Church of God for the attaining of life eternall 5. OF THE EXCELLENCIE OF THE HOly Sacrament of the Altar farre aboue the Tree of Life THe likenesse of the Tree of Life with our Sacrament makes vs to admire the wisdome and power of God who had both knowledge and power to exhibite so diuine a portraiture of this most excellent Sacrament but if we contemplate the difference and the excellencie of the one so farre aboue the other we shall more admire his vnmeasurable liberalitie towards vs. The difference is first in this that the Tree of Life was but an earthly body and corruptible brought foorth and nourished by the earth insensible after the manner of other created things quickned with the life of a plant hauing neither sense nor discourse Our Tree of Life is an immortall body celestiall and diuine engendered in the wombe of a Virgin by the worke of the holy Ghost quickned by an intellectuall soule carrying the Image and likenesse of God expressed therein with the most liuely and compleate draughts of perfection and beauty that euer humane soule enioyed so that if the working hand of the Creator shew it selfe admirable in the common Fabricke of mans body what tongue shall be able to tell what spirit to comprehend the beauty of the bodie of his Sonne Or so much as of that earth out of which he brought foorth and with which he nourished this body which was the holy body of the Virgin Mary O deified body of the Sonne O diâ—iâ—e body of the Mother O fruitfull Virgin aboue all mothers O chast Mother aboue all virgins hauing engendered such a Sonne O heauenly earth true earth of theliuing paterne of the Church Garden of God infinitely more noble then this first earthly Paradise Virgin diuinely and truely fruitfull which hast brought forth a Tree of so precious fruit surpassing in goodnesse and beauty al the fruits of the earth O the bountifull liberality of him that gaue it 6. THE BODY OF THE SAVIOVR NOVrishment of the soule and cause of the glorious resurrection of the body THe second difference betweene our Sacrament and the Tree of Life is that this Tree was onely for the body to make it immortall and to preserue it from death Our Tree of Life is also for the soule which it beautifieth nourisheth and maketh sat with celestiall and diuine vertues and besides it imparts much more to the body then did the other for it disposeth it not onely to immortality but also to a glorious resurrection and therefore it is without comparison more worthy to be called Tree of Liues then the other to be termed the Tree of Life for this giues three liues the life of grace to the soule the corporal life to the body to both the life of glory prerogatiues most diuine and alone proper to the body of the Son of God for although the heauens the starres and other naturall bodies furnish the soule with some spirituall nourishment seruing her for an obiect to contemplate their fiame and beauty and to feed and refresh her with the knowledge of their natures it is notwithstanding a farre off by imagination alone wheras this deified body marieth it selfe vnto her by a contracted knot of celestiall and diuine loue and being really present with her imprinteth in her his qualities of grace and glory which no other naturall body can do it being aboue their force and vertue and reserued to the onely body of the Master of Nature 7. THE SACRAMENT OF THE BODY of the Sonne of God Tree of all the earth FInally the first Tree of Life had for her onely and last dwelling the earth and that for a little time and in one parcell alone It may be it had been multiplied in many quarters if that man had perseuered constant in his first innocency But the second is in many places of the earth continuing alwayes one and abideth not for a little time but remaine in heauen for euer for on earth as contained in this Sacrament it feedeth the children of God during their peregrination in whatsoeuer coast of the world they be dispersed and to them it is and shall be the high obiect and eternall meate of felicitie in proper forme and cleare vision of glory when the soule implunged as it were in the profound contemplation and loue of his God shall enioy to the full the riches of his Diuinity and the body cloathed with immortality and honor shall see and admire with corporall eyes the wonderfull glory of that body by which it was redeemed 8. CERTAINE SPIRITVALL ASPIRATIons of the soule desiring the cleare vision of the body of our Sauiour and a giuing thankes for the same O Good Iesus when shall the Sunne of that day shine wherein we shall openly see this bright body of thy holy humanitie which yet we heere behold by faith hidden in the depth of this profound mystery when shall that season be in which we shall enioy with full libertie this Tree of selicitie alwayes youthfull greene flourishing and bearing fruit planted within the inclosure of the celestiall Paradise in the Land of the Liuing A Land in which the Orient-Sunne shineth perpetually causing an euerlasting Spring to abound with the Autumne fruites of immortalitie watred with delicate riuers of pure delights ennobled with all sorts of beauty inhabited with diuine spirits Habitation of honor felicity and peace euerlasting When O sweete Iesus shall we be in possession of this happinesse thou knowest when O Lord from whom nothing can be hid and thou alone hast the cleare knowledge hereof we haue nothing but faithfull hope and know no more thereof then that which the mouth of thy deare Spouse hath tould vs. This shall be when thou shalt please This shall be when the decree of thy wise mercie shall haue put an end to all our misery and the tearme of our mortall life shall giue beginning to that which knoweth neither death nor ending This shall be then when farre from all griefe we shall reioyce with the fulnesse of all goodnesse in thee and by thee eternally happie But in the meane while O Soueraigne Creator we haue an eternall oblation to thy infinite bountie that prepared for our first Father and vs the diuine benefite of that Tree which was to haue been a preseruatiue from death and a soueraigne electuary of immortality with a thousand other goods for the sustenance pleasure of the life of our body And if he receiued not the fruitfull vse of this Tree it was his owne most faultie ingratitude no lesse enormious then thy liberality was great towards him and the practise thereof so much the greater that thou wast not hindered from conferring so great a benefit vpon him although thou didst foresee that he would offend thee and so depriue himselfe by his owne crime of this comfort Much more ought we to thanke thee that thou hast giuen vs in the Law of Grace a Sacrament of Life infinitly better then
of good and euill loaden with Apples faire to behold and delitious to the taste Eue which is there standing beholds them with an ambitious and eager desire and would faine bee at them but shee is aduertised by her husband that God had forbidden them to be eaten The Enemy to mankinde mooued with enuy and lying in waite for the nonce when he perceiued her weaknesse by her curious beholding tooke occasion to seduce her and cloathed with the body of a Serpent a craftie subtill creature quaâ—ities agreeing to this Deceiuer by many compasses and windings about the Tree hauing now gotten vp began from aboue to speake with her and perswade her to take thereof the poore foole being easily perswaded falls vpon the fruite and begins to â—ate neuer doubting any deceit nor fearing death it selfe that lay hidden therein and which is worst shee will perswade her husband Adam to doe the like Alas how deare must this one bit cost him What a deadly bit will chis be How many wounds and deathes shall he swallow downe with this one morsell Ah good mother lend not your eare to this wicked Abuser who for his reuolt is newly cast downe from heauen and being now full of rage and fury seekes nothing on the earth but your confusion Keepe you for Gods sake from touching these Apples which are onely forbidden you among so much other daintie fruites set before you on the spacious table of this delightfull Garden Offend not for a little pleasure of your tongue the Maiesty of a Lord so bountifull and liberall as he hath been vnto you But if you desire to eat some fruit which is indeed most exquisite and diuine lift vp your hand to this Tree of Life and not to that of death and kill not your selfe with all your race in you by this enormous crime of foule ingratitude for the committing whereof you haue so small occasion 1. THE CHVRCH OF GOD LIVELY set foorth in earthly Paradise GOD teacheth vs celestiall things by terestriall and spirituall by those that are corporall This faire Garden which hath beene heere before represented according to the Historie of Moses by two diuers Pictures the one seruing for the eye the other for the eare is a Figure of the Church of God Cant. 4. Isay 51.61 Aâ—â—â— 2. which the Scripture calleth sometime a Garden sometime a Vineyard planted by the hand of the Almightie And truely if this faire earthly place figured some dwelling it could figure none more reasonably then that where God raignes S. Greg. 5. Cant. 4. S. Aug. lib. 8. de Genes ad lit c. â— and workes after a singular manner and where his children are diuinely nourished which is his Church A heauenly habitation of men and truely eleuated aboue the earth for so much as the desires of those Saints of whom it is cornposed dwell in heauen An abode of spirituall delights the true Pallace and proper Mansion of the children of God S. Aâ—g de Ciuitate Dei lib. 13. cap. 21. S. Augustine hauing proued that this Garden had his being in a corporall place and such a one according to the literall sense as Moses hath described he declareth of what it was the Figure and saith That Paradise is the life of good people the foure Flouds the foure Cardinall Vertues to wit Wisdome Fortitude Temperance lustice the Trees the Artes and the fruits of the Trees the workes of good men the Tree of Life Wisdome the mother of all goodnesse the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill the experience of a Commandement broken And he addes which is more remarkable a second signification That all these things may be vnderstood of the Church for to be the better receiued as signes propheticall of things to come The Church then is a Paradise so called in the booke of the Canticles the foure Flouds are the foure Euangelists Câ—nt â— the fruits of the Trees are good workes the Tree of Life is the Holy of Holies Iesus Christ the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill the free Ithertie of the will S. Aug. lib. de Ciuit. cap. 21. So Saint Augustine allegorizing vpon this Historie of the earthly Paradise 2. OF THE GIFTS AND EXCELLENT qualities of the Church described in the patterne of earthly Paradise IN the Church then may bee seene spiritually all that which corporally was contained in the Garden of Pleasure Shee is situated towards the East for shee is alwaies turned towards Iesus Christ the true Orient and so called because he is the East which shee alwayes beholds adores Zach. 9.11 contemplates loues and admires In signe whereof the materiall Temples of Christians are turned to the East whereas the Temple of the Iewes looked towards the West In her is to be seene the accord of the foure Euangelists foundations and springs of our faith as the foure Elements and the foure vniuersall Flouds of this spirituall Garden The Sunne of Iustice which is God shineth heere alwayes by the bright beame of his truth Sacrament Baptisme Confirmation Penance and the rest the Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie and other like qualities hold there the places of trees and plants the holy actions of the iust are as the greenes the flowers the fruits and the delitious odours thereof the preaching of Gods Word the Writings of the holy Fathers and their cloquence are the gold and pearles cast vpon the shoare by the foure diuine Flouds of the Euangelists the Birdes which sing in this Paradise are the deuout soules which in all times with heart word and deed sound foorth the praises of God the Bird of Paradise so called in particular is euery perfect Christian whose conuersation is alwayes in heauen whose thoughts desires and workes like vnto purple and golden feathers are all gilded and inflamed with charitie the Lions Beares Tygers and other nobleliuing creatures present the Christian Kings and Potentates who notwithstanding their greatnesse and power obey as the least to the voice of our Sauiour speaking and commanding by the Pastors and Gouernors of his Church The Church then is a Paradise on earth figured by the former and is her selfe also a figure of a future Paradise which we looke for in heauen A Figure so much more diuine as the delights of the soules which are found in her are farre more precious and more neerely resembling true felicitie then the corporall gifts contained in that earthly Garden which was prepared for the first Adam Come we now to the Tree of Life the ornament of this Paradise and the propeâ— subiect of our present discourse 3. THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE Altar figured by the Tree of Life THe Tree and the fruite of Life Paschasius lib. 1. de corp Domini cap. 7. Philo Iud. de planct Noe ex Platone planted in the midst of earthly Paradise was a Figure of Iesus Christ and of the Sacrament of his body Man is a Tree saith Philo the Iew after Plato but a celestiall Tree and
the Tree of Life for what comparison is there betweene thy celestiall body and the wood of earthly Paradise betweene the price of a body which hath redeemed all the world and a Tree that is not the thousandth part of the world betweene the excellency of the body in which inhabites the fountaine of life and the fruit in which remaines onely but a part of life between the vertue of a deified body bearing God and being vpheld of God and a liuely plant of God hauing in it selfe but the vertue of a mortall creature What is then thy bountie O mercifull Lord and who could euer imagine that after hauing been so grieuously offended of men and hauing iustly depriued them of the vse of this first fruit thou wouldest so mercifully substitute another which so infinitely surpassed the former in all good qualities and who could be so good and so liberall but thou which art selfe goodnesse and liberalitie without measure or end be blessed O Lord for thy gifts and since without end thou art sweet and gratious giue vs yet meanes and grace to praise thee thanke thee and serue thee with all the forces of our soule euen till the last breath of our life and so holily to make an end of our pilgrimage in this oâ—â— mortall race strengthned with the viaticum of the precious Sacrament of thy body that one day we may eternally enioy the fruit of life which thou hast prepared in heauen to be meate and nutriment of euerlasting happinesse for thy beloued THE SECOND PICTVRE THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL The Description SIlence masters and attention Genes 4. â— wel to pierce into the draughts and the sense of this sacred Picture to learne how we ought to make Sacrifice to God and to yeeld him faithfull homage ABEL first shepheard and first iust of the children of Adam and first Priest of the Law of Nature offereth Sacrifice to the diuine Maiestie The Altar is prepared by nature without arte for the world is but new borne there are not yet any builders or houses amongst mortall men the Priest is also cloathed simply after the fashion of Adam his Father halfe naked and couered onely with a sheepes skinne but the offering is a choise one and culled for the best that he could choose in all his flocke but the heart of the Offerer is yet much better you reade his profound deuotion and humilitie in the posture of his body he prayeth vpon his knees bowed to the earth his eyes weeping and cast vp towards heauen his mouth modestly open pronouncing the praises of God his armes and hands moderately lifted vp imploring his diuine mercy and the whole composition of his sweete and gratious visage witnesseth his godlinesse his faith his hope his charitie and other diuine vertues of his soule with which he offered both the Sacrifice and himselfe to his Creator so as the heart of the Offerer and the sweet smell of the Offering ascended euen to the heauens S. Cyprian sermâ— de Natiuitate from whence as you see God makes descend his fier inflaming the ayre and lighting vpon the Altar to deuour the Burnt-offering in signe that it is very acceptable in his sight It is not so in Caine the older brother of Abel who by manner of acquiting himselfe hee cares not how and as though he meant to deceiue his diuine Maiesty makes his oblation on the other side offering certaine ill-fauoured sheaues of straw keeping the best corne for himselfe no maruell therefore though it had no signe of approbation from heauen as the Sacrifice of Abel had whereat he is all inraged and giueth manifest signes of his fury Gen. â— â— see you how lumpishly he looketh how he roules his eyes in his head and bends his browes as a forlorne mad-man God from aboue perceiued him well and chidde and corrected him as a Father shewing him that the eye of his knowledge pierced the depth of his secret thoughts and that an Hypocrite thinking by faire shewes to deceiue God deceiueth himselfe Moreouer that it is in his liberty to doe well and that in doing well he shall haue him for his friend and well shall come of him But Caine remaines Caine hardened and obstinate by his fatherly correction and turning the point of his spite against his innocent brother Abel he now resolueth to haue his life and goeth forthwith to put his malitious designe in execution so that making the earth to drinke mans bloud in the beginning of the world and the bloud of the innocent and of his owne proper brother he carieth the marke of the first Murtherer first Tyrant and first Paracide in his forehead and becommeth the fundamentall stone of the kingdome of Satan But thou O meeke childe which art attentiue to thy Sacrifice without any suspition or thought of the enuy of thy vnnaturall brother thou shalt be the first member of the Church of God representing both in thy name and in thy person all the teares trauels anguishes persecutions and laborious courses of the iust in this life But especially in thy Sacrifice and in thy death thou shalt beare the figure of the iust Messias killed to kill our sinne and to restore vs againe to the life of Grace Farewell Abel farewell the blessednesse of the Family of thy Father farewell the honour of the world thou art taken away from the earth in the flower of thy yeeres the very Starres mourne for thee and turne away their eyes in detestation of the foule crime of thy brother O you tender soules which see and heare all this melt your hearts into griefe and your eyes into teares with sorrow and compassion But comfort your selues Abel is yet aliue Abel is now in the safety of the hand of God he shall die no more but liue for euer and we shall liue with him in heauen if we imitate him on earth as all those that are obstinate and wicked with obstinate Caine must perish eternally 1. THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL A FIGVRE of the Crosse and of the Eucharist THe Sacrifice of Abel was a manifest Figure as well of the death of our Sauiour as of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body left for a memoriall of his death That it was a Figure of Christs death the Scripture teacheth when it saith Apoc. 13.2 That the Lambe hath been slaine from the beginning of the world that is to say that Iesus Christ hath been put to death from the beginning in Figure which Figure consists not onely in the death of Abel but also in the death of the Lambe which he offered Tertullian Tertul de Car. Christi S. Aug. lib. 15. cap. 18. lib. 28. cont Faust cap. 9.11 Rup lib. 4. Genes 4. Ioan. 10. Saint Augustine and other Doctors declare the resemblance betweene them in this manner Abel brother of vniust Caine most Iust Iesus brother of the most vniust Iewes Abel a shepheard Iesus Christ the Good shepheard the sacrifice of Abel
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
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
HOLY PICTVRES of the mysticall Figures of the most holy Sacrifice and Sacrament of the EVCHARIST Set forth in French by LEWIS RICHOME Prouinciall of the Societie of JESVS AND Translated into English for the benefit of those of that Nation aswell Protestants as Catholikes By C. A. Printed with Licence 1619. THE TRANSLATORS PREFACE TO THE READER GOOD Reader I present vnto thy view the Embleame of thy temporall life Translation nihil enim noui sub sole a soueraigne preseruatiue of thy spirituall life which is holy meditation the indigested crudities of these times occasioned by rawe study and superficiall prayer send vp such grosse fumes into the head and breede such wayward spirits in the heart as in matters of Religion doe make the greater sort euen at mans estate to thinke as a childe to speake as a childe with no lesse ignorance then contention A strange preuarication that the childrens game in jest should prooue good earnest amongst men Cock sodden halfe eaten surely the most that know any thing doe liue vpon the swimme and thinke the first seething of the pot to be sufficient wanting the maturity of deeper meditation Sweet Iesu how is thy net rent and great fishes slip out for want of due consideration How many diuisions and subdiuisions doth thy seamelesse coate endure Indeed in earthly things variety is cause of pleasure but in case of Religion variety is the mother of nullity a position no whit paradoxall being grounded vpon a principle of secular policie it selfe confirmed euen by the God of wisdome saying That a Kingdome diuided against it selfe there is variety cannot stand there is the nullity The Lutheran the Caluinist the Puritane the Brownist and Anabaptist make the Diuels Sett of fine Parts consisting of discords who alwayes running Diuision in a wrong key vpon the plain song of Scripture doe marre the soule which God made a harmony yea and all the musick too in the Church of God and which is the worst of all neuer rest so little as a briefe no nor yet are 〈…〉 haste for any order I see taken to coniure downe these spirits which make the Church become monstrous and to 〈◊〉 monstrously predicated of that it should be compoted of incompatible contradictions These are much like so many race-Poasts that steppe before each other a mile in madnesse for that is distraction and he that runs the course ouer is sure to ouer-runne the Constable and is sure to runne his sight out though not out of sight which euery pious minde and studious of the Churches weale cannot but hartily wish might soone betide them But now behold again although in respect of the dreadfull and disasterous issue of these wicked designes Ipitie these men more then they doe themselues yet I shame to see the ground and first originall of this intoxication And what haue they neither hearts nor fore-heads for themselues not a Ianus amongst them to looke behinde and before whence and whither good God that neither pitie nor shame is able to strike one notch into their whirling heads to stop those exentrick motions of a brain-sick giddinesse whose punishment condigne and sutable to the sinne must be a whirle-pit But I haue almost forgotten my selfe being rapt beyond measure when I seriously meditate vpon those woful aberrations The thing I would vtter is this Aske a Sectary Puritane Brownist or other the ground of his opinion and he laies you downe a Bible and many words makes he of the Word which he will be tryed by though for the sense therof in conclusion it must be tried by him and he vntutored slaue to his owne shallow weenings will bee hammering out some improper word of his owne proper forge and appropriate it to that most sacred Word it selfe and then presently preuent preuention by cursing his Aduersary that shall adde or diminish from it This oh this is it that makes me blush for their impudencie laugh at their folly and grieue at the injury done to those heauen-inspired Oracles yea that blessed Spirit of God himselfe by those fanaticall enthusiasme I could speake vpon mine owne experience very much in discouery of this folly and impiety and to discouer it is to refute it but I may not exceed the limits of an Epistle and future occasion may offer it selfe for more ample discourse herein For the present I hartily desire thee good courteous and Christian Reader to learne truely and exactly what that Scripture meaneth by testifying of it selfe That no scripture is of any priuate interpretation Next to that rule put this example set before the eyes of thine imagination the sects aboue mentioned with all the petty rioters calued out of them and if thou canst haue patience to endure the while suppose also the holy Scriptures laid in common before them then let them demand each of other from the first to the last and reciprocally what infallible assurance and warrant they haue to builde their particular opinions different amongst themselues impugned by the demander vpon such and such places of sacred Writ as they pretend and it is not to bee vttered what a spirit of contradiction thou shalt soone discerne in them vpon strict examination and yet what a spirit of flumber too that all this while they cānot see it thēselues But to leaue those out-flying hunters which the Church if it were so well manned as to top them should whip in at the first breaking our or whippe out at last for euer comming in againe It is now high time to turne my speech to thee good Christian that with true humility vnfained sincerity seekest the plain way to heauen thy soules happinesse To render thee a general account of this particular designe vnderstād that this Treatise is chosen by me amongst many other for that it something concernes that point of the warrant of holy Scripture before touched as being founded thereupon and seconded also by the interpretation of the Doctors in the firster age of the new Testamēts Church Besides the most of those places alledged and there be 14. of them in all are so profound in search so pleasant in the finding so correspondent in the Type so reuerend in the Mystery so euery way absolute as setting all controuersies aside with the which I will not medle I professe I could not hold off my hands from translating though it were for my owne priuate vse onely to keepe me both from idlenesse and from employments of inferiour condition And after peceiuing that whereas I intended to make the Translation onely lesse priuate some were instantly endeauouring to make it altogether publike for the worthy respect I must euer beare to the first moouer hereunto and the generall good of my owne Countrey in the encrease of piety and true deuotion I was sooner yeelding hereunto as being not a little glad that my poore labours should euer prooue to be accounted worthy of the Churches acceptance Now my greatest feare is lest I haue done the
or at the Circumcision or in March. Before the time of K. Charles the ninth in France men began it at Easter and since at the Circumcision and according to this yeere wee count at this present 1600. since the Natiuity of our Sauiour comming into the world to repaire our ages and to giue vs eternity for time Our Ciuill yeare is variable and according to the diuersitie of the Countrey or condition of persons good husbands and Schollers begin at Saint Rhemigius many at Saint Martin some at Saint Iohn Baptist and others at other seasons but the Holy yeare hath his vniforme limits as it ought and there is little difference through all the Catholike Church Well then God commanded the Hebrewes to keepe their yearely Sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe in this first month and in the fourteenth day of it because this was the nearest time to their going forth and deliuerance for they went forth the next morning after the first-borne of the Aegyptians were slaine at midnight the night before So as the Ceremony was iustituted at that time precisely to put them in minde of the benefit as also the day and houre of it which was alwayes religiously obserued vntill the truth of this Figure at the same time many yeares after was accomplished by our Sauiour deliuering vs out of a greater seruitude and substituting the true Lambe in memory thereof as after we shall see The same Hebrewes had commandement to offer Sacrifice euery new Moone that is to say Num. 10. 28. Ioseph lib. 3. Antiq. cap. 10. vpon the Calends or first dayes of euery month which solemnity the Hebrews called Hodesch as who would say beginning the Septuagint haue translated it Neomenia a Greeke word which signifies a new month or a new Moone This Feast was not instituted to serue as a Sacrifice to the new Moone as the Pagans made it but for a thanksgiuing to God for the benefits of his bounty and wisdome in the gouernment of the world for to instruct vs that we ought to make our entrie into all the seasons and to begin euery action with the praise of God and inuocation of his holy name And hereby they were inuited to honour the Creator of the Moone Genes 1.14 and of all the world seruing themselues of the course of that Planet for signe of times for the which end it was created 2. WHEREFORE THE YEARE OF THE Hebrewes was Lunary and how the Synagogue was compared to the Moone THe causes wherefore God would that the Hebrews should take their years from the course of the Moone rather then from the Sunne as now the Church doth are worthy to be knowne if they were also easie to be found out For it ought not to be doubted but that this ordinance was founded in great reason comming from so wise a Law-maker Amongst many others I finde three The first is taken from the rudenesse of this people to which God hauing regard commaunded them to reckon their yeares and months by the Moone as more facill and easie then if they accounted by the twelue celestiall signes deuised by the Chaldeans and other Heathenish people For euery one seeth the new Moone and all his quarters and the most simple can obserue that shee ends her whole course within one moneth whereas none knowes the signes of the Zodiaque but Astronomers S. Greg. Naz. Or. 2. de Pasch The second is more important touched by Saint Gregory Nazianzen that it was to keepe in order by this ceremony the Iewes from following the superstition of the Pagans who were extreamely giuen to the worship of the Moone for they adored it in heauen as a Queene in the earth and vnder earth as a Goddesse vnder the name of Luna Diana Proserpina whose example might giue occasion to that people vainely giuen and of themselues inclined to imitate the foolish Pagans to suffer themselues to be head-long carried to Idolatry so much in practise in those dayes if they had not some true and lawfull vse of the Moone thereby to be held from the abuse therof against the Law of God Therfore God commanded them to order their months and yeares Feastes and Ceremonies according to the course of the Moone adored the true God in his Law and seruing themselues of the creature to the honour of their Creator Exod. 25. And with like wisdome hee ordained the Arke of Couenant to the end they should haue some visible thing before which to honor God without running to Idols The third cause is full of mystery and it was to giue a secret and mysticall signification of the condition of the Synagogue by the qualities of the Moone very significant of it The Moone is the lowest Planet of all terrestriall and grosse and yet celestiall notwithstanding the Iudaicall Law also was earthly and carnall the Ceremonies Sacrifices Promises and the rest no better and yet giuen of God notwithstanding and therefore celestiall in this respect the Moone is a cold and mutable Planet the Synagogue a Law of feare which is a cold passion a temporall Law and mutable which was to be changed into the Law of Grace The Moone by her light doth not ripen any fruit though shee giue by her influence encrease to Plants Trees and liuing creatures The Synagogue giueth not any perfection by his ceremonies Hebr. 7.19 The Law saith Saint PAVL bringeth nothing to perfection and neuerthelesse vnder her direction and light the children of God did receiue from his Maiesty grace and encrease of vertue not by force of Iudaicall Sacraments as now by the Christian but onely by the faith and obedience that they brought with them to those Sacraments For these reasons amongst others the Lunary yeare was the yeare and the time of the Synagogue Such as are more spirituall will draw better reasons hereof from the treasures of the Book of God whose wisdome is infinite in all things The Christians rule themselues by the Solary yeare because the foresaid causes neither touch them nor their religion We shall now decypher the sense of the Picture and shall see how the Paschall Lambe figureth the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of our Sauiour 3. THE PASCHALL LAMBE A FIGVRE of the Sacrifice of the Crosse and of the Eucharist THE Paschall Lambe did Figure Iesus Christ true Lambe without spot descended from heauen to bee killed and by his bloud to deliuer vs from the death and seruitude of the Aegyptians to wit from ignominie and eternall damnation This Ceremony in certaine circumstances carried the signe of the Sacrifice of the Crosse in the reall slaughter in the bloudy effusion in the roasting of the Lambe and such like Saint Iohn also in the Sacrifice of the Crosse Tem. 19.36 Exod. â—2 46 applieth the prohibition of not breaking the bones of the Lambe to that fact of the Iewes when they breake not one bone of our Sauiour crucified Saint Iustin singularly remarketh S. iustin Dialo
vpon the euening to flye great flockes of Quailes vpon the Campe wherewith they were fed and you see some of them yet remaining and this morning the first day of the weeke he hath made raine to them Manna which serued them and shall serue them for food vntill they be arriued in the Land of Promise which are these round white graines of the bignesse and forme of Corianders Exod. 16. which falling thick and small from heauen haue made white the Land all couered therewith and so haue ceased to fall Wherefore all the world runneth greedily to gather it vp some carry panniers full vpon their backes some their baskets in their hands some their wallets the housholders send their seruants who thereof make their prouision with al diligence But aboue all it is a pleasure to see the little children halfe naked who hauing tasted of these white sweete things runne to it as to an haile of sugred comfits and thrusting one another away striue who shall put most in their pockets They fall on eating greedily remembring no more the Quailes that fell the night past The elder sort contemplate this small bread and admire it and euery one said in the beholding it Man-hu that is to say What is this and not without reason for it was meate neuer seene before neither had the heauens euer rained downe any such especially in this Desert barren of all good fruit They also saw it fall from the skie when it was cleare without knowing any originall or naturall cause thereof they see it laid betweene two snowes Exod. 16.14 or dewes as betwixt two white sheetes For a little before that it descended a little dew was spread ouer the earth to receiue it Rab. Salom. Lyra. ibid. and being already descended another couered it These meruailes astonished the Hebrewes and made them say Man-hu Man-hu But they shall be yet more amazed when they shall see that it shal not fall on the Sabbath day as it were to keepe the Feast that he which shall gather all the morning more then the measure of a Gomer for his prouision Exod. 16.26 shall not haue more then the other which shall haue gathered lesse Exod. 16.18 and that this Gomer shall be the measure of food that euery one shall eate great or little that it shall melt and desolue into water with the beames of the Sun and it shall harden being put to the fire Exod. 16.21 to be prepared and baked into bread that it shall conuert it selfe to that which euery one would haue it and he which would haue the taste of the flesh of Chickens Exod. 16.23 of Veale of Partridge or of other things to eate he shall haue it taste according to his owne desire that it shall putrifie if they keepe it till the next day if it were not the Sabbath day For these maruailes they said alwayes Man-hu as nor being able to comprehend what it is and that name remained alwaies to the thing in witnesse of the admiration Moses contemplates this present Sacrament and casteth the eyes of his cleare sighted vnderstanding vpon the greatnesse of the future mystery and highly praysing the gifts of the diuine boundy instructeth this grosse people how they ought to cary themselues in the gathering and vse of this bread He also commanded his brother Aaron Exod. 16.33.34 to reteine one vessell thereof to put in the Tabernacle there to be reserued when it shall be framed Hebr. 9.4 in eternall memory of the gifts receiued from the diuine hand euery one already hath gotten his prouision and the Manna fallen begins to melt the Sunne being high risen aboue the Horison and drawing neare the South 1. MANNA A FIGVRE OF THE SAcrament of the Altar OVr Sauiour hath euidently declared that Manna was a manifest Figure of the Sacrament of his body when instructing the Iewes vanting of their Ancestors Ioan. 6. Exod. 16.14 Num. 11.7 Psal 77.24 whom they said to haue eaten Manna in the Desert as it is written Thou hast giuen them bread from heauen and taking occasion thereby to speake to them of the eating of his flesh true Manna from heauen he answeres them saying Verily verily I say vnto you Ioan. 6.31.32.44 that it is not Moses which gaue you the true bread from heauen but it is my Father which giueth you the true bread from heauen And a little after Your fathers haue eaten Manna in the Desert and are dead who eateth this bread shall liue for euer Teaching by this allusion and comparison that Manna was but the shadow and Figure of his flesh and that Moses had giuen but the figuratiue bread of that bread which he was to leaue to his Church true bread descended from heauen to wit his pretious body exhibited vnder the formes of bread Saint Paul according to the Spirit of his Master compares Manna to the Eucharist S. Chrysâ—st S. Cyril Alex. Theâ—ph S. Aug. in cap. 6. Ioan. G. Ambros lib. de imâ—tat c. 8. 9. lib. de Sac. cap. 1. and the Red-sea to Baptisme as shadowes to the body The holy Fathers of like faith and doctrine speake of Manna as of a faire Picture made in the Schoole of Moses and extoll the holy Sacrament of the Altar as the truth exhibited in the Law of grace well then for the better conceiuing thereof let vs contemplate the semblance of the one to the other and compare the Manna of the Iewes with the Manna of the Christians 2. THE CORRESPONDENCE OF MANna to the Sacrament of the Altar MANNA was called bread from heauen Psal 77.24 because it came from the ayre called heauen in the holy Scripture as when it saith Matth. 13.4 The birds of heauen that is to say of the ayre which is their element our Sacrament is truely bread from heauen for it containes him which is truely descended not from the ayre but from heauen it selfe And this is that which our Sauiour said to the Iewes as aboue we haue heard Ioan. 9.31.32 It is not Moses which giueth you true bread from heauen but it is my Father which giueth you the true bread from heauen Secondly Manna was a food extracted from an extraordinary cause and made by the ministery of Angels and not a worke of Nature and this is the cause Glossa in 16. Exod. why it is called the bread of Angels For to say that it was because they did eate it were an impertinent exposition seeing that the meat of such Spirits is spirituall and proportioned to their nature according to that which Raphael said to Tobias Toâ— 12.19 It seemed indeed that I did eate and drinke with you but I vse a meate and a drinke inuisible and which none can see For the selfe-same reason it is called by Saint Paul Spirituall meate 1. Cor. 10. not that it was not visible and palpable but because it was prepared by an inuisible hand and
a priuiledge giuen to this body vnited to the Diuinitie And since God giueth the power to Angells which are spirits to take a corporall being and to cloath themselues with some humaine or other visible forme and to possesse a place after the manner of a body it is not to be doubted but he can giue contrariwise to a body especially his deified body the prerogatiue to be in this Sacrament after the manner of a spirit without possessing any place and it repugnes no more to the nature of a body not to possesse a place then to the fier not to burne wherefore as the fier ceased not to bee fier within the furnace Van. 3. though it burnt not the Hebrew children so the body of our Lord ceaseth not at all to remaine a body in this Sacrament though it occupie no place and if God hath made that the virginity remained entire with the conception and bringing forth of a childe an effect most repugnant to virginity wherefore shall it be hard to him to make that a body remaine a body without possessing place seeing that virginity and facundity are more disagreeing from accord then to be a body and not to occupie any place The Scripture makes to vs easie the faith of this miracle teaching that our Sauiour went forth of the Sepulcher it being shut and that he entred into the chamber of the Apostles the doores being shut his body then possessed no place at that time or two bodies were in one selfesame place with penetration of dimensions which is an effect as difficult and hard to Nature and onely depending of the omnipotencie of God 11. THE MARVAILOVS POWER OF GOD about the qualities of the body of our Sauiour in the blessed Sacrament THe brightnesse colour 3 and such like qualities of the body of our Sauiour are also heere by prerogatiue of his omnipoteucie inuisible to the eye and vnknowne to all the other senses The eye seeth well a whitenesse the tongue tasteth a rellish the hand toucheth a quantity but these are the qualities of bread and wine and not of the body of our Sauiour which our mouth taketh without any feeling of the proper qualities of it When he conuersed with men the Diuinity appeared not but by the body of his Humanitie heere the body is hidden not appearing but by the accidents of bread and wine hee hath his body inuisible vnder the visible accidents disposing his body at his pleasure So he made it inuisible by miracle before his resurrection so he walked without heauinesse vpon the waues so after his resurrection hee hid the splendor of his body and vanished from the sight of his Apostles so he mounted vp to heauen not hindered by any heauinesse of his body 12. THE WONDERFVLL RELATIONS OF the body of our Sauiour in the same Sacrament VVHen a body is in a naturall place 4 euery member hath diuers relations to the diuers parts of the place The head to one the feete to another the hands to a third and so of the rest For there it is extended but heere the parts of our Sauiours body haue euery of them relation not to the parts of place but to one or other The head is not where the rest of the members are and all is heere distinct and apart and yet all notwithstanding in a little Hoast and sometimes in so little a quantitie of the Sacrament that it seemes to be impossible that all should not be in confusion And indeed it is impossible to Nature to make such an experiment or but to comprehend it much lesse yet to explaine it It is thy Power O Iesus omnipotent and soueraigne Master of Nature thy knowledge and thy word can doe it There is yet another diuine relation of this Sacrament figured in Manna For as Manna gathered in vnequall quantity was alwayes found in equall measure euen so here a little Hoast applied and compared to a great one is found equall for that in both the body of our Sauiour is as great in the one as in the other and which is more admirable it is one and the same body So as the equalitie is not onely by reason of equall taking but of the selfe-same thing in number to wit the body of our Sauiour all whole receiued of euery one We also admire Exod. 13.21 as a meruailous relation in another kinde that the Cloud the Pillar and the fiery Tongues representing the holy Ghost Ioan. 3.22 Act. 2.3 were all one thing Let vs admire that the visible formes distinct in themselues referred to the body of our Sauiour make one Sacrament Let vs admire that according to diuers relations Eue was a sprout of Adam and in a manner as his daughter being extracted from his body and notwithstanding in another respect his wife and that our Sauiour was Sonne of the Virgin by reason of his Humanity and Father of the selfe-same Virgin in regard of his Diuinitie If we admire these things certainly vnderstanding the relations which are in this Sacrament of a great body to one so little of the members one to another in so little a space and of them all to the visible accidents we haue whereat to wonder and in our wonder to magnifie the power of almighty God 13. ADMIRABLE ACTIONS OF THE body of our Sauiour THe actions of the body of our Sauiour 5 is heere diuinely admirable for it nourisheth without being disgested it nourisheth not as corruptible meats for a little space of time but for euer to immortality For it soweth in the body the seed by which it shall be one day inabled merise gloriously and the presence of this body giues vertue of nourishing to the accidents which they cannot do naturally without substance This deified body mounts yet more high for it nourisheth the Spirit and workes in the Spirit a prerogatiue denied to all other bodies so that as it is heere present after the maner of a Spirit it hath the operation of a Spirit and penetrates the Soule by his action beautifieth it illuminateth it makes it chast and ingraues in it other spirituall ornaments If the tree of Life renewing the body and Manna changing the taste were admirable in their actions how much more the body of our Sauiour in respect of the action it hath in this Sacrament For they worked not but vpon the body but this body worketh vpon body and soule and that not onely to immortality but also to eternall felicitie as we haue said 14. THE BODY OF OVR SAVIOVR impassible THe body of our Sauiour in this Sacrament endures not any hurt although it may be iniured by vngodly soules that take it vnworthily or by the wickednesse of Infidels which doe iniury the outward signes where with it is cloathed as the King with his Royall roabe The impassibility of Manna resisting the fier Sap. 16.17 and the not cortupting thereof on the Sabbath which putrified on other dayes Exod. 3.3 the impassibility of
the Bush not consuming though it was all compassed with the flame the impassibilitie of the garments of the Hebrewes which endured whole the space of forty yeeres in the Deserts Dâ—ut 29.5 without being wasted or euer mended all these impassibilities were admirable but that of the body of our Sauiour was most wontierfull of all For all these things at the last ended in corruption was none at all but in this nothing happeneth or can happen to the body of our Sauiour but onely to the visible signe for howsoeuer the Hoast be diuided into many parts the body for all that still remaineth vndiuided and whole in euery part as the face for example is seenâ— whole in euery peece of a broken glasse The stomack disgesteth the formes but disgesteth not the body if the formes vanish away in one place the body ceaseth to be there but it is found in other places wheresoeuer the eternall Sacrament remaineth The formes may bee burnt in the fier gnawne of beasts troden vnder-foot but the body is alwayes impassible free from hurt and corruption and retaining alwayes its owne glory and immortality 15. THE SACRAMENT IS IN MANY places at one and the same time THe place of earthly Paradise was most beautifull as hath bin said and it cannot be denied but the dwelling of Adam was delightfull and both the one and the other admirable especially in respect of the Tree of Life Heere the second Adam is in this Sacrament as hid in the shadow of his Paradise he alone being both the Tree of life and the Paradise of soules whose Spouse he also is and euery thing is heere more admirable Our Sauiour is heere and he is also in heauen He is in heauen as in his Kingdome occupying place as other bodies doe after a naturall manner he is heere after a supernaturall manner lodged in a little roome answerable to the quantity of the formes vnder which he is conforming thereby his greatnesse to our littlenesse his power to our weaknesse Howbeit his body is nothing lessened by the littlenesse of the place but remaines as great as it was on the Crosse Who can see this without the eyes of faith who can also comprehend how in one selfesame instant he is found on diuers Altars in diuers Countries and both in earth and in heauen Truely no body but euery faithfull Christian beleeues it though hee cannot comprehend it because the Scripture teacheth it it is the Scripture which saith Our Sauiour gaue his body to his Apostles saying Maâ—â— 2â— Mark 14. 〈◊〉 22. This is my body from which antecedent it solloweth that it was in diuers places in one and the self same instant it was in his naturall place naturally and sacramentally in as many other places as there were Apostles that receiued it it ought then to bee beleeued though humane iudgement cannot vnderstand it 〈◊〉 Coâ— â—2 2 Saint Paul assures vs as knowing it that he was rauished into the third heauen and notwithstanding he confesseth he could not comprehend in what manner whether it were in body and in soule or onely in soule and we beleeue that which he saith though it seeme difficult to vs. Our Sauiour saith to many Take this is my body by consequence he saith that it is in diuers places shall we then not beleeue it because our capacity cannot comprehend it Shall we measure the worke of God by the reach of our vnderstanding and take the Scepter out of his powerfull hand to giue the more credit to the infirmitie of our iudgement Saint Paul could not vnderstand how he had been rauished Was he not therefore rauished at all And we lesse know how he was rauished Do we therefore not beleeue it And it we know that one selfesame voice in one selfesame moment entreth whole and entire into ten thousand eares and that our soule is eutirely all in diuers parts of our bodies that Abacuck was in one selfesame howre in Babylon Abacut â—an 14 36. and in Iudea places distant one from another more then an hundred leagues wherefore should wee make difficulty to beleeue heere what the Word of God assirmeth We see daily that the Starres which are in the midst of heauen are in foure and twenty howres in all places of heauen which is more then if a birde flying round about the earth should twentie or thirty times in one halfe quarter of an howre bee both in the East and in the West and in all the places which are betweene these two spaces should wee thinke that the power of God is abridged so as it cannot make his bodie to be in diuers places Beleeue then Christian soules the Word of your omnipotent God and with faith admire in this act his admirable power 16. THE BODY OF OVR SAVIOVR aboue the Lawes of Time TIme passeth by succession and rules all heere in this world but when God created the world the Time began without precedence of Time and succeeded not to Time so as then it simply began The same God at his pleasure hath bridled Time and hindered it from consuming the things that were subiect to Time The garments of the Hebrewes were all kept whole as it hath been said Dent. 29.5 the space of forty yeeres in despight of deuouring Time The little pot of Meale and the vessell of Oyle of the Widow 3. Kings 17.14 who nourished Helias endured many months which could haue sufficed but one day Manna corrupted in foure and twentie howres and held good eight forty howres when the next day was the Sabbath and endured for many ages being kept within the Arke in a golden pot Hebr. 9.4 These workes were admirable but our Sauiour shewes himselfe in his Sacrament much more admirable then in those workes his body is present in the Hoast so soone as the words of Consecration are ended and that in a moment without requiring any precedent time euen as the world was made without any precedence of Time The presence of this body coutinueth by verrue of this Word as in vertue of the same the production of creatures continued and shall continue euen to the end of Time Doth not our Redeemer then shew himselfe herein the Master of Nature 17. THE ADMIRABLE SITVATION OF the body of our Sauiour in the blessed Sacrament VVEE haue heere aboue touched the admirable situation of the body of our Sauiour in this Sacrament and the more we thinke thereof the more occasion we haue to admire Gods power and to confesse our insufficiency in this point as in others All the members are heere distinct the one from the other hauing their proper reference amongst them howsoeuer it be with the accidents of bread and wine Shall we not then admire the greatnesse of God making such a distinction of members retaining their quantity in so little a space in inclosing them in a little point and yet leauing to them the largenesse of their dimensions and capacities And
moreouer who will not wonder to see that howsoeuer a man turne the Hoast lift it vp or lay it downe yet this diuine bodie altereth not the situation in it selfe and although when the Sacrament is remoued it changeth place yet it changeth not for all that the situation of his parts wee see some such like thing in heauen For euen as the Sunne is alwayes aboue the earth albeit it seeme to vs wheeling about to the Antipodes Land to be vnder our feete euen so by resemblance albeit the parts of the quantity of the Hoast be changed neuerthelesse the parts of the body of our Sauiour remaine in their seate of Maiestie Humane reason there admireth God in the naturall seate and mouing of that great Celestiall body heere Faith extols the greatnesse of God in the admirable situation of the deified body of his Sonne 18. THE CLOTHING OF THE BODY of our Sauiour ADAM in his innocency was richly cloathed and neuerthelesse naked and after that he had offended he was clad with dead skins and yet notwithstanding he remained still naked all this was admitable For how was he cloathed and naked naked and clothed together This was because in that first estate he had his soule cloathed with all kinde of goodly garments of Iustice of Chastity of Charity of Fortitude of Temperance and of other such like attire and had nothing vpon his body neither had he need But when the soule was dispoiled of her habits shee was ashamed of her owne nakednesse and of that of her poore body which shee was necessarily to couer at least one part of the shame of the soule Thus Adam was clothed and naked naked and clothed by diuers considerations The Antithesis is most diuine and most meruailous without comparison for the body of our Sauiour hath not any garments and notwithstanding is alwayes most richly cloathed but it is with diuine gists of immortall glory It is shining by brightnesse more then the Sunne more pleasing by its beauty then all the Stars admirable in this and admirable also for that he couereth this robe of glory and takes that of bread and wine hiding the Maiesty of his presence vnder the visible formes to become the more familiar to our capacity euen as hee hid his Diuinity vnder the mantle of our humane nature appearing but Man and being neuerthelesse God Man together to make vs enioy his sweete conuersation So Manna Figure of this Mystery euen in this point was couered with two dewes the one falling before the Manna and seruing it as it were for a bed and the other after in stead as it were of a couerlet as hath been said Behold how God shewes himselfe in this Sacrament Soueraigne Lord of all Nature vniuersally 19. HOW THE EVCHARIST IS AN Abridgment of all the wonders of God IS not then this diuine Mystery an abridgment of Gods wonders And God hath he not made himselfe seene admirably admirable in this wonderfull abridgment more then in any other worke of his Hee hath made appeare his greatnesse two wayes the one in making of wonders apart the other which is the more diuine in assembling them together As a Musition that not onely knowes to set for single voyces but also hath the arte and the grace of setting many parts together and to delight the eare with a sweete harmony composed of diuers voyces well accorded After that he had shewed himselfe wonderfull in the production of a thousand creatures he made man as an abridgement of them all Hee hath made since the Creation of the world a thousand and a thousand admirable workes in the common course of nature sometime in the substance of things sometime in the accidents he hath changed as we haue said the wood into a Serpent changing the substance and the accidents Exod. 3. 4.9 Insu 10.12 and after the same miraculous manner the waters into bloud He hath stayed the course of the Sunne against the force of his extreame swistnesse 4 Reg. 1.10 4. Reg. 6.6 Exod. 10.21 Num. 16.31.32 he hath made fier to defcend from heauen contrary to its lightnesse Iron to swimme aboue the water contrary to the weightinesse thereof obscured the brightnesse of the ayre by extraordinary darknesse Num. 17.8 made the Sea passable within her very depths opened the bosome of the earth contrary to the solidnesse thereof made in one night to sprout to flourish and to beare fruite a drie wood contrary to it barrennesse made a Beast speak Num. 22.36 whereof naturally it was vncapable In conclusion he hath shewed that he is God of Nature making supernaturall workes in euer parcell and part of it but being come in proper Person into the world and being himselfe to depart out of the world hee hath left a miracle equall in greatnesse to the world and a chiefe worke worthy of his hand and for which he deserues to be remembred containing alone the abridgement of all the wonders that hee euer made be it in creating the world by his omnipotent Word be it in gouerning it by his dinine Wisdome be it in the preseruing of it by his infinite bounty A miracle containing his pretious body and thereby surpassing the price of a thousand worlds A miracle where hee made himselfe to be admired as soueraigne Master of all creatures commanding the substance of things and their accidents commanding the ten Categories that is the ten Orders of things in the vniuersall world Dnuid considering the diuersitie and beauty of creatures cryes out saying O Lord how thy name is admirable through all the earth Psal 8.1 but considering this future Mystery he sings another tune saying Our Lord hath made a memoriall of all his wonders Psal 110. and declaring what it is He hath giuen to eate to them that feare him It is his body which he giueth to his children for the common meates of the world he giueth to beasts and to men good and euill this body hee hath giuen to his deare Spouse prepared in this Sacrament and apparelled with all his wonders True marke and signe of his greatnesse true Manna bearing the name of wonder true bread descended from heauen true gift drawne from the greatest treasure of his almighty Wisdome and from his all-wise goodnesse 20. HOW FAITH IS FORTIFIED BY this Sacrament THe first article of our Faith is to beleeue in God Almightie for which this article beginneth our Creed and vpon this foundation are built all other points of our Religion Now the saith of this article is admirably exercised ayded and augmented in the practise of this diuine Mystery For so often as wee communicate as wee haue Masse as we participate or meditate vpon this holy banquet so often we beleeue that God is ommpotent making and renewing euery day by his omnipotent Word the wonder of his pretious body to the astonishment of Angels of men and of Nature vniuersally So often as we make bow to the obedience of Faith
is together the Offering offered the Table carrying the Offering and the Priest distributing it in this vnbloudy Sacrifice as he was also in the bloudy Sacrifice of the Crosse the Victime the Sacrificer and the Altar the Lambe offered the Priest offering and the Altar-stone whereon the Holocaust was burned in the holy fier of his infinite Charitie 5. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE Gandlesticke THis Table is in the North-side of the Sanctuary hauing a Candlestick of gold with seuen lampes on the left side towards the South and the Altar of perfumes hard by being in the midst betweene the Candlestick and the Table All these things and the manner of their placing are full of mystery The Candlestick signifieth the light S. The. 1.2 A. 102. art 1. and the knowledge men ought to haue of God in this world where Iesus Christ illuminateth his Church by the seuen gifts of the holy Ghost as by seuen lamps and seuen Starres and especially giuing her light by which the mystery of the Sacrament of his body may be seene Clemens Alex. Stro. lib. 5. S. Greg. 5. Ezec hom 6. Hesych 5. Leuit. 24. the excellency of which cannot be well vnderstood without light from on high and without great faith and diuine wisdome The knowledge of God and of this mystery was first communicated to the Iewes enlightened by the South of the Law and after giuen to the Christians before Idolaters signified by the North where the Chieftain and Captaine of Rebels had made his residence and placed the throne of his pride Esa 14.14 And therefore the Table of the true Proposition Loaues is in the North side of the Church composed of those which were Panyms before the Law of Grace For it is shee which hath in verity the Table of the body of our Sauiour true Bread of heauen erected only in figure amongst the Iewes 6. THE HEART OF THE IVST IS THE Altar of Incense THe Altar of Incense which was betweene the Candlestick and the Table of Loaues and vpon the which men burnt to God euening and morning most sweete odours signifying Exod. 30.7 8. Gloss ibid. saith Philo the Iew the memory that we ought to haue of Gods benefits bestowed vpon vs by his Diume bounty and the thanksgiuing that men ought to render vnto him This Altar was within the Temple hauing before it the Arke of Couenant hidden more secretly in the Holy of Holies and behinde it was the Altar of Holocausts Philo Iudaeus quis cerum diuisit haereses lib. de vita Moysis whereon the beasts were sacrificed at the gate of the Temple So that all these things in their placing made a Crosse or a man stretched out vpon a Crosse the Arke was in place of the head the Altar of Holocausts of legges and feete the Candlestick the arme on the left side the Table of Proposition Loaues the arme on the right side and the Altar of Perfumes the brest and heart The Altar of God saith Saint Gregory is the heart of a iust man S. Greg. l. 25. Moral cap. 7. lib. 3. Expos in 1. Reg. cap. 5. S. Aug. Serm. de Temp. 255. in which the diuine fier ought to burne alwayes because from it the flame of charitie towards God ought to ascend without ceasing And Saint Augustine saith That in euery true Christian there ought to be two Altars the one in the soule answering to the Altar within the Temple the other in the body answering to the Altar of the Holocausts without the Temple That is to say whosouer wil carry the name of a Christian ought to be pure in his soule and chast in his body In this Altar then beholding the Arke of Couenant Figure of Iesus Christ and drawing neere the Table of Proposition â—eaues we ought to render thankes to God But wherewith and how 7. WHEREWITH AND HOW WE OVGHT to thanke God VVHerewith and how wee ought to thanke God wee shall vnderstand by the composition of the Perfume which was burnt vpon the materiall Altar the ingredients of this Perfume were foure mixtures of equall waight to wit First drops of Myrrhe that is to say the most pretious liquor that distilleth from Myrthe Secondly Onix a kinde of little shell Thirdly Odoriferous Galban which driues away Snakes Fourthly and the purest Frankencense These foure ingredients represented the foure parts of this visible world as learned Philo teacheth Myrrhe which distills signifieth the water Philo l. quis baer cer diui the Onix terrestriall and drie the earth the odoriferous Galban the ayre the transparant and mounting Incense the fier The Perfume thus then composed readeth vs a lesson and setteth before our eyes the whole world in the Hieroglifique of the parts thereof teaching a generall acknowledgement of the benefits that we receiue from God First in our bodies the noriture whereof we receiue by the created world but chiefely in our soules which are nourished by the body of his Sonne a food infinitely more worth then a thousand worlds a body giuen once on the Altar of the Crosse in a bloudy Sacrifice and on the Altar of his Church vntill the end of the world by an vnbloudy Sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine 8. THE VERTVES WHICH ARE NECESsary worthily to gine thankes vnto God and to make a iust examen of our actions THe same Perfume teacheth vs Gin Ti Ord. in Exod. 30. with what preparation we ought to make this thanksgiuing For these foure aromaticall ingredients mingled together to make powder of Perfume teach vs that we ought to acknowledge and thanke his diuine liberality with the vnion and mixture of Faith of Hope of Prayer of Chastity of Charity and of all the other most holy and most Christian vertues S. Gregory We make saith Saint Gregory a Perfume of aromaticall composition when from the Altar of holy workes there ascendeth vp to God a good odour of purity by the multitude of many vertues mixed together for this sweet smelling incense becommeth more pure when one vertue is ioyned with another Now the ingredients to be wel mixed ought to be stamped and brought to powder the which puluerization teacheth the diligent examination that we ought to make of our actions and behauiours to the end that beholding them in grosse wee bee not deceiued in the knowledge of our selues To puluerize the aromaticall drugs saith the same Doctor is to cersider and examine in particular G. Gregny our vertues words and workes and to call them to a secret and strict account for so they shall be fit to be set before the Tabernacle of God to be a sweete odour to him 9. A SOVERAIGNE ACKNOWLEDGEment due onely to God made in the Eucharist IT was forbidden to employ this Perfume vpon any other but onely vpon God himselfe to signifie that the thanksgiuing which we owe to God is supreame and incommunicable to any creature and that otherwise wee thanke God and otherwise the
the ancient holinesse of the first Christians in communicating deuoutly What is become of the chastitie of the first Christianity Where doe you see as of old the concourse of godly soules purely amorous of this their Spouse and soberly hungry after this banquet If there be yet any as it ought not to be doubted but there are many thousands hidden within the Oratory of the Sanctuary of the House of God the number notwithstanding is exceeding little in comparison of that which hath been and which ought and might be if we had the courage and deuotion of our Ancestors Proueâ—bs 9. Come hither then O faithfull soules but come prepared put on your nuptiall garments the more worthily to present your selues before your Spouse who is the Soueraigne and all-seeing Wisdome whet and sharpen the appetites of your hearts approach to the Table that he hath prepared for you eate the liuing Bread which he hath so well seasoned drinke the celestiall Wine which hee hath mingled for you Bread which giues eternall life Wine which maketh drunk with happinesse and felicity sill vp the Feast there are yet many empty places and encrease your glory by encreasing the number of the inuited THE EIGHT PICTVRE THE OBLATION OF THE FIRST fruits at Pentecost The Description THE better to vnderstand how this Assembly celebrates the Sacrifice of the First-fruits you are to conceiue the forme of the Temple in which it is made The Temple of the Iewes as it is commonly taken Ezech 40.41 is this inclosure of walles hauing fiue hundred cubits in square but to speake properly it is that House built within the enclosure towards the West end magnificently couered in height twenty cubits and fixtie in length diuided into two parts the first of which is twenty cubits long and is the most holy part for this is the Holy of holies place for the Arke of Couenant where no person enters sauing onely the High-Priest and that but once in the yeere The second is forty cubits in length and in it is placed the Altar of Perfumes right against the doore of the Sancta Sanctorum hauing on euery side fiue Candlestickes of gold and fiue Tables for Breads of Proposition as elsewhere we haue said On this Altar euery Prince of the Priests in the circuit of his office offers Incense to God euening and morning as Zachary did Zachary Luke 1. the father of Saint Iohn Baptist The rest of the inclosure is without roofe diuided into two great Yards or Courts each one being an hundred cubits in length and largenesse On the South side and North side were certaine houses called Gazophilaces as much to say as treasuries They were for the habitations of Priests and Leuites and to keepe the holy treasures hauing neere vnto them certaine walking-places and little walls The first Court separated from the second by a little wall hauing a portall in the midst is the place where the Priest make their Sacrifices vpon this great Alzar which is night against the Temple Where you see fiue Cesterns on the right hand and fiue on the left full of water to wash the entrals and feete of the Victimes And on the left side of the wall of separation neere to the Portall a molten Cesterne called a Sea by reason of the exceeding great capacity thereof for it is ten cubits square and fiue cubit deepe and this is the sountaine wherein the Priests washed their hands and feer when they went to offer Sacrifice The second Court is the place for Lay-people and this little raised vp seat in the forme of a seaffold in the midst of it is a Throne of brasse fiue cubits square 2. Paral. 9.13 and three cubits high where Salomon and the Kings of the Iewes after him were placed during the time of the Sacrifice Now this great multitude of men which are in the first Court are the Priests and Leuites and the other in the other Court are the people all there assembled for the solemnity of the new Oblation of the first fruits in Haruest called the Feast of Pentecost In which Oblation after many bloudy Sacrifices to wit of seuen Lambes two sheepe one Oxe offered in Holocaust and one Goate offered for sinne two Wheat-loaues with two Lambes were offered to God as Peace-offerings that is to say in action of thankes euery one hauing made an Oblation of his first fruits to the Priests according to the Law In the first partition are only Priests in the second the women are in an Oratory seperated from the men and all as well men as women see all and euery part of the Sacrifice which is done in the Court of Priests For that the Altar was raised vp ten cubits high and the walles which seperated the Court 2. Paral. 41. were but three cubits high they easily heare the voices of the Priests and of the Musicall Instruments Ioseph lib. 5. de â—â—lls lad cap. 14. and Trumpets which sound while the Sacrifice burneth The seuen Lambs the fat Calfe the two sheepe are long since wholly consumed in the fier without any part reserued saue onely their skins for this is an Holocaust that is to say a Sacrifice wherein all must bee burnt to the honor of God without reseruing any thing to Priests or Lay-people The Hee Goate also is all consumed to ashes because it is offered in common for the sinnes of the people for if it were offered for one particular person a part thereof had been kept to the Priests according to the Law of the Propitiatory Sacrifice which gineth them that prerogatiue Herehence it is that the Scripture saith that they eate the sinnes of the people that is to say the Sacrifices offered for the sinnes of the people The two Loaues which are as it were the body and heart of this Sacrifice are made of sine Wheat-flower Oser 4.8 as the Proposition Loaues but of leauened paste whereas those of Proposition are without leauen which is a mysterious shadow they are made in the forme of round cakes the High-Priest offers them now to God lifting them vp to heauen by a remarkable ceremony with the Lambes placed vnder them and turning them from the South into the North and from the East to the West prayes to God with these words Looke from thy Sanctuary Deut. 26.15 and thy highest habitation of heauen and blesse thy people of Israel the Land which thou hast giuen to vs as thou swarest to our fore-fathers a Land slowing with milke and hony after this eleuation the Loaues and the Lambes remaine to him as his right All the world is in prayers and deuotion adoring the diuine Maiesty imploring his mercy and rendering thankes for his goodnesse not without demonstration of the inward eleuation of their soules by the outward mouings and gestures of their bodies One lifts vp his eyes to heauen another striketh his breast another ioynes his hands many bow down their heads and bend their knees some
haue their eyes fixed on the Altar sinoaking yet with the Sacrifice of the burnt Victimes other on the Priests gesture eleuating so ceremoniously the Loaues put ouer the Lambs some also are attentiue to the Loaues and the Lambes themselues but their lookes cannot bee seene nor the mouings of their hands and eyes for as much as all of them look towards the Altar and are painted for the most part with their backes turned towards vs so as little of their shape before appeares and much lesse their visage But by these few we see we may well coniecture that the most spirituall cast their thoughts on the mystery which was hidden vnder the rinde of the Ceremony for they are taught that their Law was as it were a peece of Tapestree 1 Cor. 10. teaching the truth of that which should after be in the time of the Messias by meanes whereof they behold not so much the preparation of the Sacrifices of the Beasts and of new Loaues as that which is signified by them and it is not to bee doubted but God did make seene to many the future light of the Law of Grace surely by contemplating onely the countenance of this olde Priest portrayted on the right side of the Altar lifting his eyes to heauen and holding his hands a crosse all rauished and all in an extasie one may collect that he hath had some secret reuelation of the great good that God had promised for the ages to come by the feast of this Sacrifice of new Loaues and that he in his soule glorified the diuine Maiesty desirous if such were the good pleasure of God to bee liuing vpon the earth in that season and like it is that he said in his heart O God of Israel how great how magnificent and admirable art thou in the workes of thy hands great to doe great things magnificent to obliege men by thy great benefits and admirable to choose the times and seasons wherein thou wilt bestow them Thou hast by that commandement alone of thy liuely word created heauen and earth and all that is betweene them to make a present thereof to man thy creature and ceasest not to oblige him with new benefits euery moment thou hast in particular assisted with a thousand blessings this thy people the Hebrewes breaking with a strong hand the yron chaines of their bondage deliuering them out of Aegypt and from the tyranny of Pharoe giuing them for their portion a Land of Milke and Holy true delicacies of the earth and communicating to them thy holy Lawes and secrets these are the true effects of thy great goodnesse but I see it will extend it selfe out of measure more then euer to the future people and ages not containing it selfe in Palestine but spreading it selfe ouer the world when the Messias and Redeemer whom thou hast promised and we expect and whom these Sacrifices prefigure to vs and after a secret manner foretell shall come to Sacrifice himselfe and to be an Oblation of new Bread and food of immortality O happy time in which this Sauiour shall be borne O happy people which shall be his people conducted by his Lawes and fed at his Table O that I were a childe of that age and member of that Common-wealth This Picture makes vs coniecture that hee speaketh to this purpose 1. THREE IVDAICALL PEASTS OF the First-fruits THe Iewes receiued a Commandement in the Desert Leuit. 23. to offer vnto God the first of the new fruites of the Land of Promise when they should be peaceable possessors thereof and that vpon three Feasts of the yeare The first was the day after the Pasque in which they gaue a sheafe of the first eares in the beginning of Haruest Leuit. 23. Ioseph l. 3. c. 10. Ant. 9. which after the Iudaicall account began in March or in the entrance of Aprill because the Land was very hot The second they celebrared fifty daies after which for that cause was called Pentecost wherein not eares of Corne as in the first Feast but two Loaues of new Wheate with many bloudy Sacrifices going before were offered vp to God The third was after the fifteenth of Septemb. in which the First-fruits of all the year were offred together as Wheat Barly Grapes Oliues Pomgranats Figges and Dates The most famous of all the three Feasts was that of Pentecost and for that reason the Law called it simply and without any addition Rab. Salomon â—â—ad â—â—ra in c. 23. Leuit. The feast of First-fruits a most solemne and most holy day The Oblation offered vpon that day was accompanied with all the three kindes of the Iewish Sacrifices which were the Holocaust the Propitiatory and the Peace-offering and they made them of the noblest kinde of Hoasts and Victimes to wit of seuen Lambes of one fat Calfe of two sheepe in Holocaust to the honor of God one Goate in Propitiatory Sacrifice for remission of sinnes and two Lambes with the Loaues in a Peace-offering for thanksgiuing This is the Feast and the Oblation of the First-fruits represented in the former Picture 2. THE MASSE THE NEW OBLATION in the Pentecost of Christians THis Oblation and this First-fruits of new Bread at Pentecost was one of the most illustrious Figures of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the Masse a new Oblation indeed and the true First-fruits of the Wheat of the new Law as the ancient Fathers haue obserued And amongst others Saint Irenaeas very elegantly in these words Our Sauiour saith hee teaching his Disciples to offer the First-fruits of his creatures to God 〈…〉 l. 4. c. 32 not for any need he had of them but to the end they night not be vnprofitable and vngratefull seruants tooke the bread which is the creature and yeelding thankes said This is my body likewise he confessed that the Chalice which came of his creature was his bloud teaching the new Oblation of the new Testament which the Church receiued from the Apostles and offers all ouer the world to God our nourisher and feeder for the First-fruits of the gifts that he hath bestowed vpon vs in the Law of Grace according as Malachy hath foretold I haue no will in you saith the Lord of Hostes and gifts will not receiue at your hands Malac. 1. for from the rising of the Sunne euen to the going downe great is my name among the Gentiles saith the Lord of Hostes By which words addeth this Doctor The Prophet manifestly signefieth this which is now come to passe for the former people cease offering to God and Sacrifice is now offered to God throughout all the vniuersall world and the name of God is glorified amongst the Gentiles Making then allusion to the old Figure he saith that our Sauiour saying This is my body and this is my bloud and transubstantiating the bread into his body and the wine into his bloud taught his Apostles Disciples to giue to God the First-fruits of his creatures and to offer him a new
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
his Law Whilest I speake the good old man sleepes still and thinks neither of eating nor drinking nor of any meanes to free him from danger Wherefore the Angell shakes him the second time â— â—eg 15.7 and waking him aduises him to take some refection and be packing If you please to expect vntill he rise you shall see him gift with a great leather girdle in a dusty Cassock reaching to the mid-legge couered also with a little mantle flying in the ayre and when he is vp hee will not faile with all speed to obey the words of the Angell and to get him as farre as he can from the fury and reach of the Queene Behold he is now risen and walketh on a pace towards the Mountaine of Horeb. 1. THE BREAD OF ELIAS FIGVRE OF the Sacrament of the Altar THe Bread of Elias was for certaine a Figure of our Sacrament and of many mysteries hidden in it Wee haue said elsewhere that in the Scripture as well in the old as in the new Bread signifieth generally the body of our Sauiour for so much as it is giuen in meat for the sustenance of our soules and the immortality of our bodies So Ieremie speaking of the body of our Sauiour Ier. 11. saith in the person of the Iewes resolued in their Councell to crucifie him Lay the wâ—â—d on his bread that is to say giue the torments of the Crosse to his body Tertul. l. 4. cont Marâ— as the ancient Fathers haue explained it and the Sonne of God said of himselfe I am the Bread of heauen In this generall sense then Iohn 6. the Bread of Elias did Figure this body and this meate But more partiularly in that it was wonderfull in all its causes effects and circumstances which are so many Lineaments drawne vpon the old Figure for a liuely representation of the truth which should follow after First then this Bread was sent from God by the seruice of an Angel this â— accomplished in the Sacrament for it is giuen vs from God specially by the ministery of the Priest Malach. 1.2.7 S. Dâ—anil l. 〈…〉 12. who is called the Angell of God in Scripture because that after the manner of Angell he teacheth others saith S. Dionise of Areopagita for as the superiour Angells enlighten the inferiours by their knowledge so the Priests communicate their doctrine to the inferiour members of the Church of God S. 〈◊〉 iâ—id Angell also according vnto Saint Hierom because he is a Mediator betweene God and man and declareth to the people the will of God Finally Angell of God saith Saint Chrysostom S. Chry2ost hom â— in 2. Tim. 1. because he speaketh not of himselfe but as sent from God It is then this Angell that consecrateth our bread by the Word of God that maketh it flesh by his power and distributeth it by his commission Secondly this Bread of Elias was bread of Wheat for if it had been of other matter the Scripture would haue specified it And it was Bread fashioned into a cake after the forme of loaues baked on the cinders This is also accomplished in our Sacrament for this is the matter and that the forme of our Hoasts which are of Wheate the Sacrament and the admirable Cakes of the Messias of which mention was made a little before but what doth the Scripture signifie by saying that this Bread was baked vnder the imbers 2. WHAT MEANETH THE SCRIPTVRE in signifying that the Bread of Elias was baked vnder the imbers THough we know not how this Bread was baked vnder the imbers by the Angell wee beleeue notwithstanding that it was so baked for the Scripture saith it and because it saith nothing without cause there is no doubt but vnder the hollow of these imbers there lye hidden some mysteries appertaining to our Sacrament These mysteries are three amongst many others which such as are more spirituall may obserue The one is that it puts vs in minde of our Sauiours charity The imbers are the remainder of fier and heate past this Bread then baked vnder the hot imbers mingled with liue coales did Figure our Sacrament true memoriall instituted by Iesus Christ and commanded to be celebrated in his memory Luke 22.19 and in a recordation of his loue and death And therefore it is the true Bread baked vnder the imbers that is to say prepared with the burning coales of his Charity of which it is a memoriall as also of that which he endured for vs. The second mystery taught in this baking is the great humility of the Sonne of God in this Sacrament the imbers being a thing of small value or none at all and therefore Hieroglyfick of basenesse and of humiliation as the naturall Ceremony of all Nations teacheth vs vsing them in this signification So Abraham out of humility Genes 18. calleth himselfe dust and â—shes and abaseth himselfe vnder the name of these things Also the Hebrewes of Bethulia Iudith 7.4 beseeching the diuine Maiesty to succour them in humility cast ashes vpon their heads So the Pagan King of Niniuy humbled himselfe rising from his throne Iohn 3.6 and sitting vpon ashes The Bread then baked vnder the ashes is Iesus Christ true Bread of heauen humbled and abased humbled not onely in making himselfe man in marrying his Maiesty with the infirmity of our nature and in enduring the torments and reproaches of the Crosse but also in giuing himselfe as meate to his creatures vnder the Figure and habite of these weake and meane elements of bread and wine in giuing himselfe after the manner of a thing dead and insensible in giuing himselfe to be eaten and swallowed downe of poore sinners All these degrees of humility represented in ashes are heere persormed and practised in this Sacrament With good reason then was it figured by such a notable signe of great humility as were the imbers on which was baked the Bread of Elias The third mystery is that hereby are signified the many mysteries of this Sacrament hidden vnder the formes of bread and wine as vnder imbers mysteries of the loue and greatnesse of God and of the adminâ—bâ—â— effects of this meat which deuout soules may more easily seâ—â—e then I can expresse And as the great Maâ—esâ—y of our Sauiour walking visibly vpon the earth was câ—uered vnder the cloake of our humanity his almighty power wâ—sdome and bounty effecting the worke of our â—â—cemption by the sâ—eblenesse folly and ignominy of the 〈◊〉 Fuâ—â— so in this Sacrifice he couereth the glory of his body vnder the veyle of these signes and cinders of 〈◊〉 and makes the hand of supreme vertue woâ—â—e iâ—â—sbly for the support and health of our soules and bodies 3. WHAT SIGNIFIETH THE SLEEPE of Elias vnder the shadow of the luniper tree THe diuine hand of God hath by other Lineaments and colours no lesse admirably painted forth the three former mysteries many others in another corner of this table where you see
Elias sleeping in the shade of the Iuniper tree for herein we see our Sauiour sleeping on the Crosse and acknowledge the memory of his passion the greatest signe of his loue and humility and the most high secret of this Sacrament of his pretious body Plin. l. 16. c. 24. Pâ—in l. 16. c. 25. The Iuniper commonly is a little shrubbe growing in sandy and barren places void of all exteriour beaute hauing for slowers and leaues nothing but sharpe prickles Elias sleepes tyred and weary in the shade of this shrub Is not this a liuely representation of our Sauiour vexed with torments crowned with thornes sleeping a dead sleepe vpon the Crosse Tree of humility shadowing his greatnesse punishment of 〈◊〉 coâ—ering his innocency â—â—ce of thornes paine and pouerty Are not these the markes of the course of the painefull life of our good King and of his dolefull sleepe Moreouer the selfe-same circumstances set forth to vs the qualities of our Sacrament being a memoriall of his life and death for if wee consider it exteorly it shewes nothing but what is little easie without fruit without flowers and without beauty to the sense and all full of thornes to humane iudgement which is backward to beleeue the things which it sindes to bee repagnant to our capacity and as it were pricked and offended therewith as long since it happened to the Capharnaâ—ts Iohn 6. and other children of darknesse which since that time â—â—â—ef â—lowed after them On the otherside the same tree is â—â—â—r greene his thornes are his leaues and beauty the wood being burnt driueth away Serpents Pliâ— l. 24. c. â— and the coale thereof haue such a liuely and burning heate that they will endâ—â—e a whole yeare vnder the ashes For which reason Daâ—â—id calleth them Coales of desolation Psal 119.4 because they bâ—â—ne scorchingly and consume forcibly These qualities doe secretly paint vnto vs the inward vertue and beauty of the Crosse of our Sauiour and of his Sacrament For all that which appeares there repugnant to sensuality is verdure and beauty to the faithful soule as also a proofe of the omnipotencie and loue of Iesus Christ towards vs. The wood of this Crosse and of this Sacrament which is it that appeareth hardest in the one and in the other being burned in meditation with the heauenly fier of which Dauid said The fier shall burne in my meditation being Psal 8.3 I say set a sier by this meditation chaseth away Sernents that is to say the wicked thoughts which the old Serpent hisseth into our soule to poyson and sting vs to death It eagendereth also in vs coales of charity which being hidden vnder the imbers of humility neuer die Thus you 〈◊〉 the Iuniper decyphered But vnder the shadow of this Iuniper Elias slept that is the Christian soule taketh his rest in meditating vpon the Sacrament of the Altar which is the shadow that is to say the memorial of the death of our Sauiour as hath been said for as the shadow represents the body so the Sacrament represents the Passion and as the body is present with the shadow so is our Sauiours body with the holy Sacrament 4. ELIAS HIS WALKE AFTER THE SHAdow of the Iuniper tree to the Mountaine Horeb and of the water that was giuen him with the bread VNder this shadow truely wee ought to repose our selues in the wearisomnesse of our persecutions as Elias slept vnder the figuring shadow of this tree when he fled from the rage of Iezabel For there is not any where a more sweete and sound rest amidst the trauailes of this painfull life then in receiuing his body to meditate vpon his death Which Dauid by the Spirit of Prophecy taught vs of olde saying to God in the person of euery afflicted Christian Psal 22.5 Thou hast preyared in my sight a Table against them that trouble me And therefore the Angell as it were interpreting the Figure awaketh Elias and exhorts him to eate the Bread figuring this Table the which he doth and there with is so well refreshed that hee takes strength and courage to walke forty dayes and forty nights enen to the Mountaine of God freeing himselfe from the persecution of the Queene Where we haue yet two other mysteries in the Figure appertaining to the truth For this space of forty dayes signifieth the painefulnesse of our mortall pilgrimage diuided into foure ages as into foure tens into Infancy Yong age Mans age and Old age consisting of dayes and nights of good and euill of consolation and persecution The walke of Elias continued euen to Horeb signifieth the progresse which is conuenient for vs to make ascending by holy desires and aspirations and by good works euen to the top of Christian perfection according to the measure of the grace of God communicated to euery one and from this toppe to zoare vp with a victorious flight aboue death and the world to the high Mountaine of our celestiall felicity But now in this pilgrimage our true Bread and sustenance is the body of our Sauiour giuen by his Angell to wit by his Priest as hath been said 5. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE pot of Water BVT what signifieth the pot of Water giuen with this bread surely nothing else but the grace of God giuen with this Sacrament for so it was figured by the Creator himselfe when he promised it by his Prophet Ezechiel saying I will powre out vpon you cleane water to wit his Grace and our Sauiour crieth in the Temple Ezech. 36 25. Iohn 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke speaking of the same Grace It is this water which is giuen vs to refresh our wearinesse which giues vs force and makes vs able to ascend with ease the Mountaine of God that we may so obtaine the possession of heauen Who would haue thought at the first show that in the shadow of this Figure these excellent mysteries were hidden And how many more be there that a contemplatiue soule might heere obserue But are not these sufficient to make vs admire the infinite wisdome of God in the delineation of his secrets His Soueraigne powerfulnesse in the greatnesse of his workes His surpassing bounty in the largenesse of his benefits Truely this was an euident testunony of his most wise prescience to draw so long before such a liuely Picture of the Sacrament of his body a goodly marke of his vertue to haue giuen to Elias Bread of sâ—ch force that it could maintaine life and furnish with strength for forty whole dayes trauell an ouer-trauelled body an euident signe of his great mercy with so fatherly care to defend one of his owne mortall creatures and to send him an immortall Spirit and one of his owne Court to serue him as his Pantler and Cup-bearer in his necessity But what is this in respect of that hee hath done leauing this Sacrament to his militant Church this pretious pledge which is both armour
makes mention of the custome of the Church to say Masse for the fruits of the earth and the testimony of Saint Cyril of Hierusalem is cleare in this matter who in one of his Lessons speaking of the Masse saith After that the spirituall Sacrifice and vnbloudy worship is done ouer the same Heast of Propitiation we pray to God for the common peace of all the Churches for the tranquillity of the world for Kings for Souldiers for the sicke for the afflicted In conclusion for all those which haue need of succour 9. THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASSE profitable to the Faithfull departed which are in Purgatory and honorable to those which raigne in heauen THe faith and custome of the Church hath euer been to offer also to God the Sacrifice of the Masse for the soules of the faithfull departed not to procure pardon for their sinnes but to obtaine of God release of the paine due to their sinnes who are in Purgatory For they which are in hell are cut off eternally from the body of Iesus Christ and incapable of succour from his precious bloud Saint Chrysostome S. Chrysost hom â—9 ad Pap. Anâ—ie â—â—m 3. 〈◊〉 ad Philip. speaking of this custome Not without cause saith he it was or daâ—â—ed by the Aposiles that commemoration should be made of the faith full departed in the dreadfull mysteries for so he calleth the Sacrifice of the Masse for they well knew it would bring them great benefit and profit According to which faith S. Aug. l. 9 â—â—â—sess c. 11.12.13 S. Augustine was entreated by his Mother to pray to God for her after her death in the Masse Shee saith hee charged me not to prepare for herâ— sumptuous toâ—be but onely signified that shee l sâ—râ—d that remembrance should be made of her at the Altar at which emery day shee religiously serued God knowing that from it was the Victime distributed 〈◊〉 2.14.15 which wâ—ped out the hand writing of decree that was against vs and led the enemy in triumph Which he performed like a faithfull childe causing the office for the dead and Masse to be said for her at her burial helping her rather after this manner then bewailing her with teares as himselfe witnesseth saying to God We wept not O Lord in the prayers which we made when the Sacrifice of our price was offered vp to theâ— Whereby he shewes what was the faith and religion of all the Church in his dayes S. Epiphanâ— also puts this custome amongst the Articles of Catholike Doctrine and witnesseth Epiph. heres 57. in Aâ—acephaleâ—â— S. Aug. de 〈◊〉 cap. â—3 as after him did also S. Augustine that Aerius was Anathematized as an Heretike for hauing held that the Sacrifice of the Masse was not to be offered for the dead The same Church hath also at all times offered Sacrifice of thankesgiuing for the Victime of the blessed Saints which are raigning in heauen And here-hence it is that men say Masse vpon their Feasts in which they are called vpon remembred not that men offer Sacrifice to them for that was the slander of the old Heretikes and Pagans but to giue thanks to God who made them victorious and to shew that we reioyce in their glory And this is it Saint Augustine declareth S. Aug. l. 8. de Ciuit. cap. 27. answering to the calumnies of Heretikes Who is he amongst the Infidels saith he that euer heard the Priest being at the Altar say in his Prayer I offer Sacrifice to thee O Peter O Paul O Cyprian for it is to God and not to them that that Sacrifice is offered within the Churches dedicated to their memory And elsewhere Ideâ— coâ—â—â—â— Faâ—st l. 20. c. 21. almost in the same tearmes We erect not Altars to Martyrs but onely to God in remembrance and memory of them For who did euer heare any Prelate doing his office at the Altar where Saints bodies lye say We offer Sacrifice to the O Peter O Paul O Cyprian but what is offered is offered to God who crowned the Martyrs though it be done in places dedicated to their memorie By which Doctrine it appeares how the Sacrifice of the Masse is not onely Propitiatory for sinnes but profitable to obtaine of God all kind of benefits And that it extends it selfe to all sorts of persons except the damned And that as the Sacrifice of the Crosse is a generall and fundamentall treasure for all the members of the Church of God liuing and dead present and to come so the Sacrifice of the Masse is an instrument and vniuersall meanes to apply the merit of this treasure to euery one THE ELEVENTH PICTVRE THE FIVE LOAVES AND TVVO FISHES The Description HEE which is in company of Iesus Iohn 6. Matth. 14.21 Marc. 6.40 can want nothing Doe you behold this great number of people set by hundreds and fifties vpon these beds and Tapestries of hearbes and flowers of the Spring taking their refection in the midst of the Desart they are about fiue thousand men besides women and little children Matth. 14.21 who following our Sauiour many dayes heard his Word with such feruour and delight that before they were a ware all their prouision was spent and were vtterly destitute of necessary food in these high mountaines and barren places fruitfull onely of grasse and flowers Yet notwithstanding they banquet to their fill hauing meruailous aboundance of food though all their prouision was but fiue Barly-loaues and two fishes which a yong Boy of the troope had by chance brought with him O this Boy shall one day vnder the name of Marshall be a great feeder and nourisher of Christian soules in the Countrey of Aquitan This prouision was onely casuall and very insufficient for so great a number of people but the Diuine prouidence was neither casuall nor nigardly which knowes well how to prouide for want and to make abundance of new Manna spring vp in the midst of the Desart and to feed them after with materiall food whom he had fed before with the bread of his holy Doctrine For hee multiplied the Loaues and the Fishes by his blessing in such abundance as they did suffice to fill all this people set at so many tables who brought with them as good appetites to eate as they had strong stomackes to disgest All cat as much as they will of these Loaues and these Fishes And the Apostles are the diuiders and deliuerers no lesse wondering then ioyfull to see that the bread and fishes encreased in their hands as fast as they distributed them to their guests But Philip and Andrew aboue all other were astonished for they also aboue therest apprehended the greatnesse of the multitude and the little quantitie of food which was to be had in that place The good Philip said Two hundred pentworth of bread will not suffice that euery ont may haue a little bet as the custome is to distribute holy-bread Whereas these fiue Loaues brought by this
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
consider the liberality of the Redeemer and on the otherside the ingratitude of men the wisdome of the Master and the folly of the Disciples Our Sauiour hauing sed the people with terrestriall bread intendeth to giue them the celestiall and to substitute the bread of life in place of the bread which was dead bread of the soule for bread of the body And behold these very men who hauing receiued and eaten the first bread esteemed the Giuer worthy the honor of a Scepter in recompence will not vnderstand our Sauiour preaching of the excellenty of the second although his words were very cleare yet they in their ignorance murmure against the bounty and wisdome of their Master for that bee promised to giue them bread of headen a deified bread which was his body not a strange body but his owne proper body not the flesh of beasts but the flesh of God incarnate They are scandalized because he intended to vnite them to himselfe by his flesh to deifie them by his flesh and to nourish them thereby not for soure and twenty houres onely but to all eternity They mistrusted his power were offended at his goodnesse and condemned the wisdome of his words before they vnderstood them â—â—hn 6.52 How oâ—n this man say they giue vs his flesh to eate O senselesse disciples and too obliuious And how a little before fed hee more then fiue thousand of you with fiue Loaues and two Fishes making aboundance in want and fruitfulnesse in the Desart If you beleeue Marth 14.16 Iohn â— he hath done this worke by power of his almightinesse wherefore aske you how hee can giue you his flesh wherefore esteeme you that he cannot accomplish this that he saith albeit it seemes vnpossible to you You say Behold a hard speech and who can endure it And what word find you so hard What hard speech could proceed out of the mouth of this good Master O delicate and dainty disciples what hath he said that so violently piereed your hearts What sentences hath hee vttered that seeme so hard for you to swallow He hath said That hee is the bread come downe from heane 〈…〉 that who so câ—teth this bread shall line eternally that the bread which be will gine is his flesh for the life of the world that his flesh is meat indeed and his bloud drinke indeed These words of Iron or of stone as are your breasts Are they not words of life and of eternall life words of saluation and consolation Doth life displease you Doth Saluation scandalize you and Consolation grieue you to the heart Are you not malitious schollers to striue against so louing a Lesson and desperately discased to enter into madnesse at the hearing of such a voice and that of such a Physition and that of such a promise of eternall life And if these words so louingly vttered by this sweet Lambe seeme to you intollerable how hard to you shall those words bee which hee shal vtter against you in his great day and against all them who shall bee incredulous as you are when he will say when hee will pronounce when hee will thunder out his last and irreuocable decree Goe you â—ursed from mee into eternall fire prepared for the Dâ—â—ll and his angels If the sweetnesse of the Lambe and Sauiour of the world bee now intollerable to you what will be the rigour of the Iudge of Angels and men then condemning your want of faith But if you finde difficult to your vnderstanding the words of the Master wherefore as good disciples aske you not to the end to be instructed If you haue conceiued some opinion of this Master by reason of the wonders that he hath done before you wherefore think you that he cannot do this that he promiseth that he cannot declare to you this which to you is difficult Why condemne you his doctrine before you vnderstand it Why depart you from the company of the truth which would instruct you 12. TO THE STRAYED SHEEPE OF our age BVt O you wandering soules of this last age why goe you backward in hauing abandoned the company of this Master imitating these your olde predecessors the Capharnaits who going out of the house of God haue forsaken the Table and the Feast of the flesh of the Son of God to goe take a bit of bread out of the throate of Wolues Why imitate you the Capharnaits which condemne you Wherefore like vnto them murmure you at the almightinesse of the wisdome of him that said The bread Iohn 6.51 that I shall gine you is my flesh Why beleeue you not this that he saith since that it is the mouth of Truth that speakes it which cannot lye Why giue you Law and measure to his arme saying That he cannot make a body be without possessing place and that it cannot bee at the same time in diuers places in heauen and earth in many Churches and on many Altars Can he doe nothing that is aboue the capacity of your braines But what faith is yours to beleeue nothing except that which sense witnesseth to you or which your spirit comprehendeth is it not the faith of a faithlesse Philosopher which followes the course of the creature altogether ignorant of the power of the Creator And what iudgement is yours to reiect the Catholike faith about this great mystery for not hauing the capacity to vnderstand it Seeing there haue been a thousand things in Nature it selfe that the Philosophers vnderstood not and for not vnderstanding them did they reiect them But can you vnderstand how our Sauiour took humane flesh without the seed of man how our bodies reduced into ashes shall rise againe How the bodies of the damned shall burne without being consumed in eternall flames and other mysteries of our faith And if you beleeue these things without vnderstanding them why beleeue you not this heere If this seeme more difficult to you so much the more haue you wherein to admire the omnipotencie of God and so much the more merit in beleeuing If you beleeue that God is Almighty why doe you not beleeue he can doe this that he saith who hath made the whole world by his onely word If you beleeue him all wise why beleeue you not what hee hath ordained is decreed with great wisdome albeit your iudgement cannot attaine to the secret of it If you beleeue that hee is most good why doe you not simply vse the gift of his Maiesty Wherefore say you that it is a carnall thing to haue his flesh to eate seeing he hath so disposed of it as it may be really and yet spiritually eaten Are you not proud in your basenesse rather beleeuing the infirmity of your iudgement then the greatnesse of his Almightinesse Intollerable in your folly condemning this which his wisdome ordained Vngratefull in your vnbeleeuing refusing the meate that he offers you for your health O good Iesus O good Master O good Pastor illuminate teach bring home these poore wanderers
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
and ancient Doctor Iesus Christ saying This is my body sheweth that the bread sanctified vpon the Altar is his body and not the Figure of it seeing that he saith not this is the Figure of my body but This is my body for it is thansformed in an explicable manner though outwardly it seemeth bread Saint AMBROSE S. Ambros de Sacr. l. 5. c. 4. 5. It is the word of Christ which made this Sacrament by which Word all hath been made Our Lord commanded and the earth was made seest thou then how working his Word is If then his Word hath been so mighty as it made that to be which was nothing before how much more easy will it be vnto him to change one thing into another the bread before consecration is bread but after the vttering of these words This is my body it is the body of Christ Heare him saying This is my body take you all and eate of this It is Iesus our Lord which testifieth that wee receiue his body and his bloud shall we doubt of his fidelity or testimony Saint CYPRIAN This saith our Lord is my body S. Cyp. de cun Dom. They had according to the visible forme eaten of the same bread and drunke of the same wine But before these words that food was onely for the nourishment of the body and to giue strength to the corporall life but after that Iesus Christ had said Doe yee this in remembrance of me This is my flesh The forme of Consecration are these words THIS IS MY BODY This is my bloud as often times as the same words are pronounced with the same faith this substantiall bread and this consecrated Chalice with solemne benedicton hath been profitable for the health of the whole man He teacheth then that the words of our Sauior are vnderstood according as they do signifie and that they are the forme by which the bread and the wine are consecrated into the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint AVGVSTINE writing the ancient enstome of Christians who did answer Amen S. August l. 22. cont Faust c. 10. in Psal 33. Concil 1. after that the Priest had vttered the words of Consecration This is my body this is my bloud saith thus The bloud of Christ giueth a cleare voice on earth then when as the Christians hauing receiued answered Amen It is the cleare voice of bloud that the bloud it selfe pronounceth by the mouth of the faithfull receiued by that bloud The same Author elsewhere Iesus saith hee carried himselfe in his hands when recommending his body he said This is my body It was then according to the literall sense of the Word the body of our Sauiour Saint ANSELME S. Anselm in 1. Cor. 11. expounding the selfe-same clauses maketh Iesus Christ to speak thus Eate this that I giue you because it is my body It plainly appeares bread to the outward senses but acknowledge by the sense of faith that this is my body the same in substance that shall be giuen for you to death This is the Exposition of the ancient Fathers and there hath neuer been any Doctor of the Catholike Church which gaue to these words This is my body other sense then these heere doe giue And this is the meaning of Iesus Christ and whosoeuer followeth any other he is gone out of the Schoole of Christ Iesus taking a lye for truth and damnation for food of eternall life 5. MYSTICALL REFERENCES OF OVR Sauiours words THIS IS MY BODY to the ancient Figures and to all other bodies THis is my body saith our Sauiour We haue said something vpon these words but it is nothing in comparison of that which may yet be said they are cleare but yet they are full of hidden meanings They alone containe the old and new Testament and flye in signification farre aboue the height of heauen more profound then the depthes of the Ocean and more in widenesse then is the compasse of the world in sweetenesse they surmount all the hony and milke of the Land of Promise in vertue the power of all men and Angels and in greatnesse the Maiesty of all Kings that euer were vpon the earth The words which made the world out of nothing were great in effect in heauen they made the Starres the Fishes in the sea Gen. 1 in the ayre the Fowles vnder earth the stones and mettells and vpon earth the Plants the Trees the Lions the Elephants and other creatures in number infinite and in beauty admitable but that which our Sauiour saith and in saying effecteth by these words This is my body is more infinite then all that together this body is more then a thousand worlds if so many had been produced The most excellent name of God is the Tetragram expressed vnder the voice Idoney composed of foure letters not to be vttered by the Iewes This clause This is my body it the clause Tetragram wouen of foure words euident to the eares of faith but vnexplanable by the tongue either of man or Angell What shall we say then to expresse the vertue of it And who can or shall expresse it but he who is the Author of these words and mysteries It is he must do it that is the all-knowing Word and all powerfull able to know to say and to doe whatsoeuer he will What said then this great God by these words This is my body He said that it is his body and saying this he said all that is precious admirable and diuine amongst bodies Hee distinguisheth all the bodies that he had euer made or created from his owne and prefetreth it before them all Hee said I haue made the Sunne and the Moone the Starres and all those immortall bodies which on high make the wainscot of my Fathers Pallace but these are not my body neither substances allied to my person these to me are strange bodies This is my body which I haue formed by an extraordinary way in the wombe of an holy Virgin which I haue diuinely appropriated to my greatnesse and which I haue made the habitation of my dignity The other bodies are parts of my possession this heere is the body of my particular person surpassing the excellency of all the bodies long since consecrated to God and were propheticall Figures thereof The Tree of Life planted in the earthly Paradise the Lambe of innocent Abel offered in Sacrifice the bread of Melchi adech giuen in blessing the Sacrifice of Abraham accomplished by rare faith and obedience the Hebrewes Paschall Lambe the Manna from heauen the Loaues of Proposition the First-fruit offerings the bread of Eliah the Sheepe the Lambe the Ewes the Heifers the Beefes the Oxen the Doues the Sparrowes the Turtles and all the bodies of beasts which the Law of Moses set vpon the Altar in Holocaust in action of thanks in Propitiation all the bodies that men haue offred to the Maiesty of my Father haue been sacred bodies the Figures of this my
body this is not the Figure but my body it selfe which onely pleaseth my Father which only can worthily thanke him which onely can effectually appease him the others were not pleasing to him but so farre forth as they had relation to this heere in as much as they did Figure it and foretold its comming this is the subiect of all these bodies and of all these old Sacrifices this is the body in which God shall be truely honored in which he shall bee fully satisfied in which he shall receiue with infinite measure the taxe of mans Redemption and in which he shall iudge the quicke and the dead By these words then our Sauiour sheweth the body which is the honor of all his Church both in earth and in heauen for that which is most precious in a Kingdome is not treasure munition gould and siluer mines the store-houses of merchandizes the opulent Cities the stately houses Pallaces the Orchyards the Gardens and other such like pleasant places But it is the body of the King it is for him and by him that the Nobles command that the souldiers fight that the Magistrates exercise Iustice that the Guard watch and keepe Sentinell that the Merchants trade He that hath the body of the King hath all Wherefore the words of our Sauiour This is my body declare that this is the holiest and diuinest thing within the inclosure of the kingdom of heauen and Monarchy of his most deare Spouse which is his Church What canst thou then O sweet Iesus choose more rich and more diuine for to honor thy Father to testifie thy loue to make happy thy Spouse then to leaue this body in a perpetual Sacrifice to his Maiesty in daily Sacrament and food to thy members What canst thou vtter higher then to say This is my body The great Casar disguised in the habite of a slaue gaue once both astonishment and courage to his Pilot dismayed with a storme when making himselfe knowne he tells him Haue heart my friend Plut. in Casares it is Casar thou carriest With what heart and with what admiration ought wee to heare these words This is my body With what respect and loue ought we to receiue this body although disguised in the habite of fraile Elements since it is thou that speakest clearely and sayest This is my body And what courage oughtest thou to haue O my soule hauing with thee and carrying in thy mortall body with thee this immortall body this liuely body quickned with a most noble soule replenished with all perfection both of Nature and Grace this Lord God and Man King of Kings And what other thing canst thou doe but contemplate in silence rather then to endeauour to expresse in words the greatnesse of thy Redeemer in this his owne Word which thou canst not comprehend And with a deepe humility and burning affection enioy the Presence that he maketh thee thereof so often as for thy good and saluation he shall say to thee that which he then said of his body to his Church This is my body take and eate 6. HOW OVR SAVIOVR OFFERS HIMselfe to God in Sacrifice saying This it my bodie WHen our Sauiour made dis body Present in vttering these words This is my body in the same instant he offered it to his Father in an vnbloudy Sacrifice after the forme of Melchisedech and forth with he gaue it to his Apostles in Sacrament vnder the same forme This is the cause why hauing said This is my body hee addeth giuen for you that is to say offered for you in Sacrifice broken for you now giuen and broken and which shal be hereafter giuen and broken in the same fashion euen till the end of the world in remembrance of that bloudy Sacrifice which to morrow I wil offer for you once for all vpon the Crosse So as our Sauiour made not his body onely Present but present vnder the formes of bread giuing it a being of food a dead being albeit that in it selfe it was euer liuing euen as in making himselfe man his Diuinity tooke a body and a mortall being and endured death in that body albeit the Diuinity was alwayes immortal and endured nothing as we haue declared before He made himselfe by reason of the dead species present as dead and represented himselfe as a Victime and as an offered Lambe for to bee afterward the refection of the Father of the Family 〈◊〉 12. and of his houshold according to the Figure of the Iewes Lamb the which could not be eaten before it was first dead immolated offered and made a Victim as the Scripture hath told vs S. Greg. Niss or 1. de Resur and Saint Gregory of Nisse after the Scripture And it imports not as hath been said heretofore that our Sauiour vttered no words of Oblation expresly saying My Father I offer thee this body the manner after which he makes himselfe Present as a Victime expressed sufficiently that he offered himselfe It was also sufficient that hee made it Present with intention to offer it to God who seeth the heart though the tongue say nothing And so the Iewish Priests did offer their Sacrifices immolating the the beasts only and saying no other thing whereby to signifie that it was a Sacrifice And so our Sauiour likewise offers himselfe vpon the Crosse without vsing any words fignifying Oblation Matth. 26.28 The same immolation was made in the Censecration of the Chalice when our Sauiour said This is my bloud of the new Testament Luke 22.20 shed for many for the râ—â—ission of siâ—ner Also This Cup is the new Tastament in my bloud the which is shed for you For by this consecration the bloud of our Sauiour is represented apart which also doth euidently declare that his body was made a Sacrifice according to the likenesse of those of the Iewes who comming to immolat the beast did kil it separating the bloud from the body with a sword Heb. 4.12 as our Sauiour with his omnipotent Word in stead of a piercing Sword made his bloud Present in the Cup as separated from his body and so representeth the immolation therof and albeit the body and the bloud were not actually separated and that the body was in the Cup and the bloud was with the body vnder the accidents of bread yet notwithstanding by reason of the forme of wine separated and set apart they appeared separated to represent this immolation and the bloud was truely shed not after the maner of Aarons bloudy Sacrifices in which the bloud was drawne from the veines in proper forme but after the manner of wine Our Sauiour vsed also the Present tense saying This is my bloud shed this is the Chalice of my bloud shed for remission of sins Matth. 26. Luke 22. to signifie that this which was in the Chalice to wit his bloud for the wine could not bee shed for remission of sinnes was already powred into the Chalice by an vnbloudy effusion
had so extreamely loued in his life and without whom shee could not liue This was an Humane loue more worthy of compassion then of praise which neuerthelesse may serue vs for an example to make vs do better for how much more conuenient and iust is it that wee should employ all our spirituall meanes our loue our deuotion our fastings our almes our prayers that we may become a liuing Cabinet of the body of this diuine Spouse of our soules whom we shall receiue not senselesse nor dead nor reduced into powder but aliue immortall all whole with his soule and with his glory and with all the Maiesty of his Diuinity for to be one day eternally vnited with him 10. TWO GREAT WONDERS HAPPENED in the institution of this Sacrament SAint Augustine S. August in Psal 33. 2. Keg 21.13 expounding what the History of the Kings saith of Dauid that counterseiting to be out of his wits before King Achis He carried himselfe in his own hands tooke occasion to admire another wonder farre exceeding that which came to passe in the institution of this Sacrament And it is that our Sauiour carried himselfe in his proper hands A thing which he esteemed most admirable and impossible to haue been practised by Dauid according to the sence of the letter But that our Sauiour only did it when holding his body in his hand and saying This is my body hee cetried it to his mouth and gaue it to his Apostles For though it might be that Dauid playing the foole carried himselfe in his hands by going on all foure after the manner of little children or bearing himself vp vpon his armes and vsing them in stead of feet and of legges after the fashion of those who by actluity cast their body vpward in the ayre with their head downward like a tree and walke vpon their hands S. Augustine neuerthelesse had reason to say that to cary himselfe of himselfe in his owne hands belongeth only to our Sauiour for it is he which truly earieth himselfe David caried not himselfe on his hands but rather on his hands and feet together if it be to be vnderstood of the first manner or only on his armes if of the second but our Sauiour carieth himselfe properly in his hands neither more nor lesse then he caried in his band the meate which he put in his mouth or into the mouthes of others There is heere yet another thing admirable in this Institution which is that our Sauiour tooke himself for food a thing not heard of neither hapned to any man since the Creation of the world Ioseâ—h lib. 7. de â—el Iudaâ—c Histories tell vs that some mothers had fed vpon their owne children as Mary the Iew and that some person haue eaten a certaine part of their body compelled by the violence of some extraordinary sicknes but it was neuer read that a man either did or could eate himselfe all whole still remaining without hurt and such an act neuer came into the thought of man The Sonne of God alone can doe it and hath done it and hath giuen herein an illustrious testimony that hee is God doing a worke which onely God could doe by vertue vncommunicable to any other for it is God alone that liueth of himselfe and is his owne proper food the creatures do liue of other creatures and their food is from without their body and none liue of themselues the blessed Spirits in heauen doe liue of the vision of God but God alone is his owne life and his owne meat from all eternity and needeth no other thing but himselfe to sustaine himselfe eternally So that our Sauiour taking himselfe for food signeth himselfe with the signe of his owne greatnesse and sheweth as by an experiment proper to God that he was God hee being able to make food of himself euen according to the body after the likenesse of his Diuinity which is the food and nourishment of himselfe and belongeth to no other thing but to God alone And this is that which he signified by these words Iâ—â—â— 5.26.24 S. Chrysost hom 〈◊〉 in Ioan. For as the Father hath lofe in himselfe so bee hath giuen to the Sonne also to haue life in himsele for proofe then and declaration of his speech hee rooke himsele in food corporally as spiritually he himselfe is his life and his food and his felicity and likewise the life food and felicity of his Elect. 11. SAINT IONN FIRST RECEIVETH OF all the Apostles The Eucharist the true refection and the Present at the refection OVR Sauiour then doth offer his body and his bloud to God his Father in Sacrifice and hauing receiued them first himselfe he giues them to his Apostles for spirituall refection beginning at Saint Iohn and not onely because he was nearest him at the table but because he was endued with singular charity and chastity vertues altogether proper to make vs sit worthily at the table of this feast of loue and purity It is heere where the refection began which alone is true and holy and now it began to be continued afterward so long as the world should endure All the other which had of old been instituted in the House of God were but Figures of this their meats were meates of corruption and of death seruing onely to maintaine this mortall life the Victims the Offerings and all that which was set vpon the Altar or vpon the table in the Law of Nature and of Moses were but dead bodies and mortall food to nourish mortall bodies the body of our Sauiour is the body of life and food of immortality In this refection the ceremony of Alliance made betweene God and Man was celebrated by the mediation of the flesh and bloud of God signes both signifying and withall effecting a most streight and most diuine vnion of the head with his members of the members amongst themselues And the Symbols which were the meate of the table and the connexion of such as assisted the selfe-same were the Presents of the Feast It was a famous custome among the Nations of the world to giue Presenis after a great Feast the which were called of the Greeke word Apophoreta as who should say things to bee carried from the Feast of which S. Ambrose speaking S. Ambros in exhort ad Virg writ in these termes in his Exhortation to Virgins Such as are inuited to a great Feast haue a custome to bring away some conuiuiall presents Isid Some bring vesieis of gold some of sillier some gold and siluerâ— some money Sueton. Coligul Lamâ—â—d in Heliogaâ—oto some Iewels some beasts some men the Sonne of God gaue his body and his bloud for the Present of his Feast or the meat of his Feast and for the Feast it selfe surpassing the price of all other Presents as also the splendour and deliciousnesse of all other banquets 12. OF THE WORDS OF OVR SAVIOVR Doe this in my remembrance NOw this diuine refection was not
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
turned vp-side downe for earthly trees haue their heads fixed in the ground to wit their roote Man contrariwise hath his lifted vp to heauen he is then a diuine heauenly Tree Mat. 7.17 12 13. Marke 6.24 Our Sauiour oft compareth the good man to a good tree and the wicked to an euill and one of the blinde which were healed by him being asked if hee saw any thing answered that he saw men like trees walking vpon the earth If then this meruailous Tree were the picture of any man or meate what could it more worthily figure in the Church of God then Iesus Christ God and Man and his body the most diuine meate of all But the better to know the correspondencie of this Picture to the truth we ought to note the draughts or lines of the olde mystery and so compare them with the qualities of the new 4. RESEMBLANCES OF THE TREE of Life to the holy Sacrament of the Alter THe portraitures and lineaments of the resemblances and likenesse that is betweene our Sacrament and the Tree of Life are these that follow The Tree of Life was the Tree of Trees that is to say the collection of the vertue of all trees and plants as man of all creatures and the Sunne of all lights the body of Iesus Christ also is the most noble of all bodies the rich storehouse of all vertues and the treasure of the Diuinitie it selfe conceiued in Virgin earth by the worke of the holy Spirit and borne of a Virgin a Body wherein dwelleth truely the fulnesse of all goodnesse S. Aug. lib. 1. cont aduers legis cap. 18. The Sacrament also of this body is the collection of all the ancient Sacraments and Sacrifices and for this cause Sacrament of Sacraments and Sacrifice of Sacrifices as the Tree of Life was the Tree of Trees and the Fruite of Fruites Sacrament truely planted in the midst of the Church that is to say lifted vp to a most noble height amongst the other celestiall mysteries as the Tree of Life was planted in the midst and most eminent place of the Garden among the other Trees The Tree of Life was ordained not to nourish the body by little and little as did the other fruits but for to repaire all the defects thereof at once to render it vigorous to giue it a perfect life without end and to nourish it in the highest degree that a body can possibly be nourished Even so the body of our Sauiour is left in refection to his Church not to sustaine vs after the fashion of corruptible meates which are conuerted into the substance of our bodies but rather to conuert our bodies into it imprinting in them his diuine qualities and giuing them a liuing spring of immortalitie according to that which our Sauiour said Hee that eateth this bread shall liue eternally Ioan. 6.51.44 Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood bee hath life eternall and I will raise bins vp in the last day The tree of life was no where to bee found but onely within the inclosed earthily Paradise neither was there any more then one alone the Sacrifice also and Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour is not made but in his Church by such as are lawfully called thereunto and if it be found amongst Heretikes they haue it from the Church and it is euery where one selfesame body and not many so as there is no profitable Sacrament of this precious meate neither any Tree of Life in the assemblies of Heretikes no more then in that of the Paynims and if they carry it out of the Church with them and take it being Infidels it is to their damnation because they are foorth of the holy Church the true and onely earthly Paradise in which is planted the Tree of Life for the children of God Exod. 12. S. Aug. Serm. de Temp. 181. c. 12. The Lambe saith Saint Augustine is sacrificed in one onely house for that the true Sacrifice of the Redeemer is sacrificed in one Catholike Church the flesh of which the Law forbids to bee carried forth for so much as wee must not cast to dogges that which is holy The Tree of Life was prepared for meate vnto Adam no longer then hee remained in state of Innocencie and therefore after he had sinned hee was excluded from it which depriuing him thereof was Gods Iustice and Mercy together Iustice because that sinfull man merited by his disobedience to be depriued of the vse of that fruit which was reserued for the reward of his obedience saith Saint Chrysostome and Theodoret. S. Chrysost hom 〈◊〉 Gen. 18. Theâ—d â— 126. in Gen. Mercy for that hauing been condemned to many miseries if he had eaten he had bin made immortall and so immortally miserable vpon the earth whereas in liuing but a little time his misery is so much shortned Tren l. 3. c. 37. S. Greg. Naz. â—â— at 2. de Pasch Wherefore saith Saint Gregory Nazianzen after Saint Ireneus his punishment is turned into mercy for if he had tasted of this fruit his life had become immortall and his euils endlesse And euen so the fruit of our Sacrament is also prepared for those which haue a cleane soule so that if any one take it with conscience of mortall sinne he takes death and puts himselfe in danger to be eternally miserable This is it which Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 11.27 Whosoeuer shall eate and shall drinke the Chalice of our Lord vnworthily hee shall bee guiltie of the body and bloud of our Lord and for that cause let euery one proue himselfe and so eate of this bread and drinke of this Chalice for whosoeuer eates and drinkes vnworthily he eates and drinkes his owne condemnation not discerning the body of our Lord. He exaggerates the greatnesse of the crime and threatens the criminals by great and piercing words to make euery Christian attentiue and wary that he do his endeauour to prepare himselfe worthily to the eating of this bread and herewith he sheweth in what consisteth the meanes to make this preparation which is by cleansing the soule by an holy confession of all the sinnes which we can remember in doing penance and making satisfaction for the same for this the examining and proouing of which he speaketh S. Chrysost hom 24. in 1. Cor. hom 3. ep Ephes S. Amb. lib. 6. in Luc. c. 37. S. Cyp. l. 3. ep 14. S. Aug. tract 16. in Ioan. and that he commands is no other thing then this as Saint Chrysostome Saint Ambrose Saint Cyprian Saint Augustine and all the holy Fathers haue explaned To this purpose said Saint Iohn Blessed are those which wash their robes to the end that their strength be in the wood of life that is to say happy are those which doe penance and cleause themselues of all their sinne Apoc. 12. to the end that they may worthily participate the fruite of this diuine Sacrament the Tree planted in the
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