A SHORT CATECHISM Of Card. Bellarmine illustrated with the IMAGES. In Augusta. With Licence of Superiors. 1614 Lectori S. MAGNORUM & Illustrium viro●um Augustanorum consilio atque subsidio, novae quaedam sacrarum maginum formae, non ex●guis sumptibus comparatae sunt, quibus Catechismus Catholicus, sive Doctrina Christiana, non unâ duntaxat, sed pluribus linguis, procedente tempore, Augustae in lucem edi posset. Atque huic pio consilio, non infeliciter rei eventus hactenus respondit. Nam intra unius anni spatium, quinque linguarum editiones Catechisticae (Germanicae nimirùm, Latinae, Graecae, Gallicae, Italicae) maximo exemplarium numero absolutae sunt, quibus tamen necdum omnium desiderio satisfieri potuit. Cùm autem eodem tempore à pluribus magni nominis viris, pro pluribus aliis linguis ac nationibus eadem opera expeteretur, non defuerunt in hac quoque vibe viri primarii, qui Catholici Catechismi editionem A●glicanam cum ijsdem imaginibus suscipie●dam iudicarent. Ex illa enim natione plutimi quoque reperiuntur, qui Catholicam fidem, Rom● naeque Ecclesiae authoritatem cum fuis tot seculorum laudatissimis Maioribus, cum tot alijs Regnis ac Provincijs, &, quod verè dici potest, cum maiore Orbis Christiani part, etiam num integrè profitentur. Nulla igitur idonea causa suppetit, cur ab huius (licet exigui) beneficii tot aliis linguis ac nationibus praestandi communione solos Anglos excludamus. Bona autem fide exemplar Anglicanum ex Italico versum sequi conati sumus. Quòd sicubi erratum fuerit, facile ignoscet is, quilibellum hunc non in Anglia, sed in Germania à Germanis, Christianae charitatis causa, excusum meminerit, Augustae, 20. Septembris. Anno 1614 Georg. Mayr. S. GREGORIUS MAGNUS, Anglorum Apostolus, lib. 9 epistolarum, lib. 9 QVod legentibus scriptura hoc idiotis praestat pictura cernentibus: quia in ipsa etiam ignorantes vident, quod sequi debeant: in ista legunt, qui literas nesciunt. A BRIEF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE TO BELEARNED BY HEART. Of the end of a Christian, and of the sign of the Cross. Master. ARE you a Christian? Scholar. I am by the grace of God. M. What mean you by a Christian? S. Him that maketh profession of the Faith and Law of Christ. M. In what doth the Faith of Christ chiefly consist? S. In two principal mysteries, which are included in the sign of the holy † Cross, that is in the Unity & Trinity of God: & in the Incarnation & death of our Saviour. M. What meaneth Unity & Trinity of God? S. It menaeth that in God there is one only Divinity, or, as we say, Essence and divine nature, which nevertheless is in three divine persons, that are called Father, Son and holy Ghost. M. Wherefore are there three divine persons? S. Because the Father hath no benning, not proceedeth from another person. The Son proceedeth from the Father, and the holy Ghost from the Father and the Son. M. Wherefore are these three persons one only God? S. Because they have one-self essence, one-self power, one self wisdom and one-self goodness. M. Wath meaneth incarnation and death of our Saviour? S It meaneth that the Son of God, that is the second person of the most blessed Trinity became man, and died upon the Cross to save us. M. How are these two mysteries included in the sign of the holy Cross? S. Because we make the sign of the holy Cross putting our right hand first to the head saying. In the name of the Father, then under the breast saying, And of the Son; finally to the lefth, & right shoulder saying, And of the holy Ghost. Amen. M. How then is here showed the first mystery of the most B. Trinity? S. Because this word, In the name, signifies the Unity; the other words signify the Trinity? M. Show new the second? S. The figure of the Cross doth represent the death of our Saviour, who after he was made man, and had taught the way of salvation with doctrine, with example, and with miracles, died upon the holy wood of the Cross. A declaration of the Creed. M. WHich is the Rule of belief? S. It is the Symbol of the Apostles, which commonly we call the Creed. M. Say the Creed. I. S. I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. II. And in JESUS Christ his only Son out Lord. III. Who was conceived by the holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Marie. iv Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. V Descended into hell; the third day he rose again from death. VI Ascended into heaven, sitteth at the rig hand of God the Father almighty. VII. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. VIII. I believe in the holy Ghost. IX. The holy Catolique Church, the Communion of Saints. X. Remission of sins. XI. Resurrection of the flesh. XII. Life everlasting. Amen. M. who made the Creed? S. THe twelve Apostles, & therefore there be twelve articles. M. What do these articles contain in sum? S. All that, which principally & expressie we must believe of God, and of the Church his spouse; because the eight first articles pertain to God, the four last to the Church. M. Declare the first article. S. I firmly believe in one only God, who is the natural father of his only begotten son, and is also father by grace of all good Christians, who are therefore called the adoptive sons of God. finally he is father by creation of all other things. And this God is Omnipotent, because he can do all that he will, and hath created of nothing Heaven and Earth, with wathsoever is in them, that is the whole universal world. M. Declare the second article. S. I believe also in JESUS Christ, who is the only begotten Son of God the Father, because he was begotten of the same father eternally, and is God eternal, infinite, omnipotent, Creator, and Lord of us, and of all things, as is the father. M. Declare the third. S. I believe that JESUS Christ is not only true God bud also true man, because he hath taken man's flesh of the immaculate Virgin Marie by virtue of the holy Ghost, & so was borne in earth of mother without father, as in heaven he was borne of father without mother. M. Declare the fourth. S. I believe that JESUS Christ, to redeem the world with his precious blood, suffered under Pontius Pilate Governor of jury, being scourged, crowned with thorns, and put upon the Cross, on the which he died, and taken down from the same was buried in a new Sepulchre. M. Declare the fifth. S. I believe that JESUS Christ, as soon as he was dead, went with his soul to the Limbo or place of holy Fathers, & the third day, which was the Sunday, he rose glorious & triumphant. M. Declare the sixth. S. I believe that JESUS Christ, after he had forty days remained with the holy Apostles, to prove with many apparitions his true Resurrection, mounted up to the highest heaven, & there sitteth above all the quires of Angels, at the right hand of the father, that is, in glory equal to the father, as Lord and Governor of all creatures. M. Declare the seventh. S. I believe that the same out Lord, in the end of the world, shall come from heaven with most great power and glory, and shall iudgeall men, giving to every one the reward or punishment that he hath deserved. M. Declare the eight. S. I believe in the holy Ghost, who is the third person of the most blessed Trinity, and proceedeth from the Father and the Son, and is in all and every thing equal to the Father, and to the Son; that is, he is God, Eternal, Infinite, Omnipotent, Creator, and Lord of all things, as the Father and the Son. M. Declare the ninth. S. I believe also that there is a Church, which is the Congregation of all faithful Christians that are baptised, do believe and confess the faith of Christ ourd Lord, and acknowledge the high Bishop of Rome for Vicar of the same Christ in earth. M. This Church why is it called Holy, and Catholic? S. Holy because it hath the head, which is Christ, holy; and for that it hath many holy members, and the Faith, and Law, and Sacraments holy; and it is called Catholic, that is Universal. M. What signifieth the Communion of Saints? S. It signifieth the participation of prayers and good works, that are done in that Church; even as in a man's body all the members be partakers of the good of one member. M. Declare the tenth. S. I believe that in the holy Cuurch there is the true remission of sins, by means of the holy Sacraments, and that in the same, men, of children of the devil, and condemned to death, become the children of God, and heirs of Paradise. M. Declare the eleventh. S. I believe that in the end of the world all men shall rise, taking again the same bodies, which before they had, and this by the power of God, to whom nothing is impossible. M. Declare the last. S. I believe that for good Christians there is life everlasting full of all felicity, and free from all sort of evil; as contrary wise for infidels, and for evil Christians, there is eternal death, replenished with all misery, and void of all good. M. What mean you by Amen. S. I mean. So is it in truth. A DECLARATION OF THE Pater Noster, and of the ave Maria. M. Having spoken now of that which we must believe, let us see if you know that which we must hope for, and of whom we must have hope. Know you the Pater noster? S. I know it right well, for this is the first thing that I learned, and I say it every morning and evening, together with the ave Maria and with the Creed. M. Say then the Pater noster. I. S. Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. II. Thy kingdom come. III. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. four Give us this day our daily bread. V And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtor. VI And lead us not into tentation. VII. But deliver us from evil, Amen. M. who made this prayer? S. CHrist our Saviour made it, and therefore it is the most excellent of all others. M. What is briefly contained in this prayer? S. All that we can demand, and hope for of God. For there be seven petitions. In the first four we demand that he give us all good: in the three following that he deliver us from all evil. And concerning that which is good, we first demand the glory of God. secondly our greatest good. thirdly grace to obtain it. fourthly the means to get and keep the said grace. Touching that which is evil, we demand that he deliver us first from evil past; secondly from evil to come; thirdly from evil present, and so from all evil. M. Declare those words that go before the first petition, that is, Our father which art in heaven. S. This is a little preface, in which is yielded the reason, wherefore we have courage to speak unto so great a Lord, and hope he will grant our request. We say then that God is our Father by Creation, and Adoption, and therefore as children we have recourse to him; and we add that he is in heaven as Lord of the universal world. And for this we know that he can grant our petition, if it so please him, as we do hope he will, seeing that he is our father. M. Declare the first petition. S. In the first petition, we demand that God be known of all the world, and that so his holy name be honoured, & glorified of all, at is becometh. M. Declare the second. S. We demand in the second that the kingdom, which he hath promised us, come speedily, which is to say, that the battles ended, which we have with the devil, with the world, and with the flesh, we may arrive to everlasting felicity, where we shall reign with God without any impediment. M. Declare the third. S. We demand in the third the grace of God, with which we may perfectly obey his holy commandments, as the Angels do always obey him in heaven. Because the ladder, to mount up to heaven, is the Obedience of his commandments. M. Declare the fourth. S. We demand in the fourth our daily bread as well spiritual, that is the word of God and the Sacraments; as corporal, that is sustenance and apparel. For the word of God preached unto us by preachers, and read by us in spiritual books, & the holy Sacraments, chiefly of Confession and Communion, at most efficacious means of their part (that is, if we ourselves be not in fault) to obtain and conserve the grace of God, of which we have spoken in the former petition. Sustenance & apparel is necessary for us, to maintain this life in the service of God. M. Declare the fifth. S. We demand in the fifth that God deliver us from evils passed, that is from sins already committed, remitting us the debt of the fault, and of the pain, which for them we have incurred. And we add, As we forgive our debtor their debts, that is, as we pardon the offences of our enemies: for that it is not a reasonable thing, that God forgive us our sins, which are most great offences, if we will not pardon the injuries done unto us, which are offences of small importance. M. Declare the sixth. S. We demand in the sixth, that God deliver us from temptations which are evils to come, or not permitting us to be tented, or giving us grace that we be not overcome. M. Declare the seventh. S. We demand in the seventh that God deliver us from evil present, that is from all affliction and misery and also from all vail ne prosperity and temporal advancement, if he see that it be hurtful to our souls salvation. M. Say now the ave Maria. S. Hail MARRY full of grace; Our Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb JESUS. Holy MARIE mother of God pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. M. Of whom be these words? S. They be partly of the Archangel Gabriel partly of S. Elizabeth, and partly of th' Church. M. though what effect do you say the ave Marie, after the Pater noster. S. though the end that by the intercession of the most blessed Virgin, I may more easily obtain that which I demand of God, beacuse she is the Aduocatrice of sinners, full of mercy, and withal is in heaven above all the quires of Angels, and most acceptable to God. M. Have not you recourse for help also to other Saints? S. I have recourse to all the Saints, and in particular to the Saint of my name, and to my Angel guardian. OF THE COMMAVNDEments of God. M. LEt us come now to that, which we must do to love God and our neighbour, and say you the ten Commandments. S. I am the Lord thy God. I. Thou shalt not have any other God before me. II. Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain. III. Remember that thou sanctify the festes. four Honour thy father and mother. V Thou shalt not murder. VI Thou shalt not commit adultery. VII. Thou shalt not steal. VIII. Thou shalt not bear false witness. IX. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife. X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods. M. who hath given these commandments? S. GOd himself in the old law, and afterwards Christ our Lord hath confirmed them in the new law. M. What do these commandments contain in brief? S. All that which we must do to love God & our neighbour. Because the first three commandments teach us how we ought to behave ourselves towards God, with heart, with mouth, & with woorcks. The other seven do learn us to do good to our neighbour, and not to hurt him in his person, in his honour, in his goods, neither in deeds, nor in words, nor in thought. And so the end of all the commandments, is the commandment of Charity, which doth command us love God above all things, and our neighbour as ourselves. M. Declare the first commandment. S. In the beginning God doth admonish us, that he is our true and supreme Lord, and therefore we are obliged to obey him with all diligence. Next he commandeth us, that we must not acknowlegde any other for God; wherein the Infidels do sin, who worship the creatures in steed of the creator; and also witches and Enchanters, who take the devil for their God. M. Declare the second commandment. S. The second commandment forbiddeth blasphemies, which are most grievous sins; false, or not necessary oaths; breaking of vows; and all other dishonour that is done to God with words. M. Declare the third. S. The third doth command the keeping of feasts, which doth consist in abstaining from servile woorcks, so to have time to occupy ourselves in considering the benefits of God, visiting the Churches, praying, reading spiritual books, hearing divine service & sermons, & doing such other like spiritual and holy woorcks. M. Declare the fourth. S. The fourth ordaineth, that we honour our father & mother, not only with reverence of words, of uncovering our head to them; but also with helping and favouring them in their necessities. And that which we say of father and mother, we ought also to observe towards other our neighbours, although there be not so great obligation as to father and mother, who have given us our being, and have brought us up with their great pain. M. Declare the fifth. S. In the fifth it is commanded, that we kill no body unjustly, nor do them other harm in their person: & I say unjustly, because judges who condemn malefactors to death, and the ministers of justice, who put them to death, as also soldiers in just war, do not sin whilst they wound and kill. M. Declare the sixth. S. The sixth commandeth that we commit not adultery, that is sin with the wife of other men: and it is also understood that we commit not fornication, nor any other carnal sin. M. Declare the seventh. S. The seventh commandeth, that no man take away the goods of others secretely, which is called Theft; nor manifestly, which is called Robbery; not commit any deceit in selling, buying, and like contracts; and finally do no harm to his neighbour in his goods. M. Declare the eight. S. In the eight is forbidden false witness, murmuring, detracting, flattering, lying, and all other hurt which is done to our neighbour with the tongue. M. Declare the two last. S. God commandeth in the thwo last precepts, that none desire the wife, nor goods of others; because he that seeth our hearts, will have us holy & clean, not only outwardly, but also inwardly, that so we may be entirely and truly just. Of the Commandments of the Church, and of Counsels. M. ADd to the Commandments of God, those few which the Church hath added S. The commandments of the holy Church are six, 1. though hear mass upon all the Sundays, & Holy days of commandment. 2. To fast Lent, Vigils commanded, & Ember-days, & not to eat flesh on fridays & Satturdaies'. 3. & 4. To confess, at the jest, once a year. To receive, at the jest, at Easter. 5. To pay tithes. 6. Not to celebrate marriage in time forbidden that is from the first Sunday of Aduent until Twelfday, & from the first day of Lent to Low-sundaie inclusive. M. Besides the commandments, which we all are bound to keep, be there any Counsels of Perfection? S. There be three Counsels, by our Saviour Christ given to thoase that desire to attain to perfection. M. Which be these Counsels? I. S. Voluntary Poverty. II. Perpetual Chastity. III. Obedience in every thing that is not sin. OF THE SACRAments. M. We have alreddie treated of all that which we must believe, hope for, & do; it remaineth that we speak of the holy Sacraments, by whose means we obtain the grace of God. Say therefore, how many be the Sacraments? S. They be seven. I. Baptism. II. Confirmation. III. Eucharist. four Penance. V Extreme Unction. VI Ordre. VII. Matrimony. M. who ordained them? S. Christ JESUS our Lord. M. What effect doth Baptism worck? S. It maketh a man become the child of God and heir of Paradise: it blotteth out all sins, and filleth the soul with grace and spiritual gifts. M. What effect doth Confirmation or Chrism woorck? S. It fortifieth a man that he be not afraid to confess the faith of Christ our Lord, and so it maketh us become the true soldiers of our Saviour. M. What effect woorcketh the Eucharist? S. It nourrisheth Charity, which is the life of the soul, & doth daily increase it more. And therefore it is given under the form of bread; though truly it be not bread, but the true body of our Lord: as likewise that which is in the chalice, is not wine, albeit it seem wine, but it is the true blood of the same Christ our Lord under the form of wine. M. What effect worcketh Penance? S. It forgiveth sins committed after Baptism, & bringeth again to the friendship of God him, who through sin was become his enemy. M. What must we do to receive this Sacrament? S. We must first have sorrow for own sins, with purpose never more to commit them. Then we must confess them all to a Priest approved by Superiors; and finally we must do the penance that is enjoined us by the Priest. M. What effect doth Extreme Unction woorck? S. It blotteth out the relics of sins; giveth joy and strength to the soul, to fight against the devil in the last hour; and also helpeth to recover bodily health, if it be so expedient for the salvation of the soul. M. What effect woorcketh the Sacrament of Order? S. It giveth virtue and grace to Priests and other ministers of the Church, to be able to do well their duties. M. What effect worcketh the Sacrament of Matrimony? S. It giveth virtue and grace to those that be lawfully joined together, to live in matrimony with peace and charity, and to beget, and bring up their children in the holy fear of God, to the end they may have joy in this life and in the other. Of Theological and Cardinal virtues. M. WE have now ended the four principal parts of the Christian Doctrine which be the Creed, the Pater noster, the Commandments, and the Sacraments. I will now that we talk of Virtues and Vices, of some other things which do help us much to live conformably to the will of God. Tell me therefore, How many be the principal Virtues? S. They be seven; Three Theological, and four Cardinal. M. Which be the Theological? S. Faith, Hope, and Charity. M. Wherefore be they called Theological? S. Because this word Theological signifieth a thing, that regardeth or appertaineth to God. M. How doth faith then appertain to God? S. Because it maketh us believe all that, which God hath revealed to the holy Church. M. Wherefore doth Hope pertain to God? S. Because it maketh us put our trust in God, and hope eternal life of him, by means of our merits, which yet do proceed from his grace. M. Why doth Charity pertain to God? S. Because it maketh us love God above all-things things, and our neighbour as ourselves, for the love of God. M. Which be the Cardinal virtues? S. Prudence, justice, Fortitude and Temperance. M. Why be they called Cardinal? S. Because they be principal, and as it were the fountains of Good woorcks. M. Declare unto me the office of these virtues? S. Prudence maketh us considerate & wary in every thing, to the end we ourselves be not deceived, nor deceive others. justice maketh us render unto others, that which is theirs. Temperance maketh us bridle our disordinate desires. Fortitude maketh that we fear not any danger, no nor death itself for God's service. Of the gifts of holy Ghost. M. HOw many be the gifts of the holy Ghost? S. They be seven. 1. Wisdom. 2. Understanding. 3. Counsel. 4. Fortitude. 5. Knowlegde. 6. Piety. 7. Fear of God. M. Whereto do these gifts serve. S. They serve for the help of virtues, & to make us perfect in the way of God, because through fear we abstain from sins: through Piety we are devour & obedient to God; through Knowledge we are taught to understand the will of God; through Fortitude we are helped to put the same in execution; through Counsel we are admonished of the deceits of the devil; through understanding we are elevated to penetrate the mysteries of faith; through Wisdom we become perfect ordaining all our life, & all our works to the glory of God, because the wiseman doth know the last end, & thereunto doth direct every thing. Of the works of mercy. M. HOw many be the works of mercy of which we shallbe demanded account in particular at the day of judgement? S. They be seven. I. To give to eat to the hungry. II. To give to trincke to the Thirsty. III. To clothe the naked. four To harbour pilgrims. V To visit the sick. VI To visit the imprisoned. VII. To bury the dead. M. These be corporal works of mercy: be there any others spiritual? S. There be other seven that is. I. I. 1. To give counsel to the doubt full. 2. To instruct the ignorant. 3. To admonish sinners. 4. To comfort the afflicted. 5. To pardon offences. 6. To patiently support those that be troublesome. 7. To pray God for the quick and dead. Of Sins. M. TO come now to Sins, how many sorts be there of them? S. Two, Original and Actual, which is afterwards divided into Mortal and Venial. M. What is Original sin? S. It is that with which we at all borne, and we have it as it were by heritage from our first Father Adam. M. How is this sin blotted out? S. With holy Baptism. And therefore he that dieth without Baptism goeth to Limbus, and is deprived for ever from the glory of Heaven. M. What is Mortal sin? S. It is that Which we commit against the charity of God, or of our neighbour. And it is called mortal, because it depriveth the soul of her spiritual life, which is the grace of God. M. How is this sin forgiven us? S. With holy Baptism, when a man is baptised in age to have committed sin actually; or with the Sacramento of Penance as hath been said before. And who dieth in mortal sin, goeth to the everlasting pains of hell. M. Which is Venial sin? S. It is that which is not against Charity, and depriveth not the soul of grace, nor sendeth it to the pains of hell: but nevertheless it displeaseth God, because it is not conformable to his will, and it diminisheth the fervour of charity, And therefore it is needful to purge it in this world, or in purgatory, which is in the other life. M. How many be the Capital sins & as it were fountains of all sins? S. They be seven, and to every one is opposite a contrary virtue. I. Pride, to which is contrary Humility. II. Covetousness, to which is contrary Liberality. III. Lechery, to which is opposite Chastity. four Anger, to which it opposite Patience. V Gloutonie, to which is opposite Abstinence. VI Envy, to which is opposite brotherly love. VII. Sloth, to which is opposite Diligence. M. How many be the sins against the holy Ghost? S. They be six. 1. Despair of Salvation. 2. Presumption to be saved without merits. 3. To impugn the known truth. 4. Envy at an other man's grace. 5. Obstination in sin. 6. Final impenitence. M. How many be the sins that cry vengeance in the sight of God? S. They be four. I. Wilful murder. II. Carnal sin against nature. III. Oppression of the poor. four To defraud workmen of their wages. Of the four last things, and of the rosary. M HOw mannie be the last things of man which the Scripture calleth last, which being well considered do make ut abstain from sin? S. Four. I. Death. II. judgement. III. Hell. iv Heaven. M. What exercise have you to maintain devotion? S. I say the rosary of our Lady, and do meditate the fifteen mysteries of the same, in which is contained the life of our Lord jesus Christ. M. Which be the fifteen Mysteries of the rosary? S. There be five loifull. 1. The Annunciation of the Angel. 2. The Visitation of S. Elizabeth. 3. The Nativity of our Lord. 4. The Presentation in the Temple. 5. The disputing of the child JESUS with the Doctors. Other five be sorrowful 1. The prayer in the garden. 2. The whipping at the pillar. 3. The crowning with thorns 4. The carrying of the Cross. 5. The crucifying and death of our Saviour. The last five be glorious. 1. The Resurrection of our Lord. 2. His Ascension. 3. The coming of the holy Ghost. 4. The Assumption of our Lady. 5. The coronation and exaltation of her above all the quites of Angels. FINIS. Errata. Pag. 23. expressly. but. 25. Father. 38. vain. 41. because. 52. command. 53 Two. 56. To. 73 given. 75. Wherefore. 76. of the holy, 97. is. 107. in te sight. Caetera lector Anglus typographo Germano ignoscet. BENEFICENTIAE. ET COMMUN: NOLITE. OBLIVISCI. Augustae Vindelicorum, Excudebat Christophorus Mangius. ANNO M.DC.XIV.