Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	grant_v	petition_n	stable_a	115	3	16.7116	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04950	The Virgin Mary misrepresented by the Roman Church in the traditions of that church, concerning her life and glory; and in the devotions paid to her, as the mother of God. Both shewed out of the offices of that church, the lessons on her festivals, and from their allowed authors. Part I. Wherein two of her feasts, her conception and nativity, are considered.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.; Patrick, John, 1632-1695.	1688 (1688)	Wing P863A; ESTC R19085	135,709	190

c. 2. citante Novarino a great Author with them who lived above Four hundred Years ago makes this Observation That at least three times this Question is asked in the Canticles in the Person of the Angels Qua est ista Who is this And he imagines the Reason to be That they are desirous that the sweet Name of Mary may be answered to that Question For says he Angels desire that her Name should be mentioned and discovered and that it should not only be renowned in Heaven And if this Concern of theirs does not move us yet Gratitude to her when she her self is also concerned in it will not fail to do it To which Purpose they tell us That her beloved Hermannus whom she married m Barthol de los Rios Hierarch Marian. l. 5. c. 40. ex Surio vit Hermanni Apr. 5. Gononi Chron. Deip. p. 242. being distracted and hindred by Business and Cares of his Monastery grow more negligent and remis● in reciting her Offices and Hours that formerly to whom she appeared in the Shape of an old wither'd wrinkled Woman chiding him that now her Memory was grown old with him whereas formerly he named saluted and praised her a Thousand times Upon this Rebuke he resolved by commemorating her Joys and reciting her Ave's to make her young again which he did The Name of Mary says another n Barthol de los Rios ib. l. 6. c. 11. 20. is the best Image of her and more venerable than all her Reliques and Images He that does invoke her by this sweet Name attending to the Etymology thereof thou recite compendiously great Litanies of extraordinary Merit and Efficacy Poza o Elucidar l. 2. trac 17. c. 5. and others think that the Name of Mary as far as is expedient for our own and others Salvation does confer the Effect ●n opere operato by the Work done just as the Churches Exorcisms do and as many say the same of the Sign of the Cross and of the Name of Jesus From such Principles as these they fall into those heathenish Battologies and vain Repetitions which our Saviour condemns Matt 6.7 and their Prayers become in the Phrase of the Son of Syrach p Ecclus 7.14 much babling consisting of a nauseous Repetition of one and the same Name over and over again Of this the Reader may take a shameful Instance how they abuse in this manner the blessed Name of Jesus in that which they call Jesus Psalter q See Manual of godly Prayers at the end which consists of Fifteen Petitions with the Name of Jesus ten times or rather Thirty times reiterated before every one of the Petitions The Manner of reciting the Psalter of Jesus is as follows The First Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu 3. Jesu Jesu Jesu 4. Jesu Jesu Jesu 5. Jesu Jesu Jesu 6. Jesu Jesu Jesu 7. Jesu Jesu Jesu 8. Jesu Jesu Jesu 9. Jesu Jesu Jesu 10. Jesu Jesu Jesu Mercy The Second Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu 3. Jesu Jesu Jesu 4. Jesu Jesu Jesu 5. Jesu Jesu Jesu 6. Jesu Jesu Jesu 7. Jesu Jesu Jesu 8. Jesu Jesu Jesu 9. Jesu Jesu Jesu 10. Jesu Jesu Jesu Help me Third Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu And so on as before Strengthen me Fourth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Comfort me Fifth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Make me constant stable Sixth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Lighten me Seventh Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Grant me Grace to dread thee Eighth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Grant me Grace to love thee Ninth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Give me Grace to remember my death Tenth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Send me here my Purgatory Eleventh Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Grant me Grace to fly evil Company Twelfth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Give me Grace to call for Help to thee Thirteenth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Make me to persevere in Vertue Fourteenth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. Give me Grace to fix my Mind on thee Fifteenth Petition 1. Jesu Jesu Jesu 2. Jesu Jesu Jesu 3. Jesu Jesu Jesu 4. Jesu Jesu Jesu c. As many times as the First Give me Grace to order my Life to thee Here you see an Hundred and Fifty Rows of the Name of Jesus which being Three in a Row make up Four hundred and Fifty which must be all pattered over before those few Words that make up the Fifteen Petitions are concluded There is no Atheist or Infidel who if he had a Design to turn Prayers into 〈◊〉 could more effectually do it than by such a Prescription as 〈◊〉 But we have not the worst of it yet For you must know that it is not the Petition and the Sence following this oft rep●…ted Name that is necessary but the N●… 〈◊〉 oft used without any thing else adjoined is that which they lay much Stress upon and which makes acceptable Devotion with them For thus I find in that Book of the Jesuit P. Barry r Le paradise Ouvert p. 166. The Author of 〈◊〉 is so fond of the Virgin 's Name that instead of Paul Barry he desired to be called Paul of S. Mary which contains an hundred Devotions to the blessed Virgin and is bought up for common Use as our Practise of Piety or the Whole Duty of Man for I observe Seventeen Editions of it in less than Thirty Years he gives this for one Often to pronounce the Name of Mary in imitation of a Japan Woman Concerning whom the Annals of the Jesuits report That in honour of a Deity which that Country worships called Amida she used to repeat that Name an Hundred and forty thousand times daily rising very early every Morning as she had need to perform this Task and being assisted by a familiar Spirit that awaked her This Woman was baptized An. 1621. And after she was a Christian changed this Superstition into Devotion and obliged herself in gratitude for her Conversion to pronounce every day as many times viz. a Hundred and forty thousand the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary and because now the Devil would come no more to awake her in the morning her Angel Guardian succeeded in that Office so pleasing to God says the Author was her Simplicity and Devotion This Worship so Japan and unparallell'd cannot he says be practised the Number is so great unless God give some special Grace However he advises his Philagie so he calls the devout Person he instructs to chuse a good round Number of Maries to repeat as a way to get Comfort

quod scire nequis ne divinare labora Incassum That is The Virgin lacks no praise not Hybla yields More Flowers nor Ears of Corn in Libyan Fields So fair and thick as her true Vertues rise Think not to grace her then with specious Lyes Nor give her those perfections by fond guess Thou ne'er canst find and only make her less Herein indeed lies one great difference betwixt us and them That we observing that it is the plain design of the Holy Writers in the particular account they give of the wonderous Birth and Life Death and Resurrection of Jesus to engage all Men to believe That he is the Christ b Joh. 20.31 the Son of God that our eternal Life depends upon our knowing him who is the only true God c Joh. 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent that there is no Salvation in any other nor no other name d Act. 4.12 under Heaven given among Men but his whereby we must be saved and that having the power of Judging all the World committed to him all Men are bound e Joh. 5.22,23 to honour the Son even as they honour the Father we I say finding this to be the great concern and scope of the Gospel are well satisfied with those few words of Truth and soberness we meet with there that relate to the B. Virgin his Mother and are not needlesly curious to enquire any farther It 's plain it was him they designed to advance and not her Even the Holy Spirit 's over-shadowing her Virgin Womb was rather intended to proclaim the Glory and Majesty of his Incarnation than of her Conception The Scripture mentions some other instances of her Faith and Piety wherein it places her chief Happiness as St. Austin's known saying expresses it f Tom. 6. lib. de Sanct. Virgin. Beatior ergo Maria percipiendo fidem Christi quam concipiendo carnem Christi Mary was more blessed in receiving the Faith of Christ than by Conceiving the Flesh of Christ For Materna prop●nquitas nihil Mariae profuisset nisi felicius Christum corde quam carne gestasset Her nearness to him as a Mother had not profited her if she had not been more happy in bearing Christ in her Heart than in her Womb. Which also our Saviour confirms in that saying of his g Luc. 11.28 Yea rather blessed are they which hear the Word of God and keep it As for other matters concerning her where the Scriptures have not gone before us we are contented to remain in the dark concluding that we are not one way or other much concerned in them for if we had God would no doubt have declared them to us We think it necessary for the honour of our Lord to believe that his Mother remained a Virgin till she bare him and brought him forth We think it highly probable too that the Honour of our Lord preserved her a Virgin ever after and we detest the bad Spirit of Helvidius that made a contest of it and brought it into dispute in the Church But yet we are of the great S. Basil's mind h Homil. de humana Christi generatione that if she had not remained a Virgin afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Doctrine according to Godliness would not have suffered by it and therefore we lay not such stress upon it as upon the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We leave it without anxious inquiry about it But 〈◊〉 this Church having as much business with the Virgin as with Christ himself and making indeed more stir about her the modesty of the first Faith and the silence of the Scripture give them but little comfort if they cannot find in the old Gospel enough to proclaim her a fit object of Mens worship and to engage their Religious addresses to her rather than fail of this which they are resolved upon they will make a new Gospel which the Apostles never Preached and venture the Curse that is threatned to them that do so Gal. 1.8 First indeed the words of the Scripture must be Wire-drawn and Every Syllable of it that relates to her stretched and set upon the Tenters but still they find that the Bed is shorter than that a Man can stretch himself on it and the Covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it i Esa 28 20. They are therefore resolved to add where that is defective and to feign those privileges for her which they cannot find there To shew a little their fine way of proceeding in this Matter They have laid down this for an undoubted Rule as any Aphorism in Hippocrates that Mensura perfectionum B. Verginis est maternitas Dei. Her being the Mother of God is the measure of the Perfections of the Blessed Virgin. Not to dispute at present the Truth of it which may be granted in a sober Sence let us see what Conclusions they draw from it Aquinas k P. 1. qu. 25. art 6. ad 4tum infers That the Blessed Virgin because she is the Mother of God has a kind of infinite Dignity belonging to her from that infinite good which is God and that in this respect nothing better than she could be created as there can be nothing better than God. Ant. Spi●…lus the Jesuit says l Maria Deip. thronus Dei c. 5. s 4. From this Motherhood of God that Maxim owned by all Divines is drawn viz. That there is no gift of Grace that was ever granted to any pure Creature which was not bestowed upon the Virgin in a like or more perfect manner unless it were repugnant to her Sex. Wherefore all the Graces Vertues and Privileges divided among other Saints are found collected in her alone And they are very fond of that saying of S. Bernard m Epist ad Can. Lugdun Quod itaque vel paucis mortalium constat fuisse collatum fas certe non est suspicari tantae Virgini esse negatum Whatsoever has been granted to other Saints though but to a few we are not to suspect that it has been denied to so glorious a Virgin. Aquinas n Part. 3. qu. 27. art 1. 4 5. in another place from these principles has deduced her Sanctification before she was Born the Privilege never to have committed any Sin mortal or venial and a fulness of all Graces above all others This one would judge is pretty fair but a daring Jesuit o J. Baptista Poza Elucidar l. 3. tr 16. p. 1050. resolving to enlarge the Charter of her Privileges has advanced this position That all true Theology does require That in those things that belong to the greater glory of Jesus and his Mother if the Church does not prohibit it and they are sure it will not interpose to the hindrance of the Mother at least we are not to look what Two or Three Five or Ten Doctors have said in the Case but what will best defend and secure the Honour of Mary and Jesus

to venerate her Memory who being a virgin did conceive thy only begotten Son and remaining a Virgin did bring forth our Lord Jesus Christ There also you find the Blessed Virgin included in a Gloria Patri Gloria Patri genitaeque proli Flamini Sancto Virginique Matri Quae Dei natum genuit hominem Sit laus perennis Amen Glory be to the Father Son and Holy Ghost and perpetual Praise to the Virgin Mother of whom the Son of God was born a Man. Amen The present Roman Breviaries though they are not so express in the Point of Immaculateness yet are full of other unwarrantable Applications Oratio Brev. Rom. Reform ad 8 Decemb. Famulis tuis quaesumus Domine coelestis gratiae munus impartire ut quibus Beatae Virginis partus extitit salutis exordium conceptionis ejus votiva solemnitas pacis tribuat incrementum Per Dominum c. A Prayer Lord we beseech thee bestow upon thy Servants the Gift of heavenly Grace that they to whom the Birth of the Virgin was the Beginning of Salvation the vow'd Solemnity of her Conception may contribute to the increase of their Peace Through our Lord c. Lect. 1. Ecclus 24. Ex Ore Altissimi prodivi primogenita ante omnem creaturam ego feci c. Lesson 1. I came out of the Mouth of the most High the First-Born of every Creature c. Lect. 2. Ab initio ante saecula creata sum usque ad futurum saeculum non desinam in habitatione sancta coram ipso ministravi c. Less 2. From the Beginning and before all Ages I was created and I shall never fail in the holy Habitation I ministred before him c. Lect. 3. Ego mater pulchrae dilectionis timoris agnitionis sanctae Spei In me gratia omnis viae veritatis in me omnis spes vitae virtutis Transite ad me omnes qui concupiscitis me à generationibus meis implemini Qui audit me non confundetur qui operantur in me non peccabunt qui elucidant me vitam aeternam habebunt Less 3. I am the Mother of fair Love and Fear and Knowledge and holy Hope In me is the Grace of every Way and Truth in me is all the Hope of Life and Vertue Come unto me all ye that are desirous of me and from my Off-spring ye shall be filled He that heareth me shall not be confounded and they that work by me shall not do amiss they that brighten me shall have eternal Life REMARKS THere is no Controversy ever was started that has more busied the Wits of those of the Roman Communion nor any that ever was managed with greater Heats and Animosities in their Schools than this of the Immaculate Conception A Question that never entred into the Heads of any of the Ancient Fathers for as Vasquez a Part. 3. disp 117. c. 1. confesses it is manifest that before the times of S. Bernard there was no Dispute among the ancient Fathers concerning the Blessed Virgins Preservation from Original Sin since none of them so much as mention it Though in his time it appears by his 174 Epistle to the Canons of Lyons there was some Debate about it among Divines I shall make bold to add that this Controversy betwixt the Two Parties they who assert her Conception in Original Sin whom we shall call to avoid Circumlocution Maculists and those who deny it the Immaculists is not only Late and Novel but also extreamly foolish and ridiculous when you consider where the Difference lies betwixt them They themselves confess b Vasquez ibid. qu. 27. disp 114. c. 1. Bellarm. de amiss gratiae l. 4. c. 15. that it is agreed on all Hands in their Church that she was sanctified in her Mothers Womb before she was born so that the only Question and it is a very wise one is Whether in the first Moment of her Conception c Th. Raynaudus Dipt Mar. p. 132. she was immaculate yea or no Both Parties agreeing that she had the Use of her Reason as we heard before in the first Moment of her Conception one might have been tempted to think considering the Zeal of the opposite Side that the Maculists had brought her in loaded and labouring for some Months together in her Mothers Womb under a sense of Gods heavy Displeasure for Adam's Sin which the other side could not endure to suppose and that this made them so very angry But there is no such matter I assure you they are as civil to the Blessed Virgin in this Respect as one can possibly desir● For one of their Adversaries d Franciscus a Christo praelect de Incarnat fol. 189. has given us an account of Three Opinions among them and all of them very favourable to her The Severest is that of S. Thomas who thinks that she was in Sin for a time but so short a time that none can measure it to wit so much time as intervenes between two Moments inter duo instantia for in the first Instant of her Conception she contracted the Original Stain in the next Moment after it she was purged from it so that she was obnoxious to Sin only the time that must come between those Two Moments Others think that the Blessed Virgin was a whole Moment of Time in Sin integro temporis instanti but all the time that is coupled with that Instant was in Grace and so grant that her Son delivered his Mother from Guilt as soon as it was possible for Divine Omnipotency to effect it This will not please the Immaculists for this Reason because if they say that the first Instant she was in Sin tho they grant that in the next Instant Grace was infused to take it away yet because two Instants according to the Philosopher 6 Physic cannot immediately cohere no more than Two Atoms in continued Quantity without a middle Time between them therefore the Blessed Virgin must be in Sin according to this Opinion not only the first Instant but also the time between that and the second But he says there are a third Sort and they are the very Pinks of Courtesy who come thus far as to say That in the first Instant in which she contracted Guilt she was also delivered from the same by God Only they crave Leave to divide an Instant into Three in tria Signa In the first of which she contracted Sin in the second sanctifying Grace was infused into her Soul but more incompleat and transient abiding with Sin but ready to expel it In the third the same Grace is understood as permanent and actually to have expelled Sin. This indeed is too subtil to be Intelligible yet however one would think it should be kindly taken by those of the other Opinion since if they will but allow them the third Part of a Moment for her stay under the Original Guilt they then declare her to be as immaculate as the

veniam delictorum in te beatissima nostrorum est expectatio praemiorum Sancta Maria succurre miseris juva pusillanimes refove flebiles ora pro populo interveni pro clero c. By the let every thing be excused easily which we being in by thee and easily obtained which we request with a faithfull Mind Accept what we offer give us what we ask excuse what we fear for thou art the only Hope of Sinners By then we hope for the Pardon of our Offenses and in thy blessed Self is our Expectation of being rewarded O holy Mary succour the Miserable help the Faint-hearted refresh those that mourn pray for the People intercede for the Clergy c. The late Contemplator has invited us to celebrate her Nativity in this manner p. 50. The Praise Hail Mary full of Grace our Lord is with thee c. The Hymn The morning Star doth spread its Ray The Sun e'er long will make clear Day Welcome great Mary Herald of Peace Rich Spring of Grace which never cease This new-born Light which chears our Earth Sums the Worlds Blessings in her Birth God's Mother is this Day reveal'd Heav'ns Treasures are in her unseal'd Glory be to Jesus and Mary As it was is and ever shall be Amen Anaph Who is she that cometh forth as the Dawning of the Day beautiful as the Moon chosen as the Sun Psalm 44. My Heart shall power forth Words of Joy because Mary the Mother of Jesus is born Above all Women beautiful is Mary Grace is spread through her Soul. Rejoice triumph and Advance for thou art amiable and acceptable to God our King. Justice Truth and Meekness are thy Ornaments the Hand of God hath wrought them in thee Every Creature shall bless the Hour of thy Birth because Jesus covets thy Beauty Anth. Who is she Vers Mary the Mother of Jesus is born Resp Let Heavens and Earth sing forth her Praise Let us Pray Grant unto us thy Servants O Lord thy Gifts of heavenly Grace that the Birth of holy Mary may increase our Acceptableness unto thee since thy Son Jesus who was born of her is the Beginning of our Salvation through the same Jesus Christ our Lord Amen This is but an ill and disguised Translation of the former Collect Famulis tuis quaeiumus Domine c. SECT II. Concerning the blessed Virgin 's Nativity and the Circumstances of her Birth with Remarks thereupon AS we have hitherto found a great many bold Assertions obtruded on us without any cogent Proof so the Reader must expect the same Entertainment still and it cannot well be otherwise where both Scripture and ancient genuine Authorities are wholly silent as they are in the Things that concern her Nativity There are indeed Prophecies in the holy Bible concerning her but not as she is the Daughter of Anne but the Mother of Jesus not to tell us how she was conceived and born but that a Virgin should conceive and the Holy one should be born of her Even the Verses we now have of the pretended Sibylls say very little more than that of her But the Men of this Church cannot be contented and at rest till they have filled every Stage of her Life with Wonder and Miracle So they have done here in her Birth the Circumstances whereof they make as glorious as possible may be and to run parallel in most things with those that are related of our Saviour The oft-cited bold Jesuit a Pozae Elucidar l. 2. trac 6. p. 494. thinks it not enough to call her what the Scripture calls the Messiah The Desire of all Nations but he adds That this Woman was in their Wishes before her Son though he was much more noble and necessary for Mankind Abraham rejoiced to see the Day of Christ he saw it and was glad but long before Abraham Adam and Eve rejoiced to see the Day of Mary they saw it and were glad Wherein he is seconded by another of his Society b J. Bonifacius de vit mirac B. Virginis l. 1. c. 5. saying We ought to believe that Adam foresaw this Nativity to the rejoicing of his Heart So did Seth too if you will believe the Relation of J. Gerbrandus c Chronic. Belgic l. 31. c. 26. who tells us that in the Year 1374. Sibylla Queen of Hungary causing Workmen to dig in the Valey of Jehosaphat they found a Tomb made of Brick with a Body in it entire over whose Head was a Tablet with this Inscription in Hebrew Characters I Seth the Third born Son of Adam believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and in the Virgin Mary his Mother who shall come from my Loins A very likely Story Much of the same Nature and Credit with that which is mentioned by Aquinas d Summa Theol. in 2. secundae qu. 2. art 7. of an Inscription upon a Plate of Gold found in a Tomb which prophesied thus Christ shall be born of a Virgin and I believe in him O Su● thou shalt see me again about the time of Irene and Constantine Or like that Table which J. Boniface e Lib. citat 2. p. 137. relates out of Cassinaeus That in the Sepulchre of Plato was a Plate of Gold found with this written on it I believe in Christ who shall be born of a Virgin suffer for Mankind and rise again the Third Day Neither will these Prophecies suffice unless Miracles also prepare her Way and accompany her into the World. Baroxius f Apparat. ad Annal. n. 40. is contented to tell us in general That great Things and altogether admirable such as cannot worthily be express'd did precede the Birth of Mary the Mother of God And every one that questions this he brands for a Man of a narrow Soul and for one out of his Wits And his Reason for it is very admirable Because we know that great and strange Things went before the Birth of Sampson and Samuel Jeremiah and John the Baptist and who can think so abjectly and meanly of God or be so mad as to affirm That he did greater Things and was more liberal to his Servants than to his Mother to the Friends of the Bridegroom than to his Spouse Or if you will to the Handmaid rather than to the Lady for in the Language of another Cardinal g Bonaventure in Speculo c. 1. Every faithful Soul is a Handmaid of the Virgin nay more even the Vniversal Church it self If the Cardinal had been speaking of the Graces that were necessary to make her beloved of God or necessary to her Salvation his Reasoning might have been allowed but speaking of Gifts the gratiae gratis datae as the Schools speak which are measured by no Rule but only the Pleasure of God who gives them as he thinks fit being at perfect Liberty herein both as to the Kind and the Degree it is great Presumption to argue and reason from what has been done for one to what will be done