Matt.19. 6. fecundity of the womb. And againe : amongst infidells marriage hath for its end propagation, and fidelity: but amongst Chriftians it hath moreover the fanctity of the Sacrament. Not only thefe, but other holy Fathers, the Councills, and the Tradition of the Vniverfal Church, ever taught the fame; hence it was that in the Inftruction of the Armenians given in the Council of Florence, it is numbred with the other Sacraments, both Grecians and Latins confenting to it; And that the Council of Trent pronounces anathema against those that shal fay, marriage is not a proper Sacrament, inftituted by IESVS CHRIST. 3. Let us fay then, that 'tis a true Sacrament: nay let us fay, that 'tis a Great one; G: cat in its Caus: Great in its Mater and Great in its Effects, S. Auftin very iudiciously did fay, that as in the primitive Church the holy Ghoft defcended vifibly upon thofe that were confim folES us affifted vifibly in the marriage in Cana, to make kown that He is always invifibly in the marriage of the Faith full ; 'Tis He that gives your wife to you; 'Tis He that gives your husband to you; 'Tis He that ioyns and affociates you together; This is not an airy conceittis a certen Verity: fince the Scripture teaches it in faying, That which God hath joyn'd let not man feperate. 4. The Matter of this Sacrament is not a little water, oyle, balme, or other inanimite creature; Tis your Bodies fanctifyd by Baptifme and confecrated in Confirmation: your Bodys the Members of JESUS CHRIST, Temples of the holy Ghost, are employd to make this Great Sacrament. 5. In fine, 'tis Great in its Effects: It conferrs very great graces, and in great number, if it be received worthily, with the dipositions and fentiment of piety that it deferves. The anci ent Ifraelites had the liberty to repudiate their wives, if they did not please them: Poligamy was permitted them: they had facrifice, and the water of lealofy to try the fidelity of their wives. All these things having not been tollerated but by conlefcendence to that rude people, IESUS CHRIST abrogated them; and in this rendred marriage much more burdenfome, and aggravated the yoke. Now fince his Law is a Law of grace and sweetness fince He fays, his yoke is sweet, and his burden light. it concern'd fin. 6. This Sacrament being a fymbole and a representation of the marriage of Iefus with his Church, muft imitate and exprefs it. In confequence to the alliance of JE SVS with his Church there is betwixt them mutual tradition and communication of Bodys of Spirit, and of Fortune. Iesus as the Espouse of the Church, gives her his precious Body: and takes ours: He ioyns them to His, and makes of them his Members. The Calvinis fay that IESUS CHRIST is not in the Eucharift; they fay true: He is not in their Eucharift: He gives not his body to their pretended Church He delivers not his precious flesh to any other but his Spoufe; 'Tis only the Romane Church: 'tis this true and legitimate Spouse 'tis this only one and well beloved that enioys this Priviledg infallibly, only, only, and perpetually. 7. The Lawyer fayd, and it is true, that a wife ought to lege adenter into fociety with her husband, not only in humane things, verfus. but moreover in divine: focia rei humana & divine. And Iesus con- Cod. de tents not himself to give his humane body to the Church, but gives his di- crimine vine Spirit, the holy Ghoft: and you know that the holy Ghoft is love and charity by the propriety of his Perfone, and by the condition of his bered. explicate emanation. S. Paul then hath reafon to fay Husbands love your wives, as Chrift alfo loved the Church and delivered himself for it, that He might Sanctify it. A husband then muft love his wife as JEsus loves his Church, with a fincere and cordial love Speaking to her with an open heart communicating to her his defignes, affociating her in his enterprizes as IEsus hath revealed to his Church all that He received from bis Father and affociated her to all his operations operations allo to the production of grace. A wife must love and alfo reverence or honor (as the Apostle fays) her husband, as Ephes.25 the Church loves and honours Iesus CHRIST: she muft love and honor the parents and friends of her husband, as the Church loves and honours the Virgin, Mother of her Efpoufe, S. Iames and other Saints his friends. Hufband and Wife muft love mutually one another with a true and pure love, not with an inordinate, senfuall, or worldly love, as they do, who procure each other what is honourable or profitable upon earth, though with eminent danger of lofing heaven who elpoule the paffions, reveng the quarrells, please the fenfes, and fatisfy the foolish and inordinate inclinations of each other, to the great prejudice of their fouls, and their Salvation. 1.Cor. 7. 14. 8. Chrift loved not fo, his Church: He loved not fo his Mother his Apostles, Martyrs, Confeffors, and other friends: but loved them in order to everlafting life. Wherefore if you will love well love as Chrift hath loved us love in order to everlafting life cut off occafions of fin: feck occafions to do each other good, to make one another vertuous, and procure by prayers; exhortations, and good examples the falvation of each other. 9. S. Paul defires that the man be fo holy and give fo good example to his wife, that he convert ber, if she be an infidell and that the wife in like manner by her holy conversation do fanctify her husband, though he should be a pagan and idolater. This will never be don by dunning him with complaints,' reproaches, invectives, or with other outcryes; but as S. Monica converted her husband, enduring patiently his injuries, fupporting his inperfections, never answering him when he was in anger, fpeaking to him of God, more by her good example than by her words shewing him to the end, a fincere, faithfull, and conftant love. 10. IESUS CHRIST fayd to the perfecurors of his Church, why do you perfecute me? fo much He participates in the affliions of bis Church; The Church partakes allo in the fufferances of IESUs: she is forrowful, afflicted, mortifyd, when she confiders Him in his Death and Paffion ; fo all ought to be common amongst married persons, good things and bad joy and and forrow, pleasure and difpleasure and this will much conduce to the honor of fo great a Sacrament, which S. Paul fays is worthy of all respect. 11. Honorabile Connubium in omnibus : Marriage honourable in all. This is not to fay, among all men, as Diffenters tranflate: Els Heb. 13. the marriage of a Brother with his Sifter would be honourable 4. and that of those who have vowed continence to whom the fa me Apoftle fays, 'tis damnable: But in all things: that is, in all its Parts, Circumftances, and Appurtenances. Honor it in the intention you have to marry; for if it be bad and vicious, all the fequel will be corrupted. will you know why God is not in the marriage of many? Tis becaus they married not for the love of him:they married for carnal or fond love,for fenfuall pleasure: through ambition to have this man who is in credit, or through avarice to have a rich Party. If two are assembled in my name, lays our Saviour", I will be in the midft of them; He is not in the midft of those: becaus they were not affembled in his name: This ought to be the intention of Chriftians,fays S. Auguftine, to give children to IB su s, and to his Church: to have a pofterity that may praise, love, and ferve God in your place after your death. 12 Honor marriage, in the election and choife you make; you muft pray God much for this, that He give you a convenient Party with whome you may worke your Salvation: it belongs to God only to know the perfone, and to give the fame to you, House and riches are given of the Parents: but of our Lord properly a prudent Wife, fays the holy Ghoft by the mouth of the wife man; obtain this favour you muft live holily, and do many good works before your marriage, a good woman is a good portion: she shat be given to a man for good deeds. to 3. Honor marriage in the treaty of it: let there be no circumvention, deceit, nor fraud, you would not be well content to be deceiv'd in a treaty of fmal concerne; why should you deceive another in a matter of fuch importance as is marriage, where there is no reliefe, and which is for all the life? This is the caus of averfions, complaints, reproaches, and horrible divifions. 14. Honor marriage in the folemnization or celebration of it, You must confefs, communicate, hear Mafs with great attention, and proverb. 19. 14: Ecclus 26. 3 Ecolus 25.2. and beg of God an abundance of graces in this Sacrament; Invocate the Saints that have been married, especially the B. Virgin : implore the interceffion of those Angells that have been employ'd in making marriages: as S. Gabriel that of the Son of God: S. Raphael that of Tobias, and another that of Ifaac. Banish those impudent perfons who fay fuch words efpecially in the brid-chamber, which would make impudence it felf to blush. You would do better, and draw down the benediction of God upon you, if you would follow the counfell which the Angel Raphael gave to Tobias and his Wife: to paff the three firft days in continence, and not to employ them in delights, but prayers. And he admonished them alfo, that the Devill hath power over those that give themselves to luft as bors and mule which have not understanding. 15. Honor in fine marriage in its Effects: which is a perfect fociety of heart, goods, fortune, and of all. If hufband and wife are divided, and one will hot, and the other cold: one fower, the other fweet: one will negotiate in this manner the other in another: the burdens of marriage are moft heavy and infupportable: their house is a hell a Place of fin and paine: of brawling, bitterness, and defpaire; But if they live in union, and ayde each other ferve God, and to keep his Commandements they are agreeable to Him; For there are three, things that pleafe Him much the concord of bretheren, the love of neighbors, and a bufband and wife that agree together. I ES us will be in the midst of them to affift them: their temporal afaires will have better iffue: their children will learn vertue of them and configne it to pofterity: their people will ferve them more faithfully: Neigh bors will be edifyd: Parents and Friends rejoyced they will bear more cafily the burdens of marriage, and comfort one another: their house will be like a terreftrial Paradife : it will be an image, a foretafte, and prelude of the celestial, into which they will one day enter. Amen. DEO GRATIAS I humbly fubmit thefe writings and my felf alfo to the correction of the Catholick Church, of which & defire to live and dye a mem ber and a moft obedient Child TABLE |