confirme by daily experience For vvhat els pretend those who so vehemently embrace one an other but as it were one to enter into another and vnite themselues in one for the vehement affection of loue Why did Iob say Quis mihi det vt de carnibus eius saturemur who will Iob 31 giue me that wee may bee filled with his flesh but to declare that the vehemency of loue desired this vnion How possesse the three persons in Trinitye such vehement and ardent loue but for the vnion of one substance in three persons That which men thought impossible to God was possible and that which nature affected was by the Author of nature grace in this mistery effected for herby imparting his body vnto men without destruction of either he caused an vnioÌ„ of both whereupon ensued that the loue of God could not but be singularly increased towards vs because as fathers loue most vehemently their children because in them they see a part of their owne substance disperced in their bodies though after many chaunges and alterations So God vewing his whole substance without any mutation or change in nature or qualitie his body and bloud his soule and person really remaining in vs and ioyned with vs cannot but loue vs exceedingly much more then any father his children And we for the selfe-same cause are moued to loue him for the same vnion or rather identification of substance For who is so base minded or cold in affection that lifting vp the eies of his soule to heauen admiring the infinite Maiestye of God where millions of Cherubins and Seraphines stand in his sight veiling their eyes with their golden wings lest they should be dazelled being not able to behold the infinite brightnes of his glory who I say after this consideration would not open all the vaines of his heart and resolue them into loue seeing this soueraigne Maiestie to discend from heauen to earth to dwell with a poore worme to lodge with a miserable man one that many times had offended him to couer himselfe vnder bread to be eaten of him and to enter into his body to be eternally vnited with him Zacheus thought Luc. 19. he shewed him a singular fauour to come into his house the Centurion passed a Luc. 7. litle furder and saide his house was not worthy of him But here what shall wee say he entereth not to receiue but to giue not to cure the body but to saue the soule how can that heart not be enflamed with loue which hath a burning flame of fier glowing so neere I meane the heart of our Sauiour Iesus Christ How doth not those veines swell with affection which are filled with the pretious bloud of their most affectious and zealous GOD How doth not that soule exult for ioy at Christs presence beeing so neere when Saint Iohn Luc. 1. Baptist exulted for ioy in his mothers wombe conceauing but our Ladies voice The ninth cause to be an ornament of the materiall Churches IN the olde Testament which was a modell of the new wee see that God had a speciall care to prouide the Arke the Cherubines propitiatorie with all the ornaments and furniture of the interiour Exod. 25. Tabernacle or Sanctum sanctorum into which none could enter but the high Priest and he only once a yeere this as the Apostle apertly declareth signified Hebr. 9. how Christ was to offer vp once a bloudy Sacrifice for the redemption of al the world Yet this was but the Allegorie of these ceremonies which God had not only instituted to signifie what was to come but also ordained them for the present vse and religion of the Iewes as CircumcisioÌ„ MaÌ„na the Pascal lambe with al the rest the reasoÌ„ therfore which moued the diuine wisdome of God to ordain this so maiesticall a place so reuerend and ful of ceremonies was to strike into the peoples mindes a great conceit of him a reuerence and respect a feare and humilitie in that place The like with out al doubt stood with his prouidence in instituting this Sacrament that we should haue in our temples the true Ark of his couenant whence-froÌ„ he was to giue answere to imprint in our heartes at the view of his tabernacle a reuerend feare and a fearful loue of his maiestie for if we were Angels and needed not corporall senses to pourtraite or represent the maiestie of God vnto vs little it woulde auaile vs to haue present such rites ceremonies but because our soule in this exile is drowned in the body and cannot ascend to God but by fixing the first and second step in externall sences and corporall imaginations therfore our prouident Sauiour condescending to our infirmities ordained a sensible presence for his maiestie thereby to strike into vs reuerence feare and respect and so in effect it seemes that experience teacheth For when I enter into an heretical church without light altare or image and especialy without the body of Christ me thinks I come into some vast prophane hall or at best some great schoole for it carrieth no shew nor casteth any smel of religion Whereas entring into a church of Catholikes al that I see breatheth pietie and religion the lamps and lights represent the indeficient glory of heauen and brightnes of Gods elected the Images giue mee to vnderstand the multitude of Saints and Angels who assist the maiesty of God in his eternal temple whereas day and night they neuer cease his praises the Altare leades me to that incruent sacrifice which daily is offered to the liuing God for all the faithful in Christs church and in fine the presence of Christ in the Tabernacle moâ—eth me to reuerence to look into my selfe to carry me circumspectly in that older as such a presence requireth For as wel noteth Saint Chrys When Courtiers come before the Kings presence they are careful and circumspect what they doe they roll their eyes about their garments lest any spotte or blemish in them might offend the Kings eyes they ponder theyr speeches lest any vndecent word should escape from them they forelooke al theyr gestures actions lest any of them should appeere vngrateful to the king And how doe faithfull Christians when they come before Christ in the Church they looke into their soules weigh their words consider their thoughts and in fine beware that nothing proceed from them that in any sorte may displease so diuine a maiestie for indeede as the same Authour wel aduertiseth by the presence of Christ in the Sacrament the church is conuerted into heauen For as we prooue the kings Court and Throne is not his pallace his gardens his golden galleries his â—orie beds his chaire of estate his pearled canopies but the person of the King is the essence of the Court and Throne al the rest be accessary to him euen so the court and throne of heauen is not those spheres those angels those saints they be all ornaments they be accessary
pricke in their hearts with saying Ite à me maledicti in ignem aternum Ger Matth. 29. ye away from me ye cursed vnto fire euerlasting which once were called Famus distillans labia tua Thy lips are a distilling hony combe Ah loue then wil be changed into hatred and his cheereful lookes Cantic 4. into a frowning countenance Therefore let vs entertaine him with loue here that with the like he may entertaine vs there That God shewed in the Eucharist an extensiue loue and a tender or familiar loue Ca. 10 THe breadth of heauen and the depth of the abisse who can measure the 4. â—sdr 4. vastnesse of the sunne or the vehement brightnesse whether most excelleth if these be hard to determine what shall we say of the feruour of Gods loue whether the extension or intension the vehemencie or the amplenesse the height or the largenes thereof ought more to be esteemed first God hath limited his loue in this sacrament to no citie as he did his sacrifices to Ierusalem to no particular nation as his old Testament recites and ceremonies 3. Reg. â— â— Paâ—al 6. and 7. were contained within the narrow bonds of Iuorie But from the rifing of the sun Psal 75. vnto the setting Non est quae abscondat se à calore eius there is none can hide himself Psal 18. from his heate Ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum Maâ—â—e 1. magnum est nomen meum in gentibus From the rising of the sunne vnto the setting my name is great among Gentiles he restrained it to no definite time as all sacrifices of the Iewes like so many errant plannets were to leese their light in the appearing of the sunne whose light shall neuer faile but first the world shall leese his forme before this sacrifice shall leese 1. Cor. 11. his glorie Moreouer the priests be not determined within the straites of any pedegree as the sacrifices of Moses within the tribe of Leui neither the quantity of bread nor wine our louing sauiour prescribed for consecration but left it freely to the Priests intention to consecrate so much of that which may be preseÌ„t before him as shal seeme good vnto him neither limited he any time but left it to be the receiuers deuotion if they could prepare themselues worthily euery day he is content they should communicate euery day and so thousandes of priests as they daily liue by breathing this vitall aire to conserue their bodies so they daily sucke the bloud from Christs side to feede theyr soules Consider how many masses are said euuerie day in Italy Spaine France Germany Flanders Powland England Ireland Scotland and the East and West Indians where there be now almost as many Catholikes as in all Eupore and vppon sundaies and other feastiuall daies howe many millions coÌ„municate Imagine how these vaines of Christs sacred body like the foure maine riuers that issued out of Paradise giue sufficient refectioÌ„ to al this innumerable multitude if we had the eies of our soules open to view Christs precious body and bloud glorious and shining fixed in this sacrament shining in their breasts we should behold another sort of spangled firmament in earth then wee do see in heauen in the clearest winter night Consider moreouer the fragrant smell the spirituall odour which continually the Catholike Church dispersed through the whole world exalteth from this diuine sacrifice and sendeth vp to heauen in recognoscence of the infinite benefit of Christs passion and the manifold graces we haue receiued from his maiestie If God would declare it with a corporall shew the heauens aire earth would be couered with this sacred insence Blessed be his name for euer who so farre extended the sphere of his loue that he would haue all men at al times of all qualities in all places to be licenced to haue free accesse vnto him in such sort that the verie angels admiring the admirable sweetnesse of the Church presenting her selfe daily in these sacred oblations before the vniuersall court of heauen and wondering how such grateful smels ascend from such barreÌ„ deserts said Quae est ista quae ascendit de deserto diliciâ—s affluens Câ—â—tie 8. enixa super spoÌ„sum who is this which ascendeth from the desart flowing with delights leaning vpon her spouse His His familiar â—out tender affection yeeldeth little to any of the rest for as mothers most tenderly and familiarly deale and conuerse with theyr little infants euen so our blessed sauiour with vs in this sacrament But he farre surpasseth all mothers in the tendernesse of his affection for mothers giue their children cold milke that is indigested bloud but Christ imparteth the best bloud in his breast and besides all his substance Of diuers mothers wee reade who came to that fiercenesse and crueltie that to releeue their famine they embrued theyr hands in their childrens bloud bereauing them of that life that naturally they had once imparted to them but wee neuer read of mother that killed her selfe to feede her children O sweete sauiour thou Psal 101. art the only pellicane thou launch est thy heart to feed thy flocke thou diddest die to nourish thy children with this bloud of life Ah how sweetly dost thou coÌ„uerse with those who deuoutly conuerse with thee Thy conuersation hath no bitternes thy friendship no gall yet few doo feele I know these tender affects of Christ because Sapientia non habitat in terra suauiter viuentium Wisedome dwelleth not in the land of daintie liuers for it is an infallible veritie that the ioyes of Christ and the pleasures of the world cannot consort together The fortie two and last cause to be the ende of all the Sacraments of the olde Testament AS great and maiesticall subiects are signified with many names as God Christ the incarnation blisse this sacracrament because we cannot impose one to signifie them compleatly therefore we supplie this defect with the multitude euerie one signifying a part eueÌ„ so the prouidence of God ordained many simbolicall figures and pictures of sacrifices in the old Testament to depaint the blessed Eucharist because we could not fully coÌ„ceiue the maiestie thereof in one wherefore hee appointed a number Not vnlike to great Princes who are not contented in one card to draw their whole kingdomes but commaund for more distinction euerie prouince and Countrey euerie citie territory to be seuerally described Some sacraments God instituted to signifie the matter or external formes of the Eucharist such were the sacrifice of Melchizedech in bread and wine the bread of proposition Some represented the forme life and soule of this sacrament our blessed sauiour heere offered vnto his father and of this sort were all the lambes sheepe doues turtles and bloudie sacrifices for they both represented the passion of Christ and the incruent sacrifice of the Euch arist which in substance is all one with the passion Others did carrie on
instituted Exod. 20. a Sacrament for his Church but how plaine was hee in the institution of Baptisme Here he ordained a principal ceremonie Mat. 28. of religion to be practised who Math. 13. knows not how clearely he deliuered the ceremonial law to the Iewes in Leuiticus Here he was priuate with his disciples to whome it was giuen to knowe mysteries although to many others in Parables and therefore it was conuenient in plaine termes to â—eueale this so profound a mysterie to them Here finally Christ made his last wil and testament al men confesse that willes must be most manifest lest the executors should not agree about the sense thereof Therefore Christ giuing a law instituting a sacrament appoynting a religious ceremony conuersing priuately with his disciples and making his last will and testament had sufficient occasion I thinke to conceiue through his infinite wisedome that here was no place for metaphoricall figures symbolicall senses or harsh speeches subiect to sundry interpretations This reason conuiceth my wit so perswadeth my vnderstanding that supposing the thing possible I maruell any man can deny it And therefore since the venty of catholike religion is so true certainely all arguments obiected against it consequently are conuinced to be false whereunto followeth that they may bee answered as in like maner we affirme all arguments which can bee vttered against the holy Trinity to be Paralogismes soluble And for better intelligence and more fuller conceit I meane to propound the chiefest and rather answer them with naturall similitudes or other supernaturall mysteries then seriously assoile them according to the principles of Diuinitie where of most readers are not capable First some will demand how is it possible that such a great bodie as that of Christs with al parts and members shuld be cowched or conueied vnder so little an hoast vnder a crumme of bread or a drop of wine I demaund before I answer if it were not as great a myracle for to make a church or mountaine enter into a hole no greater than a barley corne No man can doubt of it but this I will shew you done by nature Go to the toppe of Paules steeple and there view the country about the mountaines hilles plaines valleis the riuers the gardeins meddowes orchardes churches houses beasts and men heauen aboue and earth beneath now after such a mightie prospect shut your eies and in your mind you shall see all within which before you saw without in the same order situation correspondence and proportion Now I wil inquire by what moÌ„strous gate passed in whole mountaines villages and riuers and pallaces By the smal circle of the apple of the eie no greater than a barly corne But how was God able to cowch such a quantitie or such a masse in so little a moate The reason is because the mountaine entring into the eâ—e putteth on a certaine spirituall garment although the forme of the mountaine imprinted in our eies of it selfe be corporall and extended like other materiall qualities in the subiect This same similitude most aptly declareth the mysterie of Christs bodie in the sacrament because it receiueth a certaine spirituall garment that maketh it to bee in euerie parte of the hoast as the image of the mountaine representeth the whole mountaine in euerie mans eie without confusion or imptoportion I demaund whether is more myraculous to make a man with all his limmes to bee placed in no greater roome than a needles point or a thing which of it selfe is lesse than a needles point without anie addition of substance to be dilated as much as a man The latter we see daily why then do we wonder so much at the former The soule of man requireth no place but of it selfe fully and perfitly can refide in lesse than a needles point yet we see it dilated and spiritually extended as faire as the bodie Yea God himselfe filleth al places whose entire compleate substance requireth no place but wholy may refide in one indiuisible point Is not the highest heauen the vastest bodie and the mightiest masse that euer God created and yet according to the most accepted opinion in the schooles of Philosophers it inhabiteth no place If God by his omnipotencie coulde 4 Mat. 9. make a CAmmell passe through a needles eie who wil denie but that he can put by the same omnipotencie the bodie of Christ in a little hoast Therefore well saide S. Cyprian Panis quem Christus discipulis Cipr. ser de coâ—na Dom. suis porrigebat non effigie sed natura mutatus verbi omnipotentia factus est caro that bread which Christ gaue to his Disciples not chaunged in forme but in nature by the omnipotencie of the worde was made flesh We see that Christ in manie miracles suspended naturall agents from their most proper and necessarie actions as fire Dan. 3. from burning in the furnace of Babylon 4 Reg. 6. the iron from descending in the prophets hatchet S. Peters bodie from drowning Math. 14. when hee walked vppon the water whie may hee not heere suspend the bodie of Christ from extending it in place Pro. Secondly hovv can one bodie be in so manye places at once in Englande France Flaunders Italie c. I answer how is my soule whole in my head whole in my handes whole in my feete If then one soule may bee intire in three places there is no repugnance vvhy one body may not be in diuers places for the repugnaunce is alike in both If you say the soule hath a certain connexion or continuation in the bodie which Christes body hath not in such distant places this auaileth not For who can proue or euer did proue that it is impossible for God to cut off my arme and keepe my soule in it and transfer it into Fraunce or Italie leauing the same soule in my body here in England We heare the Preacher in the Pulpit whose voyce is but one yet fiue hundred receiue it and euery one the same sound in his eare We see in looking glasses if there be a hundred little ones about a great glasse in euery one of them our faces intire Whether is more difficult to conceiue one body in many places or many bodies in one place Surely I thinke no mortall man euer yet could yeeld a sufficient reason but we know most certainly that two bodies were in one place when Christ issued out Luke 2. Math. 27. 28. 10. 20. Mat. 16. Luke â—4 of his mothers wombe reseruing her virginitie when he rose out of the sepulcher it being closed with a mightie stone wheÌ„ he entred to his disciples the dores being shut when he assended vppe to heauen the incorruptible sphears reseruing their places What is more impossible that a body should be in two places or a body putrified and rotten to be restored to all his qualities quantities and other proprieties no doubt but this which wee all beleeue shal be
coÌ„memoratio sciebant eniminde vtilitatem mnltum illis contingere lucrum 2. Mach. c. 3â— S. August proueth the fame out of this place in lib. de cuâ—a agendâ— promortuis multum It is not wihtout cause ordained by the apostles that in the dreadful mysterys the memory for the dead haue their place for they were not ignorant that they receiued great profit therby great gaine For if the sacrifice that Iudas Machabues caused to be offered in Ierusalem had vertue by the merrits of Christs passion to redeeme those soules out of purgatory how much more this blessed hoaste shal be propitiatory to those which the contented herein redeemed wth his own boud who can deay but that all theâ— Sacraments aâ—e those fountaines whence Esay had promised we shuld draw liuing Isai 12â— ters with ioy Hauristis aquas cum gaudio de fontibus Saluatoris you shall with ioy draw water out of the fountaine of our Sauior if sacraments be ordained to sanctifie the receiuers and participate the graces and effects of christs passion for the receiuers questionlesse this sacrifice which holdeth the substance and nature of all other sacrifices which are instituted as impretratorie for others participateth the effects of Christs passion profitable for others and those which by impetration one meÌ„ber of the catholike church may obtaine Zach. 3. for an other Since therfore Christ suffered both for the quicke and the dead this sacrifice must be a conduct to conuay the graces and effects of Christs passion to those that are dead in body though liuing in soule and so much more copiously how much more neerer this sacrifice toucheth God how much more it standeth with the dignity therof how much more this effect most securely is granted and with how much more deuotion the person dead was affected to this sacrifice or the offerer more feruent at the oblation or the procurer more zealous of expiation The two and twentith cause to be a sacrifice of thankesgiuing for the Saintes in heauen AS the heart in mans body and the sunne in this visible world spred their influence and vertue aboue them beneth them and on each side euen so this blessed sacrifice beeing the heart of the catholike Church and the sunne of this spirituall world communicateth vertue to the church millitant about it to those that suffer beneath it and to the triumphant which dwelleth aboue it and as the heart disperseth not all effects it worketh to all partes but vseth an accommodate discription according to the qualities nature of euery parte euen so this sacrifice extendeth sundry effects agreeing to the diuersities of members to those that suffer Christs satisfactions to those in earth diuers helpes and succours to auoide sinnes temporall commodities sundry graces and vertues to thofe in heauen thankes to God for their happinesse and praises to them for their passed triumphes This notable Eucharistiall effect the very practize of the catholike church continually representeth vnto vs in the holy Masse which she offereth to God nowe for Apostles now for Martires now for Virgins nowe for Confessours the which practise was in vse in saint Ciprians time who caused Cip. epist 37 the daies of martirdomes to be noted that in the holye sacrifice the Martyres might be mentioned If heere therefore we conuert our eyes to God to Christ to the Saints of heauen to the Church in earth we shall find that this oblation can not be but most gratefull and glorious to them all For what can be more gratefull or glorious vnto God than to see the blod of Christ mingled with the bloud of martyres and both offered vp together what can God esteem more than to receiue an oblation of virginitie ioyned with the infinit puritie of this sacrifice how acceptable wil the vertues of Confessors appeare in his sight burnt as sweete incense with the Manna of Christs deified operations and merites howe gloriously will that Garland appeare decked with roses lillieâ— and violets of golde set with pearles of this pretious Manna and rubies of this bloudy challice none can be ignorant how glorious the oblatioÌ„ is to Christ for since his Saints be members of his body by vertue of this Sacrament so vnited vnto him that they be Caro de carne eius Genes 2. Matth. 19. Marc 10. Eph. 5. and ossa de ossibus eius flesh of his flesh bones of his bones by offering vp himselfe here he sheweth the triumph of his Crosse and Passion he representeth the admirable vertues of this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice in vertue whereof they were norished defended and protected against so many perils and dangers in the desart of this life and as by a viaticum conducted vnto the desired land of Promise The Saints of heauen in like case can not but exceedingly reioyce to see theyr brethren so gratefull to God for their benefites receiued and offer vp so worthie an hoast in recognoscence of heauenly fauours God powred vpon them Questionlesse they can not forget them in heauen who are so mindfull of them vppon earth and as their charitie is more feruent so their care will be more vigilant The church finaly to whom it appertains to praise God in his Saints triumpheth in both most admirably presenting to God the merits of her spouse her children insulting against the Diuell flesh and world who could not preuaile against theÌ„ inuiting the rest that remaine with glorifying them that are gone to follow their vertues and good examples The three and twentieth cause to shew the magnificence and liberalitie of God BOuntifulnes beneuolence declareth beneuolence gifts but when the giftes mount to excesse then beneuolence is caled magnificence the which God hath manifested to the worlde most wonderfully in this Sacrament What gaue hee His body and bloud and with them his person and diuinitie so great a gift as none can exceede it for as God surpasseth all that is not good so this Sacrament all that is not the same thing with it Who gaue it God himselfe If a meane gift be giuen of a king men greatly prize it bicause the person of a king dignifieth the gift but being so great a gift and moreouer imparted by God herein the greatnesse encreaseth How deare was it vnto him as deare as his owne life for the selfe same if he had giuen a thing superfluous or not esteemed or not necessary then we wold haue made lesse account of it but being so neare him and so deare vnto him we cannot but highly commend it With what affection gaue hee it Freely not of constraint yea with a most feruent loue Cum dilexisset suos in finem dilexit eos whereas he 10. 13. had loued his vnto the ende he loued theÌ„ Chrysost Euth in eum loc that is giftes that come freely are much more estemed then those which proceed of necessitie To whom doth he giue it To men mortall and miserable creatures yea and to many that
actions transfer our common vertues froÌ„ their ordinary course to a most iminent excellent degree of perfection Therefore he being God and man would haue al our actions imediatly to be done to him For which cause hee saide Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth Luke 10. you heareth me Wherupon did ensue Matth. 10 that that which before by human prudence was but credulity now by the precept of Christ did become deuine faith Likewise Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis Matth. â—â— mihi fecistis As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren you did it to me Qui vos recipit me recipit he that receaueth Matth. 10. you receaueth me So that almes which Luke 10. by naturall vertue is ordained to succour the poore and relieue their misery by the institution of our sauiour becommeth diuine 10. 13. because it is immediatly offered to him For the same reason Saint Paule instructed Ephes 1. of Christ exâ—orted euen the very Col. 3. Tit. 2. 1. Pet. 2. seruants to obey their froward maisters as Christ himselfe thereby exalting obedience to a higher perfection In like sort it falleth foorth in religion for we see in the old lawe this vertue yeelded worship to God but mediatly a far off they could Exod. 19. Hab. 9 Leuit. 16. Exod. 30. not ascend the mountaine it was not lawfull to enter into sanctum sanctorum Their sacrifices had for their immediate obiects Buls Calues and Lambes But the Catholique Religion immediatly by means of this Sacrament hath accesse to God And as that feruent Magdalen immediatly exercised her Religion vpon the person of God when she powred the pretious Marke 14. oyntment vpon his heade and those Luke 8. holy women who ministred meate and drinke vnto him did a worke of mercie Marke 16. vnto God and all those who adored that sacred humanity immediatly worshipped his person and diuinitie euen so all those who either minister light vestments or other furniture of the altare immediatly direct their offering So that as in the temple of Salomon there was nothing 3. Reg. 6. bare but al guilded with golde so there is 2. Paral. 3. nothing offered here concerning the body of Christ but it is guilded with a deified religion respecting the person of the son of God How many faithful christians at this present wish with all their harts to haue beene present that time that Christ liued vpon the earth how would they haue harboured him in their houses how prepared his garments how diligently dressed his wounds with what fine sindons wrapped his body with what sweet spices embalmed his corse This desire I cannot but commond howbeit I take all seruices obsequies oblations done to this blessed Sacrament of as great merite and more then those which had bin imployed to Christs person liuing in earth for the same diuinitie and humanitie in both are alike and besides here we haue a greater difficultie to beleeue For they that liued with him sawe his humanitie with their corporall eyes and only beleuÌ„ed his diuinity but here wee beleeue both diuinity and humanity and consequently according to our beliefe refer our deuotion religion and oblations which therfore are more meritorious for merit increaseth where faith loue are strongest and commonly there they be strongest where they haue strong difficulties The six and twentieth cause that the manner of our saluation should be correspondent to the maner of our first preuarication THe principall cause why our Sauiour tooke flesh and came to redeeme this worlde according to the common decree of diuines was to abolish al sins from the world but specially originall because it was most ample for many bee conceiued borne in it who neuer actually offend indeed the very roote of al other sins Therfore our most diuine Phisition determined to make the salues of our sores not vnlike the causes of our woes and by the same order extinguish al sin by which it was brought in We know the causes of Adams sin were these the serpent that is the wicked Angel the woman AdaÌ„ himselfe the tree of good ill with the fruit therof and finally the desire to be made like vnto God Which al sixe our Sauior hath matched answerd most diuinely opposed six like in our iustification An Angell Gabriell to denounce Christs incarnation A Virgin to make her maker Christ a man by nature wisdome in his mothers womb the tree of good il the crosse of christ where al the world might know the immensiue goodnes of Christ who died for vs and the pestilent poison of sinne that caused an innocent to die so cruelly the fruit is this blessed sacrament that blossomed out of Christs fide vpon the crosse finally the desire of deitie and immortalitie proper effects of this sacrament the which intice all good christians to receiue it By this plainly appeareth the conformitie of our reprobation with the causes of our perdition That euen as the scorpion carieth a sting to poyson a iuice to heale so a tree yeeldeth a fruite of death and a tree yeeldeth a fruit of life But were it not an horrible abuse to conuert this bread of life into bread of death and make that a poyson which was ordained to bee a remedye against poison I am afraide that many had better haue swallowed poison then eaten this sacrament for poison in fine had but killed the body and this killeth the soule All those who come not prepared who iudge not the body of Christ from other prophane meates these kill their owne soules Many as S. Ciprian Cip. de caen Domini saith Lambunt quidem petram sedinde nec mel sugunt nec oleum They licke indeede the rocke but thereof they suck neither hony nor oyle And after hee addeth Quibus expedit suspendatur mola asinaria in collo eorum demergantur in profundum maris To whome it is expedient that a milstone were hanged about their necks and that they were drownd in the depth of the sea But who be these Those Matth. 18 Marke 9. Matth. 22. which come not with a wedding garment those that haue not a firme purpose to abstaine from all deadly sinnes those who haue other mens goods and doe not restore them those in fine which come not with charity For this Sacrament by a natural proposition supposeth the receiuer to liue spiritually For a deade body cannot digest meate or nourish it selfe And therfore he that is not in charity offendeth hainously by receiuing this sacrament haling as S. Chrysost saith the kinges sonne through the mire and durte Neuerthelesse I do not deny but in some cases this sacrament giueth life euen to the soule that is dead in sinne if bonafide hee come to it with attrition although hee hath committed some mortall sinne which hee inuincibly remembreth not The twenty seuenth cause to be caried about
that seemeth either against his iustice wisdom or goodnes we ought to bridle our iudgements with these three infinities of wisdoÌ„ goodnes power Secondly for the merite of faith God woulde not discerne the iust from the vniust the good froÌ„ the bad in his visible church for diuers most necessarie and important reasons and therefore it was expedient that all externall and visible meanes shoulde bee common to both for otherwise the elected should haue bin confirmed in grace the reprobate in malice that those could do no ill nor they no good which was contrary to the nature of man Thirdly if God did foresee many would abase this sacrament he did foresee the cause before the effect that is the abuse proceeded not because he did not foresee it but because man would most wickedly abuse it the which was the cause vvhy he did foresee it he therefore Eccleâ— 15 laying before maÌ„ fire vvater good and ill life death who can blame him if men rather burne then bath themselues Lastly such is the goodnes of god that he wil opeÌ„ the treasures of his grace euen vnto the wicked that therby the elected may extol his bounty the reprobate coÌ„etmn their own ingratitude for if wee account those men most vertuous who do good to strangers to wicked men and those that haue smal deserts without doubt the infinite goodnes of God is a sufficient cause to do good to meÌ„ without any deserts at all and therfore no maruel if we tollerate the reprobate to feed vpon his table because his loue is so constant towards the iust that hee will rather permit the reprobate to abuse him then the iust to leese him Seuenth Light Eight Delight HIs face as bright as the sun in the greatest force in the cheefest vertue in the prime of light vnfoldeth many excellent conditions and properties of Gods bright enflamed beautifull loue the which instituted the sacred Eucharist was not blinded with ignorance nor vailed with the clouds of passions nor led in a prodigal error for lack of consideratioÌ„ the which defects do ofteÌ„ inuegle vs because as the sun neuer maketh eclips nor shadow neare it selfe euen so this son of iustice Apud quem Iam. 1. non est transmutatio nec vicissitudinis obumbratio With whoÌ„ is no transmutation not shadowing of alteration cannot be blemished with spot of ignorance blot of error or stain of passion And therfore we must not maruel if we can find out so many and so weighty causes which moued him to institute this sacrament for Amor est ingeniosissimus loue is most inuentiue where it loueth can finde forth infinite meanes to procure conserue increase loue wherefore our blessed sauior Candor lucis aeternae Sap. 7. speculum sine macula the whitenesse of eternal life and the looking glasse without spot was not content that his loue should onely bee beautified with aboundance of light but also he dispersed his raies vpon al those who condignely receiue him into their harts for he knoweth very well that derstanding is the eye of loue and that in blisse we shal loue him best because there we shall know him most By which circumstance of Gods loue wee may inferre the force and perfection therof foâ— hee that with infinit wisedome knew his own maiestie our misery the admirable excellence of this Sacrament the estate of his church the causes of the institution the effects of it the good vses and abuses therof could not but be inflamed with a most ardent fire of loue in granting vs such a benefit For let any man expend in particular and he shall trie this illatiou to bee most manifest To loue and light followeth Delighâ— delight therfor the face of Christ shining like the sunne sheweth what delight is adioyned to Gods loue For one of the chiefest causes of delight we haue vppon earth is the light of the sunne therefore the blinded Tobie to whom day and night were all one could say quale Iob. 5. mihi gandium qui lumen coeli non video what ioy haue I that see not the light of heauen the delight that God conceiued by the institution and effects of this sacrament which he did foresee so profitable for vs so glorious to him without dout was ineffable The which he gaue vs to vnderstand by the good father who ranne to meet his prodigall sonne dum adhuc à longe esset when he was yet farre off and Luke 15. there imbrased and kissed him and after bringing him home with what affection thinke you caused he that vitulum saginatum the fatted calfe a most perfect figure of this sacrament to be killed to reioyce and feast with his sonne if his delights be to dwell with the sonnes of men Dilitiae Proâ—â—b â—â— meae esse cum filijs hominum my delights are to be with the sonnes of men what extreame delight had he to institute the Eucharist the very sinew and ioynt the glew and chaine wherewith he did foresee that men and God should perpetually be linked together in loue and vnitie If hee reioyced Io. 1â—â— to foresee his disciples and the rest of his flocke ioyned in friendship and amitie what extremitie of ioy did possesse that sacred brest when he did see them so vnited with his body and bloud that they had cor vnum animam vnam one hart Actes 2. â—â— one minde and all animated with his diuine life If he that planteth a tree with his owne hands could foresee what excellent fruite it would yeeld what ioy would he receiue in planting of it if the fouÌ„ders of colledges might foreknowe what rare schollers preachers and bishops shuld ascend from these foundations how gratefull would it be vnto them with what alacrity would they proceede in their building euen so our sauiour reioiced greatly foreseeing the admirable good of the Eucharist howe many straying soules by it were to be reduced how many proud and ambitious to become humble and milde howe many as fierce as lions as gentle as lambes how many lasciuious chaste how many coÌ„secrated to gluttony modest and temperate hovv many as brittle as glasse perseuer most constantly in virginity this obiect I say so wonderful for excellencie so gracious for varietie so rare for difficulty so glorious for merit could not but greatly content him whose contentation is to see the compleat contentment of vs. 9 Maiestie 10 Glory 11 Libertie THe brightnesse of Christ face in the â—â—â—th 16. Marke 9. Luke 9. mount of Thabor represented vnto his three best beloued disciples the glory of his maiesty or the maiesty of his glory the same it insinuateth here because he would giue vs therby to vnderstand that his loue is no common or vulgar sort of affection but most marestical glorious This word maiesty questionlesse is more triuiall then vnderstood for I am of opinion that fewe conceiue the depth of the