Catholique divinity: or, The most solid and sententious expressions of the primitive doctors of the Church. With other ecclesiastical, and civil authors: dilated upon, and fitted to the explication of the most doctrinal texts of Scripture, in a choice way both for the matter, and the language; and very useful for the pulpit, and these times. / By Dr. Stuart, dean of St. Pauls, afterwards dean of Westminster, and clerk of the closet to the late K. Charles.

Molius est mihi non esse quàm fine Jesu esse.

Aug.

I Were better have no being, than bee without Jesus: I were better have no life, than any life without him. For as David could finde no being without Jehovah, a Christian findes no life without Jesus. For what Jehovah was to David, Jesus is to us. Man in general hath relation to God as hee is Jehovah, being wee have relation unto Christ, as hee is Jesus our salvation; salvation is our being, Jesus is our Jehovah; and therefore as David delights himself with that name Jehovah, for hee re∣peats it eight or nine times Psal. 6. a short Psalm. And though hee ask things of a diverse nature at Gods hands, though hee suffer afflictions a diverse nature from Gods hands, yet still hee retains that one name, hee speaks to God in no other name in all that Psalm, but in the name of Jehovah. So in the New Testa∣ment, hee which may bee compared with David, because hee was under

great sins, and yet in great favour with God; St. Paul, hee delights himself with that Name of Jesus so much, as that St. Jerome saith, as he loved him excessively, so hee na∣med him superabundantly. It is the Name that cost God most, and there∣fore hee loves it best. It cost him his life to bee a Jesus, a Saviour. The Name of Christ which is anointed, hee had by office, hee was anointed as King, as Priest, as Prophet; but his name of Jesus a Saviour, hee had by purchase, and that purchase cost him his blood. Of a devout use of this very name do some of the Fathers interpret that Oleum effusum nomen tuum, that the Name of Jesus should bee spread as an oyntment, breathed as a perfume, diffused as a soul over all the petitions of our prayers, as the Church concludes for the most part all her Collects so, Grant this, O Lord, for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christs sake.