Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A17069
|
A short treatise of the sacrament of penance with the maner of examination of conscience for a generall confession : wherunto is added another treatise of confession, for such spirituall or deuoute persons as frequent that sacrament / sett forth in Italian by the Reu. Fa. Vincent Bruno of the Society of Iesus.
|
Bruno, Vincenzo, 1532-1594.
|
1597
(1597)
|
STC 3941.5; ESTC S1833
|
29,958
|
134
|
circumstances yet is not this second sinn of equall fault with the former but much more greiuous and consequentlye the third greater than the second and so in order infinitely encreaseth the fault and punishment of euery sinn And the reason here of is because how much more time God graunteth vnto the sinner for his conuersion and returning vnto his grace so much the more encreaseth his ingratitude whilest he vseth ill that time and rather offendeth him with new sinnes euery day more and more Tenth The second euell is because when a man remaineth in one sinne the way is made more easy for the fall into another For as S. GREGORY saieth Such is the burthen of sinne that if presently it be not amended with the waight thereof it draweth a man for to committ another sinne and this other vnto a third and so consequently there is made of many sinnes as it were a chaine of many linckes wherof one draweth the other and who pulleth one pulleth all For euen so a man if falling into one sinne he doth not quickly arise by litle and litle he falleth into many others Eleuenth The third euell is that he which is in mortall sinne looseth all the good works which he doth because they auaile not to obtaine any meritt of euerlasting life And although he should afterward return into Gods grace notwithstanding they are all lost Wherfore without repentance of his sinne he reapeth no fruite neither of Aâ—mes nor of Praiers nor of Fastings nor of Indulgences no not of Martyrdome it selfe and sheding his bloode for Christ if that he be not peniteÌ„t for his sinn but onely such thinges are auaileable for the obtaining of temporall benefittes and as a disposition vnto repentance Twelfth The last euell that sinn cat seth vnto the soule is that alâ—aies the gate of Gods mercye and pardon is more shut against it For vnto the sinner there remaineth no other good or refâ—ge but onely faith and hope of the mercy of God But by how much the more he lingereth in sinne by so much he is farther of from mercy and approcheth vnto gods iâ—stiâ—â— alwaies prouoking more his anger for to take reuenge of his sinnes Thirtenth Finally as we see it happeneth in exteriour thinges that how much the more a spotte in a garment is suffered to continew so much the harder it is afterward to take it away and by how much the more seldome a man combeth and trimmeth his haire by so much the more they are knotted together and filled with filth So also a soule by how much the more it deferreth her purgatioÌ„ by ConfessioÌ„ with so much the more difficultye afterward it is clensed purged and so much the more also it is intangled with the multitude of sinnes and casteth it selfe into so great anxietye that with great difficulty by neuer so Skilfull a Confessour it may be freed therof and besides it ingendereth nourisheth in it selfe the worme of conscience which although it should neuer feele in this life yet shall it in the hower of death bee more fiercelye tormented therby and much more afterward in the other worlde where this worme shall neuer die and the fier wherwith it shall be burned shall neuer be extinguished OF THE PARTES of Penaunce Chap. 2. THere be three partes of the Sacrament of PENAVNCE Contrition Confession and Satisfaction For as a man in three maners sinneth and offendeth God that is with hart wordes deeds So is it meere that he submitt him selfe vnto the keies of the Church in those very thinges wherwith he offended and that he force him selfe to pacifie Gods wrath first with contrition of hart secondly with confession of mouth thirdly with satisfaction of workes Of the first part of Penaunce which is Contrition Chap. 3. 1. COntrition is a sorowe of the soule and a detestation of sinne committed because it is an offence of God whome we loue aboue all things with a firme purpose of chaunging of life and not offending any more hereafter 2 Whence we do gather that it it is not sufficient for a man that he may obtaine grace only for to leaue sinne or to make a purpose of a new life But it is necessarye that he haue both the â—re and the other that is that he be â—â—ry and haâ—e a detestation of his life past and withall make a firme resolution of siâ—â—ing no more And this sorrow it is nor necestary thaâ— it be sensible although this is also very good and profitable when it may be â—aâ— but that it be in the will which taketh displeasâ—re and detestaioÌ„ against the sinne committed and resolueth to coÌ„mitt it no more 3 This sorow also ought to be the greatest of all other sorowes because euen as God for that he is the chiefe good ought for to be chiefly loued and his loue must be preferred before all other thinges So also sinne by which a man offendeth God is the chiefe euell Wherfore it ought chieflye and aboue all thinges to be hated in such sorte that for nothing in all the world no not for to saue our owne life it is lawfull any maner of way for to sinne whereas our Lorde saieth Who loueth his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and who seeketh to saue his life shall loose it Wherfore a man ought to wishe rather to haue suffered what thing soeuer then once to haue offended God or euer more to offend him 4 Finallye it is necessary that the PeniteÌ„t cary an hatred toward all his sinnes committed and be sory for the same For if he were penitent and sorowfull for some onely not for others this were not trew Penaunce but counterfeite and feined according to the saying of S. IAMES Who-soeuer shall keepe the wholle law but offendeth in one is made guilty of all 5 Furthermore it is not sufficient to the end that it may be trew contrition that a man â—o sorowe and repent for that which is past but he ought to make a firme and stedfast purpose of a perfect ameÌ„dment of life as wee reade oftentimes in the Gospell that when our Lorde had testered health or donne any benefitt vnto any person he saied Go and sinne no more 6 To this Contrition also if it be a true sorow ioined with a purpose of amendment appertaineth a resolution of making satisfaction vnto all such as we haue in whatsoeuer maner offended whether it be in life or in goodes or in honour Because as S. AVGVSTINE saieth Sinne is not remitted vnlesse that which was taken away be restored And also of remitting liberallye and pardoning iniuries which one hath receaued of another our Sauiour hauing saied If you forgiue men their offences your heauenly Father will forgiue you also your offences but if you will not forgiue men neither will your Father forgiue you your offences 7 To conclude for the perfection of this vertew it is necessary that a man haue purpose to confesse all his sinns
them the number and the necessarye circumstances as much as possibly thou canst Secondlye to procure a plainnesse and clearenesse in speaking which may proceede from an ernest desire of beeing well vnderstoode to the ende that thou maâ—est be the better holpen and directed by thy GHOSTLY FATHER Wheras the Scripture saieth Qui abscondit scelera sua non dirigetur Who hideth his offences shall not be directed Thou must therefore tell them sincerelye not hiding not excusing nor diminishing any thing without superfluous wordes or telling of stories which make not to the matter much lesse telling the sinnes of others but accusing thy selfe alone Thirdly thou must goe to Confession with preparation not onlie to receiue the Penance to make such Satisfaction as thy Confessor shall enioine thee but also to admitte all the aduises and remedies which for thy sinnes and greater Spirituall good shall be giuen thee by the same For all in vaine doth a sicke person open his infirmities to the Phisition if afterward he refuse to take the Medicines and to obserue the orders rules which the Phisition hath prescribed Of the purpose and meanes of Amendment Chap. 15 AFTER thou hast made thy Confession thou must procure to obserue three thinges The first is presentlye to perfourme the Penance enioined renewing thy purpose of abstaining from those sinnes which thou hast Confessed and from all others of auoiding the occasions of the same The second is that thou take such meanes as may helpe thee for thy amendment hauing particular regard of some defectes which thou thinkest are the cause roote of all the rest procuring to arme thy selfe against the same 1 The remedies which maye be vsed for to roote out anye vice or imperfection are either generall or particular Amongest those which are generall the first is a firme resolution not to committe anye more the same sinne which purpose thou must often renue especially in the MORNING and whensoeuer it happneth that thou fall into the same 2 It will helpe much to flye the occasions which are wonte to induce vnto the same sin as sportes euill-companye familiaritye with suspeccted persons curiosity in beholding or hearing and ouermuch talke for it is written that Deathe entereth in by the Windowes 3 It auaileth also much diligentlye for to resiste at the verye beginning of the temptations driuing awaye from thee the sparke of the euell thought before it enter and set fire on thy HEART Which a man maye doe by present recourse vnto PRAIER or by naming the most Holye name of IESVS or by signing himselfe with his Holye SIGNE or by present setting before his eies the pittifull figure of CHRIST on the CROSSE Wounded and peirsed for the punishment of our sinnes 4 Verye profitable also for the conseruing of the purpose of not offending GOD is the often hearing of the Worde of GOD and reading of good BOOKES auoiding to read euil vaine or lasciuious BOOKES For the Worde of GOD collecteth the HEART mitigateth PASSIONS and filleth our WILL with good and Holy desires 5 To the same ende helpeth also to goe alwaies in the presence of god as of a witnes of our thoughts and operations of whom after we are to be iudged 6 When any person feeleth anye rebellion of the fleshe very profitable it is to vse the body with austerity as well in Sleeping Eating Drincking and Cloathing as in other thinges which might be pleasing thereunto For whereas the fleshe is a nourisher and kindler of al disordered Passions howe much the more weake and feeble it shall be so much the more feeble and fainte will the Passions bee also which from thence shall proceed 7 It is a very great remedye also for to shunne idlenesse which is the fountaine foode of all vices alwaies procuring to haue some honest exercise of minde or body that the Diuell maye neuer finde place in the soule 8 Much also helpeth heereunto the consideration of such thinges as may induce a man vnto feare as of Death of the finall Iudgement and of the paines Euerlasting prepared for sinners Or the consideration of the benefits of God and of his Diuine promises for to stirre vs vp vnto his loue and to the hatred of all that which is offensiue to his Diuine goodnesse 9 Finally a most effectuall remedie is to frequent the vse of the most holy Sacraments of Confession and Communion For as the Apostle saith the principall remedie against sinne is the grace of God which by these Sacraments is obtained besides that they be instituted by Christ our Sauiour as certaine Heauenly medicines not only for to deliuer vs from sinnes but also for to heale our disordered affections to suppresse our passions to remedy our weakenesse and finally as certaine kindlers of loue whereby our WILL beeing inflamed maye more easilye resist our euill inclinations and ouercome all the temptations of the Worlde the Fleshe and the Diuell Besides all these there bee also other remedies more particular proper for euerye defecte which maye be vsed and applied according to the counsaile of the Confessour And both these and the other also ought to bee admitted with great courage and perseuerance with a sure hope of victory grounded on the helpe grace of Christ our Lord. The third and last thing which a man ought to obserue after Confession because it is written that it is not sufficient to forsake euell but it is necessarye also for to doe good is for to vse all manner of diligence for the recompence of sinnes which we haue committed in the time past with newe seruices and feruour and to procure by the memory of the euills committed to become euery daye more humble and feruent in the exercise of good Workes occupying our selues not onelie in workes of Penance and of Deuotion but more particularly in the workes of Charity mercy towards our Neighbour For as it is written They which shall vse mercy shall also finde mercye before Almightye God A MEDITATION FOR THE HOLIE COMMVNION THE PREPARATION FOR the Meditation WHEREAS such is the excellency of the Sacrament of the BODY and BLOOD of our LORD that if thou hadest all the purity of Angels and the holinesse of Saint IOHN BAPTIST thou shouldest notwithstanding in no sorte bee worthy to receiue it for this cause in that wherein humaine frailtye doth faile whereas our LORD wil so haue it and so commaundeth thou shalt runne vnto the helpe of his grace asking him a great hunger and burning desire of this holy Meate and that with a most profound humilitye reuerence thou maiest approch to this Sacrament to the ende that it may worke in thee those effectes which it vseth to cause in the worthy receiuers Pointes for the Meditation THINKE with thy selfe that thou art muiâ—ed of our Lord that thou maiest be made worthy to sit in the company of the Angels at his Table by those most louing wordes Venite comedite Panem meum