each one would be cōtent with his own not couet that belōgeth to an other ther should neuer be war nor discorde S What bee the vices contrarie to Iustice M They are two One is Iniustice that is when one taketh that which belongeth to an other or in cōtracts giueth lesse then he ought or taketh more then is due to him The other is too much justice that is whē one is too rigorous wreasteth things by pretence of justice more seueerely then reason requireth For in some cases it is necessarie that compassion bee mixed with justice As if a poore man can not pay all he oweth presently without his great losse or damage it is a reasonable thing and just that he haue a litle time graunted him and to denie him the same is to great rigour S What is Fortitude and what is the office thereof M It is a vertue which maketh vs ready to ouercom al difficulties that would otherwise hinder vs frō doing wel it reacheth euen to suffering death whē it is necessary for the glorie of god or for performing our duty so al holy martirs haue triūphed ouer their persecutors by this vertue in like maner al valiāt soldiars which in iust wars haue made so great proofe of their valour haue become glorious by the same vertue S what be vices cōtrary to fortitude M They are cowardlines audacious temeritie For cowardlines maketh one to yeeld too easely Which cōmeth of the lacke of fortitude audatious temeritie maketh one put himselfe in danger when there is no need Which so to tearme it is too much fortitude And it deserueth no praise but blame and therefore is no vertue but a vice S What is Temperance and what is the office thereof M Temperance is a vertue that bridleth sensuall delights maketh a man to content himselfe with such pleasures and in that measure as reason alloweth S What are the vices contrarie to Temperance M They are Intemperance and Insensibility Intemperance is when one is too much giuen to delights and therefore committeth excesses in eating and such thinges as doe hurt both the soule and the bodie Insensibilitie is when a man vseth the other extreame and so flyeth all pleasures that he wil not eate things necessarie for his health to auoyd that little delectation which conuenient meats doe naturally bring But the vice of intēperance is much more common amongst men then the vice of insensibilitie And therefore all holie men by word and example haue exhorted vs to fasting to mortification of the flesh Cap. XIII Of the seauen gifts of the Holie Ghost S VVHich be the seuen gifts of the Holie Ghost M They are those which the Prophet Isaie hath taught vs to wit Wisdome Vnderstanding Counsaile Fortitude Knowledge Pietie and the Feare of our Lord. S Whereto do these gifts help vs M To attaine to the perfection of Christian life For they are as the ladder by which wee clime vp from the state of sinne by diuers degrees euen to the highest of sanctitie But you must knowe that the Prophet numbreth these steppes comming downwards For he did see as it were a ladder which came from Heauen Neuertheles we will recoont the ascending as going vpwards ascending from earth to heauen The first degree then is the Feare of our lord which doth terrifie a sinner whē he thinketh that he hath God almighty his enemiet the second degree is Pietie For he that feareth punishment which God threatneth against a sinner beginneth to become godlie desireth to obey and serue God and to worke his holie will in all things The thirde degree is Knowledge for that hee vvho desireth to vvorke the vvill of God demaundeth of God that he will teach him his holie commandements God partly by Preachers partly by books partly by inwarde inspirations teacheth him all that is necessarie The fourth degree is Fortitude for hee that knoweth and is willing in all thinges to serue God findeth many difficulties tentatiōs of the world the flesh the diuel And therefore god at that time of need giueth him the gift of Fortitude that he may ouercome al difficulties The fift degree is Counsell for when the diuell cannot preuaile by force he turneth himself to decepts and vnder pretence of good prouoketh the just man to fall yet God doth not abandon him but giueth him the gift of Counsell by which he preuaileth against the deceipts of the enemy the sixt is the gift of Vnderstāding for when a mā is wel exercised in actiue life and hath had many victories against the diuel god doth draw him exalt him to contemplatiue life and with the gifte of vnderstanding maketh him to vnderstande and penitrate diuine Mysteries The seauenth is the gift of Wisdome which is the cōplement of perfection For he is wise that knoweth the first cause of all thinges and according thereto formeth al his actions which none can doe but hee that joyneth perfect charitie to the gift of vnderstanding For by the vnderstanding he knoweth the first cause and by charitie hee directeth and disposeth all thinges vnto it as vnto the last ende And because wisdome joyneth the affection to vnderstanding therefore it is called wisdome that is sauorie knowledge as Saint Barnard teacheth vs. Cap. XIIII Of the eight beatitudes S VVHat are the eight beatitudes which our Lord taught vs in the Gospel M They are an other ladder to clime vnto perfection like vnto that of the gifts of the Holie Ghost For that in seauen sentences are conteyned seauen degrees to arriue vnto beatititude And lastly the eight doth geue vs a signe to know whether a man haue ascended vp these degrees or no. S Declare vnto mee this ladder briefly M Christ our Lord in the three first degrees teacheth vs to take away the impediments of perfection whereby we ascend vnto felicitie The generall and ordinarie impediments are three the desire of goods of honors and pleasures So Christ saith in the first degree that the poore in spirit are blessed that is those who willingly dispise goods In the second he saith that the meeke are blessed that is those that geue place to all not resisting those that put themselues before and thrust them behinde In the third he saith that those are blessed that weepe that is those that seeke not the delights and pleasures of the world but attend to do penance and to be waile their sinnes In other two degrees he teacheth vs the perfection of the actiue life which consisteth in fulfilling all that wee are bound vnto by iustice and by charitie Therefore he saith in the fourth degree that those are blessed that hunger and thirst iustice And in the fift he saith that the mercifull are blessed In the last two he draweth vs to perfection of the contemplatiue life and therfore he saith in the sixt that they are blessed that haue a cleane hart for they shall see God that is they shall
Originall sinne is that in which we are borne and it commeth vnto vs by succession frō our first father Adam For you haue to know that when God made the first man and the first woman called Adam and Eue he gaue them seuen gifts First he gaue them his grace by which they were iuste and the friends of God his adopted children Secondly he gaue them great knowledge how to doe well and to shunne euill Thirdly he gaue them obedience of the flesh to the spirite that it should not be mooued to vnlawful desires against reasō Fourthly hee gaue them promptnes and great facilitie to do well and to flie euill and but one most easie commandement to obserue Fiftly hee freed them from all labour and feare For the earth brought foorth fruites sufficient for mans life of it self neither was there any thing that could hurt man Sixtly hee made them immortall that is that they should neuer haue dyed if they had not sinned Seauenthly hee would after some time haue translated thē into Heauen to such an eternal and glorious life as Angels haue But the first man and woman inueigled by the Diuell did not obserue that commandement and so they sinned against God and thereby lost those seuen giftes which I spoke of And because God gaue them those giftes not only for them selues but also for all their posteritie therefore they lost them for themselues and for vs all and made vs partakers of their sinne and of all their miseries as we should haue bene of all their graces and other benefites if they had not sinned This then is Original sinne an emnitie with God and a priuation of his grace with which priuation wee are borne Whereof proceedeth ignorance euil inclinations difficultie to do well and facilitie to do euill the paine trauel to prouide to liue the feares and periles in which we remaine most certaine death of the bodie also eternall death in hell if before we dye we be not deliuered of sinne returne not into the sauour of God S What remedie haue wee against this Originall sinne M It is already saide before that the remedie is the Passion death of Christ our Lorde For so God would that hee that should satisfie for the sinne of Adam should bee himselfe without sin and the same was God and man and so hee was infinitely acceptable to God and did obey not in an easie thing as that was which was commanded to Adam but in a most hard thing as was the ignominious death of the Crosse And this remedie is applyed to vs by holie Baptisme as hath bin saide And albeit God doth not straight-waies render vnto vs all those seauen gifts yet he hath restored to vs the most principall which is his grace by meanes whereof we are made iust the friends and children of God and heires of Heauen The other gifts shal be restored vnto vs hereafter with great increase in the other life if we behaue our selues well in this Cap. XVIII Of mortal and veniall sinne S DEclare vnto me now what is actuall sinne and how one is mortall and an other veniall M Actuall sinne is that which wee commit by our owne will when wee are come to the vse of reason As to steale to kill to sweare falsely and such like things contrarie to the law of God And it is mortal sinne when it depriueth vs of the grace of God which is the life of the soule maketh one worthie of eternal death in hell It is veniall sinne when it displeaseth God but not so much that it depriueth vs of his grace and meriteth punishment but not eternall S How shall I know whether the sin be mortal or venial M To know when a sinne is mortall you must obserue two rules one is that the sinne be contrarie to the charitie or loue of God or of our neighbour The other that it bee with full consent of the will For when either of these two things is wanting it is not mortall but veniall And a sinne is then said to bee a-against charitie when it is against the lawe in a matter of weight as when it is a sufficient offence to breake friendship but when it is in a small matter such as ordinarilie breaketh not friendship It is not then against charitie but is said not to be according to charitie And so such as commonly breaketh friendship is against the law because it is against charitie which is the end of the law such as commonly breaketh not frendship is not against the law but not acording to the law because it is not against charitie but not according to charitie Take an exāple to steale a great quantitie of money is a mortal sinne because it is against the law of God being in a matter of weight and in the iudgement of most men sufficient to breake frendship and so is against charitie but to steale a farthing or a pinne or a like thing is not a mortall sinne but a venial because it is in a small matter which although it be not according to charitie yet it is not against charitie because it is not a thing that in reason can breake frendship In like manner we may say of being voluntarie For when a thing is against the law in a matter of weight and fully voluntarie it is a mortall sinne but if it be not fully voluntarie as if one haue a thought or a sodaine desire to steale or to kill or to blaspheme and presently perceiueth his error before he fully consent with his will it is only a veniall sin Therefore a man must stand vpon his gard and presently as he is aware of an euil thought or desire he must driue it away before they geue consent Chap. XIX Of the seuen Capitall sinnes S I Desire now to know which be the most principall sinnes to the end I may flie them with more diligence M Some sinnes are more principal because they are as fountaines or roots of others and therefore called capital and these are seuen Others are more principall for that they are more hard to be pardoned and are called sins against the Holie Ghost and they are six Finally there are others more principall because they are more manifestly enormious and against all reason and therfore it is said that they crie for reuenge to Heauen and they are foure S Which are the Capitall sinnes M They are these Pride or as others call it Vainglorie Couetousnes Lecherie Enuie Glutonie Anger and Sloath. S Wherefore are they called capitall M They are not called capitall because they are mortal for many sins are mortall and are not capitall as blasphemie and murder and many capital which are not alwaies mortal as gluttony anger sloath But they are called capitall because they are heads of many others which proceed from them as branches from the roote and riuers from the fountaines S What is Pride what sinnes doth it bring forth and what is the remedie
exercised in the vertues of meekenesse and of patience considering the examples of holie men and of Christ himselfe who by supporting and suffering haue triumphed more gloriouslie then worldly men do by endeuoring to be reuenged of their enemies S What is Sloath what sinnes produceth it what is the remedie against it M Sloath is called in Greeke Acidia signifyeth tediousnes loathsomnes and griefe to doe well And it is a mortal sinne when one giueth taketh loathsomnes to do well is displeased for that he is bound to obserue the cōmandements of God and to walke in the way of vertue The sinnes which he produceth are light esteeming the commaundements easelie yeelding him selfe to vices desperation of wel-doing hatred and dislike of such as would draw or force a sinner to leaue sinne and to take a good way The remedie is neuer to be idle to read good bookes to consider the great reward which God promiseth to those that are diligent and obseruing his commandements and the eternall and intollerable punishments which is prouided for the negligent Cap. XX. Of the sinnes against the Holie Ghost VVHat how many be the sinnes against the Holie Ghost M They are sixe to wit despaire of our saluation presumption to bee saued without merits to impugne the knowen truth enuie at an other mans grace obstinacie in sinne and finall impenitence S Wherefore are they called sinnes against the Holie Ghost M Because they are committed vpon meere malice and speacially the third which is of all other properly a sinne against the Holie Ghost that is when a man knoweth the truth and yet will obstinatly hold and proue that it is not true To sin of malice is said to be against the Holie Ghost because goodnes is attributed to the Holie Ghost which is contrarie to malice like as to sinne of ignorance is said to be against the Son of God to whome wisdome is atributed and sinning of frailtie is said to be against the Father to whom power is attributed S What haue these sinnes proper M They haue this that they are not pardoned in this world nor in the other as our Lord admonisheth vs in the Gospel Which yet is thus vnderstood that they are hard to be pardoned because seldom hardly those that fal into these sinnes come to true repentance like as when wee say a disease is incurable we will not for all that say it can not be cured by anie meanes but that it is seldome cured or that ordinarily it is not cured Chap. XXI Of sinnes that crie vnto Heauen S HOw manie are they what bee the sinnes which crie vnto Heauen M They are four to wit wilful murder carnall sinnes against nature oppression of the poore and chiefly of orphans and widowes and to defraud workmen of their wages S Wherefore is it said that they crie to Heauen M Because the iniustice of these sinnes is so maniefest that it can not be couered or hidden by anie means Chap. XXII Of The foure last things S I Would haue some general document to flie sinne M The wise man saith Remember thou the last things and thou wilt neuer sinne The last things are foure Death the Generall Iudgement Hell and Heauen S Wherfore are these foure things called the last M Because death is the end of life and the last thing which is to happen in this world Finall iudgement is the last of all the iudgments that are to be geuen and therfore there is no appealing from it Hell is the last euil that melefactours are to haue and they are to remaine therin for euer without possibilitie euer to change Heauen is the last good which the good are to haue they are neuer to lose it S I would haue some considerations to exercise my self in these last things for that remembring my self often of them I should neuer sinne as the wise man saith whom you alleaged M Concerning death you may consider these four points First that death is most certaine and none can escape it The second that the houre of death is vncertaine and manie die when they least thinke of it The third that in death all the designments of this life do end and then the vanitie of the world appeareth The fourth that at their death euerie one repenteth the euill he hath done and the omission of good which he might haue done therfore it is great folie to do that wherof we are sure to repent vs. Touching Iugement you may consider these points First that the iudgement shal be geuen of a most important matter to wit of the chiefest good or the greatest euil Secondly it shal be geuen by the highest Iudge who knoweth all things and whom none can resist Thirdly it shall bee geuen in the presence of the whole world where none can hide themselues Fourthly there wil be no hope to flie the sentene or the execution of Gods Iustice Concerning Hell consider that it is large long high and deepe Large for that it conteyneth all the paines that can bee imagined Long for that they are eternall High for that they are all most bitter in the highest degree Depe because they are all absolute paynes without mixture of anie sort of consolation Concerning Heauen consider in like maner that it is large for that it conteyneth all the goodnes that can be imagined and more also then we can imagine or desire It is long because all those Beatitudes are eternal It is high because they are most high and noble It is deepe because they are pure good without any mixture of euill And here you may adde that the commodities of this life haue no one of these conditions for that they are few short little and alwaies mixed with vexations and troubles of mind And likewise the euils of this world are few short litle and alwaies tempered with some consolation Wherupon you are to conclude that all those haue truly lost their wittes that for loue of the commodities of this life or for feare of present tribulations lose the happines or fall into the euils of the world to come FINIS A Table of the Chapters and principall contents of this booke VVHat Christian Doctrine is and what are the principall partes thereof pag. 1 The declaration of the vsuall blessing with the signe of the Crosse 5 The declaration of the Creede 13 And first of the first Article 20 Of the second 20 Of the third 24 Of the fourth 29 Of the fifth 40 Of the sixt 43 Of the seauenth 44 Of the eight 53 Of the ninth 57 Of the tenth 68 Of the eleuenth 64 Of the twelfth 71 The declaration of our Lords prayer 77 The declaration of the Aue Maria. 105 The declaration of the ten command 111 And first of the first commandement 117 Of the second 130 Of the third 145 Of the fourth 148 Of the fifth 152 Of the sixt 156 Of the seuenth 159 Of the eight 147 Of the ninth 253 Of the tenth 168 Declaratiō of the precepts of the church 201 Declaration of Euangelical counsell 276 Declaration of the Sacramēts of the church 279 Of the Sacrament of Baptisme 215 Of the Sacrament of Confirmation 293 Of the Sacrament of the Eucharist 294 Of the Sacrament of Penance 241 Of the Sacrament of Extreme Vnctiō 217 Of the Sacrament of Order 220 Of the Sacrament of Matrimonie 220 Of vertues in generall 258 Of the Theologicall vertues 231 Of the cardinall vertues 221 Of the seauen gifts of the Holy Ghost 237 Of the eight Beatitudes 240 Of the seauen works of mercy corporall spirituall 253 A declaration of vices sins in general 284 Of mortall and venall sinne 254 Of Original sinne 259 Of the seuen capital sinne 296 Of the sinnes against the Holie Ghost 243 Of sinnes that crie to heauen 270 Of the foure last things 312 FINIS * Likewise beginning the day at mid-night our Sauiour rising as he did after mid-night rose the third day * Counting the day to end at Sunne-setting Or if you count to midnight there was more of Fridaye and some part of Sunday * Fridaye is also Fasting daye where custome so bindeth as it doth in England
our Lord with great wisdome teacheth vs to demand to be deliuered from all euill and commeth not to particulars as to pouertie sicknes persecutions the like For that oftentimes it doth seeme vnto vs that a thing is good for vs which God doth see is euill And contrariwise it seemeth to vs that a thing is euil which God seeth is good for vs. And therefore according to the instruction of our Lord we demand that he deliuer vs from all that which he seeth is euil for vs be it prosperitie or aduersitie S What meaneth Amen M This is an Hebrew word as I haue already said vnto you it signifyeth so be it or so it is And as in the end of the Creed Amen signifyeth so it is and so I beleeue In like maner in the end of the Pater noster Amen signifyeth so be it so I desire and so I pray that it may be done Cap. V. The declaration of the Aue Maria. S NOw you haue declared to me the Pater noster I desire that you declare also the Aue Maria M I wil do it willingly for I desire that you be most deuout to our blessed Ladie The Aue Maria in our vulgar tongue is this Haile Marie ful of grace c. S What meaneth it that to the Pater noster the Aue Maria is ioyned rather then anie other prayer M For so much as we haue no aduocate nor intercessor with Christ more potent then his Mother therfore when wee haue said the praier which Christ hath taught vs we repaire also to his mother to the end that she by her intercession may helpe vs to obtaine that we haue demanded in saying the Pater noster like as in this world when we haue geuen a supplication to the Prince wee recommend the busines vnto the most potent that is in the court S Who composed the Aue Maria M God himselfe hath composed it For albeit hee taught it not by his owne mouth yet he taught it by the mouth of the Archangel Gabriel of S. Elizabeth and of the Church For those wordes Haile Marie full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women were spoken by the Archangel Gabriel but hee spake them as Gods embassadour so hee spake them as from God and God spake them by the mouth of his Embassadour Those other wordes blessed is the fruit of thy wombe Saint Elizabeth spake but she spake them whē she was replenished with the Holy Ghost as the Euangelist Saint Luke testifyeth Whereby it appeareth that the holy Ghost spake them by the mouth of S. Elizabeth Al the rest holy church hath added which is gouerned taught by the same holy ghost so it may welbe said that after the pater noster which christ taught vs by his owne mouth the Aue Maria is the most excellent prayer that can be found being cōposed by the same God taught vs by the mouth of his seruants S Let vs come thē to the declaratiō Wherefore do we say Haile Marie M This is a salutation which we geue vnto her to shew that we are friendes and of acquaintance and therefore dare come to speake vnto her and we vse the words of the Angel for that we know that she is pleased to heare often that newes which the Angell brought her when hee spake the same wordes and shee rejoyceth also that wee are mindefull thereof and that we are gratefull to God for so great a benefite S What meaneth Full of grace M The grace of God worketh three principall effects in the soule It wipeth out the sinnes which are as spottes that defile the soule it adorneth the same soule with giftes and vertues and finallie it in-ableth to doe meritorious workes gratefull to the diuine Majestie Our Ladie is full of grace because touching the first effect she neuer had any spot of sinne neither Original nor Actuall neither mortal nor venial Touching the second she had al the vertues gifts of the holy ghost in the highest degree Touching the third she did works so gratefull vnto God and so meritorious that she was worthie to be assumpted in bodie and soule aboue al the orders of Angels S It seemeth not that our Ladie had more grace then other Saints For I haue often heard that S. Stephen other Saints were full of grace M How much soeuer it is said of other Saints that they were full of grace yet our Ladie had most grace of them al for that she was made by God capable of more grace then any other Saints as for example if manie vessels one greater then an other were filled with balme al should be ful yet in the greatest should be more balme then in the others And the reason of this is because God doeth make men capable of more or lesse grace according to the offices which he geueth them And for so much as the greatest office that hath been geuen to a meere creature was to be the Mother of God therefore our Ladie was made capable of filled with more grace then anie other meere creature S What meaneth Our Lord is with thee M this is an other singular praise of the blessed virgin which signifieth to vs that our Lord hath bene with our Ladie from the beginning of her conception with a perpetual assistance gouerning her directing her and defending her And hereof it commeth that she neuer committed anie sinne either in thought in worde or in deed Wherevpon God hath not only adorned this most holy virgin with al graces but he would also remaine alwaies with her as guardian of so great a treasure S What meaneth Blessed art thou among women M This is the third praise which is geuen to our B. Ladie in which is declared that she is not only ful of al the graces which can belong to a virgin but of those also which can belong vnto a wife and therby doth absolutly surpasse al other women which haue bene or shal be The benediction of a married woman is fecunditie and this was not wanting to the blessed Virgin seeing shee hath brought foorth a childe which is more worth then a hundreth thousand Children It may also be said that shee is a Mother of a verie great number of Children for that all good Christians are brothers to Christ and consequently are childrē to our Ladie not by birth and nature in which maner only Christ is her childe but by loue and motherlie affection which she had towards all Whereupon she is worthely said to bee blessed amongst all women because others had either the glorie of virginitie without fecunditie or the benediction of fecunditie without Virginitie she only had joyntlie by a singuler priuiledge of God the honour of perfect virginitie with the benediction of the highest and most happie fecunditie S What meaneth And blessed is the fruit of thy wombe Iesus M This is the fourth praise which is giuen to our Ladie that she is not onely