holy SACRAMENT Who is the Father of this coloured Ray 'T is the Sun But the Sun produced not the colour But it produced the Ray which is joyned with the colour and who is the mother of this coloured Ray 't is the glass but it made not the ray but it produced the radiant colour it cloathed the ray with this Robe of colour Who is the Father of IESUS MAN-GOD It is the eternal Father He begot not of his substance the Humanity of JESUS But He begot of his Substance the Person of his Son who is Man Who is the Mother of this MAN-GOD It is Mary she begot not the Divinity But she conceived the Man who is God the cloathed the Person of the Son of God with our humanity Which is the more ancient this coloured Ray or the glass The Ray as a Ray as the offspring of the Sun is a long time before the glass it is from the beginning of the world it is as ancient as the Sun But the Ray as coloured is younger than the Sun Who is the more ancient IESUS or Mary IESUS as God or as Son of God is long before Mary He is from eternity as the Father and the holy Ghost But JESUS as man is younger than his Mother This Ray being in the sun is so bright and resplendent that i◠dazells the eyes of them that look upon it but the same ray being descended here below and cloathed with a red colour is easily beheld so the son of God in the bosome of his Father is invisible ineffable inaccessible and incomprehensible But the same Son of God being cloathed with our humanity is made visible palpable and sensible to the end He might illuminate and instruct us that He might be the Director of souls and the Doctor of justice as He is called by the Prophets And He begins betimes to perform the charge He exercices the office from the beginning of his life 4. This insant newly born does preach his pulpit is the cradle his Auditory the univers his Doctrine is the contempt of the world He preaches not by word for He cannot speak but by example He preaches not to the eares But to the eyes He says that voluntary poverty is better than riches And the world on the contrary says that money is to be procured in the first place that a man must have it tho' he hazard his soul for it This divine infant says the humble simple innocent and mortifyd life is that which pleases God The World says a man must greaten himself appear glorious Machevalize subtily Circumvent and diceive craftily and live in delights and pleasures 5. Behold two Masters quite contrary two doctrines diametrically opposite It is necessary the one or the other be deceiv'd To say this infant is deceiv'd is horrible blasphemy He is the eternal Wisdom the increated Wisdom the Angel of the great Council It must then be confest that the Avaricious Ambitions Voluptuous and Machiavilians are grossly deceived 6. Let us then Conforme our selves to IESUS who is established by the eternal Father as our modell Let our life resemble his as an Image the Prototipe or original Let it be a copie an expression and a representation of his that we paticipating his vertues Spirit and graces in this life may be partakers of his glory in the other Amen DISCOURS VI. OF THE FOVRTH ARTICLE Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried THe Apostles who made in their Creed an abridgement of the principall Mysteries of our Faith having spoken of the Conception and of the Nativity of our Saviour pass his Life in silence and treat immediatly of His death to teach us the chiefe reason of his comming was to suffer and to redeem us by his Passion 2. He saw by the light of glory the abyss of sin and the Eternal damnation to which men were doom'd for the fault of their first Parents and for their own sins He had pity on them and prayed his Father to pardon them for the Love of Him What man on earth What Angel in Heaven knowing that the only Son of God a Son so amiable and so beloved demands pardon of his Father for men to whom He is like in nature What man or Angel say I knowing this would not have sayd surely surely the eternal Father will pardon mankind for the love of his Son who is a man and that also freely without any satisfaction No the Father does it not But He says Isaiah 53. 10. my Justice must have its cours my Son I will pardon men if you will answer for them and undergoe death for them The Son hath a great apprehension and horror of a death so cruell and ignominious we see it in the Prayer He made in the Garden which was an expression of that which He acted in the womb of his Mother after the instant of his Conception 3. Nevertheless He accepted not only with patience and resignation but also with pleasure and satisfaction the decrees of Gods Justice concerning him He offered himself most willingly and with an ineffable love not only to be nayled to the Cross but also to remaine and languish thereupon ' til the end of the world if it should so please his Father Ecce venio ut faciam voluntatem Heb. 10. 9. tuam He that should have seen this submission might with probability have sayd the eternal Father will content himself with his good will as He was satisfyd with the good will of Abraham and of Isaac at least the Justice of God will be contented that he suffer but one prick of a thorn or one stroke of a whip that He shed one drop of his Blood which is sufficient to sanctify the whole world No He wills that He suffer actually all the punishments humiliations and afflictions we sinners did deserve 4. A Sinner deserves to be depriv'd of the use of creatures since he abused them to be humbled and confounded becaus he would not be subject to the laws and will of God To be punished both in body and soul becaus he offended the infinitely high Majesty of the Creator And JESUS hath taken upon himself to satisfy for all these pains and punishments 5. He was depriv'd of the use of Creatures for what privation more rigorous than to be spoiled of his very cloathes to be as naked as a worme of the earth not to have so much as a poor shift to cover him not a drop of water to refresh his tongue in the agony of death One of his Apostles betrays him another denys him all forsake him and thô some holy Women followed him yet they were not permitted to assist him 6. He was humbled and confounded What greater humiliation than to be exposed to derision and rudeness of the rable and to insolence of soldiers Who treat him as the very scum of men who salute him in mocherie blindfold him buffet him pull off his beard who put a reed in his hand
one cannot practise effectually all good workes but a chosen soul is disposed to do them promptly whensoever God gives him abilitie and occasion These Words of S. Paul instruct us to employ the Talents and to cooperate with the grace that God gives us faithfully In what consists the fidelity of a servant in that he employes the goods of his Master to as much profit as he can and therefore the servant in the Gospell who had employ'd well the five talents which were given him to trafick was called faithfull servant S. Matt. 25. 26. serve bone fidelis and the other who gain'd not with his talent was term'd naughty servant This ought to admonish us Gregory hom 9 in Evang. sayes great S. Gregory to consider carefully lest we who have received more from God than others should be therefore judg'd more severely and rigorously than others for when the gifts of God are augmented in us the accompts which we must render of them also do increase every one of us ought then to be so much more humble and more diligent in the service of God how much he finds himself more oblig'd for the fovours he receiv'd from him 9. Nevertheless there are very many Christians that make not good use of them there are but few comparatively to whome one may not say as to the idle servant in the Gospell who hid his Talent serve nequam naughty servant Some have the Talent of a good wit and understanding And in what do they employ this fine wit to speak a witty word in company to jest pleasantly to study curiosities and complements to make ingenious replyes to the end they say there is a Lady that hath a great wit there is a man that knowes how to intertain company they do as that foolish Emperour who spent the day in chasing and killing flies with a golden bodkin they have golden understandings which are not employd but to catch flies the flies of vain glory of worldly praise of complacencie in them selves and at the best but in the affaires of this world God gave it them to consider his workes to contemplate his perfections to meditate upon the Mysteries of Faith to conceive acts of repentance to do good workes to assist the poore to confort the opprest to help widows and orphans and to instruct the ignorant and they do nothing less is not this to lose or abuse their Talent Others have the Talent of perfect health a body entire and well compos'd that they may bear the labours of good and vertuous workes and the austerities of penance and they let this health wâ—ste away in an idle slack and faint life Ladies if you are good Christians after you have don your devotions you ought to labor in some worke for the Poore since S. Paul does say so To others God hath given riches of this world to do good with them to buy heaven and to redeem their sins by alms if God had don this favour to one man only to be able to redeem eternal paines with temporal goods to be able to oblige his Saviour and to gaine his favour with money how happy would he be esteem'd when a rich man is upon his death-bed and dispair'd off by Phisitians we are wont to say ô if life and health could be bought with money how glad would this man be how willingly would he give the halfe of his fortune to free himself from present death Yes life and health may be purchased with money not the fragil and temporal health but the solid and eternal not this life which is full of miseries but the happy life which is a collection of all goods And instead of purchasing this life instead of redeeming their sins by alms instead of traficking with this Talent they keep it â—id and lock'd up in a Coffre or they throw it away in vanities superfluities and debaucheries Another Talent which God desires us to manage with more care is the time He gives us to do penance and other workes of holiness He desires so much that we make use of the present time that he leaves us vncertaine of the future we know not that after this year this month this week this day there will be any time for us Is it not then a great want of prudence to let it pass without making good use of it Consider well your life see in what you employ the precious time You rise at eight or nine a clock you lose two or three houres in dressing your selves you content your selves to hear a short mass the afternoon is spent in giving or receiving visites the evening in frivolous discourses in cardes or other pastimes is this the life of a Christian is this to bring forth much fruit is this to be a Pursuer of good Works But that with which we ought to cooperate most diligently is the grace of God Wherefore S. Paul cryes-out to us receive 2. Cor. 6. not the grace of God in Vaine Nevertheless holy Iob notes our abuse of it Ipsi fuerunt rebelles Lumini they have been rebells against the light Is it not true that this word is verifyd in you you Iob. 24. 23. do not sin through ignorance you know well that you live not as you ought you would not dye in the state of negligence Vanity worldliness in which you are you do many things which in the houre of death you will wish you had not don you do not many things which you will wish you had don you seek arguments and apparent reasons to flatter your selves in your imperfections and abuses of Gods graces But We need not to go out of the parable of the Gospel to confute them The Master sayd to the servant who had hid his Talent naughty servant why have you not put it out to profit He had not dissipated nor imploy'd ill the Talent but because he had not gain'd by it he sayd to him naughty servant take him and cast him into exteriour darkness Let us then apply our selves to good workes so that we may say with S. Paul the grace of God hath not been fruitless in me that 1. Cor. 15. 10. Colloss 4. 12. Apoc. 3. we may be of the number of those to whome 't is sayd You stand perfect and full in all the Will of God that we may not be subject to this reproach in the Apocalyps I find not thy workes full before God Consider what you would say to a workman that should rest two or rhree houres daily more then he ought what you would say to your farmer if he should bring you but half the rent he owes you These holy dispositions must com from God it belongs to him to give the beginning the progress and the accomplishment of our vertue Beg then these graces of him humbly fervently and frequently cooperate with them faithfully render to him all the glory of your actions and confess that when God shal crown your merits He will crown his
more secure to go by the way of Innocencie than by the way penance to everlasting life Amen DISCOURS XLII of the Oblgations we contract in Baptisme I Will poure out upon you clean water and you shal be cleansed from all your contaminations I will give you a new heart and a new spirit sayd God by Ezechiel Which words the holy Fathers and the Interpreters of Scripure understand unanimously of Baptismal water He had reason to make this promise with so great pomp and majestie of words for if we cosider attentively we shal see that after the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Redemption of manking He never more oblig'd humane nature than by the institution of the Sacrament of Baptism which purges us from all sin makes us adoptive children of God members of IESUS CHRIST coheires of Heaven and Temples of the holy Ghost What honor what dignity and what admirable prerogatives They that are members of IESUS CHRIST and the children of God ought they not to lead a life conformable to this dignity thy that receiv'd the Spirit of God in Baptisme should they not act and speak according to this divine Spirit T is is that to which all Christians are oblig'd by Baptism It obliges them to die a morall and vertuous death and to lead a new life conformable to rhe excellencie of this birth as shal be shewn in this Discours 1. Before I proceed to the proofs of these important Points I explicate my self By the sin of the first man and by our own crimes we deserve to die effectually the death of soul and body and to be bâ—ried in hell eternally But the Son of God out of his infinite mercy to the end we might live and merit the crowns of heaven changes by Baptisme that horrible and eternall death into a morall and vertuous one He will that we die to sin to the world and to our selves To sin that is to all sorts of vices To rhe world and its pomps that is you must not set your heart upon the pride riches and passtimes thereof you must reject superfluities and content your self with necessaries and not according to the rules of the world but according to christian frugalitie modestie and humilitie To our selves this is that we call dying to the old Adam that is you must die to ill humours irregular passions vicious inclinations to the love of your own selves which we contracted by our carnal birth and extraction from the first man for by his sin our nature hath been so corrupted that if we follow it we have no other object of our thoughts words actions and affections than our selves and our own interests To all the aforesayd things we are oblig'd to die and see here the proofs of it 2. For when S. Paul says in the 6th chapter of his Epistle to the Romans that we are dead and buried with IESVS CHRIST Rom. 6. by Baptisme It is to prove what he would perswade us in the whole Chapter that we are oblig'd to kill in our selves sin with all its appurtenances and for ever so he says since we are dead to sin how shal we live therein We know that by Baptisme our old Rom. 6 man hath been crucifyd with IESUS CHRIST that the body of sin and the mass of evill inclinations may be destroyed And to the Galatians they that pertain to Christ have crucified their flesh with its vices and Gal. 5. concupiscences Can we be good Christians and not appertain to IESUS Nevertheless the Apostle of JESUS says that we appertain not to him if we crucify not our flesh He says not they that appertain to him in the quality of Religious or Priests But all they that appertain to IESUS CHRIST Crucify their flesh And S. Chrisostome Baptisme is to us that which the Cross and Sepulcher was to IESUS 24. hom 10. in ep Rom. C. 6. it ought to have in us the same effects it ought to crucify us to make us die and to hide us from the world 3. It imports much to note what is the Grace of each Sacrament and what charg it puts upon us for each sacrament conferrs a special grace and to this grace some charg is annexed to which we oblige our selves T is a Talent given us with a strict obligation to employ it The grace of Confirmation is a spirit of Fortitude which obliges us to make profession of the Faith in Presence of Tyrants also with perill of our lives The grace of Confession is a spirit of Penance which obliges us to satisfactory workes to fasts alms prayers and other actions which S. Iohn Baptist terms Fruits worthy of penance the grace of Baptime is a spirit of the Cross and death which obliges us to die to sin to the world and to our selves if then we have any voluntary affection to the Pomps of the world to the delights of the flesh to the satisfaction of unruly passions if we are wedded to our own conduct to our proper judgment and not to that of our Superiours we are wanting to the grace of this Sacrament for we are baptized to be made Christians that is Disciples of Christ and He says to us expresly He that renounces Matth. 16. Luke 9. 23. not himself note himself his unbridled passions bad humours his own judgment and self love and carrys not his Cross daily cannot be my disciple 4. But this death is like to that of the Phenix which dies not but to acquire a new life 'T is as that of IESUS who was spoyled of a mortal and fading life to resume a glorious and immortal We die not to sin to the world and to our selves but to live to God and to his grace we are not crucifyd with IESUS CHRIST but to rise again to a new life we devest not our selves of the old man but to put on the new For we are buried by baptisme with IESUS to die to sin that as the Son of God is risen by the glory of his Father So also we may Rom. 6. Ephes. 4. 24. walk in newness of life says S. Paul to the Romans And to the Ephesians Put ye on the new man which according to God is created in justice and sanctity When the Apostle commends to us a new life he demands of us a great change and an admirable metamorphosis says S. Chrysostom Then he adds I have great S Chrysost hom 10. in ep ad Rom. 6. Gal. 5. 3. caus to groan and weep abundantly considering on the one side the great obligations we have contracted in Baptisme and seeing on the other our great negligence For as S. Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians says every man that circumcises himself engages himself to observe all the law of Moyses So whosoever receives Baptisme obliges himself to keep the law of Christ Now since Christian Religion is a profession of penance mortification sanctity and perfection these things are not indifferent to them that
which the Sacrament excites And it would restore also health of body more effectually for when you are in or neere your agony and dispaired of by Phisicians if the Sacrament should repaire your force and strength this would be a miracle which God who disposes althings sweetly does not usually or without necessity But if you receive it sooner He would dispose second causes by the secrets of his providence to renew your health in case He should judg it necessary for your salvation 6. The third effect which the Apostle atributes to this Sacrament is the remission of sins And if he be in sins they shal be remitted him He says expressy If he be in sins becaus he supposes the Sicke hath already received Penance and that by absolution his sins have been remitted But if he hath not rightly accomplished Confession and Communion and knows it not or if by humane frailty he hath committed a mortal sin after his Confession and is ignorant of it such remainders with all venial sins would be remitted and a good part of the temporal punishment due to them relaxed by this Sacrament If then we are depriv'd of it by our fault or if we receive the Sacrament unfruitfully or if by our negligence a Soul depart out of this world without receiving the grace of it 't is a great fault and God does make this complaint of it The wound is not sured nor mollifyd with oyle 7. S. Bernard writes that S. Malachy was intreated to visit and Vitâ S. Malach. carry the holy oyles to a Gentlewoman dying near his monastery who so reioyced in the presence of the holy Prelate that she seem'd to be quite reviv'd she demanded the Sacrament but the Assisstant seeing her so changed desired the Prelate to forbeare The Saint condescended to their request and returned with the holy oyles No sooner he arrived at the Monastery but he heard the Cryes of divers who sayd that she was dead he runns and coms to her and finds her dead Behold him in the greatest sorrow in lamentations tears groans and complaints of himself for a fault whereof he was not guilty T is my fault Lord 't is my fault since she desired it I should not have defer'd it he protests to all the Assistants that he will weep in consolably that is Soul should never rest til he had restored to the dead the grace which she had lost he remains by the corps and instead of holy Oyle waters it all night with his precious tears This holy water frightens and puts death to flight for the next morning the dead opened her eyes as if she had been wakened out of sleep then sits up and making a low inclination to the Bishop says The prayer of faith hath saved the infirme By which you see how soliciâ—ous we should be to receive the effects and reap the fruits of this Sacrament 8. And to reap them with full hands and in abundance we must receive it with necessary dispositions and 't is certaine that Sacramental Confession must if possible precede it becaus this Sacrament is one of those which Divines call Sacramenta Vivorum that is which ought not to be received but by the faithfull who are already in the life of grace I say if possible for if one should be so depriv'd by a sudden accident that he cannot Confess we must neuertheless administer to him this Sacrament But there are three other dispositions which a devout soul should have in receiving it One in respect of God another in respect of himself and the third in respect of his neighbor 9. First you must offer to God a sacrifice of your life accepting death with resignation to his holy Will with great submission to the Orders of his Providence and to render honor and homage to his divine Perfections and say my God I submit with all my heart to the sentence of death you have pronounced against me from the beginning of the world I offer my life to you to do homage to your Souveraintie and Justice I acknowledg and protest that I have most justly deserv'd it not only by teason of original sin but as often as I have sinned in all my life 10. He that is in this disposition of a Victime and a Holocaust in the sight of God will have also the necessary spirit of humility He will renounce all pride ambition vain glory and ostentation he will abhorr the spirit of those vain souls who disire passionately to be praised in gazetts celebrated in histories that their hearts or bodys be emâ—auâ—med put into ledden coffins carried to the grave with pomp with famous and magnificent obsequies and funeral discourses who build for themselves or make to be built high and glorious tombes who fix their names and armes upon the walls of Churches and cause Epitaphes to be composed Aug. lib. 9. confess c. 13. in their praises S. Austin praises his Mother for that she had not the least thought of such a Vanity And the Scripture blames the ambition wherewith they buried the king Asa They buried him in his sepulcher which he digged for himself in the City of David and they layd him upon his bed full of Spices and odoriferous 2. Paral. 16. 14. oyntments and they burnt it upon him with exceeding ambition says the sacred Text. 12. In fine the holy oyle minds you of the Parable of the Virgins that they who had kept Virginity were not saved becaus they wanted the oyle of mercy with much more reason they cannot be saved who having committed impurities and other sins shal be presented to their Judg not having redeem'd their crimes by the workes of Charity You ought to do it all your life but if you have failed if you have not made the lamp to be carried before you make it at least to follow after you that you may not be wholy in darkness when you go into the other world JESUS having given us his sweat blood and life deserves well that you give him a good part of your goods also during your life when they are more necessary for you But since you have omitted it give him a little part of them at least in the houre of your death when your goods are useless to you 't is He who gave them to you who is the Proprietor of them and nevertheless desires for your good to receive of them in the persone of the Poor 13. I conclude with these words of S. Salvian You are avaricious But you are not enough I exhort you to be yet more you love Lib. 2. con Av. a ritiam in fine riches love them at your death as well as in your life you fear the poverty of this life fear also that of the other carry your riches with you into the other world they will be more necessary there than here to avoyd the paines of Purgatory in the way to redeem you in case you are cast in to that Prison and to make
foretells that the Sovereignity and the Royal Authotity should enter into the Tribe of Iuda and that it should remaine there 'till the comming of the MESSIAS In the first He foresees that which was to be effected after a thousand years what man could see so far He foresees what was to come contrary to all humane apearance for Ruben Simeon and Levi were Iudas his elder Brothers and by the right of eldership were to be preferred Nevertheless the Royalty in fine enters into the Tribe of Iuda in the personne of David and is there established and continues there 'till the comming of the MESSIAS notwithstanding the murmuration of the ten other Tribes the revolt of Israël and the captivity of Babilon Isay 11. 1. Hierem 23. 3. The Prophets Isaiah and Hieremiah foretell that He should issue out of the race of David and JESUS-CHRIST issued thence which is so clear that He was called commonly the son of David and it is proved by the deduction of his Geneaoligy â—n S. Matthew and S. Luke Micheas fortells that He should be born in Betheleem Mich. 5. He is born there Isaiah that He should be conceived and born Isai 42. Isai 35. 6. Isai 53. Psal 21. Psal 14. Isai 11. Zachuriâ—h 19. of a Virgin He was so the Psalmist that the Kings of the East should bring him presents they did so Isaiah Prophesies that He should be carried into Egipt that He should be gentle merciful peaceable That He should restore light to blinde hearing to deaf and speach to dumb That He should be despised humbled afflicted and put to death with the wicked for the sins of men David wrote almost from point to point his crucifixion his death and Passion He foretells that his Body should not cor rupt in the Sepulcher but that He should rise againe Isaiah that his Sepulcher should be glorious and it is at present visited by all Nations of the world Zachariah assures us that He should bannish Idolatry which He hath done so happily that the Iews themselves his greatest Ennemies have not since his comming fallen into it tho before they were so subject to it 3. And because IESUS-CHRIST came not only for Iews but also for Gentills who had no other Prophesies than those of the Sibyls the Providence of God put into the mouthes of these Prophetesses divine Oracles who announced the comming workes and Mysteries of the Messias as IESUS hath accomplished them The injuries of the times have deprived us of the greater part of their writings But S. Clement Alexandrinus Clem. Alex. bib 6. strom Lactan. lib. 45. de vera Sap. S. Iust Mar. in Apol. ad Ant. S. Aug. l. 10. de Civit. c. 2 lib. 11. c. 23. Lactantlus S. Iustinus Martyr S. Augustine and other ancient Fathers who cited them for the proof of our Religion shew that yet in their times these Prophesies were in Vogue among the Pagans 4. The Prophets announced that the Messias would come But S. Iohn Baptist proclaimed that He is come and shewing him with his finger sayd Behold him His testimony cannot be refused by any reasonable man for He led an innocent and irreprehensible life from his infancy He was a disinteressed man who contemned honours riches and the delights of the world The perfection and sanctity of his life is so eminent that they take him for the Messias and it was in him to be acknowledged for such All the Synagogue sent to him Priests and Levites for to know of him if He were CHRIST or no if He had answered but yes they had believed his simple word giving testimony of himself with more reason ought one to believe him when he testifys for another He says that he is unworthy to unty the shoostring of his shoos he hides himself so soon as IESUS begins to shew himself and of so many Disciples as he had not any of them appears after IESUS began to preach 5. But tho' the predictions of the Prophets nor the testimony of the Precursour should not authorize in any sort the Mission of IESUS-CHRIST the workes and miracles which He wrought shew evidently that He was sent by God When one affirms himself to be sent extraordinarily from God if he will that men believe him he ought to give proofs of his Mission to worke miracles which are the bulls and patents of it if he does evident palpable and irreprehensible miracles men ought to believe that he is sent by God and give credit to his words for 't is impossible that God should work a miracle in confirmation of a ly JESVS shews then evidently and effectually that He is sent by God and that He is God since that He works so many Miracles in confirmation of his Mission and his Doctrine He makes seen his power in all Orders of the Vnivers He exercises his empire upon all that is in nature and he works miracles upon all creatures as appears in the writings of the Evangelists 6. Now that these miracles were not impostures but truly worked many powerfull reasons perswade every man that hath common sense But this shal suffice at present That the Evangelistes name often the persons they particularize circumstances of place and manner in which the miracles were wrought and they write those that were don in their time in publick and in the presence of many witnesses if they had not sayd the truth they might easily be reproved and they would have had thousands that would have contradicted them and who would have taken all credit from them and from their Gospells They report that JESVS fed four thousand persons with seven loaves and another time five thousand with five loaves They say that JESUS raised Lazarus half rotten in Bethania very neare to Hierusalem the child of the Widow in Naim at the gate of the City in the sight of very many that they brought into Hierusalem the infirme of the neighbouring Towns and that the shadow of S. Peter passing upon them they were all cured If these things were fals when the Evangelists pteached and published their books they would have had as many Witnesses against them as there were persons in Naim in Hierusalem and in the neighbouring Towns who would have sayd we were then in the Town we have neither seen nor heard any thing of all this They say that in the passion of JESUS CHRIST the sun was eclipsed that darkness covered all the earth that the earth trembled that the sepulchers opened that the Vail of the Temple was rent and that this was done in the feast of Pasche when rhere were in the City more than eleven hundred thousand persons according to the history of Iosephus these Persons came to the Feast from all parts of the world where the Iews were then dispersed as may be seen in Philo Iosephus and Tacitus and from thence they returned to their respective homes If these miracles had not been true there would have been in every place who
not been redeem'd by IESUS-CHRIST sayd to them Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy foul and with all thy forces what ought Christians to do after the Incarnation Redemption and Passion of our Saviour Ought they not to burn with love should they not if it were possible love JESUS above all their forces thoughts and activity of their hearts If I owe my self wholy to him for making me what shal I add now for repairing me and repairing me in such a manner 14. Let us love him then since He so loved us let 's not love him only in words and compliments let us not content our selves to say I honour much my Saviour I love him with all my heart But let us love him in worke and Verity in doing in giving and in suffering for him for so He loved us And since his goodness is so infinite and his love to us so excessive that He preferred us not only before Angells but also before himself it would be a horrible blindeness to preferr any other good before him it would be a strange folly to offend him to disoblige his goodness to lose his amity and his favour for honour pleasure profit or satisfaction of a Passion Do not so if you be wise Say rather with S. Austin all abundance all honour all felicity that is not you my God is but poverty vanity and misery say as S. Francis did my God You are my All Love him with all your heart since He his all your good love him with a sovereign love since He is sovereignly good love adore bless prayse glorify him now and ever Amen DISCOURS VII OF THE FIFTH ARTICLE He descended into Hell the third day He rose again from the dead IESUS appli'd himself so earnestly to our Salvation that whilst He was on earth He let not a moment pass without labouring for it And for this effect whilst his Body lay'd in grave He descended into Hell This world Hell signify's an inferiour and low place And therefore the holy Church makes use of it in divers occasions to signify divers inferiour places By this word she most often understands the place of everlasting damnation And so our Saviour called it in 1. Luke 36. S. Luk. where speaking of the unfortunate rich man says he was buried in hell Other times she uses this terme to signify Purgatory where they are who died in the grace of God but having not fully satisfyed the divine Iustice are further to be punished so in the Mass of the dead she prayes free ô Lord the souls of the faithfull departed from the paines of hell She makes use of it also to signify the place whither the souls of holy and just persons who were not subject to purgation or had duely satisfyd for their offences went before the death of the Saviour of the world expecting He should open them the gates of Heaven by his Passion 2. He descended not only by effect into these two last places making his power and goodness to appear by delivering the soules in them detained But in substance He descended into them his soul was really in those places and He honoured the soules that were in them and made them happy by his presence The third day he rose again from the dead He rose no sooner for to testify that He was truly dead and to fulfill the figure of Matt. 12. 40. him As Ionas was three days and three nights in the belly of a whale so shal be the Son of man in the bowells of the earth He would be three days subject to the law of death to teach us mystically that by his death and Passion He had satisfyd the three Persons of the B. Trinity for the sins committed in the three states of the world in the Law of nature in the Law of Moses and in the Law of grace And to shew us that his Passion was the cause of the delivery of the ancient Fathers out of hell of the Redemption of men on earth and of the reparation of the Angelical thrones in Heaven He rose again By which words the Apostles teach us that He S. Iohn 10. return'd to life by his own power He sayd also in the Gospell I have power to lay down my life and to take it up againe and in another place I will raise up my Body in three daies after death 3. I know well that S. Peter and S. Paul teach in many places that his Father raised Him up to life because this miracle S. Pater is an effâ—ct of the omnipotency of God which thô common Ast. c. 3. 26. and c. 5. 30. S. Paul in the 4. 8. and 10. to the Rom. Phil. 28. and 9. to all the 3. Persons of the B. Trinity yet is attributed commonly to the Father 'T is true then that He rose up by his own Power and 't is true also that the eternal Father raised him to the end He might shew his goodness both ro him and us 4. First to him that his Body might receive the Glory which He merited by his labors humiliations and sufferances For He humhled himself says the Apostle being obedient unto death for the which thing God hath exalted him Note exalted him for his Resurrection was not a simple return from death to life but an entrance into a glorious life That Body which He layd down passible and mortall He receives impassible and immortal that which was inglorious now is glorious which was infirm now is powerfull which was a natural Body now is becom a spiritual These are the excellent qualities which S. Paul attributes to every 1. cor 15. matt 13 43. glorifyd Body But that of Glory or clarity delights me most for the body of every saint shal shine by it as the sun fulgebunt justi sicut sol and nevertheless one shal differ from another in this Quality as much as he exceeded him here in good works or as S. Paul says as one starr differs in glory from another What glory then what admirable splendor what ravishing beauty was given to the adorable Body of JSUS in recompence of his merits And what satisfaction and felicity will it be to see it when our eyes shal be able to behold it as hereafter they shall be by their impassibility These four qualities belong to the Body of the Son of God as a body glorifyd But as a Body Deifyd as subsisting in the Divinity it hath yet a farr other Glory Jt hath a supereminent ineffable and incomprehensible Glory as we may see in the next Discours 5. Wherfore the Son of God thanks his Father for that He brought his soul out of hell and his Body out of the sepulcher and that He raised him up again Exaltabo te Domine quoniam suscepisti psal 29. me Eduxisti ab inferno animam meam And He esteems so much this favour that He exhorts us to thanke God to praise and glorify
horrible to fall into the hands of the living God says S. Paul becaus He is always living Heb. 10. â—1 and as long as He shal be living the damned shal be in torments Wherfore the Son of God threatens a long time before He striks He speaks much of judgment before He does justice He never hurls a thunderbolt without making the thunder sound the lightning flash and without covering the air with clouds He sent from time to time Prophets as Heraulds of his justice forerunners of his judgment who always endeavoured to express the terrour of it by the most proper and significant epithets imaginable they call it the day of anguish and tribulation the day of affliction and misery the day of obscurity and darkness the day of outrage and tempest of anger and vengeance the day of the fury of the Lord the day of horror and of slaughter you may see this in Isaiah in Hieremiah in Ezechiel and in Joel Isay 13. and 34. Hiere 16. Ezec. 7. and 27. Ioel. 2. 2. And becaus usually the faithfull only believe the Prophets and as S. Paul says infidells have need of signs and prodiges To the end none may doubt of it God will proclaim it to all the world by most remarkable signs which He will shew in Heaven earth sea and other parts of nature and as at present according to the saying of the Prophet the heavens and the starrs declare the Omnipotence Wisdom and Goodness of God who produced such glorious creatures governs them in so constant and regular an order and designs them for an end so noble so before the judgment the sun moon and starrs shal foretell the justice of God they shal preach it to all people and that in so lowd and intelligible a language that none not the most stupid incredulous and insensible shal doubt the least of it In which we ought to admire and adore the goodness of God who exercising his patience so long time and towards so many persons will exercise his justice as late and against as few as He can He exercises his patience from the beginning of the world He employs in it not one day month or year but many ages He exercised it above six thousand Years and He will exercise it to the end of ages towards all sinners but He will not execute the last judgment the act of his great wrath but at the end of time as late as possible and that He may find but few upon whome to exercise the same He forewarns them of it He frightens threatens and sends Prophets He gives signes in heaven and in earth shewing by this that He desires not to strike that he wills not the death of a sinner but that he be converted and do live and this shews also the great and enormous malice of sin which provoks and irritats so much a God so mild and mercifull 3. The Prophetes Apostles Evangelists and the Apocalyps foretels us many terrible signs which shal be as messengers Matt 24. 30. 2. Pet. 3. Psal 76. 19. and forerunners of the Iudg see here some of them The sun shal be turned into darkness and the moon into blood Starrs shal fall from Heaven and the Powers of it shal be moved The Heavens burning shal be resolved There shal be no light but that of lightning which shal always flash The thunderclaps shal be so great that the Heavens will seem to teare thunderbolts shal be darted Wisdom 5. 22. Wisdom 5. 22 forth as from a bow full bent and shal fall directly contrary to their custome The Water of the sea shal rage against men and the rivers shal run togeather roughly The earth agitated with convulsions and tremblings will open as if threatning to swallow them God will send devouring fire which shal burn the 2. Pet. 3. elements consume Towns and reduce to ashes all the works of men What horrible spectacle to see and feel the air changed into flames stones into burning coals rivers into boiling water houses into furnaces of fire 4. If one only of these prodigies should happen now in what a condition should we be If we should see the sun and moon to lose their light or the earth to tremble a whole week in what a trance should we be how should we cry-out mercy what â—ill it be then to see all the aforesayd things togeather And yet they shal be but signs and presages of what shal follow after they shal be but the commencement of the sorrows says JESUS in the Gospel And if the beginnings are so sorrowfull what shal the progress be if the shadows and the figures are so terrible what will the reality be if it be so tirrible to see the Sergeants and the Apparitors that precede the Judg what will it be to see the Iudg in the heat of his anger and to be struck with the thunderbolt of of his sentence 5. He is now our Advocate He will be then our Iudg not only to reveng injuries don to Orphans Widows Laborours and to the Poor But moreover to reveng offences committed against God his Father He hath infinite obligations to him a passionate love for him a most ardent zeal for his glory is very sensible of that which offends him His interests are dear to him He will have an ocean of enormous sins to condemn and punish I leave you to think with what indignation with what heate of anger He will be inflam'd It will be so great that it will be a horror and a death to sinners I will not say to be condemn'd but to appear in his presence I will not say they will not dare but they will not be able to subsist in the sight of his Majesty they will not be able to think of him who shal he able to think the day of his Advent and who shal stand to malach 3. 2. see him says his Prophet 6. The terrour of him will be so great that the reprobate will desire rather to be crushed ground and reduced to dust then to be presented to the tribunal of this terrible Iudg. they Luke 23 30. will say to the mountains and to the rocks fall upon us and hide us from the face of the Lamb we have abused his meekness we have oblig'd him to becom a Lyon we shal not be able to endure the reproches He will make us rocks fall upon us and crush us to pieces that we may not be forced to appear in his presence hide us from the face of the Lamb they have cause to fear it His presence only will put them to more pain the rocks would but crush their bodys the presence of JESUS will crush their bodys and their souls 7. They know they must now render a most punctual and exact acount of all the Talents and Goods they receiv'd from the liberal hand af God and of all the evills they have ever don 8. They know they must answer not only for mortall sins but
the second to the Corinthians We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of CHRIST that every one may receive the proper things of the body according as he hath don either good or evill For justice requires that we be recompenced and chastised in the same things which have contributed to good or evill But the greater part of sins are caused or Committed by the body 't is then reason that it rise again and feel the punishments due to them It concurrs likewise to vertuous actions 't is mortifyd by holy souls subjected to rigours of penance and to labours of a christian life it sufferrs prisons and punishments in Confessors torments and death in Martyrs 't is deprived of its pleasures in Virgins and in Widows and crucifyd in all true Christians it is then very just that it should participate in the satisfactions pleasures and recompences of Heaven The flesh says Tertullian is the Tertull. de Resur Carnis hinge of our salvation and if the soul be united to God 't is it that gives her capacity the flesh is washed to the end the soul be cleansed the flesh is annointed that the soul be consecrated the flesh is shadowed by imposition of hands that the soul be illuminated in Spirit the flesh is fed with the Body and Blood of JESUS-CHRIST to the end the soul be nourished by God they cannot then be seperated in recompences having been so joyn'd in actions And 't is vain to alleadg against this Verity the low condition of the flesh for the same Father says the flesh which God form'd to the resemblance of a man-God which He animated by his breath to the resemblance of his life which He fortifyd with his Sacraments of which He loves the purity approves the austerity and esteems the labours and the sufferances shal it not rise again It will never be that He leave in eternal death the works of his hands the care of his Spirit the tabernacle of his Breath the heir of his Liberalities the keeper of his Law the Victime of his Religion and the Sister of his CHRIST It will then be raised up again and in this God does as a Potter who seeing his Pot ill made breaks it to repair it better so God having form'd man of earth and finding him deprav'd by sin broke him by death to which he doom'd him but with design to repair and make him better in the day of the Resurrection 2. But if any one should aske me how that which is withered and rotten can becom living and flourishing again He needs not but to consider the Omnipotency of the Creator or with S. Paul the grain of corne which rots to rise again Foole 1. Cor. 15. Cgrysol Ser. 59. it first do die All things in this world according to S. Chrysologue are images of our Resurrection the Sun sets and rises the day is buried in darkness and returns months years seasons fruits seeds die in passing and rise again returning and to touch you with a sensible example as often as you sleep and wake you die in a certain manner and rise again Let us now reflect upon the words of this Article 3. The Apostles say not The Resurrection of the man though this he true But of the flesh for to teach us that when the man dies his soul dies not and therefore in the Resurection is nor raised-up again but reunited only to the body since nothing can be raised again to life unless it first be dead 4. They say not the Resurrecton of the body but of the flesh becaus the holy Ghost would afford us a means to Confute the errour of certain Hereticks who would sustain as in the first ages of the Church some did that we should rise not in a body of flesh but form'd of air 5. They use moreover these terms to convince orhers who in the time of the Apostles thought that the Resurrection of which the Scripture speaks signifys not that of the body but only that by which the Soul is raised out of the death of sin to the life of grace 6. In fine this word Resurrection makes us understand that we shal receive the same bodys which we had for since rising again signifys returning to life again It must be the same flesh which was dead that rises and returns to life 7. We All then shal have the same bodys which now we have but intire and perfect without want or superfluity without the imperfection of youth or the defect of old age None shal rise blind or purblind deaf or dumb lame or crooked too great or too little nor with any other defect or imperfection Becaus 't is God alone whose works are perfect that will raise us up He will not in this work make use of natural causes from which all defects proceed 8. Nevertheless the Resurrection of the Elect and that of the Reprobate will be very different The blessed Souls shal receive bodys like to Christs endowed with Light Subtility Agility and Impassibility that will shine as clear as Starrs that will penetrate and pass through althings as beams of the Sun through glass that will move as swiftly as lightning That will be impassible and immortal so that nothing in the world can hurt them They will enter into their bodys with great joy and gladness with many benedictions and congratulations ô my body such a soul will Say ô my dear companion and most faithfull friend receive now with ioy the fruit of thy labours mortifications and pains in the works of holiness thou hast been in miseries and in sufferances be thou now in felicity and in happiness and let us praise together the Authour of our good but the reprobate Souls will reenter into their bodies with great a version rage and many maledictions of those members which they go to animate for to render them sensible of ineffable and eternal torments Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo aut quis requiescet in monte sancto tuo Lord says the Royal Prophet who shal dwell in thy tabernacle or who shal rest in thy holy hill He answers Psal 14. Qui ingreditur sine macula operatur justitiam He declares that two things are absolutely necessary to avoid evill and to do good one without the other suffices not Quis habitabit who shal be that happy that fortunate person that shal com to the glorious Resurrection and shal dwell amongst the Blessed O what happy lot attends him happy a thousand times the womb that bore him and the breasts which He did suck happie the paines taken to bring him up ô how well was it employd happie earth that he tramples under feet one ought to strew with flowers the paths which he honours with his steps happie air that he breaths one ought to sweeten it with all the perfumes of Arabia happie the bread which he eates one ought to nourish him with all that is most precious in nature and what deserves
a poor man not through tenderness of heart but because JESUS hath commanded him and sayd that which you shal do to the least of mine shal be don to me Who Matth. 25. 40. ever shal give a cup of cold water to one of mine in the name of a Disciple shal receive reward He promises you nothing if you give an alms to a poor man becaus he is your countreyman of the same condition of the same nature with you but if you give to him Becaus he is a Christian and a Disciple of the Son of God in the name of a Disciple Matt. 10. 42. 13. Let us hear then with respect and put in practise this Word of JESUS Habete fidem Have faith It is the extream misery of a Christian to lose Faith whilst it subsists in the soul there remains always some hopes of salvation when it is once lost all is lost there is no recovery but by a miracle 14. Have divine faith not humane only You ought to believe what I say to you not because I say it but becaus God sayd it becaus God revealed it to his Church and the Church teaches you it by my ministery Divine faith believes all the words of the Scripture without exception if you believe some and not the other it is humane faith or opinion or phansie not divine faith which believes becaus God is the soveraign and infallible Verity who cannot deceive in any point if He could in one He might in all the rest 15. Have actual faith not habitual only It is very profitable to exercise often formal and express acts of faith especially in temptation and in occasion of Sin to do as our Savior who being tempted in the desart oppos'd to each temptation a text of holy scripture And S. Paul counsells us to make use of the shield of faith in every occasion are you tempted by imprudence to defer your conversion oppose to it this shield enliven your faith by Ephes. 6. 16. Luke 12. 40. these words of our Savior the Son of man will com in what hour ye think not Death and judgment will surprize you when you think least of it Are you tempted by injustice to do any injury to your neigbour oppose this shield actuate your faith by these words of JESUS Do not to another what thou wouldst not have don to thy self Are you tempted by choler to abuse another by your words actuate your faith by these words of our Savior He that is angry with his brother he that calls him fool shal be guilty of fire Are you tempted by impurity oppose this shield quicken your faith by these words of S. Paul know that all fornicators and unclean Eph. 5. persons have no part in the kingdom of IESUS-CHRIST Are you tempted to go in an open dress and to shew your breasts Stir vp your faith by these words of IESUS Woe to him by whom a Scandal comes that is to him who gives an occasion to one only person to commit a mortal Sin 16. Have firm and perfect faith which doubts not wavers not staggers not at all You must be more convinced and perswaded of all that the Church does teach than you are of what you see S. Peter having seen the glory of IESUS vpon Luke 17. 1. mount Thabor having heard the voice of the eternal Father This is my beloved Son says that he was yet more ascertain'd of it by the testimony of holy Scripture habemus firmiorem Propheticum 2. Pet. 1. 19. sermonem And since the sacred text does say Fornicators Avaricious Robbers and other sinners shal never possess the kingdom of God if they correct not in themselves these Vices you must be more certain never to be saved if you commit these sins and have not true repentance then of what you see or hear if you doubt of it or have doubted of it voluntarily you must accuse your self thereof as of a Sin of infidelity I say voluntarily For when thoughts do rise against faith if they displeas you or if you reject them promptly as soon as you perceive them there is no Sin But to avoyd the occasions of them do what S. Paul commands you avoyd those that would seduce you they will cast always into your mind I know not what maligne and venemous disposition if your calling be to serve though they would give you great wages serve them not if you pretend to marriage beware to marry them for you put your selves in danger of being seduced and when there should be no danger yet you may die and leave children who being bredvp by them will follow their errors and lose their souls Beware also to read or to have in your house naughty books some of your people may happen to read them and be perverted or prejudiced by them 17. Have explicit faith content not your selves to say I am a good Catholick I believe all Articles of faith but learn them in particular at least the principall and most remarkable To learn them you ought to hear as often as you can sermons catechismes to read Spiritual books to frequent devout persons who can instruct you to meditate upon them for to conceive the importance of them 18. And to make a publick profession of them you should of ten explicate them and make others to admire them You must not fear to oppose those who speak unworthily of them of God or of his Church nor be asham'd to practise the observances and devotions prescribed by the Church in consequence to them But remember this word of the Son of God He that shal be asham'd Luke 9. 26. of me before men I will be asham'd of him in the presence of my Father and his Angells 19. Have living faith animated with charity and fruitfull in good works otherwise S. Paul will say Your faith is vain for 1. Cor. 15. 17. Iames 2. yet you are in your sins S. Iames will say Shal dead faith be able to save you S. Bernard will say behold a fine honor you render to your God! you offer to him a dead carkess a faith joyn'd to infamous and stincking actions The Saints did not so they practised Heb. 11. vertue by their faith they converted kingdoms by the heroical actions of their faith they obtain'd the promises which God made to the true faithfull the possession and enjoyment of the principal object of faith the intuitive and clear vision of the essence of God in the happy eternity which God granr us all Amen DISCOURS XVII Of Hope 1. THe God of Hope says the Apostle replenish you with all Rom. 15. 13. sort of joy that you may abound in hope In which words he wills not only that we hope but he demands of God for all the Faithfull an abundance of this gift and vertue by which we may hope through the merits of IESUS-CHRIST to possess God and to enjoy eternal felicity This Vertue is so necessary that
and the blackest soul in hell t is the mercy of God this great sinner this unfortunate person was drawn out of nothing and I also he was in the mass of corruption and I also he inclin'd naturally to it and I also he had flesh that rebell'd against the spirit sensuality that was contrary to reason and J also If I have not been so violently tempted as he If I have not been in the immediate occasions as he if I have been more strong and firm then he 't is by the grace and mercy of God Acknowledg says S. Austin the grace of God to which you are debtours for being freed from the crimes which you have not committed for no sin is committed by a man which another might not commit if forsaken by him who made man And after this shal we be proud shal we think to be something of our selves shal we disdain others 14. S. Paul had great reason to cry-out to us Tu fide stas Rom. 11. 20. S. Ber. Ser. 54. in cant noli altum sapere sed time though you have faith and other vertues nevertheless be not proud but fear Vpon which words S. Bernard says in verity I have learnt that there is nothing so effectual to keep and recover grace as Humility and Fear you are happy if you fill your heart with a triple fear if your fear when you have receiv'd grace and more when you have lost it and yet more when you have recover'd it fear then when grace comes fear when it retyres fear when it returns when it comes fear lest you comply not well with it when it retyres fear more becaus you have lost your safeguard and doubt not but that pride is the cause of it though you know it not for God sees that which is hid from you God who gives his grace to the humble takes it not from the humble when then a man is depriv'd of grace 't is a signe that he is proud And if it returne by the mercy of God 't is then you ought to fear much more lest you fall into a more lamentable relaps fear therefore God always and withall your heart mistrust your dispositions how ever holy and good they may seem if they make you proud God left so many souls in the way of perdition before the Incarnation to make you know the necessity of Grace and to establish you in Humility will He not permit you to be lost if you are not humble fear if you commit great sins that God will not give you efficacious grace to raise you out of them Fear if you attribute it to your selves that God will draw it from you work your salvation in fear and trembling for 't is God who produces in you the good will and the work and this is the reason why Saints always fear lest being proud of their good works they be depriv'd of the help of grace and left in weakness says S. Leo S. Leo. Ser. 8. de Epiph Have you yet Baptismal Innocency fear beware to lose it avoyd all occasions that may make you suffer so great a loss 't is a most precious and inestimable treasure but a tender one if it be opened it will soon rot Are you in an ill state fear you are in the power of satan the object of the anger of God at the brink of hell there needs not but an unhappy accident a sudden death to bury you in eternal fire Are you raised out of sin fear fear to fall back again your relaps would be more dangerous your ingratitude more great the remedy more hard In whatsoever State you be acknowledg the grace of God the great need you have of it and call often and instantly for it if you acknowledg the necessity of Grace if you ask it if you receive it and improve it unto the end assuredly you will be saved for this divine grace in the seed merit and last disposition to eternal Glory Amen DISCOURS XXI Of good Works in general SOme say that Catholicks think to be saved by their good works without being beholding to JESUS-CHRIST by their own merits not by his and consequently that they are the proudest and the most ungrateful to God of all people in the world 2. 'T is a strange thing that they can be so mistaken in our Doctrine since our Church constantly and clearly â—ver taught the contrary We belive that no force of nature nor dignity of our best works can merit our justification but we are justifyd freely by grace through the Redemption that is in JESUS-CHRIST 3. We teach that our following merits or good works signisy no more than actions don by the assistance of God's grace to which it hath pleased his Goodness to promise a reward a doctrine so far from being unsuitable to the holy scriptures that nothing is so frequently repeated in them as God's gracious promises to recompence with everlasting glory the faith and obedience of his servants 4. We believe that the merit and rewardableness of these actions 1. Tim. 4. 8. Rom. 2. 8. Rom. â— 3. Heb. 6. 10. Matth. 25. 21 2. Tim. 2. 21. Matt. 25. 21. Matt. 19. 12. arises not from the value of them as they are ours but from the grace and bounty of God So we boast not in our selves but all our glorying is in CHRIST We say with S. Paul that we are naughty and unfaithfull servants of our own selves but good and faithfull as our Saviour saies by the grace of God that we are unprofitable by our own works but profitable as S. Paul says by the works of grace and if we should be absolutely unprofitable we must expect the sequel there of utter darkness that is damnation 5. Besides good workes of obligation there are other of Supererogation and at these Dissenters startle much they hold it a proud and arrogant thing to think that a man may do more than he is commanded as Catholicks do teach Yet what more plain in Scriptures Our Savior sayes there are Eunucks who have made themselves Eunucks for the Kingdom of Heaven and this is more than a man is bound to for he may marry if he will and yet go to heaven He says again If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all Matt. 19. 21. thou hast and give it to the Poor and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven No man can reasonably suppose this to to be a command he then that obeys it as the Apostles did does more than he is commanded Concerning Virgins sayes the Apostle I 1. Cor. 7. 25. have no command but I give counsell plainly distinguishing betwixt counsell and command betwixt that which we must do and what we may do betwixt weâ—l and better He that marrieth doeâ— well but he that marrieth not does better and He that does 1. Cor. 7. 38. well does not sin does not break a commandement but he that does better does more than he is commanded Wherefore Catholicks
Geraseens to precipitate them into the lake of a thousand brutal actions and after into the pool of fire and brimstone of everlasting death It is certible to hear Isaye 1. 14. Malac. 2. 3. with what execration God speaks of holy days so Prophaned my soul hateth your Solemnityes I will cast upon your faces the dung of them 6. Let us say then with the Psalmist Turn ô my Soul into thy rest becaus our Lord hath don good to thee Psal 114. 7. Turn ô my Soul convert your self entirely to God on the sunday at least It is instituted for this end and it is called the day of our Lord becaus if we have been turned to our selves and to our affaires the other dayes we must at least turn to God and to his service this day which He hath reserv'd to himself It seems an usurpation of anothers goods and a sort of sacriledg to rob him of this day and to employ it prophanly against his will Turn ô my Soul into thy rest It is a great crime to refuse Obedience to a commandement so sweet other Masters urge their servants and cry out to them worke work ha God says to his my children I will not that you weary out your selves give some respit to your selves from labours rest in me who am the Center of your hearts and the true rest of your soules He calls this day by his Prophet The delicate or delicious Sabbath His Isaiah 58. 13. delights are to be and to convers with us why should we not then make it our delights to be and convers with Him Turne into thy rest becaus our Lord hath don well to thee The Sunday was instituted that we might have opertunity to serve God and more leasure to thanke Him for our Creation Preservation Redemption Sanctification and Vocation to his Service for all graces and good workes which He gives us for preserving us from a thousand infirmities miseries deaths and from so many occasions of sin He hath delivered says the Prophet my soul from death my eyes from teares my feet from sliding if we are grateful for benefits receiv'd we shal give him occasion to give us new if we employ weâ—l the time design'd for the service of God He will bless the time granted us to make provision for our selves and families do then the workes of God on holy dayes and He will do yours on other days and moreover make you pass from the figure to the Verity from the shadow to the light from the symbole to the reality and from the temporal rest of this life to the eternal repose of glory Amen DISCOVRS XXXII OF THE FOURTH COMMANDEMENT Honour thy Father and thy Mother AS the Commandements written in the first Table tend immediately to the honour and glory of the Creatour recommending ro us Piety and devotion towards Him So these of the second Table tend immediately to the salvation and the utility of men and recommend to us charity and justice towards all our neighbours that each one doing his duty in his state and condition the families and communites of Christians may be well ordered and disposed The most important of these dutyes is that of children towards their Parents and therefore it is exacted by the first commandement of the second Table and to move them more to it recompence is herein promised to those that shal honour their Parents with the triple honour of Reverence Obedience and Assistance 2. First with the honor of Reverence for our Parents are the images of God whose authority is a Ray of his Paternity they are Sources and Causes of our life after Him Organs and Instruments which He uses to give and preserve our Being Hence it comes that we ought to honor them be they whatsoever though your Father be vicious and deboist he is stil your Father a cause of your life an instrument of God and an image of his Paternity And becaus the chief part of this honour consists in the interiour you must esteem your Parents in your heart acknowledg them your Superiours respect and reverence their Authority And becaus they know not your interiour you are oblig'd to testify by exterior signes the honor which you have for them to speak to them humbly of them to others honourably to give them respect and reverence and to do nothing that savours of neglect or contempt The Queen Bethsabee was not of the Royal blood but of mean extraction and nevertheless the wise Salomon her Son though a great and powerfull Monark and sitting in the Throne of Iustice rose out of it to meet and reverence her and placed her in a Throne at the right hand of his Majesty This wise King was the figure of our Saviour who being King of kings and God of infinite Majesty disdained not on earth to be subject to his holy Mother and who elevated and placed her in heaven at Psal 44. his right hand Astitit Regina a dextris tuis 3. To honour your Parents you must moreover consult them before you undertake any thinge of consequence when you would marry commence a suit undertake a far journey or engage your self in any other thing of importance aske their counsell and follow it this shews you esteem their prudence and God blesses this proceeding the young Tobias had a great blessing was assisted by an Angel deliver'd from all danger replenished with riches and prosperity in his journey becaus he undertook it by the advice and direction of his Father 4 The second honour of our Parents exacted by this Commandement is that of Obedience This honor S. Paul often recommends to us and in the Epistle to the Ephesians he proves it by this commandement to be their due Obey your Parents in our Ephes. 6. Lord For this is just Honour thy Father and thy Mother He adds In our Lord For if they command you any thing against the commandements of God or of his Church or if they would avert you from Religion and his service S. Bernard tells you that Epist 104. 't is Piety to neglect them for the love of IESUS-CHRIST for He that sayd Honor your Father and your Mother says to you also He that loves his father or his mother more than me is not worthy of me But when they command just and lawfull things you must obey them they are your Superiours and the Causes of your Being they then as Superiours ought to move you and as Causes of your Being to be also the Authours of your operations And if a servant be oblig'd to obey his Master for a little nourishment and a smal salary he receives how much more a child his Mother who nourished him with her own substance and his Father who laboured so much to bring him up and endeavours to provide for him 5. I find in the holy scripture that your obedience to be perfect ought to have three conditions at the least it ought to be blind cordial and
so abominable to God Yet fails it not to be most general For t is the source of an abundance of sins of an abundance in regard of the divers Species of it of an abundance in respect of the individuums or particulars 3. There is no kind of vice that hath so many Circumstances which chang the Species or kinds as this The other commonly have but three or four at most this hath seven which we must express in confession if we have fallen into them either in effect or will The first species or kind is simple Fornication when you are not married and do ill with a persone that is not bound neither by Vow nor marriage And though this be the least crime amongst the species of this vice 't is nevertheless a mortall sin for S. Paul declares to us at least three times that this sin excludes 1. Cor. 6. Gal. 5. Ephes. 7. 5. us out of the kingdom of Heaven 5. The second is Stupration when yon defloure or dishonour a Virgin you ruine in her soul the grace of God which is the greatest good she can have in this world and in her body a precious treasure the loss of which is the more deplorable becaus it is irreparable 6. The Third is Incest when 't is with any of your Relations by blood or by affinity unto the fourth degree inclusively 7. The fourth is Adultery when you are married or do ill with a persone that is bound in marriage a sin which violates divine natural and humane Lawes a sin which Pagans ot Infidells themselves have punished with death or exquisite torments some by fire others by wild horses some by the halter others in pulling out their eyes cutting off their noses and in the law of Moses it was punished by stones so great appears this disorder by the light of nature and so enormous in the sight of God 8. Nevertheless this sin is now incomparably more black and criminal than it was in the law of Moses or in that of nature For you break as much as lies in you the indissoluble bond of marriage you violate a bond which represents the Vnion of IESUS CHRIST with his Church 'T is as if you sayd that JESUS â—ath divorsed the Church his Spouse or that his Spouse hath quitted him notwithstanding his promises to the contrary More yet the bodyes of Christians are worthy of honour and ought to be treated with respect and reverence not only becaus they are the members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost but moreover becaus they have been sanctifyd by Baptisme by the sacred Chrisme in Confirmation by the most holy Body of JESUS in Communion by being the matter of a Sacrament which S. Paul calls Great and by the nuptial benediction when they married And they soil them by adulteries prostitute them as prophane things to black infamous shamefull and abominable actions Wherefore the Emperours Constantine Constantius and Constance sons of the great Constantine published an Edict against adulterers condemning them to the punishment of paricides which was to be butnt or drown'd becaus say they such are sacriligi nuptiarum abusers and prophaners of marriage 9. The fift Species of this Vice is Rape when you force one or you draw consent by deceits lyes promises or perswasions so powerfull that they are equivalent to constraint 10. The six is Sacriledge when you commit an impurity being a persone sacred by solemne or particular Vow or by holy Orders or when you permit such a persone to take carnal pleasure in you 't is in some manner to rob him if it could be of consecration 't is the highest pitch of malice in the matter of fornication sayes S. Chrysostome S. Chry. Hom. 76. in Matt. 11. The seventh in fine is the sin against nature which is so abominable that we name it not and which nevertheless is committed sometimes also amongst married persones Remember that S. Briget did see in extasie many married people in hell for having abused marriage Remember what S. Austin sayes that you may be drunk with your own wine as well as with anothers S. Aug. ser 14. de diver Gen. 38. 10. Remember that in Genesis Onan was grievously punished by God becaus he offended him in marriage eo quod rem detestabilem faceret Confessours are very reserv'd and ought to be so in this matter of carnality Preachers and good Writers treat sparingly of such subjects lest the very articulate sound or characters in this matter should offend chast eares or cause wors effects in the hearts of others if than you do not help your selves if you confess not these ordures unless you be examin'd you may remain in them ' til death 12. These are the seven heads of this Monster seven heads by which we may sin by this Vice But the Individuums or particulars of it are infinite There is no kind of vice wherein men commit so great a number of mortal sins as in this vice of Luxury a Drunkard is not drunk but once or twice a day a Robber robbs not every day a murtherer kills not very often But he that gives himself over to impurity commits dozens of mortal sins a day it happens very often that he takes delight interiourly ten twelve or twenty times a day in impure objects and the voluntary delectation is a sin though he has no will to do it in effect 13. Wherefore I would counsell him that is a slave to this Passion to make to himself the same reply which heretofore the Buffoon or Iester of Francis the first of France did make The King having assembled his Counsell to deliberate what way was best to go to Pavie some sayd one way others another and others a third the Buffoon who heard all behind the tapestry when they were gon cryed-out they have all consulted by which way the King shal go but they have not consider'd by what way he shal return And the event made appeare it had been an important counsell for the King was there made prisoner When temptation flatters the hearts of them they consult not but of the means to content it and how they may find a fit occasion to satisfy their passion But they consider not how they may get out of the inconveniences which they bring upon themselves by it they consider not the certaine loss of spiritual life the danger of the temporall and of their fame and that by begetting illegitimate children they deprive unjustly the legitimate and oblige themselves to restitutions which will be very hardly made These things well consider'd will be a bridle to their passion and make them also fly those conversations dispositions affections and occasions of falling into a snare so prejudicial and into a labyrinth so inextricable for we must fight in this war as the Parthians flying and therefore S. Paul bids us not to struggle or graple with this vice but to fly it fugite fornicationem 14. Consider in the second place
would He have don to him if he had receiv'd and lost many and what will IESUS say to us what will he do to us if we shal have abused or not used and profited in vertue by the talents of the sacraments He hath given us what weeping what regrets what gnashing of teeth and what rage against our selves for having lost so good so easy and so frequent occasions to make good our salvation to advance in vertue to load our selves with merits and to enrich our selves for eternity But vertuous people will reioyce will admire their own happiness and will acknowledg their wisdom in receiving them often becaus they will see that these Sacraments were most rich talents and were gages and infallible promises of the inestimable incomprehensible and infinite glory which they shal possess for ever Amen DISCOVRS XLI Of the Necessitie and Nature of Baptisme WHen great S. Hierome says we are not Christians by birth he speaks of the carnal birth and not of the spiritual for in the Sacrament of Baptisme we are made Christians we are regenerated in the life of grace This Sacrament is a spiritual birth the first and the most necessary of all the Sacraments the door through which we enter into the Church To know evidently the necessity of it we must acknowledg three verities founded upon the principles of Christian Religion received by all Doctors and drawn from express passages of holy scripture 1. The first is that all Children which are conceiv'd by the ordinary way all except the Virgin are sported with original sin are enemies of God objects of his just wrath â—laves of the Devill Children of perdition and victimes of eternal death I say conceiv'd by the ordinary way to make you understand that the Son of God being not conceiv'd by this way but by the operation of the holy Ghost his Conception was not only exempt from all impurity but hath been the source and origin of all purity of our souls and bodys I have moreover added the Virgin excepted becaus according to the maxim of S Aâ—stin when we speak of sin we speak not of the Virgin she having been prevented with all the graces and advantaged with all the priviledges that an Omnipotent and loving Son could bountifully bestow on her whom He chose to be his Mother These two then excepted T is an Article of faith that all Children though their Parents be faithfull and in the state of grace are soiled with sin and are fruits of malediction and damnation They are soiled with sin For in Adam all have sinned says S. Paul and nothing that is soiled shal Rom. 5. 12. Apoc. 21. 27. Ephes. 2. 3. enter into heaven says S. Iohn They are the objects of Gods anger we were by nature the children of wrath says S. Paul and the anger of God is not a passion but a punishment the wrath of God upon this stilborne infant is never appeased For he that hath not faith the wrath of God remaines upon him says IESUS CHRIST in S Iohn but this infant hath neither actual nor habitual faith not actual for he is uncapable of it not habitual for he could 3. 36. not receive it but by the Sacrament and he is dead without it the wrath of God remaines upon him 2. After all this how do some flatter themselves in their sins and say that God made us not to cast us away that his mercy permits him not to be so rigorous as they say that he will spare us though we die in the state of sin made He these poor infants to cast them away and nevertheless He permits them to be lost the mercy of God is greater than you can possibly imagin and notwithstanding this great mercy this infinite mercy hinders him not to exercise such a severity upon these little creatures And if He be so severe to them for one only sin which they incurre by the misfortune of their condition what will He be to you for so great a number of sins which you commit not by ignorance constraint surprise but so freely and voluntarily 3. 'T is a second Verity that original sin was an evill so desperate and incurable that there was not any pure Creature possible that could remedy this evill that nothing less was necessary than the humiliation blood and death of a God for a medecine to t is mortal maladie 'T is easy to prove it by the malice of sin which offends an infinite Majesty but 't is not necessary since it is a common doctrine that 't is not but to extreme maladies that one applyes extreme remedies sin must be a very dangerous and extreme evill since a remedy so powerfull strange extraordinary and extreme was necessary for it Ha! you know not ô sinner what is a mortal sin for if you knew it you would rather die a thousand times than commit it you would rather eate your tongue than pronounce one only blasphemy or fals testimony you would rather burn your hand than reach it out to a dishonest or unjust action 4. This precious and inestimable treasure of the merits and passion of IESUS is a most powerfull remedy for original sin but nevertheless unprofitable and uneffectuall if it be not apply'd to us Suppose that you have here the best medecine in the world if the infirme person take in not it serves for nothing so though the precious blood of IESUS and the infinite merits of his passion be more than most sufficient to deliver us from sin if they be not appropriated and appli'd to us by the Sacrament they are uneffectuall and unprofitable So we see the Scripture attributes 1. Ep. 1. 7. Ephes. 5. 26. 1. Pet. 1. 19. Tit. 3. 5. Iohn 3. 3. 6. S. Austin ep 20. ad Hierom lib. 3. ep 9. ad Fidu Aug. lib. 3 de Orig. Animae 9. c. to the water of Baptisme the same effects it attributes to the blood of IESUS CHRIST becaus water aplyes the vertue of it The blood of IESVS CHRIST cleanses us says S. Iohn IESVS CHRIST cleanseth his Church by the Baptisme of wator says S. Paul S. Peter We are saved by the blood of the immaculate Lamb. S. Paul God hath saved us by the Baptisme of regeneration In S. Iohn IESUS repeats twice with great instance that none may pretend ignorance Amen Amen I say to thee if any one be not regenerated of water and the holy Ghost he shal not enter into the kingdom of heaven Hence the primitive Christians if an infant was in danger ran hastily to the Church and in great fear lest the infant should dye without the sacrament Hence S. Cyprian says without Baptisme infants are lost Hence S. Austin gives us this caveat say not teach not if you will be a Catholick that infants departing before Baptisme can com to remission of their original sins Now I make your selves Iudges whom we ought to belive either a Quaker or some other Reformer who say that t is not
speaking of the future time as present according to custome of the Prophets sayd From the rising of the sun even to the going down great is my Name amongst the gentills and in every place is Sacrificed and offered to my name a clean Oblation He speaks not of the improper Sacrifice of contrition and other good works which according to Calvin and others are unclean nor of the Sacrifice of the Cross which was ofâ—er'd but in one place and but once and therefore the prophecie is not verifyd but in the Eucharist which is a true and proper Sacrifice since there is efâ—usion or oblation of blood for remission of sins This is the Chalice in my blood which is shed for you A clèan Sacrifice the Body and Blood of JESUS Offered in all times and places by vertue of these words of CHRIST Do this in commemoration of me And in effect the Apostles did so as it appeares in the Acts whilst they were ministring to our Lord Says S. Luke the holy Ghost sayd seperate me Paul and Barnabas that is whilst they were sacrificing for so the greek does signify and so Erasmus does translate The same hath been practised by their Successors ever since as Controvertists clearly shew out of the holy Fathers I will give you the words of three or four who lived during the times of the four first General Councills that you may see the beliefe and practise of those golden ages S. Ambrose upon the 38th Psalme says Though CHRIST Sc Ambr. in Psal 38. is not seen to offer now yet He himself is offered upon earth Nay He himself is manifested to offer in us whose speech does sanctify the Sacrifice which is offered S. Austin Since wee see this Sacrifice foretold by Malachias Aug lib. 18. de civit Dei c. 35 offered to God in every place by the Priesthood of CHRIST according to the order of Melchisaâ—eck and the Jews Sacrifice to cease why do they yet expect another CHRIST S. Chrysostome the Oracle of the greek and eastern Church sayd Becaus this Sacrifice is offered in many places are there many Christs No for as He who is offered every where is one body and not many bodys so the Sacrifice is but one Chrysost hom 17. in ep ad Heb. Nice 1. can 18. In fine the first most general Nicene Councill complaining that in some particular Churches Deacons gave communion to Priests made this Convincing determination Neither Rule nor Custome hath delivered that they who offer not present the Body of CHRIST to them that offer By which words 't is evident the Fathers of this great Councill believed the Eucharist was not only a Sacrament containing really the Body and Blood of JESUS CHRIST But moreover a true and proper Sacrifice offered by Priests 3. Would it not now grieve a Christian heart to see poor Catholicks of England so miserably harrassed pillaged emprisoned hated hanged by their own Allies and countreymen as they have been now a hundred years for the profession of that great worke of Christianity which Christ and his Apostles taught them and that they should undergoe the same disgrace and ruine by such as call themselves Christians yea the only pure ones for that very self same act of Religion for which both the Apostles themselves and all primitive Christians were so cruelly persecuted by Jew and Pagan But the God of mercies look in his good time upon our Persecutors favourably becaus they do it ignorantly and in incredulity and becaus they are the far greater Sufferers being deprived of a Sacrifice so acceptable and glorious to God and so profitable and necessary to men 4. If we consider Him who offers what He offers and the manner in which he offers we shal see that 't is a Sacrifice exceedingly glorious and pleasing to God For in this oblation the principal Offerer and Sacrificer is JESUS CHRIST the object of his Fathers complacence and the subject of his most tender loves who is equall to him in Greatness to whom He Sacrifices You are a a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedeck Psal 109 Heb. 5. 6. Gen 14. 18. says the Royal Prophet and S. Paul speaking of our Saviour becaus He offers continually by Priests unbloody Sacrifice under the species and formes of bread and wine which were the offerings of Melchisedeck The Priest is but his instrument and Minister when he says This is my Body it is evident that the Priest Speaks not of his own body but of that of JESUS CHRIST and seeing he says not This is the body of JESUS CHRIST But this is my Body 't is clear by this that it is not properly he that speaks but t is JESUS that speaks by his mouth who of the things proposed makes his Body and Blood says S. Chriysostom Hom. de Tradit Iudae 5. That which he offers is not dead and corruptible flesh of Lambs or other things as the ancient Sacrifices which were not pleasing to God in themselves nor in their substance as too base to be the objects of his delights but only pleased Him as they were figures shadows and representations of the Victime of this Sacrifice which is the precious flesh of the man-God Deifyd flesh living and enlivening holy and Sanctifying flesh flesh united to the Divinity subsisting with the Divine nature in the Persone of the Word 6. The manner in which He offers it is admirable and gives to God the greatest Glory Jt is offered as a most perfect holocaust since in this Sacrifice God is perfectly honoured as the Soveraign Authour of all Being for the man-God losing in honor of his Father the Sacramental Being which He hath here shews that God produced Him hath right to destroy Him and suffers no loss in his destruction He honors the justice of his Father in that He avows He hath deserved death and annihilation for the sins of men for whom He made himself a Propitiatour He honors his mercy in that He transfer'd upon his innocent son the debts of criminal servants and in that He accepts the sacrifice of his precious Body and mystical effusion of his Blood instead of the true and real death that we deserve He honors Him as the last end for losing the Being which He hath here to honor Him He shews that he holds it for the greatest happiness and felicity if his Father thinks it fit to be annihilated for his service 7. This august Sacrifice being so glorious and pleasing to God cannot fail to be extreamly profitable and advantagious to men T is a magasin of Spiritual treasures which furnishes us where with to satisfy the great abligations we have to God 't is a most powerfull meanes to obtaine of him all favours necessary for our souls and bodys T is a Host of praise and an Eucharisticall Sacrifice T is an impetratory Host and propitiatory Oblation Isaiah sayd if one should make a fire with all the wood of mount Libanus Isay
receive Baptisme The Councell of Trent assures us that penance hath been in all times necessary to obtain pardon of sins And this is so certen that Divines conclude that a Martyr a man that goes to suffer death for the Faith of IESUS CHRIST if he remember that he is in mortal sin is oblig'd to make a formal and express Act of penance and that in defect of it his Martyrdom will avail him nothing With more reason this formal act of penance is absolutely necessary to receive absolution For the councills declare that the Acts of the Penitent are the matter of this Sacrament without which the Sacrament subsists not and is null and amongst these acts the first the principal and most essential is repentance And hence it coms that 't is a great Sin and Sacriledg to confess without sorrow though you have but venial sins it would be much better if you have no other to say our Lords prayer and to communicate without confession than to confess without repentance 3. Now since it is not so easy to have in your heart true sorrow and regret for daily defects and a sincere and effective purpose to amend these venial sins take this counsell worthy to be put in practise if you have but these lesser sins add to the end of your confession some great sin of your past life for which you have more sorrow and repentance in this case the absolution will fall upon that sin not upon the venial sins of which you have no sorrow or true purpose of amendment 4. Secondly the Councell of Trent does teach us that this imperfect sorrow which is called Attrition ought to be supernatural it must be a gift of God and a motion of rhe holy Ghost And in the first Canon of the sixt session they pronounce Anathema against all that shal dare say a man without the prevening inspira ration of the holy Ghost can believe hope love and repent as be ought to receive the grace of justification 5. This Doctrine condemnes the practise of those Who use great diligence in examining their conscience but little or none in procuring covenient sorrow That is good and necessary but This is the more important if you fail in that a little a good confessor may supply by asking and examining you but if you have not this none can give it you it belongs to God only to bestow it on you and you ought to employ time care affection and fervour to obtaine it 6. In the third place the Council declares that supernatural Attrition ss 14. c. 4. leaves us in the state of sin if it be not actually followed by the absolution of a Priest If you are surprized by the Article of death in the state of mortal sin having Attrition only it avails you nothing to use all diligence to have one if in effect he coms not and absolves you dying you are lost doubt not of it for 't is on Article of Faith You will say God never obliges to a thing impossible shal I be damn'd for want of absolution since it was not my fault having used all possible means to have it I answer you shal not be damn'd for any sin you commit in that you are depriv'd of absolution but you shal be for the precedent sin of which you cannot have a remedy but by perfect Contrition or by Attrition with absolution And this is not only the doctrine of the Councel of Trent and present Church it was the beliefe of the primitive Christians as may be seen in the 180. Epistle of S Augustin 7. But to receive this necessary Absolution and cure from your spiritual Physician you must open your infirmity to him when you have lanced your heart with sharp Contrition or Attrition you must make all the corruption of mortal sins issue out of it by an entire Confession 8. Some say 'T is not necessary to confess all to a Sinner 't is impossible to declare this sin but I will have true repentance of it give alms and do great penances and God will pardon me Deceive not your selves God will not be a lyar to be mercifull S. Iohn 22. to you He sayd to Priests whose sins you shal remit are remitted And whose you shal retaine are retained The sins which you know you have committed and declare not to a Priest are not remitted by him and if he remits them not they are retained and God will never pardon them This hath ever been the sense of the Vniversal Church She always vnderstood that in those words of JESUS CHRIST which containe the institution of this Sacrament was instituted also and commanded an entire confession of mortal sins as the Councell of Trent declared Wherefore S. Austin preaching to sinners sayd flatter not your selves ss 14. c. 5 S. Aug. hom 49. ex 50. Say not I confess in my heart I confess to God this is not enough for so in vain the Son of God would have sayd to Priests All that you shal vnbind on earth shal be unbound in heaven And in effect who would go to Priests if by confessing to God alone they could obtain remission And again Be thou sorrowfull before Confession Confess let all the matter and putrefaction run out in Confession now exult and rejoyce that which remaines will easily be heald 9. By this we may understand why so many confess and so few are amended why so many receive this Sacrament and so few profit by it One great reason is that many make not a true perfect and entire Confession This defect hinders the operation of so great a Caus and makes the Sacrament invalid or unprofitable It happens either through negligence ignorance or shame 8. First through negligence They examin and Confess only the actions which they have don and not those which they ought to do and have not don they confess the sins of their persone and not those of their condition sins which they committed and not those which others committed by their occasion 9. Secondly through Ignorance For they must not think to be excused saying I have not confest such sins becaus I thought not to do ill if you omit any sin through gross ignocance or through culpable blindness God says to you in the scripture If you know not you shal not be known Becaus thou hast 1. Cor. 14. 38. Osee 4. 6. repelled knowledg I will repell thee If this ignorance or blindness be in you becaus you pray not God enough to enlighten you and make you know what displeases him or becaus you have thrust your self into an office of which you are uncapable or becaus you hear not sermons nor read good books which may instruct you nor desire that any one should tell you your faults you are not excused in the sight of God for not confessing them 10. Thirdly through shame which makes us to conceal voluntarily some sin most perniciously and criminally This want of integrity is pernicious since
and suffers those torments voluntarily she knows how disagreable she is to the Sanctity and Purity of God that she is a debtour to his justice and that she deserves those torments she desires the justice of God should have its cours and as she loves God more than her own self she is glad the injury don to his Majesty is revenged also at her own cost she will remaine in that prison untill her debt be entirely payd either by her own sufferances or by the satisfactions and suffrages of others 4. For we may ayde those poor afflicted soules they are in communion of spiritual goods with us they are members of the same mystical Body children of the same Church Citizens of the same City and there is such an union such a simpathy and communication betwixt members of the same Body children of the same family inhabitants of the same City that we cauterize a member that is well to cure that which is ill that the labour of a child of a family profits his brother who labours not that one citizen ss 25. in Decret de purg can pay debts and satisfy for another We can then help these souls especially in three manners First by Prayers as the Councel of Trent declares For a good and devout praier is not only meritorious to him that makes it but also impetratory and satisfactory for others Secondly by the Sacrifice of Mass for this is the most See Dis XLVI n. 9. Tobie 4. 18. profitable suffrage that can be offered to God for the help of the dead as not only the aforesayd Councel but also the Fathers of the primitive Church declare Thirdly by Alms. Venerable Toby sayd to his son Put your bread and wine upon the Tomb of the just becaus in that time the Poor assembled in Cemeterys or Churchyards and alms of bread and wine were given them for the souls departed He sais upon the Tomb of the just becaus alms gâ—ven for souls that are in hell avail them not but those that departed out of this world in the state of grace they profit much wherefore S. Austin reproved the avaricious who excused themselves from such alms by the great Aug. lib de decem cordis c. 12. number of their children when we sayd he reprehend you for your auarice you say that if you give not so much as you desire 't is becaus you have many children It is a fals pretence wherewith you maske your avarice For if one of your children dye are you more charitable than you were if you keep your goods for them you would send a part to him he hath now more need of it then ever But if you have not means to give alms for the poor souls succour them by other workes 5. All vertuous actions don in the state of grace and especially the painfull if Offered for the dead give them great refreshment But those confort them most of which they are the Cause either by their instructions or by their good examples For Divinity â—eaches us that if we are the cause of any good as often as 't is don after our death our accidentall glory in heaven is increased and if we are in purgatory our torments are diminished as on the contrary our paines there are augmented if any sin be committed by our bad example 6. Let us give eare then to the dolefull lamentations of those poor souls who implore our help Meseremini mei Miseremini mei Saltem vos amici mei Have pity on me have pity on me at least you who are my friends she says twice Have pity on me Have pity on me Lest you increas my paines Have pity on me to ease me in my sufferances Have pity Be touched with compassion of so great miseries For judgment without mercy shal be don to him who shal not S. Iames 2. 13. have don mercy But on what will you exercise mercy but on misery and what greater misery then that of a poor creature who owes very much and is pursued and pressed by a rigorous Iustice and hath not wherewith to pay What greater misery then that of a poor soul upon whom the revenging hand of the Omnipotent is layed then of a poor soul in torments so Excessive that if a dog should be so tormented it would move you to compassion Of me a soul created to the image of God redeemed by the precious blood of IESUS marked with his character embellished with his graces designed to his glory He will say in iudgment I have been thirsty and you have given me drink I have been Matt 25 35. in prison and you have visited me I have been naked and you have clothed me I have been a stranger and you have received me into your house You do all these good workes of charity if you deliver a poor Soul out of Purgatory you are the caus that she is satiated with a torrent of pleasute you redeem her out of a very obscure and painfull prison you cloth her with the stole of glory and you make her to be received and lodg'd in heaven At least you who are the caus or occasion that this soul is in pain have pity on her you have made her to offend God by your impure words by your bad examples or by your sollicitations having so great part in the debt will you not contribute to the satifaction At least you friends what is becom of the affection you testifyd to your friend where are the offers of service where are the protestations so often made that you would never abandon her forget you her becaus she is seperated from you and turne you your back to her when she hath the greatest need of Succour It appears now that you were a friend of fortune only and the afliction of your friend is the touchstone which shews the falness of your friendship At least you my friends your Ancestours have made themselves debtours to the justice God by the sins which they committed to leave you goods will you be so ungratefull and so cruell as to refuse them a little part of them you swimme in delights and they are in torments you rest in feathers and they lie in flames You complain not of a large refection you give to J know not whom and you refuse your afflicted mother a little dinner which you might send her by the poore In fine if you be so mercenary as to seek your interest in all your actions remember that these poot Souls are in the gtace of God must go to heaven and you must one day succeed in their present place and if you shal deliver them they will not be ungratefull Blessed are the mercifull for they shal obtaine mercy If you give an amls for a soul in Purgatory you do at once two workes of mercy corporal mercy to the poor in want and Spiritual to the soul in paines you make the poor man your friend and the poor soul your debtour when you