A Catholic Catechism, Chapter 1
CAP. I. Of the Perfect and Firſt State of Humane Nature, with relation to Catholick, or Publick Religion.
Queſt. WHAT is the moſt diſtinguiſhing Excellency and Perfection of Humane Nature?
Anſw. Catholick, or truly Publick Religion; for it is the All, the Whole, or Univerſal Man: Whoever therefore hath vanquiſhed the ſenſe of that, hath put off Man, and degraded himſelf into worſe than a Brute.
Queſt. What do you mean by Religion?
Anſw. By Religion I mean a cloſe Binding, or Uniting our ſelves to, and with God, the Supreme Being, in the Worſhip of him according to his Excellent Nature and Attributes, in keeping his Commandments, and ſeeking his Grace and Favour, according to all his Divine Manifeſtations of himſelf; and in ſo doing we are joined, and join our ſelves, as far as we can, with one another, in the ſame Religious Services performed by all.
Queſt. Why do you call it Catholick, or truly Publick Religion?
Anſw. Becauſe God, to whom we properly and firſt Unite in Religion, is the moſt Publick and Univerſal Being, in whom all holy Spirits unite one with another; and from whom whoever ſeparates, ſeparates alſo from all good Spirits, and ſo falls into the only dangerous Schiſm.
2. Becauſe the One God, and Jeſus Chriſt his Son, our Lord, the One Mediator, would have all come to the Knowledge of this, as the Catholick Truth, that they might be ſaved; and hath therefore reconciled, and recapitulated all in Heaven and Earth, into one Catholick Body, in himſelf the Catholick Head.
3. Becauſe Gods Manifeſtations of himſelf are the only true Publick Authentick Records of this Religion, and all other not derived from hence are private and falſe, and the Meetings ſet up to celebrate any other Religion, than thus manifeſted, are indeed the cloſe Schiſmatical Conventicles: For none can be Publick Aſſemblies, where God, the ſupremely Publick, and all holy Spirits, withdrawn with him, are not: And all are Publick, though but of two or three, where God the Publick it ſelf, and in whom the whole Aſſembly of Saints meets, is in the midſt of them.
Queſt. Whence do you take occaſion to call that Publick, or Catholick, that is Divine?
Anſw. From the Apoſtle Peter, who when he is aſſerting concerning the certainty of the Scripture Prophecy, affirms it a Principle abſolutely neceſſary to be known, that it is not of any Private Interpretation; and that he may demonſtrate it cannot be Private, he avows the Original to be Divine. Now the plain Oppoſite to Private is Publick; in that therefore the Apoſtle does not oppoſe Publick, but Divine, to Private; it is plain in his ſenſe, Divine is the only Publick; and whatever is truly Publick is Divine, and all elſe Private.
Queſt. How therefore are we to underſtand Private, to oppoſe it to Publick or Divine?
Anſw. Idiotick or Private is applyed to perſons whoſe Knowledge is very narrow and ſtrait, and they have cogniſance of nothing beyond their little own. 2. To thoſe that have no Publick Character of Office or Magiſtracy. And laſtly, to ſuch whoſe care, intereſt, and concern is confined to themſelves and their own: Even thus Private is juſtly affixed to all; except only to God, and Religion as derived from him. No created Knowledge, either Angelick or Humane, is comprehenſive enough to be the Fountain; no Power or Authority is ſupreme or vaſt enough to Enact; nor is any care or concern for the world of Souls, large or receptive enough to Ordain a Catholick Religion leading to a Common Salvation, but his who is the Father of the whole Family of Spirits in Heaven and Earth.
Queſt. What Evidence of this is there?
Anſw. It is ſo much the Reſult of Reaſon, that whoever conſiders it, cannot deny it; and upon this account, all who have pretended to found a Religion, have pretended ſome way or other to derive and receive it from God. For who can know all that is neceſſary to be known, but the Divine Mind and Spirit, that knows and ſearches it ſelf, the Spring of all things, and ſo firſt to be known? Or what Authority can preſcribe without, much leſs againſt Omnipotency? Or who can ſpread tender Mercies over all the Creation, but the Faithful Creator himſelf? All which are abſolutely neceſſary to the Concernments of the truly Catholick, Publick Religion.
Queſt. What are the Records God hath vouchſafed to men, of this Catholick, Publick Religion?
Anſw. They are two: The Law ingraven upon Man's heart, juſtified and ſealed by the conſtant Miracle of Creation and Providence, that carry ſemblable Lines of all that is written upon Mens hearts: For that which may be known of God is manifeſt in men, for God hath ſhewed it to them: For the inviſible things of him, from the Creation of the World are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and Godhead.
The Work that God commands Men to do is written in their heart, their Conſciences bearing witneſs, and their Thoughts in the mean time accuſing or excuſing one another.
The Eternal Word, or Reaſon, that made all things, is the Light that lighteth the Reaſon of every man that cometh into the world.
Queſt. Which is the ſecond Record?
Anſw. The ſecond Record is Divine Revelation collected into Holy Scriptures; All Scripture is given by inſpiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, Reproof, Inſtruction, Correction in Righteouſneſs; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furniſhed to every good work. No Propheſie of Scripture is of any Private Interpretation; for Propheſie came not in old time by the Will of Man, but holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt.
And even as the Law of Nature is ſeal'd by Creation and Providence, ſo hath Revelation always been by Evidences of Divinity, and Miracles; a new Creation, proportioned to the Ends of thoſe Revelations: Miracles of meer Power or Juſtice, as upon Pharaoh; of greateſt Mercy and Benefaction only, as by the moſt merciful Saviour; of Mercy, and ſometimes of Juſtice, as by Moſes, the Prophets, and the Apoſtles, who were to eſtabliſh the Laws of the Old and New Teſtament.
Queſt. I perceive then all the things of Religion were not clear to Man by the Law written in his heart.
Anſw. No: For ſome Parts of Religion are ſo neceſſary to our very Natures, as Men, that they were concreated with us, and engraven upon our very Souls, and the immediate motions of our Faculties muſt needs lead us to them, while right and ſtreight, and continuing in that perfect ſtate wherein our Creator left them.
For he looked upon all things that he had made, and behold all was good, and very good: And he appointed a Sabbatiſm for all his Creatures, and eſpecially his Rational Creatures, the Morning Stars, to ſing together, and praiſe him for them.
But there are other Divine Truths, which are as the breaking up of the Great Deep of the Infinite Wiſdom, Grace, and Goodneſs of God, that can be known to the higheſt Underſtandings of Angels, or Arch-Angels, only by Revelation: Much leſs to Man, a Reaſon of a lower Orb, and leaſt of all, as fallen and corrupted.
Yet ſuppoſing the Souls of Men had abode in their firſt Clearneſs and Luſter, all his Faculties would have immediately received and adored God in all ſuch Manifeſtations of himſelf, and Congratulated thoſe mighty Acceſſions of Light and Truth.
Queſt. But what need was there of any Revelation, when Man was made perfect and good, while he continued ſo?
Anſw. Revelation was even then neceſſary, to ſhew, that it is not conſiſtent with the Nature of a Creature to have Happineſs and Perfection within it ſelf; but to be in continual dependence upon, and expectation from the Creator: For even that Perfection wherein Adam was made, was thus to maintain, continue, and aſſure it ſelf; and ſo to riſe to higher Perfection: He had therefore at firſt a Doctrine by Revelation, ſutable to the two Sacramental Trees, ſo that though he was Perfect, as ſuch a Creature without Sin, yet he was made with a poſſibility of higher Advancement, and Perfection; as he was of falling from his preſent Perfection, by not adhering to his Creator, according to what was revealed to him.
Queſt. What Relation do theſe two Records bear to one another, being both of God?
Anſw. It is therefore impoſſible, they ſhould either of them one contradict another, but that they unite with, confirm, and juſtifie one another, and one paſs out of, and repaſs into another; but the latter being more full, clear, and perfect, makes not only the Additions of what was not contained in the former, but does much inlighten and clear it; and ſince the Fall, it is no where elſe perfectly to be found, but in Revelation: Yet ſo, that whatever of it remains, or is reinkindled by Revelation, does both prepare a Man to receive, and does alſo aſſure him the truth of Divine Revelation.
Queſt. You have ſhewed with what Wiſdom, Goodneſs, and excellent Contrivance, all things were laid by the Creator, let me now hear from you the uſe I am to make of it?
Anſw. This teaches us to adore, applaud the Fidelity and Goodneſs of our Holy Maker, and to confeſs whatever diſorder hath invaded this State of things is owing altogether to the perverſeneſs and weakneſs of Man, whoſe Deſtruction is of himſelf alone, and his help only in God, returning him to himſelf according to this firſt Deſignation.
Queſt. What then is the Supreme End of this Publick and Catholick Religion?
Anſw. God, the Univerſal Being, receiving into his own moſt Publick Glory, Life and Happineſs, the Univerſe of his Holy Creation, is Praiſed, Glorified, Enjoy'd, and admired in them, and by them, to Eternity.