vnderstande the Angell whom he there called on to be any other then his owne Angell guardian shall contradict the common interpretation of the fathers who prooue by this place that we haue euery one an Angell Guardian deputed to defende vs and shall shew but litle reuerence to the holy scriptures which he dareth to delude with such vaine glosses of his owne head But to be breife I will say noe more but that S. Paul prayed to the liuing for their prayers therefor with more reason we may pray to the Saints for their prayers when they are in glory But of this afterwards The second Councell of Nyce which is receiued by our enemys declareth expresly for the inuocation of Saints The fathers of the Councell of Chalcedon cryed out to blessed Flauianus martyr act 11. Flauianus that is dead is yet liuing a martyr let him pray for vs. The practise of the primitiue Church ought to be sufficient for this The auncient lyturgys of the Church seruice the Romane which S. Peter made that of Hierusalem which S. Iames made that of the Aethiopians which S. Mathew made that of Milan which S. Barnaby and S. Ambrose made and that which S. Iohn Chrysostome made all of them making a deuout commemoration of our blessed Lady and imploring her intercession As for the sentences of these and other holy fathers they are as plane as my words now are for the inuocation of Saints and they haue as earnestly defended it as we now doe S. Athanasius ser de Deipara Speaking of our B. Lady saieth all the quires of Angels are incessantly singing that glorious hymne Aue gratia plena Dominus tecum c. And we the terrestrial hierarchy of men salute thee saying Haile full of grace pray for vs O Lady O Mistres O Queene O Mother of God What more could any Catholike haue said or desired of S. Athanasius then to heare him praise our blessed Lady and pray to her in the very same termes which himselfe now vseth in the Catholike Church Ser. 1. de S. Steph. S. Augustine if Steuan were heard when he prayed for those that stoned him how much more shall he be heard when he prayeth for those that pray deuoutly to him If S. Athanasius and S. Augustine should appeare now to the world to decide this controuersy and should say noe more but these words ouer againe who would not thinke that the controuersy were ended and sentence giuen for the inuocation of Saints but their testimonys will not satisfy our obstinate enemys who confesse that the auncient fathers teach inuocation of Saints but accuse them of errour for it O haeretical pride shall one single man disobey all the Churches that are then in the world and stand also at defyance with the holy and auncient fathers and shall any man shew that contempt of his owne soule as to follow Luther who came but in the last age or Caluin who came after him rather then the whole world that then was when they came and also rather then those learned Saints whom the christian world hath held in reuerence for these many hundreds of yeares Finally this is also manifest by natural reason which dictateth that the intercession of the freinds and fauorits of Princes may with prudence be desired for
the obtaining of benefits of them but the mother of God the Angels and Saints are the freinds and fauorits of God therefor their intercession may with prudence be desired for the obtaining of benefits of him If they obiect that to pray to the Saints is iniurious to God for that he is the giuer of all benefies of himselfe infinitly liberal and that it deregareth from his power and goodnes to aske of any but of him and that it is to make the Saints Gods to pray to them to interceede for vs and that the liberality of God is such that he needeth noe intercessors all this is to noe purpose It is not iniurious to God to honour his seruants for his sake and to desire his fauorits to stande our freinds with him but it is rather iniurious to God to thinke that he will not allow of his fauorits intercession We pray not vnto Saints as to the supreme power and authour of gifts and therefor we make them noâ— Gods but we pray to them to obtaine gifts of God for vs and by this we vertually acknowledge and confesse the supreme power and liberality to be in God and that all power is subordinate to him and all gifts proceede from him And allthough the liberality of God be such that he needs noe intercessors noe more then he needeth any honour or praise from vs yet our vnworthinesse is such that our prayers stande neede of intercessors and the diuine liberality is such as to heare the prayers of his best freinds and not to hinder them for praying to him Neither is there any thinge of this obiection but it hath the same force against the aduocatship of Christ and of the faithfull that are liuing which not withstanding our enemys allow of as nothing iniurious to God or derogating from his liberality They obiect the words of the Apostle there is one God Tim. 1.2 one also mediatour of God and men man Christ Iesus And S. Iohn sayth if any man shall sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust Io. 1.2 and he is the propitiation of our sinnes Christ therefor being our mediatour and our aduocate we are not say they to vse the mediation and aduocatship of any other First this argument is turned backe vpon themselues If Christ be our mediatour and aduocate it is not then iniurious to God nor derogating from his liberality to make vse of a mediatour and aduocate as they said before that it was The words therefor alleadged make nothing against the Catholike doctrine nor are here applyed to good purpose nor in their true sense for the Apostles speake there of the mediation of Christ by way of redemption and soe Christ is our onely mediatour and aduocate because he onely in the propitiation of his passion redeemed vs and the Angels and Saints redeemed vs not By him the Angels are good Angels and by him the Saints are Saints and by his powerfull redemption he obtained that the Angels and Saints might pray and be heard praying for vs. This is the honour which Catholiks giue to the mediation of Christ and which Protestants deny to him Againe not onely by way of redemption but also by way of intercession Christ is our prime mediatour and intercessour by whom Angels and Saints interceede for vs. He interceedeth in his owne name and vertue they interceede in his name and vertue he the cheife they inferiour intercessors vnder him And this is well expressed by S. Bernard of our blessed Lady ser qui incipit signum magnum apparuit post ser 5. de assump Opus est mediatore ad mediatorem Christum nec alter nobis vtilior quam Maria. We stande neede of a mediatour to Christ our mediatour and none more profitable then Mary to vs. And the same is also orderly expressed by the Catholike Church in the end of our prayers asking through the merits of Christ out Lord. S. Tract 1. in Io. Augustine hath these words in declaration of the place of S. Iohn aboue mentioned answering this very obiection of theirs But some will say doe not the Saints then pray for vs doe not bishops prelates and pastors pray for the people Yes marke the scriptures and you shall finde that the Apostles prayed for the people and againe desired the people to pray for them and sâ—e the head prayeth for all and the members for one another This is the doctrine of the Catholike Church Christ is our onely aduocate by way of intercession our B. Lady the Angels and Saints are inferiour aduocates vnder him the faithfull that are liuing are inferiour aduocates vnder them praying for one another and desiring the prayers of one another and soe the Church is a body well vnited the head helping the inferiour members and they all concurring to helpe one another by their prayers Hence the Catholike doctrine is further confirmed It can not be denyed but that we may lawfully begge the prayers of one another therefor with more reason we may begge the intercession of the Saints For the first S. Paul often desired the prayers of the faithfull to the Romans that you helpe mee in your prayers Rom. 15. And in the same place he prayeth for them and he desireth the Thessalonians brethren pray for vs. Thes 1.5 2.3 And againe in the second brethren pray for vs. and to the Hebrews pray for vs. And S. Iames pray for one another that you may be saued Ia. 5. The second followeth planely for there is nothing which they haue obiected or can obiect against the inuocation of Saints but it hath the same force against desiring the prayers of the liuing for if it be iniurious to God or to the mediation of Christ to desite the mediation of the Saints in heauen much more must it be to desire the intercession of sinners vpon earth But they say that the Saints in heauen heare vs not nor know when we desire their prayers but this is not truely said of them Christ saith that the Angels reioyce at the conue Luc 15. sion of a sinner but how can they reioyce at it if they know it not Saints whilst they liued on earth vnderstoode the secrets of mens harts and haue knowne things that haue passed at farre distance from them and haue foreseene many thinges euen before they came to passe and shall they be lesse knowing when they are in glory Samuel told Saul what was in his hart Reg. 1. â— and promised to tell him all things that were in his hart and it was noe meruaile for God had reuealed them vnto him Elizeus saw in absence that which passed betwixt his seruant and the Prince of Syria and at his returne he rebuked him for the gifts which he had receiued and thought to haue concealed from him If liuing in this world they knew these things by the reuelation of God when it was necessary that they should know them shall we thinke that
our prayers are hidden from them now in heauen and that God will let vs want their intercession for want of reuealing our prayers to them Noe we shall loose nothing by any ignotance of theirs They see God in glory and in that glorious sight they see all that is good for them to see therefor if they might pray and be desired by others to pray for them whilst they liued in this world there is nothing to hinder them for being prayed vnto in the next Hence it appeareth how absurde that question of Caluin was â—olu l. 4. insti nu â—4 when he asked how it came to passe that the Angels and Saints could heare soe farre as betwixt heauen and earth I giue you not his words because they are blasphemous and to irreuerent to be repeated but if Caluin will know how it com's to passe I tell him that it is by the light of glory which the Saints haue and if he say that they haue noe such glory he shall neuer haue it himselfe nor can in reason expect to haue it If they obiect the words of Ecclesiastes to shew that Saints might be prayed vnto in this life and not in the next Bâ—â—l 9. where it is said better is a dogg liuing then a Lyon dead It is true in respect of the operations of life which then the Lyon hath not and soe the Saints according to their bodys were better aliue then dead because their bodys liuing had the operations of life which dead they haue not but according to their soules which are spirits they are not onely as perfect but much perfecter and without comparison more actiue lightsome and vnderstanding being then not onely lightened of the burden of their bodys but also enlightened with the light of glory Saint Hierome answered this very obiection to Vigilantius the haeretike about twelue hundred yeares since in these words Lib. cont â—â—g If Apostles and marryrs liuing in their bodys could pray for others when they might be sollicitous for themselues how much more after their crownes victorys and triumphs Moyses but one man getteth pardon of God for six hundred thousand armed men Steuan the first martyr after the example of our Lord prayed for his persecutors and now when they are with Christ shall they haue lesse power Paul saith of himselfe that two hundred and seauenty soules were granted him in the shipp at his prayers and now that he is resolued and with Christ shall he haue his mouth shutte vp and shall he not open it for those who all ouer the world haue beleeued at his ghospell and shall Vigilantius a liuing dogge be better then Paula dead Lyon This of the Ecclesiastes were indeede to some purpose if J did beleeue that Paul were dead in spirit Thus did S. Hierome discourse as a Catholike on this point shewing that the Saints with much more reason shall be prayed vnto in heauen then on earth and that there is noe comparison in those words of Ecclesiastes betwixt the soule of man whilst he is liuing and whilst he is dead but onely betwixt a liuing and a dead body and he calleth Vigilantius a dogge for barking against the Saints in denying their intercession We pray therefor to God as to the supreme power to grant vs that which we want We pray to our blessed Lady the Angels and Saints not to grant vs our wants but to grant vs their intercession to obtaine them of God for vs. And in this the Catholike Church vseth an orderly destinction euen in words when we pray destinguishing betwixt the diuine maiesty as supreme and the Saints as his seruants We say not to God Lord pray for vs but Kyrie eleyson Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Nor to Christ as he is the sonne of God doe we say Christ pray for vs but Christe eleyson Christ haue mercy vpon vs. We doe not say to our B. Lady or to the Angels or Saints haue mercy vpon vs but holy Mary pray for vs all ye holy Saints of God make intërcession for vs. Soe giuing vnto God that which is his due to wit the supreme and all honour both in himselfe and in his seruants and we giue vnto the Saints inferiour honour as the beloued seruants of God and follow the Councell of the holy psalmist who beginning his last psalme was inspired to say prayse God in his Saints Ps 150. This I haue said in honour of God and of his blessed Saints and euery word that I haue said I giue it freely to their honour desiring their prayers We pray particularly to some Saints for some particular benefits because we see those benefits more frequently granted by hauing recourse vnto those Saints â—nd if any aske why God granteth those benefits rather at the intercession of those then of other Saints I answere with the Apostle who hath knowne the name of our Lord Rom. 11. or who hath bene his Counsellour And this is a sufficient answere to such questions of curiosity for so it might be asked why God would determine particular offices to such and such Angels Yet the reason may be giuen to honour the merits of those Saints in some circumstances of their liues or deaths which those benefits haue relation vnto Soe women that haue sore breasts obtaine helpe by the intercession of S. Agatha whose breasts were cut of for the faith of Christ S. Apollonia is called vpon for the tooth ake because her teeth were strucken out for the same cause S. Roch is inuoked against the pestilence because himselfe was infected with it S. Blase against paines of the throte because he cured a child that was like to dy of a bone in the throte And our blessed Lady with good reason is called vpon by women in trauaile because she is the ioy glory and comfort of all women who in her child bearing was exempted from those paines and it pleaseth God that those miracles he remembred by vs. If any aske why in some places more then others we pray for such and such benefits I answere that there may be many reasons why God would oblige especially the inhabitans of that place and honour it with miracles and if this be not sufficient satisfaction I aske of him why at the Probatica pond in Hierusalem miraculous cures were obtained rather then in others places and why onely one was cured at a time and no more and why the leprous Prince of Syria was sent to be washed in lordan rather then in other waters and to be washed seauen times rather then any other number If he giue mee a good reason for these the same will I giue him to his question if he referre mee to the diuine will and pleasure so will I referre him Hauing declared whom wee are to pray to we will speake OF SOME IMPEDIMENTS that hinder vs in the obtaining of our prayers THE first and greatest impediment that hindereth the obtaining of our prayers is the greatest of all euils
our consciences from sinne and then to prepare ourselues with humility reuerence confidence and with charity towards our neighbour and with much feruour and attention to the presence of God and to the thinge which we aske of him all the time of prayer This feruerous attention to the presence of God and to the thinge which we pray for is that which I would gladly commende to you that you place your selues before God at your prayers as in presence of the most soueraigne maiesty with great reuerence to him and to desire earnestly all the time of prayer that which then you are praying for not too earnestly desiring the thinge it selfe but for the loue of God to please him in it Let euery one saith S. Basil know for certaine that he is then in the presence of God In reg breu q. 201. and if he would thinke it an vnciuill and vnworthy thinge to be yawning and as it were halfe a sleepe when he speaketh to a Prince and a heinous wickednesse to be treating in the meane time with some about betraying him how much more shall we beware of these things in prayer to cast of all drowsinesse to take heed of irreuerence and to put away euill thoughts if we beleeue that we speake to God who is present at our prayers Remember then that you are speaking to God and desire earnestly that which you aske of him and if you perceiue yourselues to fall into distractions call backe your mindes to God againe and stirre vp in your harts a new and feruerous desire of that which you pray for and if distractions trouble you still be not vexed nor dismayed with them but detesting them againe in your hart make an act of resignation to the will of God that you are contented to haue distractions as long as it shall please him For by this manner of sleighting them the best resistance is made and how soeuer you shall be sure to merit by your prayer the perfection of which consisteth not in not hauing but in not yeelding to distractions Powre forth your prayer with deuotion in the sight of God and with a desire to honour him in that which you aske and he will honour himselfe in it and rewarde you THE EIGHT DISCOVRSE OF THE AVE MARIA SAint Bernard Woe is mee for I am a man of polluted lipes Hom. 3. super missus est I would I had from the Altare aboue not a cole but a whole globe of fire to burne the inueterated rust away from my mouth that I might worthily declare the gracious speeches of the Angell to the Virgin Thus did this great seruant ōf our Blessed Lady prepare himselfe to speake of the Haile Mary the subiect of which I am now to speake As he hath said so may I say and as he often exhorteth so will I doe that is to haue recourse to her for helpe Glorious Mother of God High Queene of Heauen and Empresse of the world behold my soule lyeth prostrate at thy feet crauing thy helpe before I beginne to prayse thee I desire in this to honour and serue thee and to bring others to be thy seruants but I know for certaine that of my felfe I cannot performe this desire and therefore I come to thee to haue thy intercession for diuine grace See thou that I want not light to setforth thy prayses and that those that heare mee may conceiue with profit that which I speake and something more of thee then can be spoken They shall heare thee saluted by an Angell and by such a salutation as was neuer knowne to proceede from Angels mouth they shall see how thou art full of grace they shall see thee become the Mother of God and the Sonne of God as thy natural sonne become subiect to thee they shall heare thee in they life time praised by Prophets and by the Euangelist after thy death and after the Euangelist they shall heare the Fathers of the primitiue Church one by one descanting vpon thy prayses and the whole Catholike Church as it were in a full quire crying to thee for thy prayers they shall see how beneficiall thy prayers are to thy seruants and they shall see by some examples the seuere punishments of God vpon thine enemys Procure thou that they may be moued to honour thee and that the deuotion of vs all may increase towards thee For this we salute thee saying Haile Mary c. Quest Say the Haile Mary Answ Haile Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe IESVS Holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and in the hower of our death Amen THE whole Aue Maria consisteth of words spoken by the Angell and by S. Elizabeth and of words added by the Church The words of the Angell are Haile full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women Saint Elizabeth said blessed is the fruit of thy wombe and the Church addeth that which followeth Of all which we will speake in order HAILE FVLL OF GRACE THE infinite wisdome and goodnes of God hauing from all eternity decreed the redemption of mankind by the death of his Sonne that hee should assume humane nature and be borne of a Virgin to dy for vs and the blessed Virgin Mary being chosen amongst thousands and amongst thousands of thousands and infinit of infinites which God could haue created to be the woman of which he would bee borne and she being now growne vp to womans state and perfected with such graces as were necessary for that dignity the plenitude of time was then come in which this mystery was to bee accomplished And as all the works of God are with order and holines so that this worke might be more orderly and holy a messenger was prepared from Heauen vnto her to require her consent that this mystery so much for the honour of God and good of mankind might be brought to passe in her and words were inspired him how to speake her How He entring to her presence saluteth her first with these words Haile full of grace A blessed salutation and such an one as amongst the seuerall manners of saluting which Angels haue sometimes vsed to holy men the like to this was neuer heard It was a salutation which God had reserued for this mystery and for her onely that was to be his mother Soe Origen Saint Ambrose and S. Bede At first she was amazed at it for not being vsed to heare her owne prayses nor desiring to heare them she was astonished at the Angells words fearing and admiring at them Blessed Virgin what dost thou feare Saint Bede She feared because she admired at this new forme of blessing which before is read of in no◠place nor any where founde This salutation was reserued for Mary for by her onely this grace was deserued which by none but her was euer obtained S. Act. 2. Peter indeede and those
Word it may be said to be infinite in grace The fullnes of his grace was also eminent aboue all in that grace was giuen to him as to the head source and fountaine which was to serue vs all with grace of his fullnes saith S. Iohn all we haue receiued noe grace being euer giuen to any but as flowing from the merits of his passion Next vnto Christ the B. Virgin had the greatest fullnes of grace For grace is giuen vnto creatures with proportion and in order to the offices and dignitys to which God designeth them and soe the B. Virgin had a greater proportion of grace then any Angell or Saint had for that she was designed to a higher office and dignity then any Angell or Saint was Her grace was to be such as might render her worthy to be the woman whom God would choose aboue all women to take flesh of to nourish him in her wombe to bring him forth to the world to haue the charge of his infancy and education and to haue him subiect vnto her as the Euangelist declareth him to haue bene For all which a great measure and proportion of grace was necessary that as her charge and dignity was eminent aboue all soe might her grace be suetable vnto it In the third place is the fullnes of grace which the Angels and Saints had to the fullfilling of those works to which God had ordained them And soe S. Steuan had fullnes of grace in order to the well performing of a Deacons office to confounde the Iewes and to be the first martyr and encourager of others to suffer martyrdome for Christ by his example and soe to enter into glory Soe that Christ according to his humanity was most eminent in grace goodly of beauty aboue the sonnes of men Ps 44. in that his humane nature was vnited to the diuine word and was the fountaine of grace to vs. Our Blessed Lady was next to him in that she had the highest office and greatest charge in relation to the mystery of the Incarnation The Angells and Saints were in a lower degree then she yet they also had fullnes of grace in their measures and in proportion to their offices They all haue fullnes of grace but in seuerall kindes and in a different nature The Angels and Saints in the lowest place our B. Lady aboue them and Christ in a higher nature transcending both them and her And our B. Lady had not onely a higher nature of grace then the Angels and Saints had but she had also a greater capacity in her soule which God created as a more ample and capable vessell conteining a greater measure of grace then they could conteine although full also in their measure and capacity and therefore she is compared to that huge vessell called the Sea Reg. 3.7 which Salomon caused to be made for the Temple which conteined ten thousand gallous according to Authors and vnto the maine Ocean Chrysol ser 146. Albert. sup missus Bonau in spec virg cap. 2. But it is to be obserued that our blessed Sauiour being not onely creature according to his humanity but also the Creatour of the world according to his diuine nature hee is not to be numbered in the number of creatures and therfore the Saints and holy Fathers commonly say that our B. Lady in grace and glory surpasseth all creatures not numbring Christ and so wee say properly that she is aboue all pure creatures that is to say onely creatures But that wee may not seeme to exaggerate towards her prayses more then due and to say any thing without good grounds you shall see as much and more then we haue said to be grounded vpon the solidity of many bundreds of yeares standing euer from the times of the primitiue Church of Christ for the first six hundred yeares when the very enemys of the Catholike Church that now are confesse the Christian Faith to haue bene most pure from errour and the Church most flourishing the holy and learned men of those times haue setforth her prayses after the same manner and in the very same termes which wee now vse and haue prayed vnto her calling her Mistres Lady Queen Mother of God and the like titles to honour her and to increase the denotion of people vnto her First in the first age Saint Iames the Apostle in in his Lyturgy which he made for the Church service would not omitt to make a commemoration of her But beginning the words of the Haile Mary as the Angell did he repeateth them and calleth her most holy vndefiled blessed aboue all our Queene Lady Mother of God Saint Ignatius liued in the same age was disciple to Saint Iohn Euangelist and died a glorious Martyr in the next age after hedeclareth how greatly she was honored euen then when she liued that multitudes of people came to visit her when they were cōuerted to Christianity Great is the concourse of people saith he that goeth to see the Queene of Heauen Ign. ep 1. and to heare her and againe hee calleth her the Mistres of the Christian Faith Saint Denis first Philosopher of Athens and then the disciple of S. Paul in his booke de diuinis nominibus cap 33. relateth how that himselfe after his conuersion went to see her for that she was left to be the comfort and ioy of Christians after the Ascension of Christ and in his Epistle to Timothe hee describeth the manner of her departure out of this life how that all the Apostles except S Thomas being brought together miraculously from the severall parts of the world to be present at her death with deuout Canticles they celebrated her funerals for three dayes the Angels ioyning their heauenly melody with them and that Saint Thomas comming the third day and desiring to see her sacred corps her tombe was opened that he might see her at least after her death but he saw her not for that she was not there to be seene A great sweetnes issued out of the Sepulcher and the linnens in which she was wrapped were left in it but her sacred body was not there Thus Saint Denis and he concludeth this narration saying That it could not bee thought but that as God would preserue her Virginal body free from corruption in the Conception of her Sonne soe he would preserue it from corruption after her death and Assume it to the glory of Heauen before the generall glorification of other bodys at the day of iudgment Saint Iohn Damascen relateth this history out of S. Denis De dorm deip whom he citeth as an eye witnesse of it and sayeth that her tombe and linnens that were left in it were transferred in the time of the Emperour Marcion with great solemnity from Hierusalem to Constantinople Saint Augustine doth not onely approoue of the corporall Assumption of our blessed Lady into Heaven but also prooueth it as most congruous to the dignity of the Mother of God Aug. de Assump
to 8. That saith he the sacred body of which Christ tooke flesh and vnited together the diuine and humane nature should be giuen to the wormes to eate I dare not say it nor can I thinke it Thus much out of saint Iames saint Denis and saint Ignatius for the first age In the second age liued S. Irenaeus and Tertullian both of them haue set forth her ample prayses comparing her by contrarys to Eue Iren. l. 5. Tertl l. de Incarnat Christi who was our mother that caused our fall hurt and losse of Heauen but the B. Virgin is our Mother by whom wee are raised cured and restored to heauen againe And in respect of the power which her prayers haue with God S. Irenaeus calleth her the Virgin Aduocate of Eue the Virgin In the third age liued Origen a man of such parts to 3. ho. 1. and so well deseruing in his former yeares that he had a chaire of publike lecture of diuinity in the Schooles of Alexandria when he was but eighteene yeares of age he speaking of Christ and his Mother hath these words His Mother mother immaculate mother incorrupted mother vntouched His mother whose mother the mother of the onely begotten Sonne of God O great Sacrament the same a virgin and the mother of our Lord and a little after of this onely begotten Sonne of God this is the mother the Virgin Mary The worthy of the worthy one the vndesiled of the holy one the freind of the only one Tertullian liued in this age although he seemeth to haue flourished most in the former Saint Athanasius also liued in this age but flourished most in the next where I goe to cite him In the fourth age S. Athanasius flourished who opposing himselfe against the Arian haeretiks for forty six yeares in which he was Bishop was the prime pillar of the Catholik Church in the easterne parts of the world In these words he soundeth the blessed Virgins prayses and prayeth to her It becometh vs to call thee the regenerating mother Mistres and Lady for that our King Lord and God sprang forth of thee Athan in euang deip The Archangell gathered the first fruits of thy prayses when he spoke that glorious hymne Haile full of grace c. So doth the first front of Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims salute thee and so doth the second Hierarchy of Dominations Vertues and Powers and so doth the third of Angels and we the terrestriall hierarchy admonished by them extoll thee with a lowd and cleere voyce saying Haile full of grace our Lord is with thee Pray for vs ô Lady ô Mistres ô Queene ô Mother of God In the same age liued S. Ephrem who calleth her Holier then the Seraphims with out comparison more glorious then the supernall hosts The hope of the Fathers the glory of the Prophets the prayse of the Apostles Virgin before her child bearing and after it In this age also liue Saint Hierome S Chrysostome Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine whom God raised as glorious lights to illustrate his Church in those blind and obstinate times of the Arian herely being at the hight And they haue said so much in deuotion to our blessed Lady that I know not where to beginne their Sentences You may read in S. Hier. ep de Nat. Mar. ad Crom. Heliod to 9. Hierome the miraculous manner of her Conception of S. Anne an aged and barren woman and how the name of MARY which in Hebrew is to say MISTRES or LADY was brought for her by an Angell from Heauen Who also foretold to Ioakim her father that she should bee blessedamong women and how she was consecrated to the seruice of God at three yeares old in the Temple and attended their being gouerned by priests Esa 11. and how that the Prophecy of Esay was litterally denoted in S. Ioseps rod which miraculously flouriâ—hed to assigne him as a worthy husband for her And in another place hee calleth her the life Epist ad Paul Enstoc rule and discipline of all and saith that as there is none Holy to compare with God so there is none perfect in comparison of her Saint Chrysostome Truely this Virgin is the miracle of the world Chry. in hypa dom She alone surpasseth in greatnes both Heauen and Earth For what is there holier then her not the Prophets not the Apostles not Martyrs not Patriarks not the Angels not the Thrones not the Dominations not the Cherubims not the Seraphims nor any other thing is there to bee founde greater or more excellent then her either amongst visible or inuisible creatures You may see in the second book which S. Ambrose wrote of Virgins and in S. Augustins sermons of her Natiuity and Assumption the deuotion which they bore to her In the next age beganne Nestorius his heresy the professed enemy of Christ and of our blessed Lady so farre as to deny vnto him one onely person of God and by consequence to robbe her of her prime title and honour of the Mother of God Many holy men beganne then to bestirre themselues for the honour of Christ Cyr. cont Nestor and his Mother but Saint Cyrill of Alexandria was his prime Antagonist and next vnder God the prime defendour of the Catholike cause who thus expresseth his deuotion to her Praise be to thee ô Holy Trinity to thee also be praise Holy Mother of God Thou art the pretious pearle of the world Thou art the candlestike of vnquenchable light Orat. de dorm deip the Crowne of virginity the Scepter of the Catholike Faith In the sixt age liued Andreas Hierosolymitanus Bishop of Crete who calleth our blessed Lady a saint holier then the Saints the most holy treasure of all sanctity Eusebius Emissenus liued in the same age who speaking of our B Lady was strucken with astonishmeÌ„t that he knew not what to thinke of the greatnes of her graces For saith he if she were full of grace before she conceiued what shall we thinke her to haue bene after it But what what then shall we thinke her to haue bene after so many yeares of continuall and such intimate conuersation with Christ she being his mother and he her master Thus you haue the deuotion of the auncient Fathers to our blessed Lady for the fist six hundred years of the Faith of Christ declaring a farre different spirit in them from those who wickedly blaspheme her or derogate from her praises or but any way sleight them as the moderne enemys of the Catholike Church commonly doe I might produce the Sentences of holy men in following ages vnto our dayes to shew the contiruance of that first and auncient denotion to her to haue bene at all times in the Catholik Church I might alleadge the words of S. Anselme Auth. Protest relig l. 1. c. 6. § 3. Saint Bernard Saint Bonauenture Saint Thomas of Aquine the denotion of S. Dominike S. Francis and of many other Saints some of whom
are acknowledged for holy men and Saints euen by Protestant authors These great seruants of God were most singularly deuoted to his blessed Mother many wayes Some of them instituted particular deuotions to her and inuiting all to those deuotions haue spared noe labour to increase her honour and the number of her seruants But this needes not for that I haue shewed it to haue bene the deuotion of the Catholike Church in those times in which her enemys confesse and must needes confesse the true faith of Christ to haue flourished if euer it flourished That which the Catholike Church still laboureth for is to preserue in her people the same deuotion which was then giuen to her And therefor she consecrateth Churches erecteth altares instituteth holy dayes and omitteth nothing to setforth her worthy prayses and the power of her intercession which afterwards I shall shew The English Protestant Church is not yet soe auncient but that I haue knowne diuerse who haue remembred the like deuotion to haue bene in this kingdome to her when the Catholike religion flourished in it English men were then blessedly and singularly aboue other nations deuoted to her reioycing in her patronage and ioyfull solemnitys But now that ioy is turned into hatred and contempt and her cheife solemnitys are blotted out and prophaned by them and yet absurdly and without consequence they will seeme to honour the Saints commaÌ„ding their holydayes to be kept Is it not an absurde and malicious proceeding in them to her to commande the holydayes of the Saints and Angels as lawfull and fitting and to take away the cheife holy dayes of our B. Lady yet this the English protestant Church hath done as may be seene in their commune prayer booke where the Feasts of the Apostles and of other Saints and of the Angels are commanded by their Church and not the Natiuity and Assumption of our B. Lady which were allwais held her cheife solemnitys As for her Annunciation and Purification they may obserue them in honour of the Conception and Presentation of Christ and cunningly seeme as though they would honour her but this cunning is worth nothing to those that vnderstande her Natiuity and Assumption to be her cheife and most propper feasts and soe auncient that S. Hierome and S. Augustine haue left sermons which they made of them and which they taking away keepe noe day at all as propper to her It is the nature of malice to hate all that which is worthy of loue and of enuious persons to hate that which their enemys loue though neuer soe good This is the very true cause why the beginners of this English religion would take away her two cheife holydayes They see the Catholike Church to aduance her honour and to be 〈◊〉 â—ularly deuoted to her and therefor of malice and enuy to the Church they labour what they can to pull downe her honour and to disgrace her What iniury had the most blessed of women and their particular patronesse done to them in what had she deserued this at their hands but that they would oppose the Catholike Church S. Hierome speaking of the feast of the Assumption saith If we be commanded to honour God in his Saints how much more in this solemnity Ep. ad Paul Eustoch to 9. I would all Englishmen had knowne these words and remembred them when the beginners of their new religion tooke away that festiuall day they would not perhaps haue permitted this disgrace to haue bene put vpon their patronesse in whom their nation had soe long bene honored as to let them take away her Assumption which according to S. Hierome and to reason is much more to be honored then the Assumptions of other Saints which they keepe But let vs goe on in honoring of her We will now gather together out of the sentences of the holy fathers alleadged a posy as it were of our B. Ladys prayses taking onely the summe of them in breife First for her sanctity they affirme her to haue excelled all creatures there being nothing in heauen and earth to compare with her all but God inferiour to her As for sinne it is certaine that she neuer committed the least Venial sinne in soe much that S. Augustine will haue noe mention of sinne to be made in her Aug. l. de nat gra c. 8. Sess 6. c. 23. and the Councell of Trent doth sufficiently declare it She had the grace of all vertues faith hope charit 〈◊〉 humility patience chastity meeknes fortitude c. in an eminent degree aboue all She was a perpetual Virgin Con. Ephes Chalced. Syn. 6. c. 2. Mariae Virginitas ante partum in partu post partum intemerabilis Marys Virginity before her child bearing in her child bearing and after her child bearing vnuiolated She did not onely obserue perpetual Virginity but she obserued it by vow According to S. Augustin l. 4. de Sancta Virginitate and S. Gregory Naz. orat in Sanctam Natiuitatem and it is inferred out of her answere to the Angell when she said how shall this be done because I know not man Luc. 2. That is to say I can not lawfully know man as the hebrew children said to Nabuchodonosor we worship not thy Gods that is we must not and cannot lawfully worship them Dan. 3. But the B. Virgin might lawfully haue knowne man if she had not made a vow to the contrary Neither is there otherwise any congruity in her answere Dr Kellison is of opinion that she was the first that euer vowed perpetual Virginity In 3. part for saith he although Chastity were held in great esteeme both amongst the Iewes and Gentils before the comming of Christ yet they vowed it not for euer but onely for a certaine time S. Ambrose confirmeth it when he calleth her the standart bearer of virginity Amb. to 2. de inst Virg. c. 5. Bed in Luc. 1. as going before all in the perpetuall vow of it But S. Bede saith more planely that she was the first that emancipated herselfe to that vertue which must be vnderstoode by perpetual vow for there were diuerse before her that vowed it for a time Soe that we may number this amongst our B. Ladys prayses that she was the first foundres of the perpetual vow of Virginity and soe she is the particular patronesse of Priests and religious persons that follow her in that vow She had more ouer a gift of God to make those to be Virgins that conuersed with her and soe saith S. Hierome that she made S. Ioseph to be a Virgin and S. Ambros that she made S. Iohn Baptist to be a virgin by her virginal conuersation that as it is written of the Cedar tree and of the flowers of vines Amb. de Instit virg c. 7. that they driue away all venemous beasts from about them so the blessed Virgin had the vertue to expell all vnchast desires and carnall inclinations from those that came about
that in this respect as she was the Mother of God she should be endowed with it This is expresly auouched by S. Anselme It was decent saith he that she should shine with such purity L. de Conceptu virg li. c. 15. that vnder heauen a greater could not be deuised Other Saints say in substance the same when in glory and sanctity they preferre her before all creatures because they thought that such sanctity was most suetable and congruous to her dignity as she was such a Mother and that the more that they honored her the more they honored God incarnated in her and of her There is noe doubt saith Saint Hierome but whatsoeuer is worthily attributed to the Mother of God Hier. ep ad Paul Eusto to 9. Bern. ser 4. super missus est that appertaineth to the prayses of her sonne And S. Bernard Whatsoeuer is spoken of the Mothers praises that belongeth to her sonne Therefor in attributing of Sanctity to her and in honoring her we honour him and the more sanctity that we attribute to her and the more that we honour her the more we honour him It were a saying dishonorable to Christ to impute any heinous sinne vnto his Mother with whom S. Augustine will haue noe mention of sinne to be made and as it were a dishonour to him to make her that bore him and had the education of him to be a sinner soe is it most for his honour to haue her a Saint and aboue all Saints We haue then out of the scriptures that Christ honored her that she tooke it as an honour to herselfe and that S. Elizabeth and the woman of the ghospell honored her as she was the Mother of such a sonne and we haue also that it was most decent and becomming her dignity that her blessed soule should be adorned with the highest grace and sanctity that euer any pure creature had I conclude this point with a lesser yet good authority it is of Sibylla Tiburtina praising the B. Virgin for her maternity O nimium foelix caeli dignissima Mater Quae tantam sacro lactabat ab vbere prolem O very happy and most worthy Mother of heauen Whose sacred brests gaue sucke to such a sonne Where you see her honored and pronounced happy for her corporal propinquity with Christ Let now all christians that loue Christ loue her whom he loued and honour her whom he honored If he be a good sonne he would make his Mother to be worthy of honour and if we be good seruants we will honour the Mother of our master And soe we honour her as his Mother not that it was the Physical or Moral cause of her sanctity for that was the diuine grace and her owne merits by cooperating with it but that her being the Mother of such a sonne was in it selfe honorable When we say the Mother of God we meane that she was the true Mother of him who was true God which all good christians beleeue and none but such as Nestorian haeretiks will deny for as we say truely that S. Elizabeth was the Mother of a Prophet but not as he was a Prophet but according to the nature which he receiued of her soe we say truely that our B. Lady was the Mother of God though not as he was God but according to his humane nature which proceeded from her PRAY FOR VS SINNERS AS for the power and acceptance of our B. Ladys prayers it is farre greater then we can expresse What if I should say that it pleaseth God better that we goe to her to pray for vs then that we come immediatly to himselfe Certainly we may say that it pleaseth him better that we bring his prime fauorite to wit his Mother to pray for vs then that we come by ourselues onely without her to him and that he delighteth more and granteth rather at her prayers then at ours which is but a small prayse to her I will say more and that is that I thinke without doubt there is noe deuotion whatsoeuer that God hath approoued of by soe many miracles as the deuotion to our B. Lady and that those that are truely deuoted to her neede not much feare to fall from the Catholike Church nor continuing in that deuotion to haue an euill death But my words onely are of litle value you shall heare what the Saints and learned writers of the Church haue said of her intercession Benau in speculo Mariae c. 8. First S. Bonauenture prooueth out of S. Augustine that she is more carefull and sollicitous for her clients then any of the Saints and whether her power be equall with her care you shall heare what others say Germanus Constantinopolitanus a very auncient authour speaketh this sentence to her There is none saved but by thee O most holy Virgin Germ. in zona there is none deliuered from euils but by thee O most pure there is noe gift granted but by thee O most chast there is none that hath the fauour to be pittyed but by thee O most honourable Marke I pray you how generall these words are that noe good is obtained nor euill preuented but by her meanes S. Anselme in the booke which he wrote of her prayses praying to her sayeth that God hath soe exalted her that he hath made all things possible to her and that she can aske nothing but it is granted But S. Peter Damian goeth further to say the same by a very high expression of eloquence Ser. de Nat. Mar. She goeth vp saith he to the golden altare of reconciliation not to aske but to commande not as a handmaid but as a mistres Here an haeretike would catch at his words and thinke that he had somethinge to take hold of but he should be deceiued for this is onely a kind of Rhetorike which the Saints would vse to setforth the liberality of God at the prayers of his seruants which is such as though his benignity nignity bounde him to obey their desires And it is a kind of Rhetorike which the Holy Ghost hath taught them and hath warranted by his owne example himselfe vsing it Iosue the captaine of the people of God hauing put his enemys to flight and wanting day to pursue them made his prayer and commanded the sunne and moone to stand still vntill he had taken reuenge of them Where vpon holy scripture saith the sunne and moone stoode still our Lord obeying the voice of a man Ios 10. As though holy Iosue by prayer had had God at obedience S. Bernard was allwais mellifluous yet neuer soe much as when he had occasion to speake of our B. Lady Ber. ser in vigilia Nat. Dom. Ber. ser de Assump He shall close vp the quire of the fathers with these few words in which he saith that God will grant nothing but it must passe through Marys hands And in another place he commendeth her soe affectionatly for mercy towards her clients that for
all the deuotion that he bore to her and for as much as he desired that all should prayse her yet he biddeth him to forbeare her prayses and to speake noe more in commendation of her mercy who can but remember that at any time she failed him in his necessitys when he called vpon her As S. Bernard hath concluded for the Saints and fathers Kellis to 1. in 3. par q. 17. art 6. dub 1. soe shall Dr Kellison for moderne authors and for the Doctors of the Catholike Church to shew their esteeme of our B. Ladys prayers He deliuereth it for probable that as Christ is our mediatour to God soe that our B. Lady the Angels and Saints obtaine nothing but through his merits and by him soe our B Lady is our mediatrix to Christ and the Angels and Saints aske nothing of him but by her S. Bernard seemeth to speake for this where he bringeth in our B. In Nat. Mariae Lady praying to God and saith that Christ will not repell her nor God him This opinion of Dâ— Kellison is very worthy of a Catholike Doctour and of a seruant of the B. Virgin and is to be obserued as very well destinguishing the different degrees of honour which the Catholike Church giueth to God as supreme and to his seruants excelling one another vnder him The Saints as inferiour mediatours vnder our B. Lady she inferiour vnto Christ he according to his humanity the highest mediatour God the supreme and omnipotent power that granteth by their mediation Was it now well and truely said of Luther in postilla Annunciationis and of Caluin in harm c. 12. that we honour her as God But we will shew by some examples how much God honoreth her and how powerfull the intercession of the Queene of heauen is with him S. Iohn Damascene writeth how that the Virginity of S. Or. ad Cyp. l. 18. Iustina Martyr was defended and preserued by hauing recourse to our B. Lady Cyprian hauing vsed many allurements to corrupt her and finding noe meanes by which he could preuaile betooke himselfe at last to the deuils power thinking by inchantments to haue conquered her but she betooke herselfe to our B. Ladys intercession and all the power which the deuils had was then too weake and of noe force against her Which when Cyprian perceiued and that by the deuils owne confession that he could not preuaile against her he became a christian and together with Iustina got the crowne of Marâ—yrdome S. Iohn Damascene who relateth this might speake by experience of our B. Ladys power He was a man of eminent sanctity and learning in his time and a great defendour of our B. Ladys honour Amongst other works which he wrote he setforth three books of holy images by which the Iconoclast haeretiks that went about destroying of images were soe incensed against him that as the fashion of haeretiks is they accused him to his Prince as a traitour and disturber of the publike peace Who being a Saracene and too credulous of their false accusations commanded his right hand to be cut of But the sentence being executed it fell out better then the haeretiks expected For the seruant of God being very much troubled to see the want of his hand which he had vsed and thought still to haue vsed in his seruice with many teares besought the B. Virgin who is the comfort of the afflicted to comfort him promising that if his hand were restored againe he would imploy it still in defence of the diuine honour as he had done before In that trouble of minde he fell a sleepe and in his sleepe he saw the image of our B. Lady before which he prayed with a gracious and comfortable aspect beholding him and heard it say See now your hand is sounde againe he carefull to imploy it according to your promise And awaking out of his sleepe he founde it restored sounde and perfect Canisius l. 9. c. 19. In the reigne of the Emperour Iustinian a certaine steward of a Church in Cilicia and as some say an Archdeacon by name Theophilus who had liued in great esteeme and had refused the dignity of bishop was depriued of his office by some that aemulated him Which disgrace as he accounted it was soe greeuous to him that by pride and melancholy he became desperate to the vtter contempt of saluation and by a Iewish sorcerer was perswaded to put his soule into the deuills power giuing him for security a bond of his owne hand writing with it But afterwards being strucken with remorse he beganne to thinke of the miserable state in which his soule was and how to disenslaue it out of the deuils bondage He happily had recourse vnto our B. Lady and going into a Church consecrated to her he remained there day and night cleauing as it were to the ground in prayer and pennance to implore helpe of her In the end his feruerous prayer was heard and his petition granted in proofe of which the bond of his hand writing in the presence of many by the power of God was restored vnto him and put into his hands againe Where vpon afterwards he became a great seruant of God and a canonized Saint This is related by Canisius l. 5. c. 20. and prooued by sufficient testimony of authors and especially by Eutichianus Patriarke of Constantinople who saith that he was borne in the house of the said Theophilus and was an eye witnes of this miracle But I will speake that which I know my selfe A Catholike woman in the Bishoppricke of Durham being apprehended for her religion and committed to Durham gaole was permitted to goe home against the time of her child bearing When her time came she had a long and very sore labour and was brought to that extremity that her neighbors who were about her lamented hopelesse of her life But she called earnestly vpon our B. Lady and perseuering still to call vpon her behold there entreth into the roome a woman of a very graue and comely aspect and drawing neere vnto her in the sight and hearing of all both Catholiks and Protestants that were present she bad her be of good cheere and making the signe of the Cros ouer her whole body from her head to her feete she departed presently leauing all that were present astonished at her After her departure the sicke woeman beganne to haue a better labour and was safely deliuered of a sonne who arriuing vnto mans estate became a lay brother of a religious order in which for any thinge I know he is still liuing The woman recouered very well and in her old age related the whole passage vnto mee Which although I had heard of by a freind before yet I was very glad to haue it from her selfe who to my thinking was one of the most matronlike and saintlike women that euer I saw The power of our B. Lady hath appeared noe lesse in terrour of her enemys then in fauour of her
not onely see him but tooke him ioyfully into his armes Luc. 2. and then blessed God singing like the swanne before his death Now thou doest dismisse thy seruant ô Lord according to thy word in peace Because mine eyes haue seene thy saluation The fift ten is said in honour of Christ disputing in the Temple His parents hauing bene at Hierusalem to solemnise the feast of the Paschâ— returning home againe and thinking him to haue bene in the company that returned with them they came a dayes iourney and sought him amoÌ„gst their kinsfolkes but not finding him they returned to Hierusalem to seeke him there and after three dayes they found him sitting in the midst of the Doctours astonishing all with his wisedome and answeres These are the fiue ioyfull mysterys The fiue sorrowfull are these First the Praying of Christ in the Garden when the very apprehension of his future Passion was so vehement that he burst forth into a sweat of blood to thinke of it The second is his whipping at the pillar The third is his crowning with thornes The fourth is the carrying of his Crosse when after that they had weakened him with many torments they led him or rather trailed him about the streets of Hierusalem with his heauy Crosse on his shoulders vntil he was soe spout that they who of pitty would not ease him of it in the end of cruelty tooke it from him to prolong his life vntill they had crucifyed him The fift it his crucifying and death All which passages were in themselues most dolorous and next vnto Christ were most greeuous to our blessed Lady who if she were not corporally present at them so as to see euery one of them yet without doubt she was spiritually present at them all and saw by reuelation all which he suffered according to the prophecy of Simeon that a sword should pierce her soule Luc. 3. to wit the sword of sorrow which passed through her sonne In honour of these fiue sorrowfull mysterys we say other sine tenns The fiue glorious are first the Resurrection when Christ rose triumphing ouer death on Easter Sunday the Angell appearing to comfort the deuour women and to the terrour of the souldiers that watched at the monument The second is his Ascension at which the Apostles were rauished to behold his glory The third is the Comming of the holy Ghost on Whit Sunday with terrible and astonishing glory to strengthen the disciples of Christ in the faith of his Ghospell The fourth is the glorious Assumption of our Bâ— Lady whose soule departing from her body in death was presently glorifyed and the third day according to auncient Authors returning to her body to glorify it they were both together assumpted into Heauen for if it bee probably thought of those bodys which arose from the dead in the Resurrection of Christ that they ascended with him glorious into Heauen we can not thinke with reason that the sacred body of which our Lord tooke flesh should corrupt in the earth and remaine soe vntill the day of iudgement vnglorifyed The sift is her glorious Coronation in the Celestiall Court And although these two last mysterys of the Assumption and of the Coronation of our blessed Lady may seeme to some to be the same yet there is a great difference betwixt them her Assumption intending onely her state of glory in generall to wit that she was assumed body and soule into Heaven and her Coronation importing her particular state of glory as she is crowned the Queene of Heauen aboue all Angels and Saints These are in breife the fifteene mysterys of the Rosary The siue ioyfull are the Annunciation The Visitation The Natiuity The Purification of our Lady and the Presentation of Christ The Finding of him disputing in the Temple The siue sorrowfull are The Praying in the Garden The Whipping at the pillar The Crowning with thornes The carrying of the Crosse The Crucifying and death of Christ The fiue glorious are his Resurrection his Ascension The Comming of the holy Ghost The Assumption and Coronation of our blessed Lady When we haue not time or leasure to say all the fifteene tenns in honour of the fifteene mysterys wee may say siue in honour of any fiue of them either of the fiue ioyfull or of the fiue dolotous or of the fiue glorious as we will allwais concluding with the Apostles Creede in profession of our faith It is true all doe not vnderstande that these mysterys are thus conteined in the Rosary nor allways remember them when they say their Beades but the Church of God vnderstoode and remembred them in the approouing and allowing of that deuotion It is not necessary that euery one vnderstande all the mysterys that are conteined in his prayers but he shall please God if he conforme his intention to the intention of the Church in them Luc. 3. although he vnderstande them not Who can vnderstande saith Saint Augustine all the ceremonys of the Church yet we please God in obseruing them because we conforme our intentions to the intention of the Church which was directed by the holy Ghost to ordaine them It were indeed very good that all vnderstoode the mysterys of the Rosary and therefore we expounde them And it were very good that all remembred them when they say their Beades and therefore before euery ten I vse to mention in particular the mystery of that ten as for example before the first Patâ—r Noster Isay Blessed Mother of God by thy Annunciation pray for mee Before the second I say Blessed Mother of God by thy Visitation pray for mee and so forth of the rest whether I say the whole Rosary or onely fiue tenns of it by which meanes one shall attende better to the deuotion which he is performing and performe more expresly that which the Church intendeth by it which is to set holy obiects before our eyes and to propose to our consideration the mysterys of our faith The intention therefore of the Catholike Church by the Rosary is to keepe the ignorant especially those that can not reade imployed in this deuout exercise and to propose vnto all the remembrance and consideration of holy things From whence proceedeth that coldnesse loosnes and auersion from good works and holy exercises which is in many but from the want of consideration of pious things Hier. 12. with desolation is all the land made desolate saith Hieremy because there is none that considereth in the hart Good obiects proposed are the seede of good thoughts and bring forth good purposes and good works The feede must first be sowne in the senses that by the vnderstanding and will the fruit of good works may be produced and therefor as holy Iacob placed rodds of diuerse colours before his ewes that they might conceiue and bringforth lambes of diuerse colours like them soe the Pastors of the Catholike Church set before their people holy obiects that by beholding them they may conceiue good
vse them Thirdly they obiect that our B. Lady is farre distant from vs and it is absurde to salute one at such a distance But this is noe absurdity because distance of place hindereth not the intelligence of glorious soules It were indeede absurde formen here vpon earth to salute one another in absence because in absence they vnderstande not but if they vnderstoode it were â—ather absurde to hinder their communication when it were for a good end The blessed Virgin vnderstandeth in heauen our deuotions vpon earth for although in body she be abseÌ„t from vs yet in spirit sheis preseÌ„t with vs as Elizeus was absent in body from his seruant but was present in spirit with him and saw all that passed betwixt him and Naaman and told him afterwards Reg. 4.5 Was not my hart present when the man returned out of his chaire to meete thee S. Paul also wrote to the Corinthians that he was absent in body Cor. 1.5 but present in spirit with them But the blessed Virgin seeeth by the light of glory the deuotion of those that pray to her and is much more present with them then Elizeus or S. Paul were whilst they liued vpon earth absent from them Fourthly they obiect against the often repeating of the Haile Mary that God heareth as well at once as at many times but to repeate it a hundred and fifty times to what purpose Yes for many good purposes First to pray with more feruour secondly to obtaine by perseuering in prayer that which at first is not allwais obtained thirdly to imploy ourselues in the consideration of holy mysterys such as I haue declared to be conteined in the Rosary Christ hauing deliuered to his disciples the Pater Noster as a patterne of prayer shewed them also how it was to be vsed to wit with much earnestnes and importunity not presently desisting from prayer when we obtaine not our desire but perseuering still to aske For this he immediatly annexed the parabole of a man who asking to borrow bread at first it was denyed him but perseuering to aske by his importunity he obtained as many loaues as he needed And he did not onely teach this by word but also by example praying with much feruour and repeating in the garden the same prayer ouer Mat. 26. and ouer and ouer againe as S. Mathew hath noted He was heard as well at the first as at the last but he would teach vs to perseuer in prayer and that God granteth for our importunity and therefor he had at last the comfort of an Angell appearing to him which at first it is not likely that he had The blinde man sitting by the way when he heard the noyse of the multitude and vnderstoode that Iesus of Nazareth was passing by cryed out Iesus sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee Luc. 18. And when they rebuked him he cryed much more Sonne of Dauid haue Mercy on mee Christ heard him as well at the first as at the second time yet at first he granted not his desire because he would haue him to perseuer asking that he might commende his faith grant for his perseuerance and propose him as an example to teach vs how to pray The holy Kingin the 137. psalme repeateth in euery verse the very same words ouer againe soe that there being 27. verses the same thinge is repeated 27. times and take vp about halfe of the psalme An haeretike might aske what neede there was of soe much repeating the same thinge To whom I answere that Dauid was a holy man according to the hart of God and would sing the diuine praises with much feruour of spirit repeating the same words ouer and ouer againe many times and soe we repeate the praises of the B Virgin and double and redouble our prayers to her Christ sayeth it behoueth allwais to pray Luc. 8. Thes 1.5 and not to be weary And S. Paul biddeth Pray without intermission but we can not allwais pray new prayers If the prayer be a good prayer the more we repeate it the more loue we shew and more desire of obtaining and that which is to the honour of God cannot be asked too often vntill we obtaine it If it be good to say a good prayer once euery month it is better to say it once a weeke and if it be good to say it euery weeke it is better to say it euery day and better yet to say it euery hower so that we hinder not more necessary imployments l. 4. c. 28. Lactantius who liued about a thousand and three hundred yeares since and was master to Constantine the Great hath a discourse of purpose to commende the often repeating of the Aue Mary Fiftly they obiect that it tasteth of superstition to obserue such a number of prayers I answere that it tasteth of superstition to none but such as are out of tast with pious things and with the deuotions of the Catholike Church what superstition was it in saint Bartholomew and in saint Paul the Ermite to obserue a certaine number of prayers euery day An haeretike may call it superstition in Christ to choose twelue Apostles corresponding to the twelue Tribes of Israel or to pray thrice the same prayer in the Garden for that the number of three is often vsed in the Scriptures to signifie the firmnesse and stability of any thing or in a Catholike to say three Pater nosters in honour of the three persons of the blessed Trinity or siue in honour of the fiue wounds of our Lord. All which are as much superstitious as to obserue a certaine number of the Aue Marys in the Rosary And much more superstitious doth it outwardly appeare for Iosue to commande twelue men to take vp twelue stones out of lordan and to lay downe other twelue in their places to signify the twelue Tribes then to say a hundred and fifty Aue Marys in imitation of Dauids hundred and fifty Psalmes Yet who dare say that any of these things are superstitious We must not goe by the outtward appearance but by the intrinsecal to iudge of the malice of things Christ must not be iudged a sinner because he had the outward habite of a sinner The reasoÌ„ why none of these things are superstitious is because there is nothing done in them but which hath conexion and proportion to a good end for which it is intended and therefore to obserue a certaine number of prayers in relation to some holy mistery not any of the actions aboue mentioned are in the species of superstitioÌ„ nor haue the malice of it because they haue proportion to a good end which is to stirre vs vp to deuotion by the representation of pious things Thus you see that the deuotion of the Rosary is well grounded vpon good and holy misterys and that all obiections against it are vaine and groundles as all must needes be that are obiected against the blessed Virgins honour Blessings are giuen to Beades
to determinate those materiall things to pious vses which in themselues are indifferent to any for this reason the ornaments and vessell of the Church seruice were commanded to be consecrated in the law of Moyses Exod. 40. and are now in the law of Christ The sodality of the Rosary is â—rected in the order of Saint Dominike and priuileges are granted vnto it to excite all vnto that deuotion and I hope our blessed Lady will graciously acknowledge me one day although now an vnworthy Sodales of it Euer since the Empresse of the world was assumpted into Heauen it hath bene the custome of the Catholike Church for all the people both riche and poore to beseech her gracious countenance and to pray to her the holy to be strenghtned in holines and sinners to he freed from sinne and as we haue through out the yeare diuerse Feasts which were aunciently by the holy Saints and are now by vs obserued in her honour soe to commend vnto all the deuotion of the Rosary Pope Gregory the XIII of holy memory appointed the first Sunday of October to be kept in honour of it For in the yeare of our Lord 1571 when the Catholike Church appeared destitute of humane helpe and leaned onely on the armes and strength of her diuine Spouse the Northerne parts of Europe being then lately fallen into heresys and the Turke comming on the otherside with a formidable nauy to assalt her it pleased God to defende the Catholike cause and to couer our enemys in the sea by a glorious victory which we gott ouer the Turke surpassing vs in number and force but inferiour by the diuine protection ouer vs and by the power of our B Lady then particularly called vpon For the victory was gained on that day on which the Sodality of the Rosary was called together to implore especially her assistance and therefore the holinesse of the foresaid Pope dedicated it as solemne to the Rosary shewing in two things his wise and pious minde First in giuing the victory not vnto humane power but to the diuine protection and especially in those circumstances to our blessed Ladys prayers and secondly by instituting a continuall memoriall in thanksgiuing for it that as in S. Dominiks dayes when the deuotion of the Rosary was first begunne by him our blessed Lady appeared in Earle Monforts army sighting against the Albigenses haeretiks who in mighty numbers wasted the Kingdome of France so it was the will of God that her power should be acknowledged and the mysterys of the Rosary honored in that late batle against the enemys of Christ And as when Queene Ester pecitioning the King obtained the liues of the Israeliticall people a day was set a part for the solemnity of it and as the victory of Iudith had also a day of solemnity afterwards soe might this day of the Rosary be glorious in our victory when the Procession of Saint Dominiks order shall sing Aue maris Stella to the triumph of our Lady and the whole Catholike Church shall answere in their harts Iudit 15. Thou art the glory of Hierusalem thou the ioy of Israel thou the honour of our people because thou hast done manfully thou shalt be blessed for euer c. THE TENTH DISCOVRSE OF THE MASSE I Am now to speake of the high glory and bright Sunne of all deuotions I meane the Holy Sacrifice of Masse Which as it is a Sacrifice it is the supreme and highest of all worships proper onely to God and as such a Sacrifice of the Body of our Lord it is more eminent and perfect then all the Sacrifices that euer were or euer can be offered Fist I will speake of the Masse as it is a Sacrifice Secondly of the particular parts and ceremonys of the Masse And lastly something of its fruits and benefits Let vs say the Haile Mary for our blessed Ladys intercession Haile Mary c. First OF THE MASSE AS IT IS A SACRIFICE Quest What is the Masse Answ The Masse is the continuall Sacrifice of the law of Christ in which his true body and blood is offered vnder the signes of bread and wine THERE are seuerall kindes of Sacrifices Diuerse kinds of Sacrifice First there are spiritual sacrifices to wit our inward thoughts and good purposes And soe King Dauid sayth that an humbled spirit and contrite hart that is to say an act of humility and Contrition is a Sacrifice to God And S. Peter writing vnto all the faithfull requireth of them that they be a holy Priesthood by this kind of Sacrisice Pet. 1.2 Be ye a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall hosts There are also diuerse sorts of corporal Sacrifices First such as vocal prayer kneeling adoring offering of gifts and the like which as they are corporal worships they may be called Sacrifices in a large sense and S. Augustine sayeth that euery good worke is a true Sacrifice nor that it hath truely the nature of a Sacrifice but that it is an offering with fruit and good effect to our soules and not a false Sacrifice without fruit as Christ said of himselfe that he was a true vine that was to say a good vine that bringeth fruit and not an ill vine which falsifyeth the hopes of it But nene of these neither spiritual nor corporal are properly Sacrifices but onely in an vnpropper and large sense in that they are good works offered vp to God but they are not offered as the highest worship propper onely to him but may be and are in their kind giuen to men as when we worship our friends both in our harts and with our bodys and when we offer gifts to our superiors as the Kings did to Christ their superiour euen as man but propper Sacrifices are offered to none but God A Sacrifice therefor properly speaking is the offering vp of some corporal and sensible thinge as the supreme and propper worship of God The Masse then is a Sacrifice in its true and propper sense that is to say the offering vp of some corporal thinge as an act of highest worship special and propper onely to God to acknowledge diuine power in him And thus a Sacrifice may be vnderstoode two wayes either for the action of offering and Sacrifizing or els for the thinge that is offered and Scrifized as the word Offering is sometimes taken for the action of offering as when we say he was long or short gracious or tedious in his offering and is sometimes taken for the thinge that is offered as when we say it was a rich or poore offering Soe the Masse is a Sacrifice vnderstanding the action of Sacrifizing And soe all the prayers and caeremonys of Masse are parts of it belonging to its integrity as it is such a manner of Sacrisizing and offering and for the thinge offered it is the true body and blood of our Lord vnder the signe of bread and wine Soe that both the Masse is a Sacrifice and the body and blood of
moderne enemys of the Catholike Church reiect the holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist at Masse soe that granting that which was offered on the Crosse they deny for euer after all Sacrifice to the Law of Christ They grant in this that which is true indeede that the Law of Christ was founded vpon the sacrifice of the Cros as offered for our redemption but denying any sacrifice to continue afterwards in that Law they deny the continuance of the supreme worship of God in it which nations haue euer vnderstoode by Sacrifice They doe in this as though some people should choose a king and should promise vnto him a glorious reigne amongst them and then should honour him with Royal and Soueraigne worship but for one day or one hower only soe they professe themselues Christians and promise a glorious Kingdome of God among them and then they giue him the supreme homage of Sacrifice but once onely to wit for that day and hower on which Christ suffered death It had bene the part of good Christians that being a Sacrifice was to be some corporall thing offered to God as his cheife and highest homage to haue bene thinking which of all corporall things in the world was most perfect and to haue thought it most worthy to be the continuall Sacrifice of the Law of Christ rather then to haue denyed a continuall Sacrifice at all to it This was the Sonne of God from all eternity thinking and contriuing to effect and he effected it when hee instituted his owne sacred Body to be conteined in the Eucharist and soe to continue vnto the consummation of the world with vs that we might allwais haue a most mysterious miraculous and glorious Sacrifice the most perfect of all corporall things worthy of his diuine Law to be daily offered in it And so he prouided a Sacrifice for his people more perfect then euer any people had before the most perfect which any can haue and which in some sense may be said to be infinitly perfect This had bene a thought worthy of a Christian and not to deny à Sacrifice in which the supreme worship of God consisteth to continue allwaies in the Faith of Christ and to ioyne with the Turks onely who haue a Law without a continuall Sacrifice But wee will shew by the Scriptures Church and Fathers that the Eucharisticall Sacrifice of Masse is a true Sacrifice The holy King and Prophet misteriously describeth it in these words Our Lord sware and it shall not repent him Ps 109. thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Who hath sworne our Lord God It must be true then that which is sworne What hath he sworne that Christ is a Priest For how long for euer offering by the hands of Priests What kind of Priest was Christ and his Priests to be they were to be of the order of Melchisedech What order was that what kind of Sacrifice did Melchisedech offer Read the 14. of Genesis and you shall finde that Melchisedechs Sacrifice was in bread and wine Soe that the Sacrifice of Christian Priests was to be according to it Let now the enemys of the Catholike Church shew any action of the life of Christ or any mystery in his Church if they can that accordeth with Melchisedechs Sacrifice except it were at his last supper that he then offered the Eucharist as a Sacrisice and left it as a Sacrifice to be offered afterwards at all times by his Priests in the Catholike Church Take away that Sacrifice and we haue none at all left according to Melchisedechs nor noe Priests according to his order The Eucharist therefore is the sacrifice which the Prophet was inspired to describe after this mysterious manner as to be according to the order of Melchisedech in the Priests that offered it a lib. 4. strom Clem. Alex. b ep 63. ad Cecil lib. 5. Saint Cyprian c demostr Euseb Caesat d CoÌ„ment in Ps 109 Basil e de Abra ham Patriarc l. 3. Saint Ambrose f in ps 109 Saint Chrysostome g ep ad Euagr. lib. 16. de Cin. Dei S. Herome h S. Augustine H. and others commonly cited by authours haue thus vnderstoode this place The Prophet Malachy speaking of the reiection of the Iewish Sacrifices and of the acceptable Sacrifice which the Gentils should offer in the Law of Christ hath thâ—se words I haue no will in you saith the Lord of hosts and gift I will not receiue of your hand Mal. 1. For from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe great is my Name amongst the Gentils and in euery place there is sacrifyzing and there is offered to my Name a cleane oblation It is not possible by this to conceiue but that the Law of Christ for the conservation of the diuine worship was to haue a Sacrifice to be offered all ouer and at all times in it He speaketh not there of any vnproper Sacrifice as of good workes c. but of a true and proper Sacrifice as those of the Iewes were to which he there compareth and perferreth it Neither doth he speake of the Sacrifice of the Cros for that was not offered in euery place but only on Mont Caluary The auncient holy Fathers haue commonly vrged the Iewes and other enemies of the Catholike Church with this place vnderstanding by it a daily Sacrifice to be offered all ouer in the Church of Christ So saint Iustinus a Dial. cum Triphon Martyr b lib. 4. cont haer 32.33.34 saint Irenaeus c l. 3. cont Marcion Tertullian saint d l. 1. c. 18. Cyprian e Aduers Iud. in Ps 95. saint Chrysostome f l. 8. c. 35. de ciu dei saint Augustine saint g 4. de orthoxa side c. 14. Iohn Damascene and others It appeareth also euen by the manner of instituting the Eucharist that it was to be offered as a Sacrifice for where as Cor. 1.11 we read This is my Body which shall be deliuered for you and Luc 22. This is the Chalice c. which shall be shed for you Saint Luke hath in the Latine text and all the Euangelists and saint Paul in the Greeke text haue which is giuen and which is shed in the present and to be giuen and shed can haue no other sense there but to be offered as a Sacrifice So that it was not onely for the future to be offered but euen then was offered as a Sacrifice and it was afterwards to be offered as then But that which is to be obserued as most manifestly conuincing against our Protestants of England is that we being commanded to doe it for a commemoration of him that is to say of his being offered on the Crosse at his death and he being then also according to our enemys offered as a Sacrifice what commemoration of that offering doe they make in the Eucharist who make it no Sacrifice nor offering at all Catholiks say that as the true
worship of Sacrifice hath allwais bene vnderstoode as the cheife and highest worship of God but the true Church of Christ must haue at all times the cheife and highest worship of God therefor the true Church of Christ must haue at all times the worship of Sacrifice Neither can there any good answere be made to this argument For if they say that Christ as he was once offered on the Cros is the Christian Sacrifice sufficient for vs and therefor we neede none after it it is not a good answere nor satisfyeth any more then if one should say Christ worshipped God for vs therefor we neede not to worship God after him or Christ fasted prayed and suffered for vs therefor we neede not to fast or to pray or to doe any good works but onely to beleeue in him and we shall be saued and soe we should banish the worship of God and all good works out of the world and set vp a sole and onely iustifying faith as they doe grounding themselues vpon such vaine and friuolous inferences of their owne braine which they will mainteine against all the authority of the whole world Christ saued vs by the Sacrifice of the Cros that is by the merits of that Sacrifice he procured meanes for our saluation and these meanes are faith and good works and the best of all works and most honorable to God is the offering of a Sacrifice And as Christs worship and good works doe not hinder and cuacuate ours noe more did his Sacrifice hinder and cuacuate all Sacrifice for euer after but he would institute a sacrifice for his people that by it they might apply the merits of his sacrifice to themselues and that it might be the most worthy of all sacrifices he ordained it to be in his owne sacred body mysteriously yet really offered in the Eucharist Which as it was the most perfect of all corporall things was indeed the most conuenient sacrifice for the Law of Christ yet if we did not offer that body as then truely and really present with vs but offered it in our harts onely as it was present on the Crosse and as it is now in Heauen it were not the offering of some present corporall thing as all people haue euer vnderstoode a sacrifice to be Hence it appeareth how vainly they obiect the wordsof the Apostle calling Christour High Priest Heb. 7.9.10 who by one oblation hath consummated for euer those that are sanctifyed Therefore say they all other oblation is needlesse and derogateth from that of Christ as though it were not sufficient To which it is answered that the words of the Apostle are most holy and true Christ is our high Priest and our onely high Priest for the highest of all others Priests is but the Vicar of Christ our Highest Priest He consummated by way of redemption the sanctification of all those that are sanctifyed and by one onely oblation he saued all that are saued in that by it onely he redeemed vs. What then Therefore there needdeth no more sacrifice for our redemption It is true Therefore all other sacrifice for our redemption derogateth from that It is also true And this is all that the Apostle sayeth Where is now their argument Therefor there needeth noe continuall sacrifice to conserue the worship of God and to giue supreme and due homage to him It is false and no better consequence then as I said before Christ worshipped God for vs therefor we neede not to worship him The cheife worship of God is by sacrifice and this worship was giuen him by Christ for vs is it now good consequence Therefor we neede not to giue that cheife worship to God Christ offered sacrifice for our redemption but to receiue the benefit of it we must doe our parts and that is as I haue said to receiue the Sacraments offer sacrifice and doe other works which he hath ordained to be done by vs in the Catholike Church for the honour of God and the sanctifying of our soules and therefor saint Iohn attributeth our sanctification to our selues Io. 1.3 Euery one that hath this hope saith he sanctifyeth himselfe that is by cooperating with God Cor. 1.3 and the Passion of Christ and therefore saint Paul saith we are Gods coadiutors for that we concurre with him to the good works which we doe and so by offering of sacrifice we concurre with Christs sacrifice and oblation consummating ours by being once offered for our redemption by which he giueth vertue to all our good works And this is all that the Apostle would say as is manifest both by the circumstances of his speech and also by his words for he spoke then to those of the Circumcision that they should not looke backe to the sacrifices of their former law for that they being but shaddowes of that of our redemption and figures to praefigure it as then future and which is now fullfilled to continue them after the Passion of Christ was as much as to say that our redemption was not fullfilled and that Christ by one oblation had not perfectly redeemed vs but that he were to suffer againe or els they were false figures in signifying that as future which were past and therefor in the Epistle he saith that if Christ had not offered one host for sinnes he ought to haue suffered often Hebr. 9. The Apostle therefore speaketh of the iewish sacrifices that they were not to be continued for that the sacrifice of our redemption which they signifyed as future was but one and that allready offered And those that alleadge his words against a continuall sacrifice abuse their heares and the word of God But they say that the Eucharist is but a commemoration of the sacrifice of the Crosse representing it therefore noe true sacrifice and much lesse the same that was then offered It is necessary therefore to declare how THE MASSE IS A COMMEMOratiue or representatiue sacrifice yet a true Sacrifice of the same Body that was offered on the Crosse CHRIST at the last supper tooke bread into his hands and gaue to his disciples saying Cor. 1.11 This is my body which shall be deliuered for you This doe ye for the commemoration of mes In like manner also the Chalice saying This Chalice is the now Testament in my Blood This doe ye as often as you shall drinke for the commemoration of mee And saint Luke hath Luc. â— 2 This is my Bâ—dy which is giuen for you doe this for a commemoration of mee And this is the Chalice the neâ— Testament in my Blood which shall be shed for you By which we beleeue that Christ then offered his true body in sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine and commanded his Apostles to doe the same They did so and the Catholike Church hath done so euer since in commemoration of his Passion which he then commemorated both in the consecration of the bread and of the wine expresly mentioning it in
hands he blessed them and was carried into heauen Luc. 24. And it is most likely that he then blessed them with the signe of the Crosse for now that the mystery of the Crosse was accomplished it was a most conuenient forme of blessing Ezech. 9. and was vsed also by the Apostles in their benedictions as Saint Denis hath recorded who liued with them and it shall be set as a marke of Gods blessing in the foreheads of his elect in latter times Lastly Saint Iohns Ghospell is said as the Planest and highest expression of the mystery of the Incarnation Thus much for the ceremonys commonly vsed in the Church Christ was the first that said Masse To wit at the last supper when he consecrated and offered his sacred body as our continuall Sacrifice instituting the same manner of consecration and offering to be vsed afterwards by the Apostles They said the very same Masse that is to say offered the very same Sacrifice which he then offered adding the Pater Noster and other holy prayers and rites of reuerence to it which are not of the substance and essence of the Masse but were left to the Church to be ordeined and practised according to conuenient circumstances and are therfore to be obserued diligently and minded at Masse as the memorials of holy mysterys Saint Iames Bishop of Hierusalem commonly called the brother of our Lord said Masse adding many things of deuotion to it so did Saint Peter say Masse at Rome Saint Mathew in Aethiopia Saint Barnaby at Milan adding also more prayers and holy ceremonys to it and other holy Saints as Saint Basil Saint Ambrose Saint Iohn Chrysostome composed certaine deuout formes of prayer and rites which were vsed at Masse with approbatiō of the Church and now the Church of God saith the same Masse which Christ and they said with such prayers rites and ceremonys as you haue seene declared in which the mystery of the Incarnation and the whole life and death of Christ is deuoutly and decently represented We ought therefore with great reuerence Meditations vpon the Masse and deuotion to be present at Masse and to attend diligently and to meditate vpon those mysterys as though wee were as wee are indeede in the presence of Christ himselfe and that we saw him visibly in all those passages which are then celebrated that we may be astonished with admiration and burne with the loue of him who did and suffered those things for vs. Vntill the Gloria in excelsis we will imagine that we saw the Saints who were before Christ reioycing in the hopes of him and that we heard their cryes and prayers for his comming At the Gloria in excelsis we will awaken our selues with the Angels voyces to a higher ioy imagining that we heard the Angell tell the newse of his birth to the Sheepheards and the multitude of the celestiall army singing those words with the Priest and we will offer our selues then to Christ to be his seruants all the dayes of our life Vntill the Ghospell we will thinke that we were following him and our blessed Lady behauing our selues as his seruants ravished with the sanctity of his conuersation At the Ghospell and Creede we will imagine that we heard him preach and saw the power of God drawing the harts of others to him At the Praeface that we were at his glorious entrance into Hierusalem and we will sing with his disciples and with the people Blessed is he that commeth in the name of our Lord. Hosanna in the Highest Before the eleuation we will consider his praying in the Garden sweating that violent and strange sweat of blood and water for vs and how he was presently apprehended and carryed to his Passion what bitter reproches and stinging blowes they gaue him what shame and paine they deuised to putt him to more then can he imagined At the cōsecration and eleuation we will thinke that we were present at his death heard the cry which he gaue and saw him hang downe his head and dy and that we heard the toppe of the temple and rooks about Hierusalem to rent in pieces and perceiued the earthquake and the rising of dead bodys a formidable darknes then couering all things and we may thinke how greeuous our sins were that were the cause of all this After the consecration we will make acts of the loue of God and purposes to serue him and to mende our life and some greater falts in particular And we will prepare our selues to receiue the blessed Sacrament if not corporally at least spiritually by an ardent desire of it At the Postcommunion we will giue thanks with the Priest and calling to minde the resurrection of Christ wee will rise with alacrity to a better life At the ite Missa est and the Priests benediction we will imagine our selues present at Christs Ascension and hauing with his disciples receiued his blessing that we saw him ascende in glory to giue vs a scantling and litle sight of our future happinesse to animate vs with that sight to the exercize of vertues to suffer for Christ and to contemne the pleasures and glory of this world It is an auncient custome of the Catholike Church aboue a thousand and foure hundred yeares standing Holy Water to hallow water mixt with salt Which is commonly done on Sundayes before Masse to sanctify holy things to expell the power of our ghostly enemy and to purge from venial sinnes as euery good worke doth which increaseth the diuine grace in vs. The declaration of the Church is sufficient for the lawfullnes of it Yet as I haue said of ceremonys man being a corporall creature must honour God according to his nature and vse corporall creatures in his diuine worship and although God regardeth most the inward worship of our harts and the acts of our mindes he will haue vs notwithstanding to vse corporall things to our sanctification Ia. 5. as the water in Baptisme and the oyle in Extreme Vnction which according to saint Iames is vsed to the remission of sinnes and he hath commanded diuerse corporall things vnto supernaturall ends and effects Exod. 12. as the blood of a Lambe to be sprinkled on the doore posts of the Israelits Nu. 19. to saue them from the destroying plague as the ashes of a red cow mixt with water to be sprinkled for the purging of legall vncleannesse Tob. 8. as yong Toby was commanded to vse the liuer of a fish to expell the deuill as Elisaeus vsed salt with waters Reg. 4.2 to giue them spiritually sweetnesse and fruitfullnesse by all which wee see that corporall things may be vsed for spirituall effects And if any obiect that God can commande those things but the Church can not I answere first that it is true God onely appointeth the Sacraments which we are to vse But the Church can ordaine holy ceremonys rites and deuout obseruations which are noe Sacraments God inspireth the Church in
the vse of this as he did vnto them the vse of the former and so they are both of God see disc 4. art 9. disc 11. of the authority of the Church The Church vseth such like obseruations and rites not as Sacraments to restore vs to the diuine grace when we haue lost it but as holy actions to advance vs further in the diuine grace which wee haue and consequently to remitte lesser sinnes which are compatible with grace sanctifying vs more in the sight of God Holy bread or disposing vs to more sanctity Soe the Catechumens in the primitiue Church that receiued not the blessed Sacrament receiued the holy bread of which Saint Augustine That which the Catechumens receiue although it be not the body of Christ yet it is a holy thing and holier then other meates which we eate Theodorit who liued about 1300. yeares since Theod. cap. 21. relateth a passage admirable to this purpose Marcellus Bishop of Apamaea hauing in that citty a temple of Iupiter much offensiue to the honour of God vsed all meanes possible to demolish it but the structure of it was soâ— strong and firmely compacted with stone and iron that two Captaines who passed that way with their souldiers about two thousand in number could not all dissolue it At last a simple and ignorant man promiseth to effect what he desired if that he will but allow him the assistance of two onely which being granted they vndermined the pillars and applying timber and fewell to the foundation of them sett fire on it But there appeared a blacke and terrible fiend that put out the fire as fast as they enkindled it Then Marcellus hallowing water with the signe of the Crosse and throwing it into the fire it made it to burne and flame as though oyle had bene throwne into it One would thinke it strange that water should increase the flame of fire but it is not strange that holy water should suppresse the deuills power Thus much by the way of holy water Now let vs see WHY THE MASSE IS SAID in Latine THE Masse is said in Latine for diuerse reasons First for that the Church is Catholike that is to say vniuersall not of one nation but of all and therefore it is most conuenient that she should prayse God and haue her seruice in a language which is most generall and vniuersally vnderstoode and esteemed of by all nations and this is the Latine tongue An English Catholike may go into Italy France Spaine or into any place of the Catholike world euen into the furthest Indys and as he is vnited in the same faith and doctrine and obeyeth the same authority of the Church with them Gen. 11. so he shall see the very selfe same seruice of God and heare the very same words which he heareth in his owne countrey and vnderstande them if he vnderstandeth the Latine tongue This is the comfort of Catholiks that they are the people of one tongue and one speech not onely in faith and doctrine but also in manner of vtterance as neere as can be Neither was it euer the practise of the Church to haue her seruice in the vulgar languages of euery nation In the easterne parts of the world Masse was aunciently said in Greeke because the Greeke tongue was most vniuersally vnderstoode and esteemed of in those parts although the common sort of people in all those places generally vnderstoode it not In the Westerne parts of the world it was said in Latine as Saint Augustine sayeth that the Scriptures were vsed in Affrica in Latine Bed 1. hist Ang. cap. 1. and Saint Bede saith that there being in England in S. Augustines time fower seuerall languages by his preaching and saying seruice in the Latine tongue it came commune to them all For this reason the Masse is said all ouer in Latine except perhaps in some places of Greece or where the Latine tongue is but litle studied Secondly a higher and more esteemed language giueth more maiesty and reuerence to the misterys of God then a vulgar tongue and therfore the holy Ghost speaking by the Scriptures would vse a most high and maiesticall manner of speech for the most part aboue vulgar capacitys and the Catholike Church speaking in the person of the holy Ghost it is meete that she should vse his manner of speech Thirdly if the Church seruice were to be said in euery vulgar tongue it would be subiect to continuall misconstructions abused by the prowd and contentious who being for the most part of the ignorant sort as regarding more the shew of knowledge then the substance and good vse of it would pretende to vnderstande all things and contend without end As now we see in England where euery old wife to use S. Hieromes words presumeth to teach that which she neuer learned and thinketh that she hath braines enough to looke downe into that great depth of the Scriptures which the Doctours of the Church haue so much admired and which S. Augustine was so affraid to looke into Confess l. 12. c. 14. that he cryed out O wonderfull profoundnesse of thy words wondefull profâ—undnesse my God wonderfull profoundnesse it maketh a man quake to looke into it Handy craft men and silly women amongst the Protestants of Eagland haue none of this feare they can vnderstande and interprete the holy Scriptures they can correct their common prayer and controling their Ministers when they list they will steppe vp into the pulpit before them The Protestants Miuisters may now see and I know where some of them haue confessed the originall cause of this confusion amongst them to haue bene the vnlimitated reading of the Scriptures and the hauing of their common seruice in the vulgar tongue and that it was an errour in their predecessors to put such kniues into childrens hands that could not vse them The Catholike Church as a carefull mother her selfe carueth for her children instructing them in that which is necessary for them not trusting them to their owne caruings and misconstructions S. Dion eccl hier cap. 1. Basil de Spirit S. cap. 27. Denis and S. Basil therefore declare that the sacred mysterys in their times were kept of purpose from the vulgar Fourthly if the Church Lyturgy were to be said in euery vulgar tongue few Priests could exercise their functions out of their countreys An Italian Priest could not say Masse in Spaine nor a Spaniard in Italy And this is the reason why so few Protestant Ministers euer trauaile out of their countreys Although it be thither where their owne Religion as they prerende is professed for their seruice being in a different language which that people vnderstandeth not they must either be silent abroade or stay at home If they will say seruice Where as Catholike Priests may serue God after the same manner in all places and all people may serue God by them Fiftly if the publike seruice of the Church were said in euery vulgar tongue
wee will minde their behauiour and learne of them how to behaue our selues at Masse And it were good to gette a custome allways when we heare Masse to make a purpose of amending some particular falt or imperfection which we know in ourselues and to remember that purpose at the beginning and at the end of euery Masse which we heare THE ELEAVENTH DISCOVRSE OF THE PRAECEPTS OF THE CHVRCH I Intende now to declare the Praecepts of the Church but first we will craue our blessed Ladys intercession Haile Mary c. Quest Say the fiue cheife Praecepts of the Church Answer To fast fasting dayes To keepe holy dayes To confesse our sinnes to our ordinary Pastour or to another with his leaue ot least once a yeare To receiue the Eucharist at Easter time To pay tithes There are diuerse other Praecepts of the Church as the prohibiting to celebrate marriage from the beginning of Aduent vntil after Twelfth day and from the beginning of Lent vntill after Low Sunday Also many things in seuerall generall councells commanded some in respect of the Clergy and some of the laiâ—y â—or of particular states and conditions of men which wee omitte as not of this place and declare onely the fiue aboue mentioned which Authors commonly deliuer as the cheife and most necessary for the people to be instructed in But before wce come to their particular declaration we will say somethinge OF THE AVTHORITY OF THE Church and of the obligation of her Praecepts Quest How doe the Praeceps of the Church oblige Ans The Praecepts of the Church oblige vnder a mortall sinne The authority of the Church is declared in many places of holy Scriptures Apoc. 1. Saint Iohn saw in a vision the Church descending downe from Heauen like to a glorious bride setforth with all her ornaments to meete her bridegroome God is the Bridegroome the Church is the bride the Praecepts of the Church are her ornaments for by the keeping of them the soules of the faithfull are adorned graciously in the sight of God and in the end become glorious in Heauen and those that breake the Praecepts of the Church breake teare and abuse the ornaments of the coelestiall bride and therefore commit a mortall sinne Christ hath compared the disobedient to the Church to Heathens Mat. 18 and Publicans saying If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican but the eternall word of God and his infinite wisedome neither would nor could haue soe compared them as to put them in the ranke of the most odious and infamous of all men if they had not bene guilty of mortall sinne Nay the authority of God in many places of the Scriptures is in plaine words attributed to the Church A question arising concerning the necessity of Circumcision Saint Peter with some others mette at Hierusalem about it and hauing decided the controuersy they imposed some praecepts to be obserued by the Church and that in the name and authority of the Holy Ghost saying Act. 15. it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs to lay noe further burthen vpon you then these necessary things c. And S. Paul who had bene an earnest aemulatour of the law of Moyses went vp to Hierusalem to them and without any murmuring at all was contented with that which was there decreed and which S. Peter then declared submitting willingly all those rites which he had bene brought vp in and which he had aemulated before to the censure Lawes and Praecepts of the Church of Christ and not onely himselfe obeyed them but also as in the same chapter is declared He walked through Syria and Cilicia confirming the Churches and commanding them to keepe the Praecepts of the Apostles and Auncients Ananias sold a piece of land and defrauded of the price of it bringing only part of it to the feet of the Apostles Saint Peter who by reuelation vnderstood his deceit rebuked him saying Act. 5. Ananias why hath sathan tempted thy hart that thou shouldest ly to the holy Ghost c. Thou hast not lyed to men but to God And it cost him his life forth with falling downe dead in the place And his wife Saphira who was priuy to his fraude comming in about three houres after and mainteining her husbands ly Behold said Saint Peter their seete that haue buried thy husband at the doore and they shall beare thee forth And she fell downe presently and dying was carried out of doores and buried with her husband See here the diuine authority attributed to the Church Saint Peter declaring that Ananias then lyed to the holy Ghost and not to men but to God in that he lyed to those who as the Praelats of the Church had the authority of God and a terrible example of the diuine Iustice ensuing to teach vs reuerence and obedience to that authority Our blessed Sauiour speaking to his Apostles said Luc. 10. He that heareth you heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee and Saint Paul writing to the Thessalonians concerning the Praecepts which he had deliuered to them Thess 14. saith He that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who also hath giuen his holy Spirit in vs. By all which places we see that the Church hath diuine authority that to heare it is to heare God and to be vnheare to it is to be vnheare to him to dissemble with the Prelates of the Church is to dissemble with God and to dispise them is to despise him The reason of this is Order because the Superiours of the Church being ordained of God to gouerne the world in his diuine seruice their authority is to be obeyed as the ordinance of God and as the supreme authority vpon earth aboue all temporall power in that immediatly and directly it tendeth not the temporall but to spirituall peace and order and therefore those that deny obedience to it and resist it resist the diuine ordinance and the supreme authority that is amongst men If a father should set a Schoole Master ouer his children and commande them to obey him they denying obedience to him and refusing to be taught by him disobey their father as well as their master God setteth the Pastors of the Church as Masters ouer vs to instruct and commande vs in the diuine worship Mal. 2. The lips of the Priest shall preserue knowledge and the law thou shalt require from his mouth and the Apostle saith Heb. 13. Obey your Prelates and be subiect to them for they watch as being to render account for your soules The greatest Duke King or Emperour if he hath a soule to be saued he hath a Priest and a Prelate to obey as well as the meanest of his subiects he is his master in spirituall things and if he disobey him in the doctrine and Praecepts of the Church hee disobeyeth God who ordained him in that authority he doth contrary to the
for it as may be done for any absurdity whatsoeuer but the commune sense and the first apprehension of all men conceiueth it most naturall to sorrow with the sorrowfull and abhorreth the contrary as a disdaine and affront and Christ will disdaine those that disdaine him and despise those that despise his Church Baronius relateth of Saint Elphegus Bishop of Winchester how that exhorting of the people to obserue Lent a certaine man derided him but the Bishop foretold that he should dy that night and so it happened Lent then is obserued in imitation of our Lords fast in honour of his Passion and as a preparation for Easter The Sundayes in Lent are not of the number of the forty dayes fast although we keepe abstinence on them also that the forty dayes may continue in some kind of fasting all together and not be quite broken by eating of flesh within that time Ember dayes Ember dayes were fasted as a preparation for holy Orders which at those times vsed to be giuen Saint Hierome writing to Marcella sayeth that the Ember dayes as well as lent were instituted by the Apostles Act. 13. And it may be gathered out of their acts where it is said that fasting and praying they imposed hands that is gaue orders and from this of the Apostles came the practise of the Church of fasting Ember dayes for the more worthy receiuing of holy Orders Leo ser 7 as saint Leo declareth who therefore calleth it an Apostolicall tradition They are obserued in the beginning of the fower quarters of the yeare of Spring Summer Autumne and Winter to offer vp to God as it were the first fruits of all times the orders of the Church being then receiued Rogations dayes Rogation dayes are fasted for the fruits of the earth Procession is made that the whole Church both Clergy and Laity may be represented as present to acknowledge the goodnesse of God and his prouidence ouer vs and to pray for the continuance of it towards vs. Vigils Vigils are fasted inhonour of the day following that it being a holy day dedicated to prayer fasting and prayer may goe both togother for the greater honour of God They are called Vigils which is to say watchings because aunciently the faithfull vsed to watch all that night attending in the Church to the Ecclesiasticall office but many inconueniences in processe of time appearing in those watchings they were layed aside Fridays fast or abstinence Fryday according to custome of places is in honour of our blessed Sauiours Passion The feast and solemnity of Saint Marke was first instituted by occasion of a great pestilence S. Marke which reigned so violently in Italy and especially about Rome that people suddainly fell downe dead as they sneized or yawned And from thence saith Durandus came the custome of saying God blesse you to those that sneize as being then in danger of death Saint Pelagius who was then Pope instituted the solemnity of Saint Marke against it and himselfe died of it as he was going in the Procession Saint Gregory who succeeded him commanded it to be kept all ouer and therefore it is called the great Letany that is to say a greater supplication for Letany is as much as to say a supplication or petitioning of God and so the abstinence Procession and the whole solemnity may be vnderstoode as a supplication thus instituted The solemnity of Rogation dayes is called the lesser Letany because they were first begunne more priuatly and by a lesser authority to wit of the Bishop of Vienna Thus Durand Saturdays abstinence is kept in honour of our blessed Lady in remembrance of that Saturday Saturday on which the sacred body of our Lord remained in the Sepulcher for the Faith of Christ was then preserued especially by her the Apostles at that time wauering in the beleefe of his Resurrection This as all other Praecepts of the Church obligeth according to the intention of the Church commanding it How we are to fast For he that maketh lawes is to interprete his meaning in them who as he could giue them power to oblige so is he to determine the circumstances of their obligation Hence it followeth first that sicke folkes children and youths before they come to a sufficient setled growth aged and decayed persons poore people that must eate often as not hauing sufficient at once for an intire maile and those that labour much in body or minde are not bounde to fasting Because the Praecepts of the Church are to bee vnderstoode vnto edification and not vnto destruction that is to say they are intended to raise the honour of God by increasing of peoples deuotion but they should pull it downe and lessen it if they obliged with any notable hurt And therefore fasting and all such corporall afflictions are to be vsed with discretion and moderation and oblige not vnto our hurt or notable damage Saint Paul was a great lover of such afflictions and no doubt but he was glad to see his disciple Timothy to follow him in them yet when he saw that it was with excesse and to the impairing of his health Tim. 1.5 he aduised him saying Drinke not yet water but vse a litle wine for thy stomake and thy often infirmitys Secondly it followeth that our fast is broken with meate only and not with drinke which the Church might also haue forbidden but did not and therefore it is lawfull to drinke betwixt mailes either wine beere water or any thing which is vsed as drinke Milke betwixt mailes breaketh the fast because it is rather meate then drinke and therefore we commonly call it as the Scripture also doth te cate milke The Praecept of fasting includeth two things Two things in fasting to wit to abstaine from vnlawfull meates and to eate but one maile of lawfull meates The first bindeth all that are subiect to the Prâ—cepts of the Church that is all that are capable of reason The second obligeth only those that are of perfect strength and sufficient ability and not such as are mentioned aboue who may eate more mailes then one so that they absteine from meates prohibited It is a custome in some places to eate bread and drinke on fasting dayes in the morning which in seruants and others that are not bound to fast is allowable and very good because their fasting is a voluntary obsequy in them who not being able nor bound to oblerue strictly the fast of the Church it is to be vnderstoode that of deuotion they will absteine from a compleate breakfast and content them selues with onely bread and drinke but in those that are bound to fast I know not how to allow of it It proceedeth also as I suppose out of ignorance in some that they eate aples and fruit out of maile time on fasting dayes I tell thâ—se once againe that they may drinke on fasting dayes our of maile time and take some thing to quench their thirst because
the Church hath not forbidden to drinke but it hath forbidden to eate all kind of meate and therefore apleâ— and fruit are not to be eaten out of mailes Fasting dayes beginne at twelue a clocke in the morning and end at twelue a clocke at night conteining fower and twenty houres Aunciently they fasted from supper time on the day before till supper time againe on the next day without eating of any thing but mens complexions growing weaker and weaker and perhaps their deuotions also they beganne to take their suppers sooner on fasting dayes vntill by litle and litle they brought supper to noone time and custome hath now preuailed to take a litle collation at night as is obserued in the Church So that the maile which we haue on fasting dayes is not properly a dinner but a supper and therfore it may lawfully be differred as late as we will but it may not be taken before the time allowed of by custome Which is at soonest about noone time Finally Scandall for the manner of fasting the customes of places are to be obscrued and we must be very carefull that we giue noe scandall to others especially to the enemys of the Catholike Church who make allways the worst of our actions and therefore many things which are lawfull are not allways expedient to be done It was in it selfe lawfull for saint Paul to eate flesh and of that flesh which was immolated to Idols for the flesh was no worse yet he would rather neuer eate flesh at all Cor. 1. â— then scandalize any by â—ating of it If meale saith he scandalize my brother It ill neuer eate flesh least I scandalize my brother THE SECOND PRAECEPT TO keepe Holy dayes In the Law of Moyses diuerse holy dayes were commanded to be kept Ioan. 10. and were then obserued by praecept of the Church Apoc. 1. and our blessed Sauiour hath allowed of them honoâ—ing their solemnitys by his owne presence at them as he did the feast of the Dedication of the Temple instituted by the Church in the time of Iudas Machabaeus The Scriptures make mention of the Domâ—nicall day that is to say our Lords day or our Sunday to haue bene kept in the Apostles times The Church then tooke away the Saturday Sabaoth which God first commanded in remembrance of the creation of the world and instituted Sundays Sabaoth or rather transferred Saturdays Sabâ—oth vnto Sundayes Sabaoth in honour of the Redemption of the world as à greater mystery and I doe not heare of any Heretiks now in the world that refuse to keepe Sunday for Sabaoth with what consequence then can they refuse to keepe the other holy dayes or any other praecept of the Church they all hauing the same authority that Sundayihath and the same obligation Yet Protestants allow the obligation of Sundayes solemnity and durst neuer attempt to alter it or to deny the obligation of it hauing no other warrant for it but the authority of the Church which then gouerned the Christian world and hauing the same for other holy dayes they reiect them The truth is that they haue forsaken the Church that was allayes in the world to beginne a Church which then was not at all in the world and therefore the holy Ghost hath forsaken them and left them to such inconsequences of their owne wits Clem. l. 8. Apost constit Saint Clement who liued in the Apostles times and was disciple vnto Saint Peter and Coadiutor to Saint Paul and who wrote as an eyewitnesse of those things which were then obserued in the Catholike Church deliuereth that the Apostles gaue order for the obseruing of the Feasts of their fellow Apostles and in particular of Saint Steuen as also of some other Martyrs Epiph. haer 75. Saint Epiphanius denounceth Aërius for an Haeretike in that he reiected the holy dayes of the Church By all which it appeareth how weake that obiection of Protestants is which Aërius also obiected out of the Apostles words Gal. 4. Yoü obserue dayes months times and yeares Where the Apostle speaketh against the superstitious obseruations of Heathens from which yong Christians at their first conuersions were hardly weaned in those times and therefore he rebuketh them but I haue said enough for this and all other Praecepts of the Church when I shewed that they are the Precepts of God and haue divine authority This Praecept includeth two things to wit to absteine from seruil works and to heate Masse for it is not sufficient not to worke corporall works on holy dayes but we must also sanctify them with some speciall good works as dayes particularly dedicated to the seruice and honour of God and Masse being the cheife highest and most eminent worship which can be giuen to him as his onely true Sacrifice therefore the Church hath commanded that euery one be present to offer vp at least one Masse euery holy day And this is as great an obligation as to obserue Lent or any other Praecept of the Church obliging vnder a mortall sinne S. 2. Par. Chron. tit 9. c. 10 §. 2. Anthony Archbishop of Florence relateth of two men who going out to fowle vpon a holy day they heard a voice that cryed strike him strike him and the one of them that had not heard Masse was presently strucke dead with a thunder bolt and his astonished companion hearing the voyce to continue still was comforted with another which answered I can not strike him for that he hath heard Verbum caro factum est intimating that he had heard an intire Masse to the end Amongst Holydayes those are obserued as most solemne in the Church that haue more immediate relation to God himselfe We keepe also the feasts of our blessed Lady and of the Angels and Saints to honour God by them that as they help vs and reioyce at our good soe we may praise their vertues and reioyce in their glory Besides by celebrating their feasts we are incited to the imitation of their liues and to aspire to that state of blesse which they enioy THE THIRD PRAECEPT TO Confesse our sinnes to our ordinary Pastour or to another with his leaue at least once a yeare By Praecept of the Church we are boundnoe oftener to confession then once in the yeare but many circumstances may occurre in which by diuine Praecept we are bounde to confesse oftener First in all dangers of life as when we are dangerously siâ—ke and as those that are condemned to dy Souldiers also tradesmen and trauelers when they are to goe vpon any dangerous attempt or iourneys finally in all perils of life we are bounde to prepare our selues for death and if â—e be conscious of any mortal sinne in such dangers we are bounde to goe to confession as the ordinary meanes which God hath instituted for the remissioÌ„ of sinnes We are bound also to goe to coÌ„fession allwais before we receiue any of theseauen SacrameÌ„ts if we be guilty of mortal sinne because
mortall sinne is as opposite to the diuine grace as poyson wounds and sicknesse are to health and as darknes is to light which can not be both together and therefor he that knoweth himselfe to be in mortall sinne and cleereth not his conscience before he receiueth any Sacrament doth as a sicke man that should desire health and yet willfully keepe poyson at his hart or as one that should shutte vp the windows to let in light and doth not onely hinder the effect and fruit of the Sacrament which he receiueth but committeth also a new mortall sinne in soe receiuing and there for we are bounde to cleere ourselues by a good confession from mortall sinne before we receiue either the Eucharist Extreme-Vnction Holy Orders or any other Sacrament baptisme onely excepted because by it we must be made christians before we can receiue any of the christian Sacraments if we did but consider the benefits which we gette by the Sacrament of Pennance we should not neede to be commanded to it First we â—ette the forgiuenesse of our sinnes by which we are as it were in a moment freed from the most painfull and lothsome sicknes that can be We gette the diuine grace the least degree of which is better then all this visible world we gett pardon from a horrible and euerlasting â—ame for the future we gett ourselues admitted into the Communion of Saints and to the fellowship of the blessed soe as to haue then a condignity through the merits of Christ to their euerlasting reward Lastly we exhilarate and make glad the whole court of heauen and we contristate and make sad the spirits of hell with our conuersion to God We are commanded to confesse to our ordinary Pastour and that with good reason that our Pastors who haue the particular charge of vs may haue a more destinct and particular knowledge of the state of our consciences And this is intimated in the words of Christ when he said that the good Pastour calleth his sheepe by name and leadeth them forth that is knoweth them all in particular and hath a care of euery one of them Besides Pastors and people are thuâ— â—ngaged to each other to be good Pastors and good people But because Pastors in their parishes haue many imployments and can not allwais attende to hearing of confessions therefor the Church licenceth other Priests and religious men who are not ordinary Pastors to heare confessions and to such we may lawfully confesse because our Pastors licence is supposed to confesse to them THE FOVRTH PRAECEPT TO receiue the Eucharist at Easter time I haue shâ—wed in its propper place how oftne of deuotion we may receiue this the most blessed of all Sacraments But that none may be depriued of the benefits and graces of it the Catholike Church hath commanded that all should receiue once euery yeare and that about Easter time because it was then instituted and bequeathed as a legacy to the Apostles to be deliuered by them to the christian world and to remaine as an euerlasting testimony of the loue of Christ towards vs and as a memoriall of the worke of our redemption And therefor it is sitting that euery christian should commemorate the mystery of it about that time by humbly and thankefully receiuing it We are bounde also to receiue it against our deaths because it is the most comfortable Vyande and strengthening bread which God hath prouided against that last and irreuocable voyage Of which we haue a figure in the third booke of Kings When Iesabel persecuted the Church and killed soe many Prophets that Elias in Israel was as it were left alone and he also was threatened by a messenger that the next day his soule should follow them he fledd into the desert committing himselfe to the diuine prouidence in that barren and solitary place And God who neuer faileth to prouide for his freinds prouided for him sending him bread by an Angell who badde him eate for that he had a great way to goe Reg. 3.19 And eating of the Angels bread he walked in the strength of that meate forty dayes and forty nights vnto the mount of God Horeb. The Angels bread was the blessed Sacrament in mystery the Angell that brought it signifyeth the Priest tho great way which Elias had to goe is the iourney of death which all haue to goe Horeb the mount of God representeth heauen and thither we artaine by vertue and strength of this comfortable bread We are bound then to receiue the Eucharist at Easter time and at our deaths THE FIFT PRAECEPT TO pay tithes This Praecept obligeth partly by Law of nature and partly by the authority of the Church By the Law of nature we are bound to allow a maintenance for our spirituall Pastors and the Church hath determined that this allowance should be the tithes In the holy Law of Moyses God chose to himselfe the tribe of Leui to attende vpon his sâ—ruice and to labour for the spirituall good of the people and being soe imployed in that charge that they could not attende to tilling of Land nor to worke for their owne maintenance he ordained that the people whom they susteined spiritually should susteine them corporally and should pay to them the rithes of the fruits of the earth as a competent allowance for them By the same â—ty of God and of nature we are bounde as they were to mainteine our spirituall Pastors and Christ not hauing specifyed any allowance in particular but hauing left it to the determination of the Church what could the Church of Christ more reasonably determine then that which God had determined before in the same case to wit the tithes aâ— a competent maintenance for Pastours Saint Paul indeede would receiue nothing of the Corinthians but would worke with his hands on the night time to maintaine his labour on the day rather then he would be burder some to them But although he would doe this with the Corinthians yet with others he did not soe but receiued a liuelyhood of those to whom he preached and of the Corinthians also he challenged it as due although for some reasons he would take nothing of them Luc. 10. Our Sauiour instructed his Apostles to take their maintenance of the people and declared it as due to them as wages are to workemen For the workman saith he is worthy of his hyre Tim. 1.5 And Saint Paul alleadging this sentence to that purpose hath assured vs of the sense of it and of the authority of Christ in that sense The same Apostle speaking of it saith Whoeuer playeth the souldier at his owne charges in the law of Moyses those that serued the Altare participated of the Altare And so also our Lord ordained in the Law of grace for them that preach the Ghospell to liue of the Ghospell Thus doth S. Paul discourse vpon thâ— By all which it doth appeare that the tithes being appointed by the Church for the labors of the Clergy