the Ark to escape drowning in the Flood This is to be taught as a most certain rule whereby the true Church may be discern'd from the false And we may also know the true Church from its Original XVIII Another Rule yo know the True Church from the False which it has from the Grace reveal'd by the Apostles For her Doctrine is True not New not lately sprung up but long ago deliver'd by the Apostles and dispers'd through all the World and hence it is that none can doubt That the impious Doctrines of Heretics are far different from the Faith of the Church seeing they are against that Doctrine of the Church which has been preach'd from the Apostles to this day And therefore that all may understand which is the true Catholic Church the Fathers by Divine Inspiration have added this word APOSTOLIC Of the marks of the True Church see August contra Epist Fundamenti c. Tertul. lib. toto de Praescript For the Holy Ghost who presides in the Church governs it by no other than Apostolical Men. Which Spirit was first given to the Apostles and afterwards by the infinite goodness of God has always continu'd in the Church But as this One Church cannot err in the delivery of Faith and Discipline of manners XIX Why the Church is call'd Apâ—stolic Aug. contra Crescen lib. 1. c. 33. seeing she is govern'd by the Holy Ghost so it must needs be that all others which falsely claim to themselves that Name and being also led by the Spirit of the Devil are most dangerously out of the way both in Doctrine and Practice But because the Figures of the Old Testament have a great influence to stir up the minds of the Faithful to call to remembrance those excellent things XX. Two figures of the Church for which cause chiefly the Apostles us'd them The Curat may not pass over that part of Docrine also which is so profitable And amongst these The First Gen. 6. Noahs Ark has an excellent signification which for this reason only was made by Gods command that there might be left no room to doubt but that it signifies the Church Which God has so constituted That whosoever by Baptism enters therein may be safe from all danger of eternal Death But they who were out of it as it happen'd to them who were not receiv'd into the Ark were overwhelm'd with their own wickedness Another Figure is that great City Jerusalem The other under the Name whereof many times the Holy Scriptures understand the Holy Church to wit That in her alone it is lawful to offer Sacrifice Because also in the Church of God only and no where else the true Worship and the true Sacrifice which can any ways be pleasing to God may be found And now in the last place XXI The Church to be believ'd by Faith and bow concerning the Church it must be taught After what manner that we are to believe the Church belongs to the Articles of Faith For tho any one perceives by reason and sense That the Church i. e. that Company of Men is in the World which are dedicated and consecrated to Christ our Lord Nor does there seem any need of Faith to conceive this when neither Jews nor Turks do at all doubt of it Yet those Mysteries which as has already been declar'd in part and partly will be said further in he Sacrament of Orders are contain'd in the Holy Church of God that mind which is illuminated by Faith only and not convinc'd by any reasons can understand Seeing therefore that this Article no less than the rest quite surpasses the strength and reach of our understanding We very rightly confess That we come not to know the Church's Original Gifts and Dignity by Huaman Reason but behold them with the Eyes of Faith For neither were Men the Authors thereof XXII Who the Author of hte Church Ps 89.5 but the very Immortal God who has built it upon a most firm Rock as the Prohet witnesses The most High has sounded it For which reason it is call'd Gods Inheritance and the people of God And the Power it has is not of Man but given her by the gift of God Wherefore as by the mere Power of Nature we cannot attain to her so also by Faith only we understand That in the Church are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and that to her is given Power to Forgive Sins to Excommunicate and to consecrate the true Body of Christ and then that the Citizens which belong to her Heb. 13.14 have not here a lasting City but seek one to come It is necessary therefore to believe XXIII We must believe the Church but not in the Church Aug Ser 1.31 de Temp. That there is One Holy and Catholic Church For so we believe the Three Persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost as to place our Faith In them But now changeing the manner of speaking we profess to believe the Holy not In the Holy Church That by this different way of speaking God who is the Author of all things may be distinguish'd from the things which were created and to acknowledg that all those excellent benefits which are bestow'd on the Church were receiv'd of the Divine Goodness The Communion of Saints When S. John the Evangelist wrote to the Faithful XXIV This part of the Article to be diligently explain'd 1 Joh. 1.13 of the Divine Mysteries why he taught them therein he gives this Reason That you also says he might have Fellowship with us and our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ This Fellowship is plac'd in the Communion of Saints of which we are to speak in This Article And would to God in explaining hereof Aug. in Joan Trâ—act 32. the Teachers of the Church would imitate the diligence of Paul and the other Apostles For it is not only a kind of Interpretation of the former Article and a Doctrine full of profit and advantage but it also shews what the Use of those Mysteries is which are contain'd in the Creed For we are to search into and learn all those things for this end that we may be admitted into this so blessed and glorious a Fellowship of the Saints and being once admitted consequently to persevere Coloss 1.12 giving Thanks with Joy to God the Father who has made us worthy to partake of the Lot of the Saints in Light Firft therefore XXV Wherein is plac'd the Communion of Saints the Faithful are to be taught That This Article is as it were a kind of Explication of that which goes before concerning One Holy Catholic Church For the Unity of that Spirit by which she is govern'd causes that whatsoever the Church has is Common For the Fruit and Benefit of all the Sacraments belongs to all the Faithful by which Sacraments as by Sacred Bands they are coupl'd and joyn'd with Christ
Death is indeed signifi'd in the Sacrament of the Blood Wherefore fitly in this place rather than in the Consecration of the Body is the Passion of the Lord commemorated in these words Which shall be shed for the remission of Sins For the Blood being separately consecrated by it self with relation to the Passion of the Lord has greater force and power to lay before the eyes of all Mat. 26.28 Luc. 22.20 both the Death and kind of suffering But those words which are added For you and for many are taken severally from S. Matthew and S. Luke which notwithstanding Holy Church taught by the Spirit of God has join'd together but they belong to the fruit of the Passion and shew the profitableness thereof For if we look at the vertue of it it must be confess'd that our Savior shed his Blood for the salvation of all men But if we look at the fruit which men gather from thence we may easily understand that it comes not to all to advantage but only to some When therefore he said For you he signifi'd either them that were then present or those whom he had chosen out of the Jewish people such as were his Disciples except Judas with whom he spake But when he added For many he would have the rest that were elected either Jews or Gentiles to be understood Rightly therefore was it done that it was not said for all seeing that in this place the design of the discourse extends only to the fruits of the Passion which brought the Fruit of Salvation only to the Elect. And hither do belong those words of the Apostle Christ was once offer'd to take away the sins of many Heb. 9. and that which our Lord himself said in S. John I pray for them I pray not for the World Joh. 17.8 but for those whom thou hast given me because they are thine There are many other Mysteries wrapp'd up in these words of the Consecration which the Pastors by the daily meditation and study of Divine Matters and God assisting them may easily discover But now to return to the explication of those things which the Faithful must by no means be ignorant of And because the Apostle admonishes XXIV We must judge of the Eucharist by Faith not by Sense 1 Cor. 11.29 that they are guilty of a most heinous sin who difference not the Lords Body let the Pastors chiefly teach that the Mind and Reason is here to be call'd off from sense For if the Faithful perswade themselves that those things only are contain'd in this Sacrament which are perceiv'd by the senses they must needs be led into the greatest impiety when with their Eyes their Feeling their Smell their Taste perceiving nothing at all but the Species of Bread and Wine they will judge that there is only Bread and Wine in the Sacrament There must be care tak'n therefore that as much as may be the minds of the Faithful may be abstracted or withdrawn from the judgment of sense and stirr'd up to contemplate the immense Power and Vertue of God Now there are three wonderful and stupendious things XXV Three things done in the Eucharist by Consecration which in this Sacrament Holy Church without all doubt believes and confesses to be wrought by the words of Consecration The First is The First That the true Body of Christ that very same which was born of the Virgin and now sits in Heaven at the Right-hand of the Father is contain'd in this Sacrament See Dionys de Eccl. Hierarch c. 3. Ignat. Epist ad Smyr Just Apol. 2. Iren. lib. 4. c. 34. l. 5. c. 2. Trid. Sess 13. c. 1. de Euch. The Second is that no substance of the Elements remains in it The Second Altho nothing seems more strange and distant to the senses Cyp. de coena Domini Euseb Emiss hom 5. de Pasch Cyr. Hier. Catech. 1 3 4. Ambr. l. 4. de Sacra c. 4. Chrysost hom 83. in Matt. 60. ad Pop. Antioch The Third The Third which is easily gather'd from both the former tho the words of Consecration fully express it is that what is beheld by the Eyes or perceiv'd by the other Senses is in a wonderful and unspeakable manner without any subject matter And one may see indeed all the Accidents of Bread and Wine which yet are inherent in no substance but they consist of themselves because the Substance of the Bread and Wine is so chang'd into the Body and Blood of the Lord that the substance of the Bread and Wine altogether ceases But that the first may be first handl'd XXVI The true Body of Christ prov'd to be in the Eucharist Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.20 Luc. 22.19 Let the Pastors endeavor to shew how plain and clear the Words of our Savior are which shew the Truth of Christ's Body in the Sacrament for when he says This is my Body This is my Blood There is no one in his right mind can be ignorant what we are to understand Especially seeing the design of the discourse is concerning the human Nature which the Catholic Faith suffers none to doubt that Christ truly had As that very holy and learn'd Man Hilarius has written concerning the Truth of Christ's Flesh and Blood S. Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit super illa verba velut unum 1 Cor. 11.28 when according to the very profession of our Lord and our Faith his Flesh is truly our Food that there is no room left us to doubt thereof But there is another point to be open'd by the Pastors whence it may plainly be known that the true Body and Blood of the Lord is contain'd in the Eucharist For after that the Apostle had remember'd That the Bread and Wine was consecrated by our Lord and the Sacred Mysteries administer'd to his Apostles he subjoyns But let a Man prove himself and so let him eat of that Bread and Drink of that Chalice for he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself not differencing the Lords Body But if as Heretics say that nothing else were to be venerated in the Sacrament besides the memory and sign of Christ's Passion what need was there that the Faithful should be exhorted with such weighty words to prove themselves For by that weighty word Judgment the Apostle has declar'd that some horrid wickedness is committed by him who impurely taking the Lords Body which lies hid in the Eucharist does not difference it from other kinds of Meat Which also before in the same Epistle he more fully explain'd in these words 1 Cor. 11.26 The Chalice of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communication of the Blood of Christ and the Bread which we break is it not the participation of the Lords Body Which words verily shew the true substance of the Body and Blood of Christ our Lord. These places of Scripture therefore shall be explain'd by the Pastors
minister and steward 〈◊〉 25.23 and like a good and faithful servant may be found worthy to be preserr'd by his Lord over many things Nor ought he to think that men of one temper only are committed to his charge XVII The fifth Or that one certain Rule or prescrib'd Form is suitable and sufficient to teach and instruct all the faithful in Christian piety But whereas some are as it were 1 Pet. 2.2 infants new born others begin to grow to man-hood in Christ and some do grow in a manner to full age It is necessary to consider who they are that have need of milk who of more solid meat 1 Cor. 3.2 and so to provide for all such food of doctrin as may give spiritual increase Heb. 5.22 13. till we all come into the unity of the faith into the perfect man-hood of the knowledge of the Son of God into the measure of the stature of the fulness or age of Christ The Apostle yielded himself an example to be observ'd by all herein when he said Rom. 1.14 That he was debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise to wit That those that are call'd to the ministery might know that they ought so to accommodate their doctrin to the capacity and reach of their hearers in delivering the mysteries of faith and rules of life that when they have fill'd the souls of them Heb. 5.14 who have their senses exercis'd with spiritual meat they suffer not in the mean time the little ones to perish with hunger who ask for bread and there is none to distribute it to them Nor ought it at all to discourage any ones endeavors in teaching XVIII The sixth because it is sometimes necessary for the hearers to be taught the rules of those things which are common and despicable altho frequently it is not without some difficulty that they are handl'd by those whose minds are taken up with and take a kind of pleasure in the contemplation of the more sublime and lofty matters For 1 Thess 8.8 if the wisdom of the eternal Father came down to the earth in the meanness of our flesh to teach us the rules of the heav'nly life who is there whom the love of Christ cannot constrain to become little among his brethren and as a nurse fostering her little infants so earnestly to desire and endeavour the salvation of his neighbour 1 Thess 2.8 That as the Apostle testifies of himself he wou'd not only deliver the Gospel to them but even his own life for them Now the Rule of all that doctrin which the faithful are to be taught XIX Whence the Christian doctrin is to be fetched is contain'd in the word of God and is divided into Scripture and Tradition The Pastors therefore shou'd night and day be meditating on these things Always remembering S. Pauls admonition which he wrote to Timothy which also all that have cure of souls shou'd reckon as belonging to themselves and this is the admonition 1 Tim 4.13 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Attend to reading exhortation and doctrin For all Scripture written by divine inspiration is profitable for doctrin for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God might be perfect and ready to every good work But because the things deliver'd of God are many and divers XX. Whence is had the division of this Catechism that they cannot easily be comprehended in the mind and being comprehended cannot be kept in memory Therefore when there is offer'd an opportunity of teaching that the explaining of those things may be fit and easie our Ancestors have very wisely reduced the whole power and substance of the doctrin of salvation into these four heads viz. The Apostles Creed The Sacraments The Decalogue or ten Commandments And The Lords Prayer For all those things which are to be held by the discipline of Christian faith XXI The First part or which belong to the knowledge of God or to the Creation and Government of the world or to the Redemption of mankind or to the Rewards of the good or Punishment of the wicked are contain'd in the doctrin of the Creed But those things which are Signs and instruments XXII The Second part as it were for the obtaining of divine grace these the doctrin of the Seven Sacraments contains But those things which have reference to the Law XXIII The Third part 1 Tim. 1.5 the end whereof is Charity are set down in the Decalogue Lastly Whatsoever may be savingly wish'd XXIV The Fourth hop'd or pray'd for by any man is comprehended in the Lord's Prayer Whence it follows that these four which are as it were the common places of the holy Scriptures being explain'd there can be nothing wanting in a manner for the understanding of those things which are to be learn'd of a Christian It seem'd good therefore to admonish the parish Curates XXV The manner of dividing the Catechism into several Sundays that as often as it came in their way to interpret any place of the Gospel or any other place of holy Scripture they may know the meaning of that place whatsoever it be falls under one of these heads we have even now mention'd whither they may have recourse as to the fountain of all doctrin for explanation of it For example If the Gospel of the first Sunday in Advent be to be explain'd Luc. 21 25. There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon c. What is pertinent to the explanation thereof is handl'd under the article of the Creed He shall come to judge the quick and the dead which being thence taken the Pastor may with the same pains instruct the faithful people both in the Creed and in the Gospel Wherefore in all the parts of teaching and interpreting he will do well to hold to this practice of directing all things to those four chief points to which we thought fit to refer the whole power and doctrin of holy Scripture but yet to take that order in teaching as will be most proper both to the persons to be taught and to the season We following the authority of the Fathers XXVI Why it begins with the explication of the Creed who in bringing men to Christ our Lord and in instructing them in his discipline began at the doctrin of Faith have thought fit first to handle those things which belong to Faith But because in the word of God XXVII What Faith is the signification of Faith is manifold we here speak of that by vertue whereof we wholly assent to those things which are deliver'd by God Now that this Faith is necessary to the attaining everlasting salvation no one can justly doubt especially seeing it is written Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God For whereas the end proposed to man for his happiness is far higher than for
under these words II. What the Discipline of this Article is which in this place are us'd to declare our Happiness very many Mysteries lye closely hid they are so to be open'd that according to every mans capacity they may be clear'd The Faithful therefore are to be admonish'd That in these words Life Everlasting is signifi'd as well that Blessedness which satisfies the desire of the Bless'd as the Perpetuity of Life which the Devils and Wicked Men shall 1 also have Luc. 18.27 Matt 19.29 25.46 Aug. de Civ Dei l. 19. c 11 and so that Lawyer conceiv'd who in the Gospel asked of our Lord and Savior What he should do to possess everlasting Life as if he had said What must I do that I may come to that place where I may enjoy perfect felicity In this sense the Holy Scripture understands these words as may be gather'd from many places But by This name especially that most excellent Blessedness is call'd lest any one should think that it consists in corporeal and transitory things which cannot be Everlasting For neither could this word Blessedness sufficiently express what was design'd especially seeing there have not been wanting Men puffed up with an opinion of a vain kind of Wisdom who have plac'd the Chiefest Good in those things which are perceiv'd by the Senses For these things perish and grow old But Blessedness is to be limited by no term of Time yea rather these earthly things are farthest from true Happiness from which he is gone far away who is held with the Love and Desire of the World for it is written 1 Joh. 2.15 ibid. 17. 1 Pet. 2.11 Love not the World nor the Things of the World if any one love the World the Love of the Father is not in him And a little after The World passes away and the Concupiscence thereof These things therefore the Curats shall take diligent care to impress upon the minds of the Faithful that they may resolve to despise mortal things and know that in This life where we are not Citizens but Strangers they can have no Happiness Tho here also we may rightly be said to be Happy in Hope Tit. 2.13 If denying Vngodliness and worldly Desires we live soberly justly and godly in this World waiting for that blessed Hope and the coming of the Glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ These things when many who seem'd very wise understood not and thought that in This Life Happiness was to be sought they became Fools Rom. 1.2 and fell into the greatest Calamities But besides IV. Bliss must needs be Everlasting by Vertue of these words The Life Everlasting we perceive that Happiness once gotten can never be lost as some falsely have suppos'd for Happiness is made up of all kinds of Good without any mixture of evil Which seeing it satisfies the desire of Man it must necessarily consist in Eternal Life For neither can a Bless'd Man chuse but greatly desire forever to enjoy those good things which he has gotten Wherefore unless that Possession be sure and settl'd it must needs be troubl'd with an exceeding torment of Fear See S. Austin de Civit Dei lib. 12. c. 20. lib. 22. c. 29. 30. de libero arbit c. 15. de verb. Domini serm 64. serm 37 de Sanctis But how great the Happiness of the Bless'd who live in their Heavenly Country V. Everlasting Bliss cannot be express'd by Words is and that it can be comprehended unless merely in name by themselves only these very words which we name when we say The Bless'd Life sufficiently shew For if when to express any thing we use that name which is common to many other things we easily perceive that we want a proper name whereby plainly to express the thing When therefore Happiness is there signifi'd in words which suit no better with the Bless'd than with all the rest that live for ever this is an argument to us That there is some higher and more excellent thing which passes our Reason to signifie it perfectly by any proper name For tho in Holy Scripture there are very many other names given to this Heavenly Happiness such as are The Kingdom of God of Christ of Heaven Paradice the Holy City the New Jerusalem the House of our Father Yet it is plain that there is none of them all sufficient to explain the Greatness of it Wherefore the Curats may not pretermit the occasion offer'd them in this place VI. The force of this Article to perswade to Piety of inviting the Faithful by so ample rewards as are signified in these words Life Everlasting to Piety Justice and all Offices of Christian Religion For it is manifest that Life is us'd to be reckon'd among the greatest Goods of Nature and in this Good chiefly when we say The Life Everlasting is Blessedness said to be Now if we love nothing more if there be nothing more dear or more sweet to us than this slender and miserable Life which is subject to so many and so manifold Miseries that it may more truly be call'd a Death with what intention of mind with what earnestness ought we to seek after that Everlasting Life which being freed from all evils has a perfect and absolute supply of all good things For as the Holy Fathers have taught Chrysost in 30 c p. ad Theo. l. lapsum Aug. de Civit. Dei lib 22. c. 30. Aâ—se'm Ep. 2. de simil c. 47. seq Apoc 7.16 Ibid. 21.4 Serm. 64. de verb. Domini de Sâ—mb ad Catech. The Happiness of Eternal Life is to be defin'd A Freedom from all Evil and an enjoyment of all Good Of the Evil these Testimonies of Holy Scripture are very clear It is written in the Apocalyps or Revelation They shall hunger and thirst no more nor shall the Sun or the Heat fall upon them And again God shall wipe away every Tear from their Eyes and there shall be no more Death nor Sorrow nor Crying nor Grief because the first things are past away But then the Glory of the Bless'd will be boundless and the kinds of solid joy and pleasure will be innumerable The greatness of which Glory since our Understandings cannot conceive and since they can by no means enter into our Minds it is needsul that we enter into it to wit into the joy of our Lord that being every way compass'd about with it we may abundantly satiate the desire of our Heart But tho lib. 3. ult as S. Austin writes it seems more easie to number up the Evils we shall want than the Goods and Pleasures we shall enjoy yet it must be endeavored briefly and clearly to explain those things which may inflame the Faithful with the desire of getting this most excellent Happiness But first it is necessary to use this distinction VII Bliss twofold Essential Accidental which we have learn'd from the
the Rock and Foundation of the Church and bore the highest constancy and greatness of a generous Soul was so terrifi'd at the voice of one poor silly Woman that he deny'd not once and again only but even a third time also that he was Jesus Christ's Disciple Yea and after the Resurrection for fear of the Jews they kept themselves close shut up in a House But then on the day of Pentecost they were all fill'd with so great a power of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. that while they freely and boldly planted the Gospel which was committed to them not only in the Region of the Jews but all over the World they thought nothing could be a greater happiness to them Act. 5. than to be counted worthy to suffer Disgrace Bonds Torments and crucifyings for the name of Christ Besides The Fourth Effect Confirmation has this vertue that it imprints a Character Whence it comes to pass that for no reason whatsoever is it to be iterated as was before observ'd in Baptism and will be more fully explain'd in the Sacrament of Order in its proper place If therefore these things be diligently and often explain'd by the Pastors it can hardly be but that the Faithful knowing the dignity and profitableness of this Sacrament will use their utmost endeavors to receive it holily and religiously That Confirmation is not to be iterated See Consec dist 5. c. dictum est cap. de hom D. Thom. 3. p. q. 72. art 5. It remains now that some of the Rites and Ceremonies XX. The Rites and Ceremonies of Confirmation explain'd which the Catholic Church uses in administrating this Sacrament be briefly consider'd The explication whereof how profitable it will be the Pastors will understand if they look back to those things which were said before when they are to treat of this Point Those therefore that are confirm'd Chrism and Unction are anointed in the Fore-head with Sacred Chrism For in this Sacrament the Holy Spirit pours himself into the Souls of the Faithful and increases Strength and Courage in them that in the Spiritual Combat they may fight manfully and resist their most deadly enemies Wherefore it is declar'd Why in the Fore-head That they are not to be terrifi'd from the free confession of the Name of Christ with any fear or bashfulness the tokens of which affections are us'd to appear most in the Fore-head Rhahan l. 1. de Instit cleric c. 30. habetur de consecr dist 5. c. novissimè Aug. in Psal 141. D. Thom. 3. p. 9.71 ar 9. Besides The Sign of the Cross that Note whereby a Christian is distinguish'd from others and as it were a Soldier by certain honorable Badges is distinguish'd from the rest is given him in the most observable part of his Body This also has bin solemnly and religiously observ'd in the Church of God Why at Whitsontide That at Whitsontide especially this Sacrament is administer'd because specially on that day the Apostles were confirm'd and strengthen'd by the Power of the Holy Ghost By the remembrance of which divine work the Faithful might be admonish'd what and how great mysteries were to be consider'd in that Sacred Unction And when he that is anointed and confirm'd The Stroak that he may be put in mind that he ought as a valiant Champion to be ready prepar'd to endure all adversities with an unconquer'd and resolute Soul for the name of Christ is lightly struck upon the Breast by the Bishop And lastly the Peace is given him The Peace that he may understand that he has the Fulness of heavenly Grace and that Peace which passes all sense or understanding And let this be the sum of those things which are to be taught of the Pastors concerning the Sacrament of Chrism and that not so much by naked Words and Arguments as with an ardent study and endeavor for true Piety that they may be seen to plant these things in the inmost Souls and Thoughts of the Faithful Of the SACRAMENT of the EVCHARIST AS there is none of all those Holy Mysteries I. The Dignity of the Eucharist often to be explain'd that it may not be us'd irreverently Dionys de Eccl. Hier. c. 6. de Conse◠dist c. 2. Nihi i◠1 Cor. 11.30 which our Lord and Savior has commended to us as the certain Instruments of Divine Grace that can be compar'd with the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist So also is there no greater Punishment to be fear'd from God for any sin whatsoever than if This thing which is full of all sanctity or rather which contains the Author and Fountain of Sanctity be not holily and religiously us'd by the Faithful And this the Apostle both plainly saw and has plainly warn'd us about it For when he had declar'd under how grievous a guilt they were bound who discern'd not the Lords Body he presently subjoyns Therefore are there many sick and weak among you and many sleep That therefore the Faithful may understand both that divine Honor is to be given to this heavenly Sacrament and may gather a plentiful increase of Grace and may avoid the most just indignation of God all these things are very diligently to be explain'd by the Pastors which seem proper the more to illustrate the Majesty thereof To which purpose there will be need II. The Institution of the Eucharist first to be explain'd that following S. Pauls method who professes that he deliver'd to the Corinthians what he had receiv'd of the Lord they first of all explain to the Faithful the Institution of this Sacrament For that the thing was thus done plainly appears from the Evangelist For III. Why when and how Christ instituted the Eucharist Joh. 13. When the Lord lov'd his own he lov'd them to the end of which Love that he might give them some divine and admirable pledge knowing that the hour was now come that he must go from this World to the Father and that he might at no time ever be wanting to those that are his he in his unsearchable wisdom perfected the thing which quite surpasses all the Order and Course of Nature For celebrating the Supper of the Paschal Lamb with his Discipes that the Figure might give place to the Truth and the Shadow to the Body Mat. 26.20 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 He took Bread and giving Thanks to God he Bless'd it and Brake and Gave it to his Disciples and said Take and Eat This is my Body which shall be given for you This do in Commemoration of me In like manner he took also the Chalice after he had supp'd saying This Chalice is the New Testament in my Blood This do as oft as ye shall drink it in Commemoration of me Of the Institution of the Eucharist see Trid. Sess 13. c. 2. de Euch. Leo. Serm. 7. de Pas c. 3. Euseb Emiss hom 4. habetur in consec dist 2. 1.
XXVII The same confirm'd by consent of Fathers and first it must be taught that there is nothing doubtful or uncertain in them Especially since the authority of Gods Church has thus interpreted them To the knowledg of which sense we may come by a twofold way and means The first is by consulting the Fathers who flourish'd both in the beginning and so down through every Age of the Church and were the best Witnesses of the Doctrin of the Church But all these by an exact consent and agreement have most plainly taught the truth of this Opinion Of which to bring the several Testimonies because it would be a most tedious labor it shall be sufficient to mark or rather to shew a few things whereby a judgment may easily be made of the rest S. Ambrose therefore first produces his Faith who in his Book of those that are initiated in the Mysteries testifies Lib. 4. de Sacra de tis qui Myster init c. 9. vide de consec dist 2. plutib in locis Chrys ad Popul Antioch homil 60 61. That the true Body of Christ is taken in this Sacrament as his true Body was taken of the Virgin and this is to be held with most certain Faith And in another place he teaches That there is Bread before the Consecration but after the consecration the Body of Christ Another witness hereof is S. Chrysostom one of no less Fidelity and Gravity who professes and teaches this Truth both in many other places and especially in his 60th Homily of those who unworthily receive the Sacred Mysteries as also in his 41 and 45. Homilies upon S. John For he says Let us obey and not contradict God tho that which is spoken seem to be contrary to our Reason and our very Eyes for his Word is infallible our Senses are easily deceiv'd To these exactly agrees what S. Austin the vigorous defender of Catholic Faith always taught And first expounding the Title of the 33. Psalm he writes To carry himself in his own hands is to Man an impossible thing and is proper to Christ alone For He was carri'd in his own hands when giving that Body of his he said This is my Body And besides Cyril Justin and Irenaeus in his fourth Book upon S. John so plainly affirm the true Flesh of Christ to be in this Sacrament that his words cannot be rendred obscure by any sallacies or captious interpretations But if the Pastors want any other Testimonies of the Fathers it is easie to add more as S. Dennys Hilary Hierom Damascen and innumerable others The grave Sentences of whom concerning this matter we may read collected and gather'd together by the Labor and Industry of learn'd and pious Men. Divus Augustinus in Ps 33. Conc. 1. a medio ad finera usque Cyril l. 4. in Joan. c. 33. 14. l. c. 13. Just Apolog. 2. sub finem ad Antonium l'ium lren l. 5. cont haeret c. l. 5. in Joan. c. 34. Dionys Eccles Hier. c. 3. Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit Hierom Epist ad Damasum Damasc l. 4. de Orthod fid c. 14. There remains another way whereby we may find out the judgment of Holy Church in those things which belong to Faith to wit the contrary Doctrin and Opinion being condemn'd And it is manifest that the Truth of the Body of Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was so scatter'd and spread abroad through the whole Church XXVIII The same further confirm'd by Decrees of Councils and willingly embrac'd by all the Faithful that when Berengarius five hundred years ago presum'd to deny it and asserted That there was only a Sign he was forthwith condemn'd by the Sentence of all in the Council of Verceils which by Authority of Leo IX was conven'd and himself retracted his Opinion and condemn'd it with an Anathema Who afterwards returning to the same impiety was condemn'd in three other Councils one at Tours and two at Rome whereof the one was call'd together by Pope Nicholas II. and the other by Pope Gregory VII And afterwards the Faith of the same Truth was more fully declar'd and settl'd in the Councils of Florence and Trent If therefore the Pastors shall diligently have explain'd these things not to say any thing of those XXIX And by Reason who being blinded and harden'd in their Errors hate nothing more than the Light of Truth they will be able to confirm the weak and to affect the Souls of the devout with the greatest joy and delight Especially since the Faithful may not doubt but that the Belief of this Perswasion is to be reckon'd among the other Articles of Faith For when they believe and confess God's Power to be supream over all things The First they must needs believe that he wants not Power to effect this great Work which we admire and worship in the Sacrament of the Eucharist And then The Second when they believe the Catholic Church it must needs follow that they believe also that this is the truth of this Sacrament as we have explain'd it And indeed there can be no greater sweetness and profit to the Faithful XXX How great the Churches Dignity by reason of the Sacrament of the Eucharist than to contemplate the dignity of this most profound Sacrament For first they perceive how great the Perfection of the Law of the Gospel is which has the priviledge to have that thing in Truth and Reality which in the time of the Mosaical Law was only shadow'd by Signs and Figures Wherefore it was divinely said of S. Dennys De Eccl. Hier. c. 3 p. 1. That our Church is in the middle between the Synagogue and the upper Jerusalem and participates of both And indeed the Faithful can never sufficiently admire the perfection of Holy Church and the height of her Glory seeing there seems to be but one step or degree only betwixt her and the Bliss of Heaven For This we have common with those in Heaven that both of us have Christ God and Man present with us But we are below them this one step They being present there enjoy the blessed Vision But We with a firm and constant Faith worship him being present with us but hiding himself far from the sense of our Eyes under the admirable cloathing of the Sacred Mysteries Besides in this Sacrament the Faithful experience the most perfect Love of our Savior Christ For it highly became his goodness never to withdraw from us that Nature which he took of us but as much as may be to be and to be conversant among us That at all times that might seem to be truly and properly said Prov. 8. My delight is to be with the Children of Men. And now in this place the Pastors must explain XXXI Whole Christ as God and Man contain'd in the Eucharist not only that the true Body of Christ and whatsoever belongs to the true Nature of a Body as
follow Thou shalt not work Nor do's it signifie that only for otherwise it would be sufficient to say in Deuteronomy Observe the Day of the Sabbath Deut. 12. But seeing that in the same Place it is added to sanctifie it by this word is shew'd that the Day of the Sabbath is Religious and consecrated to divine Actions and holy Duties We therefore do then fully and perfectly celebrate the Sabbath-day XVII The true Sanctification of the Sabbath Esay 58.13 when we perform Duties of Piety and Religion to God And that this is evidently a Sabbath which Esay calls delightful because Holy-days are as it were the Delights of God and Pious Men. Wherefore if to this religious and holy Observance of the Sabbath we add Works of Mercy Esay 58.6 surely they are many and very great Rewards which in the same Chapter are propos'd to us The true and proper Sense of this Commandment therefore is XVIII What the true sense of this Commandment is That Man both in Soul and Body might be careful to set apart some certain determin'd Time from Bodily Business and Labor to worship and reverence God devoutly Now in the next part of this Commandment is shew'd XIX What the second Part of the Commandment requires That the Seventh day is dedicated by God to Divine Worship for thus it is written Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God The meaning of which words is That Sabbath is consecrated to the Lord and that on that Day we pay him our Duties of Religion and that we know the Seventh day to be Sign of the Lord's Rest Now this Day is dedicated to God XX. Why this Day is dedicated to God because it was not fit that the rude People should have the power of chusing the Time after their own Will lest haply they might imitate the Religion of the Egyptians Therefore of the Seven days the last was chosen for the Worship of God XXI Why God chose One Day Which thing indeed is full of Mystery Wherefore in Exodus and in Ezekiel the Lord calls it a Sign See therefore says he that ye keep my Sabbath For it is a Sign between me and you in your Generations The First Reason that ye may know that I am the Lord who sanctifie you It was a Sign therefore which shew'd that Men ought to dedicate themselves to God and to keep themselves holy to him since we see even the very Day to be dedicated to him for that Day is Holy because then especially Men ought to exercise Holiness and Religion And then it is a Sign and Monument The Second as it were of the wonderful Creation of the World And it was moreover given as a Sign to remember and warn the Israelites The Third that they might remember that they were delivered and freed by God's help from the most hard Yoak of the Egyptian Bondage And this the Lord shew'd in these words Deut. 5.25 Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt and the Lord thy God brought thee out thence with a strong hand and stretched-out arm therefore he has commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day The Fourth And it is also a Sign both of the Spiritual and Eternal Sabbath Now the Spiritual Sabbath consists in a holy and mystical kind of Rest XXII What the Spiritual Sabbath is to wit when the old Man being buried with Christ is renew'd to Life and studiously exercises it self in those Actions which are agreeable to Christian Piety Ephes 5 2. For they who sometimes were Darkness but now are Light in the Lord ought to walk as Children of the Light in all Goodnesâ— Justice and Truth and not to communicate with the unfruitful Works of Darkness But the Heavenly Sabbath as S. Cyril says upon that place of the Apostle XXIII What the Heavenly Sabbath is S. Cyril lat l. 4 in Jo. c. 5 1. There remains therefore a Rest to the People of God is that Life wherein we shall live with Christ and enjoy all good things and Sin be utterly pluck'd up by the Roots according to that Esa 53.8 There shall no Lion nor evil Beast go up thither but there shall be a pure way and it shall be called Holy For the Soul of the Saints in the Vision of God gets all good things Wherefore the Pastor must exhort and encourage the Faithful with these words Heb. 4.2 Let us make haste to enter into that Rest Now besides the Seventh day XXIV That Jews had other Feasts besides the Sabbaths the Jews had other Festival and Sacred Days appointed by God's Law whereby the Memory of their greatest Benefits was renew'd Of those other Feasts see Levit. 23. Num. 29. Deut. 16. and if you would know the moral meaning of the Feasts of this kind see Cyril de Adoratione in spiritu verit lib. 17. D. Thom. 1.2 q. 102. art 4. ad 10. But it pleas'd the Church of God XXV Why the Sabbath chang'd The First Reason that the Worship and Celebration of the Sabbath-day should be transferr'd to the Lord's-day For as on that Day the Light did first shine upon the World so by the Resurrection of our Redeemer which open'd us an Entrance to Eternal Life which hapned on that Day our Life was recall'd out of Darkness into Light and for this cause the Apostles would have it call'd The Lord's Day Besides The Second Reason in Sacred Scripture we find that this was a Solemn Day because therein the Creation of the World began and because the Holy Ghost was given to the Apostles But the Apostles in the beginning of the Church XXVI Why other Feasts apopointed and aftewards in the sollowing Times our Holy Fathers appointed other Holy-days that we might devoutly and holily call to remembrance God's Benefits Now among these are to be reckon'd as the most remarkable XXVII The Order of Holy-days those Days that are consecrated to Religion for the Mysteries of our Redemption and then those that are dedicated to the most Holy Virgin Mother Note and to the Apostles and Martyrs and the other Saints which reign with Christ in whose Victory the Goodness and Power of God is prais'd due Honor done to them and the Faithful stirr'd up to the Imitation of them And because to the keeping of this Commandment XXVIII Idleness forbidd'n that part of it has great Force which is express'd in these words Six Days shalt thou labor but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of God The Curat ought diligently to explain that part For from these words it may be gather'd That the Faithful are to be admonish'd that they lead not their Life in Sloth and Idleness But rather being mindful of the Apostles Advice 1 Thes 4.11 That every one do his own business and labor with his hands as he commanded Besides XXIX No