Catholike Church S. Ambrol l. 4. de Sacra cap. 6. S. Thom. in Prosa lauda Sâ—â— S. Ambros lib. 4. de Sacra cap. 9. S. Thom in Prosa lauda Sion as it appeareth by the Canon of the Masse where like mention is made of this Sacrifice and that of Abel and of Abraham which is also confirmed by the testimony of Saint Ambrose who hath recorded the same Prayer in his writings and by Saint Thomas of Aquine in his Prose Lauda Sion and will be easily perceiued by the reference of the one to the other as of the Figure to the Truth it selfe In this Oblation Abraham offered the Sacrifice which he had made that is to say his sonne whom he had begotten in the Eucharist the Sonne of God offers his bodie which he himselfe formed in the wombe of the Virgin and which he maketh present vpon the Altar by his omnipotent word Abraham the Sacrificer offereth the Victime and Isaak also a liuely and reasonable Victime offereth himselfe in the Eucharist Iesus Christ offers himselfe who is both Priest and Sacrifice Sacrificer and Victime and that both liuing and reasonable Isaak being offered endured nothing in the Sacrifice but onely the Ramme in his â—â—ome the body of the Sonne of God endures no hurt in the Eucharist perseuering alwayes whole but onely the substance of bread and wine which cease to be after the words of Consecration and the visible species and accidents thereof which are subiect to alteration Isaak was not to be offered in any place indifferently neither was that left to the choyse of Abraham but in a chosen place and appointed expresly by God himselfe who spake thus to Abraham Gen. 22.2 Thon shalt offer thy sonne vnto me for an Holocaust in one of the Mountaines that I shall shew thee Iesus Christ also is offered onely in the Mountaine of the Church the Mountaine of Sion where hee raigneth and he is offered in such a place and on such an Altar as his Church taught by the holy Chost Psal 2.6 appointeth Thus haue we seene some draughts of the Figure which signifieth our truth let vs now see some others 2. THE HEIGHT OF THE MYSTERY OF the Eucharist signified by the Mountaine and by Abraham and how we are to approach vnto it THere are yet some circumstances in the Figure which teach vs other qualities of our Sacrament and Sacrifice The Mountaine teacheth vs how high a mystery it is for it is a familiar marke in the holy Scripture to shew thereby some diuine thing which is eleuated aboue the basenesse of common iudgement Exod. 20. So Moses receiued the Maiestie of the Law and the secrets of God in the Mountaine And so the Prophet exhorting the Preacher to lead a holy and contemplatiue life saith vnto him ascend vp to the Mountaine Thou that Euangelizest to Sion Esay 40.9 that is to say eleuate thy soule aboue earthly things and ascend the Mountaine of contemplation the better to declare the high Mountaine of Gods greatnesse Matth. 17. So our Sauiour transfigured himselfe on the Mount Thnbor so both himselfe and his Church is called a Mountaine And high Dan. 2.35 and spirituall things are signified by this circumstance of high places on earth As then the Sacrifice of Abraham was high and eminent in corporall situation so the greatnesse of our mystery is aduanced in spirituall highnesse and eleuated farre aboue earthly sense or humane iudgement and truely set in the top of Mount Sion being the most supreame and the most admirable of all the other Sacraments in the Church of God And in the same signification the two seruants of Abraham which represent our humane reason and vnderstanding remaine at the foot of the Mountaine sorrowfull and sadde as incapable of this Mystery And so likewise the Asse by the which is meant our corporall sense yet more vnapt to ascend the Mount of this diuine Mystery It is onely Abraham and Isaak that is to say spirits illuminated with a firme and liuely faith that haue their wings so strong as are able to flye so high pitch and to contemplate the eminency greatnesse and maiestie of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of the Sonne of God on the top of holy Sion But in mounting they must perseuer and walke on from home three dayes together carrying with them the Wood the Sword and the Fire to burne as Abraham and Isaak did before them These three dayes are the preparation of good workes which we ought to doe in the faith of the Trinity before we present our selues to the Altar and Table of this diuine Sacrifice The wood signifies to vs the matter of good purposes and holy desires wherewith we ought to kindle the fire vpon the holy Altar The Sword is the Word of God with which we ought to be armed for it is that which saith This is my body and can doe all that it saith If Nature make difficult to beleeue it if shee oppose against it sense or reason we ought to defend our selues with this diuine Word and fight manfully as Abraham did who beleeued that which Nature strongly disswaded and executed that which it abhorred The Fire of Abraham is the Charity wherewith our heart ought to burne heere more then in any other acte of Religion for this is a nuptiall feast a banâ—â—â— et of Loue addressed for the children of Abraham cloathed with the wedding garment and prepared only for you O faithfull soules Math. 22.12 which sigh holily and fight valiantly against the assaults of infidelitie and the counsell of the flesh Perseuer couragiously euen to the third day when God will lift you vp from this base earth to make you see his glory in the top of the high and celestiall Sion our true and assured dwelling THE FIFTH PICTVRE THE PASCHALL LAMBE The Description ALL is in darknesse now in Egypt Sap. 18 1â— and all things rest quietly in silence of a peaceable repose The Sunne whirling about vnder the earth is well-neare come to the Meridian Antipode and the night is now in the midst of his course in the Aegyptian Climate the Hebrewes haue taken some foure howres since their mysticall refection of the Paschall Lambe in euery Family according as they were appointed and shall continue so to doe euery yeere from henceforth vpon the same day and howre that is to say in the euening of the fourteenth day of the first month of their holy yeere beginning in March for their Ciuil yeere began in September The Ceremony is very strange Ioseph l. Antiâ— c. 4. Exod. 12.11 for hauing sprinkled the bloud of the beast on the thresholds and poastes of all their doores they haue eaten with vnleauened bread and wilde Lettice the Lambe roasted Exod. 12.8 disseuering the bones from his flesh without breaking any and made maruailous haste in eating euery one holding a staffe in his hand hauing their garments girt to their loynes
day as the ancient Figure was for Masse is said euery day The bloud is set vpon the Altar and offered to God in the Masse The flesh of the body of our Sauiour likewise is there eaten both by Priests and Lay people who in quality of Christians and faithfull people are all in some sort accounted Priests and Kings as Saint Peter calls them 1. Pet. 2.9 And for so much as they prepare themselues duely before they communicate by Penance and other workes of Piety they are male children of the Priestly Line as hauing manly and not effeminate soules though they be women and yong Virgins This flesh is eaten in a holy place that is to say in the house of God which is the Catholike Church and ordinarily in the place of Sacrifice and Prayer and if the sick eate it in their priuate houses it is alwaies in the circuit of the house of God And this flesh sanctifieth those who eat it purely and without being defiled with any mortall sinne 4. WHAT DIFFERENCE THERE IS BEtweene the Iudaicall Propitiatory Sacrifices and Sacraments and those of Christians THe Sacrifices of the Iewes offered for sinnes were Propitiatory and obtained pardon not by any vertue that wasin them for as Saint Paul saith Heb. 10. It is impossible that sinnes should be taken away by the bloud of Bulls and of Goats but by the Religion and piety of those which offered them protesting by them the faith and hope that they had in the Messias to come Iesus Christ After this manner God promised them grace saying of the deuout man Heuit â— Hee shall offer Sacrifice and the Priest shall pray for him and his sinne shall be forgiuen him They were then auaileable and obtained pardon by the faith and vertue of the Offerers who were acceptable to God but not of themselues sauing onely in Figure whereas the Sacrifice of the Eucharist which is the truth of them all containeth and giâ—â—â—h grace as doe all the Sacraments of the Law of Grace 〈◊〉 hauing beene instituted by the Author of Grace 〈◊〉 Christ and by the Mâ—ster himselfe in person and 〈◊〉 the mediation of Moses his seruant and the price of our redemption being paid in his pretious bloud it was but reason that they should haue in them the vertue which the former figured and that seeing the money was now paid in they should giue truely and indeed remission of sinnes Wherefore the Christians Sacraments doe giue grace of themselues and by their proper operation in vertue of the prerogatiue giuen to them by our Sauiour and hee which receiues them with good disposition receiueth profit by two wayes to wit by the Sacrament which he receiues and by his owne deuotion which hee brings with him whereas the Hebrewes had none but onely by the second way Their Sacraments were beneficiall as was the brazen Serpent in the Desart 〈◊〉 21. for it was not by its owne proper vertue that it did heale the biting of Serpents but from the faith of those which did behold it according as God had commanded it seruing onely for a signe to behold with their eyes and for an obiect of their faith in God by whom they were to be cured But ours are healthfull in the nature of a pretious Triacle against poyson which hath in it selfe the efficacy and strength of a soueraigne medicine and so entring into a prepared stomacke worketh a soueraigne effect for the health of the body In like manner the Sacraments of the Law of Iesus Christ haue in themselues vertue to saue as Baptisme Penance and other Sacraments instituted for the remission of sins wash sinnes out of the soule and bring grace by their very action it selfe And principally the Eucharist containing the Creator of Grace Iesus Christ The other Sacraments hauing onely the fruit this is both the Tree and the Apples The others giuing flowing streames but this the Fountaine it selfe The Eucharist also in as much as it is a Sacrifice obtaines pardon of the Diuine bounty for him for whom it is offered For the body of Christ is so precious in Gods sight and God hath been so much glorified by it that it cannot bee presented to him vpon the Altar but it will procure fauour and grace especially the chiefe presenter being the proper person of his Sonne himselfe in whom he is well pleased and to whom he can deny nothing the Priests are but the visible Vicars and Mediators of the action The Gift and the Giuer the Offering and the Offerer is one and the same infinitely agreeable to the eyes of the diuine Maiesty The Eucharist then is a Propitiatory Sacrifice figured by that of the Iewes in the manner as hath been said 5. TESTIMONIES OF THE ANCIENT FAthers both Latine and Greeke teaching the Sacrifice of the Masse to bee a Propitiatory Sacrifice SAint AVGVSTINE By many ancient Sacrifices S. Aug. ep 57. which were offered for sinne this Sacrifice was signified which giueth indeed true remission of sinnes The bloud of which Sacrifice not onely is not forbidden as in those of the Law but presented to all the world and all are inuited to drinke it And in his booke of the City of God he writeth S. Aug. l. 20. de Ciuit. Deic 25. That in the Church Sacrifices are offered for sinne and shall bee vntill the day of Iudgement but not after because then there shall be none to whom sinnes can be remitted And in a Sermon which he hath made of the Innocents speaking of the Altar where Priests say Masse Idem Serm. de Innocent There saith he is powred foorth the bloud of Iesus Christ for sinners Saint AMBROSE speaking of the Eucharist Iesus Christ offereth himselfe as Priest for the remission of our sins S. Ambros lib. 1. Offic. cap. 48. And in his Exhortations to Virgins he calleth that which is offered on the Altar An healthfull Hoast Idem in Exhort ad Vâ—g by the which the sinnes of the world are taken away Saint CYPRIAN S. Cyprian de Coeâ—â— Dem. in a Scrmon saith That the Eucharist is an Holocaust for the purging of our iniquities Saint HIEROME S. Hieroâ—an c. 1 â—pist ad â—it If men command the Lay people to abstaine from the company of their wiues that they may pray the better what ought men to thinke of the Bishop which offers to God euery day the Victims without spot for his own sins and the sinnes of the people Saint CHRYSOSTOME S. Chrysost lib 6. 〈…〉 The Priest as Embassadour and Oratour makes intercession to God for all to the end to make him mercifull not onely to the sinnes of the liuing but also of the departed And in his Lyturgie or forme of saying Masse Idem in Lyturg. H. stâ—a 〈…〉 3. in ep ad â—pâ—â— he prayes to God thus Make vs fit to present to thee gifts and Sacrifices for our sinnes and for the ignorances of the people and oftentimes calleth the Eucharist
Iewes saith the Euangelist contend amongst themselues saying How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate Iesus said vnto them Verily verily I say vnto you if you eate not the flesh of the Sonne of Man and drink not his bloud you shall not haue life in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinke my bloud he hath life eternall and I will raise him vp at the last day For my flesh is meate indeed and my bloud it drinke indeed who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud he dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuing Father hath sent mee and I liue by the Father Hee that eateth mee hee also shall liue by mee This is the bread that came downe from heauen not as your Fathers did eate Manna and died hee that eateth this bread shall liue for euer I hese are the words of our Sauiour The Apostles and they which did beleeue in him are ranished but there are others that haue deafe eares and grosse conceits iudging amisse of his words rashly taking scandal at the mystery which they vnderstood not â—on 6.60 and murmuring said This is a hard saying who can abide to heare it But Iesus Piercing their thoughts and secret murmurings corrected them said vnto them Doth this scandalize you if then you shall see the Son of Man ascend where he was before it is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profileth nothing the words that I haue pinken to you bee Spirit and Life So hee endeauoureth to make them capable but they notwithstanding remaine still blind and obstinate in their misbeleefe and got themselues out of his company Behold you how they wrinkle their fore heads in going away and looke behinde them These are carnall and ouerweyning people beleeuing nothing which comes not vnder the comprehension of their sense These are the Patriarches of all those which make warre against the Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour 1. WHEREFORE OVR SAVIOVR MADE a Sermon of the Eucharist before hee anstituted it THe Painter who knoweth how to dispose well of his worke hee hath in hand endeauours amongst other things to ioyne dexteriously the beginnings to their ends and so to smooth the knots of parts disagreeing that nothing appeare hard or constreined in the connexion but all to be aptly guided and brought to an end with due proportion of draught and colour The supreame Wisdome Master of Sciences and Artes obserued this law in all his creatures And it is vsuall with him Sap. S. 1. 11.12 to reach in his strength from end to end and to gouerne all things sweetly and to dispose them in measure in number and in weight According to this rule he continueth the course of this mouable world coupling extremities with their extremities by conuenient meanes So hee made the day to succeed the night by interposing of the morning and the night to the day by the euening neighbour to both the Sommer to Winter by the Spring comming betweene and the Winter to Sommer by interposing of Autumne and so in all his other workes of this world When the Sonne of God Soueraigne Wisdome had decreed in the Councell of his Father and of the holy Ghost to marry one day the greatnesse of his Diuinity to the littlenesse of our Nature and resolued at the same time to bestow also vpon vs as well for food as ransome the body which he had taken of Adams Posterity he began euen then by little and little to ordaine these Figures which we haue hitherto runne ouer and other such like which are in his booke making as it were the first preparations for this Feast which was to follow And being at length made Man and the time being come when he was to fulfill the verity of them and to couer the holy table with the food of his pretious flesh hee made a wonderfull proofe vpon the bread Matth. 14.21 Iohn 5.10 as we haue seene and incontinently after he preached this excellent Sermon which was as it were a generall proclamation of the banquet colouring by the brightnesse of a famous miracle and by his liuely voice those Characters of the old Figures and ioyning the Images past to the Verity present by the interposition thereof before the full accomplishment of his worke The selfe-same method vsed hee for preparatioÌ„ to the faith of other mysteries of his death of his Resurrection of his Ascension of the comming of the holy Ghost of Baptisme and of other Sacraments For besides the ancient Figures of them which he ordained long before he made many discourses a little before they were effected and the Sacraments themselues were instituted Wherefore this Sermon was as it were the connexion of things passed to things present of the shadow to the body and as a speaking morning declaring the comming of the Sacrament of the Altar which is the summe of all the other mysteries in the Church of God 2. THE FIRST CAVSE WHY OVR SAuiour would giue his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke which was to shew his goodnesse THe first cause why our Sauiour would giue his flesh to eate his bloud to drinke is for as much as he is admirably good exceedingly liberall towards vs as hath been often already declared He tooke his body of vs and because he did that for vs he will in ploy it vpon vs and giue it vs againe like a magnificent Lord as many wayes as a body might profitably be ginen and imployed to wit for a price for food for vnion and signe of amity Hee which giues a pearle of great value to redeeme his friend from captiuity giues it as a price he that sets some delicate fruit vpon the table doth it that it may be eaten and the husband which giues himselfe in mariage giues his body that by vnion hee may become one flesh with his wise and the ring which hee leaues departing from her is a pledge of his loue Our Sauiour gaue his body on the Crosse for our redemption and thereby paid the tribute due to the diuine Iustice for the Ransome of mankinde he giues the same body in the Table of his Sacrament as a nuptiall Feast for meat vnto vs for to make a diuine vnion with vs and for a pledge of his loue Then the master and chiefe cause why he gaue vs his flesh to eat and his bloud to drinke is his boundy his liberality and his infinite loue 3. THE SECOND CAVSE TO GIVE A remedy to our misery THe second cause why our Sauiour did giue vs his body to eate is our miserable condition which out of his exceeding loue to vs he was desirous to repaire as hee hath in ample maner by the gift of his body For by communicating vnto vs his diuine flesh and deified bloud he hath both performed the part of a true Father and of a naturall Mother towards his children and withall hee hath wisely and effectually repaired all the breaches of our spirituall
ruine and procured the restauration and health of our soules and bodies by remedies directly opposite to our diseases The Father giueth all that he can to his childe engendered of his seed The mother nourisheth and brings her childe vp with her owne milke which is also a part of the substance of her body and both meate and drinke to the childe Our Sauiour who regenerated vs in his bloud by Baptisme is wholly bestowed vpon vs in giuing vs his body for by concomitance we haue together with it his soule and his Diuinity to the which it is inseparably vnited And of this dainty food he giues vs not a part onely but his whole body and his whole bloud each of which is both true meate and true drinke vnto vs. By meat he lost vs by meat he repaired vs. The first meate was forbidden vnder paine of death Matth. â—â— â—6 Iohn 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not eate of the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill for looke what day thou shalt eat of it thou shalt die The second meat is commanded with promise of life Take eate who eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud he hath life eternall The first was really eaten by disobedience and killed vs. The second is really eaten by obedience and quickens vs. The poyson was truely swallowed downe the Antidote or counter-poyson also is truely taken and not by Figure The flesh of the first Adam by geueration drew vs to death and confusion the flesh of our Sauiour second Adam receiued by manducation brings vs to life and nourisheth vs to immortalitie and eternall glory 4. TWO BAD VNIONS OF THE FLESH of Adam with our soule repaired by the flesh of our Sauiour BVT behold the maine point of opposition betweene the flesh of our Sauiour and that of Adam The flesh of Adam is the spring of all our miseries by reason of two vnions wherewith it ioynes it selfe to our soule the one is naturall and made in the wombe of our mother by necessity the other morall and made my our owne free-wil when the soule followeth the appetites of this corrupted flesh of Adam The first vnion is the blow that first wounded vs to death 〈…〉 For by it we are begotten in iniquity and conceiued in sin according to the saying of King Dauid and become defiled in the first instant of our conception branded with the marke of originall malediction enennes of our Creator separated from him and at war within our seiues for wee bring with vs the Schedule of rebellion and the fource of cruell warre which this masse of corruption incessantly stirreth vp against our soules casting darknesse of ignorance into our vnderstanding fier of concupiscence into our will and forgetfulnesse of heauen and of other future things into our memory The same vnion is also cause that the spirits of men are multiplied and at diuision amongst themselues for looke how many bodies are begotten of the flesh and seed of Adam so many soules are created to be vnited to those bodies and to giue them life and as the children of Adam disser in bodies so by meanes of this generation they are also of different spirits The second vnion of this flesh with the soule encreaseth and maketh worse the euills which came from the first For the soule by loue being vnited to her flesh and following the sensual appetites thereof forgetting heauen and liuing in the vanities and voluptuousnesse of the earth is so much more made enemie of God and banished from his friendship as shee yeelds her selfe peruerse and so much more also diuided in her selfe enduring a continuall tyranny of our flesh to whom shee is made slaue by this voluntary vnion and of whom shee is arrogantly vexed and pricked forward to commit new sinnes which are to her soule so many executioners which giue her torment at euery moment This vnion also diuideth men amongst theÌ„selues for euery one seeking the coÌ„modities of his owne flesh and giuing himselfe to vice loues none but himselfe his proper commodities his honors riches and voluptuous pleasures hating and persecuting at those that do hinder him in them whether they be good or bad And from thence doe spring dissentions warres and all excesse of enuy whoredome couetousnesse and such like sinnes which are committed in the world Behold then how the first vnion of the flesh of Adam with our soules is the spring And the second the fulnesse of all our euills diuiding vs from God from our selues in our felues and amongst our selues for an Antidote and counterpoyson of this flesh and those pernitious effects thereof the second Adam Iesus Christ affoords vs his owne flesh endued with contrary qualities and worker of contrary operations For the flesh of the first Adam is foule infected and pestilent that of the second Adam pure holy Virgin like and in one word flesh of God The flesh of Adam produced from a filthy seed and ioyned with our soule makes vs the children of Adam the flesh of our Sauiour begotten of a Virgin by the worke of the holy Ghost and giuen vs for to be vnited with vs and to vnite vs to God makes vs the children of God not by necessity of generation but by acts of deuotion ordained by meanes of this vnion not onely to cherish to nourish and beautifie our soules but also to repaire the defects of our bodies to correct their wicked inclinations to extinguish their concupiscences to purge and refine them to the likenesse of his owne and to sow in them the seed of glorious immortalicy And albeit this vnion be not naturall as the vnion of body and soule yet is it notwithstanding reall true and most intrinsecall after the manner of meate and drinke and of a holy and diuine mariage by the which wee are made one Spirit with God By the mediation of this flesh of his Sonne vnited to ours wee are also vnited in our selues our sanctified flesh obeying thereby the Law of the Spirit and finally we are voited euen one with another and made one Spirit and one body vnder our chiefe Soueraigne Iesus Christ by the vertuall knot of his pretious flesh which euery one receiueth in this Sacrament Behold you the opposite effects By the flesh of Adam wee are made sinners separated from God both in spirit and in body our bodies are multiplied and likewise our spirits in the same proportion with the bodies men are diuided amongst themselues by enmities arising from the loue of the flesh and euery man is diuided in himselfe his flesh rebelling to the spirit By the flesh of our Sauiour all these inconueniences are repaired as with admirable wisdome so with aboundant grace Of this meate then giuen as a counter-poyson against the first meat and of this sacred vnion in remedy of that which diuided vs. Did our Sauiour heere Preach This is the sense and the end of his diuine Sermon Iohn 6.48 for calling it the brend of life the lining bread that came downe
from heauen and saying That this bread is his flesh which he will giue for the life of the world He declareth that he will giue his body for our food and redemption And adding after He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euer lasting and I will rasse him vp at the last day for my flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Hee signified the effects of this meate contrary to the effects of the meate of Adam The meate of Adam cause of death a deadly morsell an carthly food a food of anguish The meate of our Sauiour spring of life bread of life bread from heauen flesh of ioyfulnesse and of resurrection When he said Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him He sheweth that he giues his flesh for this vnion for a bond of amity and perpetuall pledge of his loue towards vs. Hee hath then giuen his body in this life for our good as many waies as it could be giuen for our redemption for our meat for our remedy for a pledge vnto vs to deliuer vs to nourish vs. to heale vs and to comfort vs and will giue it in heauen to glory for vs. Hath he giuen sufficiently is he sufficiently liberall to giue himselfe so liberally and at so many time and by so many wayes on earth and to promise himselfe vnto vs yet another way in heauen And are not wee exceedingly vngratefull in not acknowledging his goodnesse no lesse vniust in not giuing our selues to him that haue nothing but from him And most ingratefull in making no better vse of his gifts ordained to vnite our selues vnto him and amongst our selues for the attaining of life euerlasting What hath this diuine Spouse done What hath he inuented What doth he not What hath he not deuised to gaine the loue of a faithfull soule And what doe we In what doe we employ our selues to gaine his loue And who is it of whom this Prince so infinitly rich mighty and beautifull is so much inamored but of a poore caytiffe and deformed creature whom he would enrich nobilitate and beautifie to make him worthy of his Kingdome And how would he seeke to purchase by so many meanes the loue of such a creature if he were not goodnesse it selfe O infinit Goodnesse infinit Wisdome infinite Power fulnesse Make our soules holily inamored of thy beauty enlighten them with the diuine beames of thy celestiall knowledge and make them worthy of thy sacred loue 5. PRIDE AND LICENTIOVSNES ENEmies of Faith and the first aduersaries of the holy Sacrament PRide and sensuality are vncapable to vnderstand the wonders of God and vnworthy to receiue his benefits Wee haue heard the diuine promises of our Sauiour speaking of the eating of his flesh and of the euerlasting fruits thereof heere was cause to wonder at the height of the mystery and liberality of the Giuer and good occasion to say as Saint Peter a little after wondering said Thou bast the words of eternall life Iohn 6.63 They were heere neuerthelesse who in stead of being lifted vp in admiration were strucke downe to death by the words of life because pride and sense had made them bad hearers of the truth enemies of the light and vnable to behold further then humane iudgement could reach In so much as though truth it selfe did speake vnto them they murthered themselues by the voice of truth thinking that eyther he could not doe as he promised and giue his flesh to eate or that if hee could doe it it should be a very inhumane and barbarous act They vnderstood of flesh saith S. Augustine as if one should dismember a dead body or as men sell it in the market S. August Trust 27. in Ioan. in Psal 98. and flesh vnderstood not what it was he called flesh They thought that our Sauiour would cut his body into little bits and serue it to the table boyled and dressed as the body of a beast and standing vpon the bulwarke of their carnall imaginations and pushed forward by the spirit which blindes the soule in stead of being edified they were scandalized and became perfidious in their heart rude in their thought and blasphemers in their language and did say How can this man giue vs his flesh to cate Behold Iohn 6.52.60 a hard saying and who can endure it By the first question they did shew their incredulity not perswading themselues that our Sauiour could accomplish that which he did promise by the second they made their pride appeare condemning our Sauiour as if he intended to commit an horrible crime by killing himselfe and giuing mans flesh to eare if he should be able to doe that which he said People extreamely blinded with pride and sensuality for they had seene a little before a thousand of miracles done by the hand of our Sauiour and beleeued them without asking How And in stead of learning by those so many rare workes to beleeue more easily they heere aske How more incredulous then euer But why are they now so little obedient to the voice of our Sauiour Why were they not before more scrupulous and wary Wherfore did they not as well aske how he made the blinde to see the lame to walke the diuels to flye and of the fresh miracle how hee satisfied fiue thousand men with fiue Loaues and two Fishes Heere their How had been much more to purpose and more pertinent for they might haue vnderstood thereby that he did these things in the authority power of a Master Al-wise and Al-mighty and this knowledge would haue perswaded them that hee could powerfully and wisely accomplish this which hee so manifestly did promise of his flesh although it seemed impossible and absurde to their sense and iudgement But what will you They were proud and their pride had made them to lose the memory of what was past and bound their eyes not to see the truth present nor to fore-see the truth to come and in one word did make them obstinately erronious that is to say Heretikes Behold the first controulers the first persecutors and first Herenkes stirred vp against the truth of this holy Sacrament behold the first authors of Quomodo How out of which mould the Diuell hath shaped all the rest which sithence haue conspired against God for to assault the mysteries of his Church by Quomodo and by How and namely to shake this heere as the most high and most repugnant to their senfuality It was pride and the flesh that made them mutiners and rebels against the doctrine of Iesus Christ and presumptuous to comdemne that which they vnderstood not So the Arrians mocked at the Catholike faith concerning the generation of the Sonne of God whilest they would vnderstand that which they could not and would not beleeue that which they should to wit that God had begotten a Sonne Psal 3.7 Psal 109.1 and in stead of saying Christianlike I beleeue
and food bestowing vpon her his Humanity and Diuinitie giuing himselfe and all that he is and that in a manner so diuine and so agreeable to our infirmity That which he did for Elias was it any more then a Picture a representation and a shadow compared to the liuely Image to the truth and to the Body Who shall then O Lord be able to vtter yea or to conceiue thy wisdome in this Bread thy omnipotent greatnesse in this mystery thy infinite mercy in this Feast And what can seeble mortall creatures doe but fumble in speaking and admire in silence the height of thy Councells and the sweetnesse of thy Graces and thanke thee from the bottome of their hearts in humbly confessing their owne insufficiency THE TENTH PICTVRE THE PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE The Description THE Iewish Priest commeth to offer the yearely Propitiatory Sacrifice Leuit. 4.6.7 there with to appease God and obtaine of him grace and pardon for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the people One of them hath caried the bloud of the Victime to the Altar of Perfumes placed before the doore of the Sanctuary called Holy of Holies where the Arke of God is and the flesh of that Victime together with the head and skinne was consumed with fier out of the City of Ierusalem no body eating thereof They that burnt it wash themselues without the gates of the Towne for that according to the Law they were reputed vncleane by this seruice and could not enter againe into the company of their brethren vntill they were purified by the water of Expiation There is also in this Picture represented another Sacrifice for sinne but in ceremonies much differing from the former For this is iterated daily and the bloud of the Victime is not carried into the Sanctuary but is offered vpon the Altar of Holocausts in a basen of gold as you see The men of the Priestly linage doe eate in this roome apart the flesh of the Hoast and are sanctified whereas in the other Sacrifice all was consumed by fier and they were vncleane which burnt it as hath been said There is not any woman neither any vncleane man admitted to this banquet for the Law receiued none but men and those sanctified 1. THREE KINDS OF SACRIFICES VVEE haue said elsewhere that there were three kindes of Sacrifices obscurely practised in the Law of Nature and expresly ordained in that of Moses The first was the Sacrifice of Holocaust the second of thanksgiuing the third Propitiatory for the appeasing of God In this last Sacrifice three kindes of beasts might lawfully be offred Bulls sheepe or Goats and three kinds of birds Pigeons Sparowes or Turtles All of them figured either the Sacrifice of the Crosse or that of the Masse or both together The first then of which mention is made in the present Picture signified manifestly the Sacrifie of the Crosse and the second that of the Eucharist Let vs see the resemblance betweene them 2. OF THE PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE which Properly signifies that of the Crosse IF we attentiuely consider the Figure wee shall easily see the resemblance it hath with the truth The first Propitiatory Sacrifice was offered but once a yeare and no more painting forth thereby the one onely Sacrifice of the Crosse Leuit. 25.10.11 Luke 4.19 which was offered but once in the yeare of our Sauiour that is to say during his life which was the yeare and time of the true Iubily of our Lord and so offered as it might neuer be reiterated This is Saint Pauls discourse writing to the Hebrewes In this will saith he we are iustified by the Oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once made And afterwards hauing shewed that the Iewish Priests could not take away sin with their bloudy Sacrifices he addeth Hebr. 10 10 But Iesus Christ hauing offered one Hoast for sins sâ—teth now for euer at the right hand of God This Sacrifice then could not be reiterated our Sauior hauing so triumphed ouer death as he could die no more neither was it necessary The second circumstance was that in this yearely Sacrifice the bloud of the Victime of Propitiation was carried and set vpon the Altar of Incense seated before the Sanctuary a Figure of heauen as Saint Paul allegoriseth The bloud of our Sauiour also that is to say the price of his bloud was carried vp to heauen and set before the eyes of God Who in consideration of that bloud shed for men to his honor giues them pardon of their sinnes if it bee not long of themselues Thirdly the flesh of the Victime was all consumed in the sier with the head and skinne without the Campe whilest they were in the Desart or without Hierusalem after it was chosen for the place of Sacrifice Our Sauiour was crucified on Mount Caluary out of Hierusalem his body burnt by three fiers and consumed euen to death by the fier of his infinit loue which made him a voluntary Victime to his Father for our sinnes by the fier of our sins themselues which caused him to die by the fier of those reproaches blaspemies and torments which hee endured in his Passion And it was easie to see how his skinne felt this fier when it was cruelly torne with whips as also his head crowned with thornes and his sacred visage defiled with spittle Finally none of those which sacrificed did eate of this Propitiatory Sacrifice no man also did eate of this And they that did burne the flesh of the ancient Victime were vncleane and were to purifie themselues in the water of Expiation before they came againe into the City They also which did put our Sauiour to death became thereby abominable in the sight of God and if they would enter into the City of Hierusalem which is his Church they were first to be purified by the water of Baptisme Behold from point to point and tittle to tittle the Figure accomplished in the Sacrifice of the Crosse which hath truely wiped away our sinnes and giueth abeundant grace of peace and Propitiation so it be applied as God hath ordained that is by the Sacraments but aboue all by the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the Eucharist 3. THE SECOND KIND OF PROPITIAtory Sacrifice a Figure of the Eucharist NO doubt but as the first kinde of Propitiatory Sacrifice was accomplished in the Oblation of the Crosse so the second was fulfilled in some other For if nothing passed in the olde Law were it neuer so little which our Sauiour was not to fulfill in the Law of Grace and if he himselfe hath so often protested that hee would accomplish all the Law euen to the least tittle and that heauen and earth should passe Matth. 5.18 Luke 16.17 before one tittle thereof should be left vnperfected who dare thinke that so remarkable a Sacrifice as this hath not been fulfilled according to all the circumstances thereof And surely the accomplishment of it is manifestly seene in the Eucharist which is iterated euery
of our Sauiour in the first preparation of this Feast so he hath also raised vp others to disturbe and stoppe the proceedings and fruit thereof already prepared These are they which in this last age do impugne the honor and magnificence of this Feast taking from it the substance and truth saying that the flesh of our Sauiour is not heere but onely a Figure thereof and that there is heere no reall eating of the flesh of our Sauiour present which they call carnall but onely spirituall by the meanes of saith alone which makes the body of our Sauiour spiritually present and eateth it spiritually These people are carnall as well as the Capharnaits and puffed vp with the same blast of pride oâ—erthrowing the truth but by a contrary battery The Capharnaits did interpret the words of our Sauiour altogether fleshly and these men altogether spiritually those were in one extremity beleeuing nothing but flesh these are in another extremity admitting nothing but spirit and both the one and the other not willing to acknowledge but what their fancies tells them and therefore are carnall faithlesse and proud though after a different manner The sensuality of the later in particular doth shew it selfe in that they thinke it a carnall thing that the flesh of our Sauiour should be present in the Sacrament their incredulity is in this that they will not beleeue the word of God who said that hee would truely giue his flesh to eate their pride in that they preferred the iudgement of their sense before his Word and condemne the ordinance of our Sauiour albeit they make faire shewes of defending the same They erre then in three things First in thinking the presence of the flesh of our Sauiour in this Sacrament to be carnall for the presence of a thing makes not the carnality but the manner his flesh was trutly and by reall presence conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Yet was not that presence carnall because the manner of the conception was from the holy Ghost When he ascended into beauen his body was present in as many places of the beauens as he did penetrate the presence was reall but neuerthelesse spirituall because it depended of a cause spirituall and diuine and not naturall When he made himselfe seene to Saint Paul he was present and his presence was true and reall yet spirituall that is to say not after an ordinary and naturall manner Euen so the flesh of our Sauiour is really present in the Eucharist yet not carnally as common flesh is present vpon the table but by transubstantiation by a way about nature by the all powerfull word of our Sauiour It is there inuisible impalpable immorrall and inconsumptible and so spiritually and so diuinely that nothing but the eyes of faith can perceiue it and because these heere haue not but the eyes of their flesh and carnall iudgement therefore they deny this presence and same another according to the blindnesse of their flesh against the truth and leaue the true faith by an imaginary no faith and are blockish and infidels in their sensuall faith 8. CONTRADICTIONS OF HERETIKES in their false and imaginary faith THe same Heretikes inwrap themselues in contradiction denying on the one side the flesh of our Sauiour to be really present in the Eucharist and saying on the other side that it is there by Spirit and faith For if it bee not really there it cannot bee present by Spirit and by faith for as much as no strength neither of the Spirit nor of Faith doth make a thing present that is absent Neither faith nor the Spirit makes that the Hebrewes at this present doe passe the red sea or eate Manna in the Desart or that Iosua now doth stay the Sunne or that our Sauiour is now conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin or that he now riseth from death or ascends into heauen or that hee comes now to iudge the liuing and the dead though it beleeue all this if these men answere that faith imagineth these things as present albeit they bee absent they confesse that as the presence of these things is but imagination so the faith which they haue of the presence of the flesh of our Sauiour in the Sacrament is imaginary and that they cate it not but by imagination Like vnto them who sleeping dreame that they make good cheare and yet make no good cheare but in their fancie Such faith is not the faith that makes a faithfull man in this point neither is such sustenance truely sustenance neither such meate truely meate it is a faith a refection a meate of fancie Now our Sauiour said Iohn 6. that his flesh is meat indeed and his bloud drinke indeed then the faith or rather no faith of these men is a carnall infidelity and a froward imagination contrary to the faith of God They are the children of the Catholike Church which by faith doe eate indeed the body of our Sauiour that is to say in a spirituall manner as it hath been said and with the faith required thereunto by the which they doe beleeue the word of God beleeuing that his body is there present as his word saith beleeuing that they take it really and eate it really as he hath promised beleeuing that he could doe that which he said and that he doth nothing which is contrary to his goodnesse and wisdome And as their faith is farthfull so their eating is true and contrariwise the eating practised by these Heretikes in their Supper is altogether carnall for they take nothing heere more excellent then bread and neither doe they eath but bread nor beleeue any thing but what the faith of a Turke of a Iew and of a Pagan all carnall could not beleeue For what difficulty had there been to beleeue the presence of a morsell of bread that they see taste and perceiue by their sense to be so 9. THE LITERALL SENSE FOVNDAtion of others against the same Heretikes THese good people therefore lose themselues in the by-wayes of their spirituality for willing to interpret the flesh of our Sauiour and his bloud and all this eating spiritually according to their owne sense saying that men cate not this flesh but by Spirit and by faith alone they leaue the proper and fundamentall vnderstanding of the words of our Sauiour and take onely a metaphoricall one against the law of all good Diuinity which first ought to vnderstand and establish the literall and proper sense of the Scripture and after vpon that foundation to ground the spirituall For example the Scripture saith Gen. 2. Exod. 14. Iud. 15. 1. Reg. 17. that God planted an carthly Paradise that the Hebrewes did passe the red Sea that Sampson tyed Foxes by the tayles that Dauid did sight in single combate with Goliah and such like things if euery one would so spiritualize these histories that they would deny the literall truth and say that earthly Paradise is no other thing but the Church the red
Sea Baptisme Sampsons Foxes the Heretikes Golish the enemy of mankinde Danid Iesus Christ and that there is no other thing meant thereby he should make a spirituall fense indeed but should ouerthrow the ground of the history and commit Sacrilege against the Scripture which writeth the foresaid things as truly performed they should do in this as the Priscillianists did long since who did allegorize according to their fantasie all the passages and literall senses of the Scripture which were against their Herefie S. August lib. de Hares 70. as writeth S. Augustine In like manner these heere allegorize and say that there is nothing heere but a spirituall and mysticall eating of the flesh of our Saulour Iohn 6. For since that our Sauiour hath said that his flesh is meate indeed and his bloud drinke indeed and that who so eateth his slesh shall haue eternall life we must necessarily suppose a reall eating of a reall thing adde the spirituall allegoricall afterwards We sinde indeed in the Scriptures the word Lion put for the Diuell 1. 〈◊〉 18. Matth. 7.15 and the word Woulse for a faise prophet These are metaphoricall and spirituall significations but the same words are placed elswhere in their proper vsage and do signifie beasts and out of a resemblance of these words in their proper signification they are translated to signifie the Diuell and false Prophets Wherefore if there bee heere an eating of the flesh of our Sauiour all spirituall that is to say which is done onely by the Spirit without any reall taking of that flesh it is necessary to finde a proper and reall ground foundation thereof the which reall eating cannot bee but in the Eucharist containing really the flesh and bloud of our Sauiour true and proper meat true and proper drinke But is it not a carnall vnderstanding to admit a reall eating of the flesh of our Sauiour Yes doubtlesse if we should vnderstand as did the Capharnaiâ—s an humane and sensuall eating but the manducation which the Catholike Church teacheth and which we haue declared is reall indeed but spirituall but diuine and full of wonderous effects testimonies of the powerfulnesse goodnesse and wisdome of the Creator And when the ancient Fathers refute the carnall eating they neuer meane this heere but onely that which the Capharnalts did forge to themselues and which our Sauiour doth correct by the words we haue expounded as they sufficiently testifie of themselues For as often as the Fathers speak of this carnall eating they propose the Capharnaits as authors of that fond imagination and doe also pâ—â—nely shew that the eating of which our Sauiour did preach is of the reall flesh of him though the manner of taking be spirituall Let vs cite one or two for all Saint HILLARY S. Mill. 〈◊〉 8. de Trin. It is our Sauiour that said my flesh is mâ—â—te indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Who shall 〈◊〉 my flesh and drinke my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him Heere is no occasion to doubt of the truth of the flesh and bloud of our Sauiour for according to his word and according to our faith it is flesh indeed 〈◊〉 bloud indeed and those things taken and drunke by vs make that we are in Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ in vs. Is not this the â—â—th to them let it not be true which doe not beleene that Iesus Christ is true God He would say that the words of our Sauiour ought to be taken in their liuely and literall signification The same faith Saint AVGVSTINâ— Wee haue heard saith he the true Master the diâ—ine Rodâ—â—â—â—r and the Sauiour of mankinde recommending vnto vs his bloud our price He hath spoken to vs of his body and of his 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 said that his â—â—dy is 〈◊〉 and his bloud deinke when recommending to vs such meat and such drinke he said If you eate not my flesh and drinke not my bloud you shall 〈◊〉 haue life 〈◊〉 you And who could say this of life but Life himselfe Phâ—â— then shall bee deâ—â— to him and not life who shall thinke Life to be a lyer That is to say whosoever shal think that our Sauiour cannot or will not gine his flesh and his bloud as his words did fignifie he is an Insidell 〈◊〉 shall â—â—e and be damned for 〈◊〉 The other Doctors speake after the same manner that those two beere doe 10. TWO KINDES OF COMMVNION THE one Spirituall the other Sacramentall THe ancient Fathers haue clearely acknowledged an eating altogether spiritual of the flesh of our Sauiour which is done in hearing the Masse in meditating vpon the greatnesse of this banquot in taking the flesh of our Sauiour onely by sight by desire and by dâ—uotion But they haue deliuered thâ—â— doctrine without preiudice to that other which you haue heard for they haue euer beleeued and esteemed this reall eating which by proper name they haue called Sacramentall and haue preserâ—ed it before the other when it is holily done as also they haue preferted the Spirituall alone before the Sacramentall if it be not done with due preparation Rightly iudging that it is better to heate Masse deuoutly and contemplate the mysteries of this meate and communicate in â—b is spirituall maner then to communicate with a consciousâ— defiled with morâ—â—ll finno and by fiâ—â— to pâ—ophane the table of our Lord. And this Sacramentall eating though it bee reall ceaseth notto be spirituall because the 〈…〉 is supernaturall and diuiâ—e as hath been 〈…〉 is called Sacramentall for distinctions sake because heere men take the Sacrament The other simply bears the name of Spirituall because it is only done by Spirit without receiuing really the flesh of our Sauiour This Spirituall communion properly is but deuotion towards the Sacrament as the Sacramental is the reall receiuing of the Sacrament the which ought for an vnseparable companion alwayes to haue the Spirituall for otherwise it profiteth nothing and hurteth exceedingly much whereas the Spiritual may be profitable without the Sacramentall The children of God vse both sorts for they communicate both Sacramentally and Spiritually but the mis-beleeuers are depriued of both For denying the presence of the body of our Sauiour they take away the heart of the Sacrament and depriue themselues of the Sacramentall communion and not hauing the true faith of the Sacrament they cannot communicate spiritually For without faith no holy Spirit quickeneth no Sacrament profitath so that still they remaine carnall in their fancie as the Capharnaits did in theirs 11. OF THE DIVINE WISDOME AND goodnesse of God in this Sacrament and of the folly and ingratitude of men BVt before wee turne away our face from beholding this Picture let vs a little fixe the eyes of our vnderstanding vpon the contemplation of this diuine Widome preaching to vs of the communion of his flesh and vpon our owne basenesse not knowing how to acknowledge the sweetnesse of his diuino benefits On the one side let vs
the humility of our sense and iudgement which in this Mystery is altogether blinde so often we purchase new strength and new grace to beleeue the omnipotencie of our God And herehence it is that the holy Fathers S. Iustin S. Ireneus S. Chrysostoms S. Iustin Apol. 2. S. Iren. l. 4. c. 34. S. Chrysost bom 16. ad Pap. Annâ— bom 83. in Maâ—â—h S. Ambros lib. 4 â—â—it mist c â—9 9 S. Cyprian lib. 〈◊〉 Corn. Dom. S. August in Psal 33. S. Ambrose S. Cyprian S. Agustine and other Doctors so often as they either speake or write of the Eucharist alwayes inculcate with vs the Almightie power of God and obiect it to Heretikes as a certaine Marke of his powerfulnesse And as the Patriarkes and Prophets when they would shew that God is Almighty call him Creator of heauen and of earth Euen so the holy Doctors when they will extoll the almightinesse of our Sauiour alledge euer this his chiefe worke and as the Diuell of old perswaded certaine misinformed Philosophers to write that the world was not created but that it was eternall without beginning to weaken so much our faith in the omnipotencie of the Creator So in our age hath he raised certaine hereticall spirits which deny the presence of the body of our Sauiour in this Sacrament by their heresie to take away and to deface this most noble marke or signe of his omnipotency and to ouerthrow a most strong pillar of our Faith and the most beautifull ornament of Christian Religion 21. OF THE GOODNES OF OVR SAuiour in this Sacrament THe contemplation of the omnipotency and goodnes of God makes vs admire and loue him We haue giuen some documents of his omnipotency in this Sacrament let vs say one word of his goodnesse in the fame It is an argument of our loue to giue our goods to his behoofe and profit vpon whom we bestow them So God hath shewed himselfe to loue man by giuing him a being and creating the world for him It is an argument of greater loue to giue his owne substance for he that giueth of his proper bloud out of his body shewes himselfe more louing then he which makes neuer so great a present out of his purse Almighty God hath giuen his onely Sonne Ioan. 3.16 substance of his substance and the Sonne also hath giuen himselfe vnto vs ioyning in alliance his Diuinity to the Family of our Father Adam and making himselfe our brother so to worke our Saluation could he haue tyed himselfe to vs by any more straite bond and giuen himselfe more amorously then in giuing himselfe wholly to vs and making himselfe one with vs to deifie vs with himselfe and make vs heires of his glory Well then as in the Incarnation he hath made a gift of his Diuinity to man so in this Sacrament he hath bestowed vpon vs his Humanitie 〈◊〉 hath giuen it once to death in a bloudy Sacrifice and from time to time he ceaseth not to giue it for meat to apply vnto vs the fruit of his redemption he maried his Diâ—â—nity to our Humanity when he made himselfe man he â—â—arieth his humanity to ours when he giueth it to vs in this Sacrament For the flesh of our Sauiour heere is holily vnited to ours to make it both chast and fruitfull in bringing forth good workes and the same flesh is also a most diuine dish of his nuptiall feast to feed and fat our soules with celestiall vertues and to giue immortality to our bodies O sweet Iesus what goodnesse is this and what an effect of inflamed loue that thou vouchsafest to ioyne thy selfe by two so straite knots of Mariage and of Meate to so base and so miserable persons as we are the Lord to his scruants the King to his vassals the Creator to his creatures God to wretched poore sinners O what loue is this of thine in this diuine Mariage and Food What King would euer take for his Spouse a poore vassall of his And what father would feede his children with his owne body We see that mothers nourish their children with their milke which is a white bloud but what mother euer nourished her children with her proper flesh O diuine mariage O diuine banquet O wicked abuser and immortall enemie of Man which hast troubled this marriage and this banquet substituting in the place of this true Bridegroome 1. Reg. 19.13 and this true Dauid and this deified flesh an Idoll of Bakers bread But this thou hast done in the Church which thou hast falsly intituled Resormed and not in the Church of God Thou hast done it I say in a Synagogue of such misbeleeuers as haue chosen rather to lend their eares to the lyes of thy vanity then to beleeue the sacred and holy words of verity not in that Church 1. Tim. 3.15 pillar of truth Spouse which cannot erre assisted with the true Spirit Shee knoweth full well her Spouses voice and manner of proceedings she knoweth the goodnesse of his Table and will beware how shee forgoe it shee knoweth the Son omnipotent made for vs Emanuell Esay â— 14 that is to say God with vs when he was made Man liuing with vs and speaking with vs in his proper person but especially when he giueth himselfe vnto vs in this nuptiall banquet heere wherein more then euer or any where else he is indeed Emanuell For when he conuersed with vs mortall and visible it was but for a littla time the vnion was lesse with fewer people and that in Iury onely but by this Sacrament he is euer most straitely vnited as Spouse and Food with all them that will marrie themselues with him and feed vpon him and this not in one onely Land but in so many places as this Catholike and Vniuersall Church adores her Spouse euen from the East to the West from the South to the North and through all the earth An husband when he departs from his wife a father from his children a friend from his friends signifies his loue more then euer makes a feast leaues a pretious remembrance and shewes that departing hee would leaue himselfe still present if he could possibly be in many places at once Iesus Christ hath accomplished all this after a diuine manner for vpon the end of his passion and of his departure from this world hee shewed his feruent loue to his children Hauing loued his owne which were in the world Ioan. 13.1 saith Saint IOHN he loued them to the end that is to say he shewed them his loue more then euer before He likewise made his banquet with singuler signification of loue saying I haue greatly desired to eate this Pasque with you not the Moysaicall but the truth of the Moysaicall wherein he himselfe was the Lambe Finally for a Ring of remembrance he hath left his proper body and his owne selfe to be alwayes present with his friends in the manner aforesaid and to be for euer their Emanuell 22. CHARITIE
TOWARDS GOD AND towards our neighbour encreased by this Sacrament IF liberalitie drawes hearts if the table makes friends and if loue begets loue what person will shew himselfe so rusticall and frozen as not to be allured by this infinit goodnesse not to be gained by this feast not to be inslamed with this fier in the frequentation of this diuine Sacrament What soule I say will not be wholly inflamed with the loue of her Redeemer feeling her selfe so delitiously feasted by him so tenderly embraced of him and so straitely vnited with him Whom will shee loue if shee loue not this goodnesse With whom wilshee make amitie if shee make it not with so liberall a Spouse And of whom shall shee be amorous if shee be not enamored of so feruent a friend and louer And then if shee loue faithfully this her Spouse and attentiuely consider the nature of this Mariage and Feast it cannot bee but shee must also loue forthwith her neighbours and her Christian brethren for the loue of her Spouse when shee shall see how they are likewise beloued of him and called to the same Feast and made members of one and the selfe-same body with her For to signifie this mutuall amity he himselfe is ginen in meate and drinke vnder the likenesse of bread and wine which are made of many graines and of many grapes as wee haue said elsewhere And truely the Apostle to exhort the maried holily to loue their wiues â—â—bes 5.25 drawes his most forcible argument from this mystery as being the example of a perfect mariage and of a perfect loue From the mariage I say of Iesus Christ with his Church to whom he liberally giues himselfe and with whom he is vnited by these two most straite bonds of a Spouse and of Meate For which reason also the Eucharist hath alwaies been an Embleme of vnion peace and charity And for signification whereof it was an ancient custome to giue the kisse of peace in the Masse from whence came afterward the ceremony of kissing the Pax which is still in vse Behold then how this soueraigne goodnesse drawes vs by this Sacrament as well to his owne loue as also to the loue of our neighbour 23. OF THE WISDOME OF GOD IN this same Mysterie LEt vs now see some workes of the diuine Wisdome in this his Sacrament for it is so well ordered as it is easie to perceiue that it is shee which is the Mistresse and chiese doer therein According whereunto the Scripture also saith Wisdome hath built her a House Prou. 9.1 shee hath cut out seuen Pillars shee hath immolated her victime mingled her wine and set foorth her table This House is the Church these seuen Pillars are the seuen Sacraments the wine mingled is the pretious bloud of our Sauiour and the meat of this table the sacred Manna of his flesh and so haue the ancient Fathers explained it and namely S. Cyprian S. Cyprian cpist 63. ad Cecil dâ— Sacer. Calicis lib. 2. aducrs Iudeos â— 2. Now as humane wisdome shewes it selfe in well ordaining well comprising and well instructing for these are the true effects of a wise vnderstanding so the diuine Wisdome maketh her selfe appeare in this Sacrament by the same meanes A wise Orator shewes himselfe in the orderly method of his discourse A wise Captaine in well ranking an armie a wise Architect in well ioyning the parts of the building and so of other wise worke men A wise Musition in setting many parts of Mâ—â—ick and vniting them together with a sweete and well a greeing harmony Mirmerides was admired for his and aâ—trious wisdome when he made that so much renowned Chariot of foure wheeles 〈◊〉 l. 35 c. 10. which the wing of a Fly did couer and that wonderfull ship stored with Masts Pun. 16. with Sayles with Roaps with Ankors with Rudder and with all other tacklings which the wing of a Bee might also couer But aboue all Wisdome shewes her selfe in the good and effectuall teaching of euery Science or Vertue and this is her most high title In all these kindes the diuine Wisdome shineth foorth most brightly in this Sacrament Her ordinance heere is admirable For what goodlier order can one desire then to haue drawne so many faire Figures from time to time and to haue at the last inspired and breathed as it were the life of Truth into those ancient lineaments giuing in a Law most perfect a Sacrament full of all perfection a Sacrament of charity in a Law of loue and preparing for the nuptialls of our humane nature with the Sonne of God a nuptiall feast of the flesh of God His Wisdome is heere yet more admirable in combining for this combination surpasseth all wonder for God and Nature are heere combined Heere is the body of the Sonne of God by vertue of his omnipotent Word his soule as inseparable from the body his Diuinity as vnited vnto them both and by consequence the Father and the holy Ghost and all the holy Senate it selfe of this blessed Trinity are heere assembled All the wonders of Nature are heere comprised as hath been said All the soules and bodies of the faithfull are heere conioyned in one as many cornes in one loafe Maub 24.28 S. Chrâ—ost bom 4. in 1. Cor. 10. and many grapes in one cup of wine gathered together like vnto so many diuine Eagles about the body of their King saith Chrysostome But what diuine wisdome was it to haue prepared this diuine morsell so conformable to the infirmity and capacity of our weake nature vnder the taste and feeling of bread and wine meat and drinke of all other the most familiar to vs. 24. GODS DIVINE WISDOME IN teaching of this high Mystery THe last and most liuely tract of Wisdome is to teach effectually And what greater wisdome can be shewed therein then to haue giuen heere the meanes to learne to encrease and fortifie both faith and charity the one the foundation and the other the crowne of Christian vertue For eating this morsell we receiue an Earnest of immortality and as the Church singeth A pledge of future glory And it cannot bee but that by the presence of so braue a Captaine whom we beleeue firmely to be heere present though inuisible to our sight our courage and heart should much encrease if we be faithfull souldiers For as the wicked spirits fright vs if wee beleeue them to bee present though we see them not with onâ— bodily eyes So contrariwise and with more reason we grow confident and as it were are lifted vp to heauen by the assured presence of our Sauiour Heere moreouer wee learne Religion the most noble Pearle of Christian Iustice whereby we honor God doing him the homage of Soueraigne worship due to his Maiestie alone which heere is done with soueraigne preparation For first heere is offered a Sacrifice vnto him which is a worship of supreame acknowledgement incommunicable to all other but to God a Sacrifice
these diuine and delitious Cakes at the mysticall Table of our Sauiour The ancient Iewes could not write more clearly of the Figure of our Truth amongst the shadowes of their Law and he that seeth not this Truth brightly shining in the Sacrifice of the Law of Grace is blinde at noone-day and worse then a Iew. 7. THE TESTIMONIES OF HEBREW Doctors for Transubstantiation and the manner how the body of our Sauiour is present in the Eucharist THe manner how the body of our Lord is really present in the Eucharist hath been no lesse plainely set downe in the writings of the Hebrewes then is the Reall presence it selfe This Manner hath two respects the one to the beginning of the Presence and teacheth how the body of our Lord is first made present in the Sacrament of the Altar the other to the maner of this Presence and declares how he remaines there present Of both wee haue spoken in the Figure of Manna discoursing there of the Almighty power of our Sauiour Heere we shall onely alledge the testimonies of Hebrew and Christian Doctors to declare this Presence more fully and to shew the soundnesse of the Catholike faith concerning Transubstantiation And as for the first Conâ— Trident. sess 19. c. 4. can 2. the Catholike Faith and doctrine holds that the body of our Sauiour is made present vpon the Altar by Transubstantiation that is to say not by descent from heauen to earth neither by new production but by changing the substance of bread into the substance of the body of our Sauiour borne of the Virgin The same faith and doctrine saith that it remaines there with a diuine Presence spirituall and supernaturall in its quantity without possessing any place and in its Maiesty without any shew thereof being there immortall and glorious but inuisible to sense and incomprehensible to reason and humane iudgement as hath been said elsewhere And this in summe is that which the Doctors as well Iewes as Christians haue written The Hebrewes as we haue said before in the Table of Proposition Loaues haue taught that these Loaues were called Breads of faces because they did Figure forth a Sacrifice in the which there should be bread in the beginning and flesh in the end for the substance of bread was there to be changed into the substance of the body of the Messias the outward accidents remaining whole and that it should be a Sacrifice of two faces one outward of bread which the sense might see and the other inward of the substance of flesh which Faith only could perceiue And to this may haue reference that the Hebrew word Lehen bread and flesh Rab. Kimhi 1. Serasâ—im Gal. 10. 7. 1. Cor. 11.27 Lehen set in this place hath a double signification for sometimes it signifieth bread sometimes flesh So as where our Translation hath He offered him the breads of Proposition other translations haue He offered the flesh of thy God And Saint Paul long time after vsing the same manner of speech what he calls Bread he also names the body of our Sauiour The same Hebrew Doctors Osee 14.8 explaining the words of Osee They shall be conuerted that sit vnder his shadow they shall liue with Wheate Our Masters say they writ vpon these words that at the comming of the Redeemer there shal be change of nature in Wheat And Rabby Moyses vpon the words of the Psalme Rab. Moyses Hadarsania Psal 135. Gal. l. 10. c. 6. Rab. Iudas in Exod. cap. 25. Gal. l. 10. c. 6. Who giueth food to all flesh a for saith he the bread which bee will giue is his flesh and this shall be a great wonder The Oblation then is bread in the beginning but after the words of Consecration it is flesh the substance of bread being turned into the substance of the body of our Sauiour by the vertue of his Omnipotent word the which being able to make all the world of nothing can change one substance into another This changing is called Transubstantiation in the Catholike Church a word brought into vse fiue hundred yeares agoe Rab. Kimbi Gal. l. 10. c. 4. to stoppe the mouthes of the Heretickes which rose vp against the true Faith the thing it selfe being as ancient as the Eucharist for in the same instant that the Sacrament was instituted by our Sauiour Transubstantiation was in vse though the name was not to be borne vntill long time after As for the Manner according to which the Messias body was to remaine in the Sacrament after it is made present by Transubstantiation the same Hebrew Doctors haue tolde that it was to bee there inuisible and impalpable and in many places together which they beleeued also of the body of the Prophet Elias being in many places at the same time without being seene or touched as the Rabbins testifie in these their Expositions 8. THE TESTIMONIES OF THE CHRIstian Doctors concerning Transubstantiation and the manner how our Sauiours body is in the Eucharist THe Christians haue been so much more resolute and cleare in setting downe the Faith and Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the manner of the presence of our Sauiours body in this Sacrament by how much they haue had better Masters then the ancient Hebrews Their Masters were our Sauiour himselfe the Sonne of Truth the Reuealer of heauenly secrets and his Apostles filled with the new light of the Holy Ghost whereas the Hebrewes had none but Moyses and the Prophets which taught by shadowes and Figures Behold then what they haue said of this admirable change which wee call Transubstantiation and of the manner how the body of our Sauiour remaines in the Sacrament Saint IVSTINE Wee are taught S. Iustin Apol. 2. that the meate the bread and wine wherwith our flesh and bloud are nourished by change thereof into our substance being Consecrated by the prayer and word of God is the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ incarnate that is to say the substance of bread and wine is changed into the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint IRENEVS S. â—râ—â— l. 4. c. 3â— disputing against the Heretikes which denied that Christ was Omnipotent Hâ—w saith hee will they beleâ—ue that the consecrated bread is the body of Iesus Christ As if he should say if they beleeue not that he is Omnipotent they cannot beleeue that in the Eucharist the bread is changed into his body by his Word seeing there can be made no such change by any other word but his who can doe all by his Word as hee made the world by his Word Saint CYRIL of Hierusalem S. cyril â—ierosol â—â—tech misâ—ag 4. Hee long since in Cana turned water into wine the which hath some resemblance to bloud shall we esteeme him lesse worthy to be beleeued saying that he hath changed the wine into his bloud Saint CHRYSOSTOME S. Chrysost hom 6. ad Pap. Anâ—ioch Because the Word saith This is my body let vs obey and beleeue beholding it with
the eyes of our faith As if he would haue said these words This is my body are words of the Omnipotent and effect that which they signifie we ought then to obey and beleeue that Idem hom 23. in Maâ—â—h which they say The same Doctor vpon the same subiect of Transubstantiation The things that we propose you are not workes of humane vertue it is God that sanctifieth them and changeth them we are but the instruments Saint GREGORY NISSE S. Greg. Niss in orat mag catech c. â—7 Iâ—â—â—n de S. â—apâ—â—sme We beleeue that the bread duely sanctified by the word of the Word of God is changed into the body of the Word of God And againe The bread of the Aliar in the beginning is common but after that it is sacrificed in the Masse it is called the body of Christ and it is so indeed Saint IOHN DAMASCEN S. Ioh. Damas l. 4. de Fide c. 14. The bread and the wine mingled with water is supernaturally changed into the body of Christ by the inuocation and comming of the holy Ghost and they are not two but one selfesame thing THEOPHILACT Theoph. i◠〈◊〉 This bread is transformed into the flesh of our Lord by the mysticall blessing of secret words and by the comming of the holy Ghost Behold you haue heard some Greeke Fathers with the same spirit and like stile speake also the Latine Fathers TERTVLLIAN Our Sauiour tooke the bread Tertvl l. 4. cont Mar. c. 40. and made it his body saying This is my body Saint CYPRIAN This bread S. Cyp. de Câ—n. Dom. which our Lord presented to his Disciples was made flesh by the all powerfulnesse of his Word changed not in apparance but in substance As if hee would haue said the outward formes of the clements the quantity colour and sauour remaine but the inward substance is changed into the substance of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint AMBROSE This bread S. Amb. l. 4. de Sacer c. 4. before the words of the Sacrament is bread but after Consecration the bread is made flesh and hauing shewed that this consecration and changing is made by the word of God he confirmes his conclusion saying If the word of Christ hath been so powerfull as to giue a being to that which was not how much more is it credible that it can make the things which were before to be now changed into another But heare Dauid saying He hath spoken and the things were done he hath commanded and they were created I answere thee then Thas before consecration the bread was not the body of Christ but after the same it is the body of Christ hee said it and hee bath effected it Saint AVGVSTINE almost in the same tearmes S. Avg. serm 2â— de Verb. Dom. I haue told you that before the words of Christ the bread is called bread but after they are pronounced it is no more called bread but the body of Christ Saint RHEMIGIVS of Rhemes The flesh S. Remig. in◠〈◊〉 ep 2. Cor. which the word of God the Father hath taken in the Virginall wombe and vnited vnto his Person and the bread which is consecrated vpon the Altar is one bodiy of Christ For euen as that flesh is the body of Christ so this bread is changed into the body of Christ and are not two but one body Hee meant that Transubstantiation produceth not a new body of Iesus Christ but that it makes the same body which he tooke in the wombe of the Virgin present in this Sacrament after consecration nothing remaining of those elements but the accidents PASCHASIVS Paschasius Corbiensâ—â— l. de Corp. sang 〈◊〉 c. 1. Though the forme of bread and wine be found in this Sacrament we ought to beleeue notwithstanding that after the consecration there is no other thing but the flesh and bloud of Christ From all these testimonies we collect the explication of two points which doe concerne the manner of our Sauiours being in the Sacrament of the Altar For first we vnderstand hereby that the body of our Sauiour is made present in the Sacrament by Transubstantiation that is to say by change of substance the substance of bread giuing place to the substance of his body which succeeds by vertue of his Omnipotent word And because the Soule and the Diuinity neuer leaue this body whole Iesus Christ is in the Sacrament his body by vertue of his Word his Soule and his Diuinity as necessarily following and accompanying the same Secondly we learne that so long as the species be there vncorrupted the same body remaines vnder them with its quantity beauty immortality and glory but supernaturally and in a spirituall and diuine manner without being perceiued vnlesse by the eyes of faith as we haue before declared so far forth as a thing ineffable can be declared By meanes whereof the Fathers often aduertise vs not to consult heere with the Lawes of Nature nor to regard what sense and humane iudgement tells vs but simply to beleeue the word of him who can doe all and cannot lye 9. WHERFORE OVR SAVIOVR WOVLD haue his body hid and not visible in the Sacrament HEere it shall be good to note wherefore our Sauiour gaue his body veiled vnder the shewes of bread and wine not visible in proper forme For hereby we shal come to know that he was nolesse wise then he is good not onely giuing vs an inestimable gift but also giuing it after the manner he did The principall reasons noted by the Fathers are these The first is taken from the nature of the Sacrament for since that euery Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible thing it followeth that he giuing his body in this Sacrament was to couer it vnder some visible signes as the accidents are the colour the whitenesse the sauour and such like things which obiected to our sense might put our soule in minde of some secret thing whereas if he had giuen it openly it had not been a Sacrament full of mystery but a simple gift of his body The second reason giuen by S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Cyril ep ad Coâ—osirium S. Amb. l. 4. d. sacr c. 6. l. 6. c. 1 S. August apuâ—â— grat de cons d. 2. verum See S. Iohn Damas l. 4. c. 14. de fid S. Tho. p. 3. q. 75. c. 5. c. and Saint Cyril is this to wit because this sweet manner is most conuenient and principally to our infirmity most naturall and easie for we take this diuine morsell vnder the forme of common bread familiar to our taste to wit vnder the accidents of bread and wine Whereas if wee should haue eaten them with the feeling of the naturall qualities thereof it had been an eating that could not haue been endured for two reasons For first it could not bee done but sense would naturally conceiue horrour to swallow downe humane flesh in proper forme especially being raw
these wicked disciples these stragling sheepe and preserue vs in the sollidity of thy holy faith in the lap of our good Mother thy royall Spouse to receiue there alwayes the refection of thy holy flesh We beleeue thou giuest it vs reall and not in Figure for thou hast said in plaine tearmes The bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6. We acknowledge that thou hast the words of life in the administration of thy holy body and of thy holy bloud We know that thou art life eternall and that thou giuest in thy slesh and in thy bloud nothing S. August Traâ—â— 27. in Ioan. but that which thou thy selfe art thus speakes one of thy Saints In the confession of our infirmity incapacity and misery we adore the height of the almightinesse wisdome and goodnesse in this diuine and mysticall Sermon and in the mystery that it teacheth and acknowledge hoere with the words of life the Fountaine of life For which wee yeeld thee immortall thankes and humbly intreate thy Maiâ—sty to make vs so holily to vse this Sacrament of thy pretious body that thereby we may be vnited with thee for euer and made worthy to bee for euer also in heauen at thy blessed Table in the life eternall THE THIRTEENTH PICTVRE THE WASHING OF THE FEET GOING BEfore the institution of the Eucharist The Description THIS day being the fourteenth of the first Moone of the Spring the Sunne is set but a greater Sun shineth The Sauiour of the world hath celebrated the Legall Pasque and goeth to prepare the great and admirable Feast of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body ordaining the same in stead of the Hebrewes Paschall Lambe He is risen from the Table and hath put off his feasting roabe to the end to wash his Apostles feet for a remarkable ceremony See you how this sweete Lambe girt with a white towel Ioan. 13 4â— doth the office of a meane seruant washing his seruants feete and wiping them with the same towell Hee hath washed them all except good Peter who seeing his Master to come Ioan. â— 6 and cast himselfe at his feete to doe him the same seruice that he had done to the eleuen of his companions withheld and protested to him that he would neuer endure that he should wash his feete But hearing ouâ— Sauiour threaten that if he refused he should be depriued of his part with him Hee yeeldes readily and with alacrity presents to be washed not onely his feere but his hands and his head also remaining neuerthelesse much astonished and confounded And truely not without reason for the brightnesse of this thy meruailous humility O good Iesus amazed the dimme sense of this poore man and by admiration rauished the soule out of his body This brightnesse is so great that it is able to â—â—â—onish all men as the light of thy Diuinity rauisheth into adminiration fear the Powers of heauen Who wil not be abashed to see the Master prostrate before his seruant Such a Master before such a Disciple To see the Maiesty of such a Master to bow himselfe to the basenes of such a seruice And how could this good old man but feare but be astonished and dismayed at this profound and extraordinary humility of his King How could he but refuse to haue his feet washed by the hand of God as being ashamed to see himself so humbly serued by the Greatnesse which he adored But what may this humble Apostle say seeing his King and his God kneeling before him to wash his feete Seeing these almighty armes tucked vp and his diuine hands workers of the Starres of heauen and of a thousand wonders vpon earth to cleanse the silthinesse of his feete These fingers so pure and so neate to touch the foule toes and the soles of his fraile mortality This gesture these hands these eyes these behauiours that the Picture giues him seeme they not to you to speake O Christian soules And to tell you by silence that this good Apostle said in his heart O my sweet Master what is this Washest thou my feete Doest thou I say thus kneele before mee Thou thy selfe bow downe to my feete And how was it not sufficient lowhnesse in thee to haue taken Philip. â— being infinite God the shape of a man and to bee maried to the most meanest family of thy reasonable creatures To be made a little Infant Citizen of Nazareth and Pilgrim on the earth Philip. 2. and to haue thy infinite Greatnesse lapped within the cloathes of our littlenesse Canst thou more humble thy selfe then in abasing thy selfe by taking the condition of a meane seruant Choosing the crauels the poornesse the contempt of this world but that thou most cast thy self notwithstanding at my feet Thou my Lord wash my feet thou my King of mee thy vassall thou my God of me thy creature thou supreame purity of me most filthy thou my worthy Sauiour of mee most vnworthy sinner And what may the Angels say and the Planets themselues of thee and of mee O Lord beholding a spectacle of such consusion seeing the varlet to be serued by the Master the King to be made seruant to the varlet and the Creator to be on his knees before his creature Thou wash my feete O Lord and I 〈◊〉 thee and the Angels and the Planets which see mee doe they not now detest my pride for that I permit thee and the creatures of the earth would they not â—â—nne presently vpon me if thy Almightinesse hindered them not Saue mee if thou pleasest O Lord from their indignation if I am proud thy humility hath constrained me it is that which hath commanded mee I protest that I protested that thou shouldest neuer wash my feet but thy humility wil be the Mistres I haue obeyed it and am become proud in my humiliation and in obeying content your selfe O Lord with that which you haue already done and suffer mee to take your place and to bee a little proud in washing your feete since that I already haue sufficiently been proud in enduring you to wash mine Ah sinfull creature that I am such might be the discourse O diuine Apostle which thou madest in thy thought vpon the humility of thy Lord. But stay a while and thou shalt well see other proofes and other exercises of this diuine vertue Expect vntill he shall giue himselfe to thee for meate and drinke cloathed with a roabe of exceeding humility with a thin whitenesse with a waterish rednesse with the littlenesse of fraile accidents when he shall enter within thy entralls and abase himselfe not onely before thee but moreouer within thee Expect this night when he shall be taken as an offender bound as a theese mocked as a foole beaten like any base fellow spit vpon as a blasphemer Expect vntill the morning when hee shall bee euill entreated of Kings of Priests of people and whipt after by all the worldly powers
family Iesus Christ who held the vpper end of this first bed Saint Peter is next Saint Iohn the other are fiue and fiue on two other beds They are a little astonished and sorrowfull euery one examining his conscience vpon that which our Sauiour hath said euen now in eating the Lambe that there was one amongst them which would betray him Saint Iohn the nearest to him and the boldest asked him who it should be but neither he nor the rest of his companions could know any thing except Iudas who in his heart was twisting the cord of treason against his Master to his owne condemnation Euery one is afraid to fall into this foule crime except the offender And all attend the issue of some great mystery not onely by reason of the ceremony of washing which our Sauiour had neuer vsed in keeping the Passouer with them the yeares before but also because of his countenance behauiour and words for men reade in his eyes in his mouth and in all his visage the graces of a diuine loue and the grauity of Maiesty more then humane and his words full of affection and of wisdome did witnesse that he did meditate some worthy proofe of an Almighty power 〈◊〉 22.15 Hee tould them that he greatly destred to eate this Passouer with them before he suffered not the Iewes Passouer which he had long since eaten drawing the last line of the Figure but the Passouer of his body These are significatiue words of great affection and the affection of so powerfull a Lord cannot faile to effect some great thing He hath taken the bread hath blessed and broken it as before he blessed the fiue Loaues and two fishes Matth. 14. They moreouer perswade themselues that this ceremony is a preamble of some miracle neuer heard of before Being then thus attentiue he gaue to them all that which hee had taken saying 〈◊〉 6. This is my body take and eate He giues now the Cup saying This is the Chalice of my 〈◊〉 of the new Testament drinks you all of it and doe this in remembrance of me They did drinke and as they found themselues wholly transported and ranished with loue when they tooke the Sacrament of his body vnder the forme of bread So now they feele their soules set a sire with a diuine flame by drinking of the mysterious and beauenly liquor of his pretious bloud Iudas alone by his fault made no benefit of it for he hath not taken this holy flesh diuine drink with a requisite preparation The Diuell had seized on his heart long since had porswaded him to betray his Master he had his feete cleansed but 〈◊〉 soule loaden with filthinesse wherefore taking vnworthily a meate so worthy hee hath swallowed death and damnation in place whereof the others receiued life and sanctification Behold the chiefe worke of our Sauiour effected and perfected in fiue words behold the signification and protâ—â—se of a thousand Prophesies and Figures past fulfilled in one truth Behold the offered Lambe in an vnbloudy Sacrifice commemorating that of the Crosse which to morrow he ought to accomplish Behold the Masse and the magnificent â—â—â—ation of Christians which shall endure euen to the end of the world to honor the Creator of the world to celebrate the death of his Sonne and to nourish his children with his Flesh to eternall life Matth. 26.30 Marke 14. 〈◊〉 Our Sauiour rising from the Table goeth his way and hauing like a true Father giuen many documents parsing from his children and saying vn Hymne in action of thankes goeth foorth vnto the Garden of Oliues Hee went long since and is walking there O sweet Lambe whither goest thou in the snary darknesse of this dangerous night thou knowest well that this is the place noted by the Trdytor which hath sold thee for ready money thou well knowest that the wolues are already trouped and armed with crast and rage to take thee and lead thee bound to the butchery than 〈◊〉 O drinke Wâ—â—lome for nothing can scape the eyes of thy diuine prouidence thou knowest that there for our saluation an agony of horror shall fall vpon thee Luke 22.44 and a bloudy sweat shall flow from thy passioned body with extreame feare of thy grieued soule euen to the death thou knowest thou shalt be taken there and bee bound like a Lambe and bee led from thence like a theefe to Execution and notwithstanding all this thou goest thither nay thou goest thither because thou doest know it And what compels thee to these voluntary torments O Redeemer of my soule but the force of thy loue and mercy which make thee goe with ioyfulnesse of heart to present thy selfe to the combate for to pull forth the children of Adam out of the oppression of sinne and from danger of eternall damnation by the price of thy bloud O great God by what offices seruices and Sacrifices shall we be able to acknowledge this thy vnlimitted bounty O my soule what wilt thou doe for such a Redeemer with what loue canst thou sufficiently loue him by what words canst thou duely thanke him and with what honor wilt thou adore him 1. THE ENTRANCE THAT SAINT IOHN maketh by which he declareth the greatnesse of the mystery of the Eucharist which our Sauiour was to institute THis Picture represents vnto vs the Institution of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of our Lords body the noblest actioÌ„ the diuinest InstitutioÌ„ that euer he did after he was made Man the richest present that hee did euer giue to God and to men while he liued mortal vpon the earth and the highest mystery that hee was to leaue in the treasures of his deare Spouse the Church We haue formerly discoursed hereof in many precedent Figures and namely in that of Manna it will bee sufficient heere to note the circumstances of the present history which especially set forth the greatnesse of it Saint Iohn beginning his narration of the washing of feete vpon the Eue of the Pasche writeth thus Iesus knowing that his houre was come that he should passe out of this world to his Father whereas he had loued his that were in the world vnto the end hee loued them And when Supper was done whereas the Diuell now had put into the heart of Iudas Iscariot to betray him knowing that the Father had giuen all things into his hands and that hee came from God and returned to God he riseth from Supper and layeth aside his garments And that which followeth of the washing of feete by which words Saint Iohn taught vs that our Sauiour was now in the vigill of his Passion that he had loued and did constantly loue his owne that he was the Sonne of God hauing all things in his power And by these preamples hee signified vnto vs that in this Euening so neare to his departure hee was to make the conclusion of all his course by some notable acte to the honor of his Father and their good whom
be proper cleare and euident and without doubtfulnesse ambiguitie or incertainty that the Will of the Testator may bee vnderstood without difficulty and without contention Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. This is the cause why three Euangelists the Registers of this Institution and Notaries of this Testament haue vsed the selfe-same words and S. Paul after them without varying 1. Cor. 11. To the end to hold constant the light of this euidence and strongly to maintaine the ground of that faith which wee ought to haue of this mystery and to declare by a firme and sollide accord of foure diuine witnesses that the sense of the words is that which they literally signifie and that being the words of an Almighty worker to whom nothing can be impossible and the words of a supreme truth who can say nothing which is not true they must needs make that which they signifie By which meanes if any one refusing the literall sense of the Scripture will glose it from his owne head saying This is my body that is to say this is the Figure of my body This is my bloud that is the Figure of my bloud he should herein be opposite to the holy deposition of these foure witnesses not daring so to speake which notwithstanding they would haue done if such had been the sense of the words and should also too boldly change the truth of Gods word giuing a sense cleane contrary to the signification of the words and putting the Figure for the Body against the authority of the forenamed witnesses who haue neuer presumed to giue such a glosse Yea hee should doe contrary to all law of Speech and Grammer which commandeth to take the words of the text according to the ground of their proper meaning without hauing recourse to any metaphoricall and improper signification when they do not giue any absurde or contradictory sense which happeneth not here For heere the proper sense is most cominent and agreeable to the truth and the words do signifie no other thing but the presence of the body of Iesus Christ in this Sacrament which is not onely not contradictory nor absurde but full of wonders most worthy of the power wisdome and goodnesse of our Sauiour When the Scripture calleth the King a Lion the word ought to bee taken by similitude that a King is like a Lion by reason of his royall magnanimity for taking the word according to the sense of the letter the meaning should be that he were a beast which would be false and absurde But these words taken in their naturall signification containe nothing but that which is most agreeable to the Maiesty of the Creator and most heneficiall to his creature wherefore there is not any reason heere to runne to Figures and therefore also it is impiety to say that these clauses This is my body This is my bloud are improper speeches importing no more then that they are Figures of his body and bloud For such deprauation destroyes the truth of a most noble Sacrament and shewes that such Enterpreters are not onely void of faith but also depriued of vnderstanding hastily opening the gate to themselues and to all other senselesse people to reiect all sense of Scripture be it neuer so euident if it displease them and to frame the manner of it according to the vnsteadinesse of their owne braines and to the exorbitant passion of vnbridled flesh 4. TESTIMONIES OF THE FATHERS vpon the Exposition of the same words AS the Scripture is euident in these diuine words so is the Exposition of holy Fathers constant to maintaine the sense they giue in proper signification as hath bin said Saint CYRIL of Hierusalem Since that Iesus Christ S. Cyril Hieres Catech. myst 4 hauing taken the bread saith This is my body Who is he which for euer dare to doubt and he affirming the same and saying This is my bloud Who will refuse to beleeue it He changed water into wine a creature neighbour to bloud by his only will Iohn 2. and shall not we beleeue that hee hath changed the wine to his bloud Beleeue then most constantly that we receiue the body and bloud of Christ for vnder the forme of bread the body is giuen thee and the bloud vnder the forme of wine Saint BASIL hauing asked with what feare faith S. Basil in Regul breu interrog 172. and affection of the soule men ought to take the body and bloud of our Sauiour answeres himselfe saying How great the feare is S. Paul instructs vs Who so eateth this bread and drinketh this Chalice vnworthily he eateth and drinketh his owne damnation What we are to beleeue is taught by the words of Christ who said This is my body giuen for you And there this Doctor consequently sheweth how we ought to beleeue these words This is my body which the same faith with which we beleeue these words of Saint Iohn when he saith The Word was made flesh Iohn 1. and those of Saint Paul Philip. 2. when he extolled the great humility of the same Word in his Incarnation his great obedience in his Passion and his infinit charity in the one and the other as then we beleeue that God was really and truely made flesh and suffered death according as the words of the Scripture tell vs. In the same manner Saint Basil will that wee beleeue the Reall Presence of the body of our Sauiour according as these words This is my body teach vs and concludes that by faith and consideration of these things we are inflamed with a great loue to Iesus Christ which is the affection of the soule that wee ought to bring with vs to the Communion of his body and bloud accompanied with feare and beleefe as hath been said Saint CHRYSOSTOME S. Chrysos hom 83. in Matth 60 ad Pap. Antioch Hom. de prodit Iuda Gen. 1.22 8.17 Let vs beleeue God without doubt for it is he which said This is my body And elsewhere It is not man which makes the body and bloud of Christ in offered things but Christ himselfe crucified for vs Hee said This is my body by this word the offering is consecrated And euen as these words once vttered Increase and multiply and fill the earth alwayes worke their effect in Nature for generation euen so these words vttered This is my body giue certainty to the Sacrifice through all the Tables of the Church euen vnto this day and will giue it vntill the comming of the Sonne of God Saint IOHN DAMASCENE S. Ioan. Damas l. 4. c. 14. The bread and the wine mingled with water supernaturally are changed into the body and bloud of Christ by the innocation of the holy Ghost and are not two but one and the same this hallowed bread it not the Figure of the body neither the wine the Figure of the bloud but the true deified body of our Lord and his true bloud THEOPHILACT Theophil in Matth. 26. a graue
as it was the next day by bloudy a effusion on the Crosse And when the holy Fathers did sometimes turne the words of Consecration into the Future tense saying This is my bloud which shall be shed in stead of that is said which is shed they contraried not the sense which we now giue for they all did affirme the Reall Presence of our Sauiours bloud in the Chalice but they referred the words of our Sauiour not onely to that present powring foorth which was then made but also to that which was to bee made as well on the Crosse by bloudy Sacrifice once as in the Eucharist by vnbloudy Sacrifice euen vntill the end of the world Behold how our Sauiour Sacrificed and offered his body to his Father by these words This is my body giuen for you This is my bloud shed for you And this is the new Sacrifice and offering in the Law of Grace which the holy Fathers say was instituted in this mysticall Supper as we shall learne by the ensuing witnesses 7. THE SACRIFICE AND SACRAMENT of our Lords body to haue been instituted in the mysticall Supper declared by the testimonie of Fathers SAint Gregory of Nisse speaking of the institution of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist S. Greg. Niss or 1. de Resur made in the Supper of the Paschall Lambe Our Sauiour saith hee by his ordinance preuenteth the violence of his enemies with a secret manner of Sacrifice ineffable and inuisible to the eyes of mortall men He himselfe offers himselfe for vs Oblation and Victime Priest and Lamb of God together And when was this this was then when hee gaue to his familiars his body to eate and his bloud to drinke Saint CHRYSOSTOME S. Chrysost hom 2. in 2. Tim. Be it Peter be it Paul bee it another Priest of like merits which offereth the holy Oblation this is euer the selfe-same which Iesus Christ in person gaue to his Disciples and that which the Priests yet make daily this heere is no lesse then that there Wherefore Because they are not the men that sanctifie it but it is the same Christ who hallowed it before Saint AMBROSE S. Ambros in Psal 8. We haue seene the High Priest comming to vs and haue heard him offering his bloud for vs Let vs follow him according to our power since that we are Priests to the end to offer Sacrifice for the people we are certainly vnequall in merit but honored by the Sacrifice For albeit that Christ now seemes not to offer he is neuerthelesse offered on the earth then when his body is offered heere Saint AVGVSTINE S. Aug. in Psal 33. cont 2. Psal 109. Iesus Christ hath instituted of his body and bloud a Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech AESICHIVS of the same time with Saint Augustine Aesich lib. 2. in Leuit. c. 8. Our Lord God supping with his Apostles did first offer the Lambe which made the Figure and after his owne Sacrifice RVPERT Rupert lib. 2. in Exod. c. 6. Our Saniour extreamely perplexed in the beginning of his Passion first immolated himselfe to his Father with his owne proper hands These passages and the rest that haue been cited in the Types of Melchisedech and of the Paschall Lambe teach how our Sauiour instituted the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body after the old ceremony of the Paschall Lambe was accomplished which is the Faith that the Church hath euer held and will hold for euer 8. OVR SAVIOVRS TESTAMENT MADE in the Institution of the Sacrifice and Sacra ment of his body IT was in this admirable actiō that our Sauiour made his new Testament of the new Couenant with his Church amending the old and drawing neere to his death it was a time fit and agreeable for him to bequeath and leaue an eternall testimony of his last Will and affection towards his children The words of the Testament Gal. 4.24 Heb. 8.7 vlt. Exod. 24. Matth. 26.28 Marke 14.24 Luke 22 20. Exod. 24.7.8 Heb 9.16.17.18.19.20 of the Testator are cleare as also the Ceremony according to S. Matthew and S. Marke our Sauiour said This is my bloud of the new Testament that shall be shed for many vnto the remission of sinnes And according to S. Luke This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which shall be shed for you in the same sense he saith new Testament of his bloud making allusion to the old which he long since had written by the meanes of his seruant Moyses and marked with the bloud of beasts to Figure forth this heere that there was made in the Desart at the foot of the Mount Sinay where Moyses as a royall Notary read the Law and the cenure of the written Testament and gaue the aduertisements of the Father of the Family before seuenty of the Ancients assembled by name and before the people that were to inherit In it the goods also were be queathed to wit the Land of Promise a Figure of Paradise And in Figure the death of the Testator also was interposed for there was Sacrifice offered whereby the death of the future Testator Iesus Christ made Man was represented and promised for confirmation of the Testament to which Ceremony that hath reference which Dauid said Psal 49. Iosue 8.31 Leuit. 23. Gather yee together his Saints vnto him which ordaine 〈◊〉 Testament and alliance with Sacrifice The same Ceremony was practised by Iesus when he renewed the Couenant of this Testament obserued also by the Iewes euery yeare in the Feast of Pentecost and by Salomon 3. Reg. 9.25 three times in one yeare These Victims then after they were offered to God were taken by the Priest and by the people in ordinary refection and the Altar Exod. 24. Heb. 9. and the Booke of the Law was sprinkled with the bloud of them According to the trace of all these Ceremonies Our Sauior made this Testament in this last euening in the desart of this world in Mount Sinay where the old was made but in another part thereof to wit in Sion and Hierusalem part of Sina and adioyning to it as Saint Paul said In Sion more noble then the other part of Sina Gal. 4.24 and in Hierusalem a more liuely Figure of his Church then was the Desart whereof Esay hath written The Law shall goe foorth of Syon Psay 2.3 and the word of God from Hierusalem In it then our Sauiour published in two words his Law and gaue his Aduertisements saying in this same Supper Ioan. 13.34 I giue you a new Commandement that you loue one another A Law of Loue and not of Feare as the Law of the old Testament Matth. 26.28 Marke 14.24 Luke 22.20 1. Cor. 11.24 He made the Recitall of his Testament in these words This is my bloud of the new Testament He made his Legacies and promises to his inheritors not of a Land of Canaan as of old to the Hebrewes but of the
inssituted to be celebrated once alone Hest 1. as that of Assuerus was but foâ— to be continued euen vntill the end of the world as the Paschal Lamb continued vntill the end of the Synagogue Exod. 12. as hath been declared Wherfore our Sauiour hauing communicated his Apostles and established the Institution of his banquet in this first refection commandeth the continuation thereof and declareth the end why hee would it should be continued saying Luke 22.19 1. Cor. 11.24 Doe this for a commemoration of me In y selfe will alwayes be the Sacrifice and the principall Sacrificer but inuisible I ordaine you Priests to be my Vicars and visible Sacrificers in my Church euen as I haue giuen you the authority of Doctors and Pastors to keepe my place in the Chaire of truth and to feed and rule my slocke Doe this then do this action the noblest that shal be done in my Family and continue therein a memory of the Sacrifice which shall be offered by me to morrow on the Crosse for you and all mankinde Do it in memory of the Passion that I shall haue suffered for you in memory of the infinite price of my bloud which I shall shed for you in memory of the victory that I shall obtainâ— for you ouer the enemies of your soules health ouer the infernall powers ouer the tyrants of your spiries ouer the Prince of darknesse ouer the flesh and the world in memory of the immortall glory that I shall haue purchased for you and for those which will be my members giuing my flesh in Sacrifice vpon the Altar of the Crosse Do this Feast and celebrate this Sacrifice in memory of these exploits continuing it without limit of time and when my Passion shall be once past let it be alwayes liuing and pâ—â—serued by your seruice in the memory and in the face of my Church and as the benefit is of infinite merit so let the acknowledgement also be eternall This is the sense of these words Luke 23 19â— Doe this for a commemoration of 〈◊〉 As well Diuine as Humane Iustice requiteth that men giue praise to great exployts of vertue and that they be mindfull of a benefit that the remembrance be so much more liuely and honorable as the benefit is great Exod. 20.8 This is it why our Lord commanded the Sabbath day in remembrance of the Creation of the world the Feast of new Moones in memory of the conseruation thereof the Paschall Lambe 2. Par. 2.4 Exod. 12. in memory of the deliuery of the Hebrewes captiues in Aegypt The same Hebrewes did celebrate the victory of Mordecheus gained ouer their enemies 2. Mâ—â—b vlt. Iudis 16. and that of the valiant Iudith obtained ouer Holofernes Was it not then reason and iustice that there should be a memoriall of the Passion of the Sonne of God it being the most admirable worke that euer was and the true worke of an Almighty and all mercifull Lord his highest prowesse his noblest victory his greatest benefit towards men and for which alone hee descended from heauen taking the garment of our mortality Especially considering that this Redemption could not haue saued vnlesse it had been applied and made proper to euery one by this memory reiterated with faith loue deuotion contemplation fasting watching and other workes of piety which are the doores by which this infinite merit of his Passion-entereth into our soules euen as the windows of an house are the means by which they that are within doe pertake of the Sun-beames and enioy them as if it shined onely for them 13. THE MASSE A MOST PROPER MEmoriall of our Sauiours Passion AS it were very reasonable and very important that the memory of our redemption were alwayes fresh and liuing in our soules so the diuine Wisdome hath chosen a most agreeable meanes to represent it most honorably and with fingular efficacie to that end instituting a Sacrifice in his house and a solemne refection amongst his children for these are the two principall acts among men whereby God is Soueraignely honored and the memory of any thing most effectually preserued The Sacrifice acknowledgeth God reuerenceth him and doth him homage rendering him thankes for his benefits and the refection assembles and vnites men together and makes their meetings more famous and more capable to retaine the remembrance of things Pâ—st and more powerfull to ingraue and send their memory forward to the future ages of posterity And so wee see as well in holy Histories as prophane that the greatest actions of men of Kings of Captaines and Princes and Common-wealthes in the world for Peace for Warre for Victory for Triumphes for Funerals and other workes of great importance haue been begunne and ended with Sacrifices and Feasts Salomon celebrated the Dedication of his magnificent Temple 3. Reg. 2.63 2. Por. 7.8 which he built for God with innumerable Sacrifices and Feasts the Persians the Aegyptians the Grecians the Romans and all the Nations of the world vsed the same meanes to honour their Actes and make the memory of them immortall Thus to doe is an imprinted Law of Nature and holily practised in the House of God It is no wonder then that Iesus Christ Author of all good Lawes hath established an Altar and a Table a Sacrifice and a Feast to ingraue his Honor and make the memory of his triumphant Death to liue for euer But that which in this preparation is more efficatious to represent this death and more to be considered then all the rest in this preparation is that same body which suffered which died and which suffering and dying had triumphed is actually present in this Sacrifice and refection as the matter both of the one and of the other He hath not ordained that it should be celebrated as it was of old by words and mysteries and by the bodies of beasts but he himselfe would be present in the action Neither more nor lesse then as a King who desirous to celebrate some great Victory of his owne not onely would make it to be recounted and sung and represented by Orators Poets and Painters but he himselfe in person would be present acting the principall personage in the representation thereof For so our Sauiour hath represented his owne victorious death being therein himselfe the chiefe Actor the Sacrifice and the Sacrificer giuing his body immolated and his bloud shed his body as dead and yet liuing his bloud as drawne forth of his body and yet still vnited with his body in conclusion exhibiting himselfe in Sacrifice and refection after a most effectuall and pregnant manner to set forth clearely liuely and profitably the resemblance and memory of his sacred Passion to the honor of his Father and the saluation of his welbeloued And therefore hath also commanded this Sacrifice and Feast to bee celebrated from yeere to yeere Exod. 12. not in one place only as that of the Iewes Lamb but euery day and many
times a day and this in all places wheresoeuer the faith of his name and the name of his Maiesty should haue shewed it selfe and in all parts of the earth wheresoeuer the tree of his glorious Crosse should haue taken roote 14. THE MASSE THE FEAST OF GOD wherein he is singularly called vpon in the Law of Grace and the Christians are perfectly heard THE Masse the singular Sacrifice and Royall Feast by which God is highly honored and his creature is exceedingly helped for in it his Maiesty denyeth nothing be it neuer so great that any man asketh either for the health of his owne soule or for the saluation of his neighbour and so his creature is there inriched by his gifts The Persian Kings celebrated in their Court a certaine kinde of Feast dedicated either to the day of their birth or of their coronation which they in their Persian language did call Ticta 〈◊〉 Lin. 8. as who should say perfect Supper This Feast was honored with such a prerogatiue as the King at that time denied no demand which was made vnto him A custome no lesse wisely then happily obserued by Queene Hester for her History tells vs that hauing spied the season shee feasted with royall prouision Assuerus her husband the King of Medes and Persians to obtaine of him vengeance against her enemies and deliuerance for her people and therefore after they had taken their refection the King according to his custome said What is thy petition that it may be giuen thee 〈◊〉 and what wilt thou haue done although thou shalt aske the halfe of my Kingdome thou shalt obtaine it Shee asked boldly and as easily obtained that which shee asked The Sonne of God is more magnificent in his continuall Feast deuoted vnto the dayes of his remembrance for hee giues not earthly goods but himselfe for a sauing Sacrifice and food of saluation and puts a present in our hand wherwith we may be sure to obtaine of the Maiesty of his Father all that concernes our peace repose safety and promiseth vs not the halfe of an earthly kingdom like an earthly King but as an heauenly King the whole Kingdome of heauen So that the promise God made of old to the captiue Hebrewes in Babylon You shall call vpon me and I will be are you Ierem. 29. is diuinely fulfilled in the Law of Grace by meanes of this noble and perfect Feast indeed for albeit in the Law of Nature and of Moyses God well liked the Sacrifices of his seruants and heard their prayers yet was it with farre lesse liberality and alwayes in contemplation of the Messias to come who one day was to satisfie the diuine Maiesty by the Sacrifice of his body Whereas Christians in the Law of Grace offer him a Sacrifice most acceptable in the highest degree that is the body bloud of the Messias himselfe paying as it were in his hand a full satisfaction taken from that body and bloud the fairest payment that can be made and praying the Father by the Sonne which is the most vrgent prayer that can be imagined The Histories tell vs that the Molessians desirous to obtaine some fauour from their King Plutarch in Themist did take one of his sons holding him in their armes cast themselues on their knees before him neere to the domesticall Altar doing this they were neuer denied Which maner of supplication Themistocles vsed then when being banished from Athens hee came into that Country and preserued himself by this ceremony from the anger of Admetus King of Molessians who long before had been his great enemie and would haue put him to death being then in his power had hee not serued himselfe of this desence To receiue a prayer for loue of a sonne is naturall and it ought not to be doubted but since God is Author of Nature and hath giuen this inclination to fathers he hath it also in himselfe and that so much more perfectly as he is a Father of infinit perfection and loue and that his owne Sonne is the liuely Image of his Fathers perfection and therefore infinitly beloued of him And for this cause our Sauiour exhorteth his Disciples Heb. 1.3 to aske boldly of his Father what they would in his name and by his merit as hauing right to obtaine by this title whatsoeuer they demaunded The Church also following the direction of her Redeemer concludes her prayers in his name saying Heare vs almighty God by Iesus Christ thy Sonne Matth 21. Marke 11. Ioan. 16.24 And albeit euery Christian hath at all times and in all places accesse to God by the merits of his Sonne yet then his prayers are most acceptable when hee sayeth or heareth Masse and with due preparation receiueth this Sacrament For the King himselfe is then present at this perfect and compleat Feast at the which he denyeth nothing that is asked and the prayer being made in his Royall presence carryeth with it credit and prerogatiue to be heard of the Diuine Maiesty Behold the banquet the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Law of Grace figured by all those of old that went before it and substituted in their places the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christians and the noblest instrument they haue whereby to call vpon God to haue the grant of their requests behold our Eucharist and our Masse The Prayers the Scriptures the Garments and the Ceremonies which haue been since ordained by the Apostles and their Successors and which are in vse at this day are not the Sacrifice of the Masse they are onely the ornaments thereof the essence of the Masse and of all this Royall Feast is the body and bloud of the Sonne of God offered in a Sacrifice commemoratiue of his death This is the Sacrifice and the Sacrament which makes the substance of this banquet the rest serues onely to honor this honorable and diuine action In this euening then of the fourteenth day of the Moone the true Lamb was offered the Figure of the old was accomplished the right of legall Sacrifices was finished the continuance of the Synagogue was ended and the foundation was laid of the Law of Grace All which our Sauiour signifieth diuinely by the circumstance of the time wherein he ordained the Iewes Pasche and in which he established the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body which remaineth to be declared for a finall end to this Treatise 15. THE REDEMPTION OF MANKINDE and the end of the Synagogue signified by the Institution of the Eucharist in the full of the Moone EXplaining the type of the Paschall Lambe wee said that the Ceremony began vpon the fourteenth day of the first month of the Hebrewes holy yeare vpon the euening because in that night the first borne of Aegypt were killed and the gates opened to the freedom of the children of God Our Sauiour then to put an end to the old Figure and liuely to expresse the truth thereof instituted the Sacrament of his body
at that time of the yeare a time wherein the true deliuerance was neere at hand as the Iewes Pasche was a signe of their liberty which was then to follow for the next day Exod. 12. our Sauiour was to break the yoake of sinne and to deliuer mankinde from Satans tyranny figured by that of Pharo But heere is yet another mystery hidden vnder the number of the dayes and state of the Moone which our Sauiour by the same wisdome hath also brought to perfection It was said that the Lamb was to be taken into the house Exod. 12.13 the tenth day of the first month and to be offered the fourteeth Our Sauiour accomplished the first Exod. 12.6 Matth. 21. when he made his entry into Hierusalem riding vpon a shee Asse and vpon a yong vntamed Asse Ioan. 12.1.12 For S. Iohn writes that sixe daies before the Pasche hee came to Bethania and the next day which was fiue dayes before the Pasche he entered into Hierusam It was then vpon the tenth day that he was receiued into Hierusalem with great ioy as the Paschall Lambe there to be offered vpon the fourteenth in this Sacrament without effusion of bloud and on the next day vpon the Crosse by reall slaughter for as the sixth before the Pasche that is to say before the fourteenth was the ninth of the month so the fift before the same was the tenth of the month The second part which was the state of the Moone was no lesse wisely fulfilled The Moone had fourteene dayes old vpon the euening of the Lambe for the fourteenth of the month was the fourteenth of the Moone as the beginning of the month was the beginning of the Moone which hath been elsewhere declared The Moone was then in her full We said before that the Moone signified the Synagogue wherefore the full Moone signified that the Synnagogue was not come to her perfection When our Sauiour therefore instituted the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body in that day and in that houre hee fulfilled the figured truth and withall signified by the ceremony of the time that the Synagogue was then in her fulnesse ready to depart as being now accomplished in the Institution of the Christian Pasche shadowed in the Iudaicall S. Ambres epist 13. Matth. 5. And this is that which Saint Ambrese amongst other Doctors noteth saying Our Lord celebrated in the fulnesse of the Law which hee came to fulfill And there remained nothing for the entire and perfect consummation but onely the last draught which was his death on the Crosse Wherefore from that time the Iudaicall Sacrifices figured of ours were abolished before God and the Sacrifice of the body of his Sonne substituted in the place of them all The Law of Grace to that of Moyses and the Christian Church to that of the Iewes Synagogue being as the truth to the picture and the body to the shadow which was also declared by the Eclypse of the Moone and of the Sunne in the next day of the Pasch as we shall make it appeare in the exposition following 16. THE END OF THE SINAGOGVE AND the beginning of the Law of Grace Signified by the Eclypse of the Moone and Sunne which fell out the next day of the Pasche and after the Eucharist ordained THe Moone was eclypsed and caused an eclypse of the Sunne on the morrow of the Pasch and of the Institution of the Eucharist This was a double eclypse no lesse wonderfull then vnknowne to Nature Who hath euer seen that the Moone should come vnder the Sunne when shee was diametrically distinct from it or that the Sunne should be eclypsed being so farre off from the Moone as the halfe of her circle which is all the distance that can be to dispart one Starre from another Now the Moone on thursday euening which was the houre of the Pasche being found in the East and the Sunne in the West the next day at mid-noone shee was ioyned face to face to the Sunne in the same point of the Zodiak with him and as shee ceased to shine vpon the earth so by her interposition shee made the Sunne to lose his light in such sort as there were two admirable echpses of the two great lights of heauen by them was signified the departure of God from the Iewes and the end of their Synagogue For as the Sunne by his eclypse left to lighten the earth and the Moone by hers losing the sensible light that shee tooke from the Sunne and communicated heere below to the world Euen so the Sonne of heauen Creator of this visible Sunne from that day forward retired the beames of his fauours from these vngratefull people and the Synagogue eclypsed in her fourteenth day that is in her fulnesse was depriued of the spirituall light which shee receiued from him and was before communicated vnto her in the practise of her Ceremonies Then was shee at full in the accomplishment of all her Figures and from thenceforth eclypsed with an eternall eclypse being ended for euer and a new Moone began that is to say the Church of Iesus Christ which hee purchased to himselfe the next day in the time of this eclypse by his pretious bloud in the terrible battell of the Crosse where all the Furies of hell and their confederates of this world ioyned together to assault him and those two Torches as it were offended and angry at the iniury done to their Creator played their parts and shewed their indignation on the Theater of heauen speaking by the language of their effects a language knowne to all and making in a strange maner the streams of their light runne vpward withdrawing them from the eyes of men beneath with sighes and groanes of the astonished world 17. THE CHVRCH SIGNIFIED BY THE Moone and of the Pasche and Christian renouation THe Pasche then of our Sauiour being instituted conteining the Altar and Table of the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body and the combate of the Crosse being ended the Synagogue receiued a deadly blow with all her Sacrifices and Sacraments and a new Moone appeared to signifie that the Church was now no more in the Synagogue but in the Law of Grace The Moone hath a generall resemblance to the Church of God for as the Moone takes all her light from the Sunne and sometimes goes before it sometimes comes after it and sometimes ioynes with it so the Church shewes by the beames of the Sonne of God going before him according to his Humanity vntill the time of his Natiuity being present with him while he remained vpon the earth following him afterward and sometime ioyning her selfe to him by the Sacrament and Reall Presence of his body Againe as the Moone lighteneth the night and giueth direction amidst the darknesse Euen so the Church hath euer enlightened the night of this world and shewed the way to heauen amidst the darknesse of Heathenish Idolatry Moreouer the Moone particularly marketh out the seuerall states of
Greeke Fathers vpon the Figure of MELCHISEDECH SAint Clement S. Clem. lib. 4. Stre. MELCHISEDECH King of Salem Priest of the most high God gaue the bread and wine sanctified in figure of the Eucharist Saint Chrysostome S. Chrysost hom 35.36 in Gen. speaking of the same Sacrifice of MELCHISEDECH Beholding the Figure thinke I pray you vpon the truth that is to say if thou makest account of the Offering of Melchisedech how much more of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of our Sauiour which is the truth signified of old by the ancient Figure And againe Idem After that MELCHISEDECH King of Salem had offered bread and wine for hee was the Priest of the most high ABRAHAM tooke from his hand part of that which had been offered that is to say he did eate and drinke of the sacrificed bread and wine Theodoret 〈◊〉 Pas 109. Idem in Gen. 4.63 hauing declared how our Sauiour had begun his Priest-hood after the order of Melchisedech in the institution of the Sacrament of his body addeth Wee haâ—e found Melchisedech Priest and King affirming to God not Sacrifices of beasts deprined of reason but of bread and wine as if he should say that the Priest-hood and offering of our Sauiour is not with effusion of blood of beasts as that of Aarons but without killing and that his body is giuen in Sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine according to the order of Melchisedech Saint IOHN DAMASCENE S. Ioan. Damâ—â— lib. 4. de Fid. cap 24. The Table of Melchisedech figured out our mysticall Table euen as Melchisedech carried the Figure and the Image of the true Prelate Iesus Christ TMEOPHILACT vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes Theophil in 〈◊〉 5. ad Heb. Psal 109. explaning the words of the Psalmist Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech It is most cortaine saith he that this Prophecie is to be vnderstood of Iesus Christ for it is he onely that hath sacrificed bread and wine according to the order of Melchisedech And a little after He saith eternally as well for that Iesus Christ maketh intercession for vs incessantly to his Father as for that he is offered euery day this Oblation is made without ceasing by the Officers and Seruitors of God hauing for Priest and for Sacrifice Christ the Sauiour it is hee that breaketh and distributeth himselfe 13. TESTIMONIES OF THE ANCIENT Latine Fathers SAint CYPRIAN S. Cyprian l. 2. ep 3. ad Cecil Who hath been more Priest of the highest then our Lord Iesus Christ who hath offered Sacrifice to God the Father and offers the same that Melchisedeth did Ioan. 6. bread and wine to wit his body and his bloud for his body is the true bread and his bloud is the true wine and the true drinke Saint Hierom S. Hieron epist 126. ad Euagr. S. Hieron in ep ad Marcel nomine Paula Eustoch scripta giuing a reason to Euagrius wherefore Melchisedech was compared to our Sauiour It is saith he because he sacrificed not victimes of flesh and blood of beasts but dedicated the Sacrament of Christ with bread and wine a simple and pure sacrifice And elsewhere Reade Genesis Thou shalt finde the King of Salem Prince of the Citie who then offered in Figure of Christ bread and wine and dedicated the mystery of Christians in the body and bloud of our Saniour Againe Our mystery the Masse is signified by the word Order not in imolating victimes of beastes according to the order of Aaron but in offering bread and wine that is to say the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint Ambrose speaking of the Eucharist S. Ambrel l 5. de Sacra cap. 1. We know saith he that the Figure of this Sacrament hath gone before in Abrahams time then when Melchisedech offered Sacrifice Saint Augustine speaking of this Sacrifice of MELCHISEDECH S. Aug. lib. 16. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 22. Then first was shewed in Figure the Sacrifice which now is offered by Christians throughout the vniuersall world S. Aug lib. 1. Cont. Aaâ—â—â—s â—â— cap. 20. And elsewhere Those that reade know what Melchisedech brought forth when he blessed Abraham and are made partakers thereof they see that through all the world such a Sacrifice is offered And he meaneth the Sacrifice of the Masse which is offered ouer all the world 14. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENE THE Sacrifice of the Crosse and that of the Eucharist THe Sacrifice of the Crosse was bloudie Of this Oblation speaketh Saint Paul Hebr. 7.27 offered but once in Hierusalem onely this of the Eucharist not bloudie it is offered and shall be throughout all the world where the Church is dispersed and that euen to the end of the world That of the Crosse is the chiefe cause of our good the treasure and the generall exchequer of our redemption and the fountaine of our sanctification for by this death our Sauiour hath purchased vs all the good vnlesse we hinder or neglect it the Sacrifice of the Masse is the instrument to apply the fruit of all these purchased goods vnto vs it is the key which opens this treasure it is the meanes to haue part of this substance and the bucket to draw vp from the spring of this fountaine where with to cleanse vs and as when some one is washed in Baptisine or absolued in Penance the merite of the Crosse flowes into him or her that is baptised or absolued from sinne by meanes of these Sacraments euen so the fruit of the Crosse is distributed by the Sacrifice of the Eucharist to all those which offer it and for whom it is offered and it is the same body that was offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse and that which is offered on the Altar in the Church and giuen for food of immortalitie to all those which will receiue it The Masse then celebrating this Mystery makes the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of our Saniour and in them both is as of olde the ancient Sacraments and Sacrifices were an instrument to make vs participate the merit of the Passion of our Sauiour but so much more efficatious and precious as Iesus Christ who is in it the Priest and the offering for the man is but the Vicar surpasseth in dignity the ancient Priests and their earthly victimes This is the difference betweene the Sacrifice of the Crosse and that of the Masse and the glory of God is manifested diuersly thereby in two diuers mysteries 15. THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SACRIfice of Melchisedech and of this of the Masse THe Sacrifice of Melchisedech was but the shadow and the Figure this of the Masse the body and the truth In that there was nothing but bread and wine terrestriall materiall and insensitiue nourishing nothing but the body and that for a little time in this there is offered the body and bloud of our Sauiour the true bread and the true drinke bread of
heauen bread of life immortall and glorious diuine bread and diuine flesh without the substance of any materiall bread both meate and drinke together giuing the nourishment of grace to the soule and the sprout of immortalitie to the body and to both of them the fruit of all blessednesse In that God shewed his diuine wisdome figuring with his prouident pensill the future Priest-hood of his Sonne in the person of Melchisedech and the Sacrifice of the body of his Sonne in the Sacrifice of Melchisedech But in this heere hee hath left markes infinitely more cleare of his omnipotencie wisdome and boundy changing the hidden substance of bread into that of his body without changing the forme of the outward accidents offering himselfe by himselfe being at one instant together the Sacrificer and the thing Sacrificed Could he shew himselfe more great more skilfull and more liberall Could he establish a Sacrifice either more honorable for the acknowledging of his diuine Maiestie then this in which he offered not the body and bloud of beasts but his owne body and bloud or more profitable to man then in which he giues vs his owne body This mystery then so agreeable to the honor of God and so beneficiall to his friends doth it not merit to be eternally continued in the Church according to that which Dauid hath so diuinely prophecied Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Not according to the order of Aaron who was the Sacrificer of the bodies of beasts lesse honorable and lesse profitable and therefore worthy to be changed but according to the order of Melchisedech offering without bloud the body of the Sonne of God vnder the formes of bread and wine Sacrifice and Priest-hood most honorable and most worthy to endure euen to the end of the world neither can the world be furnished with a better either for the houor of God or for the good of his children 16. THE GOOD SPIRITVAL SOVLDIERS are worthy of the food and blessing of the body of our Lord. BVt who are the children worthy to feed vpon this Sacrifice and to haue the blessing of the true Melchisedech truely they are Abraham and his souldiers which haue noble soules and are armed in all parts with vertue which hotly pursue the enemies of their saluation fighting valiantly against the forces of the Assyrians pride Couetousnesse Leachery Enuy Gluttony Hate Idlenesse Iniquity Impiety and other vices signified by the Assyrians These then are they that giue the tenth of their victories and of their spoiles to God which giue him thankes for his benefits and acknowledge his assistance as chiefe cause of all their good actions for which they glory in nothing but in him and confesse that all their good commeth from him These are they that are true children of Abraham and like valient warriers know readily how to manage their bodies in all sorts of combates and exercises of spirituall battle This braue Horse of Abrahams so well made and so well taught to the bitt and to the spurre to trotte to gallop to runne and to bee decently ordered resembleth those bodies that are well tamed and well taught to follow the commands and directions of a warlike soule Such was he 1. Cor. 9.27 which said I chastise my body and make it a seruant such haue been a thousand champions of our Sauiour which haue victoriously combated against the greatest forces and armies of their enemies the world the flesh and the diuell Such souldiers are worthy of the bread of God worthy which whom the great Melchisedech should comply in the end of their victories comming foorth to honor them to congratulate with them to inuite them to receiue the holy Repast of his sacred body and to sanctifie them with his great blessing wherewith they returne into their countrey which is heauen rich with reward and enobled with immortall glory THE FOVRTH PICTVRE ISAAK ON THE ALTAR The Description THese two yong men seruants of Abraham attend at the foote of the mountaine with this saddled Asse Abraham himselfe with yong Isaak is ascended to the top of the mountaine hauing commanded them to tarry beneath vntill he had there worshipped and offered Sacrifice this is the third day since they came from home with him hauing neuer vsed to depart from him their face shewes that they are sorrowfull and astonished and it is by all true likelihood for not knowing the cause why he should leaue them and for hauing seene and heard of things they misliked they had seene how their Master all sad had put the wood which the Asse carried vpon the shoulders of Isaak taking himselfe fire in the one hand and a sword in the other Ioseph lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 13. and certainly the teares ran downe in great abundance from their eyes because they see their yong Master loaden with this heauie burden to goe with no little paine for hee is tender and delicate and but fiue and twentie yeeres old They could not also imagine what should be the Sacrifice Abraham would offer seeing it was his custome to Sacrifice before his domesticals without euer hauing vsed such like ceremony But this which puts them yet in more great wonder is that they perceiued not any beast he had to sacrifice whereof Isaak himselfe being sollactous asked of his Father in the way where the Lambe was for the Burnt-offering to whom Abraham answered that God would prouide it The good childe knew not that himselfe was the Lambe appointed for the Sacrifice lesse knew hee what this holy old man thought within himselfe for hee felt a maruailous combate in his soule pressed on the one side with the assaults of Nature which moued him to fatherly compassion and on the otherside with the Word of God which made him stedfast in the execution of his Commandement Nature said to him O Father what dost thou Hast thou begotten a sonne to be his murtherer Hast thou giuen him life in the world to put him with thine owne hand to death Hast thou giuen being to this creature and wilt thou depriue him of it in a moment as soone as it beginneth Wilt thou burie in one moment the comfort of thy age and all the hopes of thy future race within the tombe of thy only sonne Thy only sonne giuen thee of God after so many faire and goodly promises of thy prosperity Thy onely son so tenderly nourished so carefully brought vp so beautifull so gratious so obedient and perfect in all kinde of graces And who euer saw such a Father as thou art And what will thy houshold thy neighbours and thy kindred say And aboue all the rest what will his poore Mother say who sitting at home little thinkeâ—â— of any such matter when shee shall see thee returne all alone and that shee shall heare the pitifull newes of her deare and onely childe slaine not by force of sicknesse nor by the hand of the enemie nor by the teeth of any furious