prepared and disposed to receaue the holy communion wherefore hee that mindeth to communicat let him first holpen with Gods grace and stirred vp to deuotion by good meditations and kindled with the flame of charity bannish from himselfe the dust and chaffe of veniall sinnes and therefore haue care O christian that thou commest not to communicat without consideration nor much colde in deuotion for then thou commest not with that disposition which thou shouldest haue All these bee the wordes of S. Bonauenture in which he doth set down what the causes be that hinder such as frequent the B. Sacrament from receauing that great profit and good which by meanes thereof they both might ought And although it be a common true opinion that for such causes and sins as these which be not mortall that such as communicat do not lose all the fruit of the B. Sacrament but that they receaue encrease of grace yet certaine also it is that they doe lose that plentifull and abundant fruit of diuers graces vertues which are ordinarilye bestowed vpon such as come better prepared other wonderfull effects which vsually it worketh in their soules that are more pure and deuout Chap. XIIII Wherein is declared more at large howe for the receauing of more abundant fruit of the holy Communion conuenient it is to purifie the soule from veniall sinnes OVt of the premisses Gods seruants that frequent the holy Communion may gather what meanes they haue to vse for the amending of these defectes and the remouing of these impediments whereof one is much to enforce themselues to avoide not onely mortal sinnes but also to diminish and lessen what they can those that bee veniall vsing for that ende mortification whereof before we haue at large entreated for that is the Tract 6. meanes by which the soule is cured of the disease of her passions and is purified from veniall sins which out of them doe spring And with this purity a christian man may securely goe vnto that holy table as S. Chrysostome doth exhorte him saying Come to receaue God with all purity and giue thy hart with great confidence by this most holy body which heere I receaue I doe not account myselfe any more to be dust Homil. 24. in 1. epist ad Corint and ashes no more to be a captiue but free because I hope to obtaine heauen and those goodes which be there as immortall and euerlasting life a place amongest the Angels and the glorious company of Christ Thus saith S. Chrysostome And the glorious Pope S. Gregory doth note and ponder this point more in particular that most excellently who admonishing all faithfull christians to purifie themselues from sinne for the receauing of the blessed Sacrament saith that they ought not onely to cleere themselues from mortall sinnes which doe wholly hinder the fruite of this most diuine sacrament but also from veniall which bee a let to that great spirituall cōmodity which would come by meanes thereof These be his wordes worthy of due consideration Those that come In exposit super 1. reg li. 1. cap. 1. to receaue the consecrated hoste which giueth true health and doe harboure sinnes in their soule which they haue committed doe not reccaue the fruite of health and therefore albeit they receaue with their mouth the true sacrament yet doe they not receaue with their soule the vertue and fulnesse thereof because that is receaued onely of them that come fasting from sinnes and be adorned with vertues And because the iust also and the elect seruants of God cannot leade this life without falling into some sins therefore the remedy which they haue is that they enforce and stirre vp them selues daily to purge their soule by penance from those daily sins into which they fall through humane infirmity for if they haue not this care daily to purifie them selues from their sins although they be very small by litle and litle the soule is filled full of sinnes which do depriue them of the fruit of the inwarde and spirituall fulnes and therefore to auoide this harme S. Paule doth admonish a christian man that hee shoulde prooue him selfe before he doth communicate that is to say that hee shoulde purge and discharge himselfe from sin that being prooued and purified he may come to the table of our Lord wherfore seeing we sinne daily daily also let vs bewaile our sinnes and doe pennance for them and the more carefully we doe purifie our selues from these daily sinnes with the sorowe of penance so much the more in that spirituall banquet shal we receaue the abundant fruite of heauenly grace All this is out of S. Gregory in which diuinely he putteth a difference betwixte that harme which mortall sinne doth worke which is to hinder the whole fruite of the blessed Sacrament to make a man worthy of condemnation and the harme which cometh by veniall sinnes if they be not washed away by pennance for they doe much let the wonderfull commodity and effectes of the holy communion And very seriously doth he admonish vertuous and iust men to purge them selues daily from such sinnes especiallye when they meane to communicate because the more cleere they be from thē so much the more shall they receaue the plentiful fruite of heauenly gifts and graces and especially shall they feele in their soule that diuine fulnesse and inward sweetnesse which is bestowed vpon them that haue the true hunger of God Chap. XV. How to receaue fruite of the blessed Sacrament necessary it is for a man to prepare himselfe with recollection and meditation and what manner of meditations or considerations are good to bee vsed for that purpose THE second thinge which the seruants of God haue to do is to recollect them selues before they communicate to the ende they may pray and meditate diuine thinges conformable to those documents which we prescribed in the treatise of prayer and although a man may out of any matter which he meditateth drawe deuotion meete for the holy communion yet the best and most fit considerations to furnish him selfe withall for this purpose bee these Let him meditate vpon the institution of this most holy sacrament in the last supper how our Lord rose from the table tooke of his garment and putting a linnen cloth about him did vpon his knees wash his Disciples feete and afterward when they were fet how he tooke bread wine into his hands by his omnipotent power did consecrate change them into his body and bloud which were vnited to his soule and diuinity and how whē he had first communicated him self as many holy men do write hee did streight waies with his owne hands distribute his owne body and bloud to his Apostles and withall gaue them authority also to consecrate his body and to giue it to all faithfull people Heere let a christian man meditate attentiuely that infinit magnificence of the son of God that liberality neuer before heard of
and that vnspeakable charity by which he voutsafed to giue him selfe to be eaten in such a wonderfull sorte thereby to binde vs vnto him by a most straight band of loue by these meanes to heale our infirmities and to make vs after his likenesse holy pure diuine and heauenlye From this consideration let him labour to procure a greate hunger and very feruent desire to eate this breade of life and to drawe from it a readye vvill to please in all thinges the author of life who with so greate loue doth giue himself to vs for meat Let him likewise consider and ponder what great purity is required to come to receaue this diuine foode seing the Apostles that were in the state of grace cleere from mortall sinnes yet our Sauiour preparing thē with more purity for the receauing of the holy communion did wash their feete which was as S. Bernard Serm. de cena dom saith to purifie them by a mistery from their venial sinnes For the affections of the soule which doe quickly cleaue vnto earthly thinges be the feete of our soul these we must wash and make cleane to enter into heauen and to come vnto the holy communion and this mistery as that blessed mā saith did our Sauiour represent by that holy kind of washing Out of this let a man likewise enforce him selfe to be sory for all his sinnes both mortall and veniall and to purpose the amendment of thē all and beholding how vile and vnworthy he hath made himself through his sinnes and that so great purity is required to receaue so infinite maiestye in so much that if he should prepare him selfe continuallye for the space of a thousand yeeres to receaue him by deuoute prayers holy workes and with the merits of all Saintes yet all woulde be very litle nothing to receaue him as he deserueth let him endeuour also out of this to conceaue feare and reuerence for as from loue desire groweth and a ready will so from holy feare springeth reuerence with which he ought to come to the holy cōmunion An other consideration Ambros de sacram lib. 6. cap. 1. wherewith Gods seruant may prepare himselfe to come vnto the sacred communiō with deuotion is this Let him consider the dignity and high maiesty of that Lord whome he is to receaue let him thinke howe in Concil Trident. sess 13. c. 1. that instant in which the words of consecration be spoken the substance of bread which remained vnder the accidentes of the hoast giueth ouer to be breade by the conuersion of the same into the body of Christ so the creature giuing place to the creator in that place where before was the substance of the breade succeedeth the body of Christ which was framed by the holye Ghost in the wombe of the most immaculat Virgin and because the body of Christ liueth not without bloud there also is present the most pretious bloude of Christ in the veines of his most holy body and for as much also as the body of Christ liueth not without the soul there is likwise his most glorious soule in which are contained the vnspeakable treasures of the power and glory of God and for as much as the body and soule of Christ are vnited with the person of God Christ is God and man he that is there contained is true God of infinit maiesty power After this let him prepare himselfe to consider with attention Now I am to receaue God and that hee may the better vnderstande what a Lord he is whom he is to receaue let him by meditation place himselfe at the gate of heauen there let him consider the glory and beauty of that supreame maiesty and behoulde howe by his infinite bounty he doth enflame vvith wonderfull loue all the citizens of heauen and with the sight of his eternall beauty doth make them all blessed and infinitlie delight them Let him viewe with what reuerēce al the saints and Angels euen to the highest Seraphins doe stande in his presence how they doe adore him howe they doe praise him howe they doe glorifie him how they doe loue him and after he hath spent some time in the admiratiō of so infinite greatnes glory let him turne vnto him selfe and thinke thus in his owne soule This very God whose maiestie doth terrifie me am I to receaue into my mouth body this infinit good which doth make ioyfull the city of God this selfe same am I to enclose in mine heart and this supreame creator of all thinges before whose maiesty the Seraphins and all the glorious company of heauen be prostrate with great reuerence him am I to beholde to touch vnder those accidents or outwarde formes and to receaue in to my body for the foode of my soule And this so great a Lord doth come vnto me ouercome with loue and drawne by loue and he commeth to enamor mee of him selfe and by loue to turne me into himselfe hee commeth to bestow vpon me the treasures of his grace and glorye and to translate me from earth to heauen Out of this consideration will our soule gather great loue and reuerence to come vnto the holy communion for how can it choose but bee burnt vp in loue at the consideration of so infinite goodnesse and bountie who hath done so many thinges for his loue and who so desireth his loue how can it be that being a sinner he shoulde not reuerence with an holy kinde of feare that infinite maiestye before whome with the eies of his soule he beholdeth all the princes of heauē to stand trembling for reuerence Other considerations more D Bonau de prepara ad missam cap. 6. in fasciculario cap. 8. proper and more vsuall vvith which the soule hath to prepare it selfe to receaue this most diuine sacrament be the misteries of our Sauiours passion for one of the principall reasons of the institutiō of this sacrament was to the ende we shoulde alwaies haue present and liuely in our memory and affection the passion of Christ and all that which he did and suffered for vs and this is represented vnto vs in the mistery of the Masse and Communion and therefore a verie proper and fit preparation it is before communion to discourse by meditation vpon some of the principall misteries of his passion and to entertaine our selues for some time with attention in some one of them And from hence shall we also drawe as afterwardes shall be handled the holy acts of contrition feare thankes giuing loue and resignation of our selues in which thinges consisteth that deuotion which is necessary for the receauing of the holy communion very great reason there is that wee shoulde vndertake this so small a labor as attentiuelie to consider what our good Lorde suffered for our sake seeing him selfe vouchsafed to suffer for our loue and this meditation is so effectuall profitable that by it we doe dispose our selues to receaue
determined to serue God doe not seldome fall Concerning the first Many very effectuall be the reasons which ought to moue and invite all faithful christians to frequent the Sacraments that is to confesse themselues and communicate once in eight or fifteene daies or at least once a moneth For if they be such persons as God hath voutchsafed so to favour that since their last confession they haue not fallen into any mortall sinne very necessary it is for them so to doe both to preserue themselues in Gods grace to increase in the same and also in all other vertuous heavenly gifts to make themselues daiely more acceptable in the sight of God to be more fit instruments to set forth his glory to advance the good of his Church to make their salvation more certaine to lay vp the treasure of greater merits in eternall felicity to procure more light and strength both to know and overcome all the temptations deceipts of the enemies of our soule to doe the workes of vertue with greater facilitie and sweetnes to passe over this life with more peace and spirituall comfort to be at our death more assisted and holpen of God with plenty of heavenly succor and so finally to depart this life with more hope of salvation greater quiet and comfort of soule For these and such other like effects and singular commodities very necessary it is I say that the servant of God should often repaire to the sacraments For albeit since his last confession hee hath not fallen into any mortall sinne yet certaine it is that hee hath committed many veniall wherof some he doth know and others he doth not and yet for all that not to be excused because he might well haue known them and these veniall or small sinnes although they doe not spoile the soul of gods grace yet doe they great harme and put a man in such a case that he doth thereby fal the sooner into those that be mortall as else where hath beene handled Certaine In tract 4. cap. 24. likewise it is that a man is continually assaulted with daiely and divers tentations by the devill the world the flesh our corrupt nature which doe put him in great danger to fall into mortall sinne and many of them be secret and very perilous and therefore passing necessary it is that he should alwaies haue a remedy to deliver his soule from veniall sinnes and great neede he hath of daiely strength to resist all tentations great neede of the continuall dew of Gods grace from heaven to mitigate his wicked inclinations and all this doth he find in the holy Sacraments of confession communion if he do often frequent them And although it cannot be denied but that there bee other remedies for the purging of veniall sinnes so most certain it is that this of frequenting the Sacraments if it bee done as it ought is the best and most effectuall of all other Of the wonderfull effects which the blessed sacrament of the Altar worketh in them that doe frequent it S. Bernard giveth an excellent testimony these be his words The Ber. in ser de ce dom most pretious sacrament of the body of our Lord doth worke in vs two effects The one is that it doth diminish the sence of veniall sinnes and the other is that it doth wholy take away all consent to mortall sinnes And the holy man doth proue this to bee true by that experience which the servants of God doe find feele in their owne heartes to whome he doth there speake in this manner If any of you doe not now so often feele neither yet so greate motions as before time you did of anger of envie of carnality and other vices let him giue thankes to the body and bloud of Christ which hee receaveth in the holy sacrament because this is the effect thereof and let him take comfort therein for as much as God by this meanes doth cure and make sound the corruption of our nature Thus writeth S. Bernard And the selfe same thing is confest by all holy men and the generall councell of Trent doth confirm the same Ses 13. c. 8. declaring that the blessed Sacrament doth worke this in all such as receaue it with due preparation to wit that it doth deliver them from consenting to tentations pacifie their passions giue them victory over their enemies preserue and encrease thē in good life by giving force and strength for al these foresaid ends And from hence it commeth that in al cities townes where there be many that often repaire to the sacraments many there be also which all their life long continue in Gods grace without ever falling into any mortall finne And all ordinary ghostly fathers be witnesses of this trueth who find by experience that christian people doe receaue this great commoditye by frequenting the Blessed sacrament of the Aultar with devotion and a vertuous disposition These reasons aleadged are sufficient to perswade all good Catholicks though not guilty in their conscience of any mortall sin often to confes themselues and to communicat but if since their last being at cōfession they haue committed any deadly sin then besides the former reasons greater necessitye haue they streight waies and without delay to goe vnto the sacrament of Confession to witt that by meanes thereof they may come out of that damnable state and deliver themselus from all those mischiefes and harmes which from that kind of sin do growe as to be hated of God to liue in disgrace of the Blessed Trinity to bee abhorred of heavenly Maiesty and to be captiues and slaues to Sathan the prince of darkenesse to be subiect and obedient to his will and to lose the great value and merits of all the good works of their life past to be in apparant danger of falling into greater sins into greater blindnes and hardenesse of hart and finally into everlasting damnation From al these evils and mischiefs and many more annexed to these that man is delivered who after due preparation purgeth his soul streight waies by confession And although true it be that onely by contritiō with a purpose to confesse in time convenient a man may deliver himselfe from the state of mortall sin yet to haue contrition without helpe of the sacrament is an hard thing vnto which few doe attaine for as much as true contrition conteineth in it selfe a great hatred of sinne by reason wherof the soul doth in will abhorre and detest all mortall sinne more then all other evils in the world with all a firme purpose of amendmēt of life and so resolutely determineth never more to consent to any deadly sinne whatsoever neither for interest or commodity nor to avoide any paine or misery of this life and togither with this necessary it is that the principall thing which moveth a man to this hatred of sin and amendment of his life bee the loue of God aboue all thinges And because