Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65775
|
A catechism of Christian doctrin [sic] by Tho. White.
|
White, Thomas, ca. 1550-1624.
|
1659
(1659)
|
Wing W1811; ESTC R28390
|
75,813
|
246
|
Priests and Ministers and so to build his Church included the creating all these And whoever impugns these impugns Christ and seeks to destroy his Church But can you tel me how this is known that Christ set Bishops to govern his Church S. I who know nothing of the command how should I tell you M. Do you not see Bishops over al the Christian world ask who made them you shal find others who now are dead and that their fore fathers told them they had receiv'd order to do so from Christ and his Apostles by perpetual succession And I pray you have you stronger motives to receive the blessed Trinity Incarnation and Sacraments From this follows if any for ambition or indirect ends should believe or â—each that Bishops are not necessary in the Church of God he is an absolute Heretick as if he beleev'd or taught there were no Trinity Incarnation Blessed Sacrament oâ— holy Scripture But are there no degrees in the people or Subjects correspondent to these of the Hierarchy S. Yes sure there must be severall Classes answerable to those of the Clergy as persons employing their spirits some in the Purgative some in the Illuminative and some in the Unitive way But who they are I know not M. You must distinguish them according to their states The first are such as live in the world whom wee ordinarily cal the People or Lay-men The other two sorts are of Religious persons One of these who dedicate their lives to works of mercy as hospital-keepers and the like The other who addict themselves to Contemplation But know you wherin these differ from the ordinary people S. By the three vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience By Poverty they forsake riches honours and such pleasures as follow them By Chastity the comfort of Marriage And by Obedience they subject themselvs to the direction of a Superiour for their instruction in spiritual life M. Can you tel mee which among divers Religions is the perfectest S. No Sir But I would gladly learn if peradventure it be my own fortune or of some of my friends to have a mind to Religion M. Attend then Religious life is a wâ—y to seek perfection which perfectly consists in loving God and in nothing but in order to God The means they take is abstinence from whatever may draw their love to any other thing and to think often of God If then we consider this later part which is the chiefest so the most contemplative are the best which are ordinarily thought among us to be the Carthusians But if we consider the other part then those that live in more austerity are the perfectest among which I wil not determin the controveâ—sy because here are many Competitours onely this I add that this want of corporal commodities is to be judg'd not by Metaphysical obligations but by real practise And so whoever is best those who have no real practice of corporal wants must needs be the worst in the nature of Religious however for their particular lives they may be Saints In these three Conferences the Catechist has occasion to recommend the use of Mass Sacraments to his Catechumen and also to let him understand which be the Superiours instituted by Christ over his Church to whom he ows duty which vertuous and good men to whom he ows respect and honour that so he may give every one his due FIFTEENTH CONFERENCE S. SIr you have all this while commanded my answers let me now beg leave to offer you some of my doubts I have heard talk of an other Hierarchy of Angels if I wel remember wherof methinks you speak not M. I do not intend to tel you al I know but what appertains to you to know As for the orders of Angels you may without inconvenience be ignorant of them til it shall please God to bring you to the sight of them 'T is sufficient for you to know that God has ordain'd Angels to govern us to every one one for our Saviour tels us that the Angels of the little ones see the face of his heavenly Father it has been the constant faith of Christians that every one has an Angel for his Governour or Guardian to whom you may do wel often to recommend your self S. Since you are faln upon that point I pray what obligation have I to pray to Angels and Saints and how can they hear me having no ears nor other corporal senses by which to come to the knowledge of my prayers M. If we remember Angels and Saints are in perfect bliss and happiness we shall easily discover that all service or ho nour done to Saints by us is not for their good but for ours And so the keeping holy dayes building Churches and setting up Altars unto God in memory of Saints is to be moderated according to the utility which redounds to the Church by it and in proportion the prayers or what sort of devotions soever are in private us'd to their honours are to be govern'd by the same principle Now the utility redounding to the Church is that wheras human nature is easily weary of being carri'd above it self by prayer and other spiritual exercises and on the other side delighted with variety and novelty the weariness of devotion is help'd and in part remedy'd by the variety which is artificially order'd in it Again mens humours and states of life being so diverse it happens wel that every one may have examples in his own kind to affect him and many times they make a greater profit by such an affinity to their own condition than by a great deal of preaching or good counsel By this you may see what obligation there is to honour Saints and pray to them namely when the Church for the common good of her children prescribes it then that 's to be done whatsoever she commands Otherwise as far as particular persons find need or help by the variety of devotion so far they do very well to follow it S. Sir I hear good men say 't is of great importance towards living well to have the assistance of some special Saints which are in high favour with Almighty God particularly of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God and have been told stories how she ha's obtain'd remission of sins for some persons to whom Christ our Saviour her Son has deny'd it nay if I remember wel could not obtain it of his heavenly Father for them And for this cause I understand some make themselves by vow as I think her Slaves and use extraordinary devotions to her and have great confidence in such actions M. There can be no doubt but the intercession of the holy Angels and Saints works wonderful effects and has a strong force to obtain of Almighty God what 's convenient for our salvation if they pray for us nor yet can there be doubt but they pray for us seeing they