not so fully as I desir'd Know then that Vocal prayer has two excellencie over Mentall The first is that 't is made by some who have more skil then wee have and therefore is more perfect for the most part then one of our Mentall prayers Secondly it keeps from distraction much because by our eyes if we read them or our memories if we say them without book it holds our understanding to the matter better then when wee have no such determination But likewise on the other side it has two disadvantages one that it does not so weâ—l fill our souls being neither so much labour'd as what we make our selves nor so naturally proportionable to us as what we do our selves Thirdly for the most part it wants some of the three parts mention'd or rather wholy demurrs upon the last neglecting the two former But those which are call'd written meditations if they be wel done are very good for beginners that practise themselves sel me now which prayers you think the best S. I must needs say the beads and the Primer or Manuall for I have no other M. If you do those wel you are wel sped But what I would counsel you is to chuse such prayers as you understand rather then those you do not As I fear you understand but few in your Primer So that though that be best in it self yet those more befit you which you better understand And as for your beads I fear you attend but little when you say them you should therefore have some mystery of our Saviour's or our Lady's life to thank God for in every two or three Ave Maries which might make you think of what you did Two tens thus feelingly sayd were better then three payr of beads tumbled over with your mind upon your breakfast S. Sir I will endeavour to get them as you say M. But in the mean time tel mee what 's the necessity or profit of prayer S. Sir it pleases God spends our time well obtains all benefits of him and fulfils his commandments M. This is very true but I look yet for another at your hands which is that t is the very way or walk to Heaven S. Sir you said that Clarity was the way to Heaven M. And is not Prayer the consideration of things necessary to our salvation and not a dry consideration but a moving of our will out of them and lastly the excercising of our Affections towards God Almighty procur'd by the said consideration Now how do you think we journey to heaven but by our affections or come to affections but by consideration so that you see Meditation is nothing but the right way to Heaven in which other men are lead by sermons reading good books and the like but the meditatour goes of himself by his own pains and industry Moreover the use of Mentall praver being the thinking on or considering that which is the chiefest good wee have also our soul being ever carry'd backward unless by due consideration it bee forc'd against the stream of our naturall inclinations hence we must needs live blindly and go two steps back for one towards heaven without the use of Prayer or something equivalent to it And thus much may 〈◊〉 for the Utility and Necessity of Prayer EIGHTH CONFERENCE M. TO go on do you think hee loves you that beats you without a cause or keeps your own from you S. No Sir perhaps indeed a friend may beat one hee loves when there 's some reason for it but otherwise hee 's no friend and shews litle love M. Therefore if you love God your self and your Neighbour you must not hurt them but do them all the good you can especially if it be due unto them What can you do to God S. Good I can do none to him but my duty is to be carefull in such things as concern his honour such as be all things which belong to prayers the Church M. You say well and in Latin the rites of serving God are call'd Religiones whence this virtue is by Divines call'd Religion Priests specially Bishops and Curats and such as have care of the publik ceremonies of the Church entitled Religiosi as also such men as binde themselves to certain pious observations are call'd Religiosi or Religions for the same reason Wel tel mee first what do you ow to your self S. Nothing Sir for I can forgive my self if I did ow any thing to my self and so it would be no debt or duty M. Now you speak beyond your skil for seing you are made by God of a determinate nature in so making you hee has directed you to some actions which you by your own free-will must not transgress but second and so you are bound to the conservation of your self and ow to your self the endeavours conformable to such actions and the principles of these actions are not to prefer a lesser good before a greater nor to chuse a greater harm before a lesser And this is done by two vertues Temperance by which you abstain from a less good to get the greater and Fortitude or Valour by which you undergo the less harm that you may avoid the greater What do you ow your Neighbour S. I have borrow'd nothing but those who have ow what they have borrow'd or taken otherwayes from him M. Do you not know your Neighbours are either your Equalls your Betters or your Inferioors To your Inferiours you ow love and to be ready to do them any good you can as others your betters have done and daily are ready to do for you To your Equalls the same in substance although in an other degree To your Superiours and Betters Duty or Obedience and Respect All this you ow to your Neighbours the vertue wheâ—eof is ordinarily call'd Justice So have you found three vertues call'd morall or Cardinall Concerning which you are to know two things The first that wee ought to exercise them for the Love of God if we will have them profit us for going to heaven although they have in them selves a kind of good For as you see in a fair picture garden or castle or any such thing an impression of Reason call'd Art which is delightsome and conformable to our nature so also in the morall actions of man there is a decorum or honestas which gives content both to the doer and the spectatour which entices morall men to do such actions The other is that every one of these is divided into diverse sorts and kinds according to severall matters in which they are imploy'd For example Fortitude in an action full of difficulty is called Courage in suffering Patience in length Perseverance in warr Valour c. Temperance towards women is call'd Chastity in drink Sobriety in action Modesty c. Iustice towards God Religion or devotion towards your Country Parents Piety
relate and so distinguish the Substance yet not substantially And. a Son being a Living thing proceeding from a Living thing of the same nature as from a Principle remaining in it and Knowledge in God being such in respect of he Divine Essence known That is truly call'd Son This Father Likewise God loving Himself the same thing is Loving and Loved yet as such distinct therefore there is besides in God a a third call'd Divine Love Also Love intelligent things proceeding from their proper Good which is Truth consisting in this that the Object be in the Knowledge Divine Love proceeds from the Divine Essence as Object in the Divine Knowledge that is from Father and Son Whiâ—h Love is call'd Holy Spirit because He makes us Holy by inspiring us with Love of God or Charity as also Comforter Again â— Person being an Individuall or One Intelligent substance and God having no Accidents The distinction in him must bee of Persons There are then in One God three Persons yet not necessarily Three Things Of these the Second took our Nature not by charging God but by joyning Man to God's Person And therefore the Second because 't is proper to Knowledge or Wisedome to teach us or be our Master A shore History of some signal passages belonging to our Saviour Godâ— being made Man to redeem Mankind from Sin and put him in the way to Heaven which consists see in seeing God and Love of God disposing and determining necessarily to this Man is to love God as being All-Good Our most bountifull benefactour and whose Likeness or Image we bear And our Neighbour being made for the same End wee are that is for God we ought to wish him that End and means to it that is love him as our self Also Love of God necessarily disposing to see â—â—m who loves God has great reason to hope to see him grounded in his Goodness and faithfulness to his promise put none can love or hope un ess knowing the things which motives why taught by Faith which se-curely relies On God's Truth saying such things and Tradition or the Infallible Attestation of the Church that he 〈◊〉 them There are then three virtues call'-Theologicall or immedily respecting God necessary to mankind's saluation Faith Hope and Charity Faith being a Knowledge of supernaturall things the way to advance Faith is to increase that Knowledge by Study of such things that is by Prayer of which Mentall has three parts To Know the truth of the point To resolve according to that Knowledge and To raise the heart to God expecting a Blessing Vocall Prayer is better than Mentall as being compos'd by able men and less distractive But worse as â—ess satiating the Soul Less proportion'd to it and Desective the two first parts mention'd Hence of Mental the written are bâ—st for beginners of Vocall Those which are best understood and Well attended to Lastly â— Prayer being the use of Considerations â—â—â—i caâ—ioâ—sly moving to â—ove of God The fruit of Prayer is to advance Charity that iâ— Prayer is the high way to Heaven wheresore without Iâ— Retreat in vertue is inevitable Moreover Charity or â—ove obliging us to give what 's due to those wee love 't will make us render To God Service To our selves what 's best for us that is 't will make us prefer a greater good before a less which is perform'd by Temperance and avoyd a greater harm before a less which is done by Fortitude To our Neighbour If Infeiour or Equall Love Good will If superiour Obedience and Respect which belong to Justice Yet these three Virtues unexcited by Love of Heaven avail not to It though in some sort conformable to Nature They become severall particular Virtues as respecting severall Objects Also Discretion being The right se 〈…〉 of ouâ— Affectiâ—â—â— in oâ—dâ—r to Act on and the three fore and Virtues giving this who has thâ—m has also Dscretion or Prudence There are then â—our Morall or Cardinall Virtues according to which who acts since not byast by ill affections needs not scruple his action though it hap to be imperfect in some other respect Christian Life is a Practice of the three Theologicall and four Morall virtues for God's sake which is done by Chariâ—y Whâ—r fore since the Life of a Christian is to move towards God and Love of God or Charity makes us do so It onely is a Christians Life and he dead without It. Wherefore what causes ibis death is Mortall Sin which springs from love of Creatures above all things bringing neglect of our Duties yet not every such neglect Mortall but In those to our Neighbour such as would absolutely break Friendship In those to our selves such as done us by another would make us fall out with him In those towards God such misrespect as to our Neighbour were want of â—ove Other Neglects are Venial From what 's said follows is most full of Pleasure and Credit Also It fits us for the next world For who loves God or aâ—y thing for it's self is dispos'd to love it ever Wherefore Love of God or desire to see him remaining in a soul separated It shall see him else would bee miserable for loving him and God cruell Further The pleasure of the Mind had by Knowledge infinitly surpassing that of the body and The seeing all Truths in God as in the supreme Cause being the highest Knowledge the Sight of God beatifies a Soul To which is consequent content in our own former Actions and Friend But the things desired by the wicked are temporall fading therefore the dâ—sires of them remaining â—xâ—â—ssively tâ—rments with Greeâ— which inflicted by another is truly Pain Infinit as being in the Soul and Enledss In regard Those Desires must ever remain unchang'd The Soul as indivisible being unaccessive Yet Veniall Affections are changeble therefore may be purg'd Also Souls shal finally receiue their Bodies because Their desires of them are naturall The manner â—ow with The endowments of Glorify'd and contrary Dispositions of damned Bodies Hence A virtuous life finally brings Insinit more Pleasure Honour and Power than a wicked and is above need of wealth The means to bring corrupt Mankind to loue God being Miracles and Teaching and this ineâ—â—icacious unless lively conceited by the Teachers therefore Divine Love or the Holy Ghost was to descend upon the Apostles in virtue of which primitive vâ—gour Christ's doctrin was brought down from them to us that is the Church is truly Apostolical and Catholik as planted by the Apostles universally as having some of her profession in each câ—untry as the only eminent Congregation in Câ—â—istendome Also Having an entire Body of Faith or Doctrin fit to promote Sanctity Laws Customes conformable to that Faith and extraordinary Sanctity attainable by her Principles and practis'd by her children she is likewise Holy Lastly Her rule of Faith Tradition Her externall Profession of Faith and Her Government being the same all ovâ—r She is also One
towards Laws and Superiours Obedience towards your Equalls and Inferiours in honour Courtesy in words Affability But I beleeve you have heard that the Moral or Cardinal Virtues are four Therefore let me have your help Can you tel me what 't is to bee Discreet S. I think it is to be wise M. Well ghess'd although you miss a little for true 't is every wise man is discreet yet not every discreet man wise For if you look upon men's conversation you shall observe some have good skil in human actions yet for passion or other desires follow not their knowledg Others have their desires so as they should bee but litle skill Others have both skill and will good others both bad And these last are both fools and knaves for the most part The formost of the other three are Understanding men but not Discreet the others be discreet but not understanding The third are both that is Wise Now I hope you will not fail to tel mee what makes a discreet man S. Since a discreet man is hâ—â— who hath his affect on s right iâ— human action and the three virtues above nam'd make a man's affections such those three virtues make a man discreet M. 'T is very well say'd For if you note hee who has these three virtues will use the skill he has to the utter most And him we call discreet who according to his understanding carries things well Which virtue by Divines is called Prudence It's office is to judge a right what is to be done by him that has it according to the proportion of the man's knowledge and so you have your 4. Virtues call'd Morall or Cardinall But before I leave you must answer me one question farther which is whether you think that hee who performs his action according to these Virtues need have any scruple of the work done S. No Sir certainly for if his action be vertuous as proceeding from a minde which has these vertues it must needs be good M. And what though he has an affection to do wel yet if he has not skil can the deed be good S. I did not think of that Then indeed it must be naught M. True t is the action is not good Yet he need not make scruple of what is pass'd because hee did his endeavour But before the action bee perform'd what is he to do if hee cannot tel whether part is to be done S. Hee ought to ask some body that knows M. You say well if hee cannot or when he has ask't find no body that can tell he may do whither he lists And whither he miss or no never make scruple of it as long as hâ—â—'s sure that no â—ll affection was guide in his choice 〈◊〉 that he proceeded out of the Love of God and a good conscience In these three Conferences the motives of vertue and good life frequently occurring advertise the Catechist to make his Cathecumen reflect and move himself unto them They be plain of themselves NINTH CONFERENCE M. YOu know by what is said what Christian life is viz. the practise chieftly of the three Theologicall vertues and in consequence of the four Cardinal ones that is of all vertues But can you tell me what 't is that gives life to all the rest S. I Imagin Sir 't is Charity because you said that it gave life to Hope and that all Cardinal vertues were to be practis'd for God's sake But I reach not unto the reason unless you help me M. You know not your own strength For tell me if you should see a dog or a horse new kill'd how would you know whether it were dead or no S. By the stirring For as long as it stirs I should think some life were yet in it When I saw it stir no more then I should take it for dead M. Very well so far then is agree'd that to live is to have a power in it self to move or stir it self Now can you tel me what is the first principle of stirring in you and other men as they are men Do not you see the more in love they are with any thing the more they stir to obtain it so that you see love is that which stirs a man makes him move towards the thing belov'd Wherefore the Love of God or Charity is the thing which first moves the Christian to walk towards him that is to exercise all vertue You see likewise that what takes away from us the love of God brings us death in lieu of life as we are Christians What is that S. That is as I perceive now mortall Sin for I imagin 't is call'd Mortall or deadly because it takes away lâ—fe and life is Charity Therefore that sin is mortall which deprives our soul of the Love of God M. You are a great Divine but what is 't that takes away the Love of God or of any thing else from us S. I think 't is hate for hate is contrary to love yet methinks no body can hate God and so there would be no mortall sin if that were true M. You say wel but do you not remember that who so loves must as you told me do good for him whom he loves if he can whence it comes that the row of all other vertues follow Charity he then who will not do any of those things which necessarily follow upon Love loses his love But no man would neglect those things unless he lov'd some other thing whose love hinder'd him from performance thereof So that you see how not onely hate of God but Love of such things as hinder you to do what you ought in love to him takes away Charity Can you now tel me what Sin is mortall S. Why Sir whoever lovesany thing in such sort that it causes him not to perform to God himself and his neighbour all he owes them that is all which the four Cardinall Vertues command sins mortally for he loses Charity which is the substance of Christian life M. You say wel if you understand what you say For what think you is not stealing against Justice one of the Cardinal vertues and yet you will not say that whosoeuer steals a pin commits a mortall Sin S. No indeed Sir but truly I know not why M. Did you not say that he who commits a mortal sin loses Charity by it Charity you know is the Love of your Neighbour if then not every thing as the taking a pin is sufficient cause for your Neighbour to fall out with you you lose not his Love for taking a pin Such a breach of justice then as is a sufficient cause for ordinary wise men to break of conversation and friendship with you is a mortal sin But what is less than that is not S. This is well Sir for a mans Neighbour but towards God Almighty I think this measure will not
hold For no man that is in his wits will fall out with himself neither is God subject to falling out as men are Therefore I know not what to say concerning them M. Do you not remember that a man owes certain duties to himself whereof the neglect may come to be such as if another man should do it unto you you would fall out with him Do you not see then that if you do not fall out with your self for the like occasion 't is not for want of cause And as for God Almighty see you not that if you bore the respect to him you do to your neighbour you would be as fearful to do such an indignity towards him as you are to do it towards your neighbour Now the sin is in your soul if then you see in your soul misrespect towards God Almighty such as towards your neighbour were want of love it follows there wants Love towards Almighty God Can you tell me how many sorts of sins they be which are not mortal and how they are call'd S. They be call'd venial but how many sorts there be of them I cannot tell M. They are indeed call'd venial that is easily forgiven by a name answering to Mortal in sence but not in the word and means a slight offence and such as makes no breach of friendship Of those Divines put three sorts either because 't is of a kind that generally men slightly respect as being not worthy of much consideration or because 't is slight in it 's kind or because 't is perform'd by oversight or withour deliberation Having seen the nature of the two lives I mean of good and bad can you resolve me which of the two is the pleasanter I speak of that pleasure for which you prefer a good dinner before your ordinary fare a play day before a study day and the like S. There can be no doubt but considering that pleasure sinful life is the pleasanter For vertuous life hath it's fruit after death M. Think you so I pray tell me then which do you think has the pleasanter life hee that has greater harms or hee who has less S. Hee that has less M. Then if Fortitude bee the chusing of lesser harms before greater hee that uses that virtue has the more pleasant life even wordly Again who has the pleasanter life hee that has more or fewer pleasures greater or lesser S. Sir now I see what you mean and that 't is very true that who lives vertuously has a more pleasant life then who does not if all were alike For hee by the virtue of Temperance chuseth to abstain from a less pleasure to have a greater But Sir I hear it say'd that a viâ—tuous man cannot easily come to wealth and without riches he cannot have pleasure M. What do Riches serve for S. To have his content of mind M. Then if he has content of mind what need he care for Riches consider the difference betwixt the merry cobler and the carefull Usurer and you wil see 't is not Riches but the disposition of the mind which gives content But tel me farther is not the way to get Riches to have much trading that is in great summs and withmany men and is not Credit the greatest stroke and power of a Marchant S. Yes Sir but credit comes by opinion of wealth M. I Think you are a little mistaken look well and you will see it comes by opinion of honesty and fair dealing in poor men for who has the opinion of being Rich is already rich ordinarily speaking and so is not now to come to wealth 'T is this opinion of honesty which makes that your word will goe farther then another mans bond that because of your plain dealing every man hopes to have no quarrelling with you and the like which are the things principally give Credit especially that credit which is the way to and goes before Riches And are not all these caus'd by the virtue of Iustice 'T is virtue then not Riches which gives all needfull Credit TENTH CONFERENCE M. PEradventure I need not ask you which of these lives is fitter for the next life since one is made for the world to come the other not Nevertheless I may ask a reason why and perhaps so as may bring you to see it Tell me then shal we in the next world have the same desires we have in this S. Sir how should I know who never spake with any had been there M. When you are a cold do you desire to walk in the winde or when you are hot to go to the fire S. â— Sir but contrary M. Buâ— what time is it that if a piece of Mâ—â—chpane were offer'd you though it were presently after dinner but you would finde a hole to put it in What 's the reason of this diversity is 't not that the one you desire for a present commodity the other you think to be good of it self S. Yes Sir me thinks that 's the very reason though I never rected on it before M. Then if over night you lov'd any thing good for an occasion or fot the present disposition you are in next morning you will not care for it the occasion being pass'd But if you love a thing because you think it absolutely good next morning you will as freely desire it as you did over night S. 'T is certainly so M. Then you see that when your soul is out of your body what ever in the body it lov'd as good of it self that it will love â—â—ill But what it loved onely for some end or upon the present disposition of it's body it will not love Now what one loves in the second manner spoken of either is God or mortall sin For it is lov'd for no farther end But to go on do you think that hee who loves God in this sort shall enjoy his desire seeing after death he shall retain it S. Yes for you told me he would be miserable else and God cannot be so cruel as to let one be miserable for loving him M. And do you think it will be a great content to see God S. Yes surely for every one has content to obtain that which he desires Besides to see a good or strange thing breeds also content M. Your answer is good but me thinks there be two faults in this pleasure one is that the seeing any fine sight is not so good as eating a good dinner or playing at some pleasant game The other that the thing which is to be seen is but one and so has not variety and we perceive our selves soon weary of the same thing S. Sir I like seeing better then eating or playing for I had rather go see a strange sight or a fine play than eat a good dinner or play my self so much time but for the other I cannot tell what to answer
such dross but til then remaining in pain partly for their temporal losses by death but chiefly for their spirituall want being not able to attain Bliss which they infinitly desire til by the Churches help God of his mercy rectifies them and accomplishes their purgation yet so as by Fire S. Me thinks Sir in al this you talk not of burning or gnashing of teeth or such corporeall pains which I have been taught are in Hell and Purgatory M. These things are said to be in Hell metaphorically when spoken of souls which want their bodies and signify no more than that they are tormented by fire as who is frighted or dazel'd is tormented though not burn'd But are you able to tel me why and when souls shall receive their bodies S. The time is at dooms-day The cause why they receive them is I think their love to them M. Do you not remember you told me the wicked have not their desires and the just desire nothing but according to God's will If so it seems your consequence wil not be very good But to make it so you must know naturally a man desires every thing because 't is good and good is as much as convenient to the desirer who is not onely Soul but Body too wherfore if naturall desire cannot be frustrated or disappointed by God the Authour of nature and the desires of our life remain after death it follows that the desire of good to our person is naturall and remaining after death and therefore must needs be supply'd Can you tell me how this great work is to be done S. Sir I know we shal al arise at the great day more I know not M. I le help you when that Day comes Christ shall appear in the ayr over Hierusalem as 't is thought and suddenly all parts of the earth and sea shall render their carcases and whole Mankind be restor'd to their Bodies Where on the one part the Saints shall be carry'd in the ayr to meet Christ the others shall remain below viewing their glory dreading their own misery till judgment being given those rest happy for ever with our Saviour the other are swallow'd into hell After which day all motion shall cease and there shall be no change or alteration but a state of permanency for ever S. Yes Sir but I doubt not there will be other great differences betwixt the Saints and the damned if you would please to tell me them M. Do you not remember the gifts you told me were conferr'd on Adam as to his Body those very same shal be perfected in the Saints As for health they shall have impassibility so that nothing can hurt them For their strength they shall have a power which nothing can resist call'd Impenetrability For Agility they shal have a power in the twinckling of an eye to pass beyond any determin'd distance whatsoever And lastly for Beauty they shall have power to shine and shew themselvs in what glory they please As for the Damned the heaviness of their minds shall make them not onely uncapable of all these advantages but such distemper'd deform'd and every way ill-compos'd Bodies as are most sutable to so sadly and so outragedly distemper'd mindes S. What shall the Saints do with these perfections if there be no motion M. These are not for use but powers and qualities necessarily following the state of the soul in the body of which shee is to be Mistress and to have power to use it as her self pleases And so you see what good life brings you to both in this transitory and the next eternall world Can you shew me now that the Blessed have all that even wicked men can desire S. Sir I see they have more pleasure then this world can affoord And as for honour I see Saints are more honour'd then Alexanders and Augustuses Power I know not how they have or wealth M. Wealth is not here desir'd but for necessity or magnificence the time of both which is pass'd and for power sure they want not that who have all they wish and can meet with nothing to resist their will The Catechist also here hath great occasion to press his Catechumen to good life by lively representing him the greatness of the Ioyes and Pains of the next world which are most incomparably moving if he declare them well ELEVENTH CONFERENCE M. NOw you are so learn'd as to know what it was to which Christ labour'd so much to bring mankind I pray tell me what means he us'd to plant his doctrin so that it should continue so many ages so deeply rooted in the heart of man as we see it has and beleeve it shall S. Teaching and Miracles which are the greatest Confirmations that can be M. Thus much you told me long ago but what more do you not know Si me vis stere dolendum est primum ipsi tibi I mean that if a man be not perswaded affectionately of a thing himself he cannot well perswade another Consider then how necessary it was to send the Holy Ghost that is the plenitude of it upon his Apostles after his Ascension Which according to the outward apparition fill'd their hearts with fiery zeal and their tongues with the praises of Almighty God that they might be vehemently conceited themselves of the truth and of the great good the knowledge thereof brought to the world and earnestly desirous to breed the like conceit in others and so it might descend in vertue of the first plantation by ordinary means to the end of the world But tel me who were those chiefly that receiv'd the Holy Ghost S. The Apostles were the chief and all others who came since have learn'd of them and so I see the Church is truly Apostolical M. Yes and onely shee ask any Hereticks whether they receiv'd their doctrin from the Apostles they will answer yes By whose hands they answer by the scripture But a Catholike says from his Forefathers they from theirs c. so that none lays claym to have their Church Apostolical but onely Catholicks For the question 's not whether there were al the while some of their Religion but whethese who now are were taught and receiv'd it from them by true succession For if two studying one thing in divers times finde the same the one does not receive it from the other and so 't is not true succession But where did the Apostles preach S. Through the whole world for such was Christs command nor can there be any doubt but they did what they were bid And so I see the Church is Catholik over the world M. How can that be seeing the Alcâ—ran is in as great a part of the world as Christ's Gospel Nay some Heresies have been spred in the greater part of the Christian world But because you are no very great Historian I wil read you this riddle You ought
Confession before Communion I know no more But that I do though I never study'd the reason M. True it is and you know the reason too without studying it For tel me if you were to make a banquet whom would you invite but your own friend if amongst them some were not friends with one another you would not invite them together for fear of turning your mirth into quarrel or sorrow So therefore seeing Christ invites us in this Sacrament to a Banquet he requires both that we should be friends with him and with one another that is have charity And therefore the Ancient Christians when the Pax is giv'n in the Mass a grave Ancient and materiall ceremony and not well begun to be neglected were wont to kiss one the other in token of peace and charity and so communicate together whence not without reason this Sacrament is call'd the Sacrament of Charity Here tel mee if mans wit can invent it what greater means could God have us'd to bind Christians in love and charity one to another The greatest conjurations are wont to be made by drinking of blood The conditions requir'd in friendship are Alacrâ—ty and constancy or strength this is figur'd in Bread the other in Wine The sealing and concluding of solemn contracts is at a Feast and so has he ordained in this The Ty some Oath by what we eminently love or reverence Here is no less then the death of God and man which we take upon our souls Lastly bread and wine are most fit emblems of Unity for so our wills ought all to be the same by love and Charity as a thousand corns and grapes are undiscernable to be different and fast united together in one loaf or cup of wine S. As yet I see not why this makes Confession necessary M. Stay a while do you not see if we have offended God oâ— our neighbour the ready way to gain their love is to repent and and confess our faults By nature every noble heart seeing his enemy subject to him takes compassion and judging the party now not the same he was thinks meet to change likewise his carriage towards him See we not again that who has committed some soul fact secretly it â—oaâ—s his heart til he has broken his mind to some one or o her as shewing how natural an easment of sin Confession is so that where Charity is broken Repentance declar'd that is Confession is the most naturall soder left upon earth to cement it Therefore the Council of Trent concluded what the Apostle had commanded of every man's trying himself before Communion was to be understood of Confession It remains to know how this Trial is made S. By three things Contrition Confession and Satisfaction whereof contrition signifies true hearty sorrow for our sins Satisfaction our performing the penance impos'd by the Priest Confession is already explicated M. You say well but I must go more more particularly to work with you I think the first thing you do is to examin your conscience And I must know how you examin it and of what S. For the manner I look into the ordinary actions which I use every day then conâ—â—de what extraodinary have happen'd since my last confession and in both note what I think I have done amiss M. You have a hard task if you note al that is sin For tel mee is not all that 's against reason Sin and all you do which you ought not to do or contrary wise all you do not which you ought to do is not that sin I doubt the you note not al that 's sin but the chief heads Wherefore I would not trouble you with so much nicety but onely as far as you have a care to amend your self that is to note the main points that you may strive against them Secondly if you pretend to perfection I would wish you noted not onely the evil acts but the Motives and causes of them Thirdly examin such good acts as want either the intention or attention due to them that is which however nothing appear in them otherwise then right yet your self are guilty to your self to have done them either without the due end or without consideration of due circumstances Fourthly to understand what yourself either by nature or the state you are in are most subject to and both more examin more suspect and more confess those faults S. Thus far I know my next endeavour is to procure grief for my sins which has two parts one to be sorry for the past the the other to amend what 's to come M. So far wel but have you not heard that sorrow also has two parts Contrition and Attrition which I think I must help you to understand what they are And in a word you know that take a hard stone and grate it against a harder you shal bring it into what fashion you list yet you leave it stil hard in the middle but put it in a morter and beat it you turn it al into dust The first is call'd Attrition the second Contrition And by a metaphor deriv'd from hence if a man that has lov'd some unlawful object or action and be withdrawn from it by fear of either loss of good or inheriting evil but so that stil hee keeps some longing towards the thing such a man's attrite But if he perfectly forgo and grow into a hatred of the thing before loved then hee is contrite and by this you see how Attrition leaves a desire and stain to be burn'd and cleans'd hereafter in purgatory Contrition purifies the heart to go immediatly to heaven But whereon must wee ground all our sorrow for sin S. On the love of God who is offended with it and on the fear of hell wherewith we are threatned for it M. well said All hate is grounded on the loss of some good or the enduring some evil Each of which may be both natural and supernatural Supernatural goods lost by sin are the friendship and face of God in the next world and the sweetness which is in such excellent virtues even in this life The harm gotten is perpetuall damnation in the next and perpetual torture of consciin this to those who know and conceive what they do Natural goods lost by vice are health peace credit estate Natural harms are the inconveniences which sin drives its lovers to dayly as diseases vexations discredit poverty the usual effects of a disorder'd life How do you procure amendment S. I purpose never any more to do what I confess as firmly as I can by God's grace M. Wel. But 't is very hard for a man to purpose to avoid what he 's almost certain he shal not Therefore I take it for your surest way to purpose to do your best endeavour to escape all you confess rather than directly and positively to purpose what 's
Shee should partake of the blessings which we heap upon her Son for them Likewise in the later part where we desire her to pray for 〈…〉 may determin some good we have need of But 't is best if we mark some property of the Mystery we bless him for and thence take notice of some virtue we want and heartily intreat for it For example when we make commemoration of our Saviour's Nativity speaking to our Lady in prayer we say Blessed art thou amongst women for feeding the Son of God at thy breast and blessed be the fruit of thy womb Jesus for humbling himself unto it Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now that wee may encrease in Humility And at the hour of our death But those words which be added are to be spoken onely with the heart the rest with heart and mouth both For so doing they make us think of what we say and do whereas if we did add them with our tongues they would slip over like the rest and neither help our memory 〈…〉 or make us pray with Spirit The number of Ave Maries to one Pater noster or of Pater noster and Ave Maries â—iâ— at will and every one who taken the course pâ—â—â—â—â—b'd may do well to consider how much time he was wont to spend in his whole Beads and say as many as wil take him up as much time and not care though he has not made an end of his Beads if he has no special obligation to the saying them all Yet because the ordinary number is of the five tens I thought good to designe our Saviour's life and his Blessed Mother's as far as it goes entangled with it appointing one payr of beads for every day of the week and five and twenty points for every payr of beads that is for every two Ave Maries one point The profit is that by this means we remember and give our Lord thanks once a week for the most of the passages of his blessed life registred unto us by holy writ and stir up our selves to the imitation thereof that is to good life which is our intent in prayer and al other our devotions For as for the ordinary direction of meditating upon some one mystery while you say a ten what has it to do with the saying of the ten or why were it not better onely to meditate and let the ten alone or is the time of saying a ten just sufficient to have fruit of meditating upon a mystery And lastly if delving or spinning one thought of the mystery wherein were it worse then such saying of our beads But this way every Ave Mary is made a jaculatory commemoration of the mystery and your heart and mouth go together and truly you use vocal prayer whereas in the other your mind prays one thing and your mouth another quite different FINIS What is not can do nothing Therefore nothing thâ—t is made it self but was made by others of it's own kind and those finally by God wherefore God was not made but was ever else Nothing could have been He is then Eternall Aâ—am The first of â—ach kinds being finally mâ—de by God and the Earth being to no purpose withâ—ut tâ—ese Iâ— and the otâ—er Elements were made too and so God made all things But God can do all that himself or his Creatures can do He is then Almighty and Knows all that Himself or His Creatures can do and so is Allknowing Wherefore Knowledge belonging to Spirits God is a Spirit and His Existence being necessary A pure Spirit Yet containing All kinds of perfection imaginable Therefore He wanted not Adam nor could get profit or pleasure by him but made him out of pure Goodness and by means of him and causes put by God and continâ—'d from him Us even to the least thing wee have Wherefore all possible thanks are totally due to him nay Every least Action wee do comes frâ—m God yet not sin it being onely Defect of action Hence God is Universall Governour of the World God being a perfect Agenâ— made his immediate woâ—k Adam perfect in Endowments of Body and Minde Also His Maker being his first object in Knowledge and Love of of him above all things which must work in his body too Dispositions conformable to thaâ— Love or subject to Reason which would descend to the Bodies of his posterity and â—the Soul being fitted to the Body to their Souls also that is they would have had Originall Justice and Immortatality But losing the Love of God contrary or passionate dispositions would immediately succeed in â—im and be deriv'd to all his from their birth â—recoverably that is they must all have Originall Sin Experience teaches that Sense governs in a childe and pâ—rverts the right working of reason in all till years of ripe judgment therefore these Impressions from sense are â—ard to be overcome perfectly and are subdu'd by sew or none Hence Mankind is Slave to Sin and Originall Sin causing motions of sense not subject â—o reason all Actual Sin springs from originall Also Ignorance being the not knowing what 's sit to know and the state of Innocence giving both power and will to know what 's fiâ— Ignorance and by consâ—quence Infirmiâ—ties and Deaâ—â— spring thâ—nce 〈◊〉 therefore the State of Paradise Happy yet ours not unhappy but through our own fault For Sin onely causes veâ—â—â—ion 〈◊〉 unnatural fixing our affections on perishâ—ble goods and precipitating us into inconveniency distractive suspensive and wearisome The History of Mankinds Slavery to Sin layd out in some remarkable instances The cause of this is Sense making man prone to follow tâ—e present and sâ—upâ—d to conceit aright his future true Good therefore to be remedy ' by a Teacher who â—ught to bee miraculous most knowing and most true therefore God also most convinient to teach our nature excite love of him therefore Man 〈◊〉 hich rendring our way to Beatitude connaturall and plain and so being most â—itting Therefore God was made Man Notions or apprehensions of things as in themselves are got by our senses and so from creatures and those transfer'd to God which mean Perfectiinâ— therefore chiefly to Know and Will which are proper to Spiâ—its Knowledge then importing some Likeness of the thing known and so perfect Knowledge perfect Likeness that is no Unlikeness that is no Diversity that is Unity or Identity the nature of the thing known perfectly is the same in the Knower therefore the Knower as such is it â—ut as known 't is opposit to and distinct from the Knower therefre To know is to be another as another God then knowing himseâ—f is in himself as in another that is There is Distinction in God yet the Object in the Knower being the same without prejudicing his Unity which he has according to his Nature Being or Substance notwithstanding His Distincttion according to the notions of Knowing and being Known which are Relations and which God having 〈◊〉 Accidents