Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A46795
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The blind obedience of an humble penitent the best cure for scruples
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Jenks, Sylvester, 1656?-1714.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing J629; ESTC R26825
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57,722
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231
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interpreter of his Word She is (i) 1. Tim. 3.15 the pillar the ground of Truth If we believe our Creed if we believe the Holy Catholick Church If we believe the solemn declaration of a General Council approved universally receiv'd There is nothing more certain than that our Confessors are by Christ appointed Judges to discern to determine all matters belonging to Confession The words of the Council of Trent are these (k) Dominus noster Jesus Christus à terris ascensurus ad coelos Sacerdotes sui ipsius Vicarios reliquit tanquam praesides judices ad quos omnia mortalia crimina deferantur quo pro potestate Clavium remissionis aut retentionis peccatorum sententiam pronuncient Sess 14. cap. 5. Our Lord JESUS CHRIST before he ascended from Earth to Heaven left Priests his Vicegerents as Presidents Judges to whom all mortall Sins are to be declared that they may accordingly pronounce Sentence So plain it is that our Ghostly Fathers have their Commission from God Patent from his Church to be our Judges in matters of Conscience and consequently to pronounce a final Sentence upon all our doubtfull cases CHAP. XII Maxims of S. Bernard concerning Blind Obedience I Have now done with Scripture and to give an account of the Fathers I have made choice of S. Bernard whom I look upon as the last Father of the Church the best able to express the sentiments of all the rest who went before him His eminent Learning Vertue were the Oracle as well as Miracle of the twelfth Age. His Doctrine Example were the greast Instruction the Admiration of all when in the darkness the coldness of those times which were the winter-season of Devotion he unexpectedly appeard like fire expressely sent from Heaven to enlighten enflame the minds hearts of ignorant tepid Christians He has written a whole book particularly upon this subject and the whole care of his life being chiefly employ'd in cultivating improving the Vertue of Blind Obedience we may very well allow him to have rightly understood it He discourses for the most part concerning the blind obedience which is due to a Prelate or Superior addressing himself particularly to Religious persons who by vow are bound to observe it But nevertheless the Submission which is due from all Penitents to their Confessors is a Case exactly parallel to it is directly comprehended under the general notion of it And besides 't is obvious to every body 's common sense that those practises which are universally reputed vertuous in a Cloister can never be justly censur'd as unlawfull in the World but whatsoever the Religious must do the Seculars may lawfully do it if they please MAX. I. We ought to look upon our Confessor as a Vicegerent of God without considering his faults WHether (l) Sive Deus sive homo Vicarius Dei mandatum quodcunque tradiderit pari profecto obsequendum est curâ pari reverentiâ deferendum S. Bern. lib. de praecept dispen cap. 9. it be God or Man his Vicegerent who imposes an obligation upon us we are to obey with the same care and submit with the same respect (m) Quid enim interest utrum per se an per suos ministros sive homines sive Angelos hominibus innotescat suum placitum Deus Quamobrem quicquid vice Dei praecipit homo quod non sit certum displicere Deo haud secus omnino accipiendum quam si praecipiat Deus Praesertim cum teneas de Scripturis quia Labia Sacerdotis custodiunt scientiam legem de ore ejus requirunt quia Angelus Domini exercituum est Requirunt dixerim Legem non quam ratio manifesta probaverit sed quod ita latere aut obscurum esse cognoscitur ut in dubium venire possit utrumne Deus sic an aliter fortè velit si non de labiis custodientibus scientiam ex ore Angeli Domini exercituum certum reddatur ibid. What matter is it whether God impart his will pleasure to us by himself or by the Ministry of Men or Angels Whatsoever it is that Man prescribes as Vicegerent of God unless it be CERTAINLY displeasing to him we ought to accept it in the same manner as if God himself had ordain'd it Especially since we read in Scripture that the lips of the Priest keep knowledge they require the Law at his mouth because he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts They seek the Law says he not in things which our Reason proves MANIFESTLY to us but in matters which are so hidden obscure that we might possibly DOUBT whether God would have it so or not unless it were MADE CERTAIN by those lips which are the Keepers of Knowledge by the mouth of the Angel of the Lord of Hosts Can any man speak more plainly than S. Bernard does upon this occasion And now perhaps some body may be apt to say If I had but such a man as S. Bernard for my Confessor I could rely upon his word as confidently as if God himself had said it but when I consider the weakness the indiscretion of my Ghostly Father I dare not venture to trust him To this Objection a learned Divine returns this Answer that Penitents do not rely upon their Confessor (n) Dicet fortasse quispiam si talis mihi esset Praelatus qualis erat S. Bernardus facilè acquiescerem nunc verò dum Superioris mei parvam sapientiam aspicio non audeo ei acquiescere R. Inferiores non obediunt Praelato quia sit doctus quia prudens quia Sanctus sed quia vicem Dei gerit hoc ipso quo est legitimus superior Sylvius in 1.2 q. 19. a. 5. d. 12. c. 8. because he is LEARNED PRUDENT or VERTUOUS but barely because he supplies the place of God who has appointed him to be their Judge in all doubtfull matters relating to Confession But since you own so frankly that if you had S. Bornard for your Confessor you could easily rely upon him Hear what S. Bernard says himself (o) Non te moveat Magister imperitus indiscreta potestas sed memento quia non est potestas nisi à Deo qui resistit potestati resistit Dei ordinationi S. Bern. Serm. 41. de diversis Be not afrighted at the unskillfullness of his Teashing or the indiscretion of his Authority but remember that there is no power but of God and that they who resist Authority resist the ordinance of God T is true This Maxim of S. Bernard allows of one exception from the general rule which is that when we are absolutely certain of our Confessor's being mistaken we may lawfully refuse to submit to him (p) De hujusmodi nec praeceptor expectandus nec prohibitor auscultandus est S. Bern. lib. de praecep dispen cap. 9. In these things says he we neither expect any body 's Teaching nor mind
made his Sons Judges over Israel they walk'd not in his ways for which reason the Elders of Israel being offended at the wickedness of his Sons gather'd themselves together and came to Samuel said Now make us a King to judge us like all the Nations Whereupon Samuel being displeased with their petition prayd to God to direct him God himself express'd his displeasure in these terms They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them And in the New Testament we read that Jesus said to the multitude (t) Math. 23.1.2.3 The Scribes Pharisees have sitten in Moses seat All therefore whatsoever they say to ye that observe ye do ye but do not square your actions according to their works for they say do not And indeed our Natural Reason is enough to teach us the Equity of this Truth For when once a Judge is appointed by the Law although a private person at the Bar may justly hope himself to the better man of the two yet if he should therefore offer to justle him off the Bench disown the Authority of his Comission such an insolence would never be endur'd in any Form of Government II. He (u) Luk. 10.16 that hears you says Christ to his Disciples hears me and he that despises you despises me This Text shews plainly that (w) Heb. 1.1 God who spoke in time past to the Fathers by the Prophets and in these last days spoke unto us by his Son now still continues speaking to us by our Confessors who though they (x) 2. Cor. 3.5.6 are not sufficient of themselves yet God has made them able Ministers of the New Testament (y) 2. Cor. 5.9.20 and has committed to them the word of Reconciliation So that we ought to look upon them as Ambassadors for Christ as if God himself did exhort us by them If we had been present at the Transfiguration of our Saviour had heard that (z) Luk. 9.35 voice which came out of the cloud saying This is my beloved Son Hear him What a mighty influence would it have had upon our Minds Hearts And ought not we as much to reverence the voice of Christ as if we heard a voice from Heaven When our Saviour tells us He that hears my Ministers hears me although our fears may raise a mist quite surround us with a cloud yet still these words of his are like a Voice out of the cloud and a Voice as easy to be understood as if he had said Those are my beloved Ministers Hear them I shall onely take notice of one particular circumstance which I hope will help to make some people sensible of the importance of this Text. I mean those who are so strangely terrified with thinking that their Confessions never are exact that they never love God above all things that they never do sufficient pennance for their Sins that they are not in the State of Grace and that they are not in the number of God's Elect. If they are so terribly afraid of being (a) 1. Pet. 2.25 like Sheep which are going astray if they are sincerely desirous to return unto the Shepherd of their Souls Let them harken seriously to the voice of (b) Heb. 13.20 that great Shepherd of the Sheep who says (c) Jo. 10.14 I am the good Pastor (d) ib. v. 27. My Sheep says he hear my voice and they follow me We cannot follow Christ unless we hear his voice But if we hear his voice follow it This is the certain mark that we are in the number of his Sheep My Sheep hear my voice they follow me (e) ib. v. 28.29 and I give unto them Eternal Life they shall not perish for ever neither shall any one pull them out of my Father's hand My Father that which he hath given me is greater than all and no one is able to pull them out of my Father's hand What a comfort is it to be thus assured that if we hear his voice and follow it he will not fail to give us Eternal Life What a joy to think that we shall never perish And how does it transport ravish us when we consider that although the World the Flesh all the Devils in Hell conspire against us yet our Father in Heaven is greater than all if we hear the voice of his Son No one will ever be able to pull us out of our Father's hand What would we give what would we do what would we suffer to be sure that we are in the happy number of those who hear the voice of Christ Remember therefore and consider what he says If you hear his Ministers you hear him and if you despise them you despise him III. When our Saviour ascended (f) Ephes 4.8 11 12 14. he gave Pastors and Teachers not onely for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying the body Christ but also that we henceforth be no more children toss'd to fro carried about with every wind of doctrine And certainly unless they were appointed by Christ to be our Guides Judges t is very hard to understand how they should hinder us from being toss'd to fro carried about with what wind of doctrine we please But the thing which here is most remarkable is this Before he went (g) Jo. 16.5 7. his way to him that sent him He said I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away Which words being extended to the generality of the Faithfull to whom the Comforter was sent as well as to the Disciples 't is hard to forbear the starting of a very material question How Is it expedient for us to exchange an infallible Guide for a company of Confessors who are every one of them fallible Yes It certainly is so For 1. Our Submission is equally secure and that 's as good 2. Our Obedience is more humble and that 's a great deal better If you ask me By what Authority we can be so secure under the direction of a fallible Guide Pray is not his Authority sufficient who will one day come to judge the quick the dead Can you imagine he is so unjust as to condemn us for submitting humbly sincerely to his own Authority And if he cannot possibly condemn us for it are we not secure T is he himself who knows a great deal better than we do how fallible they are 't is He I say who has appointed them to be our Judges and therefore 't is by his appointment that in doubtfull matters we submit our judgment to them Hear what he says himself (h) Jo. 20.21 23. As my Father hath sent me even so I send them Whose soever they Sins they remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins they retain they are retained I shall add no gloss to this Text. The Church of God is the best