she doth yet more (d) Gal 5 5. neerelye apprehend the goodnesse of Almightie God knowne now and conceiued by faith finally (e) Ro. 8 38. Io. 14 21.23 Ro. 13 8. Aug. in Enchir c. 7. by charitie she is ioined vnited vnto God and for God to her neighbour Now as concerning faith the Creed of the Apostles doth instruct vs in that it setteth before vs those thinges that are espeacially to be beleeued professed of euery Christian And of those things that are to be hoped praied for our Lords praier hath informed vs. Then vnto charitie doe those thinges belong which in the two Tables of the ten commandements are exhibited vnto vs. It is therfore a very notable saying of (f) in cap. 4. ep ad Rom. ORIGEN I doe thinke saith he that faith is the first beginning and the very foundation of saluation hope is the aduancement and encrease of the building but that charitie is the perfection toppe of the whole worke Happy then are they which (g) Luc. 11 28. Ro. 2 13. Luc. 6 46. Mat. 7 21.24 et 19 17. et 25 35. Io. 15 2. Mat. 10 22. et 24 13. heare and keepe the worde of God and they that knowe the will of the Father doe fulfill the same walking and perseuering in faith hope and charitie by the gouernment protection of Christ our Lorde And this truly for the scope of our intention is sufficient touching those chife and principall vertues which because they are infused by God and doe make mortall men become diuine are worthely called vertues Theologicall and are rightly referred to Christian wisedome 19 Is there any other thing that belongeth vnto Christian doctrine YEa verely for the doctrine of the Sacramentes doth expresly appertaine therunto that Christians may know what instrumentes as it were they haue neede of ordained by God for the obtaining exercising encreasing preseruing yea and also repairing of (a) Aug. in Io. Tract 120. faith and hope espeacially charitie Yea and moreouer very true it is that neither Christian wisdome nor Christian Iustice can be established or holden without Sacramēts as without the which all (b) Aug. l. 19 cont Faust c. 11. et de vera relig c. 17 et ep 118. cap. 1. Religion must needes be extinguished They therfore are of very great importance in Christian doctrine and very requisite it is that we handle them in particuler THE FOVRTHE CHAPTER OF THE SACRAMENTS 1 Why are Christians to be instructed about the Sacramentes BEcause the knowledge and vse of the Sacramentes doth bring to passe that Christians hauing by the merits of IESVS Christ receiued grace which is giuen by the (a) Tit. 3 5. Io. 3 5. et 6 51.55 et 20 23. Sacraments may be rightly exercised and preserued and set forward in diuine worshipe 2 What and of how many sortes is this diuine worshipe THat is called diuine worshipe which a Christian oweth and yeldeth as the highest (a) Aug. l. 10 de ciu c. 1. and chiefest seruice to God his creatour and Sauiour For there is no doubt but that for this cause (b) Pro. 16 4. Gen. 1 26. 2. Cor. 5 15. 1. Thess 5 9 1. Pet. 3 9. espeacially was man at the first made and afterwarde redeemed and vnto this wholly designed appointed that he might purely and perfitly serue and worship Almightie God Now diuine worshipe is of two sortes interiour exteriour The interiour by which we are in vnderstanding in will (c) Aug. in Ench. c. 2. 3. ioined vnto God is accōplished by faith hope and charitie as hath bene saide before The exteriour is a certaine profession of the interiour which we declare by certaine (d) Mat. 5 17. Ro. 12 17. 2. Cor 8 21.1 Cor. 14 40. outwatd visible signes ceremonies For God that hath no (e) Ps 15 2. 1. Tim. 6 15 Mat. 5 48. Gen. 2 7. neede of any good of ours as beeing of himselfe blessed wholly perfite yet as his pleasure was that the wholle man shoulde consist both of a body and a soule so doth he require the same againe (f) Pro. 16 14. Luc. 10 27. Mat. 22 37. Deut. 6 5. wholly to wit according to all and euery parte of him that he may by him be worshipped studiously sincerely first in soule according to the interiour worship as we haue declared and in (g) 1. Cor. 6 19. Ps 83 3. body according to the exteriour ioined with the interiour which is done many waies but principally and most profitablie by the vse of Sacramentes For so it hath seemed good to the wisdome of God to coapte it selfe to the imbecillitye of mortall men and to exercise his might and power by certaine externall things (h) Aug. in Ps 73. et l. 19 cont Faust c. 11. et l. 3. de doctri Christ c. 9. q. 84. in Leuit et 33. super Num. Tert. de resur carnis c. 8. Greg. in primum regum l. 6. c. 3. and signes that may be perceiued by the senses For our minde and soule immortall being inclosed in this obscure and brickle body as in a prison doth very much vse the seruice of the senses and without the (i) Chrysost ho. 60. ad Pop. Ant. et 83. in Mat. helpe of them she doth not commonly mount to the conceipt of heauenly thinges Therfore both in the olde and new lawe Sacramentes and many other things appertaining vnto exteriour worship haue bene by God ordained and alwaies by the people of God obserued 3 What is a Sacrament IT is an externall and visible signe of (a) Bern. ser de caen domini Aug. l. 10. ciu c. 5. l. 3. doct Chr. c. 9. Amb. l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4. Concil Flor. Trident. Sess 7. diuine and inuisible grace instituted by Christ that by it euery man may receiue the grace of God and sanctification And therfore they are not euery manner of signes that are called the Sacramentes of the Church but they are most certaine holy and effectual signes cōmended vnto Christians by Gods owne institution promise Signes (b) Aug. ep 23. et de catech rud c. 26. they are in that that by a certaine externall forme and similitude they doe represent declare vnto vs that which God by them worketh in vs inuisiblie and spiritually Certaine (c) Aug. in Psa 73. et 77 l. 19. cont Faust c. 11. 13. 16. they are most holy effectuall signes because that looke what grace they signifie they doe also infallibly containe cause the same to our sanctification For the Sacramēts for their owne partes as S. CYPRIAN (d) ser de caena dom speaketh can not be voide of that force and vertue that is proper vnto them nether doth the maiestie of God by any meanes absent it selfe from the mysteries though they (e) Aug. l. 3. cont Dona. c. 10. et l. 5. c.
Bern. ser 3. de resur vnto euil we may rest and settle our mindes in the (b) Io. 4 34 5 30. 6 38. 1. Reg. 3 18. wil of God 10 What hath the fourth Petition Giue vs this day our daily bread VVE doe like poore folkes beggers craue of the author and fountaine of al goodnesse Iac. 1 5.17 Psal 39 18. Deut. 10 18 Gen. 28 20. 1 Tim. 6 8. Pro. 30 8. Ps 144 15. those thinges that bee sufficient for the daily maintenance of our corporal life to wit food cloathing also those thinges that doe serue to a better the life of the soule as the (a) Mat. 4 4. Am. 8 11. Eccli 15 3. Pro. 9 5. word of God the spiritual food of the soule the most holy (b) Mat. 26.26 6 11 Io. 6 51. Hier. in c. 6. Mat. Cypr. in ser de cr Do. Amb. l. 5. de Sacr. c. 4. Aug. l. 2. de ser Do. in mont c. 7. Thren 4 8. 1. Cor. 10 6 Leu. 26 14. Num. 5 6. 20. Exo. 32 27. Luc. 7 47. Tob. 12 10. Sap. 16 14. Ps 50 3.4.9.11 and B. Sacrament of the Altar that heauenly breade and other most holesome Sacraments and gifts of God which doe feede cure and confirme the inwarde man to a wel ordered happie kinde of life 11 How is the fifth Petition vnderstood Forgiue vs our trespasses IN this wee craue that God will mercifully purge vs from the spot of sinne which aboue all thinges is most foule and pestilent vnto the soule and that he will also remitte those verie debts which wee haue contracted by sinning And least our praier should not be auaileable by reason that we are euill affected towardes our neighbour we adde this besides that all secret hate (a) Ro. 12 17.19 Col. 3 12. Luc. 23 34. Act. 7 60 Mar. 11 25. Eph. 4 32. desire of reuenge being laide aside wee are at attonement with our neighbour haue forgiuen euery one that hath offended vs euen from the bottome of our heartes For this is that which Christ signified in an other place when he said (b) Lu. 6 37. Forgiue yee shal be forgiuen And againe (c) Mat. 6 14. 18 22 33. Eccli 22 1. Aug. in Enc cap. 74. If you will not forgiue men neither will your Father forgiue you your offences 12 What is the sense of the sixth Petitiō Lead vs not into temptation BEcause this present life is a very warfare vpon earth Iob. 7 1. Iudith 8 2◠Tob. 3 21. 12 13. Mat. 4 1. 26 41. Heb. 2 18. 2. Thes 3 3. 1. Io. 2 14 16. 5 4. Mat. 16 24. 1 Cor. 9 25.27 10 12. Iac. 4 4. 1 12. 1. Pet. 5 8.10 2. Pet. 2 9. Eph. 6 11. Col. 3 5. Apoc. 2 7.10.11.17.26 2. Tim. 4 7. whilest we are al-waies assaulted with diuers temptations and in an hard continuall conflict with the world the flesh and the deuill therfore being deuoutly carefull of our owne estate we sue for helpe at the hands of almightie God that we do not yeeld to such assaultes of our aduersaries and by yeelding incurr damnation but that standing al-waies in this continuall combate relieng vpon the mighte and hand of God we may valiantly resiste the power of the deuill haue the world in contempte chastice the fleshe and so finallye as inuincible souldiers of Christ be crowned after the victory for (a) 2. Tim. 2 3. no man is crowned as witnesseth the Apostle vnlesse he striue lawfully 13 What is in the seuenth and last petition deliuer vs from euill VVE pray at the last that God will not suffer vs to be ouer-throwne ◠Reg. 8 33. Pro. 10 25.28.30 Eccli 23.4 Hier. 2 14. Tob. 1 22. 2 10. Eccli 27 1.4.6 Ap. 3 10. Ps 24 15. 30 3.5.8.9.16 33 5.7.8.18 cast away with the wicked by the calamities of this worlde wherwith euen the Godly also are exercised but that by his benignitye he deliuer vs so farre forthe as is expedient for our saluation mercifully defend vs from all euill both of body and of soule as well in this life as in the life to come For so hath himselfe promised (a) Ps 49 15 Call vpon me in the day of tribulation I will deliuer thee thou shalt honour me Last of al we cōclude the whole prayer with this one worde Amen (b) 2. Cor. 1 20 Amb. in Ps 40. Hier. in c. 6. Mat. that we may shewe our confidence in praieng hope of obtaining in regarde as well of Christes promise that neuer faileth (c) Mat. 7 7. Luc. 11 9. Io. 16 23. Aske saith he and it shall bee giuen you as also of the infinite clemencye and ready mercie of God the Father in so much that hereupon S. IHON hath sayd (d) 1. Io. 5 14. What-soeuer wee shall aske according to his will hee heareth vs. 14 What is the summe of our Lords prayer IT containethe a perfite and absolute forme not only of asking that which is good but also of praieng to be deliuered from whatsoeuer is euill And amongst the things that be good this is first to be wished and praied for that all men may glorifie our heauenly Father at all times in all places then that we may be partakers of his Kingdome afterwarde that we may not want those helpes that are conuenient for the attaining vnto the same Kingdome As is on the behalfe of our soule to be conformable to the will of God and as touching our body to haue necessary liuing maintenance But those thinges that are added in the second place do continue to the end of the prayer do expresse the affect of one that craueth deliuery from euils which by the grace power of almighty God he desireth to haue either vtterly taken away to wit sinne the contagion of all goodnesse and the sinke and puddle of all euils or els that they may be so tempered that by their violence they hinder vs not in the way to saluation Such are diuers temptations that inuade vs in this worlde all calamities both present and to come Al other things that are to be said touching praier shal be reserued for that place where the three kinds of good works shal be expownded OF THE ANGELICALL SALVTATION 15 Which is commonly called the Angelicall salutation THat which was pronounced vnto the most holy Virgin Luc. 1 28. Chrysost Iacob in Liturg 116. Aug. ser 2. de annun Amb. in c. 1 Luc. Chrysol ser 140. seq Ber. hom 3. super Myssus est Fulg. ser de laud. B. Virg the mother of God in these wordes Haile MARY full of grace our Lorde is with thee blessed art thou among women blessed is the fruit of thy wombe IESVS Holy MARIE mother of God pray for vs sinners now and in the houre of our death AMEN 16 Whereupon came this maner of
the simpler sort All which thinges we will close vp with one worde of Ecclesiastes as with a notable seale of the whole life of man making this conclusion Eccles 12 d Feare God and keepe his Commaundementes For this is all a man Psalm 67. Confirme this O GOD which thou hast wrought in vs. AN APPENDIX OR ADDITION OF THE FALL OF MAN AND IVSTIFIcation according to the sentence and doctrine of the Councell of Trent 1 Of the state fall of the first Man VVHen the first man Gen. 2 c 3 â— Aug. lib. 14. de ciuit Dei cap. 17. lib. 6 de Gen. ad lit cap. 26 27 in coÌ„cione ad Catech cont Iudae c. cap. 2. Fulg. de incarn grat Christ cap. 12. 13. Bern. ser 1. de Annun Prosp cont Collat. c. 21. ADAM hadde transegressed the Commandement of God in Paradise be presentlie loâ—t the holinesse and iustice in which he was created and further by the offence of that transgression incurred the anger and indignation of God and so consequently Gen. 2 c 3 d. Rom. 5 c. Conc. Mileuit can 1. Aug lib. 1. de ciuitat Dei cap. 12. lib. 1. de poâ— mer. cap. 2. 4. 6. Tertul de anima cap. 52. Fulgent de incarnat cap. 12. Chrys hom 17. in Gen. Ber. ad milit templi cap. 11. death which Almighty God had threatned vnto him before And with this same death he fell into the bondage and thraldome of the Aug. lib. 13. de Trin. cap. 12. lib. 3. Hypog cap. 2. Bern. ep 190. Diuell who from thence-forth had the Empire of Heb. 2 d death and finallie whole ADAM Concil ArausicanuÌ„ can 1. lib. de Eccles dogmat cap. 38. Aug. lib. 13. de Trin. cap. 12. lib. 14. de ciu Dei c. 15 by that same offence of preuarication was both in bodie and soule changed into worse 2 Of the sin of Adam transfused into al men NEither did ADAMS preuarication hurte himselfe alone but also his whole linage Ro. 5 c d 1. Cor. 15 c Eccli 25 d Conc. 2. A. raus can 2. Aug. in Enchir cap. 26. l. 2. Hypog cap 1. sequent l. 13. de ciuit Dei cap 3 14. lib 14. cap. 1. Prosp lib. 1. de vocat gent. c. 7. ad capitula Gallor c. 8. and posterity as who did loose both to himselfe Prosp cont Collat cap. 19 ad tria prima dub Genuen 9. Fulg. de incar gra Christi c. 13. and to vs the holinesse and iustice receiued from God and beeing polluted by the sinne of disobedience did transfuse into all mankinde not death only and the paines of the Gennad de Eccles dogmat c. 39. Aug. in Ench. c. 26. lib. 15. de ciuitate Dei cap. 1. de Predest gra c. 3. lib. 6. cont Iulian. cap. 12. 20. 24. 26. Fulgent de incar gratia Christi c. 14. 15. de fide ad Pet. cap. 25. Prosp lib 2. de vita contemplatiua c. 20. cont Collat. cap. 20. lib. de ingrat cap. 40. 27. Petrus Diaconus de incarnat gratia Christi cap. 6. bodie but also sinne which is the death of the soule Which the Apostle confirming hath said By one man Rom. 5 b sinne entred into the world and by sinne death And so vnto al men death did passe in which all sinned For which cause the sinne of ADAM which originally is one being by propagation Aug. l. 2. cont Pelag. Coelest c 15 16. lib. 1. de pec mer. cap. 9. 10. 11 12. 13. l. 2 Hypog c. 4. ep 86. 〈◊〉 lib. 6. cont Iul. cap. 2. serm 14. â—e verb. Apâ—â—â— cap. 14. â— sequent not by imitation transfused to all is in euery particular man his own Item lib. 3. de peccat mer. cap. 8. lib. 6. cont Iulian. cap. 10. must needs be purged by some remedie for the getting of life euerlasting For by it all men are made vncleane and as the Apostle Ephes 2 a Fulgent de â—ide ad Pet. cap. 26. saith by nature the Sonnes of wrathe and the slaues of sinne of the diuell of death excepting â—eere the immaculate Virgin Aug de nat gratia cap 36. vide extrauag comm lib. 3. de reliq veneratione Banct Conc. Trid. sess 3. in fine decret de peccato Origin MARY the mother of God whom in this place where we speake of Originall sinne we doe not comprehend 3 Of the remedy of Originall sinne THis Originall sinne which is in euerie man his owne as we haue saide is not taken away by the Aug. ep 28. Enchâ—c 48. Fulgent de incarn et gratia Christi cap. 16. forces of humane nature nor by any other remedie than by the merit of one Mediatour 1. Tim. 2 b our Lord Iesus Christ who hath reconciled vs Ro. 5 b Petrus Diaconus de incarn gratia Christi cap. 16. Bern. epist 190. vnto God in his bloude being made vnto vs 1. Cor. 1 d Bern ser â— de Purif Iustice Sanctification and Redemption And his merit Tit. â— b is applied as wel to those of discretion as to Infants by the Sacrament of Baptisme orderly ministred in such forme as the Church doth vse because there is no other name Act. 4 b vnder heaueÌ„ giuen vnto meÌ„ in which we must be saued And heÌ„ce is that speech Io 1 d Behold the Lambe of God beholde him that taketh away the sinne of the world And this also Gal. 3 d Aug. lib. 6. cont Iul. c. 4 As many of you as are Baptised in Christ haue put on Christ They therefore doe pernitiously erre who denie that Infants Concil Mileuit c. 2. Aphr. can 77. newely borne ought to be Baptised although they bee borne of Baptised Parents For these also are Baptised into remission of sinnes as hauing receiued Originall sinne from ADAM which must of necessitie bee purged by the Aug. lib. 1. de peccat mer. cap. 16. lib. 4. cont 2. ep Pelag. c. 4 Lauer of regeneration for the getting of life euerlasting because no otherwise is this to be vnderstood Ro. 5 b Aug. lib. 4. cont 2. ep Pelag. cap. 4. lib. 2. cont Pelagium Coelest cap. 40. By one man sinne entered into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men death did passe in which all sinned But as the Catholicke Church all the worlde ouer hath allwaies vnderstood it For because of this rule of faith according to the Tradition of the Apostles euen Infants who coulde not as yet coÌ„mit any sinne in their owne persons are therefore truely baptised into remission of sinnes that in them by regeneration that may bee clensed which they haue coÌ„tracted by generatioÌ„ For Io. 3 â— vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne again of water and the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of God 4 Of the relikes of originall sinne in the Baptised MOreouer we ought to acknowledge that the guilt of originall sinne is remitted by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ which is giuen in baptisme
we learn that it is no superstition reuerently to esteeme of the very 4. Reg. 5 17. Lande which God honored with his promises wonders or to touch with deuotion Christes Mat. 9 20. garment or to impute any vertue to Act. 5 15. Peters shadowes or to Act. 19 12. S. Paules Napkins or Handkerchifes Al which nowe a daies woulde bee counted Idolatry the more is the pitty if vpon like opportunity offered the like deuotion should be vsed either to Christ or to his holy Saints For whatsoeuer is doone by their Relickes is doone by the Saints themselues Of which wee haue an euident testimony in the Actes of the Apostles where that is said to haue beene doone by the hande of Paul which it pleased God to shewe by the thinges brought from his body Nowe of the testimony of Fathers approuing and defending the honor of holy Relickes al books are so full that it were an infinite labor to Copy out their places We will bee content with a fewe of those which the Catholicke Doctors vse to alleadge Lib. 7. c. 15. Eusebius reporteth that the wodden Chaire of S. Iames was had in great veneration Euen as nowe Saint Peters Chaire at Rome S. Athanasius In vita Antonij as he saith himselfe hauing receiued Saint Anthonies threed-bare Cloake which the holy man dying bequeathed vnto him Did imbrace Anthony in Anthonies giftes and enriched as it were with a great inheritance ioyfully by the Vestiment remembereth the Image of his holinesse In Psal 115. in illud Pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors Sanctorum eius Vide orat in 40. Mart. Saint Basil When among the Iewes any did die their Corses were abhorred but when one dieth for Christ preciouse are the Relickes of his Saints Before it was saide to the Priestes persons dedicated vnto God He shall not be defiled with touching any deade body but nowe who toucheth the bones of a Martyr receiueth a certaine participation of holinesse from the grace remaining in the body Orat. in Theod. Gregory Nyssene after that he hath described the deuoute entrance vsed to be made by Christians into Martyrs Churches and the earnest beholding of the Buildings and Images saith thus When hee hath with these thinges delighted his eies he desireth to approche to the shrine it selfe esteeming the very touching thereof to be his Sanctification and benediction But if any man permitte him to carry away the dust which doth compasse about the shrine the dust is taken for a rewarde and as a thing of greate price is gathered vp As for touching the relickes themselues if at any time so good a chaunce doe happen that he may doe it how much that is to be desired and wished and with how manye intreaties it is graunted those which haue proued and enioyed theire desire doe know S. Gregory Nazianzen reprehending Iulian the Apostata Orat. 1. in Iulia. for his sacrilegious behauiour towardes the relicks of Gods holy Saintes Didst thou not reuerence those holy hostes slaine for Christ whose very bodies alone are able to worke the same which their holy soules whether they be touched with handes or honoured yea whose very droppes of blood and small signes of their passions are able to doe the same which their bodies Catech. 18. S. Cyrill Bishoppe of Hierusalem That not the soules onely of Saintes may be honoured and that we may beleeue that in their bodies also being dead there is vertue power a dead man lying in Heliseus his Sepulcher and touching the dead body of the Prophet was restored to life Ser. de SS Iuuent Maxim S. Chrysostome Wherefore lette vs often visitte them lette vs honor theire Tombes and with greate faith touch their relicks that thence we may receiue some benediction Lib. 8. ad Graecos Theodoretus shewing the generall custome of honouring relickes and the greate fruite receiued thereby hath this saying The soules of the triumphant Martyrs do now liue in their heauenly Countrey ioined with the quiers of Angells But their bodies are not euery one buried in seuerall graues but wholle citties townes countreys haue deuided them amongst them and ceasse not to acknowledge them very holsome to diseased mindes to sicke bodies For theire bodies being deuided their force and grace remaineth wholle But S. Ambrose most plainlye and effectually sheweth the honour due vnto relickes in these wordes Ser. 93. de SS Nazar Cels But if thou aske mee what doest thou honour in the fleshe now resolued consumed I honour in the flesh of the Martyr the scarres receiued for CHRIST his name I honour the memorie of one that liueth by the perpetuitie of his vertue I honour the ashes consecrated by the confession of our Lord I honour in the ashes the seedes of eternitie I honour the bodie which shewed me how to loue our Lorde which for our Lordes sake taught me not to feare death And why should not the faithfull honour that body which the Deuills doe feare which they afflicted in the torment and glorifie in the Sepulcher I honour therefore the body which honoured CHRIST in the sworde which with CHRIST shall raigne in heauen What S. Hierome thinketh of this pointe many of his workes doth testifie espeacially that which of this matter he wrotte against Vigilantius wherein against Vigilantius Eunomius Porphyrius he most earnestly disputeth of this matter Lib. 22. ciu cap. 8. But Saint Augustine reporteth so many miracles to haue bene wrought by Saint Steuens relickes that wholle bookes cannot conteine them Wherefore writing vnto Quintianus Epist 103. hee saith of those which caried his letters They bring the relickes of the most blessed glorious Martyr Steuen which your holinesse is not ignorant how conueniently yee ought to honour euen as we also haue done Vide Concil Nicen. 2. act 3. 7. Gang. can vlt. Carth. 5. cap. 14. Brac. 3. cap. 5. Epaun. c. 25. Mogūt tempore Caroli M. cap. 51. Later sub Innoc. 3. cap. 62. Emiss ho. d◠S. Bland Chrys ho. vlt. in ep ad Rom. hom 61. ad pop Damasc lib. 4. cap. 16. Maxim in serm de SS Octau Aduent Solut. Gaud. tract de dedic Eccles Paulin. Nat. 3. Prud in Hymno de S. Laur. Hier. in epist ad Marcellam Ruffin lib. 11. hist cap 28. de Eccles Dogmat. cap. 73. Leo in serm de S. Laur. Greg. lib. 5. ep 50. lib. 3. ep 30. Greg. Turon lib. de glor Martyr We haue bene longer in alleadging of Fathers than we purposed yet not without expectatiō of great fruite both because of the diuerse calumniations of this matter of relickes in these our daies also that the reader may hereafter rightly esteeme of our fidelitie whan for breuity sake being contented with marginall quotations wee shall not rehearse the Fathers places at large And thus much of the second title of PILGRIMAGE which is religiously to visitte the relickes of Saintes III Miracles at Relicks and Images Let vs now proceed to the third whiche is the singuler woonders
yeelde to Relickes Images But to the intent gentle Reader that thou maiest more pefectlie apprehend the manner of worship which we yeelde vnto Relikes Images Thou shalt vnderstande that a Relicke may be considered in two maners First as it is a part of the Saint And so it deserueth honor indeed as hath beene shewed before but lesse than the Sainte himselfe for that the whole is more perfect than one part alone And that which we haue saide of the part of the bodie or of the wholle bodie which is a part of the wholle man is also to bee vnderstoode of such exteriour thinges as Vide 8. Thom. 3. p. qu. 25. art 4. 6. were any way belonging vnto him as his garments and the instrumentes of his Passion or whatsoeuer reuerende thing hath touched his holy body all which deserue a certaine affection of reuerence although lesse than the Saint himselfe For if in those whom we haue naturally loued we affecte after their death as Saint Lib. 1. ciu cap. 13. Augustine saith either their garment or their ring or any such thing and aboue all other things their bodies which haue beene nearer vnto them than any thing outwardly ioyned vnto thē howe much more ought we to esteeme of the like things in Saints espeacially of their bodies which the same Doctour calleth instruments Vesselles which the holie Ghost hath vsed to all good works And surely if a king could when he would leaue off his hande sende it to his subiects abroade no doubt but with great reuerence it woulde be euerie where receiued espeacially if those which reuerenced the hand did knowe that the King did see them and beholde their dutifull shewes of loyall affection Nowe certaine it is that the Saints doe see our reuerende behauiour to their Relickes and as for their bodies partes thereof we are assured that nowe they be theirs and their soule hath a natural respect vnto them shall one day receiue thē glorified Secondly wee may consider the Relickes whatsoeuer they bee as they doe represent Chrys in l. de S. Babyl vnto vs the wholle Saint and are as it were certaine Images of him And in this respecte wee must say the same which we generally hold of images which here I purpose briefly to set downe Knowe thou therefore that an Image is honourable two waies Images are honourable two waies First when wee stay in the Image it selfe considering it as a venerable thing for the similitude which it hath with the Saint and the consecration of it and dedication to a sacred vse After which manner wee also yeeld a certaine holinesse vnto the holy BIBLE sacred CHALICES and other holy thinges in the Church So was it defined in the seuenth general Councel holdē at Actione 7. Nice And in this sense though the Church doth yeelde reuerence vnto Images and that for the Saint his sake yet the ordinary worship deuotion vsed vnto them by the faithfull people is not in this onely respecte exhibited and shewed For when we kneele pray before an Image of any Saint we intēd not only to reuerence a thing for his sake But our meaning is to yeelde honor to make our prayer vnto the Sainte himselfe not staying in the Image alone And this is the second way of honoring an Image That is when that which we do we do not for to stay in the Image but in the Image by the Image we do it vnto him which is signified in the same In the first we immediately honour the Image yet for the Saint himself in the second we immediately honor the Saint by the Image in the Image without giuing any honour vnto the Image it selfe but only an accidentarie kind of honour Euen as hee which honoureth the King honoureth his apparell and whatsoeuer belongeth vnto him but onlie accidentarilye because hee intendeth onely to honour the person of the King The reason of this is for that although I cannot thinke of the Image as it is an Image but I must needes thinke of that whose Image it is yet thinking of both I may honour one only actually and expressely though virtually consequently it redound to the honour of the other as hath beene saide Three examples will I giue thee of this wholle matter Thou seest in a glasse thy owne face and yet yet thy face is not in the glasse but only an Image of thy face and yet maiest thou truely say thou seest thy face because the Image is that onely by which thou seest thy face and cannot properly be said to bee that which is seene it selfe as the Philosophers teach 3. Deanima but that by which another thing is seene Likewise as the Philosophers also affirme it is necessarie that euerie one whilest he vnderstandeth in this life forme him selfe a phantasie or likenesse of that thing which he vnderstandeth in his imagination Now when thou in thy chamber where thou hast no Image liftest vp thy harte to CHRIST in heauen and framest a likenesse of him in thy minde and worshippest him and praiest vnto him thou wilt not say for feare of Idolatry if thou arte a Protestant that thou honourest that likenesse which thou hast in thy braine for that were to make to thy selfe a God of a phantasie but by that likenesse and in that likenesse thou honourest the true God So is it and no otherwise in our Images which helpe vs to doe that which our own imaginatiō must needs doe though not so perfectly without the Image Thirdly thou honourest the King whom thou seest in his apparell so maiest thou conceiue that the Saint is in a maner cladde in the Image and so pray vnto him conceiuing him as present though he be not in deede but onely by his vertue receiued from God Finally if thou wilt haue one example to declare vnto thee both kind of honours due vnto an Image that is both because it is an Image like vnto the Sainte and because in it and by it thou honourest the Sainte the like distinction maiest thou behold in an Embassadour of a forren Prince Who somtimes representeth actually the Princes person and then thou knowest with what solemnity he is intertained other times he doth not actuallye represent his Princes person but because he is one expresly deputed to that ende to represent his Prince in time and place and conuenient businesse he is still more than one of his degree and though he be of meane condition yet is he my Lorde Embassadour Euen so doth an Image sometime actually represent the Sainte and when it doth not it is alwaies a reuerende Image naturally able to doe the same and by the Church deputed to that end therefore more than ordinary wood paper and stone And all this honour which wee haue spoken of is so far frō blemishing the honour due vnuo God that it doth the more increase and amplify it Which Lib. cont Vigilant S. Hierome doth very well
a Queene and a Ladye and the mother of God This new EVE is called the mother of life she remaineth replenished with the first fruites of immortall life aboue all liuing creatures We doe call her therefore againe and againe and euermore euery way most blessed To thee we cry bee mindfull of vs O most holy Virgin which euen after thy deliuery remainedst a Virgin Haile MARY ful of grace our Lorde is with thee The holy orders of all Angels and men doe call thee blessed Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe make intercessioÌ„ for vs O Mistres Lady Queen mother of God S. GREGORY NAZIANZEN In. tragoed Christ pa. tiens O ter beata Mater O lux Virginum Quae templa caeli lucidissima incolis Mortalitatis liberata sordibus Ornata iam immortalitatis es stola Meis benignam ab alto aurem exhibe verbis Measque Virgo suscipe obsecro preces O mother thrise happy and light of Virgins pure Inhabiting the Temples bright of heauenly globe Thou now from mortall filth exempted secure Of immortallity art decked with the robe Yeeld courteous audience from high to what I say And entertaine my sutes O Virgin I thee pray Serm. 2. de Annun S. AVGVSTINE holy MARY succour the miserable help the faint harted cherishe the sorrowful pray for the people bee a meane for the Cleargie and make intercession for the deuout woman kinde Let all feele thy helpe whosoeuer doe celebrate thy Commemoration Ser. de laud. Mariae FVLGENTIVS MARY was made the windowe of heauen because by her god gaue the true light vnto the worlde MARY was made the ladder of heauen because by her God descended down to earth that by her also men may ascend vnto heauen MARY was made the restorer of women because by her they are knowne to bee exempted from the ruine of the first curse Serm. 2. de adu lege euÌ„dem ho. 2. sup Missus est in illud Apoc. SignuÌ„ magnum apparuit Et serm de Nat. Virg. S. BERNARD The kinglie virgine is the very way by the which our Sauiour came vnto vs proceeding out of her wombe as a Bridegroome out of his chamber By thee let vs haue accesse to thy Sonne O blessed inueÌ„trix of grace bringer forth of life and mother of Saluation that by thee he receiue vs who by thee was giuen vnto vs. THE THIRD CHAPTER OF CHARITY AND THE TEN COMMAVNDEMENTS 1 Is it sufficient for a Christian to be instructed in the doctrine of faith hope IT is very necessary that hee which hath attained vnto Faith Hope be indued with Charity also For of these three vertues Saint PAVL teacheth iointly thus Nowe there (a) 1. Cor. 13 13. remaineth saith he Faith Hope Charity these three but the greater of these is Charitie Great vndoubtedly is faith which may (b) 1. Cor. 13 2. Mat. 11 23. Mat. 7 22. suffice to moue mountains and worke miracles Great also is Hope a certaine (c) 1. Thes 5 8. Eph. 6 17. Heb. 6 19. helmet Ancour of saluation which setting before vs the goodnesse of God the greatnesse of rewarde doth afforde both effectual comfort to them that labour a singular confidence to them that pray But greatest of all is Charity the (d) Prosp l. 3 de vita coÌ„t ca. 13 15. Aug. in Ps 47. tract 5. ep Io. eâ—ch c. 117. ser 53. de temp Prince of all vertues which knoweth neither measure nor ende nor forsaketh them that die being stronger than death it selfe without which in a ChristiaÌ„ there may be indeed both Faith Hope but (e) Aug 15. de Trin. c. 18 they cannot be sufficient to the leading of a good happy life For which cause S. IOHN saith He (f) 1. Io. 3 14 that doth not loue abideth in death although in the meane season he beleeue and hope as the example of the foolishe Virgins in the Gospell (g) Mat. 25 11. Aug. ser 23. de verb. do c. 4. 8. Mat. 22 36. â—uc 10 27. Mar. 12 30. Aug. lib. 3. doc cap. 10. doth plainlie declare vnto vs. 2 What then is Charity A Vertue infused by God by which God is syncerely loued for himselfe and our neighbour for Gods sake For God is chiefely to bee loued in al things (a) Bern. de dilig Deo aboue al thinges and for himselfe alone as alone being the most soueraigne and eternall good which only satisfieth our mindes whose loue (b) 1. Cor. 10 31. Col. 3 17. honour ought to bee the beginning and finall ende both of our wil and of al our workes Then for (c) Aug. ho. 38 ex 50. ca. 2. seq Gods sake must we loue our neighboure that is to say (d) Aug. in Ps 118. concione 8. ser 53. 59. de temp euery man without exception For asmuch as wee be al neighbours amongest our selues linked together with a great affinitie both in regarde of the same humane nature common to all the ehildren of ADAM also by reason of Gods grace and euerlasting glory whereof al that wil may bee partakers 3 Howe many precepts of Charity be there IN substance two whereof the first of louing God is thus propounded in the old newe Lawe Thou (a) Deut. 6 4 Mat. 22 36. Mar. 12 30. Luc. 10 27. Greg. lib. 10. mor. c. 6. 7 shalt loue the Lord thy God from thy whole heart with thy whole soule with thy whole minde with all thy strength This is the greatest the first Commaundement And the second is like to this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe On these two commandements dependeth the whole Lawe and the Prophets This Charity is the (b) Rom. 13 11. fulnesse of the Law summe of Iustice that is to say the (c) Col. 3 14. band of perfection Charity I say froÌ„ a (d) 1. Tim. 1 5. pure hart a good coÌ„scieÌ„ce a faith not fained 4 Howe doth true Charity shew it selfe THe proofe of (a) Greg. ho. 30. in EuaÌ„g loue Charitie is to performe the same in deeds and to obserue Gods Commaundements Whoreupon Saint IOHN also the beloued of Christ saith (b) 1. Io. 5 3. This is the charity of God that we keepe his Commaundements his Commaundementes are not heauie And againe (c) 1. Io. 2 4. Hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commaundements is a liar and the trueth is not in him But he that keepeth his word in him in very deed the charity of God is perfited In this we knowe that we be in him And Christ himselfe also teacheth If you (d) Io. 14 15 loue me keepe my Commaundements He that hath my Commaundements and keepeth them he it is that loueth me And he that loueth me shall bee loued of my Father and I
20. bee ministred euen by wicked and vnworthy persons As for example in the Sacramente of Baptisme the exteriour washing that clenseth the filthes of the body is an effectuall signe and token of the interiour (f) Tit. 3 5. Ro. 6 3.7 1. Cor. 6 11. Tertul. in l. de resur c. 8. washing as giuing an infallible testimonie that the soule is spiritually purified and clensed So also other visible externall thinges as oyle and the formes of breade and wine the vse wherof is necessary in the Sacramentes are fitly appointed vnto vs both to signifie and also to yelde vnto man the grace of God and the health of his soule so that he come not (g) Prosp senten ex Aug. in Ps 142. vnworthely therunto For by Baptisme (h) Conc. Flor. Io. 3 5 Tit. 3 5. Act. 8 17. et 1 8. Luc. 2◠49. Io. 6 51.55.58 et 20 23. we are regenerated renued by confirmation we are encreased strengthned by the holy Eucharist we are nourished refreshed by penance we are restored and healed in the spirituall life in which we are by the rest of the Sacramentes in like manner according to the nature quality of each of them holpen and abettered as we wil shew heerafter in their due places 4 Of what partes doth euery Sacrament consist OF the Worde (a) Conc. Flor. Aug. Tract 80. in Ioan. and the Element By the Worde in this place vnderstand some certaine determinate wordes wherin the very forme as they call it of the Sacrament doth consist And by the Elemente conceyue suche externall things as are the very matter of the Sacramentes as water oyle bread wine and the like Now to these partes exactly taken are the rest of those thinges annexed which do belong to the fitte ministring worthy receiuing of euery Sacrament to wit the institution of God a conuenient (b) Trid. Ses 7. can 10. 11. de Sacramentis in genere item Florentin minister a right intention in the minister faith in the receiuer and whatsoeuer els of like sorte 5 How many Sacramentes be there SEuen (a) Conc. Flor. Cōstant sess 15. Trid. sess 7. can 1. which the Church being the Spouse (b) Cant. 4 9 1. Tim. 3 15 of Christ and Pillar of truth hauing by the Apostles receiued thē from Christ himselfe hath alwaies hetherto kept faithfully dispensed And they are these (c) Mat. 28 19. Act. 8 17 Mat. 26 26. Io. 20 23. Iac. 5 14. 1. Tim. 4 14 Eph. 5 32. Baptisme Confirmation the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist Penance Extreame vnction Order and Matrimony Neither truly forceth it at all if such names be not all of them extant in the Scriptures so that the matter it selfe be euident the veritie and vertue of the Sacraments be approued by diuine testimony Albeit such (d) Aug. l. 4. con Donat. c. 24. et l. 2. c. 7. et l. 5. c. 23. et ep 118. c. 1. Chryso in 2. ad Thes hom 4. things as by the Apostles Traditiō the vniuersall Church holdeth commēdeth to bee kepte obserued though they be not to be found in Scripture yet doe they deserue of vs ful perfite credit as hath bin already declared And touching the institutiō of euery Sacrament in particuler we will speak herafter in their proper places But the force and vertue of them as the most faithfull interpretour of the Scripture Saint AVGVSTINE (e) l. 19. cont Faust c. 11. et 16. et trac 80. in Ioan. saith is of vnspeakeable value and therfore the contemnours of it are sacrilegious For impiously certes is that despised without the which no pietie can be perfited And as the same holy Father teacheth in an other (f) Super Leuit. q. 84. et l. 32. cont Faust c. 14. place the contemnour of the visible Sacrament can neuer be inuisibly sanctified 6 Why were the Sacramentes instituted FIrst that they may be very presēt remedies against sinne which is a pestilent disease of the (a) Sap. 16 14. Eccli 21 2. Ro. 6 23 soule and except it be cured in this life bringethe euerlastinge damnation And therfore these doe far (b) Florent Conc. Trid. Sess 7. can 2. et 4. de Sacr. in genere excel the Sacramentes of the olde lawe as being in vertue greater in commoditie more profitable in nūber fewer in the cōceiuing of thē more honorable in obseruation more easie in signification more excellent which besides their signification do also sanctifie giue saluation as S. AVGVSTINE hath verie well (c) l. 19. cōt Faust c. 13. l. 3. de doct Christ c. 19. ep 118. c. 1. gathered out of the Scriptures Secondly that we may haue some certaine effectuall signes of Gods grace and good will towardes vs which signes whilest they represent themselues to the outwarde senses they do not only stir vp our faith in Christ in the mercy (d) Ro. 9 23. goodnes of almighty God but are moreouerliuely instruments by which it hath seemed good vnto Almightie God effectually to worke (e) T it 3 5. Io. 6 58. et 20 23. our saluation So that it was notably said of an (f) Aug. l. 4. cont Dona. c. 24. ancient Father that a Sacrament euen by it selfe alone is of an inestimable value Thirdly that there may be some tokens (g) Aug. l. 19 con Faust c. 11. et c. 17. de vera reli Bas ho. 13. in exhort ad Bapt. and as it were externall markes of Christiā profession wherby the Children of God and of the Church may mutually knowe one another that they may fruitfully exercise keepe thēselues in vnity humility and obedience and so remaine lincked amongst themselues with the necessary bond and league of one Religion Otherwise without Sacramentes can not any sorte of Religion either stand or be sufficiently discerned 7 And what is to be thought of the ministers of the Sacramentes VVE must so esteeme them as the (a) 1. Cor. 4 1. ministers of Christ the dispensors of the mysteries of God that doe beare (b) Esa 52 11. Num. 1 50.51 3. Reg. 8 4. the vessels of our Lorde and serue the Tabernacle and that by profession haue authoritie in holy thinges and with a certaine right title doe minister the same For not to all (c) Numb 16 39. 2. Reg. 6 6. 2. par 26 16. Conc. Nic. cann 14. Trid. Sess 7. de Sacr. in genere can 10. indifferently but to Priestes and Bishops doth it belong and it was by God himselfe enioined to cōsecrate dispense and minister the holy Sacramentes And that wee may not thinke that the (d) 1. Cor. 1 13. et 3 4. Conc. Trid. Sess 7. can 12. Naziā orat 40. in Sanct. Bap. Sacramentes doe any whit depend vpon the life honesty of those that doe minister them S. AVGVSTINE (e) Cont. Cresco l. 4. c. 20. et l. 4.
de nupt concup l. 1. c. 20. l. 2. c. 17. Item ser 14. de verb. Apost also not baptised should perish as of olde in the Synagogue of the Iewes children (h) Gen. 17 14. vncircumcised Nowe forasmuch as there is but one (i) Eph. 4 5. Bas de spir sanct c. 15. Baptisme of Christs faithfull people which once receiued it is very wicked to (k) Heb. 6 4. Clem. constit Apost l. 6. c. 15. Damas l. 4. c. 10. iterate whatsoeuer the long-since condemned Anabaptists (l) in Conc. Carth. 1. c. 1 Viennen Trid. sess 7. can 9. de Sacram 13 de Baptis Aug. tract 11. in Ioan. Beda in c. 3. Ioan. do pretend we must say with the Constantinopolitan CouÌ„saile I confesse one (m) in symb fid Baptisme for the remission of sinnes And with S. AVGVSTINE To (n) Ep. 103. in l. de vnic Bapt con Petil. c. 13. Leo. ep 79. ad Nic. 37. ad Leo. Ran. rebaptise an heretical man is certainly a sin but to rebaptise a Catholike is an horrible wickednes which for that cause is also prohibited by the Emperors (o) C. l. Ne san Bap. iteret Laws 2 What things are principally to be noted about this Sacrament THe Element that washeth and the signification thereof the worde the Minister and the effect of Baptisme The Element is simple (a) Io. 3 5. Eph. 5 26. Act. 8 36. 10 47. Trid. c. 2. de Bapt. et Flor Chry. hom 24. in Ioan. water the matter very necessary h reuâ—to which is naturally wonte to washe away the filthes of the body To which very aptly doth aunswer this signification that by Baptisme the soule is (b) Tit. 3 5. Act. 2 38. 1. Cor. 6 11. cleansed from sinne the man made iust as wee meane to shewe hereafter The Worde wherein consisteth the forme of the (c) Con LateraÌ„ Flor. Aug. l. 6. coÌ„t Donat. c. 25. Didym li. 2. de spir san Sacrament by Christ his appointmeÌ„t is this (d) Mat. 28 19. Amb. de iis qui myst initiant c. 4. I Baptise thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne of the holy-Ghost And although it be properly the office of Priests to Baptise yet wher there is very vrgent necessity others (e) Aug. coÌ„t Parmen l. 2. ca. 13. de vnic Bap. c. 9 con Donat. l. 3. c 5. li. 7. c. 53. Hilar. in Psalm 67. Conc. Later c. 1. FloreÌ„t Trid. can 4. de Baptism also maie Baptise yea though they be wicked persons Heretiks so that they goe not froÌ„ the manner of the Church Her vsual words 3 What profite and effecte doth Baptisme yeelde THat doubtlesse which by the teaching of Christ (a) Mar. 16 16. Act. 2 38. 22 16. 1. Pet. 3 21. Ezec. 36 25. 1. Cor. 6 11 Rom. 6 3. Basil ho. 13. in exhort ad Bapt. l. de spir san c. 15 Aug. l. 1. coÌ„t 2. ep Pelag. c. 13. l. 3. c. 3. in Enc. c. 64. Bed in ca. 3. IoaÌ„ Damas lib. 4. cap. 10. Greg. l. 9. ep 39. Hier. ad Ocea Naz. in san Laua CleÌ„ Alex. l. 1. paedag ca. 6. Chrysost ad Neoph. ad Baptizand testimony of the Apostles S. PETER S. PAVL we learn to wit that by Baptisme both sins are remitted the Spirit is giuen wherby both the olde man is extinguished a newe creature is made in Christ For Baptism rightly receiued doth not only yeeld this that al sins be fully pardoned taken away from the wicked maÌ„ but also that he being once baptised is perfitly renued made truely innocent iust holy worthy in Christ of the heaueÌ„ly glory So that S. PAVL hath iustly said to al those that are Baptised You are (b) 1. Cor. 6 11. Amb. l. 1 de Sacr. c. 4. conc Flor. Trid. ses 5. can 5. washed you are sanctified you are iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ in the spirite of our God And in an other place (c) Tit. 3 5. Aug. ep 23. quaest 33. super Num. li. 4. conf c. 4 Lactant. l. 3. diuinarum instit cap. 26. Cyprian lib. 2. ep 2. he testifieth that Baptisme is the lauer of regeneration and of renouation of the holye-Ghoste the (d) Ephes 5 26. lauer also of water in the word of life And again he writeth As (e) Gal. 3 27 Ro. 6 3. many of you as are Baptised in Christ haue put on Christ. Very fitly and brieflie doth (f) Ser. in caena Do. vide Cyprian de bapt Christ ablut pedum Orig. in c. 6 ad Roma Retic Augustod apud Aug. l. 1. cont Iulian c. 3. S. BERNARD comprise the principall effects of this Sacrament We are washed in Baptisme saith he because the hand-writing of our daÌ„nation is caÌ„celed this grace is bestowed vpon vs that nowe concupiscence cannot hurt vs yet so that we keepe our selues from consent Which (g) Iac. 1 14. Ro. 6 12. 7 7. Trid. ses 5. caÌ„ 5. Aug. l. 1. de nupt concup c. 23. 25. l. 1. cont 2. ep Pelag. cap. 13. IteÌ„ l. 2. retract c. 15. l. 13. de Trin. c. 16. de pec mer. l. 1. c. 39 l. 2. c. 33. 34. coÌ„cupiscence remaining in the regenerate is not of it selfe a sinne but an inclination vnto sinne Fomes peccati as the Diuines doe cal it left vs Ad agonem to striue withal that the Baptised by this occasion may more watchefully seeke Gods grace more feruently practise vertue more valiantly striueing get themselues a greater crown Therfore as S. PAVL teacheth There (h) Ro. 8 1. is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit that (i) Col. 3 9. Eph. 4 22. according to the Doctrine and example of Saint PAVL putting off the olde man are renued from day to day according to the inwarde (k) 2. Cor. 4 16. man which is indeede the very property of the (l) Ro. 6 4. baptised 4 What doth the benefite receiued of so great a Sacrament require at our handes FIrst it requireth of vs a speciall continuall gratitude of minde that we may praise loue and extoll him (a) Tit. 3 5. Who according to his mercie hath saued vs by the lauer of regeneration and renouation of the holy-Ghost whom hee hath powred vpon vs aboundantly by Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace wee may bee heires according to hope of life euerlasting Then so is the mysterie of this Sacrament to bee (b) Orig. 1. in Numeros remembred that euery man doe oftentimes admonishe himselfe of that notable promise and Christian profession which by his (c) Dionys Areop ca. 7. Eccl. hierar Aug. de nup. coÌ„ l. 1 c. 20. IteÌ„ l. 1 de pec
Vnlesse you (c) Io. 6 53. Ibid. vers 51 Conc. Trid. sess 21 c. 1. eate the fleshe of the Sonne of man drinke his bloode you shall not haue life in you We reade also If any man eate of this breade he shall liue foreuer And he which said * Ibi. ver 54. He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloode hath life euerlasting hath also said The (d) Ibid. 51. bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world And againe the same that affirmed He * Ibi. ver 56. that eateth my fleshe drinketh my bloode abideth in me and I in him affirmed this also He (e) Ibid. ver 58. that eateth this bread shall liue foreuer To omit what S. LVKE (f) Luc. 24 30.35 Act. 2 42. 20 7. 27 35. Aug. ep 86. ad Casul Chry. ho. 17 operis imperf Isich in Leuit. cap. 9. alleadgeth touching the breaking of breade only Neither doe we want the example of Christ himselfe who first at the last supper ordained this Sacrament vnder (g) Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14 22. Luc. 22 19. 1. Cor. 11 24. both kinds deliuered it vnto his Apostles But afterward being at Emaus with his two disciples he gaue (h) Luc. 24 30. ibid. Theoph. Beda Chry. ho. 17. oper imperf Aug. li. 3. de cons Euang cap. 25. thē the Eucharist vnder one kinde only immediatly after withdrew himselfe as the fathers do interpret this place of the Gospel we must not therfore condemn either those who contenting them selues with one kinde only doe abstaine from the vse of the cuppe are read to haue (i) Euseb l. 6. hist cap. 36. Aug. ho. 26. ex 50. ser 252. de tēp Amb. in Satyr Pauli in vita S. Amb. Amphil. in vita Basil Beda lib. 4. hist c. 14. 24. Theod. in Philoth. in vita 26. quae est Simeonis Euagr l. 4. c. 3 Greg. Turo li. 1. de glor Martyr c. 86 Gulielmus Abb. in vita S. Bernard lib. 1. ca. 11. abstained many ages sithence or those that of olde when so the Church did allow had in publike vse both kindes But vse and experience the maister of matters hath taught by litle litle that for the more profite of the people and lesse danger for many respects it is very coueniently donne that the Chalice being lefte the cōmunion vnder one kind onlye be retained And thus hath the Church long since decreed to be done not swaruing at all herein from the ordinance and commandement of her spouse for she is the Piller (k) 1. Tim. 3 15. groūd of truth a faithfull dispensour (l) 1. Cor. 4 1 of the mysteries of God but employing that power which shee hath receiued of her spouse in dispensing the mysteries to (m) 2. Cor. 10 8. 13 10. Conc. Trid. ses 21. cap. 2. edification and the commō profite of the faithfull as the state and condition of times and men which enforceth alteration euen in sacred things doth seme to require For the very wordes of the Gospel doe (n) Mat. 26 20. Mar. 14 17. Luc. 22 14. Iust in Apol. 2. ad Ant. giue vs to vnderstand that Christ at his last supper dealt with those vnto whom he gaue cōmission not only to receiue but also to consecrate and offer the Eucharist yea and to direct (o) Act. 20 28. 1. Pet. 5 2. Luc. 10 16. Ephes 4 11.14 gouerne the whole Church To the iudgement wisedome autority of those he left to appoint lawes vnto posteritie and according to the diuersitie of times orderlie to dispose aswell in moste other things appertaining vnto Chrstian weale as in the maner and order of communicating the Euchariste vnto the faithfull This same (p) 1. Cor. 11 34. euen out of Saint PAVL dothe S. AVGVSTINE (q) Ad Ianua ep 118. cap. 6. proue and it may easely be conuinced by many decrees of the Apostles Neither haue we reason to thinke that the laitye haue any wrong if in this as also in moste (r) Mat. 18 18. Io. 20 23. 1. Tim. 3 2.8.13 4 14. Tit. 1 5. other thinges they be not made equall vnto Priests For it is most certaine that Christ is not diuided into two partes according vnto the two distinct signes of this Sacrament but that aswell vnder one as vnder both kindes yea vnder a litle (s) Basil ad Caesar Cyr. ad Calos in Io. lib. 4. c. 14. Conc. Flor. Emis hom 3. de Pasc Trid. ses 13 c. 3. de cons dist 2. c. qui mā ducat ca. singuli particle of a consecrated hoste Christe is wholly giuen and wholly receiued in fleshe in soule in bloode and in Godhead And where Christ is receiued whole and perfite there can not be wanting the full fruite and effectuall grace of so greate a Sacrament And therefore the laitie are here defrauded of no commoditie at all whether thou regardest the thing it selfe contained in the Sacrament to wit Christ God and man or doest require the (t) Io. 6 41.51 1. Cor. 10 16. fruite and grace which is giuen vnto those that receiue the Blessed Sacrament for the health of theire soules but they receiue as much vnder one kind as they should vnder both if it were alowable Of which matter certes there is no more any place lefte either to (v) Aug. ep 118. cap. 5. doubt or to dispute sithence that the holy Ghost who accordinge to the promise of (x) Luc. 22 31. Io. 14 16. 16 12. Esa 59 21. Christ doth teach gouerne the Church hath sette downe vnto vs a most certaine and plaine sentence againe and againe confirmed the same with the inuiolable authoritie of a most holy (y) Synod Const sess 13. Bas sess 30. Trid. sess 21. Synode Wherupon it may euidently be concluded that this custome of reciuing vnder one kind is not contrary vnto the commandement of God is ratified by the lawfull authoritie of the Church is approued by long continuance of time and generall consent of the faithfull is commended with most sure reason and profite and finally is to be assuredly accounted for a lawe which by none but by the Church her selfe may be changed And yet neither the aduersaries themselues though here they barke and keepe a stirre are able to shewe when such custome of communicating began So that it is a wonder to see some yet for all this who being caried away with a shew of priuate deuotion doe otherwise perswade themselues doe conspire (z) 1. Tim. 3 15. Mat. 18 17. herein with the new rebels and contemnors of the Church against the reuerend (a) Aug. lib. 1. con Cresc cap. 33. authoritie of the whole Church These men truely oughte to feare leaste whilest they stand so much vpon the outwarde signes of the Sacrament and giue themselues wholly to contentiousnesse they lose the
l. 6. instit cap. 8. chaste (i) Aug. ad Ian. ep 118. cap. 6. fasting modest humble with (k) Orig. ho. 5. in diuers Cass Coll. 22. cap. 7. submission and without all indecencie But they that receiue the holy Eucharist vnworthely do not receiue life but iudgement vnto themselues and are (l) 1. Cor. 11 27. Chr. ho. 45. in Io. 61. ad Anti. Bas ser 2. de Bapt. cap. 3. Theodor. in 1. Cor. 11. Cassia Coll 22. c. 5. Pet. Clun lib. 1. mirac c. 25. guilty of the body and bloude of our Lorde as witnesseth the Apostle and shal be grieuosly condemned with Iudas the Iewes the blouddy enimies of Christ our Sauiour OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE 1 What is the Sacrament of Penance Trid. ses 14. c. 1. can 1 ses 6. c. 14. can 29. Flor. Cōst ses 15. Nyss in vita Moisis Bern. in vita Malach. IT is that in which is giuen the absolution of a Prieste from sinnes which a man hath truely detested rightly confessed Which power of absoluing to the intent that wee might haue certaine in the Church this diuine promise was made vnto (a) Trid. ses 14. c. 6. cā 10. Amb. l. 1 de poenit c. 2. 7. lib 2. cap. 2. Priests Receiue (b) Io. 20 23 ibid. Cyr. lib 12. cap. 56. Greg. ho. 26. in Euang. Chry. ho. 85 in Ioan. yee the holy-Ghost whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall reteine they are reteined Then in an other place Amen I say to you saith our (c) Mat. 18 18. Cyp. ep 54. ad Corn. Hila. can 16 in Mat. Pacia ep 1. ad Sympr Hier ad Heliod ep 1. cap. 7. Aug. lib. 20. ciuit cap. 9. Chrys ho. 5. de ver Esaiae vidi Dominum Lorde Whatsoeuer you shall binde vpon earth shall be bounde also in heauen and whatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shal be loosed also in heauen By which it plainly apeareth that the effecte of this Sacrament is excellent and ful of comforte as being the meanes whereby are remitted all manner of sinnes though neuer so foule and abominable and they absolued without anie difference that haue guiltie consciences in the sight of Almightie God and this by the Ministery of a Prieste through the diuine ordinance of Christ And therefore the power and authority of Priestes is nowe farre more excellent and more to be accounted of than of (d) Leuit. 4 22.27 5 4 15. 6 2. 13 2.17 37. 14 2.18 Mat. 8 4 Luc. 17 14. olde it was as beeing those persons vnto whom it is granted I doe not say to allowe as already purged but altogether to purge not the leprosie of the body but the filthes of the soul as witnesseth (e) Chrys l. 3. de sacerd Saint CHRYSOSTOME And (f) Aug. de Verb. Dom. ser 8. ca. 1. 2. ser 44 in Io. tra 49. ho. 27 ex 50. in Psal 101. Conc. 2. S. AVGVSTINE What other thing doth the Church saith hee vnto whom it is saide what thinges you shall loose shall be loosed But that which our Lord said to his Disciples loose him (g) Io. 11 44. let him goe Amb. lib. de paenit 1. 2. Aug. lib. de adult coniug c. 28. lib. 2. ca. 16. Con. Later can 1. Trid. cap. 2. ses 14. Flor. Hier. li. 2. adu Pelag 2 Wherefore is this Sacrament of Penance needfull THat a man hauing fallen after Baptisme become the enemy of God obtaining by means of this Sacrament remission of sinnes may be reconciled vnto God and of a deade man bee made aliue and of wicked become iust For which cause the Fathers doe not vnaduisedly cal (a) Pacia ep 1. ad Sympr Hier. in ca. 3. Esa ep 8. ad Demetr de seruand Virg. cap. 6. Ambros ad Virg. laps c. 8. Trid. ses 6 c. 14. ses 14. can 2. Tert. de paenit c. 7. Ezech. 18 30. 33 11 Penance the second table after shipwracke to wit by the which euery man may be transported out of the whirle-poole of mortal sinne as out of a shipwracke into the grace fauor of almighty God though loaden pestered with manie and those very heinous sinnes 3 When is this Sacrament taken as it ought to be worketh effectually VVHhen he that sueth for remission of his sinnes Conc. Flor. Trid. ses 14. cap. 3. can 4. doth vse these three partes or actes Contrition Confession Satisfaction which do comprehend the ful conuersion of a man vnto God the duty of a penitent and his perfecte renuing Of which (a) Ser. de paenit 2. Reg. 16 5. Ps 50 19.5 6 7. 37 7.18 101 4.10 2. Reg. 12 13. 24 10 3. Reg. 21 25. Ionae 3 7 S. CHRYSOSTOME speaketh in this manner Perfect Penance doth constraine the sinner to suffer all thinges willingly Contritrition in his hearte Confession in his mouth and in his actions nothing but humility This to be holesome Penance S. CHRYSOSTOME affirmeth that by those very means that we offende God which certes we doe by heart worde and deede by the same we may be reconciled vnto God in hearte by Contrition in mouth by Confession in deede by Satisfaction To Contrition appertaineth that place A troubled spirit is a (b) Psal 50 19. sacrifice to God a contrite and humble hearte O God thou wilt not despise Confession S. LVKE doth notifie in these wordes (c) Act. 19 18. Num. 5 6. Manie of them that beleeued came confessing and declaring their deeds And the (d) Iac. 5 16. ibid. Be◠Apostle S. IAMES teacheth Confesse your sinnes one to another And to Satisfaction doe belong those woorthie fruites of Penance which (e) Mat. 3 2. Luc. 3 8. Act. 26 20. S. IHON Baptist requireth amongst them Almes is accounted Of these DANIEL the Prophet saith thus Redeeme (f) Dan. 4 24. thy sinnes with Almes thy iniquities with mercie towardes the poore A great offence hath neede of great Satisfaction saith (g) Amb. ad Virg. lap c. 8 S. AMBROSE And hereūto also is referred that which S. PAVL saith of mourning for those (h) 2. Cor. 12 21. Corinthians because they had not as yet doone Penance for the vncleannesse fornication and incontinency which they had committed Trid. ses 14. cap. 4. Flor. Aug. ser 3. in Nat. Do. c. 2. de paenit medicin seu ho. 50. ex 50. cap 15. Fulg. li. 1. de remiss pec c. 12. 4 What is Contrition IT is a griefe of minde and a detestation conceiued for sinne because Almighty God is therewith displeased ioined with a full purpose of amendment of life This Contrition is (a) Chrys in Ps 50. de compunct l. 1. 2. Aug. de paenit medic c. 9. Amb. c. 8. ad Virg. laps Trid. ses
the will of his Lorde and prepared not himselfe did not according to his wil shal be beatē with many stripes But hee that knewe not and did thinges worthie of stripes shall be beaten with fewe And in another place speaking of the sinne of Anger and the degrees thereof he hath giuen this sentence (p) Mat. 5 23. Whosoeuer is angry with his brother shall be in danger of iudgement and whosoeuer shall say to his brother Raca shall be in danger of a Councell and whosoeuer shal say thou foole shall be giltie of the hell of fire Where as (q) Greg. 21. moral c. 5. Aug. li. 1. de ser Dom. in monte c. 9. S. GREGORY saith According to the degrees of the faulte encreaseth the order of the sentence whilest Anger without voice is bound to iudgement wherin the case is discussed Anger in voice is designed to a Coūcel wher the sentence is determined Anger in voice and word is adiudged to hell fire wher finally the sētence is executed Eccle. 15 21 4 Why is sinne to be eschewed FIrst because God hath commaunded none to doe wickedly and hath giuen no man space to sinne but (a) Psal 5 7. Eccli 12 3. Sap. 14 9. Pro. 15 8.9 Exod. 23 7. hateth all those that worke iniquitie As the Scripture expresly testifieth Neithr is any thing more odious hatefull to God who (b) Sap. 11 25. otherwise loueth all thinges that are and prosecuteth nothing with hatred punishmēt but only sin which truly neither in (c) Esa 14 11.12 2. Pet. 2 4 5.6.7 heauē nor in earth hee suffreth to escape vnpunished Moreouer sinne (d) Leu. 26 14 15. Deut. 28 15 16. that we maie see howe execrable abominable a thing it is was the (e) Bern. ser 3. de nat do cause that Christ our Lorde who otherwise committed no (f) 1. Pet. 2 21. sinne him-selfe did vndertake the CROSSE suffer a most bitter death For (g) Esa 53 5 Hee was wounded for our iniquities he was worne out for our wickednesse our Lorde laide vpon him the iniquitie of vs all He (h) 1. Io. 2 2 is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the whole worldes And therefore certes hee hath washed (i) Apoc. 1 5 vs from our sinnes in his bloud that as many as euer are buried with him by Baptisme (k) Ro. 6 2. into death they being (l) 1. Pet. 2 13. dead to sinne may liue to Iustice alwaies walke by his grace in (m) Ro. 6 4. newnesse of life But they that after grace receiued in the Baptisme of Christ will voluntarilye sinne againe they sinne against Christ they persecute Christ they crucifie Christ again shal be punished by Christ the iust Iudge no lesse then the wicked Heathens For so S. PAVL teacheth (n) Heb. 10 26. If we sinne willingly after the knowledge of the truthe receiued now there is not lefte an host for sinnes but a certaine terrible expectation of iudgemente Of which persons the Apostle S. PETER hath also saide (o) 2. Pet. 2 21. It was better for them not to know the way of Iustice then after the knowledge to turne backe from that holy commandement which was deliuered vnto them Wherefore he that stādeth (p) 1. Cor. 10 12. Luc. 11 26. Mat. 12 45. let him loke that he doe not fall for in falling the latter thinges are become worse then the former Moreouer (q) Tob. 12 10. they which committe sinne and iniquitie are enemies to their owne soule if we beleeue the Angell RAPHAEL (r) Sap. 16 14. For a man by malice killeth his own soule (s) Ezech. 18 4. Iac. 1 15. Psal 33 22. Ro. 6 23. The soule which shall sinne she shall die And nothing certes is more vnhappie then that death by which a man is foreuer separated from the company of all the Saintes from the ioye of the Angels and all heauenly Inhabitants finally from that so soueraigne eternall (t) Mat. 7 23. 25 11 Luc. 13 27. Psal 6 9. Chrys ho. 24. in Mat. 48. ad pop Itē ep 5. ad Theod laps good in the knowledge fruition whereof cōsisteth certes the whole welfare and perfite blessednesse of a man Besides all this such is the nature and malignitie of sinne that it doth not only draw men euen those that be Iust (v) Ezec 18 24.33 12. from God from the grace and glory of God but doth moreouer inthrall them to most extreame and euerlasting euils both of body and soule not only in this life (x) Iudit 5 18. Ezod 32 33 Num. 14 28. Eccli 21 4. Psal 10 6. Luc. 16 22.23 but also in the life to come it maketh them most vnhappy insomuch as being brought into the power of the Deuils they are deliuered vp to most greiuous tormēts all maner of euils for euermore Wherefore are those examples to be noted which euery where in holy writte are mentioned cōcerning the reprehension and punishment of sinners as of (y) Gen. 4 11.12 CAIN (z) Exod. 14 27. PHARAO (a) Dā 4 22 NABVCHODONOSOR the (b) Gen. 19 24. Ezech. 16 49. SODOMITES (c) Exod. 7 8.9.10.12.14 EGYPTIANS (d) Deut. 23 22. Num. 16 26. ISRAELITS and others whose wickednesse the iust God hath persecuted in most marueilouse and horrible manner Those sentences also are to be obserued which teach that the mischeuous pestilence of sinne is to be eschewed detested As (e) Io. 8 34. he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne Hatefull vnto God (f) Sap. 14 9 is the wicked mā and his wickednesse Sinne (g) Pro. 14 34. maketh people miserable (h) Eccli 21 2. Flie from sinne as from the face of an adder (i) Ps 5 5.6 Thou art a God that willeth not iniquitie neither shal the maliciouse dwel neere vnto thee neither shal the vniust abide in thy sight (k) Eccles 9 18. He that shall sinne in one thing shal lose many good thinges (l) Tob. 4 6.7 vid. Chris hom 8. ad pop Antio 17. in Gen. 51. 37. in Io. 28. in ep ad Ro. 41. in Act. ho. de Iona. Proph. Bas ho. in Ps 33. Aug. propos 42. ex ep ad Roman All the daies of thy life haue thou God in minde and take heede that thou doe not at any time consent vnto sinne and ouerpasse the precepts of our God These thinges doe tend to this end that a man may knowe God a most iust reuenger of sinne and knowing him may feare him and fearing him may haue regarde to his owne saluation and by regarding may escape the horrible paines of sinners For (m) Psal 31 10. many are the scourges of a sinner 5 What way leadeth vnto sinne BY three (a) Aug. lib. de ser do in monte c. 12. l. 12. de Trin. c. 12.
these we are (i) Ephes 2. created destinated in Christ as the which thinges God hath prepared that we may walke in them For these thinges done (k) Mat. 25 34. Io. 5 29. in charitie the iust shal be receiued into the euerlasting kingdome And for neglecting of the same the vniust shall be cast hedlong into hell fire And as it is Pharisaicall (l) Luc. 18 11. and full of vanitie with the contempte of others to iustifie himselfe and to trust to his owne (m) Ro. 10 3. Trid. sess 6. cap. 16. workes so is it Christian like and lawfull that a man with humilitie diligentlye attend vnto good workes and if at any time he will glorie to glorie in (n) 1. Cor. 1 31. 2. Cor. 10 17. our Lorde who worketh in vs to will and to accomplishe as witnesseth the (o) Phil. 2 13. Apostle 4 What is fasting THis worde hath not one simple signification A greate and generall faste S. AVGVSTINE (a) Aug. tra 17. in Io. l. 2. quaest Euang ca 18. calleth to abstaine from vices and vnlawfull pleasures of the worlde Then is there a philosophicall Fast as some name it consisting in a spare diet temperance of meate and drinke and morall sobrietie wherewith the very (b) Hieron lib. 2. aduers Iouin c. 9. Heathens according to the rule of right reason do liue teÌ„perately Thirdly there is an Ecclesiastical Faste (c) Clem. Constit Apost l. 5. cap. 12. 14. 17. 18. 19. Isid lib. 1. offic c. 36. sequ Raban de instit cler lib. 2. c. 17. sequ Iuo part 4. cap. 25. sequ Burch l. 35. to wit when according to the certaine custome prescript of the Church we forbeare fleshe diet vpon some certaine daies are content with one only repast Which kind of Fast is after a Godly Christian manner (d) Cypr. de Ieiun teÌ„tationibus Christi Athan. de Virg. Chrys ho. 1. 2. in Gen. serm 1. 2. de Ieiun Bas orat 1. 2. de Ieiun Aug. de vtil Ieiun cap. 2. 3. Amb. in lib. 1. de Helia Ieiun epist 82. Leo. in ser de Ieiun 7. 10. mensis Pentecostes quadrag vndertaken to performe Gods seruice more religiously to tame the fleshe and make it subiect to the spirite to yeelde the worthy fruites of penance to exercise obedience finally to obtaine any grace fauor at Gods handes 5 But What answere is to be made vnto those that doe reprehend contemn the law of the Ecclesiastical Fast FIrst such persons are to be admonished that they doe not fasly attribute vnto Catholicks that which the Apostle doth (a) 1. Tim. 4 1. Ccl. 2 16. Deut. 14 3. Can. Ap. 50 52. Conc. Gang. can 2 1. Tol. in assert fid Bracâ—r 1. can 14. 32. detest and the Church hath euer in the Iewes Maniches Priscilianistes condemned for that either according to the law of MOYSES or of superstition they do abstain from certain meats For Catholicks as S. AVGVSTINE aunswereth (b) Lib. 30. Con. Faust cap. 5. de mor. Manic c. 13. 14. Con. Adim cap. 14. Theod. in epito diuin decr cap. de Abstinen Bern. ser 66. in Cant. Isid l. 1. de offic cap. 44 GeÌ„ 1 29. 2 16. 9 3 Leu. 10 8. Num. 6 3. Iud. 13 7.13 Hier. 35 6. 18. Dan. 1 8. 10 2. Mat. 3 4. Mar. 1 6. Luc. 1 15. Act. 15 20.29 Ro. 14 20. 1. Cor. 8 13. 1. Tim. 5 23 6. Syn can 56. Greg. ad August teste GratiaÌ„ distinct â— et Iuon par 4. c. 29. Athan. in vita Antonij Hieron in vita Pauli Erem Hilarionis Epiph. in compend doct Eccles Cathol FAVSTVS the Manichee Whereas they abstaine from fleshe they doe it for to tame their bodies and to restraine the more their soules from such motions as be contrarie to reason not for that they thinke the fleshe it selfe to be vncleane neither doe they abstaine from fleshe onely but also from some certaine fruites of the earth either alwaies as a fewe or at certaine daies and times as in the Lente for the most part euery one Thus writeth S. AVGVSTINE And before him the same also EPIPHANIVS teacheth where he confuteth the Aerian heresie which will haue the sett (c) Haeres 7â— Aug. haeres 53. Damase de haeres Fastes of the Church to be at euery mans discretion and no man to bee bounde thereunto But in that the order of time is obserued in (d) Hieron in ep ad Gal. cap. 4. Leo. ser 3. 4. de Ieiun 7. mensis ser 4. de quadrag Baâ— orat 2. de Ieiun publike Fastes as also in Praiers holy daies that doth confirme setforth and aduance the order and publike concorde in the Church Besides priuate Fastes fewe woulde impose vpon themselues as being hindered from such endeuours with a naturall loue of the fleshe and care of the bellie Nowe that it is of great importance and of assured meritte reuerently to imbrace and diligently to obserue such kinde of Fastes (e) Lib. 2. c. 5 10.11 Aug. haeres 22. Amb ep 82. S. HIEROME proueth it so plainlie against IOVINIAN that none can doubte thereof any more Vnto which may be added those thinges which we haue taught before concerning the obseruance of the precepts of the Church that for the auoiding of (f) Aug. ep 118. ad Ianuar cap. 2. Scandall and retaining of publcike discipline Neither only for wrath but also for conscience sake as the Apostle (g) Ro. 13 5 hath saide And it is manifest as the writers (h) Aug. ep 36. Epiph. in compend Calixt ep 1. ad Bened. Leo. ser 1. et 2. de Pent. et ser 8. 9. de Ieiun 7. mensis ser 8. de Ieiun 10. meÌ„sis Raban l. 2. de instit Cler. cap 24. Conc. Mog cap. 34. Salegun cap. 2. Bern. in vigil S. Andr. in all ages doe proue that this is both the perpetuall Discipline Custome Tradition and decree of the Church and hath beene euer from the beginning that vpon certaine daies especially of the (i) Ignat. ad Phil. Epiph. in compend Theoph. Alex. lib. 3. Paschali Maxim in serm de quadrag Amb. Aug. Leo. Bern. de eadem Orig. ho. 10. in Leuit. Isid 1. offic cap. 36. Aug. ep 119. cap. 15. in Psal 110. Lent this Fast of the Church shoulde be obserued So doe the (k) Can. 68. Canons of the Apostles and the most holie (l) Laod. c. 50. 2. Brac. c. 9. 4. Carth can 63. Tribur c. 35 Agath c. 12 Councelles teach The Councell of (m) Can. 19. Mogunt can 35. Gangra certes pronounceth them accursed that doe contemne the common Fastes of the whole Church And the Toletane (n) 8. Tolet. c. 9. vide Telesph in epi. ad vniuers Theoph. Alex l. 3. Pasc Aug. ser 64. de temp Niceph. l. 17.
b soweth sparingly sparingly also shall reape As witnesseth the Apostle And this shall suffice touching the corporall workes of mercie 17 But what doth the scripture testifie of those that are spirituall VVE saith he that are (a) Ro. 15. a stronger must sustain the infirmities of the weake and not please our selues Let euery one of you please his neighbour vnto God to edification For Christ did not please himselfe And againe Be ye gentle (b) Eph. 4. g one to another merciful pardoning one another as God in Christ hath pardoned you Againe Be ye therfore followers (c) Eph. 5. a of God as most deare children walke in loue as Christ also loued vs. Moreouer Put ye on (d) Col. 3. b therfore as the elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercie benignitie humilitie modestie patience supporting one an other And pardoning (e) Aug. Enchir cap. 73. 74. ho. 6. 29. cap. 1. 40. cap. 3. seq ex 50. serm 203. de temp Greg. 4. dial cap. vlt. one an other if any haue a quarell against any man as also our Lorde hath pardoned vs So you also And againe (f) 1. Thess 5. c Admonishe the vnquiet comforte the weake minded beare vp the weake be patient to all These and many other thinges of like tenour doth Saint PAVL euery where inculcate who to the intent hee mighte saue (g) 1. Cor. 9. d all was made all thinges to all men So that hereupon himselfe testifieth Who is weake (h) 2. Cor. 11. g and I am not weake who is scandalized I am not burnt And againe I haue greate (i) Rom. 9. a sadnes and continuall sorow in my harte For I wished my selfe an Anathema frō Christ for my brethren And in an other place I most gladly (k) 2. Cor. 12. e will bestow and will my selfe moreouer bee bestowed for your soules although louing you more I am louedlesse 18 What is the summe of al the doctrine touching the performance of the workes of mercie THe Apostle hath comprised the wholle matter as it were in this one worde Beare ye (a) Gal. 6. a one an others burthens so you shall fulfill the lawe of Christ to witte the lawe of charitie of which lawe againe he saith (b) Ro. 13. e Gal. 5. c If there be any other cōmandement it is comprised in this worde thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And the Apostle S. PETER (c) 1. Pet. 4 b Before all thinges saith he hauing mutuall Charitie continuall among your selues because charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Which precepte or office of shewing mercie and charitie as it is most agreable to nature and reason so doth it touch euen all kindes of men without exception in so much that of this we reade it written (d) Eccli 17. b God hath giuen euery man a charge of his neighbour And he hath giuē charge in this maner as Christ interpreteth (e) Mat. 7. b Luc. 6. c All thinges whatsoeuer you will that men doe to you doe you also to them for this is the lawe and the Prophettes OF THE CARDINALL VERTVES 1 What meaneth the name and nature of Cardinall vertues CErtaine vertues be therfore (a) Vid. Ambros in Luc. 6. lib. 1. offic ca. 24. Prosp de vita contemplatiua lib. 3. cap. 18. called Cardinall because they be as it were fountaines and hingels of all the rest as the dore turneth vpon the hingells soe the wholle course of honest life consisteth of them the wholle frame of good workes doth seeme after a sorte to depend (b) Greg. l. 2. mor. cap. 36 vpon them And they are accounted foure in (c) Amb. lib. 3. de Virg. et l. 2. offic c. 9 number Prudence Iustice Temperance and Fortitude Whereof it is thus written Shee teacheth (d) Sap. 8. b Sobriety and Prudence and Iustice Vertue Than the which thinges there is nothing in life more profitable vnto men Where by Sobriety (e) Aug. l. 1. retract c. 7. Temperance by Vertue fortitude is not obscurelie signified And all of them are so commended vnto vs that wee may assuredly vnderstande that by the eternal wisedome (f) Pro. 8. b c d Eccli 24. a c which is God they are properly bestowed and are receiued and exercised with verie great fruit of mans saluatiō Which vertues are called also Officiales that is appertaining to offices or duties because that from them as (g) Lib. 1. offic c. 25. Saint AMBROSE hath noted do spring the diuerse kinds of offices and are deriued all manner of duties appertaining to the ordinary life of man according to euery mans vocation 2 How are the Cardinall vertues defined Vide Aug. l. 1. de l. arb c. 13. lib. de morib Eccl. Cathol cap 15. Amb. in libris de officiis Prosp l. 3. de vita cōtemplatiua c. 18. seq Ber. ex paruis ser 35. in Cant. ser 22. PRudence is a vertue which according to the rule of honestie prescribeth what is to be desired what is to bee eschewed by a man Iustice is a vertue whereby we giue euery man his own Temperance is a vertue moderating the pleasures of the flesh which are fealt in tasting and touching Fortitude is a vertue whereby labors dangers of death are constantly both vndertaken and suffered out This is the noble chariot of vertues whereby wee are carried into heauen These are the foure riuers of (a) Gen. 2. b Paradise as (b) Lib. 2. de Gen. contr Manic c. 10. Amb. lib. de Paradis c. 3. S. AVGVSTINE calleth them of whom also this saying of worthie memorie is extant That saith he is the science knowledge of (c) L. 1. cont Acad. cap. 7. humane things which knoweth the light of Prudence the decēcie of Temperance the strength of Fortitude the holinesse of Iustice For these are they which fearing no fortune wee may be bolde to call truely our owne 3 Howe is Prudence commended vnto vs in holy Scripture Bas in constit Monast c. 15. ho. 12. in Principium Prouerbiorum Bern. ser 49. in Cant. VVIselye doeth Ecclesiasticus teach vs in this manner (a) Eccli 32. d 37. c Pro. 12 c 1◠b My sonne without aduice doe nothing and after thy deede thou shalt not repent thee And againe (b) Eccli 31 d 18. d 33. a Pro. 14. b Iob. 28. d Deut. 4 32 d vide Pro. 3. b 8. b Sap. 6. a c d 7. a b d A wise heart that hath vnderstanding wil keepe it selfe from sinne and in the workes of Iustice it shall haue successe Also the (c) Eccli 1. a fountaine of all Wisedome Prudence Christ that true (d) Mat. 1◠d Luc. 11. d SALOMON teacheth thus Be yee (e) Mat. 10. b ib. Theophyl Hieron Aug. q. 8. ex Matth. Greg. lib. 1. mor. c. 2. ho. 30. in Euang Prosp lib.
people And if by salte sprinckled by Heliseus the Prophet the barrennes of the water was healed how much more the same salte being cōsecrated with diuine praiers taketh away the barrennes of humane things sanctifieth those which are defiled and clenseth and purgeth and multiplieth other good thinges and turneth away the deceites of the Deuill and defendeth men from the craftines of the euill ghost For if by the touching of the Mat. 9 11. hemme of the garment of our Sauiour wee doe not doubte but that the diseased were cured how much more by the vertue of his holy wordes are his elementes consecrated by which humane frailty doth receiue healthe both of bodie and soule Thus farre S. Alexander in his Epistle The like is to be saied Vide Clem. Dion Bas vbi supr Aug. tra 118. in Io. Hier. in vita Hylar of holy Oile Aug. l. 2. de pec mer. cap. 26. Paulin. ep ad Alip Roman holy Bread Strab. cap. 30. Conc. 4. Tolet. cap. 8 Zozim in Pont. holy Cādells Vide Maxim in hom de die Ciner Palm holy Ashes holy Palmes such other in euery one of which is some holy signification either of spirituall medicine or of celestiall food or heauenly glory or penance or victorie and triumph ouer the Deuill Which sanctification and deputatiō of Gods creatures to certaine vses for Gods owne glory and the spirituall and corporall good of Christians if it were superstitious then would not God haue prescribed in the olde Num. 5 14. Testamēt waters of ielosie Num. 19 17. Heb. 9 13. waters of expiation by sprinckling neither would Eliseus haue vsed salte 4. Reg. 2 21. to sweetē miraculouslye the infected waters neither would he haue sent Ibid. 5 10. Naaman to washe himselfe seauē times in Iordan neither should Christs Apostles haue vsed oile to Mar. 6 13. cure the sicke Nor the Angell Raphael Tob. 6 8 with the liuer of the fish haue driuē away the Deuill nor Dauid 1. Reg. 16 23. with his Harpe haue kepte the euill spirit frō Saull Yea nor our Sauiour him selfe both in Sacraments and out of them occupied diuerse of his creatures for the manifold good of mākinde and his miraculous operations That we may omitte the purging of veniall quotidian sinnes Vide. S. Thom. 3. part qu. 87. artic 3. Dom. Soto 4 d 15. qu. 2. dist 3. de cons can Aquam See the Test of Rhemes page 575. which is by these Sacramentall thinges bestowed vpon vs not only by the increase of our faith feruour deuotion which is procured by the vsing of them but also by the high autority of the chiefe Ministers of the Church granting vs the same as Saint Gregory Lib. 7. ep 126. lib. 9. ep 60. vsed whē he sent any holy tokens nowe is vsed besides the things aboue remēbred in hallowed memories of our religion 4 But wherefore doe wee accounte one place more holy than another VVHo-soeuer deniethe that one place in holinesse exceedeth another knoweth not the Scriptures which in respect of the apparitions made by God in diuerse places attribute a certaine holinesse vnto them And oftentimes in confirmation thereof imposeth Gen. 22 14. 35 16 vpon such places names to signify the presence of Gods power therein Yea our Sauiour saieth Mat. 25 17. that the temple sanctifieth the golde the Aultar the gifte signifying thereby an extraordinarie holinesse in the temple 2. Pet. 1 18. Hier. ep 17. S. Peter calleth the mount Thabor because of the transfiguration of CHRIST therein the holy Hill That we need not Vide Hier. vbi supra epist 17. in Epita Paulae to doubt but the like holinesse is to bee attributed to the places of his Natiuitie Passion Buriall Resurrection and Ascension For this cause was Moises Exo. 3 5. Act. 7 33. cōmanded to loose his shooes from his feete because the place wherein he stoode was holy groūd And by the like apparition made by an Angell vnto Iosue Ios 5 15. the like holines was caused in the place For this cause in the olde Temple was euen priuate praiers 3. Reg. 8 30. 2. Par. 6 21. 3. Reg. 9 3. Esa 56 7. Mat. 21 13. vide 1. Reg. 1 11. 2. Reg. 7 18. 1. Par. 21. 30 Luc. 2 37. 18 10. Act. 8 27. made as in a place speaciallie dedicated vnto praier and therefore called a house of Praier And Daniel being Dan. 6 10. 3. Reg. 8 48. 2. Par. 6 37. in Babilon a captiue opening his window praied toward Hierusalem according to the commō custome of the Iewes and S. Peter and S. Ihon Act. 3 1. went vp into the Temple to pray For this cause are and alwaies haue beene amongst Christians certaine particuler 1. Cor. 11 18.22.34 et 14 34. Clem. l. 10. recogn Eus lib. 2. c. 17. ex Philo. Iust in apol 2. Tert. lib. cont Valētinianos Cypr. ser de eleemosyn Greg. Neoc apud Euseb lib. 7. hist ca. 25. vide ibi cap. 26. secundū editionē Ruffin places seuered frō the common and prophane vse to the religion and worship of God which therefore and for the solemne consecration dedication of the same by Gods chiefe ministers haue alwaies bene esteemed of a singuler kinde of holinesse And that very worthelie For vnlesse God were in a more speaciall manner in the Church than in other places the Apostle woulde not haue proued God to dwel in his faithfull people after a peculiar 1. Cor. 3 16 6 19. 2. Cor. 6.16 Vide Aug l. ◠ad Simplic q 4. manner by his dwelling in thē as in a temple How often in the Scripture do we reade of the holinesse of the Temple and of Sancta Sanctorum And God promised 3. Reg. 9 3. to heare easely the praiers of his people offered vp to him in his temple not that he doth 1. Tim. 2 8. not heare euery where if he be Io. 4 23. worshipped in spirit and truth that is with the spirituall and inwarde disposition of his holy faith and loue and with an humble harte not neglecting See before page 366. also in time and place the outwarde ceremonies gestures and words or that he may be cōprehended in a Church made with hands Act. 7 48 whereas he filleth both heauen and earth but because it pleaseth him for our profitte to worke his wonders and to be worshipped rather in holy places thā in prophane And what maruaile if these places being once consecrated Euseb l. 9 hist cap. 10. lib. 4. de vita Const Ath. in apol ad Const Bas in Psal 114. Naz. orat in nouam Dominicam Soz. lib. 4. c. 13. Amb. l. 1. ep 5. ser 92. Gaud tract 4. de Dedic Aug. ser de temp 251. seq Gelas ep 1. Foelix 4. in ep Prosp de promiss part 3. c. 38. and dedicated vnto God haue in them a certaine heauenly vertue when the thinges which are prophanely to be vsed be 1. Tim. 4
and if he shal may not I desire the same and if I may desire it may I not offer it and wishe the increase of his ioy which I knowe he must needs haue by such workes done by his exhortation or for his imitation and what other workes can we doe or vse we to doe to the honour of a Sainte then in doing a worke acceptable to God to desire that God be sanctified in that Sainte and to delight in the glory and honour of that Sainte beeing readie as much as in vs lieth if it were possible to augmente Gods glory and his Saints felicitie which in effecte is no more than to say as Christ as taught vs Sanctificetur nomen tuum Hallowed be thy name But these men with whom wee deale and against whom wee dispute as they haue malitiouslye geuen the people to vnderstand that we honoured dumme stockes and stones in steede of Saintes so haue they as blasphemouslye endeuoured to perswade that the Saintes themselues in heauen bee in effecte nothing but dumme and deafe stocks and stones taking way from them all knowledge of our estate and all communication of them with vs and of vs with them as though we were not members of one bodie or as though they were not intelligent soules now not depending of their bodies nor requiring eares or eies or nearenes of place to heare or see our affaires Finally so depriuing them of al honour that if they were here amongst vs euen as gloriouse as they are in heauen yet woulde they neither vouchsafe them cappe nor knee But we will conclude this pointe of Vowes and offerings with one sentence of the Isa 19 21 Prophet cōmending vnto vs both togither who speaking of the lawe or Christ saith They shall worship him in sacrifices and in giftes and shall make Vowes to our Lorde and pay them And wee truely knowe that what is done vnto Gods Saints is performed in thē to God him selfe IIII Howe shall we aunswere those which repute these Ieweish Ceremonies THere is one common refuge which because it is vsed by Heretickes as a lurking corner not onlie in this matter but also in manie others we must needes dispossesse them of For if we dispute of Priests of Sacrifice of Aultars of Holiedaies of Vowes of Holy-water infinite other thinges they presently runne to the Lawe of Moises say that those thinges were lawefull in that estate but that to vse them in the Lawe of grace were to returne to Ieweish ceremonies So that in this manner they smothely shifte themselues of all places of the olde Testament and withall cast a great miste before the eies of the simple as though indeede we tied them to those olde figures and shadowes of thinges to come whereas nowe the worke of our Redemption is fulfilled And yet on the otherside it is a woonder to see how these enemies of Ieweish ceremonies make vs still subiecte to the yoake of the Lawe denying vnto the children of GOD the sufficiency of Gods grace to fulfill the same stil leauing vs our olde stonie Ezech. 36 26. et 11 19. heart which GOD did once mollifie by his spirite sent amongst vs Ro. 8.4 Ro. 6 17. when he condemned sinne that the Iustification of the Law might be fulfilled in vs. Which which indeede is cleane to take away Christian liberty God graunt that in time it growe not to an open profession as wel in deedes as some of their MASTERS haue vttered in words that the Luther verie ofte hath affirmed it See Conc. Trid. sess 6. c. 19. 10. Cōmaundements belong not to a Christian so to a generall liberty of al licentiousnesse Vnderstand therefore good Reader that there were three kinde of Lawes Deut. 4 13.14 et 6.1 vnto which all the oulde Lawe may bee reduced For there were Ceremoniall Iudiciall and Morall Lawes The first consisted in matters appertaining to their religion The second in the particular Lawes of policy ciuill gouernment of that countrey The thirde in the very Lawe of nature common to them to al mankind which was wholly comprised in the 10. Comaundements For the 10. Commaundements Iren. lib. 4 ◠31. 32. Tert. lib. de idolat Aug. lib. 15. cont Faust cap. 4 7. lib. 19. c. 18. lib. 3. cont 2. ep Pelag. cap. 4. contain only the Lawe of nature except that of the Sabboth which although it were partely naturall in that we are bound sometime euen by the Lawe of nature religiously to honor God yet the determination of one daie in a weeke or of one day more than another was ceremonious therefore nowe changed into Sunday Nowe certaine it is that the Lawe of Moises is Heb. 7 12. 2. Cor. 3 7. abolished euacuated and beeing fulfilled by Christ our Priest hath giuen place to a new Lawe and to a newe Priesthoode Wherefore of these three kinde of Lawes the first and second doe not bind at al the third bindeth but not as the Lawe of Moises but as the Lawe of God written long before it was giuen vnto Moises Ro. 2 15. in euery mans harte and as the Lawe of our new Lawemaker renueing those same commaundementes in SION Esa 2 3. and in Hierusalem the other of Gal. 4 30. Sina beeing cast out But although the other two kindes doe not binde vs at all yet are they not fully both a like For the iudiciall Lawes truely may be indifferently by any countrey accepted as Lawes to binde that countrey As it may by Parliament be agreed that Adulterers Io. 8 5. be stoned that Exod. 21 24. Deut. 19 20 an eie for an eie a tooth for a tooth that is that the accuser which is notable to prooue a crime obiected be punished with that punishment which he would haue procured for the other and that he which maimed another Vide Ioseph lib. 12. antiq cap. 13. Instit de injurijs paragr Poena be himselfe maimed in the same member And the reason of this is because GOD beeing the most wise Lawemaker which may be and the most skilfull of all equitie iustice there can be no doubt but that Ciuill Lawe which was by him made and geuen to his people may iustly if so it seme good to the Rulers Magistrates be brought into the custome of any other Coūtrey And so although pilferinge Theeues be now hanged in our coūtrey as in others yet may we bring in for thē a more milde punishmēt that so they bee not putte to death any more as they were not Exod. 22 1. vide Authēt col 9. constit 134. in Moises Lawe and yet not Iudaise So long as we doe not obserue it as a Lawe by Moises established but onely binding vs for the generall consent of those who maye make Lawes in our countrey after which maner in our countrey we doe still retaine the Iudicial Lawe of Tythes Tua nos de decimis as also the prohibition of Mariage in certaine degrees which by the Lawe of nature
his whole body that is his owne and his Saints merits For he hath entered into so straite a society with his members that they accomplishe that which wanteth of his Passions in their flesh But it is no blasphemy to say that Christs merites make an equal recompence for sinnes 11 Of Pardons for the Deade FInally wee hence inferre that Pardons may bee graunted vnto the Deade who in the vnitie of CHRISTES body haue departed this life and that in as infallible a manner if the cause bee sufficient as vnto those which are aliue yet not by waye of absolution but by waye of Suffrage which we will forthwith expounde For it is to be vnderstoode See pag. 219 Three kind of Suffrages for the deade that the soules departed out of this worlde in Purgatorie suffering the chastisement of God may as aboue hath bin shewed out of S. AVGVSTINE be holpen by those which are aliue three waies First by the holy Sacrifice of the MASSE which is vndoubtedly propitiatory for the quicke and the dead Secondly by the praiers of the Church and of other deuoute Christians Thirdly by Almes or any other Penall worke doone for them And concerning the first because it is not our owne worke but the very worke of Christ himselfe we will not heere speake thereof The second is founded as we saide before in the meere liberality of Christ without any certaine promise For although God infalliblely doth heare and graunt the Petition of one which is in grace when he praieth for himselfe D. Thom. 2.2 quaest 83. artic 15. and for necessary things vnto saluation with humility and perseuerance yet when he praieth for another either aliue or dead there is no such certainty and infallibility of obtaining Because we know not whether or howe farre God accepteth our praier nor the disposition of the other The like is to be said of that imperfecte kinde of Merit which is called DE CONGRVO of Congruity or Conueniency For oftentimes one which is in grace meriteth for another man either aliue or dead many good thinges yet because herein is no certaine Lawe or promise of God or reason of Iustice betweeene him and vs as there is in the other merit of condignity which wee spake of before there is no certainty but all lefte to the secret disposition of God But the third thing which is to offer for them which are dead in Christ either Almes or Fasting or any other work of Satisfaction yea Praier in as much as it is Satisfactorious because of the labour thereof hath an infallible effecte euen of iustice for to satisfie for their paines Yet so that the offerer be in grace The reason of this is that which we touched before for that they be of the Communion of Christes mysticall body and in great neede of helpe and therefore doe receiue the influence from the heade as other members doe And as there is an equality of Iustice in the satisfaction of one iust man offered for another beeing aliue so also is there the same kind of iustice in the same satisfactioÌ„ offered for the dead Prayer is two waies profitable vnto the Deade Wherefore it is very profitable for him which praieth for the dead not only to offer his praier to obtaine mercie for him but also to offer vnto God that very labour of praying for him For in this respecte it is satisfactorious hath an infallible effecte for him in the other respecte it is impetratorious and hath no certaine promised measure of benefite but only according to Gods meere liberality the deuotion of the partie which praieth and the estate of the party deceassed considered Yet doe I not doubt but that alwaies something is also obtained when the satisfaction is auaileable For it belongeth to Gods merciful liberality to bestowe where we by his gratious permission promise doe bestow so that it is very conuenient to thinke that if in such praier the satisfaction be sufficiently deriued to the deade by our application God also by hearing the same Praier doth liberally graunt our request in part and adde somewhat to the value of our small recompence which we make for our Brother Yet as the quantity is vncertaine so may it be much more the deuotioÌ„ of the praier being feruent than that which proceedeth from the certaine limited fruit of the satisfaction These helpes therfore which we may afforde vnto the soules departed are called the Suffrages of the Deade Now eueÌ„ as in those which are aliue by the Indulgences of the Church recompence is made for that teÌ„porall punishment which they aâ—e deserued so also may the same Indulgences take away the debtes of those which are departed and that as infallibly as they are profitable to those which are in this worlde For this is the wholle course of an Indulgence in this life PETER oweth vnto Almightie God great Penance and because men which are aliue may applye their satisfactions for PETERS reliefe therefore may the POPE out of the Treasure of the wholle Church yeelde vnto PETER conuenient reliefe of which infallibly PETER shall be partaker if he be in grace and a recompence of iustice is made vnto God for PETERS debte Euen so is it in the deade who for that they may be partakers of common Suffrages of the Church may by Indulgences receiue a perfect supply of that which by the suffrages they may receiue This doe the Diuines call Per moduÌ„ Suffragij and it is so also called in the ordinary Pardons By way of Suffrage that is not as some doe misse vnderstand it as if the meaning of such a Pardon were if they can obtaine it of God they shall deliuer a Soule out of Purgatory for then the Pardon could not be of certaine force for the dead But the sense is they shall deliuer a Soule out of Purgatory euen as if they had donne so much of ordinary Suffrages for them as were sufficient for the wholle effect of the Indulgence This shall be more cleere if we consider the cause of this maner of speach which was this To those which liue in this world Indulgences are not onely recompences made to God for our debte but also a proper absolution The POPE absoluing vs and paying that which wee owe out of the Treasure Nowe the POPE hauing no autoritie or iurisdiction ouer the deade he cannot absolue them yet as he may and all other Christians may by common Suffrages yeelde them conuenient helpe so may he supply such helpe by applying out of the Treasure that which may be auaileable vnto them And therefore although he doth not absolue theÌ„ as not being their iudge yet he applieth to their certaine benefitte and reliefe the common satisfactions of Christ of his Saintes which he hath in his custody Wherefore when he saith I graunt this Indulgence by way of Suffrage it is as much as if he saide I doâ— not absolue theÌ„ Pardons for deâ—d â—equire a iust cause but apply