Geraseens to precipitate them into the lake of a thousand brutal actions and after into the pool of fire and brimstone of everlasting death It is certible to hear Isaye 1. 14. Malac. 2. 3. with what execration God speaks of holy days so Prophaned my soul hateth your Solemnityes I will cast upon your faces the dung of them 6. Let us say then with the Psalmist Turn ô my Soul into thy rest becaus our Lord hath don good to thee Psal 114. 7. Turn ô my Soul convert your self entirely to God on the sunday at least It is instituted for this end and it is called the day of our Lord becaus if we have been turned to our selves and to our affaires the other dayes we must at least turn to God and to his service this day which He hath reserv'd to himself It seems an usurpation of anothers goods and a sort of sacriledg to rob him of this day and to employ it prophanly against his will Turn ô my Soul into thy rest It is a great crime to refuse Obedience to a commandement so sweet other Masters urge their servants and cry out to them worke work ha God says to his my children I will not that you weary out your selves give some respit to your selves from labours rest in me who am the Center of your hearts and the true rest of your soules He calls this day by his Prophet The delicate or delicious Sabbath His Isaiah 58. 13. delights are to be and to convers with us why should we not then make it our delights to be and convers with Him Turne into thy rest becaus our Lord hath don well to thee The Sunday was instituted that we might have opertunity to serve God and more leasure to thanke Him for our Creation Preservation Redemption Sanctification and Vocation to his Service for all graces and good workes which He gives us for preserving us from a thousand infirmities miseries deaths and from so many occasions of sin He hath delivered says the Prophet my soul from death my eyes from teares my feet from sliding if we are grateful for benefits receiv'd we shal give him occasion to give us new if we employ weâ—l the time design'd for the service of God He will bless the time granted us to make provision for our selves and families do then the workes of God on holy dayes and He will do yours on other days and moreover make you pass from the figure to the Verity from the shadow to the light from the symbole to the reality and from the temporal rest of this life to the eternal repose of glory Amen DISCOVRS XXXII OF THE FOURTH COMMANDEMENT Honour thy Father and thy Mother AS the Commandements written in the first Table tend immediately to the honour and glory of the Creatour recommending ro us Piety and devotion towards Him So these of the second Table tend immediately to the salvation and the utility of men and recommend to us charity and justice towards all our neighbours that each one doing his duty in his state and condition the families and communites of Christians may be well ordered and disposed The most important of these dutyes is that of children towards their Parents and therefore it is exacted by the first commandement of the second Table and to move them more to it recompence is herein promised to those that shal honour their Parents with the triple honour of Reverence Obedience and Assistance 2. First with the honor of Reverence for our Parents are the images of God whose authority is a Ray of his Paternity they are Sources and Causes of our life after Him Organs and Instruments which He uses to give and preserve our Being Hence it comes that we ought to honor them be they whatsoever though your Father be vicious and deboist he is stil your Father a cause of your life an instrument of God and an image of his Paternity And becaus the chief part of this honour consists in the interiour you must esteem your Parents in your heart acknowledg them your Superiours respect and reverence their Authority And becaus they know not your interiour you are oblig'd to testify by exterior signes the honor which you have for them to speak to them humbly of them to others honourably to give them respect and reverence and to do nothing that savours of neglect or contempt The Queen Bethsabee was not of the Royal blood but of mean extraction and nevertheless the wise Salomon her Son though a great and powerfull Monark and sitting in the Throne of Iustice rose out of it to meet and reverence her and placed her in a Throne at the right hand of his Majesty This wise King was the figure of our Saviour who being King of kings and God of infinite Majesty disdained not on earth to be subject to his holy Mother and who elevated and placed her in heaven at Psal 44. his right hand Astitit Regina a dextris tuis 3. To honour your Parents you must moreover consult them before you undertake any thinge of consequence when you would marry commence a suit undertake a far journey or engage your self in any other thing of importance aske their counsell and follow it this shews you esteem their prudence and God blesses this proceeding the young Tobias had a great blessing was assisted by an Angel deliver'd from all danger replenished with riches and prosperity in his journey becaus he undertook it by the advice and direction of his Father 4 The second honour of our Parents exacted by this Commandement is that of Obedience This honor S. Paul often recommends to us and in the Epistle to the Ephesians he proves it by this commandement to be their due Obey your Parents in our Ephes. 6. Lord For this is just Honour thy Father and thy Mother He adds In our Lord For if they command you any thing against the commandements of God or of his Church or if they would avert you from Religion and his service S. Bernard tells you that Epist 104. 't is Piety to neglect them for the love of IESUS-CHRIST for He that sayd Honor your Father and your Mother says to you also He that loves his father or his mother more than me is not worthy of me But when they command just and lawfull things you must obey them they are your Superiours and the Causes of your Being they then as Superiours ought to move you and as Causes of your Being to be also the Authours of your operations And if a servant be oblig'd to obey his Master for a little nourishment and a smal salary he receives how much more a child his Mother who nourished him with her own substance and his Father who laboured so much to bring him up and endeavours to provide for him 5. I find in the holy scripture that your obedience to be perfect ought to have three conditions at the least it ought to be blind cordial and
and he will be responsible The holy Ghost tells us not with what punishments He will chastise him beeaus he sends divers sorts of them some He chastiles in one manner other in another according to the Rules of his Providence and good pleasure But why labour I in this behalf This word which the Son of God sayd ought to be S. Matt 5. more then enough to avert men from unnecessary Oathes You have heard that it was sayd to them of old Thou shalt not forsweare thy self But I say to you Sweare not at all He understands here vainly or in vaine for He explicates or extends this Precept Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vain 15. If Christians must abstain from oathes with greater reason yet from Blasphemy Which is a reproach or contumely thrown upon God himself or upon his Saints This Vice is so detestable that vertuous Persons in the Scripture had a horrour to pronounce it and in stead of sayng blaspheme God they were wont to say Bless God Lest perhaps my children have sinned and blest God sayd holy Iob. The Iewes had this Vice in so great-abomination Iob. 1. 5. that when they heard a blasphemy they rent and tore their garmetns to shew they would have no part in so enormous a Crime and that they detested it extreamly I would not counsell you to tear your cloathes as often as you hear blasphemy you would do it too often in these times I dare not counsell you that which S. Chrysostom counselled his Auditours when you hear a monster of Chrysost hom ad pop Antioc infin nature who dares to blaspheme give him a great blow upon his face you will sanctify your hand by this action this service which you do to God will be as sacred oyle and a holy unction that will consecrate your hand I dare not give you this counsell unless for those that are under your care as your children and your servants But when you hear others blaspheme you ought at least to rent your heart to be displeased at this impudence and to shew that it displeases you admonish charitably the insolent and if he will not hear you fly his company and adore the high Majesty of God making him by this action as it were amends for the injury He received that you may avert from you and from the Community the wrath and Vengeance of God that blasphemy brings upon you 16. Follow then if you be wise and put in practise the advertisement of the Son of God Let your speech be yes yes S. Matth. 5. no no when you will affirm any thing content your selves to say this is so or els it is not so and that which is over and above these is of Evill says JESUS-CHRIST if you add any oath it is an ill effect of an evill cause This evill comes sometimes from the incredulity of him to whome you speak But if he will not believe you let him go see or let him stay there ought his incredulity to make you disobedlent to God if you sweare not he will not believe you and if you sweare God will be offended with you which of the two is most to be feared It is of evill This evill coms often from your bad Conscience you sweare becaus your Conscience dictates to you that you deserve not to be credited upon your simple word and consequently you shew that you are subject to lying if you be subject to lying you are bad if you are bad you deserve not to be believed also when you sweare It is of evill This evill coms from a bad habit you have contracted you will never put it off if you watch not over your selves if you do not some penance as often as you sweare Give something to the Poor say a Pater noster bite your tongue pull a haire out of your head that the rigour of the penance may make the ill Custome to give place says S. Austin Can you cure a dangerous and inveterate infirmity without bleeding phisick or any remedy Thinke you to root out this bad custome without labour penance or any violence It is of evill this evill coms from your anger you excuse your selves there upon but it is to wash your selves with inke you are culpable both for being angry and for swearing or blaspheming in anger If you correct not your self God hath anger as well as you but very different from yours He hath anger most reasonable and just which will punish yours most justly It is of evill This evill comes from the evill Spirit who rages with hatred against God and against you and who is glad to vse your tongue to spite God and to make you criminal unhappy an enemie of God as he companion in his miseries and his paines Let us then detest the execrable language of sinners and let us say with Saints I will bless our Lord in all times I will bless him in the morning becaus He ought to have the first and the best of all things In the evening becaus He is the last end of all my workes During the day becaus by his order the day continues to enlighten me I will bless him in adversity becaus then He is with me In prosperity becaus it is a present that he makes me to oblige me to praise and love him I will bless him in all times that I may begin in this life what I shal do by his grace in heaven where I shal praise bless and glorify him for ever Amen DISCOURS XXXI OF THE THIRD COMMANDEMENT Remember that thou Sanctify the Sabbath day 1. IF this commandement does oblige us Christians as it oblig'd the Iewes we commit three great faults each of which does bring damnation This Commandement oblig'd the Iewes to rest on the same day that God Exod. 20. 9. Levit. 23 3. Exod. 35 3. Exod. 16 23. Levit. 23. did rest to wit on saturday and we rest on Sunday It forbid them all worke as to light a fire to dress meat to waâ—k in the fields except one mile or there about And we do on sunday these workes which were forbidden The day of rest began from the evening of its Vigil and we begin it but after midnight Who hath given us all these dispensations Who hath licenced us to break all these Lawes We find not in the new Testament one only word that gives us a playn and clear excuse We read indeed in the Apocalyps that S. Iohn was in spirit upon our Lords day there was then such a day as our Lords Apoc. 1. day But a Sabbatharian will say to us he does not tell you that the Sanctification given to saturday was taken from that day nor that there was given a command to all the world not to worke upon that day which he called our Lords day nor does it appear there or elswhere in the scripture that it was not the day of the Resurrection or Ascension or Christmas day
also for venial for little lies detractions and derisions of their neighbor in things of smal importance for words or unprofitable actions good God! who would believe our judg would be so rigorous as to exact an account of his creatures for an unprofitable worde If Preachers should affirm it without the Word of God clear for it would not men cry-out against them as Impostors 9. They know they shal be damned not only for their own sins but again for those of others to which they contributed And they see now clearly that they contributed to an infinity of sins in others either before they were committed to witt by ill councel or bad example or when they were committed being the cause of them by putting the objects or the subjects or by giving assistance to commit them And after they were committed approving or not exteriourly disapproving them or not avoiding the hante of those that committed them for to give them a horrour of them 10. They know they shal not only be comdemn'd for sins of Commission but mpreover for sins of Omission they will expect to hear Go yee accursed into eternal fire for I was hungrie I was thirsty and you have not given me to eate and drink I was naked and you have not clothed me And if they are to be condemn'd for not giving corporal nourishment how much more for not giving spiritual the life of the soul being of more importance a thousand times then that of the Body if those that refuse material bread to poor strangers shal be so grieuously punished what will becom of them who give not the spiritual bread of instruction corection and good counsel to their children domesticks and strayed neigbours 11. In fine they know they shal not only be condemn'd for sins of omission and commission but shal moreover be answerable for good works which they have don with any imperfection which shal be found mixt with any impurity of intention with selflove secret vanity or any other vicious circumstance Cum accepero tempus Ego justitias judicabo when I shal hold my Psal 74 2. sopho 1. 12. great day I will judg also just works and by his Prophet Sophonias He says Scrutabor Hierusalem in lucernis I will search narrowly the devout soul and that no secret crany may escape me I will light a candle How then will He sound a reprobate soul signifyd by Babylon if He examin so rigorously a devout soul signifyd by Hierusalem 12. Sinfull souls I say know all this and much more they know also that their Iudg is not now a Lamb but is becom a Lion that the time of mercy is now past and the time of justice and reveng is com I leave now you to think in what horrible desolation they must be expecting nothing but as the Prophet Hieremy says the whirlewind of the Lords indignation Hierem. 23. 19. Matt. 25. 41. to com upon them And what whirlewind what tempest what thunderclap what Lyons roaring shal be this voice Go ye accursed into eternal fire prepar'd for the Devill and his Angells As many words so many thunderbolts and Anathemas 13. Depart hence reproved soul I banish thee for ever from my Paradise and from my Grace Get thee gon strayed sheep I will be no more thy Pastor be gon rebellious servant I will no more be thy good Master be gon unnatural child I will be no more thy Father be gon adulterous spouse I will be no more thy espouse get thee gon ungratfull creature thou shalt never have any part in my kingdom nor in my delights nor in my amity nor in my company nor in any thing that pertains to me Get thee gon thou accursed I excommunicate and anathematize thee for ever I strike thee with the sentence of eternal malediction thou shalt be accursed in thy understanding which shal never have a good thought cursed in thy will which shal always rage with spite and desperation accursed in thy eyes which shal never see any light in thy eares which shal never hear the harmonious musick of the Angells cursed in thy mouth which shal never have one only drop of water in thy feet and hands which shal be always bound in the chamber where thou shalt dwell which shal be but a furness in the company which You shal have which shal be but Devills cursed in every thing that can happen to thee Go accursed into fire where thou shalt not have for lodging but a prison for bed but coales for cloathes but flames for meat but serpents for drink but gall for musick but blasphemies and for rest but torments Get thee gon into fire which shal endure ever which shal inflame thee and not light thee burn thee and not consume thee as long as I shal be I will be thy enemy as long as this fire shal be fire it shal torture thee as long as eternity shal endure thou shalt remain in this pain Depart go into the fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells I prepared it not for thee t is against my inclination that I send thee thither But thou hast transgrest my Commandements neglected and profaned my Sacraments abused my graces and hast been ungratefull for an infinity of favours go ungratefull go accursed go unfortunate depart from my presence I will never have pity on thee My Dear Brothers and sisters behold a shadow but a very slender and imperfect one of the sentence which shal be pronounced against the Reprobate Thinke on it if you be wise think upon it in the presence of God to whom be honour praise glory benediction for ever and ever Amn. DISCOURS XI OF THE EIGHTH ARTICLE I believe in the holy Ghost IT is reported in the Acts of the Apostles that S. Paul Acts. 10. entring into the Town of Ephesus and finding there some Faithfull demanded of them if they had receiv'd the holy Ghost and they answered we know not so much as that there is a holy Ghost If we should put now the same Question to many Christians they might make the same answer or at least they might say we know not what is the holy Ghost To exclude and banish farr from Christians an ignorance so pernicious the Apostles employ this Article to instruct us concerning his adorable and amiable Person 2. They teach us that He is a Person distinct from the Father and the Son since they made us to say before I believe in God the Father I believe in Iesus Christ his Son and now I believe in the holy Ghost They teach us also that this Person is God with the Father and the Son since they make us say I belive in the holy Ghost They do not only make us to profess that there is a holy Spirit But to believe in Him to reverence Him as God and to love him as our sovereign Good 3. They call him holy Ghost or Spirit which is common to the Father and the Son For the Father is a
one cannot practise effectually all good workes but a chosen soul is disposed to do them promptly whensoever God gives him abilitie and occasion These Words of S. Paul instruct us to employ the Talents and to cooperate with the grace that God gives us faithfully In what consists the fidelity of a servant in that he employes the goods of his Master to as much profit as he can and therefore the servant in the Gospell who had employ'd well the five talents which were given him to trafick was called faithfull servant S. Matt. 25. 26. serve bone fidelis and the other who gain'd not with his talent was term'd naughty servant This ought to admonish us Gregory hom 9 in Evang. sayes great S. Gregory to consider carefully lest we who have received more from God than others should be therefore judg'd more severely and rigorously than others for when the gifts of God are augmented in us the accompts which we must render of them also do increase every one of us ought then to be so much more humble and more diligent in the service of God how much he finds himself more oblig'd for the fovours he receiv'd from him 9. Nevertheless there are very many Christians that make not good use of them there are but few comparatively to whome one may not say as to the idle servant in the Gospell who hid his Talent serve nequam naughty servant Some have the Talent of a good wit and understanding And in what do they employ this fine wit to speak a witty word in company to jest pleasantly to study curiosities and complements to make ingenious replyes to the end they say there is a Lady that hath a great wit there is a man that knowes how to intertain company they do as that foolish Emperour who spent the day in chasing and killing flies with a golden bodkin they have golden understandings which are not employd but to catch flies the flies of vain glory of worldly praise of complacencie in them selves and at the best but in the affaires of this world God gave it them to consider his workes to contemplate his perfections to meditate upon the Mysteries of Faith to conceive acts of repentance to do good workes to assist the poore to confort the opprest to help widows and orphans and to instruct the ignorant and they do nothing less is not this to lose or abuse their Talent Others have the Talent of perfect health a body entire and well compos'd that they may bear the labours of good and vertuous workes and the austerities of penance and they let this health wâ—ste away in an idle slack and faint life Ladies if you are good Christians after you have don your devotions you ought to labor in some worke for the Poore since S. Paul does say so To others God hath given riches of this world to do good with them to buy heaven and to redeem their sins by alms if God had don this favour to one man only to be able to redeem eternal paines with temporal goods to be able to oblige his Saviour and to gaine his favour with money how happy would he be esteem'd when a rich man is upon his death-bed and dispair'd off by Phisitians we are wont to say ô if life and health could be bought with money how glad would this man be how willingly would he give the halfe of his fortune to free himself from present death Yes life and health may be purchased with money not the fragil and temporal health but the solid and eternal not this life which is full of miseries but the happy life which is a collection of all goods And instead of purchasing this life instead of redeeming their sins by alms instead of traficking with this Talent they keep it â—id and lock'd up in a Coffre or they throw it away in vanities superfluities and debaucheries Another Talent which God desires us to manage with more care is the time He gives us to do penance and other workes of holiness He desires so much that we make use of the present time that he leaves us vncertaine of the future we know not that after this year this month this week this day there will be any time for us Is it not then a great want of prudence to let it pass without making good use of it Consider well your life see in what you employ the precious time You rise at eight or nine a clock you lose two or three houres in dressing your selves you content your selves to hear a short mass the afternoon is spent in giving or receiving visites the evening in frivolous discourses in cardes or other pastimes is this the life of a Christian is this to bring forth much fruit is this to be a Pursuer of good Works But that with which we ought to cooperate most diligently is the grace of God Wherefore S. Paul cryes-out to us receive 2. Cor. 6. not the grace of God in Vaine Nevertheless holy Iob notes our abuse of it Ipsi fuerunt rebelles Lumini they have been rebells against the light Is it not true that this word is verifyd in you you Iob. 24. 23. do not sin through ignorance you know well that you live not as you ought you would not dye in the state of negligence Vanity worldliness in which you are you do many things which in the houre of death you will wish you had not don you do not many things which you will wish you had don you seek arguments and apparent reasons to flatter your selves in your imperfections and abuses of Gods graces But We need not to go out of the parable of the Gospel to confute them The Master sayd to the servant who had hid his Talent naughty servant why have you not put it out to profit He had not dissipated nor imploy'd ill the Talent but because he had not gain'd by it he sayd to him naughty servant take him and cast him into exteriour darkness Let us then apply our selves to good workes so that we may say with S. Paul the grace of God hath not been fruitless in me that 1. Cor. 15. 10. Colloss 4. 12. Apoc. 3. we may be of the number of those to whome 't is sayd You stand perfect and full in all the Will of God that we may not be subject to this reproach in the Apocalyps I find not thy workes full before God Consider what you would say to a workman that should rest two or rhree houres daily more then he ought what you would say to your farmer if he should bring you but half the rent he owes you These holy dispositions must com from God it belongs to him to give the beginning the progress and the accomplishment of our vertue Beg then these graces of him humbly fervently and frequently cooperate with them faithfully render to him all the glory of your actions and confess that when God shal crown your merits He will crown his
the first saturday in lent says this solemn fast was holily instituted for the health both of soul and body And in the Decretalls of Gratian we read that many who had infirmities their goods being confiscated and they reduced to poverty so that they could not make good cheer were cured by this forced dyet All good Phisitians will tell you that for one hurt by fasting fifty are killed by eating and drinking And Experience shews that the more abstemious usually enjoy better health and longer life It is true that Fasting macerates and weakens bodys that are not well accustomed and hardned by it But it strengthens souls and makes them reign they are disposed by it to prayer and contemplation they please God by it satisfy his justice merit and impetrate of Him Benefits temporal and eternal The servant body then must indure theses paines and labours by which accrew so many and so great advantages to the lady soul nor does the Soul do injury to the body making it to fast but much obliges it She exempts it from punishments which it merited by rebellions for nothing appeases more the anger of God nothing averts better the thunderbolts of his justice then fasting and other macerations of the body which proceed out of true conversion and compunction of heart Witness the Ninivites It is doplorable that they who glory in the name of Christians have not so much sight and judgment as those poor Pagans the Son of God hath reason to say that they shal rise in judgment and condemn them Ionas sayd not to the Ninivites fast put on hair-cloth do pennance but only fourty days and Ninive shal be subverted and yet Pagans as they were had the light to know that to appease God it was necessary to fast and to do penance they published a fast so general and severe that all from the greatest to the least from the eldest to the youngest also bruit beasts fasted three days and nights without any meat or drink Should the Church command such a fast how would they cry-out against her but he Creatour approv'd this Edict and pardoned the sins of those that had so fasted 6. To be short if austerities be unlawfull and forbidden we must condemn all the ancient Anchorets and a great part of the primitive Christians who fasted almost daily in bread and water through the Spirit of penance and mortification we must condemn the Religious of the present Church who weaken their bodys by the exercises of penance We must condemn our Savior who fasted and spent whole nights in prayer upon mount olivet to give us example we must condemn the holy Ghost who exhorts us by the Apostle earnestly to shew that we are the Ministers or servants of God by Patience by Watchings 2. Cor. 6. 6. and fastings by longanimity and sweetness by the sincerity of our words by chastity and by cordial charity 7. These are the vertues and dispositions which ought to accompany our fasts They who have not health or strength for the one ought to addict themselves with more zeal to the practise of the other shewing that they are the faithfull servants of God and true Children of the Church By much patience You say you cannot fast because you are big with child or you are a nource And well says S. Chrysostome God excuses you from this fast But He requires another of you S. Chryâ— hom 22. ad pop which is that you abstain from anger this abstinence will do no hurt to the fruit you bear on the contrary the too ardent Passion by which you are transported may hurt it much and make it to dye without Baptisme By longanimity and sweetness If God say to you in judgment why have you not fasted if you answer I had a great weakness of stomake a continual and great giddiness of my head when I fasted And well if you say true God will admit of this excuse But what will you answer when He will reply why have you not pardoned your ennemie Why have you not thrown that hatred out of your heart which filled you with gall and betterness One sweet word sayd to salute your neighbor and to gain his heart would it have burnt your mouth or caused dizziness in your head By sincerity of words you are sick they command you to eate flesh obey your Phisitian and Confessor but eate not that flesh which is forbidden you I fear I shal see one day that many eate flesh in the Lent not boyled but raw and also humane flesh by calumny and detraction it is the Scripture that speaks so the harmfull approach upon me and eate my flesh sayd the Royal Prophet And holy Iob why do you persecute me Psal 26. 2. and are filled with my flesh They make a conscience to put their teeth into a piece of dead flesh and they make no scrupule to tear with their tongue the living flesh of their neighbor by calumnies and murmurations which is wors By Chastity fast not only with the mouth for it is not the mouth only that offends God make all the members of your body to fast Impure looks touches lacivious thoughts and delectations are carnal meats these are prohibited in all times and chiefly in the Lent he that fasts not commits but one or two sins a day but he that consents to dishonest thoughts commits sometimes more than ten By cordial Charity The holy Fathers say fasting is not only instituted to punish the body but also that we may have more means and leasure to give alms to viset sick and to practise other workes of charity fiat refectio pauperis abstinentia jejunantis Either you fast or not if you fast you should give to the poor what you would spend in a supper if you do not fast seeing you honor not God by abstinence honour him by mercy corporal or spiritual We ought to fast so in charity towards our neigbor We must fast in charity also towards God and not for terrene and temporal Ends. 8. The Son of God says to us When you fast wash your face Matt 6. 18. that is to say purify your intention Make not a fast of Gallen to be well and in good health nor the fast of the Avaricious to spare the purse but the fast of a Christian to obey the Church to have more means to give alms more leasure to practise good works the spirit more free to pray to satisfy the justice of God to make the funerall of our Saviours death to dispose our selves to communion to honor and imitate the fast of JESUS in the desert so having accompanied Him in his penance and fast on earth we may merit to be satiated by the torrent of pleasure with him in heaven Amen DISCOURS XXVI OF ALMS BLessed is the man that considers the necessities of the poor to have pity on him God will treat him sweetly and mildly in the day of judgement Psal in the day which the Royal Prophet
which S. Iohn called our Lords day We read again in the Acts that the first christians met upon the first day of the week which is our sunday to communicate But Acts. 20. 7. a Sabbatharian wil reply again what then The Text does not say they assembled always on that day or only on that day yea we read in the Acts that they communicated very frequently Acts. 2. or every day How do you then inferr from their communicating once upon that day that the Sabbath was abrogated and the Sunday was subrogated in its place Nay you find in the new Law that though the old Law was by CHRIST evacuated yet the ten Commandements were by Him confirm'd For in S. Matthew one came to our Saviour saying what good shal I do that I may have everlasting life Our Saviour Matth. 10. answered keep the commandements And when that man reply'd to know what commandements Our Lord explicated himself to mean those Commandements which that man knew very well S. Mark 10. S. Luke 18. Cor. 7. 19 as appears also in S. Mark and in S. Luke Secondly S Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians says Circumcision is nothing and prepuce is nothing but the observance of the Commandements of God this is the thing you must look too if you will have everlasting life Behold here that great Apostle tels you rhat even then when Circumcision was abolished and made nothing yet the observance of the Commandements and he excepts not one was necessary to salvation And our Saviour foretelling his Apostles the destruction of Hierusalem which was to be 40. yeares after his Resurrection when one would think the observance of the Sabbath would have been S. Matthew 24. 20. if ever it were to be abolished yet He bids them pray that their flight might not be upon the Sabbath or the 7. th day for to avoyd the prophanation of that day The seventh day then was to be observ'd long after the supposed practise of Communion upon the Sunday Acts. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16 and long after S. Paul bids Christians to make their collections upon the first day of the week from whence you draw another argument though the Apostle does not so much as say that they did use to meet that day and seems to appoint that day only for a pious beginning of the week 2. Since then the Scriptures are not clear for us in this important point yea seem rather to be against us How do we know that the obligation of sanctifying the Sabbath or seventh day was taken away And how do we know that a new obligation of sanctifying the Sunday was put upon us we know it by the same way we know the Bible is the Word of God that the Creed was made by the Apostles that infants are to be baptized that the prohibition of the new Law to eate suffocated Acts. 15. meats and blood is repeal'd and to be short as we know other things of great importance not written or not plainly 2. Thes. 2. 15. declar'd in Scripture And this is Apostolical Tradition which S. Paul bids us hold For the Church by the instruction of the Apostles tells us plainly that the Son of God hath freed us from all obligation to sanctify the Sabbath of the Iewes and hath instituted Sunday for us Christians For on this day the principal Workes attributed to the most holy Trinity and don in favour of us were begun or accomplished It was on Sunday that God began to create the World It was on Sunday that our Saviour came into the world that He was born of the B. Virgin and that he rose again from the dead It was on Sunday that the holy Ghost descended upon the Faithfull to sanctify the world 3. These incomparable Workes should be the object of our devotion on Sundays to conforme our selves to the intentions of our Saviour and of the Church For this Commandement is both affirmative and negative as negative it forbids servil workes as affirmative it commands us to sanctify the day that is to employ the day in holy Workes as in assisting devoutly at divine service in praying in contemplating particularly those great workes of God for to admire the excellencie of them and to thank bless and praise him for them in receiving the Sacraments in reading spiritual books in hearing the word of God in visiting the Poor Sick and Prisoners which is an act af Religion says S. Iames in instructing one another in the Mysteries of Faith in the Commandements of God in S. Iames 1. 27. the practise of vertue and Religion S. Chrysostome sayd that Sunday was called the day of bread becaus all Christians then receiv'd the bread of Angells in the Eucharist the day of light becaus we ought to receive tâ—erein light and guidance for all the week by sermons catechismes spiritual reading and meditation If then we employ great part of the day in dancing playing and recreating our selves we offend not indeed against the negative Commandement which forbids servil workes but we do not accomplish perfectly the affirmative precept which commands us to sanctify the day 4. They violate the negative Commandement who employ the holy days in traficking in buying or selling or other servil and mercenary employments and are subjects of the complaynt which God makes by Ezechiel The houses of Israel provoked me and my Ezeeh. 20. 13. Sabbaths they violated exceedingly 4. You wilâ— say If I sell not another will I shal lose my custome and shal want But if this be so S. Paul would not say Piety is profitable to all things that is both to the spiritual 1. Tim. 4. 8 Matt 6. 31. and the temporal Nor would our Saviour conclude Be not therefore solicitous for the Sustenance of your bodys seek first the kingdom of God and his Providence will furnish you the rest by the meanes of moderate labour If we ever ought to seek the kingdom of God we ought to do it at least on Sundays and becaus you seek it not you are not supplyed with the rest You neglect the spiritual for the temporal and you lose both temporal and spiritual you are poor in this world and in the other 5. They have violated my Sabbaths exceedingly God says Exceedingly against those who not only serve not God on sundays but offend him more outragiously than in any other day by debaucheries impieties and dissolutions It seems the sunday is made by some the sink of all the week who having not leasure to offend God on other days transferr this to the sunday It is not now our Lords day with them but the devills their solemnities are not the festivalls of Saints but of Bacchus Ceres and Venus Heretofore the devills left the bodyes of possessed persons and withdrew themselves into the desert as unable to endure the piety and devotion of the Faithfull But now they possess the hearts of Christians as those hoggs of the
increased the child then that is gratefull for the life he hath receiv'd from his Parents deserves that it be polong'd and preserv'd If then we see good natured and obedient children dye young it is that the providence of God foresaw that temptation would chang them and put them in danger of damnation and in recompence of their obedience he gives them eternal life in lieu of temporal He was taken away says the holy Wisd 4. 11. Ghost lest malice should change his understanding or lest any guile might deceive his soul or God calls them to himself that they may not see and feel the publick afflictions and calamities of the times Isay 57. 1. The â—ust is taken away from the face of evill sayd the Prophet Isaiah 12. S. Paul says that Piety serves not only to merit a long life but to obtain all other grace and favour of God the salvation of the soul health of body a happy posterity with an abundance also of temporalls if they are profitable to the Spiritual Tim. 2. 4. and 8. The Wiseman had taught this long before assuring us He heaps up treasure that honours his Mother and he that honours his Father shal joy in children and in the day of his prayer shal be heard Ecclus. 3. 13. Honor them then as Ecclesiasticus there bids you by words by actions and by patience Speak to them and of them ro others always with respect do nothing to offend them with your workes and if they give you yet occasion of sufferance or discontent endure and bear it patiently so you wil be the children of God fruits of benediction and coheires of IESUS-CHRIST in the possession of the kingdom of heaven Amen DISCOVRS XXXIII of the Duty of Parents IT is a Question in Divinity Why God hath not in the Decalogue recommended to Parents their Duty in respect of children S. Chrysostom answers that it was not necessary since nature does teach it clearly and the great love they have for their children does sufficiently incline Parents to have a care of them Whence S. Paul takes occasion to draw this consequence He who hath not care of his own and especially of his domesticks is wors then an infidell becaus he does not violate only the lawes of Christianity but transgresses also the law of nature so deeply imprinted in the hearts of all men And if according to the Gospell they that are not more vertuous than Pagans shal not enter into the kingdom of heaven what salvation may they hope Nay what damnation should they not expect who as the Apostle says are wors than Infidells To avoyd this then Parents must pay exactly four debts they owe to children Nourishment Instruction good Example and Correction 2. First Nourishment For Parents that deny them this debt are not only wors then Infidells but more unnatural and cruel than savage beasts It is God himself that complains of it by Hieremiah Lamiae nudaverunt mammam lactaverunt catulos suos filia populi mei crudelis ut struthio instead of lamiae there is in the hebrew Thren 4. 3. Tanim dragons wild doggs There is no beast so cruel but hath care to nourish its young the dragons themselves and the wild doggs do it and there are many amongst my people who are cruel as the ostritch the ostritch you know is a very greedy and devouring foule cast to it iron peuter silver it swallows all it degests all to nourish its own self but towards its young it is most cruel for as holy Iob says she Iob. 39. 13. is content to lay her eggs she does not cover or sit upon them and if any one by the heat of the Sun does bring forth a young one and it cryout to the mother for a little nourishment she is deaf to this mournfull voice she is hardened against her young as if it were not her own Many fathers do the same they are as revenous and cruel as this bird they consume silver peuter iron linnen which they sell to defray the charges of theyr disorders they content themselves to people the world to have children and take no care to breed them up Whilst they make good cheer in Taverns these poor innocents cry for hunger they lament and say as Micheas we make mourning as it were of ostritches Mich 1. 8 3. There are others who fail in this first duty by a disposition quite contrary to profusion by a spirit of avarice and unsatiable covetousnes they love so much their money that they will not employ a little for the good education and salvation of their children they choose rather to see them ignorant rude and vicious then to disburse money for a good Instructor to send them to school to buy them spiritual books and to make them learn something in which they may profitably employ the time of their life and improve the Talents God hath given them in defect whereof they are miserable both in regard of this life and the other they fear says S. Austin to lose the image of the King engraven on the money in their purs and they fear not at all to lose the Image of God imprinted in the souls of children of whom He hath given them charge 4. They ought not also to do as the Ape which often kills its young by hugging them too much they ought not to do as Agrippa who being told that her Son should be Emperour imperious and take away her life I care not said she so that he do reign occidat modo imperet Say in like manner to another you are ill advised to accustome your daughter to go so richly cloathed to kill your self in body and soul to marry her so richly what need is there that she should be better then you when she shall be elevated she will laugh at you despise you look upon you as below herself be ashamed to accompany you and to shew that you are her mother this will make you dye with regret occidat modo imperet I care not so that she be great say to this father after S. Austin that it is not to have care of your children but to stifle them to burden them so with riches gotten by the ruine of the Poore to make them swim thus in the teares of widdows and orphans whose goods you hold this will draw downe the malediction of God upon them and upon you eternal damnation I care not provided that he be great Say to him your elder Son is ignorant he hath neither judgement nor vertue and is uncapable of that office if you resigne it to him or obtain it for him he will do therein a thousand injustices your younger Son is not called to an Ecclesiastical state he hath not the gift of continence nor any devotion if you obtaine for him that Benefice he will damne himself therein and will damne many other and you will be responsible for all occidat modo imperet I care not provided that
and suffers those torments voluntarily she knows how disagreable she is to the Sanctity and Purity of God that she is a debtour to his justice and that she deserves those torments she desires the justice of God should have its cours and as she loves God more than her own self she is glad the injury don to his Majesty is revenged also at her own cost she will remaine in that prison untill her debt be entirely payd either by her own sufferances or by the satisfactions and suffrages of others 4. For we may ayde those poor afflicted soules they are in communion of spiritual goods with us they are members of the same mystical Body children of the same Church Citizens of the same City and there is such an union such a simpathy and communication betwixt members of the same Body children of the same family inhabitants of the same City that we cauterize a member that is well to cure that which is ill that the labour of a child of a family profits his brother who labours not that one citizen ss 25. in Decret de purg can pay debts and satisfy for another We can then help these souls especially in three manners First by Prayers as the Councel of Trent declares For a good and devout praier is not only meritorious to him that makes it but also impetratory and satisfactory for others Secondly by the Sacrifice of Mass for this is the most See Dis XLVI n. 9. Tobie 4. 18. profitable suffrage that can be offered to God for the help of the dead as not only the aforesayd Councel but also the Fathers of the primitive Church declare Thirdly by Alms. Venerable Toby sayd to his son Put your bread and wine upon the Tomb of the just becaus in that time the Poor assembled in Cemeterys or Churchyards and alms of bread and wine were given them for the souls departed He sais upon the Tomb of the just becaus alms gâ—ven for souls that are in hell avail them not but those that departed out of this world in the state of grace they profit much wherefore S. Austin reproved the avaricious who excused themselves from such alms by the great Aug. lib de decem cordis c. 12. number of their children when we sayd he reprehend you for your auarice you say that if you give not so much as you desire 't is becaus you have many children It is a fals pretence wherewith you maske your avarice For if one of your children dye are you more charitable than you were if you keep your goods for them you would send a part to him he hath now more need of it then ever But if you have not means to give alms for the poor souls succour them by other workes 5. All vertuous actions don in the state of grace and especially the painfull if Offered for the dead give them great refreshment But those confort them most of which they are the Cause either by their instructions or by their good examples For Divinity â—eaches us that if we are the cause of any good as often as 't is don after our death our accidentall glory in heaven is increased and if we are in purgatory our torments are diminished as on the contrary our paines there are augmented if any sin be committed by our bad example 6. Let us give eare then to the dolefull lamentations of those poor souls who implore our help Meseremini mei Miseremini mei Saltem vos amici mei Have pity on me have pity on me at least you who are my friends she says twice Have pity on me Have pity on me Lest you increas my paines Have pity on me to ease me in my sufferances Have pity Be touched with compassion of so great miseries For judgment without mercy shal be don to him who shal not S. Iames 2. 13. have don mercy But on what will you exercise mercy but on misery and what greater misery then that of a poor creature who owes very much and is pursued and pressed by a rigorous Iustice and hath not wherewith to pay What greater misery then that of a poor soul upon whom the revenging hand of the Omnipotent is layed then of a poor soul in torments so Excessive that if a dog should be so tormented it would move you to compassion Of me a soul created to the image of God redeemed by the precious blood of IESUS marked with his character embellished with his graces designed to his glory He will say in iudgment I have been thirsty and you have given me drink I have been Matt 25 35. in prison and you have visited me I have been naked and you have clothed me I have been a stranger and you have received me into your house You do all these good workes of charity if you deliver a poor Soul out of Purgatory you are the caus that she is satiated with a torrent of pleasute you redeem her out of a very obscure and painfull prison you cloth her with the stole of glory and you make her to be received and lodg'd in heaven At least you who are the caus or occasion that this soul is in pain have pity on her you have made her to offend God by your impure words by your bad examples or by your sollicitations having so great part in the debt will you not contribute to the satifaction At least you friends what is becom of the affection you testifyd to your friend where are the offers of service where are the protestations so often made that you would never abandon her forget you her becaus she is seperated from you and turne you your back to her when she hath the greatest need of Succour It appears now that you were a friend of fortune only and the afliction of your friend is the touchstone which shews the falness of your friendship At least you my friends your Ancestours have made themselves debtours to the justice God by the sins which they committed to leave you goods will you be so ungratefull and so cruell as to refuse them a little part of them you swimme in delights and they are in torments you rest in feathers and they lie in flames You complain not of a large refection you give to J know not whom and you refuse your afflicted mother a little dinner which you might send her by the poore In fine if you be so mercenary as to seek your interest in all your actions remember that these poot Souls are in the gtace of God must go to heaven and you must one day succeed in their present place and if you shal deliver them they will not be ungratefull Blessed are the mercifull for they shal obtaine mercy If you give an amls for a soul in Purgatory you do at once two workes of mercy corporal mercy to the poor in want and Spiritual to the soul in paines you make the poor man your friend and the poor soul your debtour when you