nations Matt. 28 19. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Again There are three which bear record in Heav'n 1 Joh. 5.7 the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one Yet let him diligently pray and beseech God and the Father who made all things of nothing and sweetly orders all things who gave us power to become the sons of God who has reveal'd this mystery of the Trinity to the soul of man let him I say who by the gift of God believs these things pray without ceasing that being at last receiv'd into everlasting Tabernacles he may be found worthy to see what the fruitfulness of God the Father is whereby beholding and understanding himself he cou'd beget a Son like and equal to himself And how of two the very same and an equal love of Charity which is the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son knits together both the Begetter and the Begotten each to other with an eternal and indissoluble Band. And thus these is but one Essence and yet a perfect distinction of the Three Persons of the divine Trinity Almighty The Holy Scripture is us'd to express that supream Power and infinite Majesty of God by many names XV. Why gloriouâ—l p theâ—â— are given God to shew with how great religion and devotion his most holy name is to be worshipp'd but chiefly let the Curat teach that An Almighty Power is most commonly attributed to him For so he says of himself I am the Lord Almighty Again Gen. 17.1 when Jacob sent his sons to Joseph Gen. 43.14 he thus prays for them Now God Almighty give you favour before the man It is also written in the Revelations Rev. 1.8.16.5 The Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come and elsewhere The great day is call'd the day of the Almighty God Sometimes also it is us'd to signifie the same thing in many words Pertinent to this place is that which is written Act. 2.20 Numb 11.23 â—â—nd 12.8 There is no word impossible with God Is the hand of the Lord weakend Thou canst doâ— whatsoever thou wilt There are many other expressions of the like kind In all which various forms of speech any one may easily perceiv the same to be understood which is comprehended in this single word Almighty Now by this Name of God we plainly perceiv XVI What the word Almighty signifies that there is nothing nay that we cannot so much as conceiv any thing in our mind or thought which God cannot bring to pass For he has power to do not those things only which fall under our apprehension tho they indeed are very great to wit to reduce all things into nothing and presently out of nothing again to make many worlds But he has power to do many mightier things than these and which our weak minds and understandings cannot conceive And yet tho God can do all things yet he cannot lye deceiv be deceiv'd or sin or be ignorant at all or perish for such things belong only to a Nature or Being whose actions are imperfect but we say God cannot do these things because his actions are always most perfect because to be able to do these things is a sign of weakness and not of that supreme and unlimited Power which God has We therefore so believ God to be Almighty that we abhor to think or imagine any thing of him which is not most agreeable to the most perfect Being The Curate may shew it was well and wisely done to omit other names of God in the Creed XVII Why in the Creed God is offerd to be believed Almighty and only to offer this one to us to believ For when we acknowledg God to be Almighty we must needs confess that he knows all things and that all things are subject to his Rule and Government And when we doubt not in the least of his Ability to do all things it must needs follow that we must allow all those other things which if he shou'd not have we cannot understand how he is Almighty Besides there is nothing so powerful to strengthen our Faith and Hope as to have this always settl'd in our mind that there is nothing which God cannot do For whatsoever we ought to believ tho it be great tho it be wonderful tho it exceeds the Order and Measure of things yet humane Reason easily and without any doubting yields and assents to it when once it owns that God is Almighty Yea rather by how much the greater those things are which the Oracles of God teach by so much the more readily does it account them to be believ'd And if any great good thing be promis'd and expected the mind is not discourag'd altho the thing it desires were too great But it chears and comforts it self often calling to remembrance that there is nothing which Almighty God cannot do With this Faith therefore we shou'd especially fortifie our selves XVIII The profitableness of Faith in God Almighty either when we are requir'd to do some wonderful works for the use and profit of our Neighbours or when we would beg any thing of God The one our Lord himself has taught us when reproving the Apostles for unbelief Matt. 17.20 he said If ye had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye might say to this Mountain remove from hence to another place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible to you But of the other S. James testifies Jam. 1.6 7. Let him says he ask in Faith nothing doubting For he that doubts is like a Wave of the Sea which is mov'd and carry'd about with the Wind let not that Man therefore think that he shall receiv any thing of the Lord. This Faith does moreover afford us many profits and advantages It first teaches us all humility and lowliness of mind 1 Pet 5.6 for so says the Prince of Apostles Be ye humbl'd under the Mighty hand of God It also teaches us not to fear where no fear is but to fear that One God in whose power both we and all that belongs to us is Luc. 12.5 for so says our Saviour I will shew you whom ye shall fear Fear ye him who after he has kill'd has power to cast into Hell This Faith serves us also both to know and celebrate the infinite benefits of God towards us for he that does but think that God is Almighty cannot be so ungrateful as not oft'n to cry out Luc. â— 49 He that is Mighty has done great things for me But now when in this Article we call the Father Almighty XIX In the Trinity there are not three Almight s. let no one be so far deceiv'd as to think that we so ascribe that name to him as tho it belong'd not to the Son and Holy Ghost also For as we say The Father is God the Son is
our Prayers Thirdly Refraining from Cruelty as Murder and Oppression we must restrain our hands from Cruelty and Violence of which Wickedness God speaks thus by the Mouth of Esay Esay 2.15 When ye stretch forth your hands I will turn amy Eyes from you and when ye multiply Prayers I will not hear for your hands are full of blood Anger and Discord are to be avoided Fourthly Anger to be avoided which greatly hinder our Prayers from being heard concerning which the Apostle says I will that men pray in every place lifting up pure hands without anger and debate 1. Tim. 2.8 We must further take heed that we be not irreconcilable to any that wrong us Fifthly Forgetfulness of Injuries for if we are of that temper we cannot by our Prayers prevail with God to pardon us For says he when ye stand to pray if ye have ought against another forgive it And if ye forgive not men neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins Mar. 11.25 Matth. 6.15 We must also take heed that we be not hard hearted and unmerciful to the Needy Sixthly Works of Mercy for thus it is spoken against such kind of Men He that stops his ear at the cry of the Poor even he shall cry and shall not be heard Prov. 21.13 And what shall we say of Pride Seventhly Pride to be subdu'd whereby how greatly God is offended that word witnesses God resists the Proud but gives Grace to the Humble Jac. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 And what Eighthly Gods word to be heard of the contempt of the Divine Oracles against which says Solomon He that turns away his ear from hearing the Law his Prayer shall be accurs'd Prov. 28.9 In which case notwithstanding the Acknowledgment of Wrong done Note or of Murder or of Anger or of Hard-heartedness to the Poor or of Pride or of contempt of God s Oracle or lastly of other Sins is not excluded if Pardon be sincerely begg'd Now to this Preparation of Mind Ninthly Faith to be exercis'd Faith also is necessary which if it be wanting there can be no knowledge of the Omnipotence of the Supreme Father nor of his Mercy from which notwithstanding springs the Confidence of him that prays Math. 28.22 even as Christ our Lord has taught All things says he whatsoever ye ask in Prayer if ye believe ye shall receive them Of this kind of Faith S. Austin writes De verbis Domini If thy Faith fails thy Prayer perishes A chief point therefore in praying well as was even now said is to be well grounded and fix't in Faith which the Apostle shews by its contrary Rom. 10.14 How shall they call upon him on whom they have not believ'd We must therefore believe that we may be able to pray And that that Faith whereby we pray to good purpose fail us not for it it is Faith that pours out Prayers let us pray that all doubtfulness being remov'd our Faith might be firm and stable To this effect S. Ignatius exhorted those that came to God with intention to pray Epist. 10. ad Hier. Be not in Prayer of a distrustful mind blessed is he that has not doubted Wherefore to the obtaining of God the thing we desire Faith and an assured Hope of Success is of very great moment which thing S. James admonishes Jac. 1.6 Let him ask in Faith nothing doubting II. How Faith to be stir'd up First Now there are many things whereof in this Duty of Prayer we ought to be confident There is evidently seen the good-will and Bounty of God towards us since he commands us to call him Father to let us understand that we are his Children Second Then there is the almost infinite number of those that have obtain'd their Requests of God Then there is that chief Advocat Christ our Lord Third who is always assistant to us of whom it is thus written in S. John If any Man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the just and he is the Propitiation for our Sins And the Apostle S. Paul Rom. 8.32 It was Christ Jesus that di'd yea and that rose again that sits at the right hand of God who also intercedes for us And so in Timothy 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator of God and of Men the Man Christ Jesw And to the Hebrews Heb. 2.27 For which cause he ought in all respects to be made like to his Brethren that he might become a merciful and faithful high Priest to God VVherefore tho we are unworthy to obtain any thing yet by the Dignity of our most excellent Mediator and Intercessor Jesus Christ we ought to hope and to be very confident that God will grant all things that we ask aright thro him Lastly Fourth there is the Holy Ghost the Author of our Prayer by whose conduct our Prayers must needs be heard Rom. 8.15 For we have receiv'd the Spirit of Adoption of the Sons of God in whom we cry Abba Father which very Spirit helps our Infirmity and Ignorance in this Duty of Prayer yea says he he prays for us with groans unutterable VVhat then Fifth if any should chance sometimes to stumble nor know themselves to be strong enough in Faith let them use that word of the Apostle Lord increase our Faith And that of the Blind man Help my unbelief Luc. 17.5 Mark 9.28 But then when we are grown strong in Faith and Hope The tenth Preparation to Prayer we shall obtain of God all that we desire when according to his Law and VVill we shall conform all our Mind Actions and Prayers Joh. 15. for says he If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you Altho as we said before for this Power of obtaining all things of him the forgetting of Injuries Liberality and good-will towards our Neighbors is in the first place necessary What way is requir'd in PRAYER NOW it highly concerns Men how they perform their Sacred Prayers for tho Prayer is a wholsom Good I. Prayer unless rightly perform'd profits nothing Jac. 4.3 yet if it be not rightly apply'd it profits not For what we ask we oftentimes do not obtain as S. James says for this Reason because we ask amiss The Curats therefore shall teach the Faithful what the best way of Praying well both privately and publicly is and what Rules have bin deliver'd by the direction of Christ our Lord for Christian Prayer VVe must therefore ask in Spirit and Truth II. We must pray in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4.23 For our heavenly Father seeks such as worship him in Spirit and in Truth Of this way of praying in Spirit and in Truth vide Cyrill Alexandr per 17 libros integros item D. Thom. 2.2 q. 83. a. 12. Now He prays after that manner that exercises an
to make a supremacy to any one he is thereby plainly confess'd to be imperfect Wherefore such want is inconsistent with the nature of God This is prov'd by many places of holy Scripture for it is written Hear ô Israel The Lord our God is one God Deut. 6.4 Exod. 20.3 â—â— 41.9.44 6 Eph. 4.5 Besides God's commandment is Thou shalt have none other gods before me or in my sight And by the Prophet he often admonishes I am the first and the last and besides me there is no God The Apostle also plainly witnesses There is one Lord one Faith and one Baptism Nor need we therefore wonder because sometimes even the holy Scripture it self seems to ascribe the name of God to Creatures For that it so calls Prophets and Judges Gods this is not done after the same manner which the Gentiles us'd which foolishly and wickedly phanci'd that there were more Gods than one But by a certain custom or form of speaking it wou'd signifie some excellent vertue or office which by the Grace of God was bestow'd upon them Christian Faith therefore believs and confesses That God in his nature substance and essence is but one As for the confirmation of the truth it is declar'd in the Creed of the Council of Nice But rising yet higher it so understands One as it worships Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity Of which mystery we are now to begin to speak for it follows in the Creed Father But because the word Father is attributed to God X. How the name Father is proper to God not for one reason only it must therefore first be declar'd what is the most proper signification of this place Some even of those whose blindness Faith never illuminated did yet think God to be an eternal substance from which all things had their beginning and by whose providence they are govern'd and kept in their proper state and order By a similitude therefore taken from humane affairs they call'd him Father as they do him from whom is sprung a Family and by whose counsel and command it is rul'd So for this it was that they call'd God a Father whom they acknowledg'd the Maker and Governour of all things The same name also have the holy Scriptures used when speaking of God they wou'd shew that the creation power and admirable providence over all is to be ascrib'd to him For thus we read Deut. 32.6 Is not he thy Father who bears thee who made and created thee And elsewhere Have we not all one Father Has not one God created us But much more commonly XI God the Father of Christ in a special manner Rom. 8.15 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.17 Heb. 1.21 and by a kind of peculiar name especially in the books of the new Testament God is called the Father of Christians who have not receiv'd the spirit of bondage to fear but the spirit of adoption to be the sons of God by whom they cry Abba Father For such love has the Father bestow'd upon us that we shou'd be call'd the sons of God and be so But if we be sons then heirs heirs indeed of God and joynt-heirs with Christ who is the first begotten among many brethren and is not asham'd to call us brethren Whether therefore you regard the common reason of creation and providence or that special one of adoption rightly do the faithful profess that they believ God to be a Father But besides those notions we have already explain'd the Curates shou'd teach that at the hearing the name Father the mind is to mount up to higher mysteries For that which is hid and shut up in that inaccessible light where God dwells and which humane reason and understanding cou'd never attain to nor so much as suspect That the divine oracles under this name Father begin to unfold to us For this name shews us XII The name Father shews a plurality of persons That in the being of God not one Person only but a distinction of Persons is to be believ'd For there are three Persons in one God-head The Person of the Father who is begotten of none Of the Son who was begotten of the Father before all worlds Of the Holy Ghost who from all eternity also proceeds from the Father and the Son But the Father in this substance of the Godhead is the first Person who together with his only begotten Son and holy Spirit is one God and one Lord not in the singularity of one person but in the Trinity of one substance But now these three Persons are to be understood as distinct only in their proprieties for it would be a great wickedness but to imagine that there is any thing unlike or unequal in them For the Father is not begotten The Son is begotten of the Father The holy Ghost proceeds from them both And thus we confess that the three Persons have the same being and the same substance So that in the confession of the true and eternal Godhead we do holily and religiously worship both a propriety in the Persons an unity in the essence and equality in the Trinity For when we say that the Person of the Father is First XIII How the First person is a Father it it not so to be understood as if we thought any thing to be first or last greater or less in the Trinity Far be it from all the faithful to think so impiously since Christian Religion teaches that the same Eternity the same Majesty and Glory is alike in all the three Persons But we truly and confidently affirm That the Father forasmuch as he is the beginning without beginning is the first Person which as it is very distinct by the propriety of Father so is it suitable to this one Person chiefly for this reason Because he begat the Son from all eternity For it is plainly signifi'd to us That he always was both God and Father together whensoever in this Confession we pronounce these names together of God and Father But because we cannot be either more dangerously busi'd XIV That we should not too nicely search into the Trinity or more miserably wander in the search or notion of any thing than of this point which is of all others the most profound and difficult the Curats ought to teach That the terms by which this mystery is signifi'd and which are proper both to the Essence and Persons are religiously to be retain'd and let the Faithful understand that there is both Unity in the Essence and distinction in the Persons But that they ought not more narrowly to pry into these things Prov. 25.27 always bearing in mind that saying He that is a searcher of Majesty shall be oppress'd with the glory of it For this which our Faith assures us of ought to satisfie us that thus we are taught of God whose Oracles not to give credit to wou'd be the highest folly and misery in the world Go says he and teach all
cast out far from the sight of God nor can they receive any comfort from any Hope that they shall ever enjoy so great a Good And This by Divines is call'd the Pain of Loss viz. That the Wicked in Hell shall for ever want the Light of the Vision of God But that which is added ye Cursed does wonderfully increase their misery and calamity For if when they are to be driven out from the presence of God they might be thought worthy of some small Blessing this might truly be some considerable comfort to them But for as much as they must expect nothing that can alleviate their misery when they are cast out the Divine Justice will rightly follow them with every Malediction and Curse And then follows Into everlasting-fire which other kind of Pain Divines call the Pain of Sense because it can be felt by the bodily Senses as in Stripes Buffetings and other more grievous kinds of punishments among which there can be no doubt that the torments of Fire do cause the most exquisite sense of Pain to which evil when it is added that all this wilt be For ever it is thereby shew'd that the pains of the Damn'd will be loaded with all kinds of punishments And This those words which are plac'd in the latter part of the Sentence more fully declare Which is prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels For whereas so it is that we can more easily endure all troubles if we have some Companion and Consort of our Calamity by whose prudence and humanity we may in some measure be reliev'd what at last will be the Misery of the Damn'd who tho loaded with so great Torments shall notwithstanding never be deliver'd from the company of the most accursed Devils And this indeed is the Sentence that shall most justly be denounc'd by our Lord and Savior upon the Wicked as being they who neglected all works of true Piety and gave neither Meat nor Drink to the Hungry and Thirsty took not in the Stranger cloath'd not the Naked and visited not the Sick and Imprison'd These are the things which the Curats ought often to inculcate into the ears of the Faithful XI Discourse of the last Judgment should be frequent and why Eccles 40. Aug. Ser. 120. de Temp. Greg. Hom. 3 9. in Eâ—â—â—ng Bernaâ—â— Serm. 1. in sesto omnium sanctorum For the Truth of this Article being rightly believ'd will have great force to bridle the wicked desires of the mind and hold men back from sinning Wherefore in Ecclesiasticus it is said In all thy works remember thy latter end and thou wilt not sin forever And indeed hardly will any one be carri'd head-long into wickedness whom this Consideration cannot recal to the study of Piety That sometime or other he must give an Account before the most just Judge not only of all his Actions and Words but also of his most hidden Thoughts and must suffer Punishment according to his desert But it must needs be that the Just will be more stirr'd up to do Justice and to rejoyce exceedingly tho he here lead his life in Want in Disgrace and Afflictions when he thinks in his mind of that Day when after the combat of this troublesome life he shall in the hearing of all Men be proclaim'd a Conquerer and shall be receiv'd into his heav'nly Country and adorn'd with Divine Honour What remains therefore but that the Faithful be exhorted to take the best manner of life and exercise themselves in the study of all Piety that so they may with the greater Joy and Security of Mind wait for and expect the coming of that great Day of the Lord and so as becomes Children with the greatest Earnestness to desire it ARTICLE VIII I Believ in the Holy Ghost Hitherto those things have bin expounded I. Fith in the Holy Ghost necessary so far as the Reason of the Argument seem'd to require which belong'd to the First and Second Person of the Holy Trinity Now it follows That those things also which in the Creed are deliver'd concerning the Third Person that is the Holy Ghost shou'd be explain'd In treating of which matter the Pastors shou'd use their utmost Endeavor and Diligence Act. 19.2 seeing it is to be suppos'd That a Christian Man may no more be ignorant of This part or not believe rightly concerning it than of the other former Articles Wherefore the Apostle would not suffer certain of the Ephesians to be ignorant of the Person of the Holy Ghost Of whom when he ask'd Whether they had receiv'd the Holy Ghost and when they answer'd That they knew not whether there was an Holy Ghost he presently ask'd them In whom therefore were ye baptiz'd In which words he signify'd That the distinct knowledg of this Article is necessary to the Faithful from which they have this Fruit especially that when they consider attentively That whatsoever they have they have it of the Gift and Bounty of the Holy Ghost then do they begin to think more modestly and humbly of themselves and to place all their Hope in Gods Protection which ought to be the First Step of a Christian to the highest Wisdom and Happiness We must therefore begin the explanation of this Article from the Force and Notion which here is included in that Name of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit for the very same may indifferently and rightly be said both of the Father and of the Son II What the Holy Ghost properly signifies for either of them is a Spirit and Holy for we confess that God is a Spirit and besides that the Angels and the Souls of the Pious are signify'd by this word there must care be taken lest the people by the ambiguity of the Word be led into Eror In this Article therefore it must be taught That the Third Person of the Trinity is understood by the name of the Holy Ghost after which manner in the Holy Scriptures both of the Old Testament sometimes and of the New Testament very frequently he is taken for David prays Ps 50.12 Wisd 9 17. 〈◊〉 1.9 Matt. 1.20 Luc. 1.35 And take not thy Holy Spirit from me In the Book of Wisdom we read Who has known thy counsel except thou give Wisdom and send thy Holy Spirit from above And elsewhere He created it by his Holy Spirit And in the New Testament we are commanded to be baptiz d In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And we read That the most Holy Virgin did conceive by the Holy Ghost and we are also sent by S. John to Christ Joh. 1.15 who baptizes us with the Holy Ghost and in many other places besides in reading we may meet with this Word And no one ought to wonder III. Why the H ly Ghost hâ—s no proper name That a proper name is not giv'n to the Third Person as there is to the First and Second for the Second Person
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
truly call'd Spirit that gives Life or quick'ning Spirit And now what follows VII How the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son Who proceeds from the Father and the Son the Faithful are to be taught That the Holy Ghost by eternal procession proceeds from the Father and the Son as from One Principle For this the Rule of the Church from which a Christian may not wander proposes to us to believe and it is confirm'd by the authority of Holy Scripture and Councils For Christ our Lord speaking of the Holy Ghost said Joh. 16.14 He shall glorifie me because he shall receive of mine This same thing is gather'd hence that in Holy Scripture the Holy Spirit is sometimes call'd the Spirit of Christ sometimes the Spirit of the Father One while he is said to be sent by the Father another while by the Son that it may be plainly signify'd that he does equally proceed from the Father Rom. 8.9 and the Son He that has not the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4.6 says S. Paul he is none of his And the same he calls the Spirit of Christ when he says to the Galatians God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father In S. Matthew he is call'd the Spirit of the Father Mat. 10.20 It is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father Joh. 15.25 And our Lord at his Supper said the Paraclet or Comforter whom I will send to you even the Spirit of Truth which proceeds from the Father he shall bear witness of me And elsewhere That the same Holy Ghost shou'd be sent from the Father Joh. 14.21 he affirms in these words Whom the Father will send in my name From whence when we understand the Procession of the Holy Ghost it is plain That the same Holy Ghost proceeds from Both. And these are the things which must be taught concerning the Person of the Holy Ghost It is needful moreover to teach VIII Of the Attributes of the Holy Ghost that there are certain wonderful Effects and some bountiful Gifts of the Holy Ghost which are said to spring and flow front him as from the everlasting Fountain of Good For tho the works of the most Holy Trinity which are done extrinsically are common to the Three Persons yet many of them are ascrib'd as proper to the Holy Ghost that we may know that they come to us of the immense Love of God For seeing that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Divine Will as being inflam'd with Love it may be perceiv'd That those Effects which are properly referr'd to the Holy Ghost do spring from the exceeding Love of God towards us Wherefore IX Why the Holy Ghost is call'd a Gift hence it follows That the Holy Ghost is call'd a Gift For by the word Gift is signify'd that which is kindly and freely given without any hope of Reward And then whatsoever good things or benefits are bestow'd on us from God for what have we as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 4.7 which we have not receiv'd of God those things we ought with a pious and thankful Heart to acknowledg were given us by the grant and gift of the Holy Ghost But there are other effects of his For to omit the Creation of the World and the Propagation and Government of created things of which we have made mention in the First Article it was a little before shew'd That the giving of Life is properly attributed to the Holy Ghost and it is so confirm'd by the Testimony of Ezekiel Ezek. 31.6 I will give you Spirit says he and ye shall live And yet the Prophet reckons up the principal Effects of the Holy Ghost X. The Gifts of the Holy Ghost Isa 11.3 Aug. lib. 15. de Trin. c. 18 19. and those which are most especially proper to him The Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. Sometimes also the name of the Holy Ghost is given to those things which are call'd the Gifts of the Holy Ghost Wherefore wisely does S. Austin admonish us to observe when in Holy Scripture there is mention made of this word Holy Spirit that we may discern whether it signifies the Third Person of the Trinity or his Effects and Operations For these two are to he distinguish'd with the same difference wherewith we believe also that the Creator differs from the things he created And these things are by so much the more diligently to be explain'd because from these Gifts of the Holy Ghost we draw Rules of Christian Life and may know whether the Holy Ghost be in us But above all other his bountiful Gifts XI Justifying Grace the Gift of the Holy Ghost that Grace is to be valued which justifies us and signs us with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance for this joyns our Mind to God in the most strict bond of Love whence it comes to pass That being inflam'd with the most ardent study of Piety we begin a new Life and being made partakers of the Divine Nature we are call'd and truly are the Children of God ARTICLE IX J Believe the Holy Catholic Church With how great diligence the Pastors ought to take care to explain the truth of this Ninth Article to the Faithful I. Why this Article is diligently to be explain'd S Aug. in Ps 30. v. 15. it may easily be understood if two things chiefly be consider'd For first as S. Austin witnesses The Prophets have spoken more plainly and openly of the Church than of Christ forasmuch as they foresaw That many more might err and be deceiv'd in this point than in the Mystery of the Incarnation Nor will there be wanting wicked Men who after the imitation of the Ape which fancies it self a Man wou'd profess that they are Catholics and no less wickedly than proudly would affirm the Catholic Church to be only with them And then he who has this Truth settled in a sound Mind shall easily avoid the horrible danger of Heresie For not every one II. Who is truly to be call'd a Heretick so soon as he has err'd in Faith is to be call'd a Heretic But he who neglecting the Authority of the Church stiffly defends his impious Opinions Since therefore it cannot be that any one can defile himself with the Plague of Heresie if he believe those things which in this Article are propos'd to be believ'd let the Pastors be very careful That the Faithful knowing this Mystery and being fortify'd against the Wiles of the Adversary persevere in the Truth of the Faith Now This Article depends upon the Truth of the Former Note Because seeing it has been already shew'd That the Holy Ghost is the Fountain and Giver of all Holiness we now confess That it is He who bestows Holiness on the church
this Petition aright not to satisfie our Desires for this purpose of Mind has some difficulty that we seem in a sort to hate our selves while we pray thus which those Men account no better than Folly who are wholly bent upon the Flesh But let us willingly undergo the repute of Folly for Christ's sake Note for this is his Sentence If any one will follow me let him deny himself Mat. 16.24 Luc. 9.23 Especially since we know it to be much better to pray for that which is right and just XXIV Better to wish what is good than to obtain what is unjust than to obtain that which is against Reason and the Power and Laws of God And certainly he is in a worse condition whosoever he be that attains to whatsoever he rashly and thro the impulse of his Lust desir'd than he that obtains not that thing which he excellently pray'd for Altho we do not only pray God not to grant us what we desire of our selves since it is manifest that our Desires are corrupt but also not to give us what by the perswasion and impulse of the Devil we sometimes pray for as a Good That VVish of the Prince of the Apostles seem'd very excellent Note An Example and very full of Devotion when he would have perswaded our Lord from his Purpose of proceeding to Death and yet our Lord did sharply chide him because he was led by Human Sense and not by Divine Reason VVhat could seem to have been greater Love to our Lord Another Example than to pray as those Holy Men James and John who being angry at the Samaritans who would not entertain their Master besought him to command Fire to come down from Heaven to consume those hard-hearted and cruel Men But they were reprehended by Christ our Lord in these words Ye know not what Spirit ye are of for the Son of Man came not to destroy Mens Souls but to save them Luc. â— 54 Nor ought we to pray God that his VVill may be done What ninthly only when we desire what is evil or has the shew of evil but also when indeed it is not evil as when the VVill follows that first Inclination of Nature that it desires those things which preserve Nature and rejects those things that seem contrary to it VVherefore when we are come to that Point A singular Example as to pray for any thing of that kind then let us heartily say Thy Will be done Let us imitate himself from whom we receive both our Salvation and the Direction to Salvation who when he was mov'd with a natural Fear of Torments and the Bitterness of Death yet even in that utmost Horror of Grief he submitted his own VVill to his Fathers Not my Will says he but thine be done Luc. 22.42 But Mankind is wonderfully corrupt XXV Without Grace we cannot avoid Sin who when they have us'd Force upon their Desires and have subjected their own to the VVill of God yet without God's Help by which we are protected from Evil and directed to Good we cannot escape Sin VVe must therefore have recourse to this Petition What tenthly and beg of God to perfect those things he has begun in us What eleventhly That he would suppress the insolent Motions of our Desire What twelfthly That he would make our Appetites to be obedient to our Reason What thirteenthly That he would conform us wholly to his VVill. VVe also pray What fourteenthly That the whole VVorld may receive the Knowledge of his VVill and that the Mystery of God which was hidden from all Ages and Generations may be made known and evident to all VVe pray further for the Form and Prescription of this Obedience What f fâ—teenthly to wit that it be directed according to that which the Blessed Angels observe in Heaven and the other Quire of Celestial Souls do keep that as they do freely and with the utmost willingness obey God so we may most chearfully obey his VVill in the exact manner as he would have us And in the VVork and Service we do for God XXVI How God must be serv'd He requires of us our utmost Love and highest Charity that tho in hope of the Reward of Heaven we have wholly devoted our selves to him yet that we so hope for it as it has pleas'd his Divine Majesty that we should enter upon that Hope VVherefore let all our Hope be resolv'd into Love towards God who has offer'd to our Love eternal Bliss For there are some who chearfully serve another XXVII Imperfect Love but yet it is for the sake of the Reward whither they refer their Love Besides Perfect Love there are some who being mov'd only with Love and Devotion regard nothing in him whom they serve but his Goodness and Vertue in consideration and admiration whereof they esteeem themselves happy that they can do him any Service And this is the meaning of that Apposition As in Heaven so in Earth For we must endeavour with our utmost Labor to be obedient to God XXVIII The manner of our Obedience Ps 102. â—1 as we say that the Blessed Souls are whose Commendations for their exact performance of Obedience David sets forth in the Psalm Bless ye the Lord all ye Powers of his ye Servants of his that do his Will VVhich XXIX The Explication of S. Cyprian if any one following S. Cyprian thus interpret it as tho by In Heaven were meant among good and devout Persons and by In Earth were meant among the Wicked and Impious VVe also approve of that Sense that by Heaven may he understood the Soul and by the Earth may be understood the Flesh that all Men and all Things may in all things obey the VVill of God This Petition does also contain a Thanksgiving XXX In this Petition there is also Thanksgiving For we reverence his most holy VVill and being fill'd with the greatest Joys we celebrate all his VVorks with the highest Praises and Gratulations certainly knowing that he does all things well For seeing it is manifest that he is God Almighty it necessarily follows that we know that all things were made at his Command and when we affirm also That he is as he is indeed the Supream Good we confess that there is none of all his Works which is not good since he imparts his Goodness to all But if we reach not the Divine Reason in all things XXXI Our Understanding to be brought into Obedience to God yet in all things the Cause of all Doubtfulness not regarded and all Distrust being laid aside we confess with the Apostle That his ways are past finding out Rom. 11.33 But for this very Reason also we very much honor Gods Will that we are dignified with his Heavenly Light For having snatcht us out of the power of Darkness he has put us in the Kingdom of the Son of his love Colos
concerning divers Censures and Books either suspected or pernicious and to make Relation thereof to the Holy Synod Now understanding that the whole Work is finished and yet that by reason of the variety and multitude of Books the Holy Synod cannot distinctly and conveniently judge of them She commands that whatsoever has been done by them be exhibited to his Holiness the Pope that it may be determin'd and publish'd by his Judgment and Authority and commands the same to be done about the Catechism by the Fathers to whom it was committed and about the Missal and Breviary From these things it manifestly appears first Why the Synod of Trent commanded this Form of Catechism to be publish'd Secondly When it Decreed it Thirdly That this Catechism is of so great Authority that it ought to be preferr'd before all others Fourthly That it ought never to be out of the Hands of the Pastors for to them it is a Storehouse of true Divinity and a Treasure sull of all Ecclesiastical Discipline ARTICLE II. To what Fathers the Care of the Catechism was committed and how long they labor'd about it IT may be said that the Fathers labor'd in this Catechism two several times First While they were at Trent in Council i. e. for almost Two whole Years to wit from the Eighteenth Session celebrated the Twenty sixth day of February 1562. till the end of the Synod which was finish'd in the Month of December 1563. The last i. e. when the Sacred Assembly was dismiss'd at Rome whither certain Fathers chosen for this end were conven'd together and continu'd in this Work above Three Years to wit from the Departure of the Council to the Year 1556. wherein the Work being finish'd was offer'd to Pope Pius V. of Sacred Memory to be approv'd Whence it was that for Five full Years the Fathers who among the rest were most Devout and Learn'd and therefore chosen by the Council labor'd together both in Composing and Perfecting this Catechism which considering well of verily we cannot judge him by any means to be of a sound Mind that thinks not such a Book as this worthy of all esteem and to be had in reverence in all Ages and they that in disputing of Matters of Divinity if this Catechism be cited reject it in scorn as fit for Children we should think to be very unsound and in the dark But to come to the Fathers It is certain from the Last Session that for the Two last Years of the Council there were very many excellent Divines chosen out of the whole Assembly of Fathers that bestow'd much Pains and great Labor on this Catechism For the Matter of it is divided into certain Articles which being then distributed amongst them every one took care and labor'd in his own according to the Intent of the Council and the Sense of the Church as the Spirit gave them utterance That this was thus done Christopher Sanctorius of the Order of Hermits of S. Austin testifies who says That this Particle of the Creed And in One Holy Catholic Church was committed to Cardinal Seripandus of the same Order to be explain'd But that the Fourth Article of the Creed was assign'd to Michael Medina of the Order of Friers Minors appears from himself who attributed it to himself in the Preface to his Opusculum concerning the same Fourth Article of the Creed From Possevinus in Apparatu Lit. P. we learn that Peter Galesinus expounded in Latin that part of this Catechism wherein are explain'd God's Commandments and ibid. Lit. I. he asserts That Julius Spogianus expounded the last Head of this Catechism the same thing Castalio distinctly confirms in these Words In Writing of the Catechism which was made by the Decree of the Council of Trent publish'd by Command of Pope Pius V. there were many Divines and Learn'd Men that labor'd Delius Pasqualinus a very grave Man assur'd me that the Creed or at least a part of the Creed was given to Antonianus to be explain'd which I also found in his Adversaries Therefore O ye Pastors mark I beseech you Not only the Thomists took Pains in this Work as some have dream'd that they might lessen the Authority of it as tho it were not the Work of the Universal Church but of some peculiar Theological Sect wherein they cast no small Note of Infamy upon the Council and Pope But passing by the Holy Council which was over the whole Work we deny not that it was committed to some Fathers of the Order of Friers Preachers But from this very thing that they undertook the doing of this Office by the Churches Appointment it is manifest that they freely laid aside their own proper and peculiar Sense and Opinion if such they had or that it was enjoyn'd them either by the Decree of the Council or by the Command of the Pope by word of Mouth to handle all things not according to their own but according to the Churches Sense otherwise it had been imprudently done which to assert how wicked would it be Now the said Fathers were these I. Leonardus Martinus of Genua Archbishop of Lancia II. Giles Fuscararius of Bullen Bishop of Mutinum III. Francis Foretius of Lisbon a Divine of the King of Portugal's in the Council of Trent All which of how great Piety of how great Learning and of how great Renown they were for their very many Ecclesiastical Gifts and Functions both in the very Synod and out of it S. Charles Borromaeus in his Epistle to Stanislaus Hosius Cardinal Vivarin says enough alone to satisfie me that they were the most Learn'd among the Fathers of the Council And Joseph Ripalmontius confirms my Belief of the same thing when he says thus He he means S. Charles conceiv'd in his Mind that great Work of the Roman Catechism concerning the Performance of which Work the Fathers at Trent made a Decree and that Decree was extant among the rest and even the greatest Divines labor'd together in composing it and disposing the Heads of it But this was S. Charles 's Design too that the Divinity and Heigth of the Matters and Sentences therein might be explain'd by like proper Words for that purpose making use of such Men as were most Excellent for the Latin Tongue by them to finish a Work which might seem to be made for some better Age of Romans than the present Storm bonded From which it is manifest that the Praise of this Work is in no small measure due to S. Charles himself Which is also plain from the Epistle of the same Saint to the King of Portugal of whom he begs leave after the Dismission of the Council to retain Francis Foretius because he would be very necessary to the Church for the compleating of this Catechism But tho the Glory of this whole Sacred Work seems to be due to these Fathers yet nevertheless we must truly and deservedly acknowledge that we have receiv'd it from Pope Pius V. of Sacred Memory as from the
as to imagine the Work being perfected and finish'd the things made by him cou'd be able to remain without his infinite Power to support them For as the Creator made all things by his supreme Power Wisdom and Goodness So also if his perpetual Providence were not always at hand with the things he created and preserv'd them by the very same Power he made them by they would presently fall back into their first nothing And this the Scripture declares when it says Wisd 11.25 How can any thing continue unless thou pleasest or that which thou callest not be preserv'd Now God not only defends and governs all things that have Being by his Providence but also by a secret kind of Vertue he moves those things which are mov'd and which act to move and act in such a manner that tho he hinders not the efficacy of second causes yet he does prevent and his secret power reaches to all things Wisd 8.1 and as the Wiseman witnesses It reaches powerfully from End to End and sweetly orders all things And therefore when the Apostle would declare that God to the Athenians whom they ignorantly worship'd Act. 17 27 28. he said He is not far from every one of us For in him we live move and have our Being And this is sufficient for the explication of the First Article XXV The Creation to be ascribed to all the three Persons when we shall have given this Admonition that the Work of Creation is common to all the Persons of the Holy and Undivided Trinity For in this place according to the Doctrine of the Apostles we confess the Father to be the Creator of Heav'n and Earth Job 1.3 Of the Son we read in the Holy Scripture All things were made by him Gen. 1.2 And of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Lord mov'd upon the Waters and in another place By the Word of the Lord the Heav'ns were made Ps 32.6 and all the Power thereof by the Breath of his Mouth ARTICLE II. ANd in Iesus Christ his only Sâ—on our Lord. That the Benefit is wonderful and satisfactory I. The utility of this Article which throw the Belief and Confession of this Article redounds to Mankind this Testimony of S. John declares He that confesses that Jesus is the Son of God 1 Joh 4.15 God dwells in him and he in God And that commendation of Happiness which Christ gave to the Prince of the Apostles Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona Mat. 16.17 for Flesh and Blood has not reveal'd this to thee but my Father which is in Heav'n For this is the surest foundation of our Salvation and Redemption But because the Fruit of this admirable Benefit is best understood II. Whence the explication of this Article is to be begun Come Trent Sess 3. Can. 1 2. Gen. 2.6 from the ruine of that most happy State wherein God at first plac'd Man the Curate is to take diligent heed that the Faithful may come to the right understanding of the cause of these common Miseries and Calamities For when Adam had fallen from his Obedience to God and violated that Prohibition Of every Tree of the Garden thou mayst eat but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil thou mayst not eat for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye He fell into that most extream Misery that he lost the Holiness and Righteousness in which he was created and fell into the rest of those Mischiefs which the Holy Council of Trent more largely has explain'd But besides this Ibid. Sess 6. Can. 1. 2. we are taught That Sin and the Punishment of Sin remain'd not in that one Adam only but from him as from the Seed and Cause it justly flow'd and pass'd over to all his Posterity Seeing therefore that our whole Kind fell from the highest pitch of dignity not possibly to be restor'd to its former station by any power of Men or Angels there was this only Remedy left to repair our miseries and ruines that the infinite Power of the Son of God having first assum'd the weakness of our Flesh shou'd himself bear the infinite weight of our Sin and in his own Blood reconcile us to God Now the Belief and Confession of this Redemption is III. The confession of this Article necessary and always was necessary to Men to Salvation as God from the beginning has shew'n For in that first condemnation of Mankind which presently followed upon the Sin there was also shew'd a Hope of Redemption in these Words in which he denounces the Devil his doom which he was about to accomplish in the deliverance of Men from his thraldom I will put enmity between thee and the Woman Gen. 13.15 betweeen thy Seed and her Seed she shall break thy Head and thou shalt bruise her Heel He moreover often confirm'd the same Promise IV. The promise of a Savior made and confirmed and more plainly signifi'd his purpose to those Men especially whom he had a singular love for and among the rest where both he had frequently signifi'd this Mystery to Abraham the Patriarch and also more plainly declar'd it at that time when in obedience to Gods command he was ready to offer up in Sacrifice his only Son Isaac For he says Because thou hast done this thing Gen. 22.17 18. and hast not spar'd thy only begotten Son I will bless thee and will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heav'n and as the Sand which is on the Sea-shore and thy Seed shall possess the Gates of thy Enemies and in thy Seed all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed because thou hast obey'd my Voice From which Words it may easily be gather'd that it shou'd be one of the Seed of Abraham who shou'd bring Salvation to all them who are deliver'd from the most cruel Tyranny of Satan It was necessary therefore that the very Son of God according to the Flesh should be born of the Seed of Abraham Not very long after V. The same Promise renewed Gen. 28.12 the Lord to consecrate the memory of this Promise made the same Covenant with Jacob Abraham's Grandson for when in a Vision he saw a Ladder reaching from Earth to Heav'n and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it as the Scripture witnesses he heard the Lord Gen. 28.13 standing upon the Ladder saying I am the Lord the God of thy Father Abraham and the God of Isaac the Land whereon thou sleepest I will give to thee and to thy Seed and thy Seed shall be as the dust of the Earth And thou shalt stretch forth thy self to the East and to the West and to the North and to the South and in thee and in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Nor was God after this VI. The memory of this Promise is renewed wanting in â—â—hewing the memory of the same Promise
of his to stir up both in Abraham's Seed and in many other Men the expectation of a Saviour For when once the Jewish Commonwealth and Religion became Setled This began to grow more common and known to his people For there were many things which signifi'd and many Men which foretold What and how great good things that Saviour and our Redeemer Jesus Christ was to bring us And indeed the Prophets whose Minds were illuminated with Light from Heav'n foretold the people of the Birth of the Son of God Isa 7.15 8.3.9.6.11.1.53 throughout Jer. 23.5.30.9 Dan. 7 13.9.24 and the wonderful works which he shou'd perform when he shou'd be made Man his Doctrin Manners Kindred Practice Death Resurrection and other Mysteries of him and all this they taught so plainly as tho they had bin done before their Faces So that excepting the difference of time only we cou'd not discover any diversity between the Predictions of the Prophets and the preaching of the Apostles between the Faith of the old Patriarchs and our own But now we will speak of the several parts of the Article Iesus is his proper name VII What the name Jesus signifies and by whom it was given Luc. 1.31 who is God and Man and it signifies a Saviour and this name was given him not by chance nor by the judgment or will of Men but by the counsel and command of God For so the Angel told Mary his Mother Behold thou shalt cenceiv in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus and afterwards he not only commanded Joseph the Husband of the Virgin to call the Child by that name but also tells the reason why he was to be so call'd For he says Joseph thou Son of David Mat. 1.21 fear not to take to thee Mary thy Wife for that which is born in her is of the Holy Ghost And likewise her Son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their Sins We read in Holy Scripture of many who were of this name As the son of Nun VIII The name Jesus suitable to Christ especially who succeeded Moses and led the people whom Moses deliver'd out of Egypt into the Land of Promise which was deny'd to Moses Josedech the son of a Priest was call'd by the same name But how much more truly ought we to believ That our Saviour ought to be call'd by this name who has brought light liberty and salvation not to one People or Nation only but to all Men of all ages oppress'd not with Famine or with Egyptian or Babylonian Bondage but sittng in the shadow of Death and miserably fetterd in Sin and the chains of the Devil and has purchas'd for them a Right and Inheritance in the Kindom of Heav'n and reconcil'd them to God the Father In them we see Christ our Lord shadow'd who heaps upon mankind those Blessings here mention'd Now all those names before spoken of which by divine appointment were to be given to the Son of God are all to be referr'd to this one name Jesus For whereas all the other in some measure had only touch'd the Salvation he was to give us this one conteins the whole weight and vertue of the compleat Salvation of Mankind And to the name of Iesus IX Why the name Christ added to the name Jesus this name of Christ is also added which signifies Anointed and is a name both of Honour and Office nor is it proper to one thing but common to more For our old Fathers were us'd to call Priests and Kings whom God had commanded to be anointed for the dignity of their Office Christs The Priests were they Reg 12 3.24.6 who in their daily Prayers recommended the people to God and offer'd Sacrifice to God for them Kings had the government of the people committed to them and to them chiefly belongs the power of the Laws to protect the Innocent and to correct the boldness of the Wicked Because therefore both of these Offices seem to relate to the Majesty of God in the Earth therefore those that were chosen to the Office of King or Priest were anointed with Oyl It was customary also to anoint the Prophets who as the Interpreters and Ambassadors of the immortal God open'd to us the Secrets of Heav'n and by wholesome Precepts and foretelling things to come warn'd Men to mend their manners But when Jesus Christ our Saviour came into the World X. Christ a Prophet King and Priest he undertook the Part and Office of all these three Persons Prophet Priest and King and for these causes he is call'd Christ and anointed for the discharge of those Offices not by the act of any mortal but by the influence and vertue of his Heav'nly Father not with earthly Oyntment but with spiritual Oyl when the fulness of the Holy Spirit and Grace and a more plentiful measure of all gifts was pour'd into his most Holy Soul than the Being or Nature of any other Creature was able to receiv and this the Prophet plainly shews when speaking to the Redeemer himself he said Ps 44.7 Thou hast lov'd Righteousness and hated Iniquity therefore God even thy God has anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows The same thing but much more plainly has the Prophet Isaiah shew'd in these Words Isay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has sent me to preach to the meek Jesus Christ therefore was that great Prophet and Teacher XI How Christ a Prophet Priest and King who taught us the Will of God and by whose teaching the whole World has receiv'd the knowledg of our Heav'nly Father and this name does much more truly and excellently belong to him because all whatsoever that were honour'd with this name of Prophet were but his Disciples and for this cause chiefly were they sent That they shou'd prophesie of this Prophets coming to save all Men. The same Christ was a Priest not of the same Order as the Priests of the tribe of Levi under the old Law were but of that of which the Prophet David sings Ps 189 4â— Heb. 5.7 Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech Which Argument the Apostle writing to the Hebrews handles excellently But we acknowledg Christ to be a King also not only as he is God but as he is Man and partakes of our Nature Luc. 1.33 Of whom the Angel testifies He shall reign for ever in Jacob and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Now this Kingdom of Christ is Spiritual and Eternal XII How and by whom Christs Kingdom is govern'd begun indeed on Earth but perfected in Heav'n And by his wonderful Providence performs the Office of King of his Church He governs it he defends it from the snares and violence of its enemies he gives it not only Holiness and Righteousness but also Power and Strength to
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
to signifie them before hand by many Signs Oracles and Prophecies The Holy Fathers therefore understood many of the things we read in the Holy Scriptures to belong to this matter but especially where we read of that Gate of the Sanctuary which Ezekiel saw shut also the Stone cut out of the mountain without hands as we read in Daniel which became a great Mountain and fill'd the whole Earth And Aarons Rod which only of all the Rods of the Princes of Israel budded Num. 17.8 Exod 3.4 and the Bush which Moses saw burn Luc. 2. and was not consumed The Holy Evangelist has largely describ'd the history of Christs Birth Of which therefore there is no need that we speak more since 't is easie for the Curate to read more there Great pains ought to be taken XVI In explaining this mystery what the people ought to be perswaded to Rom. 15.4 Job 26.11 that those mysteries which were written for our learning might be fixed and rooted in the minds of the Faithful And first of all in commemoration of so great a benefit that they be thankful to God the Author thereof and next that they always lay before their eyes for their example to imitate this so great and singular pattern of Humility For what can be more useful or profitable to check the pride and haughtiness of our hearts than often to think that God does so humble himself that he communicates his glory with men and takes on himself their weakness and frailty that God becomes Man and gives that supreme and infinite Majesty to Man at whose Nod the very Pillars of Heav'n as the Scripture says tremble and quake for fear and that he shou'd be born in earth whom the very Angels adore in Heav'n What therefore since God does these things for our sake what I say ought we to do in obedience to him How willingly and chearfully ought we to love embrace and perform all Offices of Humility The Faithful see how wholsom a Doctrine the Birth of Christ teaches us even before he began to utter his voice He is born needy he is born a Stranger in an Inn He is born in a vile Manger He is born in the depth of Winter Luc. 2.6 9. for thus writes St. Luke It came to pass that while they were there the days were accomplish'd that she should bring forth and she brought forth her first born Son and wrapp'd him in swadling cloaths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inn. Cou'd the Evangelist include all the whole Glory and Majesty of Heav'n and Earth in more bumble expressions Nor does he write that there was no room in the Inn Ps 49.12 but none for him who said The whole earth is mine and the fulness thereof Which also another Evangelist testifies saying He came to his own and his own receiv'd him not These things when the Faithful remember XVII How great grace and glory redounds to us by the Incarnation let them also remember that God was contented to undergo the lowliness and frailty of our flesh that he might raise mankind up to the highest degree of Dignity for this one thing sufficiently discovers that excellent dignity and worth which he has by the divine bounty obtain'd that He vouchsaft to become Man who also was true and perfect God so that now we may boast that the Son of God is our bone and our flesh which those Blessed Spirits cannot do for as the Apostle says He in no case took upon him the nature of Angels but he took upon him the seed of Abraham But then we ought to take heed XVIII A singular admonition that all this happ'n not to our extream hurt that as at Bethlehem where he was born they wou'd allow him no room so also since he is now born in our flesh he find no room in our hearts where he may be spiritually born For this it is he being most earnestly desirous of our salvation that he earnestly calls for For as by the power of the Holy Ghost he was beyond the Order of Nature made Man Joh. 1.13 Rom. 64 5. and 7.6 and giv'n to us was Holy yea Holiness it self so it behov's us to be born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God and then as new creatures to walk in newness of Spirit and to keep that holiness and integrity of mind which much becomes men regenerated by the Spirit of God For by this means we shall express in our selvs a certain kind of image or resemblance of the holy conception and Nativity of this Son of God 2 Cor. 2.7 which we believ with a faithful heart and believing wisdom of God which was hidd'n in a Mystery we embrace and adore it ARTICLE IV. SUffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried How necessary the knowledge of this Article is and what diligent care the Curat ought to take that the faithful be often put in remembrance of our Lord's Passion the Apostle teaches who professes that he determin'd to know nothing else but Jesus Christ and him crucified Upon this account therefore all care and diligence ought to be us'd that the faithful being stirr'd up with the commemoration of so great a benefit may turn themselv's wholly to the Love of God and the embracing of his goodness Faith therefore in the former part of this Article for of the other shall be spok'n afterwards offers this to our Belief that when Pontius Pilate II. What is propos'd to be believ'd in this Article by command of Tyberius Caesar govern'd the Province of Judea Christ our Lord was fastn'd to a Cross for he was Taken Mock'd Suffer'd many kinds of Injuries and Torments and at last Crucifi'd Nor are we to think that as to his Inward Part his Soul was free from those torments for since he truly took the Humane Nature upon him we must needs confess that in his Soul he felt the most tormenting Grief Mat. 26.38 Mar. 14.34 wherefore he said my soul is exceeding sorrowful even to death For tho his Humane Nature was join'd to his Divine Person yet by reason of that very conjunction he no less felt the bitterness of his passion than if that conjunction had not been made since in that one person of Christ Jesus the proprieties of both natures the Divine and Humane were still preserv'd and therefore that which was passible and mortal still remain'd passible and mortal and again that which was impassible and immortal such as we understand the Divine Nature to be still restain'd its own propriety And where in this place seems fit to be diligently observ'd III. Why the Time of his Passion was thus noted the Curat shall teach that Jesus Christ suffer'd at that time when Pontius Pilate govern'd the Province of Judea and that this was done for this reason that the knowledge of so great and so necessary
Prophet a little before when being full of the Spirit of God Isay 53.6 Isay 53.10 He saw the Lord full of Sores and Wounds All we like Sheep have gone astray every one after his own way and the Lord has layd upon him the Iniquity of us all But of the Son it is written When he shall have made his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed long-liv'd But the Apostle has express'd this same thing in Words much more remarkable when yet from the other part he wou'd shew how we may advance our hope from the consideration of the infinite Mercy and Goodness of God For he says Rom. 8.32 He who spar'd not his own Son but deliver'd him up to Death for us all how shall he not also with him give us all good things It follows now XVII What Fifthly Luc. 22.44 That the Curat teach How great the bitterness of Christs passion was which if we keep fresh in our Memory That the Sweat of our Lord became like drops of Blood trickling down to the Ground when he but began to feel those Torments and Agonies of Mind which soon after he was to be loaded with Ibid. any one may easily understand that nothing cou'd be added to the weight of his Sorrows For if the very thought only of the Miseries approaching were so bitter as the Sweat of Blood manifested it to be what shall we think of the Suffering it self And yet it is plain that Christ our Lord endur'd the most extream Sorrows XVIII What Sixtly both of Mind and Body And first There was verily no one part of his Body which felt not the most grievous Punishments for both his Feet and Hands were fastn'd to the Cross with Nayls his Head scratch'd with Thorns and buffeted with a Kane or Reed his Face filth'd with Spittle beat'n with Fists and his whole Body all over wounded with Scourging And besides all this XIX What Seventhly Ps 2.2 Matt. 26. Men of all ranks and conditions were gather'd together against the Lord and against his Christ For both Gentiles and Jews were the Perswaders the Authors and Ministers of his Passion Judas betray'd him Peter deny'd him and all the rest forsook and left him And now XX. What Eightly while he was on the Cross shall we consider the bitterness of the Pains or the Shame or both together Verily there was no kind of Death either more shameful or more tormenting or spiteful cou'd be contriv'd which none were us'd to suffer but the most pestilent and wicked Malefactors only and in which the continuance and tediousness of that kind of death made them endure the most exquisite Pains and Torments And yet the Habit and Constitution XXI What Ninthly or Frame of the Body of Jesus Christ much increas'd the greatness of his Pains Which by the Power of the Holy Ghost was form'd much more perfect and was better temper'd than the Bodies of other Men can be and therefore had a more quick faculty of Sense or Feeling and endur'd all those Torments the more heavily But then XXII What Tenthly As to the inward grief of his Mind there is no one can doubt but that in Christ it was most extream for those Saints that have suffer'd Punishments and Torments wanted not Comfort in their Souls giv'n them from Heav'n which so cheer'd and refresh'd them that they were enabl'd patiently to undergo the force of their Torments yea ev'n in the very midst of their Torments many of them were transport'd with inward Joy Coloss 1.24 For the Apostle says I rejoyce in my Sufferings for your sakes and I fulfil those things which are yet behind of the Sufferings of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church And in another place 2 Cor. 7.4 I am fill'd with comfort and over abound with joy in all our Tribulation But Christ our Lord temper'd the Cup of his most bitter Sufferings which he drank with no mixture of Sweetness For he permitt'd the Human Nature which he had taken to feel all kinds of Torments no otherwise than as if he had bin Man only and not God also It remains now That the Curat explain also what the Profits and Benifits are which we partake of by our Lords Passion First therefore XXIII How great the Benefits of Christs Passion are The First Rev. 1.5 Col. 2.13 14 The Passion of our Lord was our deliverance from Sin For as it is in S. John he lov'd us and wash'd us from our sins in his Blood and said the Apostle He has quick'n'd us together with him forgiving us all our Trespasses blotting out the Hand-writing of the Decree that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Besides The Second Joh. 12.31 32. He has snatch'd us out of the tyrannical Power of the Devil For said the Lord himself Now is the Judgment of this World Now is the Prince of this World cast out and I if I be lifted up from the Earth will draw all things to my self Besides The Third He has discharg'd the punishment due to our sins And then The Fourth because there cou'd no Sacrifice be offer'd more grateful and acceptable to God he has reconcil'd us to his Father and render'd him propitious and favourable to us Lastly The Fifth In that he bore our Sins He has open'd us a Way to Heav'n which before was barr'd up by the common Sin of Mankind And this the Apostle signifies in these VVords Heb. 10.19 We have boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus Nor was there wanting a Figure and Image of this Mystery XXIV The Figure of our Redemption Num. 35.15 28. even in the Old Law for those who were forbid to return into their own Country before the death of the High Priest did signifie thereby That there was no entrance into the heavenly Country open for any tho he led his life never so justly and piously before that most High and Eternal Priest Christ Jesus had suffer'd death which having done immediately the Gates of Heav'n were thrown open to all them who being cleans'd by the Sacraments and endu'd with Faith Hope and Charity were made partakers of his Sufferings All these passing-excellent XXV All good things redound to us by vertue of Christs Passion and Divine Benefits the Curat shall teach Come to us by the Passion of our Lord. And first Because the Satisfaction which after this wonderful manner Jesus Christ has paid to God the Father for our Sins is compleat and perfect in all respects For the price he paid for us was not ev'n or equal only to our Debt but far out-weigh'd it And besides This Sacrifice was most acceptable to God VVhich when the Son offer'd to him upon the Altar of the Cross he quite mitigated his Fathers Anger and Indignation and this Argument the
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
to God Balsom has this other property or vertue that whatsoever is cover'd therewith it keeps it from corruption or rottenness And this seems excellently well suited to signifie the vertue of this Sacrament since it is plainly manifest that the souls of the Faithful being well dispos'd or prepar'd by that heavenly Grace which is given in Confirmation can easily be secur'd from the contagion of Sin Now the Chrism is consecrated by the Bishop with solemn ceremonies For that our Savior so taught at his last Supper VIII Why Chrism consecrated only by Bishops when he left with his Apostles the way or manner of making Chrism Pope Fabian a man very famous for his Sanctity and glory of Martyrdom S. Fab. Papa ubi supra has deliver'd altho why it ought to be so may be shew'd even from Reason it self For in most of the other Sacraments Christ so appointed the Matter of them that he gave Holiness to it For he will'd not only that Water should be the Element of Baptism when he said Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God But when himself was baptiz'd he caus'd that thenceforth the Water should be endu'd with a power of Sanctisying And therefore S. Chrysostom said Hom. 4. oper imperf habetus de Consecr dist 4. nunquid The Water of Baptism could not purge away the sins of Believers unless it self had bin sanctifi'd by the touch of the Lords Body Because therefore the Lord himself did not hallow this Matter of Confirmation by the very use and handling thereof it is therefore necessary that with Holy and Devout Prayers it be consecrated Nor can this Confection belong to any other but a Bishop who is appointed the ordinary Minister of this Sacrament And now is to be explaln'd the other Part whereof this Sacrament consists IX The Form of the Sacrament of Confirmation to wit the Form and the Words which are to be us'd at the anointing And the Faithful are to be admonish'd That in the receiving of this Sacrament they then especially when they hear them pronounc'd apply their minds to Piety Faith and Devotion that there may be nothing to hinder the Heavenly Grace In these words therefore the Form of Confirmation is perfom'd I sign thee with the sign of the Cross and I confirm thee with the Chrism of Salvation in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost But yet if to the Truth hereof we also add the Reason it is easie to prove the same For the Form of the Sacrament ought to contain all those things which explain the Nature and Substance of the Sacrament But especially these three things ought to be observ'd in Confirmation The Divine Power which as the principal cause works in the Sacrament and then the strength of Soul and Spirit which is given to the Faithful for Salvation And lastly the Sign wherewith he is mark'd that is entring into the Combat of the Christian Camp And first these words In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost which are put in the last place Secondly these I confirm thee with the Chrism of Salvation which are plac'd in the middle Lastly those which are plac'd in the beginning of the Form I sign thee with the sign of the Cross sufficiently declare Altho if it could not by any reason be prov'd that this is the true and perfect Form of this Sacrament the authority of the Catholic Church by whose Rule we are always taught suffers as not to doubt in the least concerning this matter The Pastors ought to teach also to whom the administration of this Sacrament is committed X. The Bishop the ordinary Minister of Confirmation for seeing that there are many as the Prophet complains that run and yet are not sent it is needful to teach who are the true and lawful Ministers thereof that the Faithful may have the very Sacrament and Grace of Confirmation The Holy Scriptures therefore shew that the Bishop only has the ordinary power of making this Sacrament For we read in the Acts of the Apostles Trid. Sess 23. c. 4. can 7. Act. 8.14 When Samaria had receiv'd the word of God That Peter and John were sent to them who pray'd for them That they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet he had not come upon any one of them but they were baptiz'd only In which place we may see that he who baptiz'd for as much as he was a Deacon only had no power of Confirming but this Office was reserv'd for the more perfect Ministers i. e. the Apostles And besides wheresoever the Holy Scriptures make mention of this Sacrament the same thing may be observ'd nor are there wanting the most clear testimonies of Holy Fathers and Popes Vrban Eusebius Damasus Innocent Leo as may be seen in their Decrees And S. Austin grievously complains of the corrupt custom of those of Egypt and Alexandria where the Priests presum'd to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation That a Bishop is the ordinary Minister of Confirmation these do teach Vrbanus Papae Epist ad omnes Christianos in fine Euseb Papa Epist 3. ad Episcop Tusciae Campaniae Damasus Papa Epist 4. ad Pros caeteros Epis Orthod circa med Innocentius Pap. Epist ad Episc Hispaniae Clemens item Pap. Epist 4. Concil Wormaciens c. 8. Florent de Sacram. Horum summorum Pontificum Epistolae habentur in Tomis Conciliorum ferè omnes in primo juxta cujusque aetatem Vide insuper Aug. in Quaest Novi Testam quaest 42. And that this is well and rightly done XI Why a Bishop the Minister Confirmation to defer this Office to the Bishops the Pastors may shew by this similitude For as in the building a House altho the Workmen who are the inferior Servants prepare the Mortar Lime Timber and the other Materials and make them fit yet the perfecting of the work belongs to the Architect or chief builder So also this Sacrament whereby the Spiritual Building is perfected as it were is fit to be administred by no other person but by the Chief Priest or Bishop There is also to be a God-father XII Why God-fathers added as has bin shew'd to be done at Baptism For if they who are to fence have need of a Fencing-Master by whose skill and counsel they may be taught what stroaks to make to wound the Enemy and yet to save themselves harmless How much more will the Faithful want a Captain and Monitor when cover'd and secur'd with the Sacrament of Confirmation as with the strongest Armor they enter into this Spiritual Fight the reward whereof is eternal Salvation Rightly therefore are God-fathers to be had at the Administration of this Sacrament Trid. Sess 24. c. 2 â—â—esâ—r matrim with whom there is such an Affinity contracted as hinders the contracts of Matrimony
that they may be honor'd and that we being warn'd by their Example might conform our selves and our Manners to their holy Lives De cultu usu Imaginum vide Conc. Nicen. 2. Act. 6. Histor tripart lib. 6. c. 41. Euseb lib. 8. Hist Eccles c. 14. Cyril lib. 6. contr Jul. Aug. lib. 1. de consensu Evang. c. 10. Vide item Sextam Synod Can. 82. Conc. Rom. sub Greg. 3. Conc. Gentiliac item aliud Rom. Pontif. in vita Sylvestri Item Lactant. carm de Pass Domini Basil Orat. in S. Barlaham Greg. Nyss Orat. in Theod. Brud hym de S. Cas hym de S. Hippolyt Item apud Baron Annal. Eccles an 57. n. 116. deinceps Vide terum Aug. contr Faust lib. 22. c. 73. I am the Lord The Appendix to all the Commandments the Lord thy God strong jealous visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy upon thousands in them that love me and keep my Commandments XLI Two things to be explain'd There are in the last part of this Commandment two things diligently to be expounded The first is The first is the Reward That altho for that most heinous wickedness of the breach of the first Commandment and the ready inclination of Men to commit it the Punishment is fitly laid down in this place yet this Appendix is common to all the Commandments For ev'ry Law leads Men to the keeping of the Commandments by Reward and Punishment Hence come those so frequently repeated Promises of God in sacred Scripture For to omit the Testimonies of the Old Testament which are almost innumerable it is written in the Gospel Mat. 19.17.5 6 7. Mat. 5.10 If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments and elsewhere He that do's the Will of my Father which is in Heaven he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 6.23 and also Every tree which brings not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire and Every one that is angry with his brother shall be guilty of the judgment and elsewhere If ye forgive not men neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins The other is The other is Punishment That the Perfect are to be taught this Appendix for a far different Reason than Carnal Men are For XLII Punishment displeases not the Perfect to the Perfect who are mov'd by the Spirit of God and obey him with a ready and chearful mind it is like a kind of glad tidings and a great Argument of God's good-will towards them for they own the Care of their most loving God who in a manner compels them to his Worship and Reverence sometimes with Rewards sometimes with Punishments they acknowledge his infinite good-will towards them who will command them and use their Labor to the Glory of his divine Name Nor do they only acknowledge this but they are in good hope that he commanding what he pleases will also give ability whereby they may obey his Command But to the Carnal XLIII Punishment moves the carnal most who as yet are not freed from the Spirit of Bondage and abstain from Sin more out of fear of Punishment than love of Vertue the sense of this Appendix is grievous and bitter Wherefore they are to be assisted with pious Exhortations Note and led by the hand as it were to the Obedience of the law But the Curat as often as there is occasion to explain any Commandment shall propose these same things to himself That there are two Spurs XLIV Two Spurs as it were to be used both to the Carnal and Spiritual which being put in this Appendix do very much rouse Men up to the observation of the Law For in that God is call'd Strong The first is The Strong God it is by so much the more diligently to be explain'd by how much the Flesh which is little mov'd by the Terrors of God's Threatning oftentimes fansies to her self divers ways whereby she may avoid the Wrath of God and escape the Punishment threatned Now he that is verily persuaded that God is strong Psal 138 7â— will say that of King David Whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whither shall I fly from thy Presence And sometimes also the Flesh distrusting the Promises of God believes the Power of the Enemy to be so great that she thinks her self not able to endure it But he that by a firmâ—â—nd stable Faith doubting nothing relies upon the Strength and Power of God this Consideration will certainly recreate and confirm Psal 26. â— for he says The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear But the other Spur is God's Zeal or Jealousie For sometimes Men think that God takes no care of Human Matters The other is the Zeal of God nor whether we keep or break his Laws whence follows a great disorder of Life But when we believe that God is Zealous the Meditation hereof easily holds us in our Duty Now the Jealousie which is attributed to God XLV What Zeal is attributed to God signifies no Disturbance of Mind but that Divine Love and Charity whereby God suffers no Soul that goes a whoring from him to go unpunish'd but as many as commit Fornication against him he destroys God's Jealousie therefore is his most calm and most upright Justice XLVI God's Zeal defin'd whereby a Soul corrupted with false Persuasions and wicked Lusts is rejected and cast off by God as an Adulteress Now we feel this Jealousie of God to be most sweet and delightful XLVII When we feel God's Zeal when in that Jealousie is evidenc'd his most excellent and incredible Good-will towards us for neither can there be found either a more ardent Love or a greater and stricter Conjunction amongst Men than that of those that are married Therefore God shews how dearly he loves us Note when often comparing himself to a Bridegroom or a Husband he calls himself Jealous Wherefore let the Curat teach from hence XLVIII With how great Zeal God is to be worship'd That Men ought to be so earnestly bent upon the Worship and Honor of God that they may rather be rightly called Jealous than Lovers by his Example who says of himself I am jealous with Jealousie for the Lord God of Hosts Yea and let us imitate Christ himself who says thus The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up But the meaning of the Commination is to be explainâ—â— XLIX The Transgressors of the Law not unpunish'd Deut. 7.9 That God will not endure any Sinners but either he will chastise them as a Father or punish them sharply and severely as a Judge Which Moses signifying in another place That thou mayst know says he that the Lord thy God is the strong God and faithful keeping covenant and mercy for them that love him and for them that
in the First Parents both of our Kind and of our Sin and even to this day we have offended by our Wickedness yet he continues his Love towards us nor do's he lay aside that special Care over us Whom if any one thinks that he forgets Men XII A great Sin to say that God forgets Men. Exod. 17.7 he is mad and most unworthily dishonors God God is angry at Israel for the Blasphemy of that Nation which thought it self forsaken of the Divine Care For we read in Exodus They tempted the Lord saying Is God among us or not And in Ezekiel Ezek 8.12 God is angry at the same People because they said God sees us not the Lord has left the Earth The Faithful therefore are to be deterr'd by these Authorities from that wicked Opinion That God can be unmindful of Men. In which sense we may hear the Israelites complaining of God in Esay's Prophecy Note and God on the contrary clearing himself from that their foolish Complaint in a gracious Similitude For thus we read there Isa 49.14 Sion said The Lord has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me To whom God answers Can a Woman forget her Infant that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb Tho she may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have carried thee in my Arms. By which Places tho this be clearly confirm'd XIII God never forgets Men. yet that the Faithful may be fully perswaded that God can at no time lay aside the Care of Men so as not to give them the Effects of his Fatherly Love the Curats shall prove this Matter from the most clear Example of the first of Mankind whom after the neglect and violation of God's Command when you hear them more sharply accus'd and condemn'd with that dreadful Sentence Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the Earth by thy Deed in labor shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy Life Thorns and Briars shall it bring thee forth and thou shalt eat the Grass of the Earth when you see them driven out of Paradice and to take away all hope of return thither when in the entrance of Paradice you read that there is plâ—c'd a Cherubin holding a Flaming Sword turning hither and thither when you understand that they were punish'd with both inward and outward Sorrows by God's revenging their Wrong Would you not think now Observe that Man's Business were done Would you not believe that he were stripp'd not only of all Divine Help but also expos d to all kinds of Wrongs But yet even in these so great Tokens of God's Wrath and Revenge there arise some Sparks of God's Love towards them Gen. 3.2 For says the Scripture The Lord God made for Adam and for his Wife Coats of Skins and he put them upon them And this was a very great Argument that God would never at any time be wanting to Men. The Efficacy of this Sentence XIV God's Love to Man never drawn dry by any Injury Psal 76. Habac 3.2 Mich. 7.18 That the Love of God is not to be exhausted by any Sinfulness of Man David express'd in these Words Will the Lord keep his Mercy in his Anger And this Habacuc speaking to God expounds while he says When thou art angry thou remembrest Mercy So Michaeas Who O God is like to thee who takest away Iniquity and put'st away the Sin of the Relique of thine Inheritance Thou wilt no more send forth thy Fury because thou lov'st Mercy Verily thus the Case is XV. God helps in extremity When we think our selves utterly lost and depriv'd of God's Protection then especially of his Infinite Goodness do's God seek and take care of us For in his Anger he restrains the Sword of his Justice nor do's he cease to pour out the inexhaustible Treasures of his Mercy God's Creation and Providence therefore have a very great Efficacy XVI How rightly God call'd a Father to shew how God loves and defends Mankind But yet that Work of Man's Redemption shines so bright between the other two that the most gracious God and our Father has illustrated his infinite Kindness towards us by pressing in this third Benefit upon the rest Wherefore the Curat shall declare to his Spiritual Children XVII Why we are call'd and are the Children of God and diligently inculcate into their Ears this passing excellent Love of God towards us that they may know that being redeem'd after a wonderful manner they are become the Sons of God For Joh. 1. â—1 says S. John He has given them power to become the Sons of God and they are born of God For which cause Note Baptism which we have as the first Pledge and Token of our Redemption is call'd the Sacrament of Regeneration for thereby we are born the Children of God for our Lord himself says Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and we must be born again And the Apostle S. Peter 1 Pet. 1.25 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible thro the Word of the living God By vertue of this Redemption we have both receiv'd the Holy Spirit XVIII How great the Benefit of Redemption is Rom. 15. and are dignified with Gods ' Grace by which Gift we are adopted the Sons of God as the Apostle S. Paul writes to the Romans Ye have not receiv'd the Spirit of Bondage again to Fear but ye have receiv'd the Spirit of Adoption of Sons in whom we cry Abba Father The Efficacy and Vertue of which Adoption 1 John 3.8 S. John explains after this manner Ye see how great Love the Father has given us that we should be call'd and be the Sons of God These things being explain'd XIX What we ow to God our Father the Faithful are to be admonish'd what return they ought to make to God our most loving Father that they may know what Love and Devotion what Obedience and Veneration they ought to perform to their Creator Governor and Redeemer and with what Hope and Affiance they ought to call upon him But to take away that Folly XX. A great Error to be remov'd and the better to guide the perversness of the Opinion of such as think a prosperous State and happy course of Life is the only Argument that God loves us but when we are exercis'd of God with Adversities and Calamities that that is a Sign that God is angry and has wholly estrang'd his good will from us It must be shew'd XXI When God chastises he loves Job 9.21 Psal 88.34 when the Lords hand touches that the Lord does not do this as an Enemy but that by striking he heals us and that a Wound that comes from God is a Medicine For he chastises sinners That by that Discipline he might make them better and by the present Punishment he redeems them from everlasting Destruction For indeed he visies our
iniquities with a rod and our Sins with Scourges but his Mercy he takes not away from us Wherefore XXII What we are to do when God chast'ns us Job 18. the Faithful are to be admonish'd that in this kind of Chastisement they acknowledge Gods Fatherly Love and let them have that Saying of patient Job in their Memory and in their Mouth He wounds and he heals he smites and his hand will heal That they may take up that that Jeremy wrote under the Person of the Israelites Hier. 31.18 Thou didst chastise me and I am taught even as an heifer that was untam'd convert me and I shall be coverted because thou O Lord art my God And to follow Tobias's Example who when he felt the Fatherly Hand of God punishing him in that Affliction of Blindness cry'd out Tob. 11.17 I bless thee O Lord God of Israel because thou hast chastis'd me and thou hast sav'd me But here the Faithfull must be very careful XXIII We must not murmur in afflictions Luc. 21.18 lest when they are afflicted with any Trouble and griev'd with any Calamity they think that God knows it not for he says A hair of your head shall not perish Yea rather let them chear up themselves with that Comfort of the divine Oracle Apoc. 3.19 which we read in the Revelations Whom I love I rebuke and chasten Let them rest satisfied in that Exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrews My Son neglect not the Chastning of the Lord Heb. 12.5 nor be thou weary while thou art reprov'd by him for whom the Lord loves he chastises and corrects every Son whom he receives but if ye are without Chastisment ye are Bastards and not Sons We have had Fathers of our flesh that instructed us and we reverenc'd them shall we not much rather obey the Father of Spirits and live Our XXIV Why of particular persons God is call'd Our Matth 23 8. When every one of us calls him Father and Our Father we are taught that it necessarily follows from the Gift and Right of the Divine Adoption that all the Faithful are Brethren and ought to love one another as Brethren For says he ye are all Brethren for there is one your Father who is in Heaven Wherefore the Apostles also in their Epistles call all the Faithful Brethren Whence also it is a necessary Consequence XXV How we are now Brethren of Christ and of one another that by the same Adoption of God not only all the Faithful are joyn'd together among themselves in the relation of Brotherhood but because the only begotten Son of God was Man they are call'd and are his Brethren For in the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle speaking of the Son of God Heb 2.11 wrote thus He is not asham'd to call them Brethren saying I will declare thy Name to my Brethren Which things so long before David foretold concerning Christ our Lord. Yea Psal 21. and Christ himself in the Gospel says to the Women Mattth 21.10.26.66 Go tell my Brethren to go into Galilee there they shall see me And it is manifest that this was then spoken of him XXVI Christ our Brother even in Heaven when being risen from the Dead he had gotten Immortality that none might think that this Fraternal Relation was dissolv'd by his Resurrection and Ascent into Heaven For Christs Resurrection was so far from destroying this Conjunction and Charity as we have bin taught that even from the very Seat of his Majesty and Glory Matth. 25.31 and even then when he shall judg all Men of all Ages the very least of all the Faithful shall be call'd by the Name of Brethren And how can it be XXVII We are Coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Heb. 1.2 but that we must needs be Christs Brethren since we are call'd his Heirs for he is the first begott'n appointed Heir of all but we in the second place begotten joynt Heirs with him according to the measure of heavenly Gifts according to the Degree of Love whereby we yielded our selves the Servants and Fellow Laborers of the Holy Ghost Who being our Guide to Vertue and good Works Note we are carried on and inflam'd to enter valiantly into the Combate of Salvation being arm'd with his Grace which being wisely and constantly perform'd and the Course of this Life being run we receive of our Heavenly Father the just Reward of a Crown which is appointed for all that hold this same Course Heb. 6.10 For as the Apostle says God is not unjust to forget your Labor and Love But how we ought from our Heart to utter this word Our XXVIII God is to be call'd Ours from the Heart and why the Sentence of S. Chrysostom shews who says That God freely hears a Christian praying not only for himself but for another because Nature teaches every one to pray for himself but Grace teaches to pray for others Need compels Men to pray for themselves but brotherly Charity exhorts to pray for others To which he subjoyns That Prayer is more acceptable to God which brotherly Charity puts up Note than that which is made for necessity Chrysost hom 14. operâ—s imperfecti in Matth. Concerning this so weighty a matter of saving Prayer XXIX An Admonition of great moment the Curat ought to exhort all of every Age Condition and Rank that being mindful of this common Relation of Brotherhood they behave themselves courteously and brotherlike each to other and that they carry not themselves insolently to one another For tho in the Church of God there are divers Degrees of Offices Note yet that variety of Degrees and Offices does not take away the nearness of Brotherly Relations Even as in the Body of Man A Similitude the various Uses and different Offices of the Members does not cause this or that part of the Body to lose the Name and Office of a Member Consider him that is in Kingly Power XXX An equality among Christians is he not therefore if he be faithful Brother of all them that are within the Communion of the Christian Faith Yes Why so Because there is not one God of the Rich and another of the Poor not one God of Kings and another of those that are under the Power of Kings But there is one God and Father and Lord of all All therefore have the same Nobility of Spiritual Birth XXXI The Nobility of Christians is equal all have the same Dignity the same Lustre of Family seeing we are all born the Sons of God of the same Spirit by the same Sacrament of Faith and are all Co-heirs of the same Inheritance Nor have Wealthy and great Men one Christ for their God and the Poor and Beggarly another they are not initiated by other Sacraments nor do they look for another Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven We are all Brethren and as the Apostle to the Ephesians says Ephes
he said I am he Joh. 18.5 and of his own accord freely he underwent all those punishments which unjustly and unmercifully they threw upon him Than which X. A strong motive to the love of Christ sure there is nothing in the World more powerful to move our compassion when we well consider in our minds all his sufferings and torments For if for our sakes any one should suffer all those sorrows not which he voluntarily underwent but which he cou'd not avoid this indeed we shou'd hardly account as a benefit of any great regard but if on our score only he freely endure death which he cou'd have refus'd verily this is such a kind of benefit that it bereaves even the most grateful person in the World not only of the power of paying due thankfulness but even of having it and hence the transcendant and superlative love of Christ Jesus and his divine and infinite deseits towards us may be perceiv'd But then when we confess that he was Bury'd XI Why we are to believ that Christ was bury'd this is not set down as a part of the Article which thing seems to have some new difficulty in it besides what has bin already spok'n of his death For if we believ that Christ was dead it is easie enough to perswade us That he was bury'd But this was added first that we may doubt the less of the Truth of his death it being the strongest proof that a person is dead if we can prove that his Body was bury'd And then that the Miracle of his Resurrection might be the more apparent and illustrious Nor do we believ this only Mat. 27.60 That Christs Body was bury'd but this especially is propos'd to our Belief in these Words That God was bury'd Mar. 15 46. as by the Rule of Catholic Faith we most truly say Luc. 23.53 That God was dead was born of a Virgin for since his Divinity was never divided from his Body no not even when it was laid in the Sepulchre rightly we confess That God was bury'd Joh. 19.38.42 And that will be sufficient for the Curat concerning the manner and place of Christ's burial which is spoken by the Holy Evangelists But first of all XII Two things to be noted Ps 15 10. Act. 2.31 two things are to be observ'd the one is That Christs Body was in no part corrupt'd in the Sepulchre concerning which the Prophet thus prophecies Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption The other which belongs to all the parts of this Article is That the Burial Passion and Death of Jesus Christ have reference to him as Man not as God for to suffer and to dye are incident to the human Nature only Tho all these things are also attribut'd to God because as it is manifest they may rightly he said of that person who at once was perfect God and perfect Man These things being known the Curat may explain those things concerning Christs Passion and Death whereby the Faithful may at least contemplate if not comprehend the immensity of so great a Mystery And First XIII What we are to meditate of the Passion of Christ First Joh. 1.1 Heb. 1.2 3. It should be consider'd Who it is that suffers all these things And here we are not able by Words to relate or even in our Hearts to conceiv his Dignity S. John says he is the Word which was with God The Apostle with stately Expressions describes him in this manner That this is He whom God has appoint'd to be the Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds who is the brightness of his Glory and the Figure of his Substance and the Image of his Person who supports all things by the Word of his Power He therefore having wash'd away our sins sits at the Right-hand of the Majesty on High And to say all in a Word He who suffers is Jesus Christ God and Man Rom. 11.36 The Creator suffers for those whom he created The Lord for his Servants be by whom the Angels Men Heav'ns and Elements were made He I say in whom by whom and of whom are all things It is no wonder therefore if when he was wounded with so many Torments and Sufferings the whole Fabric of the World trembl'd for as the Scripture says Maâ—t 27.51 The Earth quak'd and the Rocks were rent Luc. 23 44. and there was Darkness over all the Earth 1 Pet. 2.5 and the Sun was dark'n'd Now if ev'n the dumb and insensible Creatures bewail'd the Sufferings of their Maker let the Faithful consider with how great and bitter Lamentation they as living Stones of this Building ought to evidence their Grief And now we come to shew the Causes of his Passion XIV What Secondly that thereby the Strength and Greatness of the Divine Love towards us may the better appear If therefore any one ask What shou'd be the Cause why the Son of God wou'd undergo such an extream bitter passion he will find it to be this chiefly besides the hereditary Contagion of our first Parents namely The Vices and Sins which Men have committed from the beginning of the World to this day and which they will hereafter commit to the end of the World For this was it That the Son of God our Savior intended in his Death and Passion to redeem and to blot out the sins of all Ages and richly and abundantly to make satisfaction to his Father for them Let this also be added to inhance the dignity of the thing XV. What Thirdly that Christ did not only suffer for sinners but also that those very sinners for whom he suffer'd were both the Authors and Inflicters of those Punishments he endur'd Of which the Apostle thus admonishes us writing to the Hebrews thus Heb. 12.13 Consider him who endur'd such contradiction of Sinners against himself lest ye be weary and faint in your Souls Of this Fault rightly may those be judg'd guilty Note who easily and often fall into sin For since our sins drove Christ our Lord to undergo the punishment of the Cross verily they who run into Sin and Wickedness do as much as in them lies crucisie to themselves the Son of God afresh Heb. 6.6 and put him to an open shame And this wickedness is by so much more insolent and heinous in us Note than it was in the Jews because they as the same Apostle bears them Witness 1 Cor. 2.8 if they had known they wou'd never have crucifi'd the Lord of Glory But we profess we have known him and yet in our Deeds denying him we seem in a manner to lay violent Hands upon him Now the Holy Scripture teftifies XVI What Fourthly Isay 53.8 That Christ Our Lord was deliver'd to Death both by the Father and by himself For in Isaiahs Prophecy he says For the ' wickedness of my people have I smitten him And the same
his Right-hand in the Heavens far above all Principality and Power and Vertue and Domination and every Name that is Named not only in this World but in the World to come And has subjected all things under his Feet From which Words it appears That this Glory is so proper and peculiar to our Lord that it is not agreeable to any other created Being And therefore in another place it is said To which of the Angels has he at any time said Sit thou at my Right-hand But the Curat prosecuting the History of the Ascension VI. All Mysterys â—o â—e â—eâ—eâ—â—â—â— to the Aâ—câ—nsion Act. 1. shall more fully explain the sense of this Article which History S. Luke the Evangelist describes after a wonderful manner in the Acts of the Apostles In explaining whereof it is necessary chiefly to observe this That all other Mysteries have relation to the Ascension as to their end and that the perfection and completion of all the rest is contained in This For as all the Mysteries of our Religion have their beginning from the Incarnation or our Lord so in his Ascension their progress is concluded Furthermore VII The â—â—â—t of Christ Life compar'd with his Ascension The other Heads of the Creed which belong to Christ our Lord shew his exceeding Humility and Lowliness Nor can there any thing be conceiv'd more abject and mean than that the Son of God for our sakes should take upon him the nature and weakness of Man and be willing to suffer and dye for us But then as in the former Article we confess that he rose again from the dead but is now ascended up into Heaven and sits at the Right-hand of God the Father there can nothing be spoken more magnificently and wonderfully towards the declaring of his supream Glory and Divine Majesty These things being already explain'd VIII The causes of his Ascension First we must diligently teach for what Reason Christ our Lord ascended up into Heaven For First he ascended for this Reason because in this earthly and obscure habitation there could be no place suitable to his Body which in his Resurrection was adorn'd with the glory of Immortality None but the most high and glorious dwelling of Heaven could be suitable to him Nor did he ascend only to pssess the Throne of his Glory and Kingdom which he merited with his Blood Second but also to take care of those things which concern'd our Salvation Besides Third Joh. 18.36 He ascended to evidence in truth that his Kingdom is not of this World For the Kingdoms of the World are Earthly and Flitting and are establish'd by much Wealth and by Carnal Power But the Kingdom of Christ is not Earthly as the Jews expected but Spiritual and Eternal his Riches also are Spiritual Riches as he shews when he plac'd his Seat in Heaven in which Kingdom they verily are to be accounted more rich and flowing with plenty of all good things who diligently seek those things which are of God For St. James testifies Jam. 2.5 that God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which God has promis'd to them that love him And this our Lord Fourth ascending up into Heaven was desirous to effect that we with our mind and desires might follow him ascending thither For as by his Death and Resurrection he left us an example of Dying and Rising again in Spirit So by his Ascension he instructs and teaches us that tho we are confin'd on Earth yet that in Thought and Desire we raise our selves up to Heaven Heb. 11.63 Confessng that we are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth Eph. 2.19 and that we are citizens of the saints and domestics of God seeking our own country For Phil. 3.20 as the same Apostle says our conversation is in heaven Divine David IX The advantages of Christ's Ascension Ps 67.19 Eph. 2.8 First as the Apostle interprets him long before sang of the force and greatness of those unutterable good things which the Love of God has shed upon us in these words He ascended up on high he led captivity captive he gave gifts to men for in the tenth day after he gave his Holy Spirit by whose power and plenty he fill'd the whole multitude of the faithful then present And he truly fulfill'd those so large promises of his Second Joh. 16.8 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Paraclet or Comforter will not come to you but if go I will send him to you And according to the sentence of the Apostle Third he ascended into Heav'n that he might now appear before God on our behalf to discharge the Office of Advocate with the Father Heb. 9.24 My little children 1 Joh. 2. says St. John these things write I to you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have an Anvocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins Nor is there any thing whence the faithful shou'd take more comfort and refreshing of mind than that Jesus Christ takes our part and prays the Father for our salvation who has the greatest favour and regard with the Eternal Father Lastly Fourth He has prepar'd a place for us Joh. 14.2 which also he promis'd he wou'd do and as our Head in the name of us all Jesus Christ has tak'n possession of the glory of Heav'n For at his going to Heav'n Fifth he open'd those Gates which by Adam's sin were barr'd up and has clear'd us a Way by which we may come to Celestial happiness as in his Supper he foretold his Disciples he wou'd do which that the event of the matter might plainly prove it he carri'd with him into the regions of eternal happiness the souls of the pious which he had fetch'd out of Hell This blessed rank of Advantages follow'd upon that wonderful plenty of heav'nly gifts For first here is happen'd deservedly a great advantage to our Faith X Other Benefits of the Ascension First for Faith is conversant about those things which we cannot see and which are far beyond the reason and understanding of men If therefore the Lord had not gone away the Merit of our Faith had been much lessen'd Joh. 10.24 For they are said of Christ our Lord to be bless'd who have not seen and yet have believ'd Moreover Christ's Ascension into Heav'n has a mighty influence to confirm Hope in our Hearts Second for since we believe that Christ as Man went up into Heav'n and has plac'd the Human Nature at the Right Hand of God the Father we conceive a strong Hope that there will be a time when We also that are his Members shall ascend thither and be there joyn'd with our Head which thing our Lord himself testifies in these words Joh. 17.29 Father I will that those also
whom thou hast given me should be where I am And then This also Third as a very great benefit we have obtain'd that he has drawn up our love to Heav'n and inflam'd us with his Divine Spirit For most true is that saying Mat. 6.21 There our Heart is where our Treasure is And indeed if Christ our Lord were dwelling on the Earth all our thoughts wou'd be fix'd upon the face and acquaintance of the Man and we shou'd behold him only as Man who bestow'd so great benefits upon us and we shou'd affect him only with a kind of earthly Good Will But now being gone up into Heav'n he has render'd our Love Spiritual and makes us to love and reverence him as God whom we now consider as absent And this we understand partly by the Example of the Apostles Joh. 19.7 with whom while our Lord was present they seem'd to judge of him in a manner according to Human Sense And partly it is confirm'd by the testimony of our Lord himself when he says It is expedient for you that I go away For that imperfect Love wherewith they lov'd Jesus Christ when present with them was to be perfected by Divine Love and that by the coming of the Holy Ghost Wherefore he presently adds For if I go not away the Paraclet or Comforter will not come to you To this may be added Fourth that he has inlarg'd his House Eph. 4.22 i.e. his Church in the earth which was to be govern'd by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit and he left Peter the Prince of Apostles the chief Pastor and Prelate of the whole Church among Men and then he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers and so sitting at the Right Hand of his Father he always bestows divers gifts upon divers persons for the Apostle testifies Eph. 5.7 That to every one of us is giv'n grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ But lastly Fifth The Faithful are to believe the same thing also concerning Christ's Ascension which we taught before concerning the mystery of his Death and Resurrection for tho we owe our Salvation and Redemption to the Passion of Christ who by his own Merit open'd to the Just an entrance to Heav'n yet his Ascension is not only propos'd to us as an example whereby we learn to look up on high and ascend up into Heav'n in Spirit but it has giv'n us Divine Power whereby we are enabl'd to do it ARTICLE VII FRom thence he shall come to judge the quick and the Dead There are three of excellent Offices and Functions which our Lord Jesus Christ has for the adorning and illustrating of his Church I. The Three Offices of Christ Of Redemption Patronage or Defence and Judgment But whereas from the former Articles it is manifest that he has redeem'd mankind by his Passion and Death and that he has undertak'n sorever to defend and patronize our cause by his Ascension into Heav'n it remains that in this Article we declare his Judgment The reason and force of which Article is this II. What we must believe concâ—â—â—nig the last judgment That in the last day Christ our Lord will judge all mankind For the Holy Scriptures testifie that there are Two comings of Christ The One when for our salvation he took flesh and was made Man in the Womb of the Virgin The Other when he shall come to judge all men at the end of the World This Coming of his in Holy Scripture is call'd The Day of the Lord whereof the Apostle speaks 1 Thes 5.2 The day of the Lord so comes as a Thief in the night Maâ— 24.20 and our Saviour himself Maâ— 23.32 But of that Day and Hour no man knows 1 Cor. 5.10 Concerning which last judgment the authority of the Apostle is sufficient We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may give an account of what he has done in the body whether good or evil For the Holy Scripture is full of testimonies which the Curat may find scatter'd up and down not only for proof of this matter but to lay before the eyes of the Faithful that as from the begining of the World that Day of the Lord wherein he put on Human Flesh was always much longed for of all because in that Mystery they had the hope of their deliverance plac'd So from thence forth after the Death of the Son of God and his Ascension into Heav'n we might most earnestly desire that Other Day of the Lord waiting for that bless'd Hope and the coming of the Glory of the great God But for the explication of this matter the Curat shall observe and teach that there are Two times wherein every one must needs come in presnce before the Lord and give an account of all his particular Thoughts Actions and Words and must abide the present Sentence of the Judge The First is when every one of us goes out of this life for immediately he is placed before the Judgment-seat of God and there is a most just examination made of all things whatsoever he ever did spake or thought and this is call'd The Private Judgment But The Other is when in one day and in one place All men shall stand together before the Seat of Judgment that in the sight and hearing of all men of all ages every one may know what is judg'd and decree'd concerning himse lf The very Pronouncing of which Sentence to Ungodly and Wicked men will not be the least part of their punishments and torments And on the other side the Godly and the Just will from thence receive no small Reward and Profit when it shall truly appear what kind of persons every one of them was in this life And this is call'd the General Judgment Concerning which it must needs be shew'd what the Cause is V. Why a General Judgment to come why besides the Private Judgment concerning every one in particular there will also be held another Judgment concerning all men in general For since First Cause even when men are dead they sometimes leave behind them some surviving persons to imitate them as Children to imitate Parents Dependents and Scholars who are lovers and favourers of their Examples Discourses Actions whereby it must needs come to pass that the rewards and punishments of the dead shall be increas'd and whereas this either Advantage or Calamity which belongs to so very many cannot have an end before the coming of the last day of the World It was but meet that there should be a perfect examination of this General Account of good and evil Words and Actions And this could not be done except at one General Judgment of all men And besides The Second forasmuch as the Fame of the Godly is often times unjustly wounded and the wicked commended as innocent the justice of God requir'd that the