Chapter 84

What a man is, of his own stock; and of the great benefits that we enjoy by jesus Christ our Lord.

RETURNING then to our purpose, it is plain; how well this law and practice, is fulfilled by Almighty God. He heareth and he seethe; since he did so soon hear the prayer, and see the tears of this¹ King. And did comfort him, & not only him, but the same he doth to others, as David² saith. The eyes of our Lord, are upon just persons, and his ears are bend towards their prayers; to deliver their souls from death, and to sustain them in time of hunger. I well believe that thou likest well this word; and yet I believe also, that the condition under which it is said, doth put thee into some fear. A blessed thing it is, that the eyes, and ears of God, are present to us. But yet thou wilt say, In what case am I, for he speaketh that, of such as are just; and for my part, I am full of sin. Thou sayest true; and see that thou do truly believe it. For if there were any men, who had no sins; who should they, in all reason, be, rather than the holy Apostles, of Jesus Christ our Lord; who as they were nearer to him in conversation of body, so were they also in sanctity of mind; and so, as that none do equal them, excepting only the blessed Mother of God, who equalleth, and exceedeth both them, and the Angels.

And although S. Paul³ do say both in his own person, and in that of the Apostles also, That they received the first fruits of the spirit; which signifieth greater grace, and gifts, than were imparted to other men; yet nevertheless, our Lord commauded them, to say that prayer of the Pater Noster, whereof this is a part, Forgive us our debts, or sins. And since this prayer, is for every day; it is plain, that we are told thereby, that⁴ we have faults, and that every day we commit one, or other. And therefore⁵ S. John said, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and truth is not in us. Now if all men have sin, excepting him alone, who is God, as well as man; and her, who is his true Mother, for whom were those words spoken, That the eyes of our Lord, are upon just persons, and his ears are inclined to their prayers.

I answer, that God is not humorous; nor yet doth he pay men with words alone; sins we see, that, as he said, so he performed with King Ezechias, and in numerable others also, whom he heard, and saw. But⁶ do thou know, that he is a just person, who is not in mortal sin, since such an one is in grace; and is the friend of God; and of this sort there are many, although they have venial sins. But now when there is speech of these last, there is none, who can truly lay that he is wholly free. And to the end that thou mayst be thankful for this grace and justice; to that Lord, through whose merits they are given, to such as are well disposed; thou art to understand, that just persons have in them, two kinds of good; some of nature, & others of grace, though Pelagius be in a chafe at this last; who said, That a man is just through the good works, which he doth by the strength of his own nature, without needing that grace, and strength, which is infused by God. This error is condemned by the Catholic Church; which commandeth us to believe, That of our nature, we are sinners; first, by original sin, and them by others also, which with our will we commit afterward; and that in those other works, (which yet are, after their manner) good, but yet still, within the only latitude of morality (and these are the best, that we can work by force of nature) true justice doth no way consist.

For this it is, that S. Paul⁷ saith, That no man is just; that is to say, of himself; for we are all sinners of ourselves. The being just, is given to us; it groweth not out of our soil, or stock; for to have it⁸ so, is the privilege of Christ our Lord alone; who not by means of any other, but of his only self, is the true just person; and in whose works, and death, is true justice. For if in the works which we can do by our nature did consist true justice; or that by them, we could deserve it, Christ Jesus⁹ had died in vain, as S. Paul saith, since we might have obtained that, without his death, which he purchased, for us thereby. The same Apostle¹⁰ saith, That Christ is made justice to us; and he saith it, because the merit of our justice, doth consist in his works, and death, which¹¹ merit he communicateth to us, by Faith, and by love, which is the life thereo●; and by the Sacraments of the Church, as we declared before. And thus are we incorporated in Christ Jesus; and the grace of the holy Ghost, is given us; by the infusion whereof, into our souls, we are made the adopted Sons of God, & pleasing to him; and so we also receive virtues, and gifts, to the end that we may work agreeably, to the high state of the grace, which was given to us. By all which, we are made, truly just, in the sight of God, by a justice which is ours, and which dwelleth in us; and¹² which is a distinct thing, from that, whereby Christ is just. And from hence it cometh, that although the works which we did before, were mean, and of a●● imperfect kind of goodness; and which had no● in them any true justice, (nor could deserve 〈◊〉 have it, as being of our own stock, and store) yet those things, which now we do, being o●●● in the state of grace, are of so high value; and are works so truly just, as that they deserve an increase of justice, according to that of¹³ S. John, He that is just, let him be yet more just; and they are worthy to obtain the kingdom of God; as it was said by¹⁴ S. Paul, That the Crown of justice, was kept for him.

This unspeakable benefit, do we owe to Jesus Christ; but¹⁵ this is not all. For as it is the ordinance of God, that no man shall obtain grace, and justice, but by the merits of this Lord; so is it also, that none of them that have it, is able to increase or even to conserve it, but by their being upheld by this Lord; as a living member is, by his head; & as the fruitful branch is, by his vine; and as the building is, by his foundation. For, although by gaining grace, and justice for them, he gave them (as hath been said) a good¹⁶ title, by the way of merit, to the kingdom of heaven; as also that they should obtain, by prayer, that which they would ask, as they ought; yet if they had a mind to enjoy the same, and to use it rightly; they must not do it, like people which would disband from their captain; or divide themselves from their head, or as if they could go upon their own feet alone, without the help of any other.

No; a soul must rely upon, and be united to this¹⁷ blessed head; to the end, that¹⁸ Grace may be conserved to it; and that from thence, a certain spiritual strength, may come; which may proceed, and accompany, and follow the good works, that it shall do; and without which those good works cannot be meritorious, as is declared by the Council of Trent. And by this means, the prayers which that just person shall make, will be worthy of the ears of God; and to obtain that which the man desires. Solomon¹⁹ did beg of God, That he who should pray in the Temple which he had made on earth, might be heard by God from heaven, granting that, which should be desired. And the true, and most excellent Temple of God, is Jesus Christ our Lord, in respect that he is man; in whom (as S. Paul saith) The accomplishment of divinity, doth corporally remain, That is, it remaineth in him, not only by way of grace, as it doth in the Angels, and in holy men; but in another fashion of more weight, and value, by the way of the personal union, whereby that sacred humanity, is raised up to have the dignity of being personated, in the word of God, which is one of the three persons of the Blessed Trinity. This is that Temple, whereof David said, God heard my voice, from his holy Temple. And he, that in this Temple, shall utter the speech of prayer, which is inspired by his spirit; and resting upon him, as a living member, which demandeth succour by the merits of his head, which is Jesus Christ; this man, I say, shall be heard by God, in the title of justice; as David was, and all just men were, who were ever heard.

But, the prayer which is made without this Temple²⁰ (by whomesoever it be made) is a oars and profane prayer; and unworthy of the ears of God. And not being inspired by Jesus Christ, it carrieth not that broad seal, whereby 〈◊〉 should be warranted, and held for just, in the obtaining of what it asks. And to the end that Christ, in the quality of our advocate, may give dispatch to our petitions; it is necessary that on ●arth, we be his living members, and inspired to ●ray by him. For although his mercy is so great, ●hat many times he maketh the petitions of his ●ead members to be heard (which are they, that ●old the faith of his Church, but are not in state ●f grace) yet here we speak only of those which being made in Christ) have the dignity, and the ●erit, of obtaining what they ask. And the ho●y Church, our Mother, well knowing the necessity that we have of Christ, in our prayers, is wont ●o say to the Eternal Father, at the end of hers, Grant us this, or that, O God, through Jesus Christ ●ur Lord. This did she learn of her spouse, and master, when he²¹ said, Whatsoever thing you ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Let thankes, O Lord, be given to thy name; ●ince through thee, we are heard. For thou dost not content thyself only with being our Mediator, to merit that grace for us, which we receive by thee; nor with being our head, which instructeth, and moveth us to pray by thy spirit, as we ought; but thou also wilt be our²² Bishop, in heaven; that so, representing to thy Father that sacred humanity which thou hast, and the passion which thou didst receive, thou mightst obtain the effect of that, which we desire on earth, by our invocation of thy Name. So that as the holy Gospel said, When²³ our Lord was baptised, the heavens did open themselves to him; and although many have followed in thither after him, yet they are opened to none, but by his means; so may we also say, that the bowels of his eternal Father which open themselves for the granting our petitions, are opened to Christ. And he is the person heard by his Father; since the favour, & grace, where with we are heard, we have by him. For if it were not for this; as no man would be just in himself, so no man could be heard for himself. And, as through the great love which our Lord did bear us, he took our miseries upon himself as his own; and he paid for them by his life, & death; so with the same love which he carrieth towards us (although now he be in heaven) if any little one of his, be either naked, or clad, or hungry, or well fed, he saith, it is²⁴ himself that is so. So that, As soon as we were, he was in us, as S. Augustine saith; and when we are heard by God, he saith, that he is heard; through the²⁵ unspeakable union which is between him, and his; which is signified, by the name of the Spouse, & the fellow spouse; and of the head in respect of the body, which he loved so much; that howsoever in ordinary course, we see that a man exposeth his arm to receive the blow for the saving of the head, yet this blessed Lord, being the head, would needs meet that blow, which was given by the hand of the justice of God; and so died upon the Cross, to give life to his body, which is ourselves.

And after that he hath quickened us, by the means of penance, & of the Sacraments; he doth regale us, and defend us, and maintain us, as a thing so much his own; that he is²⁶ not content, with calling us his servants, and friends, & brothers, and sons; but to teach us yet better, how much he loveth us, and that so, he may raise us up, to greater honour, he endueth us with his²⁷ own name. For by this unspeakable union of Christ the head, with the body, which is the Church, he, and we, are called, one²⁸ Christ. And this most sweet mystery, full of all consolation, doth S. Paul give us to understand, in those words, when he said, That²⁹ the heavenly Father did make us acceptable in his beloved Son; and that we were created in good works, in Jesus Christ. And to the Corinthians he said, You are, in Jesus Christ. Which manner of speech, by the word In, doth point us out to this union, of Christ, and his Church. So also our Lord saith, by³⁰ S. John, He that is in me, and I in him, beareth much fruit, for without me, you are able to do nothing. Thanks³¹ be given, O Lord, to thy love, and goodness; who by thy death didst give us life. And thankes be given to thee also, because by thy life, thou consernest ours; and thou dost embrace us, so close to thyself, in this exile of ours; that if we will persevere in thy service, thou wilt carry us to gather with thyself; and wilt keep us for ever in heaven where thou art, as thyself hath said, Where I am myself, there shall my servant also be.

Footnotes

1. Ezechias. ↩

2. Psal. 33. ↩

3. Rom. 8. ↩

4. Be not rash in mistaking, but read on, and thou wilt see, that this is meant of venial sins as distraction in prayer, idle words or thoughts, and the like, & not of such others, as deprive the soul of grace. ↩

5. 1. joan. 1.
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6. See here the verity, & purity of Catholic doctrine concerning grace and sin & works. ↩

7. Rom. 3. ↩

8. Christ our Lord is only just originally & of himself; all other creatures (yea even the pure mother of God herself) were to be justified by his redemption. She was secured from falling into the least sin either original or actual, because his passion wrought, in her holy soul by way of Preseruative; we are freed after falling, because it works in us, by way of remedy. ↩

9. The protestāns will here find that they have no reason to slander us in this point, according to their custom. ↩

10. Galat. 3. ↩

11. Suspend your rash judgement a while, if you be a Protestant, and read the 88 chapter, which will deliver you from error in this point. ↩

12. Note this. ↩

13. Apoc● 22. ↩

14. 2. Tim. 4.
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15. See here how honourable to Christ our Lord, the doctrine of the holy Catholic Church, is in the point of works. ↩

16. Because God through Christ our Lord would have it so. ↩

17. Christ jesus our Lord. ↩

18. See the excellent & immaculate doctrine of the holy Catholic Church. ↩

19. 2. Para. 6.
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20. That is, we must be members of Christ our head, by being in the state of grace; which requireth, that we resort to the sacrament of penance, with hearty sorrow for that sin which is past, & a firm purpose to commit no more; for otherwise instead of receiving a Sacrament, we should commit a sacrilege. ↩

21. joan. 16. ↩

22. He obtaineth that we may be heard by ourselves when we ask in his Name. ↩

23. Matt. 3. Marc. 1. Luc. 3. ↩

24. Matt. 25. ↩

25. The unspeakable vn●ō of Christ jesus our Lord with his seruant●; and his infinite love to them. ↩

26. Note. ↩

27. An unspeakable honour it is, if we had the grace to weigh it well, to be called Christians: yea &, as it were, one Christ ↩

28. 1. Cor. 12.
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29. Ephes. 2. ↩

30. join. 11. ↩

31. A holy conclusion of this chapter. ↩