CHURCH CATECHISM.
(Vol. vii., pp. 190. 463.)
In accordance with the request of Z. E. R., I have pleasure in forwarding the extracts from the Catechismus brevis et Catholicus, referred to at pp. 190. 463. of the present volume. It is needful to premise, 1. That the pages of the catechism are not numbered. This will account for the absence of precise references. 2. That only so much is quoted as may exhibit the parallelism; and, 3. That the citations are not consecutive in the original, but arranged in the order of the questions and answers of the Church Catechism, beginning with the fourteenth question, "How many sacraments hath Christ ordained in His Church?"
Q. 14. How many, &c.
"Quot sunt Ecclesiæ Catholicæ Sacramenta?
Septem sunt in universum," &c.
"Quis instituit Baptismum?
Ipse Servator ac Dominus noster Jesus Christus."
[Similarly of the Eucharist.]
Q. 15. What meanest thou, &c.
"Ecquur hæc ipsa—et dicantur et sint Sacramenta?
Sacramenta sunt et dicuntur quia sacra atque efficacia sunt signa divinæ erga nos voluntatis."
Q. 16. How many parts, &c.
"Habetque unumquodque horum (quod sacramentis peculiare est verbum) Elementum, et Gratiam invisibilem. Quod verbum nos docet, et promittit nobis, hoc Elementum seu visibile signum similitudine quâdam demonstrat, hoc idem Gratia quoque (nisi tamen obicem objiciat homo) in anima invisibiliter operatur.
Da paucis singulorum Sacramentorum signa et invisibilem gratiam?"
Q. 17. What is the outward, &c.
"In Baptismo signum externum Aqua est."
Q. 18. What is the inward, &c.
"Quid efficit seu prodest Baptismus?
"Res seu gratia est renovatio et sanctificatio animæ, ablutio omnium peccatorum, adoptio baptizati in filium Dei.
'Baptizatus sum in Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.'
"Tinctione illa aquæ, operationeque Spiritus Sancti, eripitur baptizatus à regno et tyrannide diaboli, donatur remissione peccatorum ac innocentia, addicitur perpetuò uni veroque Deo Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, hujus denique filius atque hæres instituitur."
Q. 19. What is required, &c.
"Requiritur in eo (adulto), et verus fidei usus, et vita professione Christiana, Baptismique voto digna: hoc est ut corde credat, et ore fidem confiteatur, utque peccatis mortificatis in vitæ ambulet novitate.
Proba sacræ Scripturæ testimoniis, quod Fides in Baptizato requiratur."
Q. 20. Why then are infants, &c.
"Sed quomodo infantes possunt credere, ut qui nondum usum habeant rationis?
His fides Ecclesiæ et susceptorum suffragatur, donec idonei fiant suo illam assensu percipere, adhæc et fidei gratiam in Baptismo ii consequuntur."
Q. 21. Why was the Sacrament, &c.
"Quur vero sacram Eucharistiam Christus instituit?
... Ut suæ passionis ac mortis recordemur, eamque annuntiemus perpetuò."
Q. 22. What is the outward, &c.
Q. 23. What is the inward, &c.
"Da paucis ... signa et invisibilem gratiam.
In Eucharistia, Elementum est panis ac vini species: res autem, verum corpus, et verus Christi sanguis est, fructusque dignam sumptionem sequentes."
Q. 24. What are the benefits, &c.
"Jam recense paucis quinam fructus dignam Eucharistæ sumptionem sequantur?
Principio quidem virtute escæ hujus confirmamur in fide, munimur adversus peccata, ad bonorum operum studium excitamur, et ad charitatem inflammamur. Hinc vero per eam incorporamur adjungimurque capiti nostro Christo, ut unum cum ipso constituamus corpus," &c.
Q. 25. What is required, &c.
"Quonam pacto dignè sumitur Eucharistia?
Digna sumptio, omnium primum requirit, ut homo peccata sua agnoscat ex animo ob ea verè doleat—ac firmum etiam animo concipiat amplius non peccandi propositum. Deinde exigit etiam digna sumptio, ut communicaturus simultatem omnem odiumque animo eximat: reconcilietur læso, et charitatis contra viscera induat. Postremo vero et fides cum primis in sumente requiritur ... ut credat corpus Christi pro se esse traditum mortem, et sanguinem ejus in remissionem peccatorum suorum vere effusum," &c.
I fear the unavoidable length of the previous extracts will be against the insertion of the full title of the book, and one remark. The title is,—
"Catechismus brevis et Catholicus in gratiam Juventutis conscriptus, Autore Iacobo Schœppero, Ecclesiasta Tremoniano. Cui accessit Pium diurnarum precum Enchiridion, ex quo pueri toto die cum Deo colloqui discant. Antverpiæ, apud Ioan. Bellerum ad insigne Falconis, 1555."
My remark is, that some of the coincidences above enumerated are at least singular, though they do not perhaps prove that the compiler of the Church Catechism, in the places referred to, had them before him.
B. H. C.