who after much labour spent in cultiuating his Vineyard or ground doth through an vnexpected Hayle showred downe loose all his profit that is all his labour and toyle These Euills therfore ought with great reason to be deplored with inconsolable griefe And who bewayleth them and is sory for them he doth condole with Christ vpon the Crosse And when with fortitude and strength he laboreth to expell driue away these Euills he wonderfully compassionateth the afflictions of Christ suffering on the Crosse shall in recompence thereof reioyce with Christ reioycing in Heauen and raigne with him there reigning for euer Of the second fruite of the fifth Word CHAP. IX VVHen attentiuely I ponder consider the thirst of Christ hanging vpon the Crosse another fruite and no lesse profitable is presented to my iudgement For our Lord seemeth to me to haue said Sitio I thirst in the same sense when vnto the Samaritan woman he said Giue me to drinke for a litle after opening the mystery of this his Word he thus subioyneth If thou didest know the guift of God and who he is that saith vnto thee giue me to drinke thou perhaps wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thee liuing water Iohn 4. Now how can he thirst who is the fountaine of liuing water Did not our Lord speake of himself when he said Ioan. 7. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke And is not he that Rock of which the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 10. They dranke of the spirituall Rock that followed them and the Rocke was Christ To conclude is not this he who thus speaketh to the Iewes by Ieremy the Prophet cap. 2. They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged to themselues Cesternes broken Cesternes that will not hould water Therefore it seemes I behould our Lord vpon the Crosse as vpon a high Turret casting his eyes vpon the whole earth â—uâ—l of men thirsting and langiuishing through thirst who through occasion of his owne corporall thirst doth commiserate the common thirst of mankind and saith Sitio that is I am truly thirsty since all the humidity and moysture of my body is already spent and dried vp but this my thirst wil quickly haue an end Therefore I do now thirst that men would beginne to know from fayth me to be the true well-spring of liuing water and that they would come to me and drinke that so they need not to thirst for all Eternity O how happy and blessed might we be if with a most attent hart we would heare this Sermon of the VVord Incarnate Doe not almost all men thirst with a most burning thirst of concupiscence and with an insatiable thirst after the fading troubled waters of transitory and floating thinges which are vulgarly called goods Riches Honours Pleasures And who is he that drinking of this water hath his thirst thereby extinguished And who euer hearing Christ our Maister did beginne to tast and relish the liuing water of HeaueÌ„ly wisdom of diuine charity but that the thrist of terrene things being presently asswaged he begun to breath hope of eternall lyfe and laying aside all gnawing care of getting and heaping together earthly treasures did not begin to thirst after Heauenly This water of lyfe not rising out of the earth but descending from Heauen which our Lord being the fountaine of the water of life if so we will demand it with most ardent prayers and a fountaine of teares will giue to vs this water I say will not only quench the thirst of terrestriall pleasures but also will be to vs neuer fading meate and drinke during all the time of our Peregrination For thus the Prophet Esay speaketh All you that thirst come vnto the waters Isa 55. And to preuent that thou maist thinke not thinke it to be plaine simple water or to be bought with a great Price the Prophet subioyneth Make hast come away buy without money without any change wine and milke Water is said to be bought because it is not obtained without labour that is without a true disposition of mynd but yet it is bought without money or any exchange because it is giuen freely neyther can any equall price for it be found And that which the Prophet a litle afore called water he presently after termeth wine and milke since it is a most precious and inestimable thing as comprehending in it selfe the perfection or vertue of water wyne and milke This is true wisdome and charity which is called water because it doth refresh and coole the heate of concubiscence It in also wine in that the mynd of man is therewith heated and as it were become drunke with a sober ebriety finally it is said to be milke because it nourisheth with a sweet and gentill food especially such who are but infants in Christ according to those wordes of S. Peter the Apostle As infants newly borne desire you milke 1. Pet 2. This true wisdome and Charity being incompatible with the Concupiscence of the flesh is that sweet yoake and light burden the which whosoeuer willingly and humbly vndergoe do purchace true and stable rest to their soules so as they shall not neede to draw water from earthly and muddy Wels. This most sweet repose of mynd gaue way to solitude to an Heremiticall lyfe filled Monasteries reformed the Clergy yea reduced married Persons to no small moderation and continency Certainly the Pallace or Court of Theodosius the yonger being Emperour did much resemble a great Monastery And the House of Elzearus the Earle bare the show of a small Monastery For in neither of these two places were to be heard any contentions or disagreements but insteed thereof the singing of spirituall Hymnes and Canticles did most frequently resound All this we owe as due to Christ who hath extinguished our thirst with his thirst and as a liuing fountaine hath so watered the fields of our Harts with flowing streames as that they need not feare any drought except our Harts depart from the fountaine it selfe which God forbid through the instigation of the Enemy Of the third fruite of the fifth Word CHAP. X. THe third fruite which may be taken from the words of Christ is the imitation of the Patience of the Sonne of God For although Humility conioyned with patience did shine in the Fourth word or sentence yet in the Fyfth word as in its proper and reserued place the wonderfull patience of Christ seemeth most eminently to manifest it selfe Patience is not only one of the chiefe Vertues but among the rest it is very necessary For thus S. Cyprian speaketh Serm. de bono Patientia Non inuenio inter caeteras c. Among the seuerall wayes of Celestiall discipline I do not find any thing more necessary to mans life or more conducing to true Glory then that we who labour to obserue the precept of our Lord with feare deuotion should carefully deuote our selfes to the practice of Patience
OF THE SEAVEN VVORDES SPOKEN BY CHRIST vpon the Crosse Two Bookes Written in Latin by the most Illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine of the Society of Iesus And translated into English by A. B. Foderunt manus meas pedes meos Psal 21. They haue digged my hands my feet Permissu Superiorum 1638. The Translatour to the Reader GOod Reader in place of a Ceremonious and formall Dedicatory Epistle I send thee these few lines The worke heere translated is one the spirituall Treatises of the most Learned and Vertuous Bellarmine of Blessed Memory being entituled Of the seauen VVords spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse Prize the Contents of those words as thou prizest thy owne soule they being in number few in force and weight many Take them as so many rich Legacies left by our charitable Testatour immediatly before his death to mankind And vvho is he that neglecteth the Legacies of his dying Lord and Friend Most men do much regard ponder the last words of a dying man at that tyme hauing his senses and memory vnperished who during the whole course of his life had gained among others a great name reputation of VVisdome Of what estimate then ought we to make the VVords of Christ vttered in his dying state who wâ—s not only wise but VVisdome it selfe VVho is the VVord it selfe VVho is God himselfe These VVords hereafter following in this Treatise Christ spake being nayled vpon the Tree of the Crosse a Tree infinitly more high as reaching from Earth to Heauen then the highest Cedar in Libanus Tast of the fruits which may be gathered from thence since arbor bona fructus bonos facit Matth. 7. Vpon this Tree death became dead vvhen life thereon did dye This Tree was the Chayre from whence our spiritual Doctour dictated his Precepts to vs Christians It was the Pulpit out of which our Heauenly Ecclesiastes preached to mankind Briefly it was and is the true Ladder of Iacob adumbrated and shadowed by that Ladder spoken of in Genesis by which the soule of Man ascendeth vp to Heauen Thus not enlarging my selfe further and humbly intreating the charitable remembrance of all good Catholiks in their Deuotions I leaue thee to the perusing of what followeth Thine in Christ crucifyed A. B. The Preface of the Authour BEhould now the fourth yeare is passed when as preparing my selfe to my End I retire to a place of quietnes and rest exempt from negotiations and throng of Busines but not exempt from the meditation of the sacred Scriptures and from the writing of such things which to me in tyme of meditation do occur That if I be not able to profit others either by my owne speaches or by composing of any large and voluminous Booke at least that I may be of power to aduance my Brethren in their spirituall Good by some small deuout Treatise Now calling to mind of what subiect I might chiefly make choyce which might dispose me towards dying well might profit my Brethren towards liuing well The death of our Lord presented it selfe to me and that last Sermon of his which consisting of seauen most short but most graue sentences the Redeemer of the World from the Crosse as from a high and eminent Chayre deliuered to all MaÌ„kind Since in that Sermon or in those seauen Words all those Points are contained of which the said Lord thus speaketh Luc. 18. Behould we go vp to Ierusalem and all things shal be consummate which were written by the Prophets of the sonne of Man Those things which the Prophets did foretell of Christ are reduced to foure Heads or branches To wit to his Preaching and Sermons made to the People To his Prayer directed to his Father To the most grieuous Euills which he was to suffer To sublime and admirable Works performed by him All which seuerall Points did admirably shine in the life of Christ For first our Lord did most frequently preach in the Temple in the Synagogues in the fields in desert solitary places in priuate Houses and to conclude euen out of the ship to the People standing vpon the shore Furthermore He spent for the most part whole nights in Prayer to God for thus the Euangelist speaketh Luc. 6. He passed the whole night in Prayer to God Now his admirable and astonishing working of Wonders of which the holy Gospells are very full doth concerne the expelling of the Deuils curing the sicke multiplying of bread and in appeasing or allaying tempests or stormes all sea To conclude the Euills that in recompence of the Good which he had done were perpetrated against him were many not only in contumely of Words but also in stoning of him and in endeauoring to cast him headlong dovvne from a fearefull Precipice But all these seuerall Points were consummated and perfected most truly vpon the Crosse For first He so mouingly persuadingly preached from the Crosse as that many returned from thence knocking their Breasts And further not only the harts of men but euen the stones as it were through a secret compassion were riuen and torne a sunder He in like manner so prayed vpon the Crosse as that the Apostle sayth thereof Heb. 5. Cum clamore valido lachrimis exauditus est pro sua reuerentia With a strong Crye and teares he was heard for his reuerence Now what he suffered vpon the Crosse was of so high a nature in reference to those things which he had suffered through the rest of the life as that they alone may be thought peculiarly to belong to the Passion To conclude He neuer wrought greater Prodigies and signes then when lying vpon the Crosse he was brought to extreme imbecillity and weaknes For at that time he did not only exhibite Miracles from Heauen the which the Iewes had before importunely demaunded of him but also a litle after he wrought the greatest Miracle of all When being dead and buried by his owne proper force and Vertue he returned from Hell and resuming his Body restored it againe to life yea to an immortall life Therfore we may conclude that vpoÌ„ the Crosse all things were truly performed and accomplished which were written by the Prophets of the Sonne of Man But before we descend to write of the particular Words of our Lord I hold it conducing to our purpose to speake some thing of the Crosse it self which was the Chayre or Pulpit of the Preacher the Altar of the Priest sacrifizing the race or place of him that did combat and feight the shop as it were of working miraculous things First then touching the forme of the Crosse the more common Opinion of the Ancients is that it consisted of three seuerall parcels of Wood One long vpon the which the Body of our Lord crucified was laid or extended another ouerthwart in which the haÌ„ds were fastened the third was affixed and ioined to the lower part vpon the which the feet did rest but so nailed thereto that they could not be moued from thence
is frequent in the sacred Scriptures aâ— S. Austin obserued in his booke of thâ— Consent of the Euangelists l. 3. c. 16. For the Apostle writing to the Hebrews sayth They stopped the mouthes of Lyons they were stoned they were hewed they went about in sheepskins in Goate-skins and yet who stopped the mouthâ— of Lyons was but one Daniell and who was stoned was but one Ieremy and vvho was hewed in peces vvas but one Esay Add hereto that S. Mathew and S. Marke do not so expresly say that both the Theeues did vpbraid Christ as we find S. Luke expresly to vvrite Vnus autem de his c. One of the theeues that were hanged blasphemed him For the greater probability of truth we may further say that therâ— caÌ„ be no reason alledged why the same theefe should both blaspheme and praise Christ And whreas some do reply that this theefe who afore did blaspheme did after change his Iudgement and praysed Christ when he heard him say Father forgiue them for they know not what they do is euideÌ„tly repugnant to the Gospell for S. Luke relateth that Christ prayed for his Persecutours to his Father before the wicked Theefe begunne to blaspheme Therefore the iudgements of S. Ambrose and S. Austine are to bâ— imbraced heerin who mantaine that of the two theeues the one did blaspheme the other did prayse and defend Christ Therfore the other thiefe did answere to the thiefe blaspheming thus Neyther dost thou feare God whereas thou art in the same daÌ„nation Luc. 23. This good and happy thiefe partly from the vertue of the Crosse of Christ and partly from diuine light and inspiration which then did begin to shyne to him vndertooke to correct his Brother and to draw him to a more safe mynd iudment The meaning of whose words is this Thou wouldest imitate the blaspheming Iewes but they as yet haue not learned to feare the iudgment of God because they are persuaded they haue ouercome and they do vaunt glory of their Victory when they seeÌ„ Christ nayled to the Crosse and themselfes to be free and at liberty suffering no euill But thou who for thy offences hangest vpon the Crosse and hastest towards death why dost thou not begin to feare God Why heapest thou sinne to sinne And further this happy Thiefe increasing in his good VVorke and seconded vvith the light of the Grace of God confesseth his sinnes and preacheth the Innocency of Christ saying Et nos quidem iustè and vve are iustly to vvit condemned to the Crosse but this man hath done no Euill Luc. 23. Lastly the light of Grace more resplendently shining he addeth Domine memento mei c. Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome Certainly the Grace of the Holy Ghost which vvas in the hart of this Thiefe is most wonderfull S. Peter the Apostle denieth Christ the Thiefe nayled to the Crosse confesseth him The disciples going to Emaus say But we did Hope the Thiefe confidently speaketh saying Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome S. Thomas the Apostle denied to belieue in Christ except he saw that Christ had risen froÌ„ death The Thiefe being vpon a Crosse and seing Christ fastened to the Crosse doubteth not â—o acknowledge that after he was to â—e a King But who had taught this â—heefe so high Mysteries He calleth that man Lord whom he did behould â—aked wounded lamenting openly derided and contemned and hanging with him He further sayth that Iesus after his death was to come into his kingdome From which point we vnderstand that the Theefe did not â—reame of any future temporall kingâ—ome of Christ here vpon earth such â—s the Iewes do expect but belieued that Christ after his death was to be an Eternall King in Heauen Who had instructed him in such sublime Sacraments Certainly only the spirit of Truth which did preuent him in the benedictions of sweetnes Christ after his Resurrection said to his Apostles Christ ought to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory But the Theife did foreknow this after a wounderfull manner and did confesse it at that tyme when there appeared no likelyhood in Christ to raigne Kings do reigne vvhen they liue and when they cease to liue they cease to reigne But the Theefe openly affirmed that Christ by death was to come into his Kingdome The vvhich point our Lord did explaine in one of his Parables vvhen he said Luc. 19. A certaine Noble man went into a farre Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome and to returne This our Lord said being most neare vnto his Passion signifying that by death himselfe was to goe into a far distant Country or Region that is to an other life or vnto Heauen which is most remote from the Earth and to goe to the end to receave a most large and euerlasting kingdome and after to returne at the day of iudgment that he might make retribution either of reward or punishment to all men according as they had deserued in this lyfe Therefore of this kingdome of Christ which presently after his death he was to receaue the wyse Theefe said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome But was not Christ a king before his death Certainly he was and therefore the Magi cryed out Vbi est qui natus est Rex Iudaeorum Where is he that is borne king of the Iewes Math. 2. And Christ himselfe said to Pilate Thou saist that I am a King For this was I borne and for this came I into the world that I should giue testimony to the Truth Ioan. 18. Neuerthelesse he was a king in this world as a stranger among his Enemies and therefore he was acknowledged as a king only of few but contemned and badly entreated by many And in regard thereof he said in the Parable aboue cited that he was to goe into a far Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome He said not to seeke or to gaine a Kingdome which did not belong to him but to receaue his owne kingdome and to returne therefore the Theefe wisely said VVhen thou shalt come into thy kingdome To proceede The kingdome of Christ signifieth not in this place any Regall Potency or Soâ—â—raignty For this euen from the beginning he had according to that of the Psalme 2. I am appointed king by him ouer Sion his Holy Hill And in another place He shall rule from sea to sea and from the Riuer euen to the ends of the world Psal 71. And Esay sayth cap. 9 A litle one is horne to vs and a sonne is giuen to vs whose Principality is vpon his shoulder And Ieremy cap. 23. I will rayse vp Dauid a Iust branch and he shall reigne a king and shal be wise and he shall do iudgement and iustice vpon the earth And Zacharias cap. 9. Reioyce greatly O daughter of Sion make iubilation O daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy king will come to thee the iust and Sauiour himselfe poore and
swiftly then the sunne it selfe To conclude where aboue is added that the Eclypse and defect of the sunne could not be obserued seene through out the Vniuersall Earth in regard that the Moone is lesser then the Earth farre more lesse in quantity then the sunne I grant this to be most true with reference to the interposition of the moone only But what the moone could not performe herein the Creatour of the sunne moone performed only in not cooperating with the sunne in illustrating lighning the Earth For things created cannot worke or performe their functions except the Creatour do assist cooperate with them And whereas some men say that darknes might theÌ„ be made throughout the whole Earth through a condensation and thickning of blacke and misty Cloudes this cannot be truly auerred since it is euident from the testimonies of the Ancients that in the tyme of that Eclyps and darknes the stars were seene to appeare and shine in Heauen But thickâ— and misty Cloudes cannot only yea they are accustomed to obscure â—he sunne but also the moone and the stars Now why God would haue this signe of Darknes to happen at the Passion of Christ seuerall Reasons are accustomed to be alledged but two chiefly The first may be to demonstrate the most great excecation and blindnes of the Iewish People which Reason is brought by S Leo Pope and which blindnes of theirs doth yet continue and shall continue according to the Prophecy of Isay who thus speaketh of the beginning of the Church Surge illuminare Ierusalem c. Arise be illuminated Ierusalem because thy light is come and the glory of our Lord is risâ—n vpon thee because loe darknes shall couer the Earth and a myst the People Isa 60. To wit most thicke and palpable darknes shall couer the Land of the Iewes and that darknes which is not so grosse but may easely be dissipated and dispâ—lled shall couer the People of the Gentills The second Cause oâ— Reason of the forsaid darknes at our Sauâ—ours Passion may be to demonstrate the great offâ—nce and sinne of the Iewes as S. Ierome teacheth In former tymes wicked men did persecute molest and trouble yea and kill good men But now men are arriued ro that degree of Impiety as that they dare persecute euen God himselfe inuested with mans flesh and nayle him to a Crosse In former tymes suites and contentions falling out among Cittizens they fell to Words from words to blowâ—s Wounds and murther it selfe But now Vassalls and Bonslâ—uâ—s haue entred into insurrection and â—â—bellion against the King of men and Angels nayling with incredible boldnes his sacred hands and feete with piercing Nayles to the hard wood of the Crosse Therefore the whole World was amazed and through horrour of the fact trembled And the sunne it selfe as vnwilling to lend its light to the furtherance of perpetrating so flagitious a Crime did with draw in its beames couering the whole ayre with blacke and dreadfull darknes But let vs now descend to the words of our Lord Eli Eli lamma sabactani These words are taken from the beginning of the one twentith Psalme where we thus read Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti O God my God haue respect to me why hast thou forsaken me Where those words respice in me vvhich are in the middest of the Verse were added by the Septuagint Interpreters for in the Hebrew Text there are no other words but those which our Lord did speake In this one point the words of the Psalme and of Christ do differ in that the Words of the Psalme are all Hebrew words whereas those spoken by Christ are partly Syriach words which kind of tongue the Iewes did then much vse For those words Talitha cumi id est puella surge and Ephetha that is ad apetite and some others in the Ghospels are Syriake words and not Hebrew But to proceed Our Lord complaineth that he is forsaken of God and he complaineth crying out with a great and vehement voyce Both which Points are to be exâ—lained This dereliction and forsaking of Christ by his Father may be vnderstood in fiue seuerall senses or wayes of all waith but one is true There were fiue coniunctions of God in the Son One naturall and eternall to wit the coniunction of the Person with the Person of the Sonne in Essence Another that is a new coniunction of the Diuine nature with the Humane nature in the Person of the Sonne or which is all one a coniunction of the diuine Person of the Sonne with the humane Nature The third was the Vnion of Grace and of will for Christ being maÌ„ was full of grace and truth Ioan. 1. And the things that do please God he did allwayes as himselfe witnesseth in S. Iohn cap. 8. And the Father more then once said of him This is my beleued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Matth. 3. The fourth coniunction was the Vnion of Glory for the soule of Christ did see God euen from his CoÌ„ception The fifth was the Vnion of Protection of which himselfe speaketh when he saith He that sent me is with me and he hath not left me alone Ioan. 8. Now the first Vnion is altogether inseparable and perpetuall because it is an Vnion in Diuine Essence of which himselfe speaketh I and my Father are onâ— And therefore Christ did not say my Father why hast thou left me For the Father is not called the God of the Sonne till after the Incarnation and by reason of the Incarnation The second Vnion is neuer dissolued neyther can it be dissolued for what God once assumed he neuer did leaue for the Apostle saith He spared not his own Sonn but for vs all deliuered him Rom. 8. And the Apostle Peter Christ suffered for vs And Christ suffering in flesh 1. Pet. 2. and 4. All which sacred testimonies demonstrate that he who was crucifyed was not pure man but the true Sonne of God and our Lord Christ The third Vnion doth in lyke sort euer remaine and euer shall remaine The iust dyed for the vniust as S. Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 3. And the death of Christ would haue profited vs nothing if the Vnion of Grace should be dissolued The fourth Vnion could not be dissolued because the Beatitude of the Souâ—e cannot be lost since it comprehendeth an aggregation and heaping together of all goods For the soule of Christ according to the superiour part was truly Blessed of which Point see S Thomas 3. p. q. 46. art 8. Therefore there remaineth onely the vnion of Protection which for a short tyme was broken that the Oblation of the bloudy Sacrifice should take place for the redemption of mankind True it is that God the Father could haue protected Christ many waies and hindred his Passion for according heerto Christ said in his prayer which he made in the garden Father all things are possible to thee transferre this Chalce from me but
of Carnall Sacrifices ceasing one Oblation of thy Body and Bloud doth fill vp and include all the differences of hoasts Thus he For in this Sacrifice the Priest vvas God and man the Altar the Crosse The sacrifice the LaÌ„be of God the fire of the Holocaust Charity the fruite of the sacrifice the Redemption of the World I say the Priest was God as man then whome not any can be imagined to be greater Thou art a priest for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech Psal 109. And trulâ— according to the Order of Melchisedech for Melchisedech is read in the Scripture so be vvithout Father without mother without genealogy Christ vvas without Father vpon earth without Mother in Heauen without Genealogy For who shall shew his generation He was be gotten before the Day-star and his comming forth from the beginning from the dayes of Eternity Mich. 5. The Altar of this great Sacrifice was as aboue I said the Crosse the vvhich by hovv much it was more vile and base before Christ vvas crucified thereon by so much it was after made more illustrious and more ennobled and in the last day it shall appeare in Heauen more bright and shyning then the sunne For the Church interpreteth that of the Crosse which is said in the Gospell Matth. 24. Then shall the signe of the sonne of man appeare in Heauen In like sort the Church thus singeth This signe shal be in Heauen when our Lord shall come to iudge The which point is also confirmed by S. Chrysostome who further affirmeth that vvhen the sunne shal be obscured and the Moone not giue her light then shall the Crosse be more splendid and radiant then the Sunne Furthermore the Sacrifice shal be the Lambe of God altogether innocent and immaculate of whom Esay thus speaketh cap. 55. Euen as a sheepe to the slaughter shall he be led and as a lambe before his shearer he shal be dumbe and shall not open his mouth And the Forerunner of our Lord sayth Behould the Lambe of God behould who taketh away the sinnes of the World Ioan. 1. And the Apostle S. Peter Not with corruptible things gould or siluer are you redeemed but with the precious bloud of an immaculate and vnspotted Lambe Christ Who also is called in the Apocalyps cap. 13. The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the World Because his Price being foreseene of God did profit those who vvent before the times of Christ The fyar burning the Holocaust and perfecting the Sacrifice is Charity in a high degree being as it were a furnace set on fire vvhich did burne in the hart of the Sonne of God vvhich fire many waters of his Passion vvere not able to extinguish To conclude the fruite of this Sacrifice vvas the expiation of all the sinnes of the Sonnes of Adam and the reconciliation of the whole World For thus S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioan. 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the whole World Which very thing is signified by the words of S Iohn Baptist Agnus Dei Ecce qui tollit peccata mundi But heere ariseth a doubt vvhich is Hovv could Christ be both Priest Sacrifice since it is the function of the Priest to slaughter that vvhich is to be sacrifized But Christ did not slay himselfe neither could he lawfully so doe since then he should haue rather perpetrated sacriledge then offered vp Sacrifice It is true that Christ did not slay himselfe neuerthelesse he truly offered vp sacrifice because willingly and freely he offered himselfe to be slaine for the glory of God and expiation of sinne For neither could the souldiers other Ministers haue euer apprehended and taken him neither could the nayles haue pierced his hands and feete nor death could haue seized vpon him though fastened to the Crosse except himselfe had bene willing thereto Therefore Esay most truly sayrh He was offered because himselfe would And our Lord himselfe sayth Io. 10. I yield my lyfe no man taketh it away from me but I yield my selfe And the Apostle S. Paul most euidently Christ loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of sweetnes Eph. 3. Now what euill or sinne or rather atrocity vvas in the Passion of Christ all that belonged to Iudas the Iewes to Pilate and the souldiers for these men did not offer vp Sacrifice but did commit must horrible sacriledge deseruing the name not of Priests but of sacrilegious Persons But vvhat in the same Passion was good religious and pious streamed from Christ who out of the affluency and abundance of his Charity offered himselfe as a Sacrifice to God not in slaying himselfe but in tollerating most patieÌ„tly death to wit the death of the Crosse and this to the end he might appease the wrath of God reconcile the vvorld to God satisfy the diuine Iustice that so mankind should not perish Which point S. Leo expresseth in most few words saying He suffered at the hands of furious men who whiles they were busied about their wickednes they became seruiceable to our Redeemer Fourthly a Great War betweene Christ and the Prince of this world iâ— consummate and finished in the death of Christ of which warre our Lord thus speaketh in Iohn cap. 12. Now is the iudgment of the world now thâ— Prince of this World shal be cast forth And when I shall be exalted from thâ— Earth I will draw all things to mâ— selfe This warre was iudiciall not military It is like to the war of those who contend in Suites and Causes noâ— of souldiers who fight in the field Foâ— the Deuill did contend with the Sonne of God touching the possession of the World that is of mankind The deuill for a long tyme had intruded himselfe into the Possession of the World because he had ouercome the first man and had made him with all his ospring his seruant or bondslaue Therefore S. Paul himselfe calleth the Deuils the Princes and Potentates of this VVorld and the Gouernours of this darknes Eph. 6. And Christ himselfe as aboue we haue shewed calleth the Deuill the Prince of this World The Deuill would not be content to be â—eputed the Prince of the world but also to be accounted a God according to that in the Psalmes The diuels are the Gods of the Gentils Psal 95. For the diuell was commonly adored by the Gentils in engrauen Idols was worshipped with the sacrifice of Rams and Calfes Now on the other syde the Sonne of God as lawful heere of all things did challenge to himselfe the principality of the world Therfore this warre was in the end consummate and ended vpon the Crosse and the seâ—te nâ—â— was giuen in behalfe of our Lord Iesus-Christ because our Lord had most abondantly satisfyed the diuine Iustice vpon the Crosse for the offence of the first Man and of all the faithfull For the Obedience exhibited to God by the Sonne was greater then the