he commands us to beg our Meat of him every Day Which Sentence has this necessary Reason XXXII The Lords Prayer to be said daily because we all want daily Bread therefore we must all daily use the Lords Prayer And thus much of the Bread which being receiv'd into our Mouth nourishes and sustains our Body which God of his admirable Bounty bestows upon all in common as well on the Faithful as Infidels as well on the Pious as Impious Matth. 5.46 Who causes his Sun to rise upon the Good and upon the Evil and rains upon the Just and on the Vnjust The other Bread XXXIII Fourthly we here pray for Spiritual Bread and which we also pray for in this place is Spiritual whereby all things are signified whatsoever are requir'd for the Safety and Salvation of the Spirit and Soul For as the meat wherewith the Body is nourished and sustaind is of many sorts so the Meat which preserves the Life of the Soul and Sprit is not of one kind only For the Word of God is the Food of the Soul First For Wisdom says Prov. 9.5 Come ye eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine which I have mingled for you Now when God takes away from Men the Use of this Word XXXIV When the Food of God's Word is taken away Amoâ— 8.11 which he uses to do when he is much provok'd by our Sins he is said to send a Famine upon Men For thus it is in Amos I will send a Famin upon the Earth not a Famin of Bread or a Thirst of Water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. Now as it is a certain Sign of Death approaching XXXV A singular Comparison when Men cannot take Food or having taken it cannot keep it so it is a very great Argument that their Salvation is in danger who either desire not God's Word or if they have it will not endure it and pour out that impious Cry against God Job 21.14 Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways In this Madness of Soul XXXVI The Despisers of Gods Word in this Blindness of Mind they are taken who disregarding those Catholic both Bishops and Priests that are put over them and cutting themselves off from the Holy Roman Church have given themselves over to be govern'd by Heretics that corrupt the Word of God But then XXXVII Christ the Bread of the Soul Joh. 6.15 Christ our Lord is the Bread of the Soul For he says of himself I am the Living Bread that came down from Heaven It is past belief with how great Pleasure and Joy this Bread then fills devout Souls they are most afflicted with Earthly Troubles and Inconveniences That holy Quire of Apostles may serve us for an Example of whom it is thus recorded Act. 5.41 They went out from the presence of Council rejoycing The Books of the Lives of Holy Men are fill'd with Examples of this kind And of those inward Joys of Good Men God speaks thus Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcomes I will give the hidden Manna But especially this Bread is Christ our Lord XXXVIII Christ in the Eucharist is the Bread of the Soul which is substantially contain'd in the Sacrament of the Eucharist This unspeakable Pledge of his Love he gave us when he was about to return to his Father of which he said He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood dwells in me and I in him Take ye and eat This is my Body Job 6.65 Mat. 26.6 1 Cor. 11.64 And the Curat shall fetch those things which belong to the profit of the Faithful from that place where the Force and Vertue of this Sacrament is particularly explain'd Pag. 181. And here it is said XXXIX How Christ in the Eucharist is the Bread of the Soul Our Bread because it belongs to the Faithful i. e. to those who joyning Charity with Faith by the Sacrament of Penance wipe away the Spots of Sin who remembring themselves to be the Children of God take and worship this Divine Sacrament with the greatest Holiness and Veneration they are able Vide Tertul. lib. de Orat. Cypr. item de Orat. August alios locis citatis supra pag. 473. But why is it call'd Daily There is a twofold Reason XL. Why Christ is call'd our daily Bread Psal 54.25 The one is That in the Sacred Mysteries of the Christian Church it is offered to God daily and given to those that devoutly and holily desire it The other is That we ought daily to receive it or at least so to lead our Life as to be fit daily to take it and eat it Let those that think otherwise Note unless by reason of a long Interval they ought not to he fed with this saving Banquet of the Soul hear what S. Ambrose says If it be thy Daily Bread why dost thou take it but once a Year Lib. 5. Sap. c. 4. Vide etiam de Consec dist 2. But in this Petition the Faithful are specially to be exhorted XLI The Issue of this Petition to be left to God That when they have honestly and well advis'd and been industrious in getting the Necessaries of Life they leave the Success to God and refer their Desires to his Pleasure Psal 45.23 who will not always leave the Just in a tottering condition For either God will grant the things desired Note and so they shall have their Wish or else he will not grant them and that is a most certain Argument that what is desired is neither for their Salvation nor Advantage since God denies it to the Pious who takes greater care of their Welfare than themselves do Upon this Point the Curats may enlarge themselves in explaining those Reasons which are excellently collected by S. Austin in his Epistle to Proba The last thing in discoursing upon this Petition is this XLII Why God gives good things to Rich Men. That Rich Men well consider their Wealth and Plenty and that they receiv'd them from God and let them think with themselves that those good things are therefore heap'd upon them to distribute them to the Needy To which sense agree those things that are disputed by the Apostle in his first Epistile to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 whence the Curats may fetch Divine Precepts enow for the clearing this Point both profitably and savingly The FIFTH PETITION And forgive us our Debts as we alsso forgive our Debtors SInce there are so many things that signifie God's Infinit Power to be join'd with the like Infinit Wisdom and Goodness I. Christ's Passion a singular Token of his Love to us that whithersoever we turn our Eyes and thoughts we meet with the Tokens of his Immense Power and Goodness verily there is nothing that more evidently shews his most profound Love and admirable Charity towards us than that unspeakable Mystery of the Passion of Jesus Christ from whence sprang that
has therefore a proper name and is call'd Son because his eternal Birth of the Father is properly call'd Generation as has bin explain'd in the former Article As therefore that Birth is signify'd by the name os Generation So that Person which flows we properly call Son and him from whom he flows we properly call Father Now whereas there is no proper name giv'n to the production of the Third Person but is call'd Spiration and Procession it follows That the Person also which is produc'd want his own proper name Now his Emanation has no proper name because we are forc'd to borrow from creat'd things those Names which are giv'n to God Wherein because we know no other way of communicating of Nature and Being but by vertue of Generation for this cause it is that we cannot express by any proper word the way whereby God communicates his whole self by vertue of his Love Wherefore the Third Person is call'd by the common name of Holy Spirit which verily we understand very well to suit with him from hence because he pours spiritual Life into us and without the inspiration of his most Holy Deity we can do nothing worthy of eternal Life And now the signification of the Name being explain'd IV. The Holy Ghost prov'd God equal with the Father and Son the people are first of all to be taught That the Holy Ghost is equally God with the Father and the Son that he is equal with him equally Almighty Eternal and of infinite Perfection the supreme Good and most Wise and of the and same Nature with the Father and the Son Which also the propriety of the word In sufficiently shews First when we say I believe in the Holy Ghost which is fitted to express the force of our Faith in the several persons of the Trinity And this also is confirm'd by plain Testimonies of Holy Scripture Secondly for when S. Peter in the Acts of the Apostles had said Act. 5. Ananias why has Satan tempted thy Heart to lye to the Holy Ghost he presently says Thou hast not ly'd to Men but to God Whom before he call'd Holy Ghost the same he presently after calls God And the Apostle to the Corinthians interprets him to be the Holy Ghost Thirdly 1 Cor. 12.6 whom he had call'd God There are says he divisions of operations but the same God which works all in all and then he subjoyns But all these things works that One and the selfsame Spirit dividing to every one severally as he will Besides in the Acts of the Apostles Fourâ—hly that which the Prophets attribute to God only he ascribes to the Holy Ghost For Esayah had said Isay 6.8 I heard the voice of the Lord saying Whom shall I send and he said to me Go thou and say to this people Harden the heart of this people and make heavy their ears and close up their eyes lest haply they see with their eyes and bear with their ears Which words when the Apostle had cited Act. 28.25 Well says he did the Holy Ghost speak by Esayas the Prophet And then Fifthly when the Scripture joyns the Person of the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Son that when he commands That the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost should be mention'd in Baptism there is no room left us to doubt of the Truth of this Mystery For if the Father be God and the Son God we must be forc'd to confess that the Holy Ghost who is joyn'd with them in the same Degree of Honour is God also And this may be added Sixthly That he who is baptiz'd in the name of any created thing can reap no fruit thereby Were ye 1 Cor. 13. says he baptiz'd in the name of Paul to shew that this cou'd profit them nothing to the attaining Salvation When therefore we are baptiz'd in the name of the Holy Ghost we must needs confess that he is God And we may observe this order of the Three Persons in S. John's Epistle also Seventhly whereby is prov'd the Divinity of the Holy Ghost 1 Joh. 5.7 There are Three which bear record in Heav'n the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One. And also in that famous Elogy or Hymn or Praise of the Holy Trinity wherewith the Divine Lands and Psalms are concluded Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Lastly Eighthly And which most of all belongs to the confirmation of this Truth whatsoever we believe to be proper to God the same the Holy Scriptures testifie to agree to the Holy Ghost And therefore they attribute to him the honour of Temples 1 Cor. 6.19 2 Thess 2.13 Joh. 6.63 2 Cor. 3.6 2 Cor. 2.10 As when the Apostle says Know ye not that your Members are the Temple of the Holy Ghost so also Sanctification and Vivification or quick'ning and to search into the Depths of God And to speak by the Prophets and to be every where All which things are to be attributed only to the Divine Deity And this moreover is carefully to be explain'd V. The Holy Ghost a distinct person from the Father and the Son That the Holy Ghost is God so as that we must confess him to be the Third Person in the Divine Nature distinct from the Father and the Son and produc'd by their Will For to omit other Testimonies of Scripture the Form of Baptism which our Savior has taught most plainly shews Matt. 28.19 That the Holy Ghost is the Third Person which in the Divine Nature stands of it self and is distinct from the rest Which also the words of the Apostle declare when he says 1 Cor. 13.15 The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communication of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen The same thing but much more plainly do those things evidence which the Fathers in the first council of Constantinople have added in this place to confute the impious madness of Macedonius And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of Life who proceeds from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipp'd and glorified Who spake by the Prophets That therefore they confess the Holy Ghost to be Lord they declare in this how much he excels the Angels which yet are most noble Spirits created of God For S. Paul witnesses That they all are ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 sent forth to minister for them who receive the Inheritance of Salvation And they call him the Giver of Life VI. Why the Holy Ghost call'd the Giver of life because the Soul being joyn'd with God does more truly live than the Body when it is nourish'd and sustain'd by conjunction with the Soul And because the Holy Scriptures attribute to the Holy Ghost this Conjunction of the Soul with God it appears plainly that he is most
this Answer that he was a Rock for though he might be a Rock yet he was not a Rock as Christ was for Christ was a Rock truly immoveable but Peter only by virtue of that Rock for God bestows his own dignities upon others Mark this He is a Priest and he makes Priests He is a Rock and he makes a Rock and what things are his he bestows on his Servants Lastly St. Ambrose St. Ambrose says If any one object that the Church is content with One Head and Husband Jesus Christ and needs no other the answer is ready For as we account Christ our Lord not only the Author but the Bestower also of all the Sacraments for He it is that Baptizes and absolves and yet he makes Men the outward Ministers of the Sacraments So he has plac'd over his Church which he governs inwardly with his Spirit a Man to be the Vicar and Minister of his Power For seeing the Visible Church wanted a Visible Head our Saviour accordingly appointed Peter the Head and Pastor of all the Faithful when in most ample expressions he commended to him the feeding of his Sheep that he would have him who succeeded to have plainly the same power of ruling and governing the whole Church Besides XVI The way to preserve Unity for time to come 1 Cor. 12.11 12. Eph. 4.34 there is One and the same Spirit says the Apostle to the Corinthians who bestows Grace on the Faithful even as the Soul does Life on the Members of the Body To preserve which Vnity when he exhorts the Ephesians he says Be earnest to preserve the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For as the Body of Man is made up of many Members and all are nourish'd by one Soul which gives Seeing to the Eyes Hearing to the Ears and divers Faculties to the other Senses So the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church is made up of many Faithful People There is also One Hope Eph. 4.4 as the Apostle testifies in the same place to which we are call'd for we all hope for the same thing to wit Eternal Life and Happiness Lastly There is One Faith which all must hold and profess 1 Cor. 1.10 Let there be no Schisms among you says the Apostle And there is One Baptism which is a Sacrament of the Christian Faith Another property of the Church is XVII The Second That she be Holy 1 Pet. 2.9 First that she is Holy which thing we have learn'd from that place of the Prince of Apostles But ye are a chosen generation a Holy Nation But she is call'd Holy because she is consecrated and dedicated to God for so other things of this kind though they are corporeal are us'd to be call'd Holy when they are given and dedicated to divine worship Of which kind in the Old Law were the Vessels Vestments and Altars In which sense the First-born also who were dedicated to the Most High God were call'd Holy Nor should any one wonder Note that the Church is call'd Holy altho within her are contain'd many Sinners For the Faithful are call'd Holy because they are made the People of God and by receiving Baptism and Faith have consecrated themselves to Christ altho in many things they offend and perform not the things they have promis'd even as they who profess any Trade or Art tho they observe not the rules thereof are yet call'd Tradesmen Wherefore S. Paul calls the Corinthians Sanctifi'd and Holy 1 Cor. 1.2 amongst whom it is manifest there were some whom he sharply reproves as Carnal and charges with many other Crimes She is also to be call'd Holy Secondly because as the Body she is joyn'd with her Holy Head Christ the Lord who is the Fountain of all Holiness from whom are pour'd forth the anointings and riches of Divine Goodness Excellently does St. Austin interpret those words of the Prophet S. Aug. in Ps 85.8 Keep thou my soul because I am Holy He dares says he and the Body of Christ dares and that one Man crying out from the ends of the Earth with his Head and under his Head dares say I am Holy For she receiv'd the Grace of Holiness the Grace of Baptism and of Remission of sins And a little after If all Christians and all the Faithful being baptiz'd in Christ have put him on as the Apostle says Gal. 3.27 As many of you as have been baptiz'd have put on Christ if they are made Members of his Body and yet say that they are not Holy they do wrong to the very Head whose Members they are made Add to this Thirdly That the Church alone has the legitimate worship of Sacrifice and the saving use of the Sacraments by which as by the efficacious instruments of Divine Grace God works true Holiness in us So that whosoever are truly Holy cannot be out of this Church It is plain therefore that the Church is Holy and Holy indeed because she is the Body of Christ by whom she is sanctifi'd and wash'd in his Blood Concerning the Holiness of the Church see Justin Martyr in both his Apologies Tertul. in his Apologie August against Fulgen. c. 17. Greg. Moral b. 37. c. 7. The Third Property of the Church is The Third That she be Catholic S. Aug. Ser. 131. 181. de Tempore that she be stil'd Catholic to wit Vniversal which appellation is truly given her because as S. Austin testifies From the East to the West the Brightness of one Faith is spread abroad For the Church is not as in the Public Affairs of Men or in the Conventicles of Heretics bound to the limits of One Kingdom only or to One sort of Men But she embraces in the Bosom of her Charity all Men whether they be Barbarians or Scythians Servants or Free-men Male or Female Wherefore it is written Apoc. 5.6 10. Thou by thy blood hast redeem'd us O God out of every tribe and language and people and nation and hast made us a kingdom to our God And of the Church says David Ps 2. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession And I will remember Ps 86. Rahab and Babylon who shall know me and A man was born in her Besides all the Faithful which have ever been from Adam to this day or who shall be while the World endures and profess the true Faith belong to this very Church Eph. 2.20 which was built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets all which were constituted and founded upon that One Corner-stone Christ who made Both to be One who has proclaim'd Peace to them that are near and to them that are afar off And she is call'd Vniversal for this reason Because all that desire everlasting Salvation are bound to lay fast hold of and to embrace her no otherwise than they who went into
sufficient For each of them ceases not to be a Sacrament though it were laid up in the Pyx And then in the making of the other Sacraments there is no change of the Matter and Element into another nature For the Water of Baptism or the Oyl of Chrism when those Sacraments are administer'd lose not their former nature of Water and Oyl But in the Eucharist that which was Bread and Wine before Consecration the Consecration being made is truly the substance of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Now altho there be Two Elements X. The Eucharist â—ut one Sacrament tho double in Matter to wit Bread and Wine of which the whole Sacrament of the Eucharist is made yet being taught by the Authority of the Church we confess that there is not many Sacraments but one Sacrament only Otherwise the Number of Seven Sacraments which number has always bin held and was determin'd in the Councils of Lateran Florence and Trent cannot stand For seeing the Grace of this Sacrament makes us one mystic Body that the Sacrament it self might agree to the thing it makes it must needs be but One and One too not as tho it were individual but because it has the signification of One thing For as Meat and Drink which are two different things but serve only to One purpose to wit to refresh and strengthen the Body so it is fit that those two different Species of the Sacrament should answer to them since they signifie the spiritual Meat wherewith our Souls are sustain'd and refresh'd Wherefore it is said by our Lord and Savior Joh. 6. â— My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed Ex Conciliis citatis Lateranense generale sub Innocent II. non numerat quidem distinctè septem Sacramenta sed ex variis Canonibus satis clarè colliguntur Florent in doct de Sacram. Trid. Sess 7. can 1. But it is diligently to be explain'd what the Sacrament of the Eucharist signifies The Eucharist signifies Three things that the Faithful beholding with their Eyes the Sacred Mysteries may also at the same time feed their Souls with the Contemplation of the Divine things Now there are Three things which are shew'd in this Sacrament The First is the Passion of Christ The Passion of Christ Luc. 22.19 1 Cor 11. which is now past for he taught Do this in Commemoration of me And the Apostle testifi'd As oft as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Chalice ye will shew the Death of the Lord till he come The second is the Divine and Heavenly Grace Divine Grace which being present in this Sacrament is given to feed and preserve the Soul For as in Baptism we are begotten to a New life Tertul. de Râ—sur Carnis c. 8. and in Confirmation we are strengthen'd to resist Satan and openly to profess the name of Christ so in the Sacrament of the Eucharist we are nourish'd and sustained The Third Eternal Glory which foreshews somewhat to come is that Fruit of eternal Glory and Delight which we shall receive in Heaven by the promise of God These three therefore which are plainly distinguish'd by the variety of time past present and to come are so signifi'd in Holy Mysteries that the whole Sacrament altho it consists of divers Species may be apply'd to shew any of all these as it were to the signification of one thing But first of all XI The Double Matter of the Eucharist Bread and Wine the Pastors must know the Matter of this Sacrament both that they themselves may know how to consecrate it and also that the Faithful may be admonish'd of what thing it is a Symbol and also may be inflam'd with the love and desire of that thing which it signifies The Matter therefore of this Sacrament is double The one part is Bread made of Wheat of which we will speak first of the other will be spoken afterwards For as the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke do teach Mat. 26.20 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 22 19. Joh. 11. Christ our Lord took Bread into his Hands Bless'd and brake it saying This is my Body And in S. John the same our Savior call'd himself Bread when he said I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven Vide de Consecr dist 2. c. 1 2. 55. ubi habes de hac materia decret Alexand. Pap. in 1. Epist ad omnes Orthodoxos Cypr. lib. 2. Epist 3. Ambr. l. 4. de Sacram. l. 4. vide etiam Iren. l. 4. c. 34. l. 5. c. 2. Now since there are divers kinds of Bread XII Wheaten Bread the true Matter of the Eucharist D. Tho. 3. p. q. 74. a. 3. either because it is made of different matter as when some is made of Wheat some of Barley and some of Peas and other Fruits of the Earth or because it has different Qualities for some is leven'd and some is unleven'd As to the first our Saviors words shew that the Bread ought to be made of Wheat for by a common custom of speaking when Bread is absolutely nam'd it is plain enough that Wheaten-Bread is meant And this is declar'd by a Figure of the Old Testament Levit. 24.5 for the Lord commanded that the Loaves of Shew-Bread which signifi'd this Sacrament should be made of the like Matter Now as no Bread but Wheaten Bread can be thought fit to be Matter for this Sacrament XIII Unleven'd Bread the Matter of the Eucharist Ma. 26.17 Mar 14.12 Luc. 22.7 for so the Tradition of the Apostles teaches us and the authority of the Catholic Church has confirm'd so also it may easily be gather'd from what our Lord Christ did that it ought to be Vnleven'd For on the first day of Vnleven'd bread when it was unlawful for the Jews to have in their Houses any leven'd Bread he made and instituted this Sacrament Vide lib. 3. decretal tit de celebrat Missarum c. ulâ— ubi habes Auctoritatem Honorii Papae 3. But if any one hereto oppose the Authority of John the Evangelist XIV An Objection answer'd who says that all these things were done before the day of the Passover that reason may be easily solv'd For that day which the other Evangelists call the first day of unleven'd Bread because on the fifth day of the week at Evening the feast days of unleven'd Bread began at which time our Savior celebrated the Passover John 13.1 that same day S. John calls the day before the Passover as judging the space of a natural day which is begun at Sun-rising was chiefly to be observ'd Wherefore S. Chrysostom also In Mat. hom 38. interprets the first day of Vnleven'd Bread to be that day whereon at Evening Vnleven'd Bread was to be eaten But how suitable the Consecration of Vnleven'd Bread is to that Integrity and Cleanness of the Soul which the Faithful ought to bring to this Sacrament we are taught by
the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 when he says Purge out the old Leven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleven'd For Christ our Passover is sacrificed therefore let us banquet not with the old Leven nor with the Leven of malice and wickedness but with the unleven'd Bread of Sincerity and Truth Not that this Quality is to be thought so necessary XV. The Eucharist may be made of Leven'd Bread that if the Bread have it not the Sacrament cannot be made For either kind of Bread has the true and proper nature and name of Bread Altho no one ought by his own private authority or rashness rather alter the laudable Rite of his Church And by so much the less is it permitted to the Latin Priests to do it Conc. Floren. Sess ult lib. 3 decret de cel b Miss c. final whom the Popes have moreover commanded to perform the Sacred Mysteries with unleven'd Bread only And let this suffice for the explication of One part of the Matter of this Sacrament Where notwithstanding it is to be noted that it is not determin'd how much Matter ought to be us'd in making this Sacrament since the certain number of them who either may or ought to receive the Sacred Mysteries cannot be defin'd It remains now that we speak of the other Part of the Matter and Element of this Sacrament XVI Wine of the Grape the other Matter of the Eucharist And that is Wine press'd out of the fruit of the Vine wherewith a little Water is mixt For that our Lord and Savior us'd Wine in the Institution of this Sacrament the Catholic Church has ever taught seeing he himself said Mat 26.29 Mar. 14.25 I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine until that day In which place S. Chrysostom Hom. 83. in Mat. Of the fruit of the Vine says he which surely brought forth Wine not Water that so long before-hand he might be seen to pluck up by the roots the Heresy of them who thought that Water only was to be us'd in these Mysteries Yet the Church of God always mingl'd Water with the Wine XVII Water to be mingl'd with Wine Cypr. lib. 2. Epist. 3. Trid. Sess 22. de Saâ—ris Miss c. 7. Can. 9. Apoc. 17.15 First because our Lord Christ himself did so as is prov'd by the authority of Councils and by the testimony of S. Cyprian And then that the memory of the Blood and Water which came out of his Side might be renew'd And then as we read in the Apocalyps Water signifies the People Wherefore Water mingl'd with Wine signifies the Conjunction of the Faithful with Christ their Head And this by Apostolical Tradition Holy Church has always observ'd But altho the Reasons for mingling the Water with the Wine are so weighty Note that it may not be neglected under mortal sin yet tho it should be wanting the Sacrament remains But the Priests ought to take care XVIII A little Water to be mingl'd that as in the Sacred Mysteries they ought to mingle Water with the Wine so also that they pour but a little thereinto For by the Opinion and Judgment of Ecclesiastical Writers That Water is turn'd into Wine Wherefore Pope Honorius writes thus concerning it There has bin for a long time in your parts a pernicious abuse to wit that there is us'd a greater quantity of Water in the Sacrifice Habetur lib. 3. Decretal dâ— celeb Miss c. 13. than of Wine when according to the reasonable practice of the general Church there ought to be us'd a far greater quantity of Wine than of Water Of this Sacrament therefore there are only these Two Elements Note and it has bin rightly setl'd by many Decrees Et vide de consec dist 2. c. 1 2. seq That none may offer any thing but Bread and Wine notwithstanding which there were some presum'd to do so But now we must see how sit these two Symbols of Bread and Wine are XIX How convenient this Matter of the Eucharist is First John 9. to declare those things whereof we believe and confess them to be Sacraments And first they signifie Christ to us as he is the true life of Men. For the Lord himself says My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed Seeing therefore the Body of Christ our Lord yields nourishment of eternal Life to them who do purely and holily receive the Sacrament thereof rightly is it made of those things wherein this Life is contain'd that the Faithful may easily understand that by the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ their mind and Soul is fed These Elements also are somewhat available to this end Secondly Damasc lib. 4. de fide Orthod c. 14. that Men may learn and know that the Truth of Christ's Body and Blood are in the Sacrament for when we observe that Bread and Wine is dayly chang'd into human Flesh and Blood by the strength of Nature We may the more easily be led by this similitude to believe that the Substance of Bread and Wine by the Heavenly Benediction is converted into the true Flesh and true Blood of Christ Thirdly This admirable Change of the Elements helps also to shadow what is done in the Soul For as tho there appears outwardly no change of the Bread and Wine yet their substance truly passes into the Flesh and Blood of Christ so also tho nothing seems to be chang'd in us yet inwardly we are renew'd to life while we receive the true life in the Sacrament of the Eucharist Add hereto Fourthly that since the Body of the Church is compos'd of many Members this conjunction is not by any thing more clear'd than by the Elements of Bread and Wine For Bread is made of many Grains and Wine is press'd out of a Multitude of Grapes And so we tho we are Many yet they shew us to be strictly held together by the bond of this Divine Mystery and as it were made One Body Now it follows that we treat of the Form which ought to be us'd at the consecrating the Bread XX. The Form of the Eucharist as to the Bread defin'd and prov'd Not that the faithful people need to be much taught these Mysteries unless there be necessity for it is not necessary to instruct those persons in these matters who are not initiated in Sacred Things But lest by ignorance of the Form the Priests in making this Sacrament may make any foul mistakes We are taught therefore by the Holy Evangelists Matthew and Luke By Scripture Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 26.19 1 Cor. 14.22 and by the Apostle that This is the Form This is my Body for it is written when they had supp'd Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take and eat This is my Body Which Form of consecration seeing it was observ'd of
Bones and Sinews but also that whole Christ is contain'd in this Sacrament For they ought to teach That Christ is the name of God-Man to wit of one Person wherein the Divine and Human Nature are joyn'd together how it conteins both Substances and whatsoever are the consequences of each Substance the Divinity and the whole Human Nature which consists of all the parts of a Body and of Blood also all which we must believe to be in the Sacrament For since in Heaven the whole Humanity is joyn'd to the Divinity in one person and Hypostasis it would be wicked but to imagine that the Body which is in the Sacrament is disjoyn'd from the same Divinity Vide de Consecr dist 2. multis in locis Item Ambr. de iis qui myst init c. 9. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 76. a. 1. Where it will be necessary notwithstanding XXXII Whatsoever things are Christ's are not all contain'd in the Eucharist after the same manner that the Pastors observe that all things are not contein'd in this Sacrament after the same way or with the same vertue For there are some things which we say are in the Sacrament by the vertue and Efficacy of Consecration For seeing those Words effect what they signifie Sacred Writers have bin us'd to say That that Thing is in the Sacrament by vertue of the Sacrament which is express'd in the Form of Words So if it should happen that any thing should be wholly disjoyn'd from the other things That only is in the Sacrament which the Form signifies but the rest they have taught not to be so But there are some things contain'd in the Sacrament because they are joyn'd with the things which are express'd in the Form For seeing that the Form which is us'd at consecrating the Bread signifies the Lords Body when it is said This is my Body the very Body of Christ our Lord is in the Eucharist by vertue of the Sacrament But because his Body Blood Soul and Divinity are joyn'd together XXXIII What things are in the Eucharist by concomitancy all these will be also in the Sacrament not indeed by vertue of the Consecration but as those things which are joyn'd with his Body And these things are said to be in the Sacrament by concomitancy For which reason it is plain that whole Christ is in the Sacrament For if any two things are indeed knit together where the One is the other must needs be there also It follows therefore that whole Christ is so far contein'd as well in the species of the Bread as of the Wine that as not only the Body but also the Blood and whole Christ is truly in the species of the Bread So on the contrary not only the Blood but the Body also and whole Christ is truly in the species of Wine Now tho all the Faithful ought to be fully and assuredly perswaded of these things XXXIV Why the Bread and Wine separately consecrated Yet it was very fitly order'd That two Consecrations should be severally made First That the Passion of our Lord in which the Blood was divided from his Body might more lively be represented for which cause in the Consecration we make a memorial that Christs Blood was pour'd out And then it was most fit that because we are to use the Sacrament for the Nourishment of our Souls it should be appointed as Meat and Drink of which two it is evident that the perfect nourishment of the Body does consist Nor ought this to be pass'd over XXXV Whole Christ in every particle that whole Christ is contain'd not only in either species but in every particle of each species For thus S. Austin writes All severally receive Christ our Lord and he is whole in the several parts nor is he made the less by being distributed severally to many But he gives himself whole to all But this may easily be gather'd from the Evangelists also Citatur Aug. de Consecr dist 2. c. singulis For we are not to believe XXXVI Many particles of Bread not consecrated separately that the several Loaves of Bread were consecrated by our Lord with the proper Form of words but that all the Bread then us'd at the Sacred Mysteries and enough to be distributed among the Apostles was consecrated together with the same Form ' The same thing which appears to have bin done by the Chalice For he said Luc. 22.17 Take and divide it among you What has hitherto bin explain'd is intended that the Pastors may shew that the true Body and Blood of Christ is contain'd in the Sacrament of the Eucharist Now as to the Second thing propos'd XXXVII After the Consecration that the substance of the Bread and Wine remain not prov'd First by Reason they shall teach also that the Substance of Bread and Wine remains not in the Sacrament after Consecration Now tho this deservedly requires a very great admiration yet it is necessarily joyn'd with that which before was shew'd For if after Consecration there be the true Body of Christ under the species of Bread and Wine it is altogether necessary that seeing it was not there before this be done either by change of place by Creation or by Conversion of another thing into it But it is manifest that it cannot be that the Body of Christ in the Sacrament be that which came out of one place into another For so it would come to pass that he must be absent from Heaven because nothing is mov'd unless it leave the place from which it mov'd But it is less credible that the Body of Christ is created and this we cannot so much as conceive It remains therefore that in the Sacrament there is the Body of our Lord and that the Bread is chang'd into it Wherefore it must needs be that no substance of Bread remains Being led by this Reason Secondly by the decrees of Councils our Ancestors and Forefathers in the great Council of Lateran and that of Florence by evident Decrees confirm'd the truth of this Article But in the Council of Trent it was more fully defin'd thus If any one shall say that in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there remains the Substance of Bread and Wine together with the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Lat. Con. c. 1. Flor. in Ep. Eugenii IV. data ad Arm. Ã Concilio approbata Trid. Sess 13. Can. 4. And it was easie to gather these things from testimonies of Scripture Thirdly by the Authority of Scripture First that in the Institution of this Sacrament the Lord himself said This is my Body For this is the force of the word This to shew all the Substance of the thing present but if the Substance of the Bread remain'd it would seem by no means to be truly said Matt. 26.26 Mar. 14.2 Luc. 22.28 1 Cor. 11.24 Joh. 6.61 This is my Body And then Christ our Lord
the Substance of the Bread we must confess that it is in the Sacrament just after the same manner as the Substance of Bread before Consecration But to confess whether it be under a Great or under a Little Quantity is nothing at all to the purpose Now follows the Third thing which in this Sacrament seems very great and wonderful XLIV The Accidents remain in the Eucharist without the Subject which after the other two being explain'd must be suppos'd may be handl'd by the Pastors with more Ease to wit that the species of Bread and Wine in this Sacrament remain without any subject Matter For seeing it was shew'd before that the Lords Body and Blood are truly in the Sacrament so that there subsists no more any Substance at all of Bread and Wine because those Accidents cannot be inherent to the Body and Blood of Christ it remains that beyond all the order and course of Nature they uphold themselves without any other thing to suport them This has bin the perpetual and constant Doctrin of the Church which will be easie to confirm by the Authority of those testimonies by which it was before made evident that there remains no Substance of Bread or Wine in the Eucharist Vide de Consecr dist 2. c. Nos autem Decretal lib. 1. tit de celeb Miss c. Cum Matt. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 75 a. 3. q. 77. a. 1. But nothing is more suitable to the Devotion of the Faithful XLV The Duty of the Faithful towards the Eucharist than passing by all more nice and subtil questions that they adore and reverence the Majesty of this admirable Sacrament And then that therein they embrace the supream Providence of God that he has instituted these Holy Mysteries to be administred under the species of Bread and Wine For since it is the most horrid thing in the world to the Nature of Man to be fed with Man's Flesh XLVI Why under the species of Bread and Wine the Eucharist was instituted or to drink his Blood he most wisely order'd it that his most Holy Body and Blood should be administer'd to us under the species of those things of Bread and Wine I say by whose common and daily use and nourishment we are mostly delighted And there are adjoin'd these two Conveniencies whereof the first is that we are freed from the reproach of Infidels which we could not easily have avoided if we should be seen to eat our Lord under his own species The other is that while we thus take the Body and Blood of the Lord in such a manner as notwithstanding what is truly done cannot be perceiv'd by the senses this avails very much to increase Faith in our Souls which verily as Gregories known sentence is Faith has no Merit where Human Reason gives the Experiment Hom. 26. super Evangelia Vide Cyril lib. 4. in Joan. c. 22. Cypr. de Coena Domini Ambr. de Sacram. lib. 4. c. 4. Aug. Tract 27. in Joan. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 74. a. 1. q. 75. a. 1. But these things which have hitherto been expounded are not to be explain'd without great caution us'd according to the Capacity of the Hearers and the Necessity of Times But those things which may be said concerning the Influence and Fruits of this admirable Sacrament XLVII The Vertue and innumerable advantages of the Eucharist we must know that there is no sort of the Faithful to whom the Knowledge of these things belongs not and to whom it ought not to seem very necessary Now that the Faithful may understand the Vtility of the Eucharist for this cause chiefly those things which are with so many words discours'd concerning this Sacrament are to be known But because the immense Advantages and Fruits thereof can never by Words be express'd there may One or Two Points be handl'd by the Pastors to shew what a plenty and abundance of all good things are included in these Mysteries Vide Trid. Sess 13. c. 3. can 5. Iren. lib. 4. c. 14. Cyril lib. 4. in Joan. c. 11. 14. Chrys hom 45. in Joan. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 79. And this in part they will thus perform XLVIII The Eucharist the Fountain of all the Sacraments if the vertue and nature of all the Sacraments being laid open they compare the Eucharist to the Fountain and the other Sacraments to the smaller streams for we must needs call it and that truly the Fountain of all Graces because after an admirable manner it contains in it the very Fountain of Heavenly Gifts and Endowments and the Author of all the Sacraments Christ our Lord from which as from the Fountain is deriv'd or drawn to the other Sacraments whatsoever Goodness or Perfection they have From hence therefore the most ample endowments of Divine Grace which are bestow'd on us in this Sacrament may easily be collected It may seem profitable also to consider well the Nature of Bread and Wine XLIX What Food is to the Body that the Eucharist is to the Spirit which are the Symbols of this Sacrament For see of what Vse Bread and Wine is to the Body of the same but in a far better and more perfect manner is the Sacrament of the Eucharist to the Health and Delight of the Soul For neither is This Sacrament chang'd into our substance as the Bread and Wine is but after a certain sort it changes us into its own Nature So that rightly may that of St. Austin be transferr'd hither Lib. 7. Consess c. 10. I am the Meat of Great ones grow great and thou shalt eat me nor shalt thou change me into thee as thou dost thy Bodily meat but thou shalt be chang'd into me Vide Ambr. lib. 5. de Sacram. c. 4. Chrys hom 45. in Joan. Now if Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ L. Grace flows into the Soul thro the Eucharist Joh. 6.56 57. it must need flow into thy Soul when thou tak'st him purely and holily who said of himself He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood dwells in me and I in him for those who being affected with the study of Piety and Religion take this Sacrament no one ought to doubt but that they so take into themselves the Son of God as that they are grafted into his Body as living Members for it is written He that eats me even he shall live by reason of me And Lib. 4. in Joan. c. 12.14 Epist ad Nester 10. The Bread which I will give is my Flesh for the life of the World Which place Cyril interpreting says The Word of God uniting himself to his own Flesh made it quickning It therefore became him after a wonderful manner to be united to our Bodies thro his sacred Flesh and precious Blood which we have receiv'd in the Bread and Wine by his quickning or enlivening Benediction But forasmuch as it is said I.I. When the Eucharist does
not profit that Grace is given in the Eucharist the Pastors ought to admonish that it is not so to be understood as tho' it were not necessary that he who will indeed profitably receiv'd this Sacrament should not before obtain Grace For it is manifest that as natural Food does nothing at all profit a dead Body so also the sacred Mysteries profit not that Soul which lives not in Spirit And therefore they have the species or shew of Bread and Wine to signifie Note that they were instituted indeed not to call a dead Soul to Life again but to preserve Life But this is therefore spoken LII By the Eucharist is given the first Grace and why because even the First Grace which All ought to have before they presume to receive the sacred Eucharist in their mouth lest they eat and drink judgment to themselves is not given to any except in Wish and Desire they receive this very Sacrament For This is the End of all the Sacraments and the Symbol of Ecclesiastical Vnity and Conjunction neither can any one out of the Church obtain Grace And then Note because the Body is not only serv'd by Natural Food but also increas'd and the Taste daily receives new pleasure and sweetness from it so also the Meat of the sacred Eucharist does not only keep the Soul alive but it also adds strength to it and causes that the Spirit be more and more mov'd with the Delight of divine things Sap. 16.20 for this cause it is that Grace is rightly and most truly said to be given in this Sacrament for it may well be compar'd to Manna wherein every sweetness of Taste was perceiv'd Now that in the Eucharist are remitted and pardon'd the lesser sins LIII Lesser sins remitted thro the Eucharist which are commonly call'd Venial there 's no one ought to doubt for whatsoever the Soul has lost by the heat of desire while she committed some small offence in some light matter all That the Eucharist restores wiping away all those lesser faults even as for there seems no reason why we may not make use of the common similitude that which is daily lost and decays by the force of the innate Heat we feel to be refresh'd and renew'd by little and little by natural Sustenance Wherefore rightly was it said by St. Ambrose concerning this heavenly Sacrament Lib. 4. de sac c. 6. lib. 5. c. 4. This daily Bread is taken for a Remedy of our daily Infirmity Innocent 111. lib. 4. de Myst Miss c. 44. Cyril lib. 4. in Joan. c. 17. lib. 3. c. 36. Inter opera D. Bernardi habetur cujusdam Sermo Domini qui incipit Panem Angelorum singularis est de Euch. videatur D. Thom. 3. p. q. 79. Mark well But this is to be understood of those sins with the Sense and Pleasure whereof the Soul is not much mov'd There is moreover such Vertue in the sacred Mysteries LIV. The Eucharist strengthens against harms that it keeps us pure and clean from sin and safe from the violence of Temptations and prepares our Soul as it were with a heavenly Medicine or Antidote that it be not easily infected Aug. Tract 26. in Joan. l. 1. op 2. ad Cornel. or hurt with the Poyson of any deadly Contagion or Disease And for this Cause also as S. Cyprian testifies when in old times the Faithful were hal'd away by the Rabble to slaughter and Torments for the Confession of the name of Christ lest haply they being overcome with the bitterness of their Pains should faint in the Sacred Combat it was an old custom in the Catholic Church for the Bishops to give them the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord. And it also restrains and suppresses the Lust of the Flesh LV. The Eucharist restrains Lust For while it more and more inflames our Souls with the Fire of Charity it must needs quench the Heat of Concupiscence Lastly LVI The Eucharist clears the way to eternal Glory Joh. 6.53 That we may comprehend all the Advantages and Benefits of this Sacrament in one word The Sacred Eucharist has a mighty force to gain eternal Glory for it is written He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Vide Chrys de Sacerdotio dialogo 6. D. Thom. 3. p. q. 79. art 2. By the Grace of this Sacrament also the Faithful while they live here in this World enjoy the highest Peace and Tranquility of Conscience And then by the vertue hereof being strengthen'd even as Elias was 3 Reg. 19.8 who in the strength of his Cakes bak'd on the Ashes walk'd as far as to Horeb the Mount of God when the time shall come for them to pass out of this Life they shall ascend to eternal Glory and Bliss All these things will be very largely explain'd by the Pastors if they will but handle the sixth Chapter of S. John wherein are laid open the manifold Effects of this Sacrament or running through the admirable works of Christ our Lord shall shew since we rightly and deservedly account them bless'd who receiv'd him into their Houses while he liv'd in this mortal life or who by the very Touch only of his Garment or of his Sleve recover'd Health that we are much more happy and bless'd into whose Souls he disdains not to enter cloath'd now with immortal Glory to heal all their Wounds to adorn them with the most excellent endowments and to unite them to himself But it must be taught by Whom these mighty Fruits of the Eucharist LVII A threefold way of receiving the Eucharist De Consecr dist 2. c. 46. Sess 13. c. 8. now mention'd may be perceiv'd Nor is there One only way of Communicating that the Faithful may learn to emulate the better Gifts Rightly therefore and wisely have our Ancestors as we read in the Council of Trent distinguish'd three ways of taking this Sacrament For some receive the Sacrament only Sacramentally as those sinners who are not affraid to take the sacred Mysteries with an impure Mouth and Heart 1 Cor. 11.19 who as the Apostle says Do eat and drink the Lords Body unworthily Aug. in Joan. tract 16. contra Dom. l. 5. c. 8. Of these S. Austin writes thus He that abides not in Christ and in whom Christ abides not without all doubt he eats not Christ's Flesh altho carnally and visibly he press with his Teeth the Sacrament of his Flesh and Blood Those therefore that being thus affected receive the Sacred Mysteries not only hereby receive no fruit 1 Cor. 11.19 but as the Apostle himself testifies they eat and drink judgment to themselves But others are said to receive the Eucharist Spiritually only Spiritually Gal. 5.6 and they are those who being kindl'd with a lively Faith which works by Love eat that heavenly Bread in desire and
his Tillage of those fruitful Gardens nor had his Labor or his Hope at all ever deceiv'd him But his Posterity is not only depriv'd of the Fruit of the Tree of Life VIII How great the Misery of Adams Posterity is but also is condemn'd with that dreadful Sentence Cursed is the Farth by thy act in labor shalt thou eat thereof all the Days of thy Life Briers and Thorns shall it bring thee forth and thou shalt eat the grass of the Earth in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy Bread till thou return to the Earth out of which thou wast taken for Dust thou art and into Dust shalt thou return To us therefore all things are fallen out contrary to what they had done to him and his Posterity IX Among these Miseries which is the greatest if Adam had bin obedient to Gods Command All things therefore are alter'd and chang'd for the worst Among which this is very lamentable that for our exceeding great Charges utmost Labor and Sweat we very often receive no Fruits when the Seed we sow turns to bad standing Corn or is choak'd with Weeds or is stricken with Storms Winds Hail Blasts Cankers and so perishes and is destroy'd so that all the whole Labor of the Year in a short Time by some Calamity of the Air or Earth comes to nothing And this happens for our Wickedness at which God being angry does not bless our Labors But that dreadful Sentence remains which at first he pronounc'd against us Gen. 3. The Pastors therefore in handling of this Point X. Mens Labor but vain unless God bless it shall labor that the Faithful may know that Men fell into these Streights and Miseries by their own Fault that they may understand that they must labor and sweat in getting those things that are necessary for Life but yet except God bless their Labor that all their Hope will deceive them and all their striving be in vain For neither is he that plants any thing nor he that waters but God that gives the Increase And Except the Lord build the House they labor but in vain that build it 1 Cor. 3.7 Psal 126.1 The Curats therefore shall teach XI Whence the Necessity of Prayer proved that there are almost innumerable things which if we want we either lose Life or render it very uncomfortable For this want of things and this Weakness of Nature being known Christians will be compell'd to go to their Heavenly Father and humbly to beg of him both Earthly and Heavenly good things They will imitate that Prodigal Son An Example Luc. 15. who when in a far Country he began to want nor was there any one that would give him so much as Peas-husks to eat when he was hungry returning afterwards to himself he understood that there was no Remedy to be expected any where for those Evils wherewith he was press'd but from his Father And here also the Faithful will come with more Confidence to pray XII How Faith given to them that pray if in their Minds they consider the Divine Goodness that his Fatherly Ears are always open to the Voice of his Children for while he exhorts us to seek our Bread he promises that he will bestow it abundantly upon them that rightly ask it of him for by teaching us how to ask it he exhorts us to ask it by exhorting he inforces us to ask it by inforcing us to ask he promises to give it by promising to give it us he leads us into a certain Hope of obtaining it The Minds of the Faithful therefore being stirr'd up and inflam'd XIII What we pray for in this Petition it now follows that we shew what is pray'd for in this Petition and First what Bread that is which here we ask We must know therefore that in Sacred Scripture by this Word Bread are signified many things XIV What is meant by the Word Bread but especially these two First whatsoever we use for Food and other Provisions for the Body for Preservation of Life and then whatsoever is given us of God's Blessing for the Life and Salvation of our Spirit and Soul Now here we ask Relief for that Life which we lead here in the Earth XV. What we here pray for First and this by the Authority of the Holy Fathers that thought so Wherefore they are not to be heard XVI Earthly good things may lawfully be pray'd for that say that Christians may not ask of God the Earthly good things of this Life For there are against this Error besides the concurring Sense of the Fathers very many Examples both of the Old and New Testament For Jacob vowing pray'd thus An Example Gen. 28.20 If the Lord will be with me and keep me in my way by which I walk and give me Bread to eat and Clothes to put on and that I return in safety to the House of my Father the Lord shall be my God and this Stone which I have put up for a Monument shall be call'd the house of God and of all that thou shalt give me I will offer to thee the Tithes And Solomon also pray'd for certain Relief of this Life Another Prov. 30.8 when he pray'd thus Give me neither Beggery nor Riches but give me only Necessaries for Food And what shall we say Others out of the New-Testament Matth. 24.20 when the Saviour of Mankind commands us to pray for those things which no one dares deny do belong to the use of the Body Pray ye says he that your flight be not in Winter or on the Sabbath And what say we of S. James Jac. 5.13 whose Words are these Is any of you sad let him pray Is any one cheerful let him sing And what of the Apostle who says thus to the Romans Rom. 15.30 I beseech you Brethren thro our Lord Jesus Christ and thro the Love of the Holy Ghost that ye help me in your Prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from the Infidels that are in Judea Wherefore XVII Earthly good things are here pr y'd for when God gives leave to the Faithful to ask the Comforts of human things and this perfect Form of Prayer was deliverd by Christ our Lord there is no doubt left that this is one of the seven Petitions Besides XVIII What we pray for Secondly we beg our daily Bread i. e. Necessaries for Food and under the name of Bread whatsoever is sufficient both for ◠lothes to cover us and for Food to sustain us whether it be Bread or Flesh or Fish or whatsoever else we can think on For we see that Eliseus us'd this manner of speaking An 〈…〉 ple. 4 Reg 6.22 when he admonish'd the King to give Bread to the Assyrian Soldiers to whom a great abundance of Meat was given And we know that it was written concerning Christ our Lord Another He entred into the House
of a certain Prince of the Pharisees on the Sabbath-day to eat Bread Luc. 14.1 by which word we see is signified whatsoever belongs to Meat and Drink For the perfect Signification of this Petition XIX We here pray for necessaries only we must further observe that by the Word Bread we are not to understand an abundant and exquisit plenty of Meat and Clothes but only what is simply necessary as the Apostle wrote Having Food and Raiment 1 Tim. 6.8 Prov. 30.8 let us therewith be content And Solomon as we said before pray'd Give me only necessary Food And of this Sparing and Frugality we are admonish'd in the next Word XX. We here pray for nothing for Luxury For when we say Our we pray for that Bread that is for our Need not for Wantonness Neither do we say Our as tho we were able to get it by our own Industry without God Psal 10â— For David says All things wait on thee to give them Meat in season when thou givest it them they gather it when thou openest thy Hand all things are fill'd with Goodness And in another place The Eyes of all things hope in thee O Lord and thou givest them their Meat in due season but because it being necessary for us it is given us of God the Father of all who by his Providence feeds all things living And for this cause also it is call'd Our Bread XXI Why this Bread is call'd Ours because we are to get it lawfully not by Wrong Deceit or Theft For whatsoever we get to our selves by ill Arts it is not ours but other Mens and very commonly either the Getting of it or the Possession or at least the spending of it is very Calamitous but on the contrary according to the Sentence of the Prophet there is great Peace and Happiness in the honest and toilsom Profits of pious Men Psal 127.2 For says he because thou shalt eat the labors of thy hands happy art thou and well it will be for thee And now for those that seek their Bread by their honest Labor XXII God blesses the Laborious Deut. 28.8 God promises them the Fruit of his Blessing in that place The Lord will send his Blessing upon thy Stores and upon all the works of thy hands and he will bless thee Nor do we only beg of God for our selves XXIII What we pray for Thirdly that we may use that which thro our Sweat and Labor we have gotten by the help of his Bounty for that is truly call'd Ours but we pray also for a good Heart that what we have justly gott'n we may also well and wisely make use of Daily In this Word also lies an Admonition to Frugality and Parsimony XXIV By the word Daily we are taught Frugality of which we spake last for we pray not either for Dainties or many sorts of Meat but only for that which satisfies the Necessities of Nature so that here they may be asham'd who being weary of common Meat and Drink seek for the most rare sorts of Dainties and Wines Nor by this Word Daily XXV The same Word condemns Covetousness Isa 5.8 are they less blam'd against whom Isaias utters these dreadful Threats Wo to you that joyn house to house and field to feild even to the utmost extent of place will you only dwell in the midst of the Earth For the Covetousness of these Men is inexpressible of whom it is thus written by Solomon Eccle. 5.6 A covetous Man will not be satisfied with Mony Hitherto belongs also the Saying of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will become rich fall into temptation and the snare of the Devil Besides XXVI It shews us to be mortal we call it Our daily Bread because we are fed therewith for the Supply of our Vital Moisture which is daily consumed by the force of natural Heat Lastly XXVII It teaches us to pray diligently there is this Reason for this Word because it is to be pray'd for daily that we may be kept in this practice of loving and worshiping God and that we may assuredly perswade our selves as true it is that our Life and Health depends upon God Give us How much matter these two words afford XXVIII The Force of these words to be explain'd Luc. 4. to exhort the Faithful devoutly and holily to worship and reverence the infinite Power of God in whose hands are all things and to loath that wicked Pride of Satan All things are delivered to me and I give them to whom I will there is none that sees not for at the pleasure of God alone all things that are given are preserv'd and increas'd But what need is there XXIX The Rich beg their daily Bread may some one say for Rich Men to pray for their daily Bread seeing they abound with all things They have this Necessity for praying in this manner not that those things may be given them of which by Gods Bounty they have enough but that they lose not those things which they have in abundance Wherefore as the Apostle writes 1 Tim. 6.27 Let them hence learn not to be overwise nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives to all men all things liberally to enjoy Note Now S. Chrysostom gives this Reason for this necessary Petition Hom. 14. oper imperfect in Matth. not only that he would supply us with Food but that when the Hand of the Lord does relieve us with giving to our daily Bread a wholsom and therefore a healthful Vertue he would cause our Food to nourish our Body and our Body to be serviceable to our Soul But what is the Reason why we say XXX Why we pray here in the plural Number Give us in the the Plural Number and not Give me Because it is the Property of Christian Charity not that every one be careful for himself only but that he take pains for his Neighbor also and in taking care for his own Advantage that he remember others also Add hereto Another Reason that the Gifts which God gives to any one he gives not to the End that he alone should possess them but that he should communicate to others what things he has above Necessity For says S. Basil Hom. 6. varior arg S. Ambrose Serm. 81. It is the Bread of the Needy which thou detain'st it is the Cloaths of the Naked which thou loock'st up it is the Redemption the Freedom the Mony of the Miserable which thou hidest in the Earth This Day This Word admonishes us of our common Infirmity XXXI What this word to Day signifies For who is there that if by his only Labor he be past Hope to be able to provide the necessary Expences of Life for a long while does not trust at least that he shall provide Food for one Day But neither does God allow us the Power of this Confidence since
I say that we devote and consecrate our selv's forever to our Lord and Redeemer no otherwise than as his meanest Servants And indeed when we were receiv'd into Baptism XX. In Baptism we are devoted to Christ we did before the Church Doors solemnly promise that we wou'd do so For we declar'd that we renounc'd the Devil and the World and gave up our selv's wholly to Christ Jesus But if to be enroll'd in the Christian Camp we devoted our selves with so Holy and Religious a Prosession what punishment shall we deserv if after our entrance into the Church and have known the Will and Law of God if after we have receiv'd the Grace of his Sacraments we shall lead our Lives after the Rules and Commandments of the World and the Devil as if when we were wash'd in Baptism we had giv'n up our Names to the World and the Devil and not to Christ our Lord and Redeemer But what Heart is there which so great a Propensity so great kindness and good Will of so great a Lord toward us cannot enflame with ardent Love to him who tho he has us in his power and dominion as Servants bought with his own Blood yet embraces us with such Love that he calls us not his Servants Joh. 15.14 14. but his Friends yea his Brethren This verily is a most just cause and I know not whether it be not the greatest why we ought always to own and reverence and worship him as our Lord. ARTICLE III. WHo was Conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary That God bestow'd a fingular Blefling upon Mankind I. How great Gods Bounty towards us when he restor'd us to liberty from the slavery of the most cruel Tyrant the Faithful may perceiv by those things which have been already spoken in the former Article but then if we lay before our Eyes the counsel and way by which chiefly he wou'd accomplish this Verily there is nothing can possibly shine more glorious and magnificent than the Bounty and goodness of God towards us The greatness of this Mystery therefore II. The sense of this Article which the Holy Scripture proposes to us to consider as the chief point of our Salvation the Curat may begin to shew in the explaining this Third Article the meaning whereof he may teach to be this That we believ and confess that this very Jesus Christ our ohly Lord Matt. 1.23 Joh. 1.36 the Son of God when for our sakes he took upon himself Humane Flesh in the Womb of the Virgin was not as other Men conceiv'd of the Seed of Man but beyond all order of Nature was conceiv'd by the power of the Holy Ghost so that the same person remaining God which he was from all Eternity became Man which before he was not That these Words are so to be understood does plainly appear by confession of the Holy Council of Constantinople for thus it says Who for us Men and for our Salvation came down from Heav'n and was Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man And this S. John the Evangelist has also explain'd as being he who drew the Knowledg of this most profound Mystery out of the Bosome of our very Lord and Saviour himself For when he had declar'd the Nature of the Divine Word in these Words In the beginning was the Word Joh. 1.1 and the Word was with God and the Word was God At last he concludes and the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us For the Word which was a Person of the Divine Nature did so take upon him the Humane Nature that the Hypostasis or Person both of the Divine and Human Nature was but one and the same whereby it came to pass that so admirable a Conjunction preserv'd the Actions and Properties of both Natures and as that great and holy Pope Leo has it Serm. 1. de Nat. That neither did the Glory of the Superior or Divine destroy the Inferior or Humane nor the assuming the Inferior diminish or lessen the Superior But because the Explication of Words ought not to be omitted It is requisite that the Curat teach IV. What works of God are attributed to the whole Trinity That when we say That the Son of God was conceiv'd by the Power of the Holy Ghost this one Person of the Divine Trinity did not make the Mystery of the Incarnation For tho the Son only took the Humane Nature upon him yet all the Persons of the Holy Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost were Authors of this Mystery for we must hold this Rule in our Christian Faith That all those things which God does extrà se without himself in the Creatures are common to all the Three Persons nor does one act more than another or one without another But that one One person proceeds from another V. And what to the several Persons this cannot be common to all for the Son is begotten of the Father alone the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son But whatsoever extra illas without them comes from or is done by them the whole three Persons without any difference do it and of this kind we are to believ the Incarnation of the Son of God to be Now tho these things are thus VI. Why Christ is said to be conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost yet the Holy Scripture is us'd to attribute to any one of the Three Persons those things which are common to all the Three Persons for example It ascribes the Power of all things to the Father Wisdom to the Son Love to the Holy Ghost And because the Mystery of the Incarnation of God does manifest the special and infinite Good Will of God toward us for this Reason therefore is this work attributed to the Holy Ghost In this Mystery we are to observ VII The Mystery of Christs Conception declar'd That there are many things done beyond the Order of Nature and some again by the Power of Nature For in that we believ the Body of Christ to be made of the most pure Blood of his Virgin-Mother we therein acknowledg his Human Nature it being common to the Bodies of all Men to be form'd of the Blood of the Mother But that which surpasses both the Order of Nature and the reach of Human Understanding is this That as soon as the Blessed Virgin consenting to the Words of the Angel Luc. 1.38 had said Behold the Hand-maid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word immediately the most holy Body of Chrift was form'd and a Reasonable or Human Soul joyn'd with it and so in that very moment of time he became perfect God and perfect Man Now that this was the strange and wonderful work of the Holy Ghost there is no one can doubt since by the Order of Nature no Body can be inform'd by or receiv a Humane Soul but at the limited term of time
But this also is very wonderful VIII Christ not Man before God That so soon as ever the Soul of Christ was joyned with his Body his very God-head or Divinity was also knit together with his Soul and Body Wherefore his Body was at once both form'd and quickn'd and his Divinity joyn'd to his Soul and Body Whence it came to pass IX The Virgin truly Mother of God and Man That in the same moment of time he became perfect God and perfect Man and the most Holy Virgin truly and properly call'd Mother of God and of Man in the same moment wherein she conceiv'd God and Man This was signifi'd by the Angel when he said Luc. 1.31 Behold thou shalt conceiv in thy Womb and shalt bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall be call'd the Son of the most High By the event it was well prov'd what Isaiah foretold Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceiv and bring forth a Son That Elizabeth also perceiv'd this to be the Conception of the Son of God she being fill'd with the Holy Ghost declares in these Words Whence comes this thing to me Luc. 1.43 That the Mother of my Lord comes to me Now as the Body of Christ was form'd of the purest Blood of the purest Virgin X. Christ as soon as conceiv'd had all Grace without the help of Man as was said before but by the only Power of the Holy Ghost so also as soon as he was conceiv'd his Soul receiv'd an overflowing plenty and all abundance of the Chrism or anointing of the Holy Spirit For God gave not his Spirit to him by measure Job 3.34 as to other Men adorn'd with Grace and Holiness as S. John testifies but be pouer'd plentifully into his Soul all Grace Joh. 1.16 That of his fulness we might all receiv Nor may we call him The Adopted Son of God Note tho he had the Spirit wereby holy Men obtain the Adoption of the Sons of God for he being the Son of God by Nature we may not think that the Grace or name of Adoption can by any means be proper or suitable to him These are the things which seem proper to be explain'd XI How the fruits of the belief of this Article to be got concerning the wonderful Mystery of Christs Conception from whence that some wholsome Fruit and Advantage might redound to us the Faithful ought to fix these things in their Memories and frequently to consider in their Hearts That it is God who took Human flesh upon himself Yet such a way did he become Man that we cannot comprehend in our Minds nor express with Words Lastly that for this end he wou'd become Man That we might be born again and become the Children of God This when they have well consider'd and all the Mysteries contein'd in this Article let them with humble and faithful Minds believ and adore them not seeking to search or pry narrowly into them because they can scarce ever do it without great danger Born of the Virgin Mary This is the other Part of this Article XII Christ born of a Virgin in explaining whereof the Curat shou'd be very diligent because the Faithful are bound to believ not only That Christ our Lord was conceiv'd by the power of the Holy Ghost but that he was born and brought forth into the World by the Virgin Mary With how much sweetness joy and satisfaction of Mind the Belief of this mystery is to be entertain'd and meditated upon the Angel declares who first brought this joyful news to the world Luc. 2.10 Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all People And from that Song of the Heav'nly Host Luc. 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and in Earth peace to men of good will What the Angels sung is easie to understand Herein that most ample Promise of God to Abraham began to be fulfill'd to whom it was said Gen. 22.18 that in his seed all the Nations of the Earth shou'd be blessed For That Mary whom we declare and worship as the true Mother of God because she brought forth that person which was both God and Man together Mat. 1.39 had her Off-spring from David the King but as that conception does quite surpass the order and course of nature so in that birth we may not contemplate any thing but what is Divine And besides XIII How the Virgin brought forth Christ Joh. 20.19 than which nothing more wonderful can be either said or thought he was born of his Mother without any damage to or less'ning of his Mothers Virginity And as afterwards he went out of his Toom tho it were shut and seal'd and went in to his Disciples the doors being shut or to take a similitude from things we daily see come to pass by nature as the rays of the Sun penetrate the concrete hard substance of Glass and yet neither break nor hurt it in the least after a like but a higher sort I say Jesus Christ was brought forth out of his Mothers womb without any hurt to his Mothers Virginity for we celebrate her unstain'd and perpetual Virginity with the truest praises and commendations And this was wrought by the power of Holy Ghost who was present with the Mother in such a manner at the conception of the Son and birth of her Son that he gave her both Fruitfulness and perfect Virginity The Apostle uses sometimes to call Christ Jesus the new Adam XIV Christ compar'd to Adam Mary to Eve 1 Cor. 15.21 22. and to compare him with the first Adam for as in the first Adam all dye so in the second Adam all are call'd again to life And as Adam as to the natural state is the Father of all mankind so Christ is the Author of Grace and Glory After the same manner we may so compare the Virgin Mother with Eve that the second Eve which is Mary may answer to the first Eve as we have already shew'd that the second Adam which is Christ answers to the first Adam For Eve because she believ'd the Serpent brought death and a curse upon mankind and when Mary believ'd the Angel it came to pass by God's goodness that life and a blessing came down upon men Throw Eve we were born the children of wrath Eph. 2.3 5. but of Mary we have receiv'd Jesus Christ by whom we are born again the children of Grace It was said to Eve Gen. 3.16 in sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children Mary is freed from this Law as being she who having kept her Virgin Modesty safe and entire brought forth Jesus the Son of God without any feeling or sence of pain as before was said When therefore the mysteries of this wonderful Conception and Nativity are so many and so great XV. Figures of Christ's conception and nativity it pleas'd the divine Providence
a thing might be more remarkable to all when the very certain Time was set down when the thing was done as we find it done by the Apostle 1. Tim. 6.13 and also because in those words it is declar'd that the prophecies concerning our Saviour might be verifi'd by the event Mat. 20 19. for they says he will deliver him to the Gentiles to be mock'd to be scourg'd and to be crucifi'd But especially that he suffer'd death on the Tree of the Cross IV. Why Christ dy'd on the Cross this also is to be ascrib'd to the council of God to wit that whence death had its beginning thence life shou'd have its resurrection For the Serpent by the Tree seduc'd and overcame our first Parents himself was vanquish'd by Christ throw the Tree of his Cross Many other reasons may be produc'd for this matter which the Holy Fathers have largely treated of to shew that iâ— was convenient that our Redeemer shou'd undergo that death of the Cross rather than any other But the Curat may admonish that it is enough if the faithful believ that that kind of death was chosen by our Savior which seem'd indeed more proper and suitable to the redemption of mankind for certainly there could be none more odious and unbecoming For the punishment of the Cross was always not only among the Gentiles held accurs'd and full of shame and disgrace Deut. 21 23. Gal. 3.13 but also in the Law of Moses he is call'd accurs'd that hangs on a tree Nor may the Curat omit the history of This Article V. Why the explication of this Article ought to be often repeated which the Evangelist took such diligent care to expound but that the faithful may learn and know the chief heads at least of this Mystery which seem to be most necessary for the confirmation of the truth of our Faith For on this Article as upon a certain foundation our Christian Religion and Faith is establish'd and this being well grounded all the rest will hold well together For if any thing prove difficult to the mind and understanding of man certainly the mystery of the Cross may deservedly be accounted the hardest of all and we can very hardly imagine that our Salvation can depend upon the Cross and on him who was crucifi'd thereon but in this as the Apostle teaches we may admire the profound Providence of God 1 Cor. 8. for because in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleas'd God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believ Wherefore we are not to wonder if the Prophets before the coming of Christ and the Apostles after his death and resurrection so strenuously labour'd to perswade men that this is the Redeemer of men and to bring them into the Dominion and Obedience of him who was crucifi'd for them Wherefore seeing there is nothing so strange to humane reason as the Mystery of the Cross VI. Figures and Prophecies of the mystery of the Cross immediately after the commission of sin the Lord was not wanting both by Figures and the Oracles of the Prophets to signifie the death his Son was to undergo To touch a little upon the Figures Abel first who was kill'd by the malice of his Brother Gen. 4.8 Gen. 22.6 7 8. then the sacrificing of Isaac next the Lamb which the Jews kill'd at their going forth out of Egypt Exod. 12.5 6 7. then the Braz'n Serpent which Moses lifted up in the Wilderness Num. 21.8 9. all these as Figures foreshew'd the Death and Passion of Christ our Lord. But then as to the Prophets Job 3.4 how many were there that propheci'd of it is better known than to need to be told in this place But above all others to omit David who in his Psalms Ps 2. 12 66 109. has handl'd all the chief mysteries of our Redemption the Oracls of Isaiah are so plain and clear Is 53. that it may well be said Hier. Epist ad Paulin. ante fâ—nem that he rather told the story of a thing already done than foretold the Prophecy of a thing yet to be done Dead and Buried In explaining these words the Curat shall teach that we are to believ VII Christ truly dy'd that Jesus Christ after he was crucifi'd was truly dead and buried And indeed it is not without cause that this is severally propos'd to the faithful to be believ'd seeing there have bin some who have deny'd that he dy'd on the Cross The â—nostics the Apostls therefore deservedly thought it fit that this point of Faith shou'd be oppos'd to that error of the truth of which Article there is no room left to doubt Mat. 27.50 Mar. 15.37 Luc. 23.46 Joh. 19.30 For all the Evangelists agree together in this that Jesus gave up the Ghost Besides whenas Christ was true and perfect Man he also cou'd truly dye Now man dies when his Soul is separated from his Body Wherefore when we say that Jesus was dead VIII God was united to the Soul and Body of Christ tho separated when he was dead we mean that his Soul was divided from his Body and yet we do not grant that his Divinity was disjoyn'd from his body but rather we constantly believ and confess that when his Soul was divided from his Body his Divinity was always joyn'd both to his Body when it was in the Sepulchre and to his Soul when it was in Hell But it became the Son of God to dye Heb. 2.10 14 15. that by death he might destroy him who had the power of death i. e the Devil and rescue them who by the fear of death all their whole life were subject to bondage But this was singular in Christ our Lord IX Christ's death was voluntary not forc'd that he then did dye when himself had purpos'd to dye and he died a death rather voluntary than by constraint nor did he only appoint and determine his own death but likewise the Place and the Time when and where he wou'd dye for so says Isaiah He is offer'd a sacrifice because it was his will And the same our Lord Isai 53.9 before his Passion said of himself I lay down my life to take it up again Joh. 10 17. no man takes it from me but I lay it down of my self and I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again But then as to the Time and Place when Herod sought his life and to insnare him he said Luk. 13.32 33. Tell that Fox behold I cast out Devils and do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I am perfected nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow and the day following for it cannot be that a Prophet shou'd perish out of Jerusalem He therefore did nothing unwillingly or by force but willingly he offer'd himself and going to meet his enemies
Apostle us'd Eph. 5.2 when he said Christ lov'd us and gave himself a Sacrifice and oblation for us to God for a sweet-smelling Savor Furthermore this is the Oblation whereof we read in the Prince of Apostles 1 Pet. 1.18.19 Ye were not redeem'd with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation of the Tradition of your Fathers but with the precious Blood of Crist as of a Lamb without spot or blemish And the Apostle teaches us Gal. 3.13 That Christ was made a Curse for us that he might redeem us from the curse of the Law But besides these immense Benefits XXVI In Christs Passion are examples of all Vertues we have this very great one over and above that in this only Passion we have the most Glorious Patterns of all Vertues For he shew'd forth his Patience Humility the most profound Love Charity Meekness and Obedience and most unshaken Constancy and Resolution of Mind not only in suffering Injuries for Righteousness or Justice sake but also even in Death it self and that in such a manner as we can truly say That our Savior in the very height of his Sufferings did most lively express in himself all those Rules and Precepts of Life which throw all the time of his Preaching he taught by Words And this shall suffice to have bin spoken briefly of the most saving Death and Passion of Christ our Lord. And wou'd God these Mysteries were seriously impress'd upon our Souls and Hearts and that we wou'd learn to suffer to dye and to be bury'd together with our Lord that then every spot of Sin being wip'd away and rising with him to newness of Life by his Mercy we may be found worthy to be made partakers of his Kingdom of Heav'n and Glory ARTICLE V. HE descended into Hell the third Day He rose again from the Dead It is of very great use to know the glory of the Burial of our Lord Jesus Christ I. 〈◊〉 very useful o undeâ—â—tâ—â—â— this Article of which we have spoken last But it more concerns the Faithful to know the glorious Triumphs he bore away by conquering the Devil and spoiling the Powers of Hell Of which and also of the Resurection we are now to speak Which Point altho it may well be handl'd distinctly and by it self yet we following the Authority of the Holy Fathers have thought fit to joyn it with that of his descent into Hell In the first part therefore this is propos'd to our Belief II. What is propes'd in the first Part. That Christ being now dead his Soul went down to Hell and there continu'd so long as his Body was in the Sepulchre But in these words we also confess That the very same person of Christ at the same time was both with the Spirits below and also lay in the Sepulchre Which when we say no one ought to wonder because as we have often said before That though his Soul departed from his Body yet his Divinity was never separated either from his Soul or his Body But because it may bring much light to the Explication of this Article III. The various signification of Hell if the Curat teach what in this place is to be understood by the Word Hell It is necessary to admonish That in this place by Hell is not meant the Sepulchre as some no less impiously than unskilfully have thought for by the former Article we are taught That Christ our Lord was bury'd neither was there any Reason why in the Creed the same thing shou'd by the Holy Apostles be repeated in another and a more obscure form of Speech But the Word Hell signifies those hidd'n Receptacles wherein the Souls are kept IV. The First The Receptacle of the damn'd Phil. 2.10 which have not attain'd to the Blessedness of Heav'n For so the Holy Scriptures use this Word in many places For thus we read in the Apostle At the name of Jesus every Knee shall bow of those in Heav'n of those in Earth and those under the Earth And in the Acts of the Apostles S. Peter testifies Act 2.24 That Christ the Lord was risen again having loos'd the Pains of Hell Nor are all those Receptacles of one and the same kind For there is that worst and most dismal place of all where the Souls of the damn'd together with the unclean Spirits shall be tormented for ever and that with unquenchable Fire which is call'd the Bottomles-Pit and by its own proper signification Hell There is besides V. The Fire of Purgatory The Fire of Purgatory wherein the Souls of the Pious for a certain determin'd time are cleans'd by Sufferings that so the entrance to the Heav'nly Country may be laid open into which no polluted thing can be admitted And of the truth of this Doctrin Apoc. 21 27. Con. Trent Sess 25. which the Holy Councils declare to be confirm'd both by Testimonies of Scripture and by Apostolic Tradition the Curat shall discourse and argue by so much the more industriously and frequently because we are fall'n upon those times wherein Men will not endure Sound Doctrin Lastly VI. Limbus where the Souls of the Father were The third kind of Receptacle is that wherein the Souls of the Saints were receiv'd before the coming of Christ our Lord and there being refresh'd with the bless'd hope of Redemption and free from all sense of Pain enjoy'd a peaceable Habitation The Souls therefore of these Pious Persons who in the bosome of Abraham expected the Savior Christ our Lord descending to Hell deliver'd Nor are we to think that he so descended to Hell VII Christ's Soul truly went down to Hell as that only his Influence and Vertue and not also his Soul went thither But we are verily to believ That his very Soul indeed and in presence descended to Hell Ps 15.10 of which there is this most certain Testimony of David Thou shall not leave my Soul is Hell But tho Christ went down to Hell yet this was no damage to his Supreme Power nor was the Splendor of his Holiness stain'd in the least seeing that by thus doing it rather was most evidently prov'd that all those things are most true which are celebrated concerning his Holiness and that he is the very Son of God as he had before made appear by so many prodigious Miracles And this we may easily perceiv VIII Two differences betwixt Christ's and the damned's going to Hell if we but consider the Causes why Christ and other Men came into those places For all others went thither as Captives but he as free among the Dead and Conquerer to Master the Devils by whom they were there kept shut up and imprison'd by reason of sin Furthermore All others who descended thither partly were tormented with most bitter pains and partly tho they wanted all other sense of sorrow yet being depriv'd of the sight of God and with-held in the Hope only of
Bliss and Glory which they waited for they were in a kind of Torment But Christ our Lord descended not to suffer any more but to free the Saints and Righteous Men from the Misery and Trouble of that Imprisonment and to bestow upon them the Fruits of his Passion That therefore he went down to Hell was no lessening of his supream Dignity and Power These things being explain'd IX Why Christ went down to Hell it must be taught that Christ our Lord went down to Hell that after he had spoil'd the Devils he might lead those Holy Fathers and other pious persons being now freed from Prison with him to Heav'n which wonderfully and gloriously he has accomplish'd For immediatly the sight of him gave transcendant Light to the Captiv's and fill'd their souls with immense joy and gladness on whom he also bestow'd that most desir'd Bliss which consists in the Vision of God which done it is manifest what it was he promis'd the Thief in these words Luc. 23.43 This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice But of this deliverance of the Godly the Prophet Osee so long before propheci'd in this manner O death I will be thy death O Hell I will be thy destruction The Prophet Zachary signifi'd the same thing when he said Thou also by the blood of thy Testament hast sent them that are bound out of the lake wherein there is no water Lastly the same thing the Apostle expresses in these words Col. 2.15 in taking the spoils of principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself But that we may understand the force of this mystery the better X. Who are sav'd by the benefit of Christs Passion we ought often to call to remembrance that devout men not only who were born after the coming of our Lord but those who after Adam were before him or who hereafter shall be to the end of the World have and shall attain Salvation by the benefit of his Passion Wherefore before he dy'd and rose again the Gates of Heav'n were never open to any but the Souls of the Godly when they departed this life were either carry'd into Abraham's Bosome or as now it fares with them who have somewhat to be purg'd or satisfi'd were cleans'd by the fire of Purgatory There is besides XI Another Reason of Christ's going down to Hell Phil. 2.10 another Reason why Christ our Lord went down to Hell namely that he might there shew his Might and Power as he had done in Heav'n and Earth and that as every knee both of things in Heav'n and things in Earth bow'd at the name of him so also of things below and under the Earth At consideration whereof who is there who admires not and even stands not amaz'd at the immense bounty of God towards mankind who was willing not only to undergo the most bitter Death for us but also to go down to the very lowest parts of the Earth that he might carry with him the Souls so very dear to him which he thence victoriously bore away to bliss and happiness Now follows the other part of the Article XII The other Part of the Article concerning the Resurrection 2 Tim. 2.8 in explaining whereof how painful the Curat ought to be appears by those words of the Apostle Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ arose again from the dead For what he commanded Timothy it is not to be doubted but that it is also commanded to all others that have the Cure of Souls And this is the meaning of the Article After that Christ our Lord had giv'n up the Ghost on the Cross upon Friday at the ninth hour of the day and the same day at Even he was bury'd by his Disciples who by leav of Pilate the President laid the body of our Lord when they had tak'n it down from the Cross into a new Tomb in a Garden near at hand the third day after his death which was the Lords day early in the morning his soul was again join'd to his body and so he who was dead those three days arose again and return'd to life out of which he departed by death but by the word Resurrection we are not to understand only that Christ was rais'd from the dead which was a thing common to many others but that he rose again by his own power and vertue which was a singular thing and proper to Him alone For it is contrary to Nature XIV No man can naturally rise again from the dead 2 Cor. 13.4 nor was it even granted to any man to be able by his own power to rais'e himself from death to life but this belongs to the supream power of God only as we learn from those words of the Apostle Altho he was crucifi'd throw weakness yet he liv's by the power of God which seeing it was never separated from Christ's Body in the Sepulchre nor from his Soul when it went down into Hell his Divine Power was both in his Body so that it cou'd be joyn'd again to his Soul and in his Soul so that it cou'd again be brought back to his Body so that by his own power he might revive and rise again from the dead And this thing XV. The Resurrection soretold Psa 97.2 David being full of the Spirit of God foretold in these words His right hand and his Holy arm hath gott'n himself the victory And the Lord himself by the divine testimony of his own mouth has confirm'd it I lay down my life and I will take it up again Joh. 10.17 and I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again And also to the Jews for confirmation of his doctrin he said Joh. 2.19 Dissolve this temple and in three days I will raise it up again Which tho they indeed understood of that Temple magnificently built of Stones yet he as is declar'd in the same place by the words of Scripture Act. 1.24 spake of the Temple of his Body Now although we sometimes read in Scripture that Christ our Lord was raised by the Father this is to be understood of Christ as Man ev'n as those things again relate to himself as God whereby is signifi'd that he rose again by his own Power And this also belongs specially to Christ XVI Christ first rose from the dead Apoc. 1.5 1 Cor. 15.20 that He was the First who enjoy'd this divine benefit of the Resurrection For in Scripture he is called the First begotten among the dead and the First begotten of the dead And as the Apostle has it Christ arose again from the dead being the First-fruits of them that sleep for verily by Man came death and by Man came the Resurrection of the dead and as in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive but every one in his own order Christ the First fruits and afterwards those that are Christ's Which
Glory was chang'd so our Bodies also which before were weak and mortal shall be restor'd and adorn'd with Glory and Immortality For as the Apostle teaches Phil. 3.20 21. We wait for the Savior our Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it shall be like to his glorious Body And this may be said concerning the Soul The Third dead in Sins to which on what score the Resurrection of Christ is offer'd as an Example or Pattern to us the same Apostle shews in these Words Rom. 6.4 As Christ rose again from the Dead by the Glory of the Father so shou'd we also walk in Newness of Life For if we have bin planted together with him in the likeness of his Death we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection And a little after he says knowing that Christ being ris'n from the Dead now dyes no more Death shall no more domineer over him For in that he dy'd to Sin be dy'd once but in that he lives he lives to God So reck'n ye your selves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Jesus Christ Two Examples therefore we ought to seek from Christ's Resurrection The one is XXIV Two Examples from Christ's Resurrection That after we have wip'd away the stains of sin we lead a new kind of Life in which way clearly shine forth Uprightness Innocence Holiness Modesty Justice Beneficence and Humility The other is That we so persevere in that kind of life that by Gods help we fall not off from the way of Righteousness whereinto we have once enter'd Nor do the Apostles Words shew only XXV The Fourth Advantage of Christs Resurrection Rom. 6.6 That the Resurrection of Christ is propos'd to us as an Example of our Resurrection but they declare That it gives us Power to rise again and bestows Strength and Courage whereby we may continue in Holiness and Righteousness For as by his Death we not only take Example of dying to sin but draw Vertue also whereby we may dye to sin So his Resurrection brings us Strength to obtain Righteousness that thenceforth worshipping God piously and holily we may walk in Newness of 〈◊〉 to which we are ris'n For this especially did our Lord bring to pas's by his Resurrection that we who before were dead with him to sin and to the world might also with him rise again to a new way and course of life The Signs of this Resurrection XXVI The signs of Resurrection from sin Coloss 3.1 which are chiefly to be observ'd the Apostle teaches us For when he says If ye be ris'n with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God he plainly shews That those who desire to have Life Honours Rest and Riches there Phil. 4.8 where Christ specially is are truly ris'n with Christ But when he adds Relish those things which are above not those which are on the Earth he has giv'n this as a kind of Note whereby we may perceive whether we be ris'n with Christ For as the Taste or Relish is wont to discover the Temperature and Health of the Body so if Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are comly whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are holy do relish with a person and if he can perceive with the inward sense of his Soul the sweetness of heav'nly things this is a good Argument That he that is thus affected is ris'n with Jesus Christ to a new and spiritual Life ARTICLE VI. HE ascended into Heav'n sitteth at the right-Hand of God the Father Almighty When the Prophet David full of Gods Spirit contemplated the bless'd and glorious Ascension of our Lord I. What kind of Solemnity and Faith of Christ's Ascension there ought to be Ps 46.1.6 he exhorts all to celebrate that Triumph with the greatest joy and gladness in these Words saying Clap Hands for joy O all ye Nations sing to God with the Voice of Rejoycing God is gone up with a merry noise Whence the Curat may understand That this Mystery is to be explain'd with the greatest study and that he ought to take diligent care That the Faithful embrace it not only with Faith and with the Mind but as far as may be and with Gods help they endeavor in their Life and Actions also to express the same As to the Explication of this Sixth Article therefore II. The former part of this Article wherein chiefly is treated concerning this Divine Mystery we must begin at the former part thereof and shew what is the effect and meaning thereof For concerning Christ Jesus III. What we are here to believe the Faithful must believe this also without any wavering That the Mystery of our Redemption being now perfected he as Man with his Soul and Body went up into Heaven For as he was God he never was absent thence because he fills all things with his Divinity And let the Curat teach that he went up by his own Power First Secondly 4 Reg. 2.11.35 n 14. Thirdly Act. 8.39 and not by the Power of another as Elias did who was carry'd into Heaven in a fiery Chariot or Abaccuc the Prophet or Philip the Deacon who by the Divine Power being carry'd through the Air past through the remote parts of the Earth Nor did he ascend to Heaven only by the mighty Power of his Divinity but also as he is Man For tho this could not be by any Natural Power Fourthly yet that Power wherewith the bless'd Soul of Christ was endu'd could move his Body as he liâ—â—ed And his Body which was now glorify'd Fifthly did readily obey the Government of his Soul moving it And in this manner Sixthly We believe that Christ as he was God and as he was Man went up into Heaven by his own Power Now follows the other part of the Article He sitteth at the right-Hand of the Father In which place we may observe a Trope IV. The use and necessi y of Trope that is the change of a Word frequent in Holy Scripture when we attribute to God Human Affections and Members suitable to our Understanding sor he being a Spirit we cannot think any thing corporeal in him But because in Human Affairs we esteem a great honour done to him who is plac'd at the Right-hand transferring the same thing to heavenly matters to the explaining of the Glory of Christ which as he is Man he has merited above all others we confess him to be at the Right-hand of the Father But to sit V. What is here meant by Sâ—â—ing in this place does not signifie the Gesture and Figure of Body but it shews the firm and sure Possession of supream Power and Glory which he has receiv'd of the Father Of which the Apostle says Arian Ser. 1 cont Arian Basil lib de Spirit sâ—nâ—t c. 6. Heb. 1.13 Raising him up from the Dead and placing him at
godly should even in the Public assembly and judgment of all mankind recover that esteem which by injustice they were depriv'd of among men And then whereas both the Good and the Bad did The Third not without their bodies whatsoever they did on all accounts it is just that whatsoever was well or ill done belongs also to their Bodies which were the Instruments of those Actions It was therefore very convenient that the due rewards of eternal glory or punishment should be difpens'd to the Bodies and Souls together which verily could not be done without a Ressurrection of all men and without a General Judgment Lastly The Fourth Because in mens adversity and prosperity which sometimes happen alike both to the Good and Bad it was to appear that nothing was done or over-rul'd without the Infinite Wisdom and Justice of God it was meet not only that Rewards should be appointed to the Good and Punishments to the Wicked in the world to come but also that this should be determin'd in a Public and General Judgment whereby they might be more known and conspicuous to all and that praise might by all be given to the Justice and Providence of God instead of that unjust complaint which even sometimes the Saints themselves as men have been used to make when they observ'd wicked Men prospering in Wealth and flourishing in Honors For Ps 72.2,3 says the Prophet My feet were amost mov'd my treadings had well nigh slipt because I was griev'd at the unjust seeing the peace of sinners And a little after Behold the very sinners and the wealthy of the world they get riches and I said Then have I cleans'd my heart in vain and have washed my hands in innocency I was punish'd every day and chastn'd every morning And this was the frequent complaint of many It was needful therefore that there should be a General Judgment Joh. 22.14 lest haply men should say That God indeed takes care of the motions of the Heavens but regards not what is done on the Earth This word of Truth therefore is rightly made One of the Twelve Articles of our Christian Faith that if the minds of any should doubt concerning the Providence and Jultice of God by means of this Doctrin they may be confirm'd Besides The Fifth at the apprehension of the Judgment it is fit that the Godly be comforted and the Wicked terrifi'd that considering the Justice of God the Good should not be dejected and the Evil may be recall'd from their wickedness by the fear and expectation of Eternal Punishment Wherefore our Lord and Saviour speaking of the Last Day has declar'd that there will sometime be a General Judgement Mat. 24 29. and has describ'd the Signs of the approach of the Time thereof that when we shall see those Signs come to pass we may know that the End of the World is at hand and then at his Ascension into Heaven he sent Angels who comforted the Apostles grieving for his absence in these words Act. 2.11 This Jesus which is taken from you up into Heaven shall so come as ye have seen him go into Heaven But that this Judgment is given to Christ VI. Christ as Man also is Judge of all not only as God but as Man the Holy Scriptures declare For tho the power of Judging be common to all the persons of the Holy Trinity yet we specially attribute it to the Son Because we say that Wisdom suits to him But that as Man he will judge the World our Lord's testimony assures us who says Joh. 5.26 As the Father has life in himself so has he given to the Son to have life in himself and has given him power to Judge as he is the Son of Man And it was very meet VII Why Christ aâ— Man will be Judge that this Judgment should be exercised by Christ our Lord that when the Judgment was concerning Men they might see the Judge with their Eyes and with their Ears hear the Sentence which should be pronounc'd and truly perceive the Judgment with their Senses And it was moreover mosl just that That man who was condemn'd by the most unjust sentences of Men should be seen to sit afterwards as Judge of all wherefore the Prince of Apostles when in the House of Cornelius Act. 10.24 he was expounding the chief heads of Christian Religion and had taught that Christ was by the Jews hang'd on a Tree and kill'd and the third day rose again to life he subjoyn'd And he has commanded us to preach and to testifie to the people that This is he who was appointed of God to be the Judge of quick and dead And the Holy Scriptures declare VIII Signs foregoing the Judgment Damase de fide Orâ—hod lib. 4.7.27 that these Three principal Signs will go before the Judgment The Preaching of the Gospel throughout the world a Departure from the Faith and Antichrist For our Lord says This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preach'd through the whole world for a testimony to all the Gentils and then shall the End come And the Apostle warns us that we be not seduc'd by any as tho the Day of the Lord were at hand Mat. 22.14 2 Thess 2.3 Dan. 7.9 For unless there first come a departure and that Man of sin be reveal'd the judgment will not come But what will be the Manner and Way of the Judgment the Curate may easily know from the Oracles of Daniel and from the Doctrin of the Evangelists and of the Apostles Moreover IX The Pronouncing and Exposition of the Sentence of the last Judgment Mat. 24.34 the Sentence to be pronounc'd by the Judge should be in this place more diligently consider'd For Christ our Saviour beholding with a chearful countenance the Godly at his Right hand shall with the greatest love and good-will thus pronounce Sentence concerning them Come ye the blessed of my Father possess the Kingdom which is prepar'd for you from the foundation of the world Than which words they will know that there can be nothing heard more sweet who but compare them with the Sentence of Condemnation of the Wicked and when in their mind they shall have consider'd that by those words Pious and Just men are call'd from their Labours to Rest from a Vally of Tears to the highest Joy and from all their Miseries to everlasting Happiness which they by their Duties of Charity have deserv'd And then turning to those who stand at his Left hand he will pour forth his Justice upon them in these words Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels In those former words X. The Sentence of the Reprobate consider'd Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 23. August Ser. 181 de Temp. Greg. lib. 9. Moral c. 46. Mat. 25 4â— Depart from me is signifi'd that most extream punishment wherewith the wicked shall be tormented when they shall be
our Wickedness by the Blood of his only begotten Son so that he freely endur'd the Punishment which for our sins we had deserv'd and the Just was condemn'd for the Unjust the Innocent was put to a most bitter death for the Guilty Wherefore when we seriously consider with our selves 1 Pet. 1.18 19. That we were not redeem'd with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without spot or blemish we shall easily conclude that nothing could possibly come to us more advantagious than this power of forgiving sins which shews the unutterable of Providence of God and his exceeding Love towards us And from this consideration it must needs be X. Mortal Sin how great an Evil. that a mighty advantage redound to us For he that offends God by any mortal Sin whatsoever Merits he before had by the Death of Christ and his Cross he straightway loses all and the Gate of Paradice which before being shut our Savior by his Passion has open'd to all he has shut again against himself Which when we remember we cannot chuse but that the consideration of Mans Misery will extreamly grieve us But if we bend our mind to this admirable Power which God has given to his Church and being confirm'd in the Faith of this Article believe that this Power is offer'd to every one so that being assisted by Gods help he may be restor'd to his former state of dignity then are we forc'd with the highest joy and gladness to exult and give immortal Thanks to God And truly if those Medicines are us'd to seem welcome and pleasant which the skilful and careful Physitian prepares for us when we are sick how much more pleasant ought those remedies to be which the Wisdom of God has appointed for the cure of our Souls and consequently for the recovery of Life and especially when they carry with them not a weak doubtful Hope of Health as those Medicines do which are apply'd to the Body but when they bring most certain Health to those who desire to be heal'd The Faithful therefore are to be admonish'd XI The Benefit of Remission of Sin diligently to be us'd after they have known the dignity of so ample and so excellent a Gift that they study religiously to convert it to their own advantage For it can hardly be that he who makes no use of a thing that is profitable and necessary can be suppos'd not to despise it and specially seeing the Lord has deliver'd to his Church this Power of forgiving sins to this end that all might use this wholsome remedy For as no one without Baptism can be expiated or cleans'd so whosoever is minded to recover the Grace of Baptism which he lost by mortal sin must necessarily betake himself to that other kind of expiation to wit the Sacrament of Penance But here the Faithful are to be warn'd XII The Easiness of obtaining Pardon not to be abus'd Aug. in Joan. Tract 33. lib. 50. Hom. 41. Amb. lib. 2. de poenit c. 1.2 11. that hearing of so large a Power of Pardon and that it is not to be limited to any term of Time not to take encouragement either to sin the more readily or to repent the more slowly For since by the one they are manifestly discover'd to be injurious to and to affront this Divine Power they are unworthy that God should bestow any Mercy upon them and by the other it is much to be fear'd lest being overtaken by Death in vain they confess the Forgiveness of Sins which by their sloth and putting off they have deservedly lost ARTICLE XI THe Resurrection of the Body That this Article has a great influence to establish the truth of our Faith I. How necessary the Belief of this Article This does abundantly evidence that it is propos'd to the Belief of the Faithful not only by the Holy Scriptures but is confirm'd by many reasons also Which since we see it not done in the other Articles of the Creed we may perceive that the Hope of our Salvation is grounded herein as on a most foundation as the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 15.14 If there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen again but if Chrst be not risen again then is Our Preaching vain and your Faith is vain In explaining hereof therfore the Curat shall take no less pains and care than the wickedness of many has labour'd to overthrow it For that great and excellent advantages redound to the use of the Faithful by the knowledge hereof will by and by be shew'd But first of all this is to be noted II. Why the Resurrection of Men call'd the Resurrection of the Flesh That in this Article the Resurrection of Men is call'd the Resurrection of the Flesh. And this is not done without good reason For the Apostles would teach what is necessarily to be suppos'd That the Soul is immortal Wherefore lest any one might think that the Soul dy's together with the Body and that Both were to be restor'd to life again seeing that by many places of Holy Scripture it is plainly manifest that the Soul is immortal for this reason in this Article there is mention made of the Resurrection of the Flesh only And tho frequently in Holy Scripture the word Flesh signifies the whole man as in Esaias Isay 40.8 All Flesh is grass and in S. John The word was made Flesh Yet in this place the word Flesh signifies the Body that we may understand that of the Two Parts Soul and Body of which Man is made the One only to wit the Body is corrupted and returns into the Dust of the Earth out of which it was made that the Sout remains uncorrupt But then whereas none can be restor'd to Life III. The Soul not said to rise again 2 Tim. 2.14 unless he had been first dead the Soul is not properly said to rise again And there is mention made of the Flesh to confute that Heresie which during the Apostles life was Hymenaeus and Philetus's who taught that when in Holy Scripture mention was made of the Resurrection it was not to be understood of a Resurrection of the Body but of the soul whereby we rise from the death of sin to an innocent life From these words therefore it is plain that this error is taken away and the true Resurrection of the Body is confirm'd But it is the Curates Part to illustrate and clear this Truth by Examples taken out of the Old and New Testaments IV. How the Resurrection of the Flesh is to be prov'd and out of all other Church Histories For some were restor'd to life by Elilijah and Elisha in the Old Testament others besides those which Christ our Lord rais'd from death by the Holy Apostles and many others 3 Reg. 17.19 4 Reg. 4.34 which Resurrection of many confirms the Doctrine of this Article
For as we believe that many were rais'd from death so must we believe that all shall be call'd again to life But that singular fruit which we ought to gather from Miracles of this kind Mat. 9.24 is this that we give the most certain belief to this Article There are many testimonies which even those Curates which are but indifferently skill'd in the Holy Scriptures may easily meet with but those places which are more clear in the Old Testament Job 19.25 are those we read in Job when he says that in his Flesh he shall see God and in Daniel concerning those who sleep in the dust of the earth Dan. 12.2 That some of them should awake to life everlasting and others to everlasting disgrace And in the New Testament Mar. 22.31 what S. Mathew relates of the dispute our Saviour had with the Sadducees besides what the Evangelists tell us of the last Judgment And hither is to be referr'd what the Apostle has exactly discours'd in his Epistle to the Corinthians and Thessalonians But tho to Faith this thing be most certain V. Similitudes where by the Resurrection is clear'd yet it will be very profitable both by Examples and Reasons to shew that That which Faith offers to be believ'd is not strange to Nature or Humane Understanding and therefore the Apostle to him that asks how the dead should rise again answers 1 Cor. 13.36 Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not quickn'd except it dye first and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body which shall be but bare grain perhaps of wheat or some other grain but God gives it a body as it has pleas'd him And a little after he says it is sown in corruption it shall rise in incorruption There may be many other similitudes of the like kind added S. Greg. lib. 14. moral c. 21 29 30. as S. Gregory shews For the Light says he is daily as it were by Dying withdrawn from our Eyes and as by Rising again it is recall'd again and that Trees lose their greenness and again as by a kind of Resurrection they are repair'd and the Seed by putrifying dies and again by springing it rises again Besides VI. The Resurrection prov'd by Reason The First Those reasons which are brought by Ecclesiastical Writers seem to be sufficiently accommodated or suited to this matter And first since the Souls are immortal and as a part of Man have a natural propensity or inclination to the humane Bodies it may be thought praeternatural that they should for ever remain separate from their Bodies But because that which is against Nature The Second as being Violent cannot last long it seems agreeable that at last they should be joyn'd with their Bodies Whence it also follows that there will be a Resurrection of the Bodies Which kind of argument our Savior seems to have us'd Mat. 22.32 when disputing against the Sadducees he concluded that there would be a Resurrection of the Body from the Immortality of the Soul And seeing that there are Punishments propos'd by the most just God to the Wicked The Third Damasc l 4. de fide Orthod c. 28. Amb. lib. de fide Resur S. Chrisost hom 49. 50. and Rewards to the Good and that of the one sort very many depart out of this world before they have suffer'd their due punishments and of the other sort in a great measure without the rewards of their vertues it must needs be that the Soul be again joyn'd with the Body that so either for the wickedness committed or for the good they have done the Body which man uses as a Companion in sin may together with the Soul be either punish'd or rewarded Which Point has been excellently handled by S. Chrysostom in his Homilie to the People of Antioch Wherefore the Apostle discoursing of the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.19 If says he in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable Which words none has thought applicable to the Soul which being immortal tho the Body should not rise again might nevertheless enjoy Happiness in the life to come but they are meant of the whole Man For unless the Body were to be rewarded for her labour it must needs follow that those who as the Apostles did have endur'd so many afflictions and calamities in this life would be of all men most miserable The same thing he much more plainly teaches in these words to the Thessalonians 2 Thess 1.4 We glory in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which ye endure for an example of the just judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye suffer if yet it be just with God to recompense tribulation to them which trouble you and to us who are troubl'd rest with you at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with the Angels of his power in a flame of fire taking vingeance on them who have not known God and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Add also The Fourth that men cannot so long as the Soul is separated from the Body enjoy compleat Happiness and full fraught with all good things For as every part being separated from the whole is imperfect so also is the Soul which is disjoyn'd from the Body Whence it follows that the Resurrection of the Body is necessary to make the Souls Happiness compleat It will be further necessary diligently to teach from the Apostles Doctrine VII The different condition of those that rise again 1 Cor. 15 22. Joh. 5.20 who they are that shall be rais'd to life For writing to the Corinthians he says As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive All difference and distinction therefore of Good and Bad being laid aside All shall shall rise again from the dead tho the Condition of All will not be alike those that have done Good shall rise to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil to the Resurrection of Judgment But when we say All VIII We shall all rise again S. Hier. Ep. 152. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 20. c. 20. 1 Thes 4.16 in 1 Epist ad Thes c. 4. we mean as well those who shall be dead before the coming of the judgment as those who shall then dye For that the Church does acquiesce in this Sentence or Opinion which affirms that All shall dye none excepted and that this sense is most agreable to Truth S. Hierom has written and S. Austin conceives the same Nor are the Apostles words which he wrote to the Thessalonians against this sense The dead which are in Christ shall rise first and then we that are left alive shall be caught up with them in the Clouds to meet Christ in the air For. S. Ambrose explaining this place says thus In that
very rapture Death shall seize us and as it were by a deep Sleep so soon as the Soul goes out it shall return in a moment for when they shall be carry'd up they shall dye that coming to the Lord at the Lords presence they may receive their Souls because with the Lord they cannot be dead And the same Opinion is approv'd by the Authority of S. Austin lib. 20. c. 20. in his Books concerning the City of God Seeing therefore it much concerns us to be throughly perswaded that this very and therefore the same Body which is each of our own tho it be corrupted and reduc'd to Ashes yet that it shall be rais'd to Life the Curate shall diligently undertake to teach this point This is the Apostles meaning when he says This corruptible must put on incorruption 1 Cor. 13.25 plainly shewing by the word This every ones own proper Body Job also has most clearly propheci'd hereof Job â—9 26 And in my flesh says he shall I see God whom I my self shall see and my Eyes shall behold and not another This very thing is gather'd from the Definition of the Resurrection Damasâ—n l. 4. de Fide Oâ—â—h â— 28. For the Resurrection as Damascen defines it is a Recalling back to the state from which you fell Lastly if we consider for what reason there will be a Resurrection as a little before has been shew'd 1 Cor. 5.10 we shall have no ground to doubt of this matter For therefore as we have taught will the Body be rais'd again that every one might give an account of his own works done in the Body whether Good or Evil. Man therefore must rise again with that very Body with the help whereof he has serv'd God or the Devil that with the same Body he might either receive his reward and Crown of Victory or else endure the most miserable pains and punishments Nor will the Body only rise again IX In what state the Body shall rise again S. Aug. l 22. de Civit. Dei c. 19 20 21. â—â—ch c. 86 87 88 89. Hier. Ep st 59. 6â— but whatsoever does belong to the Truth of its Nature and to the comliness and ornament of Man shall be restor'd Very excellent is the Testimony of S. Austin in this matter There shall then be no deformity or fault in our Bodies if any have been loaded or grown unweildy with Fat he shall not assume that Load of his Body but whatsoever exceeds the true measure thereof will be accounted supertiuous And on the contrary whatsoever either Sickness or Old Age has done in the Body shall by Christ's Divine Power be repair'd as if any have been overpin'd and made thin by Leanness baecause Christ not only has repair'd our Body but whatsover elses has been taken from us through the Miseries of this life And in another place S. Aug. Enâ—h c. 89. Man shall not have again that Hair which he had but that which would best become him according to that The hairs of your head are all number'd which according to the Divine Wisdom shall be repair'd And first X None mâ—â—'d after the Resurrection All the Members because they belong to the Truth of Humane Nature shall be restor'd together for those who were Blind even from their very Birth or by any Disease had lost their Sight the Lame and the Creeples and those who were impotent in any of their Members shall rise again with intire and perfect Bodies for otherwise the Desire of the Soul which is prone to conjunction with the Body would be dissatisfi'd whose desire notwithstanding in the Resurrection we believe without doubt shall be fulfill'd Besides it is sufficiently apparent that the Resurrection no less than the Creation is to be reckon'd among the Special works of God As therefore in the beginning of the Creation all things were made perfect by God so also we must affirm that it will be in the Resurrection Nor ought this to be allow'd concerning the Martyrs only XI Scars of the Martyrs wounds will remain after the Resurrection to their Glory but of the Wicked to their Msery S. Aug. lib. 22 de Civit. Dei c. 20. of whom S. Austin thus testifies They will not be without their Members for Martyrs that Dismembring which they suffer'd can be no blemish to the Body otherwise they who are Beheaded should rise again without a Head but yet in the parts of those Members shall remain the Scars of the Sword shining far above the Gold and Pretious Stones even as do the Scars of Christ's Wounds And this also is truly said of the Wicked tho their Members were cut off by their own fault for by how much the more Members they shall have with so much the more bitter Torment of Grief shall they be loaded Wherefore this restitution of Members will redound not to their Happiness but to their Calamity and Misery when their Merits will not be ascrib'd to the particular Members but to the Person to whose Body they were joyn'd For to those who have done Penance they shall be restor'd to be Rewarded but to those who neglected it to be punish'd Now if these things be seriously consider'd by the Curats they will never want Sentences and matter enough to stir up and inflame the minds of the Faithful to the study of Piety that considering the Troubles and Afflictions of this Life they may earnestly long for that blessed Glory of the Resurrection which is propos'd to the Just and Pious Now it remains that the Faithful understand XII The Body will rise again immortal in the consideration of those things which constitute or make up the substance of the Body altho that very same Body shall be rais'd from the dead which before dy'd yet the Condition thereof shall be far different For to omit other things all the Bodies at the Resurrection shall differ from themselves very much in this thing that whereas before they were subject to Death after their Resurrection to Life they shall all be Immortal without any difference of Good and Bad. And this admirable Restitution of Nature Christs famous Victory has merited XIII Whence our Bodys made immortal Esa 25.8 Oâ—c 13.14 1 Cor. 15.26 Apoc. 21.4 Apoc. 9.4 which he got over Death as the Holy Scripture testifies for it is written He shall throw down Death headlong for ever And elsewhere O Death I will be thy death Which the Apostle explaining says In the last place The enemy Death shall be destroy'd And we read in S. John Death shall be no more For it was very fit that by Christ's merit whereby the power of Death was overthrown the Sin of Adam at the long run should be overpower'd And it was agreeable to the same Divine Justice That the Good should for ever enjoy a bless'd Life And the Bad suffering eternal Torments should seek for Death but should not find it Should wish to dye but
Death should fly from them This Immortality then is common to the Good and to the Bad. Furthermore XIV Four Gifts of the Glory of our Bodys the reviv'd Bodies of the Saints will have some signal and excellent Oraments whereby they shall be render'd much more Noble than ever they were before and specially these Four which are call'd Dowers or Gifts and have been observ'd by the Fathers from the very Doctrin of the Apostles Of these see S. Austin Serm 99. de Temp. Ambr. in Com. in 1. ad Cor. c. 15. The First of these is Impassibility Impassibility to wit a Dower or Gift which makes them that they cannot suffer any trouble nor be affected with any grief or inconvenience For the force of Cold the heat of Fire or the violence of Water cannot hurt them It is sown says the Apostle in Corruption but it shall rise in Incorruption But the Schoolmen call this Impassbility rather than Incorruption for this reason to shew that it belongs properly to the Glorious Body For Impassibility is not common to them with the Damn'd whose Bodies tho they be incorruptible yet they can burn and freez and be afflicted with divers Torments After this follows Brightness Brightness Matt. 13.33 Matt. 17.2 Phil. 3.21 1 Co. 13.4 wherewith the Bodies of the Saints shall shine as the Sun for so testifies our Savior in S. Matthew The Just says he shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father And lest any one may doubt thereof he has declar'd the same by the example of his own Transfiguration This the Apostle sometimes calls Glory Exod. 34.9 and sometimes Brightness Exod. 34.9 He will reform says he the Body of our Humility that it be made like to the Body of his Brightness It is sown in Dishonor it rises in Glory Of this Glory the people of Israel in the Wilderness saw a kind of resemblance when Moses's Face 2 Cor. 3.7 by talking with God and being in his presence did so shine that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look upon it Now this Brightness is a kind of shining Glory redounding to the Body from the most transcendent Happiness of the Soul so that it is a kind of Communication of that Bliss which the Soul enjoys after which manner also the Soul herself is made happy because on her part of the divine Happiness is deriv'd But with This Gift we are not to believe That all are alike adorn'd as they are with the former For all the Bodies of the Saints shall be indeed equally impassible but the same Splendor they shall not have For as the Apostle Testifies 1 Cor. 15.41 There is one Brightness of the Sun and another Brightness of the Moon and another Brightness of the Stars for Star differs from Star in Brightness so also is the Resurrection of the Dead With this Gift is joyn'd that which they call Agility or Swiftness Agility whereby the Body shall be freed from that weight wherewith it is now press'd And may with the greatest ease be so mov'd into what part soever the Soul would have it that there can nothing be swifter than that motion Aug. de Civit Dei l. 13. c. 18. 20. l. 22. c. 11. Hier. in Enc. c. 40. Subtilty even as S. Austin in his book De Civitate Dei and Hierom in Esaiam have taught Wherefore the Apostle says It is sown in Weakness it is rais'd in Power And to these is added that which is call'd Subtilty by vertue whereof the Body is wholly made subject to the government of the Soul serves her and is ready at her commands And this is shew'd by the Words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sown an Animal Body it is rais'd a Spiritual Body These are in a manner the chief heads which are to be taught in the explaining of this Article But that the Faithful may know what Fruit they may gather from the knowledg of so many XV. How many and what Fruits may be had from this Article The First and so great Mysteries First we must declare That we must give the greatest Thanks to God who has hid these things from the Wife and reveal'd them to little ones For how many Men have there been exceedingly commendable for Prudence or furnish'd with singular Learning who yet as to this most certain Truth have been stark blind That therefore he has made known these things to us who could not aspire to that understanding there is reason enough that with perpetual praises we celebrate his good-will and Mercy And then this great Fruit will follow from the Meditation of this Article The Second to wit That in the Death of them who are joyn'd to us either by kindred or friendship we can easily comfort both our selves and others which kind of comfort it 's manifest the Apostle us'd when he wrote to the Thessalonians concerning those that slept And also in all other afflictions and calamities 1 Thess 4 13. The Third the thought of the Resurrection to come brings us the greatest ease of our grief Job 19.24 as we have learn'd by Jobs example who by this only Hope bore up his afflicted and troubled mind that there would be a Time when at the Resurrection he should behold the Lord his God Besides this will very much prevail with the Faithful The Fourth to take great care to lead an upright and a just life and wholly clean from all pollution of sin For if they but consider those exceeding great riches which at the Resurrection shall be given and now are offer'd them they will easily be drawn to the study of vertue and piety And on the contrary The Fifth Joh. 5 29. There is nothing will have a greater force to bridle the Lusts of the mind and restrain Men from wickedness than to be often put in mind with what mischiefs and torments the wicked shall be punish'd who at that last day shall come to the Resurrection of Judgment ARTICLE XII THe Life everlasting The Holy Apostles our Leaders would conclude and shut up the Creed I. Why this is the last Article of the Creed wherein the sum of our Faith is contained with the Article of Life Everlasting both because after the Resurrection of the Flesh the Faithful are to expect nothing else but the reward of Everlasting Life and also that that perfect Happiness and which is full of all good things should be always before our Eyes and to teach us to fix our whole mind and all our thoughts thereupon Wherefore in teaching the Faithful the Curats shall never intermit to inflame their minds with the propos'd rewards of Eternal Life and shall teach them that all things yea even the most difficult are to be endur'd for the Christian names sake are to be esteem'd as easie and pleasant and that they should be render'd more ready and chearful to obey God But because
they belong to the knowledg of the Mind or to the perfect disposition of the Body the Bless'd Life of the Saints in Heaven shall flow with plenty of all such things 1 Cor. 2.9 altho all this will be in a higher degree than Eye can see Ear hear or the Heart of Man conceive as the Apostle affirms For the Body which before was thick and burly The Fourth when in Heaven Mortality being taken away from it it shall be made tenuious and spiritual shall want no more sustenance And the Soul with the greatest contentment shall be exceedingly satisfi'd with the Eternal Food of Glory The Fifth Luc. 12.37 which the presence of the Master of that great Feast will minister to all And now who can desire costly Cloaths or Royal Ornaments for the Body The Sixth where there will be no use of such things but all shall be cloathed with Immortality and splendor and adorn'd with the Crown of Everlasting Glory And if to the happiness of Man The Seventh there be wanting a large and stately House what can be imagin'd either more large or stately than Heaven it self which shines every where with the Brightness of God And therefore the Prophet when he put before his Eyes the beauty of this dwelling and grew warm with the desire of coming to those Seats Ps 83.1 How lovely says he are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soul longs yea even faints for the Courts of the Lord My Heart and my Flesh have greatly rejoyc'd in the living God And that this might be the desire of all the Faithful That this may be the common voice of all as the Curats ought earnestly to wish so ought they with diligent study to endeavor it Joh. 14.2 For in my Fathers House says our Lord there are many Mansions in which shall be given greater or lesser rewards according to every ones desert 2 Cor. 9.6 For he that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that sows in Blessings shall reap of his Blessings Wherefore they shall not only excite the Faithful to that Bliss XIII The sure way of getting Bliss but also they shall frequently admonish them that this is the way to obtain it that being furnish'd with Faith and Charity and persevering in Prayer and in the due use of the Sacraments they exercise themselves in all offices of kindness towards their Neighbour and so by Gods mercy who has prepared that blessed glory for them that seek him it shall come to pass that at length that shall be fulfill'd which was spoken by the Prophet Isa 32.28 My people shall sit in the beauty of peace and in the Tabernacles of Safety and in wealthy Rest THE CATECHISM FOR THE CURATES BY THE DECREE OF THE Council of TRENT PART II. Of the SACRAMENTS SInce every Part of Christian Doctrin stands in need of the knowledge and diligence of the Pastor I. The Knowledge of the Sacraments necessary for the Curats See the Council of Trent Sess 17. Then surely the Discipline of the Sacraments which even by Gods command is necessary and very full of profit requires the skill and industry of the Curat and that by the diligent and frequent use thereof the Faithful may be fitted worthily and savingly to be made partakers of these most excellent and most holy things the Priests should stick close to the rule of that Divine Prohibition Give not that which is holy to dogs Mat. 7.6 neither cast ye your pearls before swine In the first place therefore II. The Word Sacrament taken diversly because we must treat in general of all the kinds of Sacraments we must begin with the Signification and Notion of the word Sacrament and explain the dubious meaning thereof that it may more easily be understood what the proper sense of the word in this place is Wherefore the Faithful are to be taught that the name Sacrament as to our purpose is taken by Prophane By Prophane Authors otherwise than by Sacred Writers for some Authors by the word Sacrament would signifie that Obligation when we are bound by Oath to some Service of which kind is that Oath wherewith Souldiers promise to do faithful service to the Common Wealth and this is call'd a Military Sacrament or Oath and this seems to be the most usual acceptation of the word amongst them But among the Latin Fathers And by the Fathers who have written Divinity the word SACRAMENT is taken to signifie some Holy Thing which lies close hid as the Greeks to signifie the same thing us'd the word Mystery Now in the same sense we understand the word Sacrament is to be taken when it is thus written in the Epistle to the Ephesians That be might make known to us the Sacrament of his will Eph. 1.9 And to Timothy Great is the Sacrament of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.6 Wisd 2.22 And in the Book of Wisdom They understood not the Sacraments of God In which places and many more may be observ'd that the word Sacrament signifies nothing else but some Holy Thing kept hid and secret Wherefore the Latin Doctors have thought that the Sacraments might conveniently be call'd certain Sensible Signs III. What the Name Sacrament here properly signifies which work or effect that grace which at the same time they signifie and as it were put before our Eyes Tho S. Gregory thought that they may therefore be call'd Sacraments because the Divine Power under the Veils of corporeal things secretly works Salvation D. Greg. in I Reg. c. 16. v. 13. Nor can any one suppose that this name Sacrament has lately been brought into the Church IV. The ancient use of the word Sacrament for he that shall have read S. Hierom and S. Austin will easily see that the ancient Writers of our Religion have very frequently us'd the name of Sacrament and sometimes also the name of Symbole or Mystical Sign or Sacred Sign to signifie that thing whereof we are speaking and let this be spoken concerning the Name of a Sacrament which also indeed agrees to the Sacraments of the Old Law to teach which the Pastors have no need seeing they are taken away by the Law and Grace of the Gospel See Hieron in Amos c. 1. v. 11 Tren c. 1. v. 15. Aug. in Joan. Tract 80. in fine contra Faust lib. 19. c. 12. Cypr. Epist 15. lib. de Bapt. Christi But besides the reason of the Name V. What a Sacrament is which hitherto has bin declar'd the Nature and Vertue of the thing is diligently to be inquir'd into and it must be taught the Faithful what a Sacrament is For there is no one can doubt but that a Sacrament is One of that kind of Divine Things whereby Righteousness and Salvation is obtain'd But tho there are many ways or reasons which may seem fit and accommodated to explain this matter yet there is none shews it more fully
to be given because with the benefit thereof our Soul is consecrated and joyn'd to God Wherefore to shew more fully what a Sacrament is X. A more full explication of a Sacrament it should be taught that it is a thing subject to Sense which by Gods appointment has vertue both to signifie and to work holiness and righteousness Whence it follows that any one may easily understand that the Images of the Saints Crosses and such like things tho they are Signs of Holy Things yet they are not to be call'd Sacraments Now the truth of this Doctrin it will be easie to prove by the example of all the Sacraments as before we observ'd of Baptism when we said that That solemn washing of the Body is a Sign and has the efficacy of a Holy Thing which is inwardly wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost any one may do the same thing in the other Sacraments But then this also specially belongs to these mystical Signs XI Every Sacrament signifies at least three things Present Grace the Passion of Christ and Life Everlasting which are instituted of God that by Gods appointment they signifie not any one thing only but more things together Which thing may be seen in all the Sacraments which shew not only our Holiness and Righteousness but declare two other things besides very nearly joyn'd with that Holiness to wit Christ our Redeemer's Passion which is the cause of our Holiness and Life Everlasting and the Bliss of Heaven to which our Holiness ought to be referr'd as to the End And this may be observ'd in all the Sacraments Rightly have the Holy Doctors taught that every Sacrament has in it a threefold vertue of signifying both because it brings to remembrance something already past and because it points at and shews another thing present and also because it foreshews something yet to come Nor is it to be suppos'd that these things have been thus taught of them as that it cannot be prov'd by testimony of Holy Scripture For when the Apostle says Rom 6.3 As many of us as have bin baptiz'd in Christ Jesus have bin baptiz'd in his death he plainly shews that Baptism is therefore to be call'd a Sign because it puts us in mind of the Death and Passion of our Lord. And then when he says We are bury'd together with him by Baptism into Death that as Christ rose again from the dead by the glory of the Father so also should we walk in newness of life From these words it is plain that Baptism is a Sign whereby the Divine Grace is shew'd to be pour'd into us by verture whereof is given to us that leading a new life we can easily and cheerfully perform all Offices of true Piety Lastly Rom. 6.5 when he adds For if we are planted together in the likeness of his Death we shall be also of his Resurrection it appears that Baptism has no dark signification of the Life Everlasting also which through it we shall obtain But besides these XII A Sacrament â—ometimes signifies not one thing only present divers kinds and ways of signifying which we have mention'd it oft happens that a Sacrament shews and notes not One thing only as present but more This is easie to be observ'd by any that consider the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist Wherein is signifi'd the presence of the true Body and Blood of the Lord which those who receive those Holy Mysteries not impurely do perceive From what has been said therefore the Pastors cannot want Arguments whereby to shew How great a Divine Power how many hidden Miracles are in the Sacraments of the New Law to prevail with all to revernce them and receive them with the greatest Devotioâ— But to teach the true use of the Sacraments XIII for what reason the Sacraments were instituted there can nothing seem more proper than diligently to explain the Reasons Why it was needful the Sacraments should be instituted Of these there are many Whereof the First is The First The weakness of Human Vnderstanding which by nature we see to be so fram'd that no One can aspire to the knowledg of those things which are comprehended by the mind and understanding unless by those things which are perceiv'd by some sense That therefore we might the more easily understand those things which are wrought by the hidden power of God the same supream Maker of all things has most wisely order'd that of his Good-will towards us he declares that very Power by some Signs which fall under some Sense For as S. Chrysostom excellently says Chrysost hom 83. in Matt. hom 60. ad pop Antioch If Man were but free from the conjunction of the Body those goon things would be offer'd him naked and not wrapp'd up in coverings But because the Soul is joyn'd with the Body it was altogether needful to use the help of sensible things to understand them Another Reason is The Second Aug l. 4. de Baptis con tra c. 24. Because our Minds are not easily wrought upon to believe those things which are promis'd us And therefore from the very beginning of the World God has bin us'd very frequently to shew by Words what he intended to do and sometimes also when he intended any work the Greatness whereof might shake the Belief of the Promise he add'd to the words some Signs alsso which had a kind of miracle in them sometimes For when God sent Moses to deliver the people of Israel Exod. 3.10 Exod. 3.42 but he not being assur'd of Gods assistance who sent him fear'd lest too heavy a burden should be laid upon him which he could not be able to hear or lest the people would not give credit to the Divine Oracles and Sayings The Lord confirm'd his promise by a great variety of Signs As therefore in the Old Testament God so ordered it that the Constancy or Truth of some great Promise might be testified by Signs so also â—n the New Law our Savior Christ when he promis'd us Forgiveness of Sins Heavenly Grace the Communion of the Holy Ghost instituted some certain Signs subject to our Eys and Senses by which as by pledges we might esteem him as it were oblig'd and so for the future might never doubt of the Faithfulness of the Promise A Third Reason was The Third â— mâ— .. â— de Saâ—â— â— 4. as S. Ambrose writes That the Soul might have ready at hand the remedies and medicines as it were of the Evangelical Samaritan for the recovery and preservation of her Health For the vertue which flows from Christ's Passion i. e. the Grace which he merited for us upon the Altar of the Cross must be deriv'd upon our selves by the Sacraments as it were by certain Pipes otherwise no one can have any hope of Salvation Wherefore our most merciful Lord would leave in his Church Sacraments firmly establish'd by his Word and Promise by which
S. Austin in his Disputations he wrote against the Donatists most clearly shews And if we require Testimonies of Scripture we may hear the very Apostle speaking in these Words I says he have planted and Apollo has water'd but God gave the Increase For neither is he that plants any thing nor he that waters But God that gives the increase Whence it may sufficiently be understood that as in planting of Trees the naughtiness of those that planted them is no hindrance to the Trees So there can no hurt light upon them by anothers fault who were planted in Christ by the Ministery of Bad Men. Wherefore as from S. John's Gospel our Holy Fathers have taught us Judas Iscariot baptiz'd many of whom nevertheless we read not that any were baptiz'd again so as S. Austin has excellently written Judas baptiz'd and yet after Judas none baptiz'd whom he baptiz'd John baptiz'd and yet after John's Baptism they were baptiz'd again because the Baptism given by Judas was Christs Baptism but the Baptism which John gave was his own And yet we rightly prefer not Judas before John but Christ's Baptism tho given by the hands of Judas before John's Baptism tho given by the hands of S. John himself Nor may the Pastors XXIV It is a great wickedness to administer the Sacraments with as evil Conscience Aug. in Joan. Tract 5. contra Cresc l 3. c. 6. D. Thom. p. 3. q. 93. art 4. or other Ministers of the Sacraments when they hear this think it enough taking no regard to the uprightness of their Manners and purity of their Consciences to take care only how rightly to minister the Sacraments for tho they ought to be very careful therein yet all those things which belong to that Function are not plac'd in this one thing But they ought always to remember That the Sacraments indeed never lose that Divine Vertue which is in them but yet that they bring eternal Death and ruine to those that minister them impurely For Holy things as once and again and oftentimes over and over we ought to admonish should be handled Holily Ps 49 16. Con Trid. ibid. Can. 6. and Religiously To the Sinner as the Prophet has it God has said Why dost thou declare my Righteousness and takest my Testament into thy Mouth whereas thou hatest Discipline Now if it be unlawful for a man polluted with sin to Treat only of Divine Matters How great wickedness must we needs judge him guilty of who being conscious to himself of many crimes is yet not afraid with his polluted mouth to make those Holy Mysteries or to take into his foul hands and handle and to reach them forth and minister them to others especially since it is written by S. Denys To the wicked the Symbols for so he calls the Sacraments it is not permitted so much as to touch them The Ministers of Holy things therefore S. Dyon de Eccles Hier. c. 1. are first of all to follow Holiness and come purely to minister the Sacraments and let them so exercise themselves in Piety that through the frequent handling and use of them by Gods help they may attain a greater plenty of Grace thereby And now these things being explain'd XXV The effects of the Sacraments it must be taught what the Effect of the Sacraments is for this seems likely to afford no small light to the Definition of the Sacraments before mention'd The principal of those Effects are reduc'd to Two And that Grace which of the Holy Doctors we have learn'd usually to call justifying XVI The first Justifying Grace common to all Eph. 25.26 deservedly takes the chief place for so the Apostle has most plainly taught when he said That Christ lov'd his Church and gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her cleansing her by the laver of water in the Word But by what means so great and admirable a thing is wrought by the Sacrament that as S. Austin says S. Aug. in Joan. Tract 80. The Water cleanses the Body and touches the Heart this verily connot be comprehended by human reason and understanding For it is certain that no sensible thing of its own nature is endu'd with such a Power as can penetrate to the Soul But by the Light of Faith we know that the Power of the Almighty God is in the Sacraments because they effect that which the natural things themselves by their own power cannot do Of this Efficacy of the Sacraments see Trid. Sess 7. Can. 6.7 8. De Sacram. Aug. Tract 26. in Joan. cont Faust c. 16. 17. in Psal 77. v. 15 16. Wherefore that there might never any distrust or doubt of this Effect XXVII The Receiving of Grace in the Sacraments why of old prov'd by Miracles arise in the minds of the Faithful When the Sacraments began to be administred it pleas'd the most merciful God by the evidence of Miracles to shew what the Sacraments inwardly effected that we might most constantly believe the same things to be always inwardly wrought tho they were far enough distant from our Senses Therefore to omit Aug l. quart Vet. Nov. Test q. 93. Mat. 3.16 Mar. 1.10 Luc. 3.22 that when our Savior was baptiz'd in Jordan the Heavens were open'd and the Holy Ghost appear'd in the shape of a Dove to admonish us that when at the Saving Font we are wash'd he pours his Grace into our Souls To pass by this I say for this belongs rather to the Signification of Baptism than to the Ministration of the Sacrament Do not we read that on the day of Pentecost when the Apostles receiv'd the Holy Ghost whereby they were thenceforth made more chearful and couragious to Preach the Truth of Faith and to undergo many hazards for the glory of Christ Act. 2.3 then a noise from Heaven being made all of the suddain as it were of a mighty rushing wind there appered cloven tongues like as of Fire Whence it is understood that in the Sacrament of Confirmation the same Spirit is given to us and the same strength bestow'd on us whereby we stoutly resist and encounter those irreconcileable Enemies to us to wit the Flesh the World and the Devil and these Miracles as oft as the Apostles minister'd those Sacraments in the infancy of the Church were for some time to be seen till the Faith being confirm'd and strengthen'd they began to cease From those things therefore which have bin shew'd concerning the former effect of the Sacraments XXVIII How great the Difference of the Sacraments of the Old and New Law is Aug. lib. 19. cont Fault c. 13. in Ps 83. Amb. lib. de Sacr. c. 4. Heb. 9.14 to wit Justifying Grace it plainly appears that there is in the Sacraments of the New Law a better and more excellent vertue than the Sacraments of the Old Law had which seeing they were weak and beggarly Elements did sanctifie the Polluted to the cleansing
wish which is offer'd them from whence tho they get not all the Fruits of the Eucharist yet without doubt they have those which are very great Lastly Sacramentally and Spiritually there are some who receive the Sacred Eucharist both Sacramentally and Spiritually who when according to the Apostles Doctrine they shall first have prov'd themselves and being adorn'd with the wedding Garment come to this Divine Table receive most plentiful Fruits from the Eucharist as we said before Wherefore it is plain Note That they bereave themselves of the greatest celestial Good things who when they may come prepar'd even to take the Sacrament of the Lords Body think it enough to receive the Sacred Communion spiritually only And now it must be taught how the Souls of the Faithful ought to be prepar'd before they come to the Sacramental receiving of the Eucharist And first LVIII Who come to the Eucharist ought to be prepar'd and why First John 13.5 that it may appear that that preparation is very necessary the Example of our Savior ought to be propos'd For before he gave his Apostles the Sacraments of his Body and Blood altho they were already clean he wash'd their Feet that he might declare that all diligence is to be us'd that there be nothing wanting to us to the highest integrity and innocence of Soul when we go about to receive these sacred Mysteries And then the Faithful may understand Secondly that if any one receive the Eucharist with a Soul well dispos'd and prepar'd he is adorn'd with the most ample endowments of celestial Grace So on the contrary if he receive it unprepar'd he not only receives no advantage thereby but also he takes exceeding great damage and hurt For this is proper to the best and most wholesome things that if we use them in season they mightily profit us but if we use them in a wrong season they hurt and destroy us Wherefore it is not to be wonder'd at that those mighty and transcendent Gifts of God when they are receiv'd by a Soul well dispos'd are very helpful to us to get the Glory of Heaven but when we offer to receive them unworthily they bring eternal Death This is prov'd from an Example of the Ark of the Lord An example For the Ark of the Covenant than which the People of Israel had nothing more excellent to whom also by it the Lord gave very great and innumerable Benefits and yet it carri'd with it calamity joyn'd with eternal reproach So also to those who having by the Mouth receiv'd and so let fall into a well affected Stomach they nourish and sustain the Body but to those who use to pour them into a Stomach full of vicious humors they cause grievous diseases De praeparatione ad Euch. requisita vide Trid. Sess 13. c. 7. can 11. Basil q. 172. regul hrev Serm. 2. de Bapt. Cypr. toto fere lib. de Lapsit agendo de Poenit. Aug. Serm. 1. de Temp. Chrys hom 44 45 46. in Joan. in Matt. hom 83. Let the Faithful therefore use this First Preparation LIX Preparations of the Soul to the Eucharist The First To discern Table from Table This Sacred Table from other profane Tables This Bread of Heaven from Common-bread And this is done when we certainly believe that the true Body and Blood of our Lord is present whom the Angels adore in Heaven at whose Nod the Pillars of Heaven tremble and shake for fear 1 Cor. 11.19 of whose Glory the Heaven and Earth is full This is to difference the Lords Body which the Apostle admonishes us to do the greatness of which Mystery notwithstanding we must reverence rather than curiously search into the Truth of it in subtle Disputations But another Preparation exceeding necessary is The Second that every one examin himself whether he have peace with others Matt. 5.24 whether he love his Neighbor truly and with all his Soul If therefore thou offer thy Gift at the Altar and there shalt remember that thy Brother has any thing against thee leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconcil'd to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift And then we ought diligently to search our Conscience The third lest haply we may be polluted with any deadly sin for which it is necessary to do Penance that first by the Medicine of Contrition and Confession it might be done away Sess 13. can 21. For it has bin defin'd by the Holy Council of Trent That no one may receceive the Sacred Eucharist whom the Conscience of any mortal sin pricks if a Priest is to be had before he shall have purg'd himself by Sacramental Confession no not tho he seem to himself to be contrite Chrys hom 30. in Genes 20. in Mat. Cypr. in lib. de Lapsis Fourthly The Fourth Let us think with our selves how unworthy we are that the Lord should bestow on us this divine Benefit Wherefore let us say from our Hearts that of the Centurion of whom our Savior himself testifies Matt. 8.10 That he found not so great Faith no not in Israel Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof Let us also examine our selves The Fifth Joh. 21.15 whether we can truly take up that of S. Peter to our selves Lord thou knowest that I love thee For we must remember that he that sat down at the Lords Feast without a Wedding-Garment was cast into Prison and condemn'd to eternal Punishment Nor is there need of the Souls preparation only LX. The Preparations of the Body for the Eucharist but of the Bodie 's also For we ought to come Fasting to that Sacred Table so that at least from the mid-night of the day before even to that very point of Time wherein we receive the Eucharist we should not either eat or drink any thing at all See Aug. Epist 118. c. 6. lib. 1. ad in quisit Januarii c. 6. And the Dignity of this Sacrament requires LXI 1 Reg. 21.5 that marri'd people abstain from mutual embraces for some days being admonish'd by Davids Example who when he was to receive some Show-Bread of the Priest profess'd that he kept himself and his Servants clean from the communication of their Wives for those three days These are in a manner the things the Faithful are to observe to prepare themselves before hand profitably to receive the Sacred Mysteries For the rest which may seem fit to be taken care for in this matter may easily be reduc'd to these very Heads But lest any grow more sluggish or backward to the receiving this Sacrament bacause they think it a very weighty and hard matter to make so great a Preparation The Faithful are often to be admonish'd That the Law obliges all to receive the Sacred Eucharist Besides it has been decreed by the Church that he that will not at least once
every year communicate at Easter shall be driven away from the Church Concil Lateran c. 28. habetur l. 5. decretal tit de Poenis remiss c. Omnis utriusque sexus Trid. Sess 13.9 Neither let the Faithful think that this is enough LXIII The Faithful to be exhorted to the frequent use of the Eucharist that obeying the authority of this Decree they only once a year receive the Lords Body but let them know that they ought oftner to receive the Communion of the Eucharist But whether it be more expedient so to do every Month or every Week or every Day Aug. there can be no certain Rule prescrib'd for all But yet this is S. Austins most sure Rule So live that thou mayst receive every Day Wherefore the Curats shall be ready to exhort the Faithful diligently that as they think it necessary to afford nourishment to their Bodies every Day so also that they cast not off the care of feeding and nourishing their Soul every day with the Sacrament for it is plain that the Soul no less wants her Spiritual Meat than the Body her natural Food And it will be extreamly profitable in this place to repeat those exceeding great and divine Benefits which as was before shew'd we obtain by Sacramental Communion of the Eucharist And this figure also shall be added that every day the Israelites ought to refresh the strength of their Bodies with Manna Exod. 16. And also the authorities of the Holy Fathers which greatly commended the frequent receiving of this Sacrament Neither was it the Opinion of that one only Holy Father S. Austin Thou daily sinnest daily receive but whosoever diligently observes will easily find that the same was the sense of all the Fathers that have written of this matter To frequent Communion do exhort Aug. de verb. Dom. serm 28. sed hic serm cum non sit Aug. sed Ambr. l. 5. de Sacram. c. 4. rejectus est in apendicem tomi 10. Item vide eund Aug. Epist 118. c. 3. Item Ignat. ad Ephes satis ante fin Basil Epist ad Caesar patr Ambr. lib. 3. de Sacram. c. 4. Chrys hom 61. ad pop Antioch Cypr. de Orat. Domin ad haec verba Panem nostrum quotid Hieron Epist 28. ad Lucin. vers finem Cyril lib. 3. in Joan. c. 34. de consec dist 2. per multa capita hac de re And in former daies there was a time when the Faithful daily receiv'd the Eucharist LXIV Antiently the Faithful communicated every day Act. 2.42 as we understand from the Acts of the Apostles For all who then profess'd the Christian Faith did so burn with true Christian Charity that when without intermission they were at leisure for Prayers and other duties of Piety or Devotion they were always found ready prepar'd daily to receive the Sacred Mysteries of the Lords Body The most holy Martyr and Pope Anacletus in some measure renew'd this De consec dist â— c. 1â— For he commanded That the Ministers who perform'd Masse should communicate Which thing he affirm'd to have bin ordain'd by the Apostles And it was a long while a Custom in the Church that the Priest as soon as the Sacrifice was ended when he took the Eucharist turning to the people that were present invited the Faithful to the Sacred Table in these words Come Brethren to the Communion Then those that were prepar'd took the Sacred Mysteries with the most profound Devotion Of daily Communion See Dionys de Eccles Hierar c. 3. parte 2. Hieron Epist 28. ad Lucin. Greg. l. 2. dialog c. 23. Item lib. de Ecclesiast dogmat c. 53. citatur de de consec dist 1. c. 23. But when Charity and Devotion grew so cold LXV Thrice a year antiently appointed to communicate that the Faithful very rarely came to the Communion is was decreed by Pope Fabian That all should receive the Eucharist thrice every year at the Nativity of our Lord at Easter and at Whitsuntide and the same thing was afterwards confirm'd by many Councils and especially by the First Council of Agath Fabiani decretum habes de Concer dist 2. c. 16. ibid. citatur Concil Agathem sec 18. c. Saeculares But when the matter grew to that pass LXVI When commanded to communicate once a year that that holy and wholesome precept was not observ'd but the Communion of the Eucharist was put off for many years together it was decreed in the Council of Lateran That all the Faithful should once a year at least receive the Sacred Body of the Lord But those who neglected to do so were forbid to enter into the Church Citatur lib. 5. decret tit de Poenit. remiss bap Omnis utriusque sexus Now altho this Law LXVII Before the use of Reason none may communicate establish'd by the Authority of God and his Church belong to all the Faithful Yet it must be taught that they are excepted who by reason of the tenderness of Age have not yet the use of Reason for these know not how to make a difference betwixt the Sacred Eucharist and Prophane and common Bread Nor can they bring that devotion of Heart and Religion to the receiving thereof as is fit and it also seems very disagreeable to the Institution of Christ our Lord Mat. 26.26 for he says Take and Eat LXVIII The Eucharist antiently given to Infants but it is manifest enough that Infants are not capable to take and eat In some places it was indeed an antient custom to give the Sacred Eucharist even to Infants but yet both for the reasons before mention'd and for Others also very agreeable to Christian Piety the same has long-a-go Note by the Churches Authority bin forborn Cypr. de Lapsis post med But at what age the Sacred Mysteries are to be given to Children no one can better determine than the Father and Priest to whom they confess their sins for it belongs to Them to try and examine the Children whether they have learn'd the knowledg of this admirable Sacrament and have any rellish to it Moreover to Mad-men LXIX When the Eucharist ought not to be given to Mad people Con. Carth. 4.76 who then are far from the sense of Devotion the Sacraments ought not to be given Altho if before they fell into madness they evidenc'd a pious and religious disposition of mind the Eucharist may be administer'd to them at the end of their Life as was decreed by the Council of Carthage so that there be no danger to be fear'd of Vomitting or other Indignity and Inconvenience But now as to the Rite or manner of Communicating LXX The Priests only may communicate under â—oâ—h Species the Curats may teach That by the Law of the Church it is prohibited that any one without the Authority of the Church except the Priests who consecrate the Lords Body in the Sacrifice should take the Sacred Eucharist in both kinds
the other Powers of the Soul It is also call'd by the Holy Fathers Compunction of Heart Chrysost de Compunct coâ—dis Isidor de summo bono l. 2.12 who were pleas'd to entitle the Books they wrote of Contrition to be of Compunction of the Heart rather For as swelling Ulcers are cut with a Knife that the poisonous Corruption may be let forth So our Hearts are cut as it were with the Pen-knife of Contrition that the deadly Poyson of Sin might run out And therefore it is call'd by the Prophet Joel Joel 2.21 A cutting of the Heart Be ye converted to me says he with all your Heart in Fasting and in Weeping and in Mourning and cut your Hearts But that the greatest and deepest Grief is to be taken for sin committed XXXV Contrition ought to be the greatest Grief so that no greater can be imagin'd will be easie to evidence by these Reasons For whereas perfect Contrition is an Act of Love The First Reason 1 Joh. 3. which proceeds from a filial Fear it is plain that there ought to be the same measure both of Love and Contrition hence it comes That Contrition has joyn'd with it the most vehement Grief of Mind for as God is to be lov'd above all things so those things which estrange us from God are to be hated above all things Wherein this is also observable Note that after the same manner of speaking is signifi'd in Sacred Scripture the Greatness of Love and of Contrition Of Charity it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart And again as to Contrition the Lord cries out by the Prophet Be ye converted with your whole Heart Besides The Second Reason if as God is the supreme Good among all the things that are to be lov'd and so Sin the greatest evil among all the things that Men ought to hate This follows that for what cause we confess that God is above all things to be lov'd for the same cause again we must needs hate Sin above all things But that the Love of God is to be put before all other things so that we may not sin tho it were to save out very Lives those words of our Lord plainly teach us Matt. 10.27 Mar. 16.25 Mar. 8.35 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me And He that will save his Life shall lose it But This also must be observ'd The Third Reason that as there is no End or Measure prescrib'd to Charity as S. Bernard testifies Lib. de diâ—â—gendo Deo circa inod For says he The measure of loving God is to love him without Measure so there is no measure defin'd to the Detestation of Sin Besides XXXVI Contrition ought to be most vehement Deut. 4.27 Hierem. 2â— 13 it ought to be not only the Greatest but also the most Vehement and therefore Perfect and excludes all slothfulness and laziness For in Deuteronomy it is written When thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if notwithstanding thou shalt seek him with thy whole Heart and in the tribulation of thy Soul And in Jeremy Ye shall seek me and shall find me when ye shall seek me with your whole Heart and I wil be found of you says the Lord. Now altho we cannot get to make it perfect XXXVII Contrition tho imperfect yet it may be true yet our contrition may be true and efficacious for it often comes to pass that those things which are subject to sense more affect us than spiritual things Wherefore sometimes some Men are more sorrowful for the Death of their Children than for the Filthiness of their sins The same judgment is to be made XXXVIII Tears tho to be desir'd yet not necessary Serm. 41. de Sanctis if Tears follow not the Bitterness of Grief which yet in Penance are much to be wish'd and commended For S. Austins sentence in this case is very excellent The Bowels of Christian Charity says he are not in thee if thou lamentest the Body from which the Soul is departed but dost not lament the Soul from which God is departed And hither tend those words of our Savior before recited Mat. 11.21 Wo to thee Chorazin wo to thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which have bin done in you had bin done in Tyre and Sydon they had done Penance long ago in Sack-cloth and Ashes Yet for the proof of this those most famous examples of the Ninivits of David of the Harlot of the Prince of Apostles will be sufficient All which sought pardon of their sins imploring the Mercy of God with very many Tears But the Faithful are specially to be exhorted and admonish'd XXXIX All Mortal sins to be detested with Contrition that they study to apply the proper Grief of Contrition to their several Mortal Sins For so Ezechias describes Contrition when he says I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul For to recount all his years is severally to examine his sins to be sorry in mind for them And we read in Ezekiel Ezek. 28.21 If the wicked man do Penance for all his sins he shall live And agreeable hereto S Austin says Let the sinner consider the Quality of his sin at that Time in what Place against what Light and against whom Lib. de vera falsa Religione cap. 14. Let not the Faithful notwithstanding in this Case despair of the infinite Goodness and Mercy of God Note For since he is most desirous of our Salvation he will not delay to pardon us but will embrace the sinner with a Fatherly Love as soon as ever he shall have recollected himself and detested all his sins which thencesorth at any time according to his ability he can bring to remembrance and resolves in his mind to hate and converts himself to the Lord Ezek. 33.12 for so by the Prophet he commands us to ho e when he says The wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him at what day soever he will be converted from his wickedness From hence therefore may be gather'd what ' things are most necessary to true Contrition XL. How many things necessary to True Contrition concerning which the Faithful must be accurately taught that every one may know by what means he may get it and may have a certain Rule whereby he may judge how far he is from the Perfection of this Vertue For first The first it is necessary to hate and to gri ve for all the sins we have done Lest if we blot out some only the Penance we do may seem dissembl'd and counterfeit and not saving For as S. James says He that shall have kept the whole Law but Offends in One thing he is guilty of all The second is The second that This Contrition has a Will to Confess and to Satisfie for Sin join'd with it of which shall
defin'd by the Holy Synod of Trent and has always bin deliver'd by the Catholic Church even as the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers declare For in S. Ambrose it is declar'd after this manner Sess 14. de Poenit. c. 5. can 7. No one can be justifi'd from his sin unless he confess his sin And S. Hierom upon Ecclesiastes says Lib. de Parad c. 4. If the Serpent the Devil have secretly bit any one and no one know of it he had infected him with the Poison of sin C. 1. Super illud si mordâ—at sâ—rpens circa finem If he hold his Peace and do not do Penance and is not willing to confess is wound to his Brother or Master his Master who has a Tongue to cure him cannot profit him Furthermore S. Cyprian in his Sermon de Lapsis most plainly teaches this in these words Altho they are fetter'd by no such heinous crime as Sacrificing to Idols or Libelling yet because they had thoughts of doing so they ought with grief to confess it to the Priests of God Lastly This is the common voice and sentence of all the Doctors of the Church That all Mortal sins ought severally to be confess'd do teach Aug. lib. de vera falsa Poenit. cap. 10. Greg. hom 10. super Ezekiel Ambr. lib. de parad cap. 14. Hieron in Ecclesiast cap. 10. Cypr. de Lapsis circa finem Vide de Poenit. dist 3. cap. sunt plures c. pluit ibid. dist 1. cap. quem poen ibid pass But in Confession that very great Care and Diligence is to be used LXII How by Confession sins are pluck'd up by the Roots which we are wont to use in the weightiest Matters and all our study ought so to be imploy'd herein that we may cure the Wounds of our Souls and destroy the very Roots of Sin Nor ought we only by a Declaration of them to explain our grievous sins but also all the several Circumstances of every sin which either greatly increase or lessen the sins For some Circumstances are so weighty LXIII The Circumstances which increase the sin must be confess'd that the Nature of the Deadliness of the sin consists only in them wherefore all these things must always be confess'd For if any one shall have kill'd a Man it must be explain'd whether he were a Clerk or a Lay man As also it is necessary that he declare if he lay with a Woman whether she were free from the Law of Marriage or were another Man's Wife or of his Kindred or Consecrated to God by the Betroathing of any Vow For these things make the kinds of sins different So that the first by the Doctors of Holy things is call'd simple Fornication The Second Adultery The Third Incest The Fourth Sacriledge Also Theft is to be reckon'd among sins But if any one shall steal a piece of Gold he certainly sins less than he that steals away a hundred or two hundred pieces or a great quantity of Gold and of especially who stole the Sacred Mony And this Reason belongs also to Place and Time Examples whereof are more known in the Books of many than that we should make mention of them in this place These things Note as we have said are to be numbr'd but those things which do not much increase the wickedness of the thing may without sin be omitted But to Confession it is so necessary LXIV To conceal sin in Confession a great Crime the Confession to be iterated as we said before that it be intire and absolute that if any one in Confession pass over some of those things which ought to have bin explain'd and confess'd only some of them he not only by that Confession reaps no advantage but also fetters himself in a new wickedness Nor is such a kind of reckoning up of sin to be call'd by the name of Confession in which is the Vertue of a Sacrament but rather it is necessary for the Penitent to repeat again his Confession and to acknowledge himself guilty of that sin that he violated the Holiness of that Sacrament by a counterfeit Confession But if for any other cause there may seem to be any defect in the Confession LXV Confession not to be iterated by reason of sin forgot either because the Penitent has forgot some sins or because he has not so narrowly search'd into the secret corners of his Conscience yet because he had it in his mind intirely to confess all his sins he has no need to iterate his Confession But it will be sufficient if when he remembers the sins before forgot he confess them to a Priest at another time Wherein care must be taken LXVI Negligence in examining must be avoided that we do not haply search our Consciences too dissolutely and remissly and so negligently study to bring our sins to remembrance that we may deservedly seem to be willing indeed not to remember them For if we do so we must by all means iterate our Confession Moreover we must take heed LXVII Confession must be naked simple and plain that our Confession be Naked Simple and Plain not artificially compos'd as is done by some who seem rather to lay down the Rule of their Life than to confess their sins For such ought to be our Confession as it may shew us to the Priest to be such Persons as we know our selves to be and may shew things certain for certain and doubtful for doubtful But if sins are not disclos'd or recited Note or the words we make use of be far from the matter we have in hand it is evident that this Confession wants this Vertue They also are much to be commended who use Prudence and Modesty in explaining things LXVIII Prudent and Modest for neither ought there too many words to he us'd but those things which belong to the Nature and Reason of every sin are to be open'd in a short Speech which is joyn'd with Modesty But this must be endeavour'd both by the Confessing Person LXIX Secret and by the Priest that their speech in Confession be secret For which cause it is not lawful for any by any means Note either by Messenger or by Letter to confess their sins because according to reason nothing by that means can be done secretly But nothing so much requires the Care of the Faithful LXX Frequent as to study to cleanse their Soul by a frequent Confession of their Sins For when any one is tempted with any deadly sin there can be to him nothing more wholesome or saving by reason of the many dangers which hang over our life than presently to confess his sins For it is a foul thing for any one to promise himself a long time to live when we are so diligent in cleansing the spots of our Body or of our Cloaths and not to use at least the same diligence that the splendor of our Soul grow not
de Poenit. c. 10. citatur de Poenit. dist 3. cap. reperiuntur Cypr. de Lapsis multis in locis Conc. Agathense cap. 35. citatur dist 50. cap. poenitentes But XCIV The manner of the Churches dealing with publick sinners as we said in Public sins this was always held that they who had committed them before they had perform'd Public Penance were not absolv'd But in the mean time the Pastors besought God for their Salvation and ceas'd not to exhort the Penitents themselves also to do the like In which kind the Care and Solicitude of S. Ambrose was very great Paulinus iâ— ejus Vita by whose Tears it is reported That very many who came hard-hearted to the Sacrament of Penance were so softn'd that they conceiv'd the Grief of a true Contrition But afterwards there was so much abated of the severity of antient Discipline XCV How cold alas is Charity grown and Charity grew so cold that now very many of the Faithful do think no inward Sorrow of Mind no lamenting of the Heart necessary But think it enough if they have only the appearance of one that is sorry And then by this kind of suffering Punishments we obtain to our selves XCVI By Penance we are made like to Christ Heb. 2.18 Ser. 5. de Omn. sanct Rom 8.27 2 Tim. 2.11 that we bear the resemblance and Image of Jesus Christ our Head wherein he suffer'd and was tempted For nothing can seem so ugly as S. Bernard says as to be a delicate nice Member under a Thorny Head For as the Apostle witnesses We are Coheirs with Christ if so be we suffer with him and as he has written in another place If we are dead together we shall live together if we suffer together we shall also reign together S. Bernard also affirms XCVII Two Evils in the Soul from sin Serm. 1. in Coena Dom. That in sin are found Two things the Blemish and the Plague of the Soul and that that Foulness is taken away by the Mercy of God but that to heal the Plague of sin that Care is very necessary which for a Remedy is us'd in Penance For as when a Wound is heal'd some Scars remain which also are to be cur'd so in the Soul after the sin is pardon'd the Relics of sin remain to be purg'd away The same thing the sentence of S. Chrysostom plainly confirms when he says Hom 80. ad Pop. Antioch It is not enough that the Arrow be drawn out of the Body but the Wound also made by the Arrow is to be healed so also in the Soul after the Pardon of sin receiv'd the Plague or Sore remaining is to be cur'd by Penance For very frequently we are taught by S. Austin That in Penance In Psal 50. ad haec verba Ecce enim venit these Two things are to be observ'd the Mercy and the Justice of God His Mercy whereby he pardons the Eternal Punishments due to sin His Justice whereby he punishes a Man with Temporal Punishments Lastly XCVIII By Penance we escape those Punishments that are prepar'd of God for us 1 Cor. 3 1. the Punishment of Penance which we take upon our selves turns away God's Revenge and his Punishment intended against us For so the Apostle teaches when he says If we judge our selves we shall not be judg'd but while we are judg'd we are corrected of the Lord that we may not be condemn'd with this world Which things when they are explain'd to the Faithful it can scarce be but that they must needs be stirr'd up to do works of Penance But how great the Force and Vertue of it is XCIX Whence the Vertue of Penance to satisfie and merit is Mat. 10.42 may be gather'd from hence that it wholly depends upon the merit of the Passion of Christ our Lord. From whence also we get these Two very great advantages by our honest Actions The One is That we merit the Rewards of Immortal Glory So that even a Cup of cold Water which we give in his Name wants not a Reward The Other is That we satisfie for our sins Vide de Poenit. Sess 14 cap. 18. can 13 14. Sess 6. de Justific cap. 16 Conc. Trid. Nor does this obscure the most perfect and full Satisfaction of Christ our Lord C. Our Satisfaction hinders not Christ's but illustrates it but on the contrary it comes to pass that it renders it much more clear and bright For by so much the more full does the Grace of Christ appear to be because not only those things are communicated with us which he only merited but those things also which as the Head over the Members he has merited and perform'd in the Saints and Just men By which means it is plain that it comes that the Just and Honest Actions of pious Men have so much Weight and Dignity in them For Christ our Lord CI. Because by Grace we merit and satisfie as the Head over the Members and the Vine to the Branches continually pours forth his Grace upon them who by Charity are join'd with him Which Grace always goes before accompanies and follows our Works and without which we can by no means merit or satisfie God And so it comes to pass that to the Just nothing seems to be wanting CII Being assisted by the Grace of God all can work their Salvation when with their Works which they do by the Power of God they can satisfie the Divine Law as far as their Human and Mortal Condition is capable and get eternal Life which to wit if they depart out of this Life adorn'd with the Grace of God they may merit For it is a noted saying of our Savior He that shall drink of this water that I shall give him shall not thirst forever Joh. 4. but the water which I will give him shall be in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life Now there are Two things CIII Two things requir'd to satisfaction especially requir'd in satisfaction The first is that he who satisfies be Just and a Friend of God For these Works which are done without Faith and Charity can by no means be acceptable to God The other is that such kind of works be undertaken which of their own Nature bring some grief and trouble For seeing they are in recompense for past sins and as Cyprian the Martyr says The Redeemers as it were of sin It is altogether necessary that they have some bitterness in them Lib. 1. Ep. 3. post med altho it do not always follow that those who exercise them in these troublesome Actions have sense of grief thereby For often times either the custom of enduring Note or the heat of Charity to God causes that those things which are most grievous to be endur'd are not at all felt Nor yet is there any reason why those works have not the vertue of satisfying For this is
proper to the Children of God to be so inflamed with Love and Devotion towards him that being spent with most bitter labors they either feel almost no inconvenience or else they bear all things with a most chearful Spirit But the Pastors shall teach CIV The works of Satisfaction are Prayer Fasting Alms. that every kind of satisfaction is to be referr'd to these three especially Prayer Fasting Alms which indeed answer to those three sorts of Goods of the Soul of the Body and those which are call'd outward Goods all which we have receiv'd of God But there can be nothing more fit and convenient to pluck up the very Roots of sin CV Three Remedies for the Three Sicknesses of the Soul For whereas every thing that is in the world is either the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes or the Pride of Life there is no one who sees not that to these three Causes of Sickness are very rightly oppos'd so many Medicins to wit Fasting to the First Alms to the Second and Prayer to the Third Moreover CVI. By Prayers we satisfie to God by Fasting to our selves by Alms to our neighbor if we consider those who are offended by our sins we shall easily understand why to these Three especially all satisfaction is referr'd Now these are God our Neighbor and our Selves wherefore we appease God by Prayer we satisfie our Neighbor by Alms and we chastise our selves by Fasting But because many and divers Afflictions and Calamities press us while we are in this Life CVII A good use of the Afflictions of this Life the Faithful are chiefly to be taught that they who with a patient mind endure whatsoever Labor and Inconvenience God sends upon them have gotten full Matter of Satisfaction and Merit But those who against their Will and resisting as much as they can are forc'd to bear this kind of punishment deprive themselves of all the Fruit of Satisfaction and bear only the Revenge and Punishment of God revenging their sins by his just judgment But herein the immense Goodness and Mercy of God is to be celebrated with the highest Praises and Thanksgivings CVIII One can satisfie for another who has granted this to Human Frailty that One can satisfie for another And this indeed is very proper to this Part of Penance But then as to Contrition and Confession CIX None can be Contrite or Confess for another as there is no one can Grieve or Confess sor another so those that are indu'd with divine Grace can pay in another mans name what is owing to God Wherefore it comes to pass that after a certain sort one may seem to bear anothers Burthen Nor is there any place left for any of the Faithful to doubt of This CX How it comes that one can satisfie for â—nother seeing that in the Apostles Creed we confess the Communion of Saints For since we all are born again to Christ being cleans'd by the same Baptism and are partakers of the same Sacraments but above all since we are strengthen'd with the Meat and Drink of the same Body and Blood of Christ our Lord This most evidently shews that we all are Members of the same Body As therefore neither the Foot performs its Office for its own Profit A similitude but for the profit of the Eyes also and again that the Eyes see is not to be limited to their own advantage only but for the common advantage of all the Members So among us the Offices of Satisfaction ought to be esteem'd common Nor yet is this true without an Exception CXI Medicinal Satisfaction cannot be fulfilled by another if we consider All the Advantages which are receiv'd hereby For the Works of Satisfaction are a kind of Medicin and Cure which is prescrib'd the Penitent for curing the corrupt Affections of his Mind Which kind of Fruit of Advantage it is evident that they altogether want who satisfie not for themselves These things therefore shall be largely and clearly explain'd concerning the Three Parts of Penance Contrition Confession and Satisfaction But this ought specially to be observ'd by the Priests CXII When Absolution is to be deny'd that having heard Confession before they absolve the Penitent from his sins they are to take diligent Care that if haply he has taken away any thing either of the Goods or of the Credit of his Neighbor let him make full recompence for the sin whereof he seems deservedly to be condemn'd For no one is to be absolv'd unless he first promises to restore every one his own But because there are many Note who tho they largely promise that they will sufficiently do their duty yet it is certain that they never perform their promise Such are by all means to be compell'd to make restitution And that of the Apostle is often to be inculcated That he who stole now steal no more Ephes 4.10 but rather let him labor working with his hands that which is Good that he may have wherewith to give to him that suffers need But in appointing the punishment of Satisfaction CXIII How great Satisfaction is to be impos'd the Priests will consider that nothing is to be appointed by them for their own pleasure but that all things are to be directed by Justice Prudence and Piety And that sins may seem to be measur'd CXIV The Old Canons of Penance to be propos'd and Penitents may the better know the weight of their sins it will be worth the while sometimes to signifie to them what punishments have bin appointed for certain Faults Note by the Prescription of antient Canons Note The Nature of the Fault therefore shall temper the measure of all Satisfaction But of all kinds of Satisfaction CXV What kindâ— of satisfaction especially is to be impos'd it will be most suitable to appoint Penitents to give themselves to Prayer upon certain determin'd days and that they make Prayers to God for all men and especially for them who are gon out of this Life to the Lord. And they must also be exhorted CXVI The Vertue of Voluntary Penance to be added to the vertue of Sacramental that they often take upon themselves freely of their own accord to repeat those services of Satisfaction which were appointed by the Priest And that they so order their manners that when all those things which belong to the Sacrament of Confession are diligently perform'd yet that they never intermit the studies of the Vertue of Penance But if sometimes also Public Penance is to be prescrib'd for Public Offence CXVII Public Satisfaction to be impos'd upon public Offenders altho' the Penitent may refuse and pray to be excus'd yet he is not easily to he heard But he must he perswaded that those things which are wholsom or saving both to himself and others he accept with a free and chearful mind These things concerning the Sacrament of Penance and the several
Parts thereof shall be so taught that the Faithful may not only understand them perfectly but also by Gods help they may resolve indeed to perform them devoutly and religiously Of the SACRAMENT of EXTREAM VNCTION SInce the Holy Oracles of Scripture teach us thus I. Why this Sacrament is often to be treated of In all thy works remember thy last end and thou shalt not sin forever The Curats are tacitly admonish'd that no time is to be pretermitted of exhorting the Faithful Eccl. 7.40 to be daily conversant in the Meditation of Death But how can the Sacrament of Extream Unction choose but have the Memory of that Last day join'd with it Hence we may easily understand that this Sacrament must often be treated of not only for this Reason because it is very convenient to open and unfold the Mysteries of those things which belong to Salvation But also because the Faithful will restrain their evil Lusts when they consider in their minds that there lies upon all a Necessity of Dying wherefore also it will so come to pass that they will feel themselves less troubl'd at the Expectation of Death But let them give immortal thanks to God II. Thanks to be given to God for the Institution of this Sacrament who as in the Sacrament of Baptism he has laid open to us an entrance to the true Life so also when we depart out of this mortal life that we might have a more ready way to Heaven he has instituted the Sacrament of Extream Unction That therefore those things which are more necessary to explain it III. Why this Sacrament call'd Extream Unction may be open'd almost in the same Order which has bin observ'd in the other Sacraments It shall first be taught that This Sacrament is therefore call'd Extream Unction because this of all the Sacred Unctions which our Lord and Savior commended to his Church is last to be administer'd Wherefore this very Unction was also call'd by our Ancestors IV. Other Names of this Sacrament the Sacrament of the Vnction or Anointing of the Sick and the Sacrament of them that go out of the world By which Names the Faithful may easily be brought to the remembrance of their last End Vide Hugon de Sacr. part 15. c. 2. Pet. Dam. Serm. de Dedicat. Eccles But this will be made evident V. Extream Unction prov'd to be a Sacrament if we attend to the words wherewith St. James the Apostle has declar'd the Law of this Sacrament Is any one sick among you says he Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with Oyl in the Name of the Lord First and the Prayer of Faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall ease him Isai 5.14 and if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him For Secondly because the Apostle affirms that sins are forgiven therein he declares the Force and Nature of a Sacrament Now that This was the perpetual Doctrin of the Catholic Church concerning Extream Unction Thirdly both many other Councils testifie and by the Council of Trent it has bin declar'd in such a manner Sess 43. de Extrema Vnct. c. 1. can 3. that she has decreed the Pain of an Anathema against all those who presume to teach or think otherwise And Innocent the First also very much commends this Sacrament to the Faithful Innocent Epist 1. ad Decent cap. 8. citatur dist 95. c. illud superfluum Item Conc. Cabilon cap. 48. Wormaciense c. 72. Constan. Florent It is therefore constantly to be taught of the Pastors VI. Extream Unction is a Sacrament that it is a true Sacrament and not many but One altho it be administer'd with many Unctions or Anointings to every one whereof are us'd proper Prayers and a peculiar Form It is One VII How Extream Unction is One Sacrament not in continuation of the Parts which may not be divided but in perfection of which sort are all other things which consist of many parts For as a House which is compos'd of many and divers things yet is but One only in perfect Form So the Sacrament altho it be made up of many Things and Words yet it is but One sign and has the Efficiency of One thing only which it signifies Moreover VIII This Sacrament has Matter and Form Isai 5.14 the Curats shall teach what the Parts of this Sacrament are The Element I say and The Word For these things are not pass'd over by S. James in every one whereof we may observe their own Mysteries The Element or Matter whereof IX What the matter is In the place before cited as the Councils and especially that of Trent has decreed is Oyl consecrated by a Bishop to wit the Liquor not press'd out of any fat and thick Nature but out of the Buries of the Olives only Now this Matter very fitly signifies that thing which by Vertue of this Sacrament X. How fit this matter is is inwardly wrought in the Soul for as Oyl is very profitable to mitigate the Pains of the Body So the Vertue of the Sacrament lessens the sorrow and grief of the Soul Besides Oyl restores sweetness makes chearful and feeds our Lights and also it is very suitable to refresh and strengthen a weary Body All which things declare what by the Divine Power is wrought upon a sick man thro the Administration of this Sacrament And This concerning the Matter is sufficient XI What the Form of this Sacrament is But the Form of this Sacrament is the Word and that solemn Prayer which the Priest uses at every Anointing when he says God indulge or pardon thee by this Holy Vnction whatsoever offence thou hast done thro the fault of thy Eyes or Nostrils or Touch. Now that This is the true and proper Form of this Sacrament XII This prov'd to be the proper Form the Apostle S. James signifies when he says Let them pray over him and the Prayer of Faith shall save the sick Whence we know that the Form is to be us'd in manner of a Prayer altho with what Words chiefly it is to be conceiv'd the Apostle has not express'd But This we have from the Tradition of the Fathers XIII This Form us'd every where So that all Churches retain this manner of Form which the Roman Church the Mother and Mistress of all Churches uses For tho' some change some few Words as when for God indulge thee They put Remit or Spare and sometimes also Heal whatsoever thou hast committed But yet because there is no alteration of the sense it is evident that the same Form is religiously observ'd of all Nor let any one wonder why it is so XIV Why this Form is in the manner of a Prayer that the Form of other Sacraments either absolutely signifies what it effects as when we say I Baptize thee or I Sign
thee with the sign of the Cross or is pronounc'd as it were by commanding as when in administring the Sacrament of Orders it is said Receive thou Power But this One Form of Extream Unction is perform'd in a kind of Prayer but this is very properly and rightly done for seeing this Sacrament is therefore us'd that besides the spiritual Grace that it gives it also restores Health to the Sick yet because it does not always follow that the Sick are made whole of their Disease for this cause the Form is made in a Prayer that we may beg that of Gods Bounty which the Power or Vertue of the Sacrament is not us'd to effect in a constant and perpetual course Now there are proper Rites us'd in the administration of this Sacrament also But the greatest part of them contains Prayers XV. Why so many Prayers us'd in administring this Sacrament which the Priest uses to obtain Health for the sick Person For there is no Sacrament which is made with more Prayers and indeed rightly because at that time especially the Faithful are to be assisted with Pious Devotions Wherefore also all the rest who then happen to be present and specially the Curat ought from their heart to beseech God for the sick Person and with all their study and affection to commit his Life and Health to Gods Mercy Now seeing it has bin shew'd that Extream Unction is truly and properly to be reckon'd in the number of the Sacraments XVI The Sacrament of Extream Unction instituted by Christ This also follows that the Institution thereof came from Christ our Lord which afterwards was propos'd and publish'd to the Faithful by the Apostle S. James Altho the same our Savior seem'd to have given the First Draught of this Unction when he sent his Disciples by two and two before his Face for it is thus written of them by the Evangelist Mar. 6.13 They went and preach'd that Men should do Penance and they cast out many Devils and Anointed many that were sick with Oyl and heal'd them Which Unction must indeed be believ'd to have bin not invented by the Apostles Note but commanded of the Lord Not endu'd with any Natural Vertue but was instituted to be Mystic rather to heal their Soul than to cure their Body Which things S. Dennys S. Ambrose S. Chrysostom and S. Gregory the Great assert that it is by no means to be doubted but that with great Religion we ought to receive This as One of the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church So the Faithful are to be taught XVII To Whom this Scarament is to be administer'd altho this Sacrament belongs to all yet there are some sorts of Men to be excepted to whom it is not to be administer'd And first they are excepted who are of a sound and healthy Body For that Extream Unction is not to be given to them the Apostle teaches when he says Ja. 5.14 Is any one Sick among you And Reason shews For for this cause was it instituted not only to be a Remedy to the Soul but to the Body also Seeing therefore that they only who are Sick want cure therefore ought this Sacrament to be given to them who seem to be so dangerously Sick that it may be fear'd that the last day of their life is at hand In which case notwithstanding they grievously sin XVIII The Sick are to be anointed before they lose their Senses who use to observe that time for the anointing of the Sick when all Hope of Health is gone and the Person begins to grow dead and senseless for it is manifest that to the more profitable receiving of the Sacrament it is very available that the sick be anointed with the Sacred Oyl when his Mind is yet whole in him and his Reason strong and when he can make use of his Faith and a Religious Will or Disposition of Soul Wherefore the Curats are to observe that at such time chiefly they apply that Heavenly Medicin which by its own vertue is always very wholsome but they will understand that it will be more profitable when joyn'd with the pious Devotion of them that are to be heal'd The Sacrament of Unction therefore may not be given to any one that is not grievously sick XIX To whom this Sacrament is not to be administer'd altho he go about any thing that may be dangerous to his Life either because he is a going some dangerous Sea-Voyage or because he is entring into Battle where certain Death hangs over him or even being condemn'd to Death he is carry'd away to suffer it Furthermore all those that want the use of Reason are not fit to take this Sacrament And Children that do not sin the Relics whereof there is no need to heal by the Remedy of this Sacrament Also Mad-men and Phrenetic unless they sometimes have the Use of Reason and at that time especially give some signification of a pious Soul and desire to be anointed with the Sacred Oyl For he who from his Birth never had the Use of Reason and Right-Mind is not to be anointed but not so if the sick person when being in his Right-mind he would be made Partaker of this Sacrament afterwards fell into Madness and Raving Now all the Parts of the Body are not to be anointed XX. What parts of the Body to be anointed but those only which Nature gave to Man to be as it were the Instruments of Sense The Eyes for Sight The Ears for Hearing The Nostrils for Smell The Mouth for Taste or Speech The Hand for Feeling which tho it be equally spread abroad through the whole Body yet it is most vigorous or lively in that Part Now this Rite of Anointing XXI Why these Parts are to be anointed the Universal Church retains and it very well agrees also to the Nature of this Sacrament for it is as a Medicin And because in the Diseases of the Body altho the whole Body be ill affected yet the Cure is apply'd to that Part only from whence as from the Fountain and Original the Disease flows Therefore not the whole Body but those Members are anointed in which chiefly the strength of Sense is most eminent as also the Reins being the seat as it were of Pleasure and Lust and the Feet which move and carry us from place to place And here it must be observ'd XXII This Sacrament may be iterated and when That in one and the same Sickness when the sick Man is in the same danger of Life he is to be anointed once only But if after this Unction receiv'd the Sick Person recover so often as he shall afterwards fall into the same danger of Life so often may the help of this Sacrament be giv'n him Whence it plainly appears That this Sacrament belongs to the number of those that may be iterated But because all diligence ought to be us'd XXIII With what Preparation
us that the Law is to be receiv'd with a pure and humble mind and if we neglect the Commandments that Punishment hangs over our heads from the Divine Justice And let the Curate shew also that the Commandments of the Law are not difficult XII It must be shew'd that the Law is easy Aug. Ser. 47 de tempore which he may teach even from this one reason of S. Austins when he says How I pray is it said to be impossible for Man to love I say to love the bountiful Creator the most loving Father and then also his flesh in our Brethren But now Rom. 13.8 He that loves has fulfill'd the Law VVherefore the Apostle S. John plainly testifies 1 Joh. 5.3 That Gods Commandments are not grievous for nothing could have bin requir'd of man more justly more deservedly and more profitably Lib. de diligendo Deo lib. 1 Confes c. 5. as S. Bernard wittnesses and therefore S. Austin admir'd the exceeding great kindness of God Speaking to God in this manner VVhat is Man that thou wouldst be lov'd by him and if he do not do it thou threatnest him mighty punishments is not this punishment great enough that I love thee not But if any one offer this excuse XIII The excuse of the Weakness of our Nature is vain Luc. 11.13 that he is hindred thro the Infirmity of Nature so that he cannot love God it must be taught that God who requires our Love does implant in our Hearts the Vertue of Love by his Holy Spirit Now thus good Spirit is given of our Heavenly Father to them that ask it So that S. Austin pray'd well Give what thou commandest and command what thou wilt Because therefore we have Gods help ready at hand XIV God's help is ready at hand and especially since the Death of Christ our Lord by which the Prince of this World was cast out there is no reason for any one to be discourag'd with the difficulty of the matter For there is nothing hard to a loving mind Aug. in Psal 111. Bernard Serm. de Dominica in ramis Palmer item in Sermone de Magdal Moreover to perswade the same thing it will very much avail XV. We all are necessarily oblidg'd to the Obedience of the Law if it be explain'd that the Law is necessarily to be obey'd especially seeing in our days there are not wanting those who are not affraid wickedly and to their great hurt to say That whether the Law be easie or difficult yet it is no ways necessary to Salvation Whose wicked and impious Opinion the Curat shall confute by Testimonies of Sacred Scripture and especially of the same Apostle by whose Authority they endeavour to defend their Impiety 1 Cor. 7.10 What therefore says the Apostle Circumcision and Vncircumcision are nothing but the Observation of the Commandments of God Now that he elsewhere repeats the same Opinion he says that a New Creature only avails in Christ 1 Cor. 6.15 we plainly understand that he calls him a Creature in Christ who observes God's commandments For he that has Gods Commandments and keeps them loves God John 14.2 as our Lord himself in S. John testifies If any one love me he will keep my Saying For tho a Man may be justified Note and of an impious person may be made pious before he fulfil all the Commandments of the Law in outward Actions yet it cannot be that he who is of Age to use his Reason can of wicked be made just unless he have a mind ready to keep all God's Commandments Lastly XVI What Fruits or Advantages the Keepers of the Law have that the Curat may not pass over any thing whereby the Faithful may be brought to keep the Law he shall shew how large and sweet the Advantages thereof are which he may easily prove by those things which are written in the 18th Psalm for therein are celebrated the Praises of the Law of God whereof this is very great which much more largely shews the Glory and Majesty of God than the very Heavenly Bodies themselves do by their Beauty and Order which as they draw all Nations even the very Barbarous ones into the Admiration of them So do they force them to acknowledge the Glory Wisdom and Power of the Maker and Creator of all things And indeed the Law of the Lord converts Souls to God For knowing his VVays and what the most holy VVill of God is by his Laws we turn our feet into the VVay of the Lord. And because they only who truly fear God are VVise he has bestow'd this Power upon it to give VVisdom to little ones Hence it is that they who observe Gods Law heap to themselves true and mighty joys both in this Life and the Life to come from the Knowledge of Divine Mysteries Nor is the Law to be observ'd of us so much for our own Advantage XVII The Law to be observ'd for God's sake as for Gods sake who has reveal'd his VVill in his Law to Mankind which seeing the other Creatures follow it is much more meer that Man himself should follow it Nor is this to be pass'd by in silence XVIII The Reward of obedience very great that even herein especially God has manifested his Mercy and the Riches of his Goodness towards us that seeing he could not oblige us to glorifie him without rewarding us he would notwithstanding join his own Glory and our Advantage together That what is profitable to Man the same should be to God's Glory Now because this thing is very great and excellent the Curat shall teach as the Prophet in the last place says In keeping them there is great reward For there are promis'd to us not only those Blessings which seem to belong rather to the earthly felicity that we should be bless'd in the City and bless'd in the Field but there is offer'd a full Reward in Heaven and good measure heap'd and thrust together and running over which by pious and just Actions by the help of the Divine Mercy we merit The First COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me Thou shalt not make to thy self a graven thing c. ALtho this Law were given the Jews in the Mount from the Lord I. The words of the Law and the History of the people of Israel to be explain'd yet because by Nature it was long before impress'd and written in the minds of all and for that reason God would have all men always to obey it it will be very profitable diligently to explain those words wherein it was proclaim'd to the Hebrews by Moses the Minister and Interpreter of it and the History of the people of Israel which is full of Mysteries And first II. The History of the people of Is ael briefly explain'd he
of God tho they durst write it as tho the Divine Power were in those Letters and not in the thing But tho this be put in the singular Number Thou shalt not take the Name of God VII The same honor to be given to all the Names of God This is not to be understood of any one Name but of all the Names which are us'd to be attributed to God for there are many Names ascrib'd to God as Lord Almighty Lord of hosts King of Kings Strong and others of the like sort which we read in Scripture all which have the like and the same Veneration And then it must be taught VIII We are bound to know and to honor Gods Name after what manner due Honor is to be given to Gods Name for it is not fit that any should be ignorant how very profitable and necessary it is to Christian People in whose mouth the Prayers of God are daily celebrated Now tho there be many ways of honoring Gods Name IX By what means Gods Name to be honor'd First yet in those whereof we are presently to speak the whole force and weight of all seems to be First therefore God is honor'd when in the face of all the World we faithfully confess him to be God and our Lord and both acknowledge and declare Christ to be the Author of Salvation As also when we give holy and diligent heed to Gods Word Secondly wherein his Will is reveal'd and are daily meditating thereon and studiously learn it according to every ones Ability and Imployment And again Thirdly we honor and worship Gods Name when for Duty and Religion sake we celebrate Gods Praises and render him singular Thanks for all things Psal 20.2 as well for Adversity as for Prosperity For thus says the Prophet Bless the Lord ô my Soul and forget not all his Benefits And there are very many of Davids Psalms wherein with an excellent kind of Piety toward God he most sweetly sings the Divine Praises There is the Admirable Example of the Patience of Job who when he fell into those exceeding great and horrible Calamities yet he never forbore to praise God with an exalted and unconquer'd Soul When therefore we are afflicted with grief of Mind or Body with Miseries and Troubles let us presently turn all our Study and all the Powers of our Souls to praise God saying that of Job Job 1.21 The Lords Name be praised Nor is Gods Name less honor'd if we faithfully implore his help Fourthly to wit that either he would free us from them or else would give us Constancy and Strength couragiously to endure them Psal 49.15 For this the Lord requires Call upon me says he in the day of tribulation and I will deliver thee and thou shalt honor me Clear Examples of which kind of Imploring God are found both in many other places and especially in the 26.13 and 118 Psalms Moreover Fifthly we honor Gods Name when for more assurance and belief we call God to be a witness and this way differs much from the former For those things which we mentioned before are of their own nature so good and excellent that to Man nothing can be more happy nothing can be more desirable than diligently to exercise himself Night and Day in performing them I will bless the Lord Psal 33.1 says David at all times his praise shall ever be in my mouth But tho an Oath be good X. Why the frequent use of Swearing forbidd'n yet the frequent use thereof is not commendable Now the reason of this difference lies herein that an Oath is appointed for this cause only to be a kind of Remedy of Human Frailty and a necessary means to prove what we say For as it is not fit to take Physick for the Body A Similitude unless there be need and the frequent use thereof is very hurtful so also it is not good to use any Oath but when there is some just and weighty cause which to use frequently is so far from being profitable that indeed it is very hurtful Wherefore S. Chrysostom excellently teaches XI Whence the Custom of Swearing Ad pop Antioch hom 26. That Not at the beginning of the World but when it began to grow old and when Wickedness had far and wide spread it self over the whole Earth and when nothing contain'd it self in its own Place and Order but all things being jumbled together and troubled were tumbled upside down and brought into utter Confusion then at last after a long time that Custom of Swearing broke in upon Men For when Mens Perfidiousness and Wickedness was grown to that pass that no one could easily be brought to believe one another then did they call God as a Witness But whereas in this part of the Commandment XII The first way of Swearing the best way is to teach the Faithful how they ought to Swear piously and holily it must first be said That to Swear is nothing else but to call God as a Witness by what Form or Conception of Words soever it be done For to say God it Witness and by God is the same thing That is also an Oath XIII The second way of Swearing when for more Belief we swear by Creatures as by the Holy Gospel of God by the Cross by the Relics of the Saints their Name and such like Yet these things of themselves give not any Strength or Authority to an Oath but it is God himself that does it the Splendor of whose Divine Majesty shines forth in those things VVhence it follows that they who Swear by the Gospel Swear by God himself whose Truth is contain'd and declar'd in the Gospel And in like manner they that do Swear by the Saints who are the Temple of God and who believ'd the Truth of the Gospel and with all Reverence obey'd it and dispers'd it abroad in all Countries and Nations That Oath that is made with a Curse XIV The third way of Swearing is of the same nature such as is that of S. Paul I call God to witness upon my Soul For by this means he that swears thus subjects himself to the Judgment of God as to the Revenger of a Lye Yet we deny not therefore that some of these Forms may so be tak'n as not to have the Force of an Oath but yet it is useful even in these cases also to observe what was said concerning an Oath and wholly to direct and reduce them to the same Rule and Order Now there are two kinds of an Oath XV. An Oath Twofold Assertory The First is that which is Assertory to wit when we religiously affirm any thing concerning any Matter present or past as the Apostle in the Epistles to the Galatians Gal. 1.20 Behold before God I lye not But the other is call'd Promissory Promissory to which also belong Threatnings and have Ralation to the Time to
study and desire to God who is the chiefest Good And then we must desire those things that unite us most with God but those things that separate us from him or any way cause us to be disjoyn'd from him are utterly to be remov'd far from our studies and desires Hence we gather how all other things The Third which are call'd Good next after that chiefest and perfect Good are both to be wish'd and pray'd for of God our Father for those Goods that are outward and belong to the Body as Health Strength Beauty Riches Honors Glory which oftentimes afford matter and occasion to Sin for which cause it is that they are not at all devoutly and piously to be pray'd for that Petition shall be limited in these Bounds that we pray for the Conveniences of this Life for necessitie's sake which ground of Prayer is refer'd to God For tho we may in our Prayers ask those things which Jacob and Solomon pray'd for III. How bodily Goods are to be desir'd Gen. 28 20. Prov. 30.8 Jacob thus If he will give me Bread to eat and Clothes to put on the Lord shall be my God And Solomon thus Only give me necessary food Now since of Gods Liberality we are suppli'd with Food and Raiment It is but meet that we remember that Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Cor 7.30 Let them that buy be as tho they possess'd not and those that use this World as tho they us'd it not for the figure of this World passes away Again Psal 61.11 If Riches increase set not your heart upon them Whose fruit and use is only ours but yet so as that we communicate with others as we are taught by God himself If we have Ability IV. The true use of outward Goods if we abound with other outward Goods of the Body let us remember that they are therfore given us that we may serve God with more ease and lend our Neighbor all things of this kind And then for the Goods and Ornaments of the Understanding V. Under what condition Arts and Sciences to be pray'd for of which kind are Learning and Arts we may not pray for them but on this condition only if they will be profitable to us for God's Glory and our Salvation but that which is absolutely and without any adjunct or condition to be pray'd for wish'd and begg'd as we said before is the Glory of God and after that all things else that may joyn us to that most excellent Good as Faith the Fear of God and his Love of which we will speak more fully in the explication of the Petitions For whom we are to Pray NOw it being known what things are to be pray'd for I. There is no sort of Men which are not to be pray'd for the Faithful are to be taught for whom they are to pray Prayer contains Petition and Thanksgiving wherefore we will first speak concerning Petition We must therefore pray for all without any Exception either of Differences of Favour or of Religion For whether he be Enemy Stranger or Infidel he is our Neighbor whom because by God's Command we ought to love it follows that we ought to make Prayers also for them which is the Office of Love for thither tends that Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.1 I beseech you that Prayers be made for all Men. In which Prayer we are first to beg those things which concern the Welfare of the Soul Note and then that of the Body Now we ought to perform this Office first for the Pastors of our Souls II. First We must pray for the Pastors of our Souls Col. 4.3 whereof we admonish'd by the Apostle from his own Example for he writes to the Colossians to pray for him that God would open him a Door of Speech which also he do's to the Thessalonians And in the Acts of the Apostles we read Acts 12.5 That Prayer was made by the Church without ceasing for Peter Of which Duty also we are admonish'd by S. Basil in his Books de Moribus For says he we must pray for them that are over us in the Word of Truth Basil lib. Moral Reg. 56. c. 5. item Homil. in Isaiam In the second place Secondly For Princes we must pray for Princes according to the Sentence of the same Apostle For how great Public Good we enjoy by just and pious Princes there is no one ignorant God therefore is to be entreated that those that are above other Men may be such kind of Persons as they ought to be Vide Tertul. Apolog. 30. ad Scap. c. 2. There are Examples of Holy Men Thirdly For Pious Men. whereby we are admonish'd to pray for good and pious Men for they also stand in need of the Prayers of others Which is so order'd of God that they may not be puff'd up with Pride while they see that they want the Prayers of their Inferiors Besides Fourthly For Enemies Our Lord has commanded us to pray for our Persecuters and Slanderers Matth. 5.44 For Fifthly For Strangers from the Church it is well known from the Testimony of S. Austin that this Practice of making Supplications and Prayers for those that were without the Church was receiv'd from the Apostles That Faith might be given to Infidels that Idol-worshippers might be deliver'd from the Error of their Impiety that the Jews the Darkness of their Souls being dispell'd might receive the Light of Truth that Heretics returning to Soundness of Mind might be instructed in the Precepts of Catholic Doctrin that Schismatics being bound with the Band of true Charity might be joyn'd in Communion with our most Holy Mother the Church from whom they fell away Now how great a force hearty Prayers made for this kind of Men has appears by so many Examples of Men of all sorts which God daily carries being snatch'd out of the Power of Darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love and of Vessels of Wrath he makes them Vessels of Mercy In which Case no one in his right Mind can doubt that the Intercession of Devout Men prevails very much Vide S. Aug Epist 107. ad Vitel. Cyprian de Orat. Domin Item Caelestinum Papam Epist 1. c. 11. And Prayers for the Dead Sixthly For the Dead that they may be delivered from the Fire of Purgatory did flow from the Doctrin of the Apostles concerning which enough was said when we spake of the Sacrifice of the Mass Dionys cap. lib. de Eccles Hierarch c. 6 7. Clem. Pap. Epist 1. lib. Constit Apost Tert. de Coron Milit. in Exhort ad Castit in lib. de Monog Cypr. Epist 66. But those that are said to sin unto Death Seventhly For Sinners Intercessions and Prayers profit them but little yet it is the part of Christian Charity both to pray for them and even with Tears to wrestle for them if by any means they can render
for God and then what we desire for our selves And because this Desire and Petition is about such things as we want V. What may be desir'd in this Petition nor can there be any Accession to the true God i. e. to his Nature nor the Divine Substance be any way increas'd because after an inexpressible manner it is fill d with all Perfection it is to be understood that what we pray for of God concerning himself belongs not to this Matter but to his external Glory For we beg and pray Note these three things that God's Name may be better known to all Nations that his Kingdom may be enlarg'd that there may daily be more that yield Obedience to his Divine Name Which three things his Name Kingdom and Obedience are not his internal Good but are assum'd from without Now when we desire that God's Name may be sanctified VI. What is first desir'd in this Petition our meaning is that the Holiness and Glory of God's Name may be increas'd And here the Curat shall observe and teach his devout Hearers That our Saviour says not that it be sanctified in the same measure in Earth as it is in Heaven i. e. that the Earthly Sanctification of it should equal the Heavenly for this can by no means be done but that it be done out of Love and an inward Endeavor of the â—oul Altho most true it is VII To sanctifie God's name H w it may be done that God's Name of it self wants not Sanctification since it is Holy and Terrible even as God himself of his own Nature is Holy Ps 100.10 nor can any Holiness be added to him wherewith from all Eternity he was not endu'd Mark the Sense Yet because in Earth he is far less honor'd than is fit and sometimes also is abus'd with Curses and wicked Expressions therefore we desire and pray that he may be celebrated with Praise Honor and Glory after the example of that Honor and Glory which is given him in Heaven i. e. that his Honor and Worship may be so frequent in our Heart in our Soul and Mouth that we magnifie him with all Veneration both inward and outward and celebrate the Holy and Glorious God after the Pattern of the Citizens of Heaven above For as they in Heaven A Similitude with the exactest agreement give Glory and Renown to God so we pray that the same may be done in Earth and that all Nations may know worship and reverence God that there may no where be found any of Mankind who embrace not the Christian Religion and dedicate their whole Selves to God believing that in him is the Fountain of all Holiness and that there is nothing Pure or Holy which comes not from the Holiness of his Divine Name For the Apostle testifies Note Eph. 5.26 That the Church is cleans'd by the Laver of Water in the Word of Life But the Word of Life signifies the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost in which we are Baptiz'd and Sanctified Because therefore there can be no Expiation for any VIII What secondly no Purity no Integrity upon whom God's Name is not call'd we wish and pray God that all Mankind leaving the Blindness of their impure Infidelity and being illuminated with the Rays of the Divine Light may come to know the Vertue of this Name so as in him to seek true Holiness and by God's Mercy receiving the Sacrament of Baptism in the Name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity they may obtain the Vertue of perfect Holiness IX What thirdly Our Prayer and Petition therefore belongs no less to those that being polluted with Sin and Wickedness have lost the pure Integrity of Baptism and Robe of Innocency whereby it came to pass that in those most miserable Wretches that most unclean Spirit has again taken up his Seat We wish therefore and pray God that in them also his Name may be sanctified that returning to a due Consideration and Soberness of Mind they may by the Sacrament of Penance redeem their former Holiness and yield themselves a pure and holy Temple and Dwelling to God Lastly X. What fourthly Jac. 1.17 They shall pray That God would illuminate the Souls of all that they may see that every good and perfect Gift coming down from the Father of Lights is given us of God whereby they freely obtain Temperance Justice Life Salvation and lastly all good things of the Soul and of the Body for Life and Salvation from whom as the Church declares proceeds all good things and whatsoever Benefits Mankind enjoys by the Light of the Sun and by the Motion and Course of the other Stars that by this Spirit every where diffusing it self we are nourish'd that the Earth sustains our Life with plenty of all her Fruits and Provisions that by the Care of the Magistrats we enjoy Quiet and Tranquillity Now these and innumerable other Benefits of this kind God's infinit Bounty affords us And for those which Philosophers call Second Causes we ought to intepret them as the Hands of God wonderfully made and fitted for our Use wherewith he distributes us his good things and pours them out upon us far and wide But that which contains the chief Point in this Petition XI What fifthly and lastly is this That all Men may know and reverence the most Holy Bride of Jesus Christ and our Mother the Church in whom alone is that most plentiful and everlasting Fountain that cleanses and washes away all the Spots of Sin and from whom we have all the Sacraments of Salvation and Sanctification whereby as by a kind of Heavenly Pipes that Dew and Liquor of Holiness is convey'd from God to us to whom alone and to those whom she embraces in her Bosom and Lap belongs the imploring of that Divine Name Act. 4.12 which alone under Heaven is given to Men whereby they must be sav'd Vide August Serm. 181. de Tempore Greg. l 35. Moral c. 6. Now the Curat must drive this Point home Let the Pastor mark and teach this That it is the part of a good Child not only in Word to pray to God his Father but also to endeavor in Deed and in Work that the Sanctification of God's Name may shine forth in him And would to God there were none XII How contrary an ill Life is to this Petition who while they daily pray for the Sanctification of God's Name do violate it as much as lies in them by their Deeds by whose Fault sometimes God himself is ill spoken of against whom it is said of the Apostle The Name of God thro you is blasphem'd among the Gentiles And we read in Ezekiel They went to the Gentiles among whom they enter'd and polluted my Holy Name while it was said of them This is the People of the Lord and they came out of his Land Rom. 2.24 Ezek. 37.20 For see