The True Catholic, Tract · Section 3 · Chapter 3
3. Of ſpeciall grace.
MAſter Bellarmine of ſpeciall grace and merciemercy, Lib. 1. de iuſtificat. cap. 4.writes thus: The Catholiques diſſent from the heretiques, firſt in the obiect of a iuſtifying faith, which the heretiques reſtraine to the onelyonly promiſe of ſpeciall merciemercy: but the Catholiques will hauehave it as generall as the word of God is; nay they affirme conſtantly, that the certaine promiſe of ſpeciall merciemercy doth belong not to faith ſo properly, as to preſumption. This is Maiſter Bellarmines reſolution, the Chiefetaine and Goliah of the Romiſh army. But marke (I beſéech you) how Goliah his head is ſtricken off with his owne ſword: In Mat. cap. 3.Ferus a Papiſt and a Frier, of this matter writes thus: This brings (ſaith he) great comfort to an afflicted conſcience, to know, that Chriſts promiſes (ſuch like as theſe are:) Thy ſinnes are forgiuen thee: and againe, it is your fathers pleaſure to giuegive you a kingdome: and againe, your father knoweth that you stand in neede of theſe things: doe not belong onelyonly to the Apoſtles, but do belong alſo to him.
Ferus ſer. 57. in cap. 19. Iob.But moſt plainly in his Sermons vponupon Iob he teacheth this doctrine: Thirdly (ſaith he) he doth not ſay onelyonly a redeemer liues: but that my redeemer liues: and not without an expreſſe ſignification of his mind, (as we ſay, & that not coldly, or for faſhion ſake.) For what good doth it me, that Chriſt is a redeemer, vnleſſe he be alſo my redeemer, vnleſſe he hauehave made me partaker of his redemption? Sathan knew that Chriſt was a redeemer, but he cannot call him his redeemer: therefore all the force of this ſentence conſiſts in this word (mine:) let vsus therfore endeuor to faſhion our faith to this. Neither is it ſufficient if we doe beleeue, vnleſſe we beleeue with a certaine hope and aſſurance. If I beleeue that there is a God, and do not beleeue that he is my God; that faith brings me no comfort: for the Diuels beleeue the ſame, and tremble: Such a faith profiteth nothing. But then I beleeue aright with a ioyfull aſſurance of my hart, if I can not only ſay, I beleeue that there is a God, but I beleeue he is my God: nor only I beleeue, that God is a father; but I beleeue that he is my father. This to conclude, is that, that makes the hart merrie: this is the true confeſſion of the faith: this God requires. Heare, O Iſraell, I am thy Lord God; that is to ſay, I will not that thou account me for a God onelyonly, but that thou hauehave me for thy God; but then thou ſhalt acknowledge that I am thy God, if thou ſhalt boldly call vponupon me in thy neceſſities; ſo Chriſt will not that we ſhall onelyonly ſay: Father which art in heauen; but Our Father: as he himſelfe hath praied in the garden. After this manner alſo Thomas made a confeſſion of his faith: my God and my Lord: acknowledging Chriſt not onelyonly to be a God and a Lord, but alſo his God and his Lord. So doth alſo Iob in this place: I know that he is a redeemer; and I know that he is mine. Let vsus marke how plainlie he teacheth this doctrine, and ſtrongly he confirmes the ſame againſt Maiſter Bellarmines former poſition.
Philippus de Dies a Frier alſo of this matter, Domin. 3. poſt. pent. conc. 2.agréeing with Ferus, writes thus: O immutable God (ſaith he) wherefore when as there are ſo many wicked men in the world; ſome for gaming, ſome for pleaſures, ſome for pride, ſome for couetouſneſſe: thou ſaieſt, there is but one loſt ſheepe? becauſe the moſt ſweete Ieſus wils, that thou ſhouldeſt beleeue, that he ſought thee, ſo that if thou hadſt beene in all the world alone, he would for thy ſake onelyonly hauehave died. Therefore euerie one is to account himſelfe, as that loſt ſheep, and ſhould thinke theſe benefits of his redemption, not as vniuerſal, but as particular, euen done for him: And as for ſuch like benefits, ſhould ſhew himſelfe thankefull. What can be more plaine then this, that euerie man ought to account himſelfe that loſt ſhéepe? And that Chriſt died for him alone? And that not for a generall benefit, as Maiſt. Bellarmine teacheth; but for ſuch a particular benefit beſtowed vponupon him alone, he ſhould be thankfull. Surely their doctrine diminiſheth this thankfulneſſe.
Philippus de Dies of ſpeciall grace writes thus: Conc. 1. in feſt. pet. & Pauli.In eueryevery temptation of our faith, we muſt flie to this point, ſaying: My Lord Ieſus Chriſt is the naturall ſonne of God, and the ſame is alſo God with the father, and the holy Ghoſt: and therefore whatſoeuer he hath taught or ſaid, concerning the Sacraments of grace, of the glory of heauen, & of the paines of hell, is a moſt certaine and infallible truth.
Stella of ſpeciall grace writes thus: In cap. 12. Luc.Marke that he ſaith to them which waite for their Lord. Wherein thou muſt take heede that the God which ſhall come vntounto thee, both that he be thine, and that thou be Gods. So that thou maieſt truely ſay with Dauid: I am thine, O ſaue me, becauſe I hauehave ſought thy righteouſneſſe. It is a bird ſeldome ſeene vponupon earth, that can ſay to God: I am thine: He can ſaie ſo truely, which cleaues to God with his whole heart and affection. Can he ſay ſo which is greedie of money, or which cleaues to a whore? He which thinkes of the world, and ſeekes after worldly things, without doubt is the worlds, as alſo they are the Diuels that ſerue the Diuell. Luſt comes and ſaith, thou art mine, becauſe thou thinkeſt of thoſe things, which concerne the body & concupiſcence. Couetouſneſſe comes and ſaith, thou art mine, becauſe thou takeſt care for money. And ſo other vices. Howe canſt thou, which art ſuch a one, ſay to God, I am thine? And he addeth by and by: Becauſe I hauehave ſought thy righteouſneſſe; that is, I hauehave ſought nothing els: I hauehave ſought but yt which belongs to thee. Some ſeeke iewels, golde, ſiluer, and precious ſtones, dignities, pleaſures of the fleſh, reuenge of their enemies: but I hauehave ſought for thy righteouſneſſe; I cannot poſſeſſe but that which belongs to thee: I am thine, becauſe my portion is not in theſe earthly things, but only in thee, &c. As we are Gods, ſo alſo we muſt euerie one of vsus accompt God to be ours, by Stella his iudgement.
De Iacob. & vita beata ca. 6Ambroſe ſpeaking of that place of S. Paul, Rom. 8. writes thus: He hath wonderfully added that, (that he gaue him to die for vsus all:) that he might declare that he loued vsus all ſo, that he gaue his dearely beloued ſonne, euen for euerie one of vsus.
And in another place, ſpeaking of Chriſt he writes thus: He died but once:Ambr. de fuga ſeculi cap. 9. but he died for eueryevery one that is baptized into the death of Chriſt, that we may be buried with him, and may riſe againe with him, & may walke in the newneſſe of his life. And after, the chiefe Prieſt is dead for thee, is crucified for thee, that thou mighteſt ſticke faſt to his nayles: for he tooke thee and thy ſins vponupon him on that Croſſe, the obligations of thy ſins were faſtned to that gibbet, that now thou ſhouldeſt owe nothing to the world, which thou haſt renounced.
Ferus alſo of the ſame matter writes thus: Fourthly as it was ſaid to Chriſt,Fer. part. 3. paſſ Let God deliuer him, if he will hauehave him; ſo this is the fourth temptation of the godly when they are tempted, whether God louelove them or not. Where this word (him) hath a great force: let him deliuer him, if he will hauehave him. For who doubts, but that God knowes how to ſaue, and is alſo able and willing to ſaue? For God is the God of ſaluation (as ſaith the Pſalme:) but whether hee will ſaue him or no, this the Diuell cals in queſtion; eſpecially if a man hauehave liued among the wicked, as Chriſt was here among the theeues. Therefore it is a great temptation, when the Diuell makes a man doubt, which truſts in the Goſpell: that although he beleeue that Chriſt is our righteouſneſſe; yet that he ſhould doubt whether he be his righteouſneſſe, or no, &c.
Euerie true Chriſtian muſt beléeue in particular, that Chriſt is his righteouſneſſe, if he minde to ouercome the Diuell, and be ſaued. To beléeue in Generall, that he is the righteouſneſſe of all men, is the marke the Diuell ſhootes at; and this doctrine the Papiſts ſome of them doe now teach. But he muſt go further that will be ſaued, and apply this ſoueraigne plaiſter of Chriſts death to himſelfe, and to his owne ſoule, and beléeue that he is his righteouſneſſe alſo.
Granatenſis alſo of the ſame matter writes thus: But thou (O Lord) as thou art omnipotent in vertues;Granat. de perfectione amor. dei lib. 2. ca. 34 ſo thou art ſufficient for all men in louelove; thou art infinit in them both: and therefore, that cannot be wanting to any which hath neither lymits, nor any ende, although it be deuided amongſt many. Euen as no man enioyeth leſſe the light of the ſunne, becauſe it ſhineth to all men, but he receiueth ſo much thereof, euen as though he were alone in the world; ſo that heauenly bridegroome loues no leſſe all the Godly ſoules, both in particular and in generall, then if it were one ſoule alone. For he is not a louer like to Iacob, whoſe louelove towards Leah was colder, for the feruent louelove wherewith he loued Rachel: but as an infinite God, whoſe vertue is no leſſe in euerie particular perſon, though it be deuided alſo amongſt many.
And after, The Philoſophers ſay,Cap. 37. that goodneſſe is to be beloued of it ſelfe: but alſo that eueryevery one loues his owne goods the beſt: for when as man loues himſelfe by nature, it followes by a neceſſarie conſequent that he muſt louelove all his owne things, as proper and pertaining to himſelfe alone. Wherefore euerie one loues his owne houſe, his owne vineyard, his owne money, his owne ſeruants, his owne horſes, and whatſoeuer he poſſeſſeth: for all theſe ſerue to his vſe: and therefore man as he loueth himſelfe, ſo he loues all things which belong to himſelfe. Therfore if then thou my Lord God, be not the onelyonly beſt good thing in the world, but alſo my beſt good thing that I hauehave in the world, I minde here to conſider in what degree thou art mine, and by how many titles thou art mine, that hereby I may more manifeſtly know how greatly I ought to louelove thee. Therefore I ſee (O my God) that thou art my Creator, that thou art my ſanctifier, and that thou art my gloryfier: Thou art my helper, my gouernour, defender, tutour and keeper: thou ſuſtaineſt me, thou encourageſt me, thou preſerueſt me: thou, to conclude, art my God, thou art my Lorde, thou art my ſaluation, thou art my hope, thou art my glorie, thou art all the good things I hauehave. Thou art all theſe thinges vntounto me, O Lorde, as thou art God: but in that thou art man, there are many other titles, other duties, and other bonds, wherewith I am bound to thee. Thou art my repairer; for thou haſt made perfect againe mans nature, which by ſinne was corrupted and weakned: thou art my deliuerer; for by thy captiuitie, thou haſt deliuered me from the tyranny of ſinne, death, hell, and the diuell, my deadly enimy: thou art my redeemer; for with a price and incomparable treaſure laid out for my ſake, thou haſt redeemed me from that ſeruitude, into the which thorow ſinne I was fallen: thou art my King, for thou gouerneſt me with thy Spirite: thou alſo haſt fought for me, and haſt deliuered me from the hands of mine enimies. (And ſo going forward, he reckons vp a great many benefits of Ieſus Chriſt to his Church, and after concludes thus.) All theſe things thou art, O Lord my God, and more then theſe, both to all, and to eueryevery one, and to me alone. And therefore with what face ſhal I not louelove thee, Lord, to whom I am bound by ſo many titles and meanes?
Par. prec. orat. 7. de impet. amore dei.Michaelab Iſtelt cites thus Granatenſis, praying: But when as indeed eueryevery good thing is to be beleeued by it ſelfe; yet notwithſtāding eueryevery one doth louelove his own good the beſt: I wil therfore louelove thee, O Lord my God, not only becauſe that thou art the beſt good thing, but becauſe that thou art my good too. For when I conſider and way with my ſelfe, by how many titles and means thou art become mine, my very entrails melt within me: and I crie out with the Bride, My louelove is mine, and I am his. For thou, O Lord, art my creator, thou art my ſanctifier and glorifier, thou haſt giuen me the eſſence of nature, thou haſt giuen me the eſſence of grace, and thou wilt giuegive me the eſſence of glory. Thou art my helper, my gouernour, my defender, my tutor, my preſeruer, and laſtly, thou art my Lord, and my God; thou art my ſaluation, my hope, my glory; thou art all the goods I hauehave. And truly thou art all theſe vntounto me, in as much as thou art God, in as much as thou art the Creator and preſeruer of all things: but in that thou art man, there are many other titles, other duties, and other bonds, wherewith I am bound to thee, and thou to me: for the which alſo, I ought of good right to louelove thee (if it were poſſible) with an infinit louelove, &c.
Granatenſis here affirmes, that God is not onelyonly the beſt good thing in the world; but that hee is his good to him. And what is this elſe, but to teach men to beleeue ſpeciall grace?
Mem. lib. 2. cap. 4.Granatenſis alſo himſelfe, of ſpeciall grace writes thus: Amongſt all thoſe loſſes, which the ſinner incurres thorow his ſinne, there is none greater or more to be lamented, then that hee loſeth God himſelfe: for this is the root and fountaine of all other loſſes: For to hauehave loſt God, is not to hauehave God a ſpeciall father, tutor, paſtour, and defender, and now to hauehave changed him from being a moſt louing Father, into a moſt ſeuere Iudge. Here is the verie word vſed, that God is as it were a ſpeciall father, protector, and defender to euerie one of his.
Granatenſis in another place of ſpeciall grace writes thus: Mem. lib. 5. orat. remiſſ. peccat.O Lord, remember thy wordes, which are moſt comfortable, which ſometimes thou ſpakeſt by the mouth of thy Prophet:Ier. 31. But thou hauing plaide the harlot with manie louers, yet turne againe to mee (ſayth the Lord.) Wherefore, O mercifull father, I truſting to this thy promiſe, turne to thee with my whole hart, no otherwiſe then if thou hadſt called me alone, and hadſt inuited me vntounto thee with this ſweete word. As Granatenſis doeth applie this promiſe of God particularlie to himſelfe: ſo hee teacheth all Chriſtians, how they muſt alſo applie all the reſt of Gods promiſes, particularlie to themſelues.
Granatenſis againe of ſpeciall grace writes thus: De orat. & Med. cap. 1.Wee hauehave not (ſayeth hee) a fitter Shield againſt the darts of ſinne, then euer to hauehave in our memories, what faith hath reuealed againſt ſinne. And that faith may worke this thing in vsus, it is neceſſary, that vvee frame our ſelues ſometimes to thinke, and conſider attentiuely, what faith ſaith. For if we ſhall not doe this, wee ſhall account the letters of faith, as ſhutte and ſealed vp from vsus, which although they containe, either very good or very euill newes; yet they ſhall neither make vsus merie, nor ſorie no other waies, then as if wee had neuer receiued them. For wee hauehave not opened them, and ſeene what is in them. And what can be more fitlie ſaid of the faith of wicked men? For there can be nothing more terrible, nor more ioifull, then thoſe things which are handled in Chriſtian Religion. But the euill, as though they had neuer opened this Epiſtle, that they might hauehave ſeene what had been contained in it, they neuer thinke of this myſtery of their faith, but runne forcibly into all manner of ſinnes: ſo they neuer feele thoſe good motions and alterations, which faith works in others. Therfore it behooueth eueryevery one of vsus, that ſometimes we diligently ſcanne ouer theſe letters, and that we read them diligently, and that we marke attentiuely; what they teach, which all are doone by the meanes of conſideration, or meditation: for this is that, which lightens obſcure things, and ſo by lightning our vnderſtanding by the greatnes of the myſteries, inclines our will alſo (as much as it is able) that we may liue according to the rule of them. God would alſo prefigurate this our duty in the old law, when as among the conditions of cleane beaſts, he puts downe this alſo; To chew the cudde: not that God hath ſuch great care of beaſts; but in this, he would giuegive vsus to vnderſtand, the condition and duty of cleane ſpirituall beaſts; that is of iuſt men: to whome it is not enough to hauehave eaten the heauenly things, by beleeuing them by faith, but they muſt chew them ouer againe by conſideration, thinking on the myſteries which they beleeue, & thorowly diſcuſſing the greatnes of them, and diſperſing this meat by & by through al the ſpiritual members of the ſoule, that it may be the food & ſuſtentation therof. By Granatenſis his iudgment, eueryevery Chriſtian muſt open the letters of faith, that is, the holie Scriptures, which God hath as it were ſent priuatelie vntounto him, and hee muſt looke into them, and examine and marke them well, and applie them to his owne ſoule. The wicked kéepe theſe Letters, as it were ſealed, and neuer mind them, and ſo runne forciblie into their ſinnes. Alſo the cleane Beaſts, wherein God delightes onelyonly, muſt chewe the cudde euerie one of them; and diſtribute this ſpirituall foode to the particular ſpirituall members of their ſoules. They which doe not ſo, are vncleane in Gods ſight, howe deuout and religious ſoeuer they ſéem in the eies of men. And is not this to hauehave a ſpeciall faith?
Againe hee writes thus: The Scripture (ſayeth hee) is the fountaine, from whence the iuſt man drawes the waters of comfort, by which he is ſtrengthened to truſt in God. For there you ſee the greatnes of Chriſts merites, which is the head and foundation of our hope; you ſee there the greatneſſe of the goodneſſe and ſweetnes of God, expreſſed in a thouſand places; his prouidence whereby he preſerues and keepes his; his mercy whereby he receiues thoſe that draw nie vntounto him; the promiſes and certaine pledges which he hath giuen them, that he will neuer forſake them that put their truſt in him. You ſee nothing oftener repeated in the Pſalmes, promiſed in the Prophets, declared in the Hiſtories, from the beginning of the world, then the fauour, louing kindnes, & benefits, which God hath euer vſed towards his: how he hath euer helped them in all their tribulations and afflictions: how he neuer forſooke Abraham in all his iourneys, Iacob in all his dangers, Ioſeph in his baniſhment, Dauid in his perſecutions, Iob in his griefes and ſickneſſes, Tobie in his blindneſſe, Iudith in the atchieuing of her valiant act, Hester in her Prayers; the Machabees in their warres, and triumphes; to conclude, how he hath defended and patronized all which with humility and with a religious and ſincere heart, hauehave craued his diuine help? Theſe, and ſuch other like, do encourage vsus, leaſt we ſhould be weary in truſting in him.
This is Granatenſis counſell, that euerie particular man ſhould applie all theſe examples to himſelfe, and thereby hauehave an aſſured hope in God, that God will neuer leaue him nor forſake him, as he did not anie of theſe. And is not this to hauehave a ſpeciall faith and truſt in God?
But moſt manifeſtlie of the Paſſion of Chriſt, hee writes thus: Do not (ſayeth hee) thinke theſe things, as a thing that is paſt, but rather as a thing preſent, and not as another mans griefes or ſorrowes, but euen as it were thine own. Imagine that thou thy ſelfe ſtoodſt in that place wherin he is which ſuffereth, & examine thy ſelf what thou wouldeſt do, if any man ſhould bore thorow any mēber thou haſt ſo tender & ſenſible as the head is, with ſo many thornes, and ſhould thruſt them euen to the very boanes, ſo that they ſhould pierce thorow thy temples, thy hinder part of thy head, and thy forehead: what talke I of thornes? thou couldeſt not endure the pricke of an Needle: What torments then ſuffered the moſt tender heade of thy Sauiour, boared thorow with ſo many and cruell thornes?
O thou brrightneſſe of thy Father! who abuſed thee ſo greatly? O thou moſt cleare glaſſe of the diuine maieſtie! who be ſpotted thee ſo filthily? O thou floud, which runnes out of the earthly Paradice, and with thy ſtreame makes glad the Citie of God! who troubled theſe thy ſo ſweet and pleaſant waters? My ſinnes, O Lord, hauehave troubled them: mine iniquities hauehave defiled them. O wretch that I am! O miſerable man! how hauehave mine owne ſinnes defiled mine own ſoule? If other mens ſinnes hauehave filthily polluted the moſt cleare Spring of all beauty; Oh good Ieſu, they are my ſinnes, which pricke thee, my foolery and vanities are the purple wherewith thou art mocked, mine hypocriſie and fained holines are thoſe ceremonies and cappings and kneelinges, wherewith they doe mocke and deſpiſe thee, my pompe and vaine glorie, are that crowne which is put on thy head ſcoffingly, and yet with intollerable griefe: In all my workes, O Lord, I am thy hangman: in all places I am the cauſe of thy griefes. Ezechias purged the temple of God, prophaned of the wicked; and he caſt out all the vncleanneſſe thereof into the brooke Cedron, ſaith the Scripture: I am (O Lorde) thy liuely temple prophaned of the diuell, and defiled with moſt vile ſinnes: but thou art that moſt cleare fountaine of Cedron, who by thy ſtreame maintaines all the beauty of heauen. Into this fountaine were all my ſinnes caſt, and all my iniquities were drowned in it. For thou by the merit of thy vnſpeakeable humilitie and charitie, by which thou waſt moued, that thou ſhouldeſt take all my ſinnes vponupon thee, diddeſt not onelyonly deliuer me from them: but alſo madeſt me partaker of thy goods. Thou vndertookeſt my death, and thou gaueſt me thy life: thou tookeſt vponupon thee my fleſh, and thou gaueſt me thy ſpirit: thou tookeſt vponupon thee my ſinnes, and gaueſt me thy grace: Therefore, O my redeemer, all thy treaſures, and riches are mine. Thy purple clotheth me; thy crowne honoureth me; thy wounds make me beautifull; thy ſorrowes are my pleaſures; thy bitterneſſes refreſh me; thy ſtripes heale me; thy bloud enricheth me; and thy louelove as it were makes me drunken. But what maruell is it if thy louelove were able to make me drunken, when as the ſelfe ſame louelove, wherwith thou haſt loued me, was able to make thy ſelfe drunken, who made thee as another Noah, naked and to be laughed at in the peoples eies. The purple garment of thy feruent louelove cauſed thee to beare that ſcornefull purple, and the zeale of my ſaluation moued thee to hold in thy hand that reede of deſpite and the pitie wherewith thou pitiedſt me, being now about to periſh, crowned thee with that crowne of ſhame. Thus farre Granatenſis. This euerie true Chriſtian muſt beléeue and apply to himſelfe: and is not this to hauehave a ſpeciall faith?
And againe, the ſame Granatenſis writes thus: That our will may be inclined to louelove God, it behooueth that our vnderſtanding go before it; weighing diligently how worthy to be beleeued God is in himſelfe; and then next how good he is towardes vsus. I thinke there is no man but knowes how great the goodneſſe of God is, his ſweetnes, his kindnes, his liberalitie, his nobilitie, and of all other, his perfections which are innumerable. Againe, how pitifull he is towards vsus, how tenderly he loues vsus, what hath he not done? What hath he not ſuffered euen from his birth to his Croſſe for our ſakes? what great good things hath he prepared for vsus, euen from the beginning? how many beſtowes he vponupon vsus euen now preſently? how many will he giuegive vsus hereafter? from how great euils hath he deliuered vsus? how patiently hath he waited for vsus to come to repentance? how louingly hath he dealt with vsus, in beſtowing all his benefits vponupon vsus, which are innumerable?
By conſidering and meditating diligently, and exerciſing himſelfe in the deepe contemplation of theſe benefits, man ſhall by little and little feele his heart kindled with the louelove of this bountifull God. For if bruit beaſts louelove their benefactors, and if (as the Spanyard ſaith) a gift breakes a rocke, and as a certaine Philoſopher ſaid; he that found out benefits found out fetters, wherewith mens hearts are fettered togither: who now will be ſo cruell and hard harted, who conſidering the hugeneſſe and vnmeaſurable greatneſſe of theſe benefits, wil not be kindled with the louelove of ſuch a benefactor?
And after, As by vſe & often writing one becomes a good ſcriuener, and by painting a good painter, and by working a good ſmith: ſo by louing one becomes a louer, that is, that euen as vſe of writing makes a good writer; ſo the vſe, exerciſe and continuance of louing God (which is almoſt brought to paſſe by meditation) cauſeth that one ſhall be a perfect louer of God.
And after, Fire out of his Region is by and by extinguiſhed, vnleſſe there be ſome that continually throwing on wood doe nouriſh it, by which it is maintained: ſo it is neceſſarie that the fire of charitie may be maintained in this life, whereas ſhe is out of her naturall place and a ſtranger, that ſhe be alſo nouriſhed with wood; and the wood wherwith ſhe is nouriſhed, are the conſiderations of Gods benefits, and of his perfections: for euerie one of theſe things being well conſidered, is as it were a piece of wood, or a firebrand, that kindles this louelove of God in our hearts. Therefore it is requiſite that we feede this fire often with this wood, leaſt this heauenly fire goe out in our hearts. The which thing the Lord alſo meant in the olde lawe, when he ſaid: Fire ſhall euer burne on my altars: that is, in the hearts of iuſt men. Therfore let the Godly man take care euerie morning to maintain this fire with the conſideration of theſe things; that ſo euer it may be preſerued: and ſo it is ſaid in the Pſalmes: And while I muſed, the fire kindled. Thus farre Granatenſis. Euerie man muſt muſe vponupon Gods benefites and applie them to himſelfe, and ſo kindle in his heart the fire of Gods louelove: and without this wood it is impoſſible but this fire will go out. And after he writes thus: It is moſt certaine that no mans toong is able to ſpeake or vtter the great louelove, wherewith Chriſt loued not onelyonly his vniuerſall Church,Die lunae Med. de ven. Sacram. but alſo eueryevery particular ſoule of his elect. For euerie particular ſoule is choſen of God, euerie particular ſoule is the ſpouſe of Chriſt: This euerie Chriſtian muſt beléeue. That ſaying of Ferus is worthy to be written in letters of gold: I would to God (ſaith he) this word ſhould remaine euer laide vp and faſt fixed in our hearts,Fer. in cap. 2. Act. that in euerie tribulation or temptation, but eſpecially at the point of death, we might boldly ſay: I know aſſuredly that God hath made Ieſus to be crucified for me, my Lord, my king and my Byſhop. What is it, that this faith were not able to doe?
Againe the ſame Ferus touching the ſame matter, writes thus: This is chiefely to be marked,Fer. in cap. 17. Gen. that he which before ſaid generally that he was God, now he promiſeth that he will be our God. For no profit els would come vntounto vsus, if ſo great and mightie a God were not our God. But he is ours by couenant and free merciemercy, not by merites or deſerts.
Of ſpeciall grace alſo Petrus Berchorius writes thus in his Dictionarie: In verbo pertinere.Of God eueryevery Chriſtian may ſay to eueryevery infidel, that ſaying which we reade 2. Kings 19.42. Dauid belongs more to me, then to thee, &c. Thus farre Berchorius. But as the text it ſelfe ſéemes to inferre: Euerie Chriſtian maie ſaie to another Chriſtian: (for theſe were the ſpeeches of the men of Iudah to the men of Iſrael) that the true Dauid which is Ieſus Chriſt, belongs to him by tenne parts more then to him. For thus it is read in the Hebrew text: And the man of Iſrael anſwered the man of Iudah and ſaid, I hauehave ten hands or ten handfuls (as we ſay) in the King and in Dauid before thee: that is, more then thou. So that this holie contention betwéene Iudah and Iſrael, who ſhould be moſt bound to Dauid and louelove him beſt, maie fitlie be applied to vsus Chriſtians, Roman. 1.3. Roman. 2.2.for whom our true Dauid, that is, Ieſus Chriſt, the ſonne of Dauid, hath done ſo much; and who are indéede the true Iſrael and the true Iudah, as S. Paul teacheth; rather then to chriſtians and infidels, as Berchorius teacheth.
Stella alſo writes thus concerning this matter: But neither would I hauehave thee,In 1. cap. Lucae hauing conſidered all theſe thinges, to forget through louelove to make God thine alſo, that thou maieſt be able to ſay with Abacucke. I will reioice in God, my Ieſus and my Sauiour. And alſo remember this, leaſt the moſt precious bloud of Chriſt periſh in thee, but that as he moſt willingly died for all, and is the Sauiour of all; ſo that he be a Sauiour and Lord to thee alſo; and that his Croſſe, nailes and paſſion may profit thee: God ſhall profit thee nothing but to thy greater damnation, if thou ſhalt not embrace him as thy Sauiour. Thus much Stella. And what can be ſaid plainer then this? That vnleſſe euerie one embrace Ieſus Chriſt as his Sauiour, Chriſt profits him nothing. The danger is very great by his iudgement to erre in this point: and therefore let all true Catholiques hauehave care of it.
But let euerie true Catholique marke, how in this point, the verie plaine text of the Goſpell ouerthrowes the Papiſts opinion. They teach that it is ſufficient to ſaluation, to hauehave a generall faith of Chriſt, and to beléeue as the Church beléeues: and not that euerie man ſhould hauehave a particular faith in himſelfe, that euen Ieſus Chriſt hath cured his ſinnes priuately, and that he is his Sauiour. But let vsus a little marke what the Goſpell teacheth herein: Chriſt went to heale Iairus daughter, and a great multitude that followed him, thronged him, and touched him. Luk. 8.45.46.But there was a poore woman which had beene ſicke of a bloudy iſſue twelue yeeres, and ſhe thought in her heart, that if ſhe might but touch the verie hemme of his garment, ſhe ſhould be healed. And ſhe with this faith touching him, was immediatly made hole. There were manie other that touched him generallie, as the Papiſts teach to touch Chriſt, with a generall faith: but though, no doubt, many of them that ſo touched him were ſicke of ſome diſeaſe, or grieuous ſinners; yet not one of them were healed, but this poore woman, yt thus by a ſpeciall truſt ſhe had in him touched him. And of her Chriſt ſaid; That vertue went out of him, and to none other: euen ſo now, no doubt, as manie as will hauehave vertue to come out of Chriſt to heale them, muſt touch him, not generallie with that multitude, as the Papiſts teach; but particularlie and ſpeciallie euerie man by his owne faith, and for his owne infirmitie, as that woman did; and then no doubt, ſhall vertue euen now alſo procéede from Chriſt to him. He that hath not this faith ſhall hauehave no vertue.
And this alſo Saint Ambroſe teacheth vponupon theſe wordes: De Iſaac. cap. …They alſo drew neare vntounto him, and held his feete and worſhipped him: Ieſus therefore is held; but he delighteth to be held, when as he is held by faith. To conclude, he tooke great pleſure in that woman, which touched him, and was cured of hir bloudy iſſue: Of whom he ſaid, Some bodie hath touched mee: for I feele vertue to hauehave proceeded from mee. Touch thou him therefore, and hold him by thy faith: and faithfully ſticke to his feete, that vertue may proceede from him, and heale thy ſoule.