which the Sacrament excites And it would restore also health of body more effectually for when you are in or neere your agony and dispaired of by Phisicians if the Sacrament should repaire your force and strength this would be a miracle which God who disposes althings sweetly does not usually or without necessity But if you receive it sooner He would dispose second causes by the secrets of his providence to renew your health in case He should judg it necessary for your salvation 6. The third effect which the Apostle atributes to this Sacrament is the remission of sins And if he be in sins they shal be remitted him He says expressy If he be in sins becaus he supposes the Sicke hath already received Penance and that by absolution his sins have been remitted But if he hath not rightly accomplished Confession and Communion and knows it not or if by humane frailty he hath committed a mortal sin after his Confession and is ignorant of it such remainders with all venial sins would be remitted and a good part of the temporal punishment due to them relaxed by this Sacrament If then we are depriv'd of it by our fault or if we receive the Sacrament unfruitfully or if by our negligence a Soul depart out of this world without receiving the grace of it 't is a great fault and God does make this complaint of it The wound is not sured nor mollifyd with oyle 7. S. Bernard writes that S. Malachy was intreated to visit and Vitâ S. Malach. carry the holy oyles to a Gentlewoman dying near his monastery who so reioyced in the presence of the holy Prelate that she seem'd to be quite reviv'd she demanded the Sacrament but the Assisstant seeing her so changed desired the Prelate to forbeare The Saint condescended to their request and returned with the holy oyles No sooner he arrived at the Monastery but he heard the Cryes of divers who sayd that she was dead he runns and coms to her and finds her dead Behold him in the greatest sorrow in lamentations tears groans and complaints of himself for a fault whereof he was not guilty T is my fault Lord 't is my fault since she desired it I should not have defer'd it he protests to all the Assistants that he will weep in consolably that is Soul should never rest til he had restored to the dead the grace which she had lost he remains by the corps and instead of holy Oyle waters it all night with his precious tears This holy water frightens and puts death to flight for the next morning the dead opened her eyes as if she had been wakened out of sleep then sits up and making a low inclination to the Bishop says The prayer of faith hath saved the infirme By which you see how soliciâ—ous we should be to receive the effects and reap the fruits of this Sacrament 8. And to reap them with full hands and in abundance we must receive it with necessary dispositions and 't is certaine that Sacramental Confession must if possible precede it becaus this Sacrament is one of those which Divines call Sacramenta Vivorum that is which ought not to be received but by the faithfull who are already in the life of grace I say if possible for if one should be so depriv'd by a sudden accident that he cannot Confess we must neuertheless administer to him this Sacrament But there are three other dispositions which a devout soul should have in receiving it One in respect of God another in respect of himself and the third in respect of his neighbor 9. First you must offer to God a sacrifice of your life accepting death with resignation to his holy Will with great submission to the Orders of his Providence and to render honor and homage to his divine Perfections and say my God I submit with all my heart to the sentence of death you have pronounced against me from the beginning of the world I offer my life to you to do homage to your Souveraintie and Justice I acknowledg and protest that I have most justly deserv'd it not only by teason of original sin but as often as I have sinned in all my life 10. He that is in this disposition of a Victime and a Holocaust in the sight of God will have also the necessary spirit of humility He will renounce all pride ambition vain glory and ostentation he will abhorr the spirit of those vain souls who disire passionately to be praised in gazetts celebrated in histories that their hearts or bodys be emâ—auâ—med put into ledden coffins carried to the grave with pomp with famous and magnificent obsequies and funeral discourses who build for themselves or make to be built high and glorious tombes who fix their names and armes upon the walls of Churches and cause Epitaphes to be composed Aug. lib. 9. confess c. 13. in their praises S. Austin praises his Mother for that she had not the least thought of such a Vanity And the Scripture blames the ambition wherewith they buried the king Asa They buried him in his sepulcher which he digged for himself in the City of David and they layd him upon his bed full of Spices and odoriferous 2. Paral. 16. 14. oyntments and they burnt it upon him with exceeding ambition says the sacred Text. 12. In fine the holy oyle minds you of the Parable of the Virgins that they who had kept Virginity were not saved becaus they wanted the oyle of mercy with much more reason they cannot be saved who having committed impurities and other sins shal be presented to their Judg not having redeem'd their crimes by the workes of Charity You ought to do it all your life but if you have failed if you have not made the lamp to be carried before you make it at least to follow after you that you may not be wholy in darkness when you go into the other world JESUS having given us his sweat blood and life deserves well that you give him a good part of your goods also during your life when they are more necessary for you But since you have omitted it give him a little part of them at least in the houre of your death when your goods are useless to you 't is He who gave them to you who is the Proprietor of them and nevertheless desires for your good to receive of them in the persone of the Poor 13. I conclude with these words of S. Salvian You are avaricious But you are not enough I exhort you to be yet more you love Lib. 2. con Av. a ritiam in fine riches love them at your death as well as in your life you fear the poverty of this life fear also that of the other carry your riches with you into the other world they will be more necessary there than here to avoyd the paines of Purgatory in the way to redeem you in case you are cast in to that Prison and to make
he not who is Wisdom 3. 5. worthy of God Invenit illos dignos se Blessed a thousand times his holy and vertuous life which disposes him to such a glory blessed his happy death which will be to him as a door to enter into an immortall life Blessed his understanding which shal see one day openly and face to face the divine Essence his Will that will love God and enjoy him for all Eternity Blessed a thousand times his head upon which the holy Trinity will put a Crown of Glory in the presence of the Vnivers Blessed and happie his hands which shal carry always palmes as the ensignes of his Victories Blessed his feet and his steps since he shal walk upon the celestial Glob in the company of Angells Blessed and happy a thousand times all the members of his body and the powers of his soul which shal be filled and satiated with all sorts of delights joys glory happiness and with eternall Beatitude What I say of this elect Soule I say to every one that shal do violence to himself to rise out of the state of sin to overcom his passions to keep the commandements and to live according to the maxims of the Gospell Violenti rapiunt illud the Matthew 11. 12. Violent beare heaven away they that do violence to themselves to their vices and their passions obtain Heaven God grant us the grace to whom be honour glory praise and benediction for ever Amen DISCOURS XV. OF THE TWELFTH ARTICLE Life Everlasting Amen IN this last Article is declar'd to us the End for which we were created for which we were made Christians and to which all Laws Sacraments Vertues and other things are directed we ought then to believe firmly and to ruminate often that after the Resurrection there shal be in the Vnivers two conditions the one most happy the other most miserable and that neither of them shal ever end that every one of us shal be either of the one or of the other of the right hand or of the left of the number of the good or of the bad of them that go to heaven or of those that go to hell And that 't is now the time to look to our affairs fitting our selves to be of the happy side for after this there shal be no more time for us This doubtless we shal do if we consider and ponder well What is Eternal Life and how great are the goods of it 2. S. John in the Apocalyps speaking of sinners says their Apoc. 28. 8. part shal be in the pool burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death The second or everlasting death then is when the soul and the body are depriv'd of their Beatitude and confind to the fire of hell And on the contrary eternal life is when they are freed from those and all other evills and do enjoy the eternal Goods of heaven 3. These are so great that the Apostle who was rapt up into heaven would not describe the Greatness of them he speaks not of them but with astonishment neither eye hath seen says he nor eare hath heard nor hath the heart of man conceiv'd what God â—ath prepar'd for them that love him Nevertheless for to attain to some knowledg or rather to some slender conjecture of their greatness fourt hings shal be considered 4. First the liberality of God towards all men in this life cast the eyes of your consideration with S Austin upon the extent of the Vnivers see what stately buildings there are what chambers richly furnished what beauteous gardens what pleasant medows what odoriferous and coloured Flowers what sorts of savory fruits what delicious meats what delicate wines what sweet odours what melodious voices what sumptuous garments what dogs for chase what birds of prey for recreation It is God that gives all these things to men But to what men And who are they that more usually enioy them Atheists Infidells and others that forget him and incessantly offend him Now if He do so much good to his enemies what will he reserve for his friends If He be so liberal to give how much more to recompence if He be so charitable to those that offend him how much more to those who love him if He be so magnificent to those He owes but punishments how much more to those to whome He hath made so many promises Run through in your mind all that you have ever seen heard or imagin'd all that is great rich magnificent precious pleasant and desirable all that is nothing if compar'd with that which God hath prepar'd for you if you love him for all that may be seen recounted or desired and it is impossible to see decipher or desire the great goods which God hath promiss'd and prepar'd for those that love him 5. To have a second conjecture of them you need not but weigh and consider the iourneys and toyles of Apostles the torments of Martyrs the watchings and austerities of confessors the temptations combats and Victories of Virgins the alms and charities of Widdows the heroical vertues of other Saints and that after so many toyles so many sufferances penances mortifications good works services merits the Apostle says that Rom. 8. 18. the very sufferances and afflictions themselves of this life are little in comparison with the glory of heaven And again the tribulation which at present is momentary and light works above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory in us note above measure exceedingly 2. Ior. 4. 17. 6. Nevertheless a third consideration will make this weight of glory to surpass yet much more all value and esteem of it For Heaven is not only the Salary of the Saints but also the recompence of the merits of JESUS Consider what He is in his divine Person what He is with God his Father the ardent love He had for him the Zeal which He had for his Glory the great services He did him what He suffered for his honour what his pretious Blood is worth the Glory of Heaven is the Salary of all that given by a King most liberal in his gifts and most magnificent in his recompences 7. Hell also though very low may serve us for a footstool and a step to mount up to Heaven by contemplation and to make a guesse at the felicities of it What is hell 't is an abyss a Collection a Rendevow of the most excessive sorrows bitternesses and afflictions imaginable What is it to be damn'd 'T is to be eternally in a prison most deep most obscure and most incommodious to be eternally in captivity under a Tyrant most insolent most cruell and most barbarous not to have one mite of bread in an eternal and most ravenous hunger not a drop of water in a most burning thirst not a ray of light in the greatest darkness not a moment of rest in an unsuportable and eternal weariness to be eternally afflicted with all the miseries a humane body is
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
of hatred or iâ—l will 't is out of love or xeal of justice his strokes are favours and his wounds are antidotes He is angry as a dove with out gaule or malice our anger is of a contrary quality 't is the anger of a viper with interiour venime and black bile when we are angry we are full of aversion and bitterness and the malignity also of this viper is so great that often it vomits out its poyson against the goodness of God himself 7. What remedy for a passion so unreasonable maligne and prejudicial First we must remove the cause in our own selves must pull out the root which is an inordinate affection to temporal goods or to our selves or to some other creature An Ancient named Cottis broke many Vessells which his friends had presented him fearing he should be angry when his servants broke them I counsell you not to destroy or to quit wholy all that is or may be the occasion of your anger but to moderate your affection to them and to love them rather out of obedience to the Will of God than by inclination so having no tye of irregular affection to them you will not be in danger to be much moved when you shal be depriv'd of them 9. Consider in the second place from whence the accidents and Crosses com which are wont to move your anger Know that all that happens in this world I say all except sin does com from God and therefore ought to be well receiv'd both in regard of the divine source whence they proceed and the beneficial effects they are sent to produce in us The holy Ghost sayes in Ecclesiasticus that good things and evill life and death poverty Ecclus. 11. Aug. in Psal 48. and riches com from God And hence S. Austin assures us that whatsoever happens in this world against our wills coms not but by the will of God by his Providence and order though we know not the reason of it Whosoever considers well this Providence of God his goodness and his Wisdom hath a true and sweet prevention of his passions he cannot thinke the Crosses are design'd for ill to him because they are disposed by an Infinite Goodness who intends and projects his good He will not Gyant like set up his will against the will of God and with a foolish rashness kick against the spurr but submit to all that hath been decreed in his counsells receive all patiently and thankfully as comming from so good a hand and happily rejoyce also in so good a hope 10. By these means well practised you may prevent your anger so that it will not easily surprize you And to extinguish it or moderate it when it is inflam'd your companions may by the grace of God do much if they imitate him in a like occasion you see sometimes a thick cloud that covers the skie darkens the Sun and makes as it were night at midday you hear a thunderbolt that runs in it lightens thunders and astonishes the world you will say that all goes to rack and the end of the world is com What does our good God to dissipate this tempest Educit ventos de the sauris suis He brings out of his treasures a gentle west wind a little wind that dissipates these clouds calms this tempest and makes the Sun to shine again this tempest is resolv'd into refreshing showers which water the earth and brings a thousand commodities When your neigbor is in passion he is like this cloud is in a tempest and in a rage the Sun of his reason is ecclipsed and hath with in him a darke night he murmures storms and makes a noise like a clap of thunder gives looks that resemble lightinings threatens rants and tears and makes appearance of overthrowing all If you are well disposed you will dissipate all this easily you need not but to let out of your heart which ought to be the treasure of God a mild word as a gentle wind you must not disavow any thing that he says at that time you must not resist him nor retort a fault upon him but excuse him and demand pardon though you have not committed any fault to morrow when this violent heat of passion is cooled and his spirit quieted he will return to himself will admire your patience acknowledg his fault repent himself of his folly and love you better than before 11. But the souveraign remedy of anger and other passions is the grace of God We commit great faults not making fervent and frequent recours to it Our Saviour had no need to pray and yet to give us example being neer his passion sayd to his Father My soul is troubled my fother save me from this houre Do Iohn 12. 27. as He when you percieve any temptation in your heart cast your selves at the feet of the Son of God beg help say with the Apostles Lord save us we perish And when you are not Matth. 8. 25. in temptation court him pray him practice vertues that please him to the end he assist you when you shal be assaulted And ruminate sometimes these words of S. Paul Patience is necessary Heb. 10. 36. for you that doing the will of God you may receive the promise If you be patient the promise of God will be fulfilled in you first in this world He sayed the meek and gentle shal possess the earth Matth. 5. 4. moderate patient and well tempered spirits dispatch affaires with more conduct and better success than hasty turbulent and violent Fabius Maximus did more by his Patience against the Carthaginians than Scipio with his Armies Promise for the other life He sayd In your patience you shal Luke 21. 19. possess your soules you will avoyd an ocean of sins which would put you in danger of losing your soul you will diminish the paines due to your crimes so many injuries so many affronts so many displeasures which you endure for the love of God are so many penances and satisfactions for your offences By patience you practise humility charity towards your neigbbor resignation to the will of God and other vertues which will increase in you the grace of God and make you merit Glory Amen DISCOVRS XXXV OF THE FIFTH COMMANDEMENT Thou shalt not kill AS the reasonable soul is incomparably more noble than the body So the Spirituall murther is much more pernicious and damnable than the corporall That which I call Spiritual murther is Scandal for S. Paul speaking to a corinthian who scandalized his neighbor 1. Cor. 8. sayd to him You are the cause that your christian Brother for whome Christ hath dyed does perish This word of that great Apostle is enough to oblige us to speake all our words and to do all our actions with great circumspection that we may never give ill example nor scandalize so many who have their eyes upon us and who more usually and willingly do imitate our evill than our good By
is in credit or through avarice to have a rich Party If two are assembled in my name says our Saviour I will be in the midst of them He is not in the midst of those becaus they were not assembled in his name This ought to be the intention of Christians says S. Augustine to give children to IESUS and to his Church to have a posterity that may praise love and serve God in your place after your death 12 Honor marriage in the election and choise you make you must pray God much for this that He give you a convenient Party with whome you may worke youâ— Salvation it belongs to God only to know the persone and to give the same to you House and riches are given of the Parents but of our Lord properly a Proverb 19. 14. prudent Wife says the holy Ghost by the mouth of the wise man to obtain this favour you must live holily and do many good works before your marriage a good woman is a good portion she shal be given to a man for good deeds 13. Honor marriage in the treaty of it let there be no circumvention Ecclus. 26. 3. deceit nor fraud you would not be well content to be deceiv'd in a treaty of smal concerne why should you deceive another in a matter of such importance as is marriage where there is no reliefe and which is for all the life This is the câ—us of aversions complaints reproaches and horrible divisions 14. Honor marriage in the solemnization or celebration of it You must confess communicate hear Mass with great attention and beg of God an abundance of graces in this Sacrament Invocate the Sainrs that have been married especially the B. Virgin implore the intercession of those Angells that have been employ'd in making marriages as S. Gabriel that of the Son of God S. Raphael that of Tobias and another that of Isaac Banish those impudent persons who say such words especially in the brid-chamber which would make impudence it self to blush You would do better and draw down the benediction of God upon you if you would follow the counsell which the Angell Raphael gave to Tobias and his Wife to pass the three first days in continence and not to employ them in delights but prayers And he admonished them also that the Devill hath power over those that give themselves to lust as hors and mule which have not understanding 15. Honor in fine marriage in its Effects which is a perfect society of heart goods fortune and of all If husband and wife are divided and one will hot and the other cold one sower the other sweet one will negotiate in this manner the other in another the burdens of marriage are most heavy and insupportable their house is a hell a Place of sin and paine of brawling bitterness and despaire But if they live in union and ayde each other serve God and to keep his Commandements they are agreeable to Him For there are three things that please Him much the concord of bretheren the love of neighbors and Ecclus. 25. 2. a husband and wife that agree together IESUS will be in the midst of them to assist them their temporal affaires will have better issue their children will learn vertue of them and consigne it to posterity their people will serve them more faithfully Neighbors will be edifyd Parents and Friends rejoyced they will bear more easily the burdens of marriage and comfort one another their house will be like a terrestrial Paradise it will be an image a foretaste and prelude of the celestial into which they will one day enter Amen DEO GRATIAS I humbly submit these writings and my self also to the correction of the Catholick Church of which I desire to live and dye a member and a most obedient Child TABLE OF THIS BOOK A Absolution Authority to absolve from sins proved 73. The wonderfull Circumstances of it 74. Adore in the Scripture signifies all sorts of honour 170. Adultery is a very Enormous Crime 217. Alms all Christians are obliged to give them 155. To whome 157. How to be given 159. Exhor to give them 160. Anger Its Effects and Symtoms 204. It was not in our Saviour as God 204. It was in him as man but without imperfection 205. His was vertuous ours is vicious 205. Remidies for ours 207. Exhor to Patience 209. Attrition must be supernaturall 280. It leaves us in state of sin if not followed by absolution 281. Avarice is a pernicious and common vice 221. who is avarici ous 222. B Baptisme obliges to à morall and vertuous death 249. Jn what consists this death 249. It obliges to a new life 251. Excuses of worldly Souls removed 252. What life the primitive Christians lead to satisfy obligations of Baptisme 253. Exhort to imitate them 253. Beatitude See Heaven Blasphemy a detestable Vice 184. C Children are obliged to honour their Parents with the honour of Reverence 192. with the honour of Obedience which must â—e blind cordial and perseverant 193. with the honour of assistance 195. Motives to acquit themselves of these dutyes 196. Christ the true Messias Discours 3. we must live according to his Doctrine 20. What is Christ 21. Why called IESUS CHRIST only Son our Lord. Disc 4. he is not acknowledged Lord by many Christians 25. The Miracles wrought in his conception and Nativity 27. These Misteries declared by a natural Comparison 29 His Doctrine preached in the Crib contrary to that of the world 31. His Sufferances for men Disc 6. Exhor to love him 37. He Rose up againe by his own Power and his Father also raised him 39. We ought to thank the Father for it 40. How He contributed to his Resurrection and how we must to ours 41. His Ascension described 44. How He sits at the right hand of the Father 44. His Ascension very advantagious to him to the Virgin and to us 46 To follow him to heaven we must imitate his actions 48 Church 'T is necessary to submit to all the true Church proposes as an Article of faith 65 We must rely on her for true scriptures and for the sense and meaning of them 65 66 The true Church is One 67 The Romane Church only is One 67 The true Church is holy 68 The Roman Church only is holy 69 The true Church is Vniversall or general 70 The Roman Church only is so 70 'T is necessary to salvation to be united to the Roman Church 71 Commandements of God must be studied learnt and pondered 162 they may be kept 164 We must keep them with filial love 165 They are most reasonable just and amiable 165 Why called Testimonies Iudgments justifications wayes and paths 166 Catholicks divide them best 166 Confession of all mortall Sins to a Priest is necessary 281 Confirmation makes Soldiers of IESUS-CHRIST 255 'T is a true Sacrament 255 Imprints a Character and gives Special grace to fight against Tyrants and wordly souls 257 These hurt more
prosperities he invites them to penance by summons and inspirations which would reclaim tygers and if they return to him he receives them he pardons them he embraces them with inconceivable Clemency and sweetness 14. Nevertheless He is so great and terrible in Iusticè that though the death and Passion of JESUS-CHRIST is capable to redeem a hundred thousand worlds He sees notwithstanding an infinity of Iews of Pagans of Turcks Hereticks of bad Catholicks in the mass of corruption in the way of perdition He draws them not powerfully out of it through a most profound and incomprehensible but most just judgement and he accomplisheth the verity of this word of this tunder-clap many are Mat. 20. 16 called but few elect 15. He is great and admirable in his independence and in the plenitude of his Being He is naturally sufficient to himself most content with himself most happy in himself and has no need of any thing without himself He had from all eternity power to produce creatures heaven earth and all that is in them and he hath not created them but in time for to shew that he had no need of them for to make known that since he hath been perfectly happy without them from eternity he created them not for any S. Austin◠12. de Civit. c. 17. sub fin want he had of them but by a free goodness and by a pure and disinteressed charity Let us make an end of speaking of Him whose greatness has no end who is infinite in his Essence and infinite in Perfections for 't is to mafle as infants 't is to obscure his perfections to speak of them so imperfectly and if He were not infinitely mercifull and condescendent it would be a punishable temerity to speak so lowly so grossly and so unworthily of Him Yet this is enough to make us see what a Majesty we offend and whom we make our enemy when we commit a mortal sin And after this shal we not endeavour to conceive a lively repentance of our sins shal we content our selves with a little sorrow and which regards nothing but our own interests if we detest our sins because they rob us of our merits subject us to the tyranny of the devill engage us to Eternal damnation if we have no other motive 't is to feel and resent a scratch of a pin which we have received and not a great stroake of a sword which we have given The injuries that sin does to the Creatour are without comparison greater then those which it does to the Creature 16. For to avoyd them then Let us remember that God is infinitely noble If a Prince tho' a stranger that appertains not at all to us were in this Country we would not abuse or injure him but would honor him and treat him with respect and shal we dare to offend our God our Sovereign the King of Kings This King who is so great that all the Kings of the earth in respect of Him are but slaves and wormes of the earth Let us consider that He is infinitely powerfull We fear to offend the Powers of this world because they can punish us deprive us of our liberty estates or temporal life and shal we dare to offend the omnipotent God who by one word one act of his Will can reduce us to dust who after He has killed the body will cast our soules into Eternal flames Let us consider that He is infinitely Wise that all things ly open to his sight that he can not forget any thing that whatsoever excuse we forge for to flatter our conscience and to diminish the greatness of our offenses He sees the greatness of them He knows all the circumstances of them and pierceth the bottome of our hearts He knows that 't is neither violence nor poverty nor necessity that makes us to commit sin but that 't is because we have not the fear of God nor the due love of him Let us consider that He is good and that He has always been so to us T is a great injustice a very unnatural malice to offend a person that has never given us any cause who has never disoblig'd us all his life We know that 't is God who created us who conserves us at present and hath preserved us from a thousand dangers He who hath given us more than we have desir'd more than we should dare to desire and what is above all desire who has given his own life and died upon the Cross by pure charity towards us After all these graces shal wee have the malice to commit a mortal sin which infinitely displeases Him Let us remember that He is infinitely just and that his justice ought to have its cours His Prophet sayd I feared all my Iob. 9. 82. works knowing that thou wouldest not spare the offender He leaves not unpunished the least failings what will he do then to mortal sins to great Crimes We must hold it then as most certaine that if we commit these sins we shal suffer soon or late most bitter and grievous torments in this world or in the other Let us in fine consider that He is independent that He depends not of any one in his Being nor in his designs nor in his operations that if He associate sometimes his creatures in the Execution of his designs 't is by an Excess of goodness and not out of indigence If He could have need of us we might thinke that He would be obliged to pardon us and to seek our amitie But he needs us not He has been well without us from all Eternity he will be well without us for all Eternity and if we honour not his mercy in heaven we shal honor his justice by our sufferances in hell from which I pray God to keep us by his mercy Amen DISCOURS II. OF THE FIRST ARTICLE The Father Almighty Creatour Of Heaven and Earth THe first verity expressed in these words requires as much vertue and strength of Faith as any other Verity revealed It obliges us to believe and adore a pluralitie of divine Persons in a most perfect Unitie of nature and to Confess that in the Diety there is a Person who intellectually produces a coeternal and consubstantial Son Hence the Apostles truly call Him Father and his Paternity or fatherhood is so proper to Him that 't is not an Attribute or Quality but that which enters the intrinsecal and individual constitution of Him Father also of us because he created us conserveth us at present and nourisheth us Father again because he redeemed us by his own Son makes us his Children by adoption governs and directs us and conducts us to the inheritance of eternal life 2. Almighty or Omnipotent This signifies a perfection not so proper to him as is that of Fathêr Omnipotence also is not his particular Attribute or Quality but to him appropriated and attributed You know that the faith of the church adores three Persons subsisting in the
of the rent of it but rather chuse that your children make good cheer with it that they give of it to this flatterer or to this dissolute companion than to your God who dies with hunger in the person of the poor I know well that you excuse your selves by the number of your children But if your farmer should dispence with himself from paying you your dues upon the same account would you admit of his excuse S. Chysostome sends us to learn our lesson of the beasts since that we put our selues in their predicament and perhaps also below learn your lesson of your dog sayd this great Doctor you have not so much of judgment or at least not so much of gratitude as your dog for after you have given a morcel of bread to him he flatters you to thanke you in the best manner that he can to excite you to continue your favour to him and you who are indued with reason who blame so much ingratitude in others whilst that God does feed and nourish you delicately you thanke him not What say I we thanke hâ—m not we offend him much and many ways Nay we abuse the very benefits in offending him 9. I say that we abuse them for we make them to revolt against the Creator and we employ them to sin against him We use the light to read Romances and other naughty books the darkness of the night to Cover dishonest actions the air to breath out dissolute songs the fruits of the earth in gluttony and drunkennes cloaths and spoils of animalls in vanites 10. Jn this we do as a poor man that should throw money given him at the face of his benefactor for to hurt him as a Commander that should use his authority to levie men for warr against his Sovereign as a wife that should abuse the presents her husband gave her in pleasing an Adulterer God complains of this abominable ingratitude by his Prophet Osee and Osee c. 28. there we see how God punishes it in this life I gave them corne and wine and oile which they sacrificed to Baal Therefore I wil take my corne and my wine He will send sterility famine warr and other publick afflictions Wherefore a pious Doctor admonishes us very wisely that as often as we use the creatures we should imagin that they say to us these three words Accipe Redde Cave Take the benefit returne service beware punishment 11. Take the benefit Receive the creatures as so many Talents which this great Master gives you to make good use of them as so many Presents which this cordial Friend does make you for a testimony of his benevolence and as so many burning coales which he heaps upon your head for to heat you in his love Returne service Render service and the fruit of your negotiation to so liberal a Master thankes to so obliging a Benefactor obedience ro so sweet a Father and love to a so faithfull Friend In fine Beware punishment Take heed that you incurr not the reproches and the punishments of the ungratfull Take heed you be not like to those unclean beasts which never lift up their eyes to him who beats down acorns to them and which thinks not of but eating and grunting at one another Beware to imitate them who content themselves to use the creatures or to speak more properly to enioy them to make good cheer and to take their pleasures without ever thinking in themselues to whome belongs this bread I eate this air I breath this fire which warms me and this horse that carries me Take heed of failing to acknowledg from whence these benefits do com you will be ungratfull in not acknowledging them more ungratfull in forgetting them but most ungratfull in abusing them and in using the benefits against the Benefactor you will be a monster of ingratitude who would deserve not only to be deprived of the creatures but also to be punished by them For God hath not put the creatures under our feet for to serve as snares and stumblingblocks to make us fall but to serve us as stepps and ladders to mount up to the knowledg of him He hath put them into our hands not as arms to fight against him but as instruments to work with them in his service He hath put them before our eyes not as objects in which we may repose and place our last end But as means and wayes by which we may go to him who is our sovereign Good and our ultimate Beatitude Amen DISCOURS III. OF THE SECOND ARTICLE And in IESVS-CHRIST his only Son our Lord. THough that the authority of the holy Apostles is more than sufficient to make men to believe simply and most reasonably the verities proposed to them in these words Nevertheless many in this unhappy age look upon them as impostures and laugh at all Christianity as a humane invention or Romance Wherefore the Honour of JESUS CHRIST the Dignity of our Faith and the Zeal of mens salvation oblige me to prove and establish them in their source and to shew to every understanding which is not blinded willfully that JESUS-CHRIST is the true MESSIAS promised in the Law and Prophets 2. If JESUS-CHRIST had not come in the manner that He came and if He had not done that which he hath don it would not be a Crime not to know and acknowledg him But comming with all the Markes and Signes which the Scriptures give to the MESSIAS having don the wonderfull works which He hath done the incredulity of men cannot be palliated with excuse since that these evidence JESUS-CHRIST to be the true MESSIAS as will appeare by the consideration of them 2. In the first place the Prophets who were sent by God also according to the beliefe of our greatest Enimys and who worked so many miracles for the proof of their mission who signed with their blood the verity of their Prophesies who have been found true and faithfull by the event of that which they foretold whose writings could never possibly be falsifyd nor alter'd the least by Christians since that they were always in the hands of the Iews These Prophets I say foretell not generally and obscurely but particularly and distinctly the Misteries of JESUS-CHRIST the time of his comming the place of his birth the Virginity of his Mother the quality of his Personne the kind of life He would lead the vertues He would practise the miracles He would worke his Passion his Death his Burial and his Resurection with all their circumstances The time of his Comming in the 49 Chapter of Genesis where Gen. 49. Iacob Says at the houre of his death The scepter shal not be taken away from Iudas and a Duke out of his thigh 'till He do come that is to be sent and He shal be the Expectation of the Gentills Here we see two illustrious Prophesies which could not be foretold but by the Spirit of him who pierces future ages and disposes of Kingdoms He
holy SACRAMENT Who is the Father of this coloured Ray 'T is the Sun But the Sun produced not the colour But it produced the Ray which is joyned with the colour and who is the mother of this coloured Ray 't is the glass but it made not the ray but it produced the radiant colour it cloathed the ray with this Robe of colour Who is the Father of IESUS MAN-GOD It is the eternal Father He begot not of his substance the Humanity of JESUS But He begot of his Substance the Person of his Son who is Man Who is the Mother of this MAN-GOD It is Mary she begot not the Divinity But she conceived the Man who is God the cloathed the Person of the Son of God with our humanity Which is the more ancient this coloured Ray or the glass The Ray as a Ray as the offspring of the Sun is a long time before the glass it is from the beginning of the world it is as ancient as the Sun But the Ray as coloured is younger than the Sun Who is the more ancient IESUS or Mary IESUS as God or as Son of God is long before Mary He is from eternity as the Father and the holy Ghost But JESUS as man is younger than his Mother This Ray being in the sun is so bright and resplendent that i◠dazells the eyes of them that look upon it but the same ray being descended here below and cloathed with a red colour is easily beheld so the son of God in the bosome of his Father is invisible ineffable inaccessible and incomprehensible But the same Son of God being cloathed with our humanity is made visible palpable and sensible to the end He might illuminate and instruct us that He might be the Director of souls and the Doctor of justice as He is called by the Prophets And He begins betimes to perform the charge He exercices the office from the beginning of his life 4. This insant newly born does preach his pulpit is the cradle his Auditory the univers his Doctrine is the contempt of the world He preaches not by word for He cannot speak but by example He preaches not to the eares But to the eyes He says that voluntary poverty is better than riches And the world on the contrary says that money is to be procured in the first place that a man must have it tho' he hazard his soul for it This divine infant says the humble simple innocent and mortifyd life is that which pleases God The World says a man must greaten himself appear glorious Machevalize subtily Circumvent and diceive craftily and live in delights and pleasures 5. Behold two Masters quite contrary two doctrines diametrically opposite It is necessary the one or the other be deceiv'd To say this infant is deceiv'd is horrible blasphemy He is the eternal Wisdom the increated Wisdom the Angel of the great Council It must then be confest that the Avaricious Ambitions Voluptuous and Machiavilians are grossly deceived 6. Let us then Conforme our selves to IESUS who is established by the eternal Father as our modell Let our life resemble his as an Image the Prototipe or original Let it be a copie an expression and a representation of his that we paticipating his vertues Spirit and graces in this life may be partakers of his glory in the other Amen DISCOURS VI. OF THE FOVRTH ARTICLE Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried THe Apostles who made in their Creed an abridgement of the principall Mysteries of our Faith having spoken of the Conception and of the Nativity of our Saviour pass his Life in silence and treat immediatly of His death to teach us the chiefe reason of his comming was to suffer and to redeem us by his Passion 2. He saw by the light of glory the abyss of sin and the Eternal damnation to which men were doom'd for the fault of their first Parents and for their own sins He had pity on them and prayed his Father to pardon them for the Love of Him What man on earth What Angel in Heaven knowing that the only Son of God a Son so amiable and so beloved demands pardon of his Father for men to whom He is like in nature What man or Angel say I knowing this would not have sayd surely surely the eternal Father will pardon mankind for the love of his Son who is a man and that also freely without any satisfaction No the Father does it not But He says Isaiah 53. 10. my Justice must have its cours my Son I will pardon men if you will answer for them and undergoe death for them The Son hath a great apprehension and horror of a death so cruell and ignominious we see it in the Prayer He made in the Garden which was an expression of that which He acted in the womb of his Mother after the instant of his Conception 3. Nevertheless He accepted not only with patience and resignation but also with pleasure and satisfaction the decrees of Gods Justice concerning him He offered himself most willingly and with an ineffable love not only to be nayled to the Cross but also to remaine and languish thereupon ' til the end of the world if it should so please his Father Ecce venio ut faciam voluntatem Heb. 10. 9. tuam He that should have seen this submission might with probability have sayd the eternal Father will content himself with his good will as He was satisfyd with the good will of Abraham and of Isaac at least the Justice of God will be contented that he suffer but one prick of a thorn or one stroke of a whip that He shed one drop of his Blood which is sufficient to sanctify the whole world No He wills that He suffer actually all the punishments humiliations and afflictions we sinners did deserve 4. A Sinner deserves to be depriv'd of the use of creatures since he abused them to be humbled and confounded becaus he would not be subject to the laws and will of God To be punished both in body and soul becaus he offended the infinitely high Majesty of the Creator And JESUS hath taken upon himself to satisfy for all these pains and punishments 5. He was depriv'd of the use of Creatures for what privation more rigorous than to be spoiled of his very cloathes to be as naked as a worme of the earth not to have so much as a poor shift to cover him not a drop of water to refresh his tongue in the agony of death One of his Apostles betrays him another denys him all forsake him and thô some holy Women followed him yet they were not permitted to assist him 6. He was humbled and confounded What greater humiliation than to be exposed to derision and rudeness of the rable and to insolence of soldiers Who treat him as the very scum of men who salute him in mocherie blindfold him buffet him pull off his beard who put a reed in his hand
having taught Christs Victorious Resurrection teach us in this Article his tryumphant Ascension By his Nativity He went forth into the field to fight by his Passion and death He fought the battle By his Resurrection He overcame his enemies and by his Ascension He tryumphs His tryumphant chariot was a thousand thousand of celestial spirits Psal 67. 18. and according to the translation of S. Hierom innumerable thousands He tryumphed not only over enemies of flesh and blood but also over devills sin and death The spoils He carried with him were not flocks of sheep and troops of other beasts but innumerable multitudes of souls which He redeem'd out of Prison and rescued out of the jawes of Hell Thou art ascended high thou hast taken Captivity says the Rayal Prophet to him Psal 67. 10. With all this glorious traine He ascended not carried in a chariot as Elias nor by Angells as Abacuc the Prophet and S. Philip nor did He ascend only by the force and agility He recived in his resurrection but moreover by the power and vertue He had as God 2. He Ascended into heaven There are three Heavens according to the scripture Airy Statry and Emperial and He mounted above all heavens as his Apostle says so passing the Air Sun and all â—phes 4. the heavens He mounted to the most high and sublime place of the world 3. He sits at the right hand of God the Father God is a spirit a pure and incorporeal Being who hath neither side nor hand noâ— part How does He sit then at his right hand And if He sits in a seat or Throne of what matter is it made is it of wood marble gold silver or Diamant I know well 't is answered the Apostles accommodate themselves to our low manner of understanding and of speaking and that by this session at the right hand of the Father they express the equality and consubstantiality of the Father and the Son When we see one speak to the king on knee we conclude he is a Vassall But if we see one sit upon a throne neer the king and at his right hand we say he is a Prince or Sovereign The Apostles say JESUS sits at the right hand of the Father this is to say He is Sovereign Omnipotent and infinite as the Father equal coessential and coeternal with the Father 4. Yes But JESUS as man is not consubstantial nor coeternal with the Father and yet He is at the right hand of the Father not only as God but also as man as S. Leo expresly teaches in his first sermon of the Ascension You will say the humane nature of JESUS is in the Throne of God and at the right hand of the Father becaus being as it were ingraffted and inserted in the Being of God in the subsistance of the Word and making but one Person with him 't is served and reverenced as God 5. You say true but this solues not the difficulty For this holy Humanity is united to the Word and subsisting in his Personality from the first instant of Christs Conception and nevertheless to speak properly it is not but since the day of his Ascension that the Humanity is elevated to the glory of the Father and seated at his right hand as the church says in the Canon of the Mass that day 6. For to clear then these difficulties we must remember that in the Mistery of the incarnation the Son of God communicating his subsistance to the holy Humanity should have made it at the same time participant of all the perfections and Attributes of which a created Nature may be capable For if in a perfect marriage the Woman espouses not only the Person of her husband but also his nobility prerogatives and Honours shal not the sacred Humanity which is married much more perfectly and inseparebly to the Word receive from him the Perfections that are communicable to It A Vegetative soul penetrating the stock of a little tree makes it live with a Vegetative life A sensitive soul informing the body of a Lamb makes it live with a sensitive life An intellectual soul animating the body of a man makes it live with a reasonable life and the divine Word actuating filling and possessing the holy Humanity shal He not make it live with a divine life Ought He not to communicate to it his proprieties and his Attributes since He is united to it more strictly perfectly and nobly than any soul is to her Body or form to its matter 7. Nevettheless the divine Word to procure our salvation and to accomplish the work of our Redempion suspended in his Incarnation the communication of divers of his perfections For if JESUS had been immortall how should he have dyed for us If He had been impassible how would He have suffered for us If He had been independent and sovereign how would have he given us an example of obedience subjecting himself to his holy Mother But in the day of his Ascension He made an entire effusion of himself and of all his excellencies and perfections that were communicable to Humanity 8 This is that which He asked of his Father in the Vigil of his death when He sayd Now glorify me o Father with thy self with the glory which I had with thee before all ages Vpon which S. Iohn 17. 5. Lib. 11. in Io. C. 17. Colloss 2. 9. S. Cyrill of Alexandria says The Saviour asks to be glorifyd not with an accidental glory but with a natural glory and a little after The glory which He always had as God He asks now as man This is moreover that which S. Paul teaches us when he says the plenitude or fullness of the Divinity inhabits corporally in him that is in his Humanity says the same S. Cyrill And this is that wich ought to rejoyce us in this Mistery This is that which renders this Mistery dear and precious to JESUS to the Virgin and to all the Church 'T is in the Ascension properly that JESUS Man God sits at the right hand of the Omnipotent 't is in the Ascension that He was receiv'd into the Throne of God and that He entred into the Glory of his Father 9. He sits that is to say He is no more subject to labours tributary to wearines lyable to humane miseries and infirmities 10. He is at the right hand of the Omnipotent that is He hath the superintendence and the administration of Heaven and earth of men and Angells of spiritualls and temporalls What honor what happiness for us to know and to be assured that a persone of the same nature with us hath the keyes of life and death of Heaven and hell that He governs all and does whatsoever He sees good 11. He is in the Throne of God that is He entred into the real actual and eternal enjoyance of his Empire 12. He is in Glory of the Father that is He is received into a full entire and perfect possession of all the
Grandeures of God that are agreable to his merits and to the quality of a man-God 13. This Mistery was moreover expedient for the holy Virgin For if JESUS had remained amongst us until the end of the world the Virgin all that time would have been deprived of part of her felicity of the sight of the adorable Body of her son which is the most beautifull charming and ravishing of all bodys He sayd then with good reason to the Virgin as well as to the rest 'T is expedient for you that I go S. Iohn 16. 7. 14. But how did He say his Ascension was expedient for us also Was it expedient the Pastor should be seperated from the sheep the Head from the members and the Espouse from the spouse Nevertheless it was expedient for us For He goes away but leaves us not He separates from us and dwells always amongst us He dwells not only amongst us but with us but within us had He remained amongst us He would not have entred into us for He would not have instituted the Eucharist which He left us for a supplement of his absence And tho' JESUS-CHRIST remaining on earth with us would have instituted the holy Sacrement Yet his Ascension is very favourable to us It is a subject of great consolation and joy becaus it is a most certain Pledge and an assured hope that we may follow him He sayd to his Disciples I go to prepare a place for you He left behynd him the print of his feet upon the mountain from whence He ascended and suffers not the place to be cover'd through which He passed to teach us by these permanent miracles that the way to Heaven is open and beaten for all the faithfull who will follow thither the tracts and footsteps which He left us 15. But is not it a strange thing that we cannot perswade Christians a verity so assured and so important to their salvation that to follow him thither they must necessarily imitate his actions S. Peter S. Paul S. John Evangelist the three most famous Apostles of the Son of God declare it to us S. Peter JESUS-CHRIST â— Ep. 2. 21. Rom. 8. 29 1. Ep. 2. 6. Iohn 15. 6. suffered for us giving you exemple that you may follow his steps S. Paul whom God hath foreknown He hath also predestinated to be made conformable to his Son S. Iohn Evangelist He that says that he abides in JESUS-CHRIST ought to walk as He hath walked The Son of God says if any one abide not in me he shal be cast forth as a branch and shal wither and they shal gather him up and cast him into the fire to be saved then and not to be cast into hell fire 't is necessary to abide in CHRIST Now his beloved Disciple says that to abide in IESUS-CHRIST we must walk as He walked live as He lived imitate the vertues which He practised each one in his condition and according to his capacity by the assistance of his grace 16. Let us then resolve from this present hour to follow Him The labor in practise of Vertue is but little and the joy of it will be infinitely great The pleasure of this world which draws us from it is but short the pain that attends it will be very long the combate is very light the Crown will be most excellent this present life is short and the future is eternal of this short life depends an eternity of happiness which I pray God grant us all Amen DISCOURS IX OF THE SEUENTH ARTICLE From thence He will com to judg the quick and the dead IT is a certain verity that a man is judg'd at the end of his life or at his departure out of this world For the Wise man assures us his works are then disclosed Ecclus 11. Matt. 20 and that then God rewards every one according to his ways And in the Parable of the Gospell the Lord of the Vineyard commands the Workmen to be Pay'd in the evening of the same day they laboured In fine the sacred text both of the old and Psal 67. 19. Luke 23. 43. Numb 16. 33. Luke 16. Ep. of Iude. v. 7. new Testament teaches us that many souls are at present happy in Heaven and many others miserable in hell And we know God does not reward or condemn any one without examining his merits and demerits 2 But some perhaps will say If there be a particular Iudgment at the end of life why shal there be a general in the end of the world Is He who says of himself I am meek and humble of heart who was promised by the Prophets shew'd by the Precursor under the figure of a Lamb so inclin'd to judg that He is not satisfyd in judging once but will judg again The sentence which He pronounces against us or in favour of us in the hour of our death is it not definitive and without appeal or is there any thing in it to be reform'd that He will make revision of it in his general Assises 3. To see cleary that 't is more than most convenient that after the particular there should be a general judgment in the face of the Vnivers we need not but consider the following reasons First it is expedient for the honor and glory of JESUS-CHRIST S. Io. 5. 22. All judgment says He the Father hath given to the Son that all may honor the Son And his Apostle all shal stand before the trybunal of CHRIST Rom. 14. 11. Why for it is written that every knee shal bow to me Angells and men predestinate and reprobate shal be all assembled that all togeather acknowledg the man God that they do homage to his Sovereignity and that every tongue confess that He is in the glory of God his Father He was judged most unjustly loden with reproches and confusions dragg'd shamefully through the streets of Hierusalem nail'd to an infamous cross He is daily contemn'd and mock'd by Infidells Iews Hereticks and by bad Catholicks Is it not reason that the world should make him honourable amends and that He receive as much of Glory as He receiv'd of affronts and ignominies 4. His Father himself does him so much honor that He gives him not only authority to judg men but takes him for judg in his own cause The eternal Father says He will assemble Ioel. 3. 2. all nations in the Vally of Josephat and will plead against them there But in what Trybunal will He plead this cause In the Tribunal of IESUS He hath given all judgment to his Son He puts into his hands all his rights and pretentions He will say Ioan. 5. 22. to him my Son do me justice I have don such favours given such graces to such and such persons and they were so ungratfull as to contemn me after so many benefits they offended me they committed so many and so great crimes what chastisement do they not deserve I make you judg of it And
since all the right will be on God's side and all the wrong on ours IESUS will take his Fathers part and espouse his quarrell will do him justice for the injuries He received and judg us without favour or acceptance of persons â—phes 6. 9. 5. He will rejoyce exceedingly to satisfy his Father becaus his interests are dear and precious to him Impious and Idiots censure the Providence of God becaus they know not the reasons and the end of it they murmure that the just are humbled the poor afflicted the bad honoured and glutted with riches and delights they are astonished that the child of a devout woman dies without Baptisme and is reproov'd the child of a dishonest woman is predestinated and dies after Baptisme our Savior will justify his Father He will make clearly seen the Wisdom of his conduct the uprightness of his judgments the equity of his decrees and the admirable Economie of his Providence This rejoyces souls that love our Saviour this nourishes their hope and is the object of their devotion Let us elevate then our selves to God and say with the Psalmist make jubilation in the sight of the king our Lord becaus He coms to judg the earth Psal 97. 6. In the second place it is convenient there should be another Judgment besides that which is made in the hour of our death becaus in this the soul is judged only and the body ought to be judged also For The body contributs much to the merit and demerit of the soul it cooperats vsually to the good and to the evill which she practises it is the cause that a reprobate soul offends God by intemperance drunkennesse luxury idleness vain ornaments it is rhe cause that an elect soul pleases God in fasting whatching wearing hair cloath kneeling travelling keeping Virginity induring death for defense of Faith since then in the particular judgment these bodies receiv'd not the salary nor the paine which they merited in this life there ought to be another judgment which recompences or punishes them according to their deserts 7. In fine it is expedient that the elect may be praised honoured glorifyd and the reprobate dispraised reproched and confounded in the face of the whole world Our Lord will then give 1. Cor. 4. 5. to every one the praise which he deservs says the Apostle He will praise you for your Charity you for your patience you for your humility He will discover your secret penances your alms given to the poor your hidden hair shirt your nightly and early rising to prayers And consequently He will give also to the reprobate the blame and infamy which they deserve 8. To this effect he will enlighten the hidden things of darkness 1. Cor. 4. 5. and will manifest the counsells of the hearts as the Apostle says He will discover all thoughts words and actions of the reprobate in in the sight of that great assembly He will confound the hippocrisie of those that deceive the world reprove the craft and subtility of them who supplant the simple and thunder against the calumniators and diffamers of the innocent He will shew how unjustly the elect are contemn'd derided vilefied neglected and abused and how vainly and foolishly the reprobate are admired praised honored and preferr'd He will shew that He is good not only by praising approving and recompencing good but also by dispraysing condemning and persecuting the enemies of good 9. Cheer up then ô chosen Souls cheer up and rejoyce when we speak of judgment lift up your heads for behold your Redemption Luke 21. 28. is at hand What consolation what joy what gladness and what assurance for you when the whole world shal be moved at the terrible sound of the trumpet when the Iudg shal be in a throne of glory and of Majesty amidst thunders and lightnings when the rocks themselus shal tremble and people shal shake and shiver for fear when you shal see Hercules and Alexanders Cesars and Pompies Plato's and Aristotles the great Conquerors and Wise of the world dragg'd as Criminalls to the Tribunal of the Iudg reduced to an extream dispair not daring so much as to lift up their eyes expecting with horrour the sentence of their condemnation Then Then if you will believe me if you will indure a little here and keep exactly the commandements of God Then I say you will rejoyce heartily you who are esteem'd the lees and the scum of the world the objects of a thousand incommodities you will laugh with a celestial laughter you will be filled with a solid assurance you will acknowledg him whom you have so well serv'd and whilst others tremble you shal go to meet him in the Air obviam Thes. 4. â—6 Christo in aere you shal approach to him with confidence saying with joy which cannot be exprest behold my good Master that was crucifyd behold my Saviour whom I loved so ardently Look upon him now you worldly souls Is not this the Savior whom you so much despised heretofore you mocked us you called us hyppocrits scrupulous and superstitious people you held it simplicity to pardon injuries to indure affronts to deprive your selves of sensual pleasures to mortify your flesh and passions to contemn temporal goods through the hopes of eternal which you esteemd uncertain You see well now that we were not deceived you see it by experience O God! what extream favour to have serv'd well a king now so honour'd Sacred labors happy mortifications and persecutions which are now so divinely recompenced sweet austerities How great and admirable are the joyes you breed me Then Then ô Christion souls these bodys so often bowed and humbled before God shal be exalted and replenished with glory then you shal be justifyd from the faults of which at present you are so unjustly accused you shal be deliver'd from the persecutions they raise against you 9. But you on the contrary ô worldly soul you ought to tremble and shake when we speak of judgment You ought to consider that you must render an account to a Iudg infinitely powerfull to whose anger none can make resistance To a judg infinitely Wise and knowing who searches the bottom of the heart from whose knowledg you cannot hide your most secret thoughts to a Iudg infinitely good who is oblig'd by his nature to be mortal enemie to sin Hear then and put in practise his divine Words by which He vouchsafs to instruct you how to avoid the rigour of his justice behold how He concluds the sermon which He made of the last judgment Look well to your selves lest perhaps your hearts be aggravated Luke 21. with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this life Watch therefore praying at all times that you may be accounted worthy to escape the things that are to com and to stand before the Son of man Amen DISCOURS X. OF THE SEUENTH ARTICLE From thence He will com to judg the quick and the dead 1. IT is
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
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 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
depart out of this world they will remember your courtesie will returne you the like and receive you into the eternal Tabernacles Amen DISCOURS XLIX of Extreme Vnction AN Ancient being asked what is the touchstone of perfect amity He answered wisely that it is adversity a true friend does as the heart inclines always to the left side and places more affection where he sees more affliction IESUS then loves us with a sincere and cordial love since He instituted a Sacrament expressly to comfort us and to strengthen us in our last infirmity when honors dignities offices and riches fail us Though this Verity be assured us both by the greek and Latine Church as appears by the general Councel of Florence in the Instruction of the Armenians which was without contradiction admitted by the Grecians Nevertheless Dissenters endeavour to take from us this signal demonstration of Christs Providence and love and to deprive us of this powerfull help in time of our greatest need Wherefore in the first place I will shew yet farther that 't is a true and proper Sacrament in the second the effects of it and in the third the dispositions we ought to have to receive it 2. To evince the first I need no other proof then the clear words of S. Iames If any one be sick amongst you let him bring in the Priests of the Church and let them pray over him anoiling him Iames. 5. 4. with oyle in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of Faith shal save the sick and our Lord will alleviate him and if he be in sins they shal be remitted him Here we have all that Dissenters themselves require to the essence of a Sacrament to wit an exteriour signe or symbole a promise of Grace and divine institution The exteriour signe or Symbole is Vnction with oyle and the prayer of Faith the promise is Alleviation of the sick and remission of sins and the institution thereof is gathered from the constant and firme promise of the Apostle for he would not have promised so confidently and absolutely had not our Lord instituted and commanded it Innoc â—p ad Decentium c. 8. Hence S. Innocent says expressy and clearly that this Vnction is a Sacrament declared by S. Iames and therefore not given to them that are yet in penance since the other Sacraments are refused them This Testimony of antiquity shal suffice since the Epistle is certaine He an ancient learned holy man wonderfully commended by S. Austin S. Hierome and S. Chrysostome and never reprehended by any of the Ancient for teaching the Vnction of sick to be a Sacrament Wherefore the Magdeburgenses prove by this Testimony that Christians of the fift age had a custome to annoynt their Magdâ—bur Cent. 5. c. 6 S. Aug. in speculo et ser 215 Cyrysost lib. 3. de sacerd Origen hom Z. â—n Levit. sick But they did not hold it as a pious custome only but as a necessary duty for S. Austine S. Chysostome Origen and other Fathers expressly tell us that the words of S. Iames appertaine to us rhat Christians ought to do now and in all times what this Apostle writes concerning the infirme And you will avow they had grear reason if you consider with me the admirable and saving effects of this Sacrament which are naturally represented by the effects of olive oyle and exprest by the words of the Apostle 3. First he Says the Prayer of Faith shal save the sick This Sacrament saves his soul by giving grace and force to withstand the terrours and temptations of the ennemie in the hour of death For 't is then he plays his planks and applyes all his forces to tempr us more furiously as the holy Fathers tell us becaus he sees his time is short and that we are least able to resist when through the greatness of paines we can hardly lift up our minds to God Somtimes he sets upon us as a Lyon with violence Othertimes as a Dragon laying snares to entrap us he tempts us to infidelity suggesting apparent reasons against Faith to Presumption and to confidence in our selves or to despaire and diffidence in the mercy of God exagerating the rigour of his justice the grievousness and great number of our sins the little or no penance we have don he tempts us to impatience in the rigour or length of the disease to murmuration against God to fear and diffidence in his Providence T is then that Friends should ayde you powerfully by servent prayers T is then that Confessors should assist and especially the Poor for their souls are at least as dear and precious to JESUS as those of the Rich the rich have generally Domesticks or friends that can exhort them and that have leasure to help them to dye well the Poor have them not nor such provision of good thoughts instructions and spiritual arms as the Rich by the advantage of their education and their 1. Pet. 5. reading The infernal woolf who roves about seeking whom he may devour sleeps not in this occasion the Pastor then ought to be vigilant and present in a time of so great importance the gift of gifts the grace of graces the most precious and desirable is final perseverance with out this grace all the other benefits serve for nothing In effect what will it profit me to have been created redeemed and justifyed if I die not in the state of grace and this Sacrament disposes me to persever in it 4 In the second place the Apostle says that God will alleviate the sick persone or raise him up For this Sacrament restores health of body to those who otherwise should dye if it be necessary or profitable to the salvation of the soul as the holy Councel of Trent and before it that of Florence assembled from all parts of the world declare This makes many Catholicks subject to this reproach which the Scripture made to Asa king of Iuda Neither in his infirmity did he seek our Lord but rather trusted in the art of Phisicians There was not then in the Church a remedy instituted for the cure of infirmities as there is now nevertheless the Scripture complains that he made recours to Phisicians rather than to God how much more will He complain of them who recurr not to the Sacrament which JESUS hath left us a remedy so easy and so commodious but in the utmost extremity when they can do no more And when you expect the Agony to receive or make this Sacrament to be received you put your selves in danger to be prâ—vented by death which happens too often and the fault is irreparable moreover when you receive it so late having not the use of reason and knowing not what is don to you you receive it less fruitfully since you have not actual devotion which would dispose you to receive it more worthily answering to the prayers of the Priost ioyning yours with his exercising acts of Faith Hope Charity and of other vertues