man to thinke by reason that the Romane Church hath the true faith which God will haue him to belseue and is the true Church which he will haue him to obey Yet if we had not the supernatural light and inspiration of God mouing vs to that faith but that we were to goeby our owne thoughts onely then were it not a supernatural faith of absolute and infallible certainty as not proceeding from the authority of God nor had it proportion to supernatural glory But when reason dictateth somethinge to be true and God confirmeth it by the declaration of the Church which is as his voyce and hath his authority I being illuminated and inspired of him to beleeue the Church then whatsoeuer I soe beleeue I beleeue it for the diuine autority and although vnto reason it haue some obscurity and be not absolutely certaine as it is in reason onely yet as it is beleeued by faith it is absolutly and infinitly certaine because then it hath the testimony and authority of God And soe wisdome reacheth from end to end mihtily and disposeth all thinges sweetly Mightily Sap. 8. in that God assureth vs with his owne diuine word of the truth of our faith Sweetly in that he draweth vs euen by our owne reason soe to beleeue in him By reason we are brought to beleeue the true Church God illuminateth and inspireth vs to beleeue him speaking by that Church and by that supernatural light and gift of inspiration we produce acts of faith Now we will shew THAT THE SVPERNATVRAL light and gift of faith is all wais to the obedience of the Church BY that which hath bene said it doth appeare that faith is not a natural but a supernatural light and gift of God now we will shew that by it we are allwais to adhaere and firmely to beleeue the doctrine of the Church which is the second part of that which you haue answered to the question of faith The ennemy of mankind enuying at our felicity that we should haue and cooperate with that light of faith which he reiected and should by it attaine to that blessed state of glory which he must neuer obtaine cometh in the night time to sow in our harts many darke fallaces against faith and by false illusions and conterfeit inspirations often deceiueth vs and therefor we must haue some anes to try this deceiuing spirit and to discouer his false inspirations from the true and some power to allow or to disallow of particular mens spirits and by this we may see how necessary it is that there should allwais be in the world a continual Church infallibly assisted of God for the trying of spirits and discerning of them and that the diuine inspiration should allwais be with obedience to that Church I referre the reader to the ninth article of the Creede and to the eleauenth discourse of the Praecepts of the Church where I declare more fully the necessity and authority of such a continual Church where he may see how that we could neither know which were the true scriptures nor which were the true sense of them nor certainely destinguish betwixt true and false reason nor beleeue any thinge as certaine by faith but that all order and gouernment in religion were quite destroyed if we had not a continual visible Church with assurance from God of his diuine assistance with it and we were bounde to obey it in the deciding of all controuersys in religion which by proude and contentius men might be raised of any point though neuer soe cleere Here now I speake onely of the diuine light and inspiration vpon which we depende in all points of faith and I shew that being that this necessary light and inspiration may be counterfeited by our enemy we must of necessity acknowledge some external vniuersal power vpon earth authorized of God to try and to destinguish the seueral spirits of all men And this external power must either be assured by the diuine assistance of the verity of that which it declareth or els it were also deceiuing as the false spirit is and we should haue noe meanes to discerne the true spirit of God from the false but euery man might teach what he list vnder pretence of diuine inspiration Inspiration to faith must betryed by the Church There was neuer yet any man that labored to set abrode any errors in religion but as he pretended his doctrine to be of God soe he pretended the spirit of God to be after some sort with him but he will come to noe tryal of his spirit but would haue all to beleeue him vpon his owne bare word that he hath the spirit of God Soe the Archhaeretike that beginneth new doctrines in disobedience to the whole Church would haue men to take his word against all the world that then is that he hath the spirit of God and to prooue it he alleageth many reasons of his owne but he will not be tryed by any authority and soe his spirit being brought to be subiect to his priuate reason and all things being as you see finally resolued by it the controuersy coms in the end to that which in the former title is refuted and by which he is conuinced to wit that we are not to be resolued in matters of faith by our owne vnderstandings and priuate reasons onely but by the testimony of God inwardly in ourharts and externally as now I shew by the authority of the Church Tim 1.4 S. Paul saith that certaine shall depart from the faith attending to the spirits of error and doctrines of deuils Io. 1.4 By which we see that men may haue false spirits And S. Iohn sayeth beleeue not euery spirit but prooue the spirits if they be of God By which we see the same and also that we must haue some meanes for the tryal of false spirits Now what way can be thought more reasonable for the tryall of spirits then by the sentence of the whole Church which is giuen without partiality or respect of persons in generall to all alike Suppose two men going forth of the Church obstinatly manteining some new and contrary opinions to the doctrine of the whole Church and to each other Both of them pretende that they haue the spirit of God and yet they mainteine contrary doctrines to the whole world and to one another First it is certaine that both of them haue not the spirit of God for the spirit of God is the spirit of truth which can not be thus diuided Which then of them hath the true spirit how shall they be tryed The one of them alloweth of such and such scriptures and of such a sense of scriptures and the other denyeth all that he sayeth and yet pretendeth that he hath the spirit of God First this can not be decided by their spirits for as long as they hold contrary doctrines their spirits can neuer agree for the one of them to be tryed by the other Shall it
scriptures and that in innumerable places which for breuity I omitte and will mention onely the words of our Sauiour which he spoke to his disciples at his last farewell from them Christ in his Ascension being to leaue his Apostles with a hard taske and difficult worke which they were to performe in founding of the Catholike Church amongst soe many enemys he told them for their comfort Mat. 2â— Behold I am with you aâ—l dayes euen to the consummation of the world He spoke then to the Apostles and would not onely comfort them but all others who were to haue the gouernment of the Church for euer after promising to be with them as long as the world should endure As long then as Christ was to be with them their doctrine was for euer to be true and their authority diuine and he being to be with them vnto the consummation of the world their doctrine was to be true and their authority diuine vnto the consummation of the world as the doctrine and authority of Christ who promised allwais to assist them in their worke and soe their worke was his worke and their doctrine and authority were his Christ therfor is allwais with the Pastors of the Church when they represent and haue the authority of the whole Church not with euery one of them particularly but with all of them together and therefor although any one particular bishop as he is onely a particular member of the Church may erre yet all bishops cannot possibly erre at any time because Christ hath promised to be with them all dayes It is not needfull to produce the sentences of fathers for the diuine authority of the Church both because these words of the Creede made by the Apostles and at all times consented vnto by the fathers I beleeue the Catholike Church may stande for their sentences and also because their sentences to this purpose will frequently occurre in that which I haue to say of the Church Scriptures and fathers are easily misconstrued by haeretiks who make them to speake as they will vnderstande them or if they be too plane against them they discarde the sentence or the whole booke For those that are soe bold as to contradict the whole Church haue lost their shame and neede regard noe authority at all But because they pretende reason as building all their doctrines vpon their owne witts and because this point is soe necessary for the deciding of all controuersys and to the true and lawfull condemnation of all haeresys we will make it euident by plane and easy reasons which all may vnderstande To thinke to haue religion without the diuine authority of an infallible Church is to thinke to build without a foundation or as we commonly say to build castles in the ayre the foundation of all true religion being the authority of the Church which professeth it Grant once that a Church may erre as it may if it be not supported by the diuine authority and we can not be certaine of any doctrine which it teacheth and being vncertaine of the truth of its doctrine we are not bound to beleeue vncertaintys and it can not be the true religion if it be professed by a Church which we are not bounde to beleeue And therefor the first thinge which is to be established as the foundation of true religion is the infallible and consequently diuine authority of the Church that professeth it Take once away the authority of the Church and absolue men from the obedience of it and you make euery man his owne master and leauing him to himselfe to beleeue what he listeth all is brought into vncertainty and confusion for there is noe point of faith soe certaine nor any thinge soe cleere but by prowde and contentious men it might be brought into question This is declared by particular instances If the Church of Christ were not of diuine authority and infallible certainty in all which it teacheth we could not be certaine either of the Creede or of the scriptures or of the sense of either of them or of any article of faith whatsoeuer nay the very foundation of all religion would be destroyed the diuine existence becomming also vncertaine to vs and insteede of gouernment vnion and order in the worship of God we should haue noe diuine worship nor God at all but a horrible confusion and more then hellish disorder would dwell vpon earth First the Creede is not receiued but for the authority of the Church We beleeue that euery article of the Creede was made by diuine inspiration and authority and as such we will defende them with our liues yet this we know not but by the Church for of our selues we could not certainely know it nor should we beleeue it of the Creede more then of other writings which we receiue not as of faith but that the Church commandeth vs soe to beleeue of it and not of them Againe we doe not know the sense of any article of the Creede but by the authority of the Church take away this and we had the sense of them to seeke we knew not where euery one might follow his owne sense and we should be certaine of nothing but of vncertainty and confusion Take away the diuine and infallible authority of the Church in the Apostles times and you bring all into vncertainty whatsoeuer they taught and ruine the foundation of the whole christian faith and it had bene noe matter what they had deliuered in the Creede or whether they had made any Creede at all Take away that authority from the Church of Christ that is at all times and it is noe matter what Creede it deliuer or what sense of the Creede seeing it may erre in that which it sayeth and those thinges may be false which it deliuereth for true The same appeareth in the scriptures We beleeue that such and such scriptures were written by some that had the spirit of God to write nothing but truth in them that all those bookes which we receiue were written with that spirit and that all those bookes passing through soe many hands and handwritings as must necessarily haue bene before printing was inuented haue remained vncorrupted vntill our times How doe we know all this to be soe but by the authority of the Church deny this as all haeretiks doe to follow their owne phansys and you may admitte of what Scriptures you will or if you will you may deny all scriptures And this we see by experience to be true that haeretiks reiecting the authority of the Church and disobeying it reiect also the scriptures and receiue but what they will The Carpocratites Seuerians and Manichees reiected all the old Testament and all the foure ghospels of the new except that of S. Luke Cerdon and Cerinthus reiected S. Luke The Seuerians reiected the acts of the Apostles and all the Epistles of S. Paul Luther and some Protestants reiect the Epistle of S. Iames. The Alogians and some Protestants reiect
the Apocalypse And Suencfeldius seeing such a strife about the scriptures cleered himselfe readily in a word reiecting all Soe that if we might contradict the Church and follow either our owne or the conceits of any priuate men we might reiect the true scriptures as these haue done and receiue false scriptures as the Apocryphi did or deny all scriptures as Suencfeldius Quintinus the Libertines and other haeretiks haue done The authority of the Church bindeth vs to receiue scriptures and appointeth what scriptures we should receiue and for that authority we receiue the ghospell which S. Marke wrote who was noe Apostle and not that of S. Thomas who was an Apostle and we reiect the ghospell of Nicodemus who had seene Christ and receiue the ghospell of S. Luke who neuer saw him Therfor we must ground our selues vpon the authority of the Church and obey it or els we should not know what scriptures to receiue S. Augustine hath said this in plane termes Epis fund c. 5. when he said that he would not beleeue the ghospell but for the authority of the Church And addeth that for the same authority he would not beleeue Manichaeus the haereticke Further more the word of the scriptures is not profitable to vs but in its true sense and that true sense can not be knowne but by a true interpretour which euery priuate man as we see is not for although there be a great disparity in the abilitys of men excelling one another yet noe man of himselfe is free from errour and can but by his owne reason probably affirme that which another may probably deny and therfor all priuate opinions must be referred vnto some certaine authority which must decide all controuersys in the sense of the scriptures Besides the scriptures in themselues are soe hard to be vnderstoode and full of difficultys that it were against reason to leaue euery man to his owne sense and construction of them They haue beside the litteral sense many kindes of allegorys in which if we should follow the letter it would kill vs. The deuill alleadged the letter and word of holy scriptures but in a false sense to tempt Christ and Christ refuted him by the words of scripture in their true sense but if we had not at all times the like authority of Christ in the Church the deuill would easily peruert the scriptures to vs and we should be subiect to continuall errors S. Peter saith that in the Epistles of S. Paul there are certaine thinges hard to be vnderstoode which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also the rest of the scriptures to their owne perdition and S. Augustine Pet. 2.3 Epis 119. who was one of the learnedest sort of men confesseth that there were more places of the scriptures which he vnderstoode not then that he vnde stoode The sense of the scriptures is soe depraued by haeretiks that Luther called the scriptures the booke of haeretiks euery haeretike alleâ—dging scriptures and all of them deprauing them to their owne perdition and in this they are knowne to depraue them that they follow their owne interpretations and priuate conceipts against the whole Church Simon Magus would giue soe much honour to the Angels that he would haue them our mediators aboue Christ and he alleadged scriptures and reason for this doctrine Protestants honour them soe litle that they will not grant them any mediation at all neither vâ—der Christ and they also alleadge scriptures and reasons for their doctrine The Manichees forbadde some meates as in themselues vnlawfull to be eaten and alleadged scriptures and reason for this doctrine Protestants allow of all meates to be eaten at all times although it be against the praecepâ— of the Church and alleadge also scriptures and reason for their doctrine The Marcionists Encratites and other haeretiks forbadde marriage as vnlawfull and alleadged scriptures and reasons for this doctrine Protestants esteeme soe highly of marriage that they make it lawfull for virgins and religious persons that haue dedicated and vowed their chastity to God and alleadge also scriptures and reasons for it Pelagius attributeth our good works to our owne natural forces and to freewill more then to grace and hath more shew of scriptures then most haeretiks haue for their doctrines Protestants on the contrary grant noe freewill at all and will not want scriptures nor reasons for themselues Thus you haue two contrary doctrines both of them alleadging scriptures and both of them in a false sense the truth being betwixt them both saith a learned authour as Christ was betwixt two theeues Mald in Io. 6. But how doe we know that neither of them hath the true sense of the scriptures We know it by the authority of the whole Church which at first declared against those doctrines and therefor whosoeuer shall obstinatly mainteine them are haeretiks because they deny the ninth article of the Creede not beleeuing the Catholike Church but standing obstinate against all authority that was then in the world Which if at any time it were lawfull to doe then were there none to interprete the scriptures and to destinguish betwixt sense and sense and reason and reason and we might as well haue noe scriptures at all as haue noe meanes to know the true sense of them Lastly if there were not at all times some authority amongst men infallibly assisted of God to gouerne and direct in his worship and to determine the verity of all propositions that were to be beleeued with diuine faith then might euery man beleeue and say what he liked and all order and gouernment were taken away and vtmost disorder would reigne amongst vs euen to the denying of God For although natural reason doth declare the diuine existence and a demonstration may be made by a good Philosopher to prooue it yet liberty would induce to that which is against reason and would draw into atheisme as it doth to other vices which by the reason and nature of all men are abhorred Besides not one man among a thousand can make that demonstration and what then should become of those that can not if they were to forsake the authority of the Church and follow onely their owne reasons should he onely be saued that can make it noe nor he neither by that which were but a natural knowledge and humane faith in him Out of all which it followeth that the Catholike Church hath diuine authority to determine all veritys and to decide all controuersys of faith and to direct vs infallibly in that which we are to beleeue and to doe in relation to the honour of God or els the Creede had bene in vaine as also the scriptures all proofe of reason had bene vncertaine all vnion and orderly gouernment and the very foundation of all religion were vtterly destroyed and therfor one may as well say I will haue noe Creede nor religion at all as to say I will haue or beleeue noe Church and those onely remaine sure and
against the deuils power Sixtly the corporal life of man as he is ordained to the society of other men requireth a superiour authority to be in some for the gouerning of others and soe an orderly gouernment is necessary for vs in the Church of God and for this we haue the Sacrament of orders in which power is giuen to some in spiritual things Seauenthly for the continuance and conseruation of humane nature a continuall succession and propagation of mankind is necessary in the world and for this the spiritual life of man requireth that it be done by a Sacrament for the orderly propagation of men and the increase of soules to the worship of God This is by the Sacrament of Matrimony which as it is a duety of nature is onely for corporal generation but as it is a Sacrament it giueth grace for the increase of soules in the diuine worship The number of the Sacraments shall appeare furthermore out of the scriptures in that which I haue to say of euery Sacrament in particular The same is declared by diuerse Councels And although the fathers haue had noe occasion in their writings to name them alltogether yet they haue made mention of them all as occasion serued Neither is it necessary that we should assigne the time when euery Sacrament in particular was instituted of Christ We know the times of the institution of some of them and we know that for forcy dayes betwixt his resurrection and his Ascension he frequently appeared vnto his Apostles and taught them many things which they were to obserue in the Church which are not mentioned in the scriptures and we know that the Sacraments of the Church must be of Christs teaching and ordaining We haue for the number of the Sacraments the same authority that we haue for any of the scriptures to wit the authority of the Church which although it declare not the time when the scriptures were written yet it assureth vs of all their verity and soe it doth of the number of the Sacraments ad Casulan S. Augustine giueth vs this rule that for those thinges which are generally receiued by the Church if their beginnings be not knowne they are to be taken for Apostolical traditions but such is the number of seauen Sacraments therefor they are of Apostolical tradition Thus much of the Sacraments in general let vs now come to their particular declarations OF BAPTISME OF THE NECESSITY OF baptisme BAptisme is commonly called the doore of the Sacraments because it is the entrance to the rest necessary to be had before them For vntill we be christened we are not christians and vntill we be made christians we can not receiue the Sacraments of the people of Christ Baptisme is our first spiritual generation and before generation we haue noe operation because we are not soe before baptisme we haue noe spiritual being in grace and therefor it is to be supposed before the rest of the Sacraments be receiued the words of S. Iohn being then verifyed he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God Io. 1. For as we are borne the children of Adam and of wrath in our corporal births soe in baptisme we are borne the sonnes of God by grace through the merits of Iesus Christ As necessary then as generation is to the corporal being of all men soe necessary is baptisme to the being of all soules in the diuine grace and fauour and as necessary as birth is to the perfection of man in this world soe necessary is baptisme to come to the perfect state of glory Vnles a man be borne againe of water and the spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God Iâ— 3. By which words it appeareth that Baptisme is a Sacrament that is to say an outward rite or signe that causeth grace in vs. Baptisme a Sacrament We haue a rite and outward signe in the water and we haue the effect of grace in that the kingdome of heauen is obtained by it Heretiks that would confounde all things in the Church of God haue gone about to take away our christendome from vs affirming quite contrary to the words of Christ that a man not borne of water may enter into the kindome of heauen pretending that children are sanctifyed by their parents faith and therefor will not baptize them But this as I haue said is directly contrary to the words alleadged and in it selfe most absurde in that it maketh the kingdome of heauen to come to children not by grace but by inheritance from faithfull parents and supernaturall glory to be obtained by natural and corporal meanes Children are not absolutly holy in that they come of holy parents good parents are indeede a meanes to thee sanctification of their children by procuring for them that which God hath ordained for their sanctification but the goodnes of the parent can not merit grace for the child nor sanctify him This must be done by applying the merits of Christs passion to children in some Sacrament And soe the children of the Iewes in the law of Moyses were saued by the faith of their parents in this sense that they hauing the true faith applyed vnto their children those meanes of sanctification which God then ordained for them but neither in the law of Moyses nor of nature were children euer sanctifyed by onely being borne of good parents but somethinge was allwais done to them as Circumcision or some other outward signe for their sanctification which although it were farre inferiour to our baptisme yet it was necessarily required there being noe proportion betwixt kinred in blood and the diuine grace and glory S. Augustin Doe not beleeue Aug. l. 3. de anima eâ—â—s origineâ— 9. doe not say that children before baptisme can haue their original sinne forgiuen them if thou wilt be a Catholike OF THE EFFECT OF BAPTISME THE propper and particular effect of Baptisme is to make him that receiueth it to become a member of the body of Christ as being admitted into his Church by it and to dispose and prepare him for the rest of the Sacraments after it The general effect of Baptisme which it hath commune with all the Sacraments is to giue grace to the sanctification of soules and this it doth after soe full and plentifull a manner that it remitteth all sinne whatsoeuer original and actual great and litle and forgiueth all punishment due to it in the next world Rom. 6. We are buried saith the Apostle together with him by Baptisme vnto death That is to the death and destruction of sinne and of all punishment after it We haue a figure of this in Naaman the leptose Prince of Syria who washing himselfe in the waters of Iordan Reg. 4 5. as the Prophet had praescribed to him he came forth soe cleane and perfectly cured that the Holy Ghost saith his flesh was restored as the flesh of a litle child Ezechiel prophecyed of this saying I will powre out
not thinges stronger then thy ability but the things that God hath commanded thee thinke on them allwais and in many of his works be not curious for it is not necessary for thee to see with thy eyes those thinges that are hid In superfluous thinges search not many wayes and in many of his works thou shalt not be curious For very many things are shewed to thee aboue the vnderstanding of men God will haue vs to humble ourselues and to rely vpon him and then he will eleuate vs by supernatural meanes to see that which by nature we could not haue seene And therefor S. Augustine speaking of beleeuers saith tract 40. in Ioan. Not because they haue knowne therefor they haue beleeued but they haue beleeued that they might come to know for we doe not know that we may beleeue but we beleeue that we may know Thirdly there is noe absolute certainty in our owne vnderstandings but in God onely and therefor in all the mysterys of faith we must rely vpon him and acknowledge his authority in them or els we could be sure of nothing For our vnderstandings as long as we liue in this world worke all there operations by the corporal organs of our senses which as weake instruments often faile them and therefor by our owne vnderstandings onely we can neuer be infallibly certaine of any thing because in them we haue noe firme and certaine rule of truth And this is the cause why the auncieÌ„t Philosophers when they came to speake of God were as it were in amaze or wildernes running forward and backward vp and downe saying and gainesaying what they had said before because they wanted the supernatural light and gift of faith and spoke and wrote of God onely by there owne witts and inuentions and therefor they neuer kept at a certaine Diâ—p 12. Meâ—aph c. 1. but were allwais altering in their conceipts and opinions as Petrus Hurtado hath obserued by diuerse places which he citeth out of Aristotle himselfe and then applyeth the word of the Apostle to him Cor. 1.1 I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and the prudence of the prudent I will reiect Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolish but to vs saith the same Apostle in another place God hath reuealed by his spirit Cor. 1.2 And truely if we had not the spirit of God inspiring vs to beleeue the Church and inspiring the Church in all which it teacheth but were left to our owne understandings and were to goe onely by our owne thoughts it would planely follow that we should be as vncertaine and altering in the mysterys of faith as we are vpon the disposition of the organs vpon which our vnderstandings depende and we should thinke something but could beleeue nothing without diuine and supernatural faith Lastly we haue the examples of all holy men and of all true beleeuers that euer were to haue humbly and piously submitted themselues to God thinking their owne reason to weake à foundation to build their faith vpon and haue acknowledged it to be supernatural and haue chosen rather to rely vpon the diuine authority and to receiue there faith from God as he spoke to them by the Church then to trust to their owne vnderstandings and to beleeue noe more but what they saw as may appeare in all times From the beginning of the world vntill the comming of Christ all true beleeuers beleeued in him as then to come onely and sawhim not and when he came he commended their faith Io. 8. Abraham reioyced that he might see my day and he saw and was glad That is he saw it with the light of faith before it came and he required the like faith of all those that were to come after him and blessed those that soe beleeued Io. 20. saying blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued But he blessed not Thomas for requiring to see before he would beleeue but he rather reprehended him for it After Christ all holy men haue euer bene of the same minde with the former neuer daring to trust to their owne reasons in the mysterys of faith but haue thought it allwais most reasonable and safe to rely vpon God for supernatural light and grace to enable them to beleeue the Church and to assure them by it of all which they beleeued in the Catholike faith confessing allwais an obscurity of reason in those thinges And soe S. Peter compareth faith to a candle shining in à darke place and S. Pet. 2.1 Cor. 2.10 Paul requireth that faith bring into captiuity euery vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Christ and he calleth it the substance that is a substantial and sure ground of thinges to be hoped for and an argument that is a certaine and infallible inference of the truth of thinges that appeare not Heb. 11. and he compareth it to the seeing by a glasse Cor. 1.23 saying We see nâ—w by a glasse in à darke sort After the Apostles the world continued still in the same minde S. Augustine What is faith but to beleeue what thou seeâ— est not Aug tract 40. in Io. Cy il Cateth 5. Esa 7. Chrys ser de fâ—dâ—pe Char. S. Cyril of Hierusalem faith is the eye which giueth light to our consciences and maketh vs to vnderstande for the prophet hath said vnles you beleeue you shall not be permanent S. Chrysostome faith is the fountaine of iustice the head of sanctity the beginning of deuotion the foundation of religion None without this hath attained to our Lord none hath gotten vp to the toppe of sublimity without it Faith is an innocent and pure credulity by which we come to God we cleaue to his praecepts and with à purifyed minde we worship him It excludeth all doubts it holdeth certaintys and sealeth vp promises He is happy that hath it he that forsaketh it is miserable It sheweth the miracles it exercizeth the vertues and accomplisheth the gifts of the Church By all which it appeareth that they held faith to be aboue reason and that it is not à natural but à supernatural light and gift of God It is à knowne story that which Sozomene à graue authour about twelue hundred yeares since hath related Eccles hist c. 17. There came vnto the great Councell of Nyce many of the learneder sort of Gentils some to be satisfyed and some of malice to oppose the doctrine of Christ These by their cunning had proposed the controuersys of Christians in such termes and vaine differences of words that they had brought all into strife and confusion A certaine Philosopher glorying in his wit and eloquence derided and contemned the priests that were present as not daring to contest with him and none vndertaking to answere him a good old bishop weake in learning but strong in the faith of Christ of which he was an illustrious confessour
de obitu fratris Pauls authority And S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose signify that it is all one to say the Romane faith and the Catholike faith All which they would neuer haue said if they had not thought the Romane chaire to haue had preeminence and authority aboue all and vnderstoode the words of S. Paul in that sense that the faith of the Romanes was renowmed in the supreme authority of that sea and therefor we may rightly alleadge those scriptures according to the auncient fathers interpretations for the supremacy of the bishop of Rome But we will produce their plane testimonys immediatly from the Apostles times Anacletus who liued with the Apostles hath these words Ep. 3. ad omnes Epis This holy and Apostolicall Romane Church not onely from the Apostles but euen from our Lord and Sauiour himselfe hath obtained the principality and eminency of power ouer all Churches and ouer the whole flocke of the people of Christ he himselfe saying to S. Peter Mat. 16. Thou art Peter c. And they also themselues consented vnto it that he should be aboue all the rest of the Apostles and should be Cephas that is to say the head and beginning of the Apostle ship who deliuered the same forme to his successors and the rest of the Apostles to bishops to be held by them If any difficult causes arize amongst you referre them to this head that by the apostolicall iudgment they may be ended for such is the will of our Lord who hath soe determined as by the foresaid places is declared Therfor this Apostolical seate is constituted of none other but of our Lord himselfe to be the hinge and the head as is said before of all Churches That as the doore is guided by the hinges soe by the disposition of our Lord all Churches should be gouerned by this holy seate S. L. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus who liued in the next age after the Apostles reckoneth vp all the bishops of Rome vnto Eleutherius who then gouerned to shew the succession of that supreme authority from S. Peter and saith that in all cases of controuersy we should haue recourse vnto the Apostolical traditions and try them by the Church of Rome Tertullian L. depudicitia who liued in the same age with him calleth the bishop of Rome Pontificem Maximum Episcopum Episcoporum The highest Priest the Bishop of bishops S. Cyprian De vnitate Eccles who liued in the next age after them speaking of the beginning of heresys saith in substance all which I am saying to wit that all schismes and heresys haue begunne by disobedience to the head of the Church and particularly specifyeth to what head to wit to the successour of S. Peter that is for the time and saith that if we would seeke to that iudge all controuersys would soone be at an end And speaking of the bishops of Rome L. 4. ep 9. from hence saith he all heresys haue rizen and still arize because that bishop who is but one and presideth ouer the Whole Church is despised by the prowde presumption of certaine men and he whom God hath dignifyed is iudged by men as vnworthy of dignity In the next age liued S. Athanasius a glorious Confessour and for forty yeares and more in which he was bishop the prime pillar of the Catholike Church in the easterne parts against the Arian haeretiks Apud Theoâ—â—et â— 4. c. 3. He reckoneth vp the Churches of the seueral parts of the world and saith that they and the whole world consented to the Councell of Nyce in which the primacy of S. Syluester then bishop of Rome was acknowledged and declared And it is here to be obserued that the Arians who are the auncientest of all sects now extant out of the Catholike Church beganne but in these times when the Romane bishop had bene honored for about three hundred yeares as the Vicar of Christ vpon earth And the same saint together with the fathers of the Councell of Alexandria wrote vnto Felix 2. then bishop of Rome after this manner To the honorable holy father Felix Pope of the Apostolical seate of the city of Rome Athanasius and all the bishops of the Aegyptians Thebaians and Lybians by the grace of God assembled in the holy Councell of Alexandria We suggest vnto your holy Apostleship that you would vouchsafe to vs of your wounted care ouer vs c. Because most holy father our praedecessors and we haue receiued helpe of your Apostolical scate We implore that Apostolicall and according to the canons the cheife seate that we may haue helpe from thence from whence our auncestors haue had their doctrines orders and relcefe Vnto that we haue recourse as to our mother that we may be nourished at her breasts And as the mother own not forgett her child soe doe not you forgette vs committed to your charge For our enemys haue inuolued vs in noe small troubles apprehending and threatening vs with irons vnles we will yeeld to their errors Which without your knowledge we will not presume vpon the canons hauing decreed that in cases of moment nothing should be done without the Romane bishop Therfor God hath placed you and your praedecessors the bishops of Rome in the toppe of all that you might haue a care of all Churches hauing the iudgment of all bishops committed to you For we know that in the great Councell of Nyce of three hundred and eighteene bishops it was established by all that without the sentence of the Romane bishop noe Councell should be called nor any bishops condemned although these and many other necessary thinges be taken away from vs and burnt by turbulent haeretiks c. Likewise it was agreeably defined by the foresaid fathers that if any of the bishops shall haue in suspicion the Metropolitan Comprouinciales or Judges let him appeale to your holy seate of Rome to whom the power of binding and loosing was giuen by speciall priuilege by our Lord himselfe c. Thou art the deposer of prophane haeresys inuaders and infesters as the Head and Doctour and Prince of orthodoxe doctrine and vnspotted faith After S. Athanasius in the next age liued S. Optatus bishop of Mileuetum in Affricke who made a catalogue of all the Popes from S. Peter to Siricius who then gouerned and writing against the haeretike Parmention he telleth him that in setting vp a chaire contrary to the Chaire of Rome he could not pleade ignorance knowing that the first was giuen to S. Peter to be at Rome and particular chaires to the other Apostles L. 1. conc Parm. that he might be knowne for a schismatike and praeuaricatour that should set vp a chaire in opposition to it Amb. in 3. ad Tim. S. Ambrose speaking of Damasus then bishop of Rome saith that all the world being Gods yet the Church onely is hit house whose Rectour or Ruler at this time is Dumasus S. Hierome also liued in the time of this
OF THE REVERENCE WITH which we ought to receiue the Sacraments AMongst all the points of christian doctrine there is none more necessary to be perfectly learned then the doctrine of the Sacraments The other mysterys of faith we are bounde to know them speculatiuely soe as to beleeue them but of the Sacraments we are bounde to haue a practical knowledge to receiue them worthily and with fruit By this we may conceiue some thinge of the reuerence which we owe to them that as pretious as the blood of Christ is and as auailable as the merits of his Passion are to vs they auaile vs nothing at all nor can we by any other possible meanes receiue the benefit of them but by the Sacraments They are the cundits by which his pretious blood is conueyed and conducted to our soules and he that receiueth any Sacrament in mortal sinne stoppeth those cundits with beastly silth profaneth them and poysoneth his soule The Holy Ghost in the booke of wisdome describing the impietys of wicked men saith Sap. 2. they haue not knowne the Sacraments of God That is to say the cheife mysterys of God Now amongst all the mysterys of God the seauen Sacraments are soe high and eminent that aboue all others they haue purchased to themselues the name and title of Sacraments That which followeth of this is that it is a most greeuous ignorance not to vnderstande them and that there is noe irreuerence in the worldsoe great as is the vnworthy receiuing of any Sacrament Christ standeth with the chalice of his Passion ready to powre it on thy soule to wash away thy sinnes and thou profanest that chalice when thou profanest any Sacrament by receiuing it vnworthily Thou spillest on the ground and willfully treadest vnder thy feete the blood of thy Sauiour The sonne of God hath prouided in the Sacraments a remedy for thy weake and dying soule and in steede of applying it thou abusest it If a wise and carefull physitian should send vnto his patient in peril of death some very pretious and costly medicine and should assure him to saue his life and restore him his health by it how ioyfull should he be at the comming of it but if this patient should refuse to take it and insteede of taking it should treade it vnder his feete or throw it to the doggs how great were the contempt which he shewed of his physitian and of his owne life Mortal sinne is a deadly sicknesse Christ is our physitian he sendeth vs the Sacraments a costly remedy to him and the onely remedy that can and is sure to cure vs. He that neglects to receiue the Sacraments neglecteth his owne life he that receiueth them vnworthily receiueth them as a dogg that had noe soule to be saued and hath noe benefit but woundeth and poysoneth his soule by the sacrilege which he committeth A man saith the Apostle making the law of Moyses frustrate Heb. 10. without any mercy dyeth vnder two or three witnesses How much more thinke you doth he deserue worse punishments which hath trodden the sonne of God vnder foote and esteemed the blood of the testament polluted where in he is sanctifyed and hath done contumely to the spirit of grace This is a sinne which seareth vp the conscience and obdurateth the hart against God and for those that are guilty of this sinne if they continue any time in it it is very hard and must be by a very speciall grace of God if euer they come to true repentance I shall speake more of this in the Sacraments of Eucharist and Pennance which very wicked christians some times abuse to their damnation That we may not loose the benefit of the Sacraments it will helpe vs very much before the receiuing of any of them to consider well what it is that we are then going to and to thinke of the great loue that Christ bore to our soules when he was nailed to the Cros and by the price of his life purchased for vs that the Sacraments should sanctify and saue vs. He loued vs to the end and euen after his death he would shew by a mystery how much he loued vs and how deere the Sacraments were to him permitting his blessed side to be opened that blood and water might issue out to signify Baptisme and the Eucharist and by them all the other Sacraments as receiuing then their power from him Imagine then ô Christian when thou goest to any Sacrament that thou didst see thy Sauiour hanging on the Cros and his side running downe with blood and water and that he called thee vnto him to let it fall vpon thy soule with what reuerence wouldest thou come to him and bring thy soule to that fountaine Thinke with thy selfe that thou wilt prepare the like reuerence when thou receiuest any Sacrament OF THE NVMBER OF THE Sacraments Quest Say the seauen Sacraments Answ Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Pennance Extreme-vnction Holy Orders Matrimony SOme Protestants allow of two onely Kellisin 3. part to 2. q. 65. ar 1. some of three some of fower and Luther alloweth somerimes of one onely and some Lutherans haue allowed of seauen Sacraments Thus they are diuided in a point which must needs be one of the most fundamental points of faith All Catholiks that are in the world vnanimously agree that there are neither more nor fewer but iust seauen Sacraments and those as aboue said S. Thomas declareth the nature and necessity of seauen Sacraments for our spiritual life by seauen things included necessarily in our corporal life First our corporal life supposeth generation and to this baptisme is answerable for by it we are generated and haue our first spiritual being and birth and therefor S. Paul telleth the Corinthians Cor. 1.4 whom he had christened or caused to be christened that he begott them to Christ and in the same sense he calleth Onesimus the child which he begotte in prison Phile. Secondly our corporal life includeth growth and increase of strength to this Confirmation is answerable in our spirituall life for by it we are strengthened in the true faith of Christ Thirdly our corporal life requireth foode for nutriment and especially bread to this the Sacrament of Eucharist is answerable for by it our soules are nourished with spirituall vigour and nutriment euen in the similitude of bread when we receiue him who is the bread of Angels as he feedeth them with his glorious sight and presence Fourthly our corparal life requireth medicines for the diseases and hurts which we are subiect vnto this is supplyed by the Sacrament of Pennance Christ hauing instituted it as a remedy for all the spirituall hurts and diseases which we incurre after baptisme Fiftly our corporal life requireth armes of defence against our corporal enemys and soe doe our soules especially at the hower of our death when our enemys rage most against vs and for this we haue the Sacrament of Extreme vnction by which our weake senses are armed
thee downe instantly into hell and what it is to want the mediation of Christ of our B. Lady thy good Angell thy patrone and of all the Saints and the suffrages of the Church thou wouldst not remaine one moment in that state It is a humane thinge saith S. Gregory to erre but diabolical to perseuer in it If we fall into sinne we doe but like men if we rize againe we doe as the Saints haue done but if we perseuer in sinne we are like the deuil who must remaine in sinne for euer OF EXTREME-VNCTION THIS Sacrament hath for its propper effect to giue grace and strength against temptations at our death For the hopes of our enemy being then at the last he striueth all he can against vs. Apoc. 12. The deuill is descended to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle time Said the heauenly voice which S. Iohn heard Some he tempteth to presumption others to dispaire some by too much loue to their freinds and family some thinke of nothing but the riches which they leaue some by too much desire of life that they will not apprehende nor prepare themselues for death and generally as we draw neerer to our ends we grow more subiect to extremitys of passions all which the deuill knoweth how to make vse of to our hurt But his commune temptation is to terrify sinners with greeuous feare and affrightments at their sinnes past Sap. 4. They shall come fearefull in cogitation of their sinnes and their iniquitys on the contrary shall conuince them Saith holy wisdome Neither shall their naturall courage and strength then auaile them any thinge though neuer soe bold and bragging in time of health Great Saints haue shewed much feare at their death S. Hilarion whose perfection S. vita Hilar. Hierome describing saith that great concourse of bishops priests Clergymen and monks sought to him the temptation of christian matrons followed him multitudes of the common people potentates and iudges came to receiue holy bread and oile of him and yet his minde continued fixed on solitude yet for all this when he came to dy he was oppressed with such a feare and horrour of death that to encourage his soule he said Goe forth what dost thou feare goe forth my soule what dost thou doubt of thou hast serued Christ now almost seuenty yeares and dost thou feare death If Saints at their death haue bene thus terrifyed what may they expect who haue committed many sinnes and perhaps but lately repented for them and perhaps but sleightly and haue but few good works then for their comfort Therefor our Sauiour hath prouided this Sacrament as an armour for vs against that time S. Iames Iam. 5. is any man sicke among you let him bring in the priests of the Church and let them pray ouer him anoiling him with oile in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and our Lord shall lift him vp and if he be in sinnes they shall be remitted him By which words we haue the practise of the Catholike Church well prooued and Etreme Vnction declared to be a Sacrament that is an outward signe that sanctifyeth vs. There is an outward signe in the external rite of anoiling and in the forme of words signifyed by prayer And that this outward signe causeth grace vnto sanctification the words following doe declare in that sinnes are remitted which can not be but by grace being receiued And it followeth hence that Christ instituted it For the Apostles had not the power of instituting such signes neither could S. Iames haue promised remission of sinnes by it if Christ had not instituted it Luth. Praef. ad nou Test and giuen it that power It is true Luther reiects this Epistle of S. Iames denying it to be canonical and calling it an Epistle of straw but the authority of the whole Church hath declared it for canonical And if the whole Church be not sufficient for Luther we will put Caluin into the ballance against him an authour at least of equall grauity with him Caluin l. 3. Instit. c. 17. and Caluin holdeth it for canonical S. Bernard in vita Malach. relateth of S. Malachy that he assisting with a sicke woman and not thinking her to be in such danger as to require the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction departed from her without ministring it but she dying in his absence he returned againe full of sorrow and pittying that she should want the benefit of it he fell to his prayers restored her to life againe And then saith S. Bern he anoiled her knowing that by this Sacrament sinnes are remitted and that the prayer of faith saueth the sicke The holy oile is then applyed as a spiritual salue to the senses because by occasion of our senses we committe sinne But beside the spiritual remedy which our soules gaine by it it hath also a corporal effect of giuing health to the body as the Apostle declareth the sicke being saued and alleuiated by it By reason of which effect this Sacrament is not giuen in danger of death by warre or otherwise but onely by sicknes OF THE SACRAMENT of Orders THE Sacrament of Orders is that which Priests Deacons Subdeacons and others receiue when they are ordained by which they receiue spiritual power for the gouernment of the Church Tim. 1.4 That it is a Sacrament it appeareth by the words of S. Paul to Timothy Neglect not the grace which is giuen thee by prophecy with imposition of the hands of the priesthood By this it hath all which is conteined in the nature of a Sacrament the imposition of hands and the words that are said which are there signifyed by Prophecy being an external signe Amb. in Tim. by which grace in giuen Vpon which words S. Ambrose saith that Timothy by the imposition of the hands of priesthood was designed to the worke ard receiued authority that he durst offer sacrifice to God in our Lords steede The same power is expressed by the words of the bishop when heordaineth priests saying Receiue thou authority to offer for the liuing and the dead in the name of our Lord. To offer there is to offer sacrifice as S. Ambrose also expresseth it and to offer sacrifice is the most propper office of priests priest and sacrifice going allwais together soe that there can be noe priest but he must haue power to offer sacrifice The propper and peculiar effect of this Sacrament is to giue grace to exercize worthily Ecclesiastical functions Which power and grace as it is in the Church of Christ is most high and eminent aboue all dignitys For what can be compared to the dignity of christian priests Both in respect of their power of Orders by which they consecrate the most blesed host and also in respect of their power of iurisdiction by which they remitte sinnes Neither of which is within the Angels power And therefor priesthood is not obtained in
to determinate those materiall things to pious vses which in themselues are indifferent to any for this reason the ornaments and vessell of the Church seruice were commanded to be consecrated in the law of Moyses Exod. 40. and are now in the law of Christ The sodality of the Rosary is â—rected in the order of Saint Dominike and priuileges are granted vnto it to excite all vnto that deuotion and I hope our blessed Lady will graciously acknowledge me one day although now an vnworthy Sodales of it Euer since the Empresse of the world was assumpted into Heauen it hath bene the custome of the Catholike Church for all the people both riche and poore to beseech her gracious countenance and to pray to her the holy to be strenghtned in holines and sinners to he freed from sinne and as we haue through out the yeare diuerse Feasts which were aunciently by the holy Saints and are now by vs obserued in her honour soe to commend vnto all the deuotion of the Rosary Pope Gregory the XIII of holy memory appointed the first Sunday of October to be kept in honour of it For in the yeare of our Lord 1571 when the Catholike Church appeared destitute of humane helpe and leaned onely on the armes and strength of her diuine Spouse the Northerne parts of Europe being then lately fallen into heresys and the Turke comming on the otherside with a formidable nauy to assalt her it pleased God to defende the Catholike cause and to couer our enemys in the sea by a glorious victory which we gott ouer the Turke surpassing vs in number and force but inferiour by the diuine protection ouer vs and by the power of our B Lady then particularly called vpon For the victory was gained on that day on which the Sodality of the Rosary was called together to implore especially her assistance and therefore the holinesse of the foresaid Pope dedicated it as solemne to the Rosary shewing in two things his wise and pious minde First in giuing the victory not vnto humane power but to the diuine protection and especially in those circumstances to our blessed Ladys prayers and secondly by instituting a continuall memoriall in thanksgiuing for it that as in S. Dominiks dayes when the deuotion of the Rosary was first begunne by him our blessed Lady appeared in Earle Monforts army sighting against the Albigenses haeretiks who in mighty numbers wasted the Kingdome of France so it was the will of God that her power should be acknowledged and the mysterys of the Rosary honored in that late batle against the enemys of Christ And as when Queene Ester pecitioning the King obtained the liues of the Israeliticall people a day was set a part for the solemnity of it and as the victory of Iudith had also a day of solemnity afterwards soe might this day of the Rosary be glorious in our victory when the Procession of Saint Dominiks order shall sing Aue maris Stella to the triumph of our Lady and the whole Catholike Church shall answere in their harts Iudit 15. Thou art the glory of Hierusalem thou the ioy of Israel thou the honour of our people because thou hast done manfully thou shalt be blessed for euer c. THE TENTH DISCOVRSE OF THE MASSE I Am now to speake of the high glory and bright Sunne of all deuotions I meane the Holy Sacrifice of Masse Which as it is a Sacrifice it is the supreme and highest of all worships proper onely to God and as such a Sacrifice of the Body of our Lord it is more eminent and perfect then all the Sacrifices that euer were or euer can be offered Fist I will speake of the Masse as it is a Sacrifice Secondly of the particular parts and ceremonys of the Masse And lastly something of its fruits and benefits Let vs say the Haile Mary for our blessed Ladys intercession Haile Mary c. First OF THE MASSE AS IT IS A SACRIFICE Quest What is the Masse Answ The Masse is the continuall Sacrifice of the law of Christ in which his true body and blood is offered vnder the signes of bread and wine THERE are seuerall kindes of Sacrifices Diuerse kinds of Sacrifice First there are spiritual sacrifices to wit our inward thoughts and good purposes And soe King Dauid sayth that an humbled spirit and contrite hart that is to say an act of humility and Contrition is a Sacrifice to God And S. Peter writing vnto all the faithfull requireth of them that they be a holy Priesthood by this kind of Sacrisice Pet. 1.2 Be ye a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall hosts There are also diuerse sorts of corporal Sacrifices First such as vocal prayer kneeling adoring offering of gifts and the like which as they are corporal worships they may be called Sacrifices in a large sense and S. Augustine sayeth that euery good worke is a true Sacrifice nor that it hath truely the nature of a Sacrifice but that it is an offering with fruit and good effect to our soules and not a false Sacrifice without fruit as Christ said of himselfe that he was a true vine that was to say a good vine that bringeth fruit and not an ill vine which falsifyeth the hopes of it But nene of these neither spiritual nor corporal are properly Sacrifices but onely in an vnpropper and large sense in that they are good works offered vp to God but they are not offered as the highest worship propper onely to him but may be and are in their kind giuen to men as when we worship our friends both in our harts and with our bodys and when we offer gifts to our superiors as the Kings did to Christ their superiour euen as man but propper Sacrifices are offered to none but God A Sacrifice therefor properly speaking is the offering vp of some corporal and sensible thinge as the supreme and propper worship of God The Masse then is a Sacrifice in its true and propper sense that is to say the offering vp of some corporal thinge as an act of highest worship special and propper onely to God to acknowledge diuine power in him And thus a Sacrifice may be vnderstoode two wayes either for the action of offering and Sacrifizing or els for the thinge that is offered and Scrifized as the word Offering is sometimes taken for the action of offering as when we say he was long or short gracious or tedious in his offering and is sometimes taken for the thinge that is offered as when we say it was a rich or poore offering Soe the Masse is a Sacrifice vnderstanding the action of Sacrifizing And soe all the prayers and caeremonys of Masse are parts of it belonging to its integrity as it is such a manner of Sacrisizing and offering and for the thinge offered it is the true body and blood of our Lord vnder the signe of bread and wine Soe that both the Masse is a Sacrifice and the body and blood of