of immortality 6. GOD NOVRISHER OF EVERY CREAture true nutriment of his Children IF this good people seeing that Iesus Christ had so I magnificently and so miraculously filled them would haue made him King and honoured him with an honour which they held to be the greatest of all greatnesse heere vpon earth as wee haue heard what would they haue thought and what would they houe done if they had a little vnderstood that this Lord was hee which of olde had freed their Fathers in the Desart and which nourisheth the Angels in heauen and the blessed Spirits with food of his felicity who giues to eate to euery creature who keepes open table in the spacious ayre vpon the face of the earth within the depthes of the waters prouiding for the fowles in the ayre the beasts of the earth for the fishes of the sea and for all liuing creatures their proper food in their owne dwellings What would they haue said if the eyes of their soule had been opened to behold the grearnesse highnesse and profoundnesse of that miracle without comparison saire more admirable then the they did so much admire and esteemed worthy to bee rewarded with a Kingdome It is a farre greater miracle saith Saint Augustine to prouide for the whole world S. Aug. Tract in Ioan. 24. then to feed fiue thousand men with fiue Leaues and two Fisves And sithence this miracle is the greater wheresore did these men perceiue onely the lesser Was it not for so much as the most part of them had not the entire faith they should haue had of the Messias whom they did esteeme indeed a great man but not great God as they ought But what would they heue said had they knowne that this Sauiour would giue his slesh to men to eate and feed them to immortality And that with so many miracles as Nature it selfe stands wondering at them Would they not foorthwith haue proclaimed him not onely the King of men but of Angels also and of all the world Nay would they not haue inferred by good discourse that hee was God both of heauen and earth For it is God alone who hath power to giue himselfe in meate without diminution and detriment he alone in heauen giues his Diuinity for food of the blessed and he alone giues on earth the body of his Humanity to his seruants for food to saluation remaining no lesse entire then before a worke worthy of God infinite as well in power as in goodnesse Mortall Kings may wel prepare magnificent feasts such as were made by Holofernes Salomon Cleopatra and many Romane Emperours 3. Reg. 4. Plutarch in Anton. but they made them not of their owne substance it was not of their owne bodies that they were liberall it was but of the bodies of beasts and of other prouision which they had taken from the storehouse of Nature God alone can giue himselfe to be eaten he alone is almighty not to bee exhausted vncapable of diminution If then these things be so great and if we beleeue and see heere that which they neither saw nor beleeued If wee see the prouidence of our Sauiour to gouerne and nourish all the world his charity to vs in norishing vs with his flesh from the Table of his Church his truth in promising moreouer the food of felicity Why doe we not admire his benefits Why doe we not magnifie them Why doe wee not giue him immortall thankes for them The multitude of his wonders doe they dazell our eyes as a bright lightning or as the light of the Sunne The continuall multiplying of his presents doth it make his great liberality lesse admirable to vs But if as mortall men we take no heed to the workes which God doth in Nature euery day as being ordinary and common let vs at least regard the rare excellencie of this Table furnished with a meate more worth then all that Nature can affoord The Iewes filled with fiue Loaues and two Fishes thought not of the miracle which God doth in nourishing the whole world because that was a miracle frequent and common And yet they adwored that of the fiue Loaues S. Aug. Tract in Ioan. 24. not because it was greater saith S. Augustine but because it was more rare and lesse vsuall Wherefore admire not we then the rarenesse of our Sacrament sithence it is the miracle of miracles hauing no like and which by no continuance of time can become vulgar as the miracles of Nature Wherefore cry we not in our hearts Liue the King of Kings Raigne the King of Kings Immortall glory to the King of Kings which hath giuen a refection of so great a wonder filling with one loafe and with one fish that is with his sacred body not fiue thousand men for one time but millions of men and of women that haue wandered in the Desart of this world these sixteen hundred yeers and wil fill yet as many millions moe of Christian soules as shall feed vpon it to the end of the world who will fill them not as he hath filled those with the materiall food of the body for the maintenance of this mortall life But with spirituall food of the soule for to bee nourishment of immortality and mernall felicity Liue then O King of Kings true Life of our soules and bodies Raigne O King of Kings truely worthy to raigne Immortall glory to thee O King of Kings most wise to guide most mighty to defend most blessed tenderly to nourish the sheepe which follow thee in the mountaines and barren desarts of this mortall life O when shall this bee that wee shall arriue to the high mountaine of thy eternity there to take without end the food that thou thy selfe art true felicity of such as shall haue followed thee in the pathes of thy holy Commandements THE TWELFTH PICTVRE OVR SAVIOVR PREACHING OF THE SAcrament of his bodie The Description THE Sauiour of the world speakes the Diuine Word preacheth Iohn 6.59 the supreame Wisdome discourseth of the Sacrament of his body in the Synagogue of Capharnaum where he had done many great miracles The preheminence of the Orator and the dignity of the subiect deserueth an attentiue eare neuer man spake so and of such a matter He sees that the people follow him enticed by the miracle of the fiue Loaues and two Fishes and taketh occasion from their earthly desire to inuite them to a celestiall banquet of his flesh which he is about to prepare for those that shall beleeue in him and haue the appetite of their soules in good disposition Heare what he saith I am the bread of life Iohn 6.48 your Fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead this is the bread which descended from heauen that if any man eate of it he may not die I am the liuing bread descended from heauen he that eateth this bread shall liue eternally and the bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.52 The
there the food is heere immortall thy food there will be immortall Hee which hath of his owne free cost and charges prepared this Feast on earth for the food of his Pilgrims the selfe-same will prepare according to his magnificency the Feast of felicity in heauen for a glorious triumph of those who shall haue runne couragiously in the pathes of his diuine Lawes Yet there is a difference For in this Feast nothing but faith soberly perceiues the sauour of the meate and the sweetnesse of the drinke humane sense and iudgement seeth nothing heere but couered dishes without power to touch them In that there the meate shall bee exposed to the appetite of the soule to the full in a magnificent and open table and the senses shall haue also their good part In this heere we are mortall growing in the Land of the dying in that wee shall bee immortall without feare of death or disquiet set in the possession of the Land of the Liuing and of the eternall kingdome but who can vtter by word or imagine by thought the magnificency of that royall Feast The great Apostle rapt vp euen into the third heauen to learne the lessons of those diuine mysteries 1. Cor 2.9 Esay 6.4.4 knew not how to doe it and shewed himselfe learned in the confession of his ignorance in the mysteries of God This is a Feast vnknowne to any that is not set at the Table to eate and drinke there Well then O faithfull soules and trauellers in this Desart redeemed by this Lord beloued of this Spouse inuited to those nuptiall banquets purely vse the meat that he hath prepared and that he offereth you in pawne of his loue in this mortall life liue holily 〈…〉 attend patiently keepe your lampes replenished with the oyle of your good workes and kindled with the light of your conuersation to the end that when the time of the celestiall mariage shall come the doore may be opened to you that you may enter to the Feast And thou O sweete Lambe which shall bee the great King and the great food of this immortall table effect if it please thee by the infinite merite of thy Crosse that wee may sit downe there according to the promise of thy Testament and that wee there may liue eternally there to praise thee euerlastingly Amen FINIS Laus Deo beataequeVirgini MariaÌ„ omnibus sanctis A TABLE OF THE PICTVRES DESCRIPTIONS AND EXPOSITIONS OF THEM PICTVRE I. Paradise and the Tree of Life THe Description Page 13 1 The Church of God liuely set forth in earchly Paradise Page 16 2 Of the benefits and excellent qualities of the Church described in the patterne of earthly Paradise Page 18 3 The holy Sacrament of the Altar figured by the tree of life Page 19 4 Resemblances of the tree of life to the holy Sacrament of the Altar Page 20 5 Of the excellency of the holy Sacrament of the Altar farre aboue the tree of life Page 23 6 The body of the Sauiour nourishment of the soule and cause of the glorious resurrection of the body Page 24 7 The Sacrament of the body of the Sonne of God tree of all the earth Page 25 8 Certaine spirituall aspirations of the soule desiring the cleare vision of the body of our Sauiour and a giuing thankes for the same Page 26 PICTVRE II. The Sacrifice of Abel THe Description Page 29 1 The Sacrifice of Abel a Figure of the Crosse and of the Eucharist Page 31 2 The accord of the Figure of the Sacrifice of Abel with that of the Masse Page 32 Of two sorts of Sacrifices Page 34 3 God permits euill to draw good forth of it for his glory and the profit of his children Page 35 4 Abel an Image of the Iust and Cain of the wicked Page 38 PICTVRE III. The Sacrifice of Melchisedech THe Description Page 42 1 Melchisedech the Figure of our Sauiour Page 45 2 The Priest-hood of the Son of God figured in that of Melchisedech Page 46 3 Wherefore our Sauiour hath Iustituted the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body vnder the formes of bread wine Page 47 4 The bread and wine signes of the Passion of our Sauiour in his Sacrament Page 48 5 The bread and wine in the Eucharist signes of the mysticall body of our Sauiour Page 49 6 The body of our Sauiour called bread his bloud wine Page 50 7 What this Sacrament is ibid. 8 What a Sacrifice is and how it is offered in the Masse Page 51 9 The difference betweene a Sacrament and a Sacrifice Page 53 10 No Religion without Sacrifice Page 54 11 Testimonies of the Hebrew Doctors vpon the same subiect that is of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech Page 55 12 Testimonies of the ancient Greeke Fathers vpon the Figure of Melchisedech Page 56 13 Testimonies of the ancient Latine Fathers Page 58 14 The difference betweene the Sacrifice of the Crosse and that of the Eucharist Page 59 15 The difference of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and of this of the Masse Page 60 16 The good spirituall souldiers are worthy of the food and blessing of the body of our Lord. Page 61 PICTVRE IV. Isaak on the Altar THe Description Page 63 1 Isaak and the Ramme sacrificed a Figure of the death of our Sauiour and of the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body Page 67 2 The height of the mystery of the Eucharist signified by the Mountaine and by Abraham and how wee are to appreach to it Page 69 PICTVRE V. The Paschall Lambe THe Description Page 73 1 Of the time of Immolation of the Paschall Lambe and of the Holy and Ciuill yeare of the Hebrewes and of their Neomenia or new Moone Page 75 2 Wherefore the yeare of the Hebrewes was Lunary and how the Synagogue was compared to the Moone Page 78 3 The Paschall Lamb a Figure of the Sacrifice of the Crosse and of the Eucharist Page 80 4 How Iesus Christ is imitated in the Eucharist Page 82 5 The Immolation of the body of our Sauiour in the Masse confirmed by the testimonies of the Scripture and ancient Fathers Page 84 6 Hom the Paschall Lambe sheweth the vse and end of the Encâ—arist Page 86 7 Of the ceremonies vsed in eating the Paschall Lambe Page 88 PICTVRE VI. Manna in the Desert THe Description Page 93 1 Manna a Figure of the Sacrament of the Altar Page 95 2 The correspondence of Manna to the Sacrament of the Altar Page 96 3 What signified the likenesse of Manna to Coriander Page 99 4 The holy Sacrament kept in the Tabernacle as Manna in the Arke Page 100 5 The Bread of the Iewes beares the name of wonder in Figure of our wonderfull Sacrament of the Altar Page 101 6 The wonderfull power of God in the Sacrament of the Altar Page 102 7 Of the omnipotemcie of God in Transubstantiation Page 104 8 This Change is a miracle for the faithfull Page 106 9 Of the same power of God shewed in
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
in their writings called our Sauiour a Fish but the Greeke word Iethus which they vsed containeth a remarkable Anagram which is not found in the Latine nor in any other Language for the fiue letters whereof it is composed make Resus Christos Theon Vies Seter Iesus Christ Sonne of God Sauiour He is then our Fish and the Fish giuen for food to the Church is no other but Iesus Christ giuen in the table of the Eucharist And it skilleth not that in this miracle there are two Fishes for both did signifie one self-same Iesus Christ God and man as doth also the fiue Loaues and it is not necessary that a Figure should bee like in all things to that which is signified Moreouer Christians in respect of their Head are also called Fishes We are bred in the water saith Tertullian Tertul. l. Bap. c. 1. as little fishes to the likenesse of our Fish Iesus Christ For it is the water of Baptisme which regenerateth vs in Iesus Christ to his Spouse the Church and whosoeuer are not Fishes of this water perish in the sea of this world 4. WHEREFORE NO MENTION IS MADE of any drinke in this miracle and other circumstances of it THe Euangelist makes no mention of any drinke in this miracle it being probable that as Manna was both meate and drinke euen so were these Loaues and Fishes multiplied which is also agreeable to the mystery for seeing they that follow Iesus Christ are fishes which naturally neuer drinke these also need no drinke being already become the Fishes of our Sauiour beleeuing in him albeit the mystery is yet greater in that hereby is noted a rare fingularity of the holy Sacrament For euen as Manna alone the Loaues and the Fishes did serue both for meate and drinke So the Sacrament in one kinde is both meate and drinke the body of our Sauiour seruing for both together as did Manna and those Loaues and Fishes Figures of it Now for other circumstances of this miracle wee obserue first that it was done in the Spring-time vpon the euening in the Desart before them which had heard and followed our Sauiour they being bidden to sit vpon the grasse These circumstances teach vs that the Sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted in the spirituall Spring of the world Psal 103.32 when Iesus Christ shortly after was to send his holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth to make a new Testament amending the old to wit a new Law a Law of Grace vpon the euening that is to say in the last houre of the world and in the Desart that is during this mortall life And that for those which should beleeue in his Word and which constantly follow him euen vnto the breaking of bread taming of their flesh despising of worldly vanities and the doing of that which they there did corporally eating also vpon the grasse in the Desart For all flesh is grasse Esay de 6. and all his glory is as the flower of the field saith Esay and he who subdueth his flesh and makes no reckoning of the flourishing beauty of the world is set vpon the grasse worthy to be fed with the blessing of our Sauiour by the seruice of his Apostles that is to say to receiue the food of immortality in the Church of God by the hands of his Vicars which are the Pastors and Priests thereof 5. WHY THE PEOPLE WOVLD CREATE our Sauiour King and why he fled them THese people thus satisfied were about to create our Sauiour King not entreating him but compelling him to accept the Royalty which hee foreseeing stayed not vntill they came to him but quickly withdrew himselfe from them and fled into the Mountaine to pray But from whence comes this desire in these men and wherfore did Iesus Christ refuse this honour fithence that he was Prince of heauen and earth and absolute King without dependance of any other If for the miracle they would haue made him King wherefore had they not the same will when they saw him cast foorth diuels out of the bodies they possessed and make those mighty wicked and rebellious spirits obedient to his Commandements Why had they not the same will when he commanded all diseases and maladies and was obeyed Making the blinde to see and the lame to goe c. These wonderfull miracles did not they also merit the same Diadem which this refection in the Desart did In truth if men consider them in their greatnesse they merited a diuine respect and acknowledgement but this miracle had some particular thing which moued these men to this desire and designe First it was a kind of miracle neuer heard of before Moyses had made Manna descend frō heauen Elias had made the flower and oyle to encrease in fauour of the Widow but Moyses made not the Manna with his owne hands Exod. 16. 3. King 17.14.16 as our Sauiour wrought this miracle and that which Elias did he did not by his owne power but receiued power of God to doeit Our Sauiour multiplied these Loaues in his owne hands and with his owne proper blessing this made them beleeue that he could be no lesse then the Messias King promised to Israel and for this cause they sought for to declare him King Secondly the other miracles of our Sauiour were particular principally effected for their good which were deliuered and healed This heere was a publike benefit done in the sight of all the multitude and to the profit of euery one of them in particular which caused in them a generall desire to acknowledge the same by conferring a publike honor vpon our Sauiour and by making him their head to whom they were so much obliged Thirdly they did acknowledge that this refection was a benefit worthy of a King For the principall office of a King is to guide and feed his subiects for which cause they are compared to Feeders and called Pastors of the people They would then haue proclaimed him King Esay 44.28 Homer Iliad 2. Philo Iudaus l. de Agricult as the Roman Souldiers made their Emperours and the other Nations of the world their first Kings But our Sauiour was not come to take vnto himselfe any earthly Kingdome but to establish a spirituall Kingdome of his elect who are the inheritance of his Church in the which hee is King of the Iewes and raigneth likewise in the hearts of all his faithfull subiects The earth is too base and too little for such a King it is heauen which is the true throne of such a Maiesty 〈◊〉 109.2 the earth is but his sootstoole Wisely therefore did hee to contemne this royalty reading vs a Iesson by his example to despise and slye the honours of this world as transitory and deceitfull and not to make esteeme but of such presents as come from heauen which are firme and permanent and onely worthy to bee giuen by an Almighty King and to be sought after by reasonable creatures capable
they asked as Philosophers How Albeit the Scripture did clearely set downe the truth of this generation and tolde them on the otherside that they could not comprehend it and that they ought to beleeue and not to question about it â—say 53.8 So the Panymâ— and the Heretikes did laugh at the saith of the death of Iesus Christ neither could they be perswaded that he being the Sonne of God and God himselfe would or could haue endured death and did say How can it bee that hee could dye At this very day in like manner such as beleeue not imitating their Ancestors beate their hornes against the same Rock and doe say How can the body of our Sauiour be present in the Eucharist How can it be in many places without possessing a place Be eaten without being seene Exposed to the iniuries of the wicked without hurt And because they are proud they beleeue nothing but what they vnderstand and so lose their faith and their vnderstanding like vnto their Fathers and namely the Capharnaits how be it in another extremitie of heresie For of them saith Saint Augustine They did not vnderstand S. Aug. Tract 27. in Ioan. because they beleened not and the Prophet saith If you beleeue not you shall not vnderstand By saith we are vnited to God and by vnderstanding we are quickened Let vs first adhere to the truth by faith to the and that we may afterward be quickened by vnderstanding for he that adhereth not vesisteth and who resists belecueth not Hee excludeth the beame of light which should penetrate into him be turnes not away his eyes but shuts vp his vnderstanding In like manner these heere would know in Philosophie and not beleeue in Christianity and so became bad Philosophers and lose the name of Christians The Church of God and the children of God doe not so They doe beleeue the voyce of truth which said The bread which I will giue is my flesh and after they come to vnderstand as much as diuine mysteries can be vnderstood in the shadow of this mortality expecting to see them in heauen vnmasked and discouered when they shall see all things in God 6. EXPOSITION OF THE WORDS OF our Sauiour IT is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words which I speake to you are Spirit and life It was the custome of our Sauiour to speake couertly in this maner of the highest mysteries to the end he might be heard with better attention For the secret of God saith S. Augustine ought to engender in the hearers attention S. Aug. 27. in Ioan. and not to breed auâ—rsion But what he spake darkly he after explained sufficiently to take away occasion of error So we see that hauing said to Nâ—codemus Iohn 3.4 That to be saued hee ought to be borne anew He expounded himselfe saying That he ought to be Baptised of water and the holy Ghost and that he meant not a corporall but a spirituall generation In like manner Iohn 2.19 when he said I will destroy this Temple and I will build it againe in the third day the Euangelist added for explination thereof that he spake this of the Temple of his body Our Sauiour seeing then how the Capharnaits tooke offence at his words giuing them an absurde sense and such as their grosse phantasies did forge he correcteth their carnall sense and explaines his owne and tells them Doth this scandalize you Iohn â— If then you shall see the Sonne of Man ascend where he was before As if he should say you are sensuall people and will not beleeue that I am able to doe more then you are able to comprehend you thinke that this is an impossible thing for me to giue you my flesh to eate and that it can suffice for you all or giue you eternall life what then will you thinke what will you say when you shall see that I shall carry this flesh to heauen from whence I descended to take it heere on earth when you shall vnderstand that I am God and Man together certainly when you shall see that done which is of more difficultie you will haue occasion to beleeue this which is more easie for it is of it selfe more difficult to carry flesh into heauen which none euer did then to giue it to eate on earth the which many haue done though not after the manner that I will giue it Wherefore either you ought to beleeue that I can giue my flesh to be eaten seeing that I can doe a more difficult thing or not beleening you are to enter into a greater incredulity condemnation when men shall tell you that I in flesh am ascended into heauen Our Sauiour doth not deny the giuing of his flesh to bee eaten but he tould them that he is God Almighty for otherwise he should not haue descended from heauen and that being God he could doe more then that and that if they did not beleeue him their pride and sensuality was the cause which are the true barres and bolts that exclude and hinder the entrance of faith He addeth The flesh profuteth nothing â—l is the Spirit that quickeneth the words that I speake vnto you are Spirit and life Whereby he sweetely taketh away the cause which scandalized them and said The flesh as you vnderstand it and the eating which you imagine is carnall and profiteth nothing but that flesh whereof I speake is spirituall and giueth life eternall The words which I say vnto you are Spirit and life and your thoughts sauour of nothing but of flesh and corruption My flesh shall indeed be giuen and truely vnited to the members of my Church yet not alone or without soule and life as the flesh of beasts which is onely for the body but as being quickened with my Spirit and with my Diuinitie by reason whereof it shall giue life and vnite them to life which shall eate thereof as it is vnited to the life of my soule and of my Diuinitie And shall be giuen not in a carnall manner in peeces and in gobbets as dead flesh but spiritually as liuely flesh immortall and vncapable of diuision And as this flesh was truely taken from the substance of the Virgin my Mother but in a spirituall manner by the vertue of the holy Ghost and not by coniunction with man euen so shall it be truely giuen not in a carnall but after a diuine and spirituall manner Flesh and humane iudgement shall perceiue nothing except some outward accidents of the colour Figure and taste but the eyes of faith will penetrate the mystery hidden therein This is it which our Sauiour would signifie to appease the murmuring of the Caphamaits and to raise them vp from the blockishnesse of their flesh vnto the spirituall sense of his holy word 7. HERESIE ALWAYES CARNALL AND in loue with extremities AS the enemie of man raised carnall men to oppose themselues to the word of life and to hinder the Sacrament of the flesh
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
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
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
onely a Tombe for him and his Matth. 8.20 Luc. 9.15 and the Sonne of God goes yet more forward for he had not in his life any place where to rest his head and was faine to borrow his Sepulcher when he died Courage then Christian soules redeemed from earth to inherite heauen know your condition to be the same with that of your Ancestors and of our Sauiour himselfe with holy sighes lament your miseries in this vaile of teares patiently bearing your afflictions your first brother so liued and so died your Redeemer and Head so trauailed and so left you his life lift vp your eyes to heauen which is your owne Citie this earth is not for you neither her honors nor delights for you she with her delights and honors is all for her owne children Children of the earth Inhabitants of the earth and Burgesses of the City of Caine beare not enuy to their prosperitie which is a smoake that passeth in a moment and like vnto smoake will vanish into nothing but giue immortall thankes to God who hath called you to the fruition of his immortall riches and whilest that you are in the region of death thinke on the true perdurable life and liuing as children of God fixe your hearts vpon God and place your hopes vpon the treasure and honor of his eternity THE THIRD PICTVRE THE SACRIFICE OF MELCHISEDECH The Description MELCHISEDECH King of Salem Genes 14. â— and great Priest of the most high God being aduertised that Abraham had gained a meruailous victory ouer foure victorious kings and that he came marching towards him with his troupes he goes forth of the Citie accompanied with his Clergie and Nobility the vulger people following to meete him and to entertaine him with a Sacrifice of thankesgiuing and to bestow vpon him his solemne blessing Behold he is arriued at the place where he encounters Abraham himselfe adorned with the attyre of a great King and chiefe Priest full of Maiesty in his Person and in his gesture Behold his reuerend cariage the sweetnesse of his countenance and the grauity of his visage some haue thought that he was Sern Noabs son but the Scripture makes not any mention of his beginning no nor of his natiuity and death being otherwise accustomed to note very diligently the Genealogies Houses and Pedegrees of Illustrious persons which makes vs coniecture that some high secret is hidden within the shadow of this mysticall silence concerning his discent The ornament which he weareth on his head is a Miter of twisted Cypers wouen of diuers colours high and round like a Coife lined with cloath of gold fastned with a Saphire in the forme of an Akorne in which is tyed a ribon of azure-Cypers mouing in the ayre behinde Vpon his fore-head he hath a thinne plate of fine gold bound with a band of Iacint which is in stead of a Royall Diadem and vpon the plate is ingrauen the great name of God His first Roabe next to his body reaching downe to his feete is an Albe of fine linnen cloath the Tunicle which is next aboue it shorter by a foote is all of curled Hyacinth embrodered round about with a border of nâ—edle-worke and girt to his reines with a golden girdle all embrodered Of which stuffe and fashion also is made the garment which couers his shoulders after the fashion of a gorget fastned before his breast with three Carbuncles cut into the fashion of buttons and set in gold The Altar erected and the bread and wine being set vponit the Sacrifice begunne Abraham is lighted off his horse as also the most part of his people his vpper garment is of Buffe-leather gilt and enriched with diuers figures from which kinde of garment is come the fashion of our Corcelets of iron the peeces that couer his armes thighes and legges as you see well fashioned in the ioynts with figured bosses are all of the same stuffe He weares on his head an admirable Helmet artificially grauen enriched with gold and adorned with a plume of many rare feathers His Courtle-axe hangs on his left side fastened to a belt after the manner of a skarfe He kisseth his right hand in signe of Honor with his left hand he holds his Leading-staffe one of his Squires carrieth his Target another holds his horse by the bridle in the wing of the first Squadron this Horse as you see is of a bright bay colour bearing himselfe vpon that foote which is to the side of the Mounter and lifting vp the other and shewes by the faire fashion of all his body that he is well broken and well mannaged as worthy to be ridden by so great a Captaine Behold a while his little head his Rats eares pricking vp his forehead leane and large marked with a starre right in the midst his necke of a reasonable length slender at the setting on of the head big towards the brest and sweetly bowing in the middle the brest round and large and the crouper in proportion the tayle and the mayne long behold how in champing proudly the bridle he casts a white foame opening his swelling nosthrells and shewing the vermillion within them see how he beates the earth with his right foote holding it in the ayre as if hee meant to make a little legge and obserue I pray you how excellently the Painter hath drawne his smooth hoofes well rounded and large with the garlands fine and hairie his pasternes short and some what vpright his tufted ioynts bigge and strong and well set together vpon his backe he hath nothing but a cushen fastened with little girthes and a crouper without stirrops for they were not yet in vse no more then saddles of warre The people of whom this first Squadron was composed are the three hundred and eighteene men of armes seruants borne in the house of Abraham they are diuersly armed some with Corslets like their Captaine howbeit they are not so richly wrought others with Coates of made hauing sleeues and gorgets others with Coate-armour of iron cut or lashed the peeces for the face legs and shooes are made of plated steele and all haue their Fawchions hanging at their neckes in skarfes and Gauntlets on their hands With these he miraculously defeated thearmy of the foure Assyrian Kings who a little before had ouercome in battaile fiue other Kings to wit the King of Sodome of Gomor of Adama of Seboim Genes 14.8 and of Baile allied to Abraham and they returned into their Country with their Souldiers enriched with the spoiles of the vanquished and chiefly of the two most wealthy Cities Sodom and Gomorrah which they had sacked leading away thousands of prisoners with them among whom was Lot nephew to Abraham with all his Family Thus being proud of their successe they went disbanded without order of warre thinking of nothing but of drink and sleeping Abraham pierced to the heart with the misfortune of his Nephew and his other Allyes resoluing to take reuenge went with such speed
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
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
and food bestowing vpon her his Humanity and Diuinitie giuing himselfe and all that he is and that in a manner so diuine and so agreeable to our infirmity That which he did for Elias was it any more then a Picture a representation and a shadow compared to the liuely Image to the truth and to the Body Who shall then O Lord be able to vtter yea or to conceiue thy wisdome in this Bread thy omnipotent greatnesse in this mystery thy infinite mercy in this Feast And what can seeble mortall creatures doe but fumble in speaking and admire in silence the height of thy Councells and the sweetnesse of thy Graces and thanke thee from the bottome of their hearts in humbly confessing their owne insufficiency THE TENTH PICTVRE THE PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE The Description THE Iewish Priest commeth to offer the yearely Propitiatory Sacrifice Leuit. 4.6.7 there with to appease God and obtaine of him grace and pardon for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the people One of them hath caried the bloud of the Victime to the Altar of Perfumes placed before the doore of the Sanctuary called Holy of Holies where the Arke of God is and the flesh of that Victime together with the head and skinne was consumed with fier out of the City of Ierusalem no body eating thereof They that burnt it wash themselues without the gates of the Towne for that according to the Law they were reputed vncleane by this seruice and could not enter againe into the company of their brethren vntill they were purified by the water of Expiation There is also in this Picture represented another Sacrifice for sinne but in ceremonies much differing from the former For this is iterated daily and the bloud of the Victime is not carried into the Sanctuary but is offered vpon the Altar of Holocausts in a basen of gold as you see The men of the Priestly linage doe eate in this roome apart the flesh of the Hoast and are sanctified whereas in the other Sacrifice all was consumed by fier and they were vncleane which burnt it as hath been said There is not any woman neither any vncleane man admitted to this banquet for the Law receiued none but men and those sanctified 1. THREE KINDS OF SACRIFICES VVEE haue said elsewhere that there were three kindes of Sacrifices obscurely practised in the Law of Nature and expresly ordained in that of Moses The first was the Sacrifice of Holocaust the second of thanksgiuing the third Propitiatory for the appeasing of God In this last Sacrifice three kindes of beasts might lawfully be offred Bulls sheepe or Goats and three kinds of birds Pigeons Sparowes or Turtles All of them figured either the Sacrifice of the Crosse or that of the Masse or both together The first then of which mention is made in the present Picture signified manifestly the Sacrifie of the Crosse and the second that of the Eucharist Let vs see the resemblance betweene them 2. OF THE PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE which Properly signifies that of the Crosse IF we attentiuely consider the Figure wee shall easily see the resemblance it hath with the truth The first Propitiatory Sacrifice was offered but once a yeare and no more painting forth thereby the one onely Sacrifice of the Crosse Leuit. 25.10.11 Luke 4.19 which was offered but once in the yeare of our Sauiour that is to say during his life which was the yeare and time of the true Iubily of our Lord and so offered as it might neuer be reiterated This is Saint Pauls discourse writing to the Hebrewes In this will saith he we are iustified by the Oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once made And afterwards hauing shewed that the Iewish Priests could not take away sin with their bloudy Sacrifices he addeth Hebr. 10 10 But Iesus Christ hauing offered one Hoast for sins sâ—teth now for euer at the right hand of God This Sacrifice then could not be reiterated our Sauior hauing so triumphed ouer death as he could die no more neither was it necessary The second circumstance was that in this yearely Sacrifice the bloud of the Victime of Propitiation was carried and set vpon the Altar of Incense seated before the Sanctuary a Figure of heauen as Saint Paul allegoriseth The bloud of our Sauiour also that is to say the price of his bloud was carried vp to heauen and set before the eyes of God Who in consideration of that bloud shed for men to his honor giues them pardon of their sinnes if it bee not long of themselues Thirdly the flesh of the Victime was all consumed in the sier with the head and skinne without the Campe whilest they were in the Desart or without Hierusalem after it was chosen for the place of Sacrifice Our Sauiour was crucified on Mount Caluary out of Hierusalem his body burnt by three fiers and consumed euen to death by the fier of his infinit loue which made him a voluntary Victime to his Father for our sinnes by the fier of our sins themselues which caused him to die by the fier of those reproaches blaspemies and torments which hee endured in his Passion And it was easie to see how his skinne felt this fier when it was cruelly torne with whips as also his head crowned with thornes and his sacred visage defiled with spittle Finally none of those which sacrificed did eate of this Propitiatory Sacrifice no man also did eate of this And they that did burne the flesh of the ancient Victime were vncleane and were to purifie themselues in the water of Expiation before they came againe into the City They also which did put our Sauiour to death became thereby abominable in the sight of God and if they would enter into the City of Hierusalem which is his Church they were first to be purified by the water of Baptisme Behold from point to point and tittle to tittle the Figure accomplished in the Sacrifice of the Crosse which hath truely wiped away our sinnes and giueth abeundant grace of peace and Propitiation so it be applied as God hath ordained that is by the Sacraments but aboue all by the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the Eucharist 3. THE SECOND KIND OF PROPITIAtory Sacrifice a Figure of the Eucharist NO doubt but as the first kinde of Propitiatory Sacrifice was accomplished in the Oblation of the Crosse so the second was fulfilled in some other For if nothing passed in the olde Law were it neuer so little which our Sauiour was not to fulfill in the Law of Grace and if he himselfe hath so often protested that hee would accomplish all the Law euen to the least tittle and that heauen and earth should passe Matth. 5.18 Luke 16.17 before one tittle thereof should be left vnperfected who dare thinke that so remarkable a Sacrifice as this hath not been fulfilled according to all the circumstances thereof And surely the accomplishment of it is manifestly seene in the Eucharist which is iterated euery
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
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
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
remission of sinnes and of the Kingdome of heauen Of remission saying This bloud shed for you and for many Luke 22.29 vnto remission of sinnes And of the Heritage he saith I dispose to you as my Father disposed to me a Kingdome that you may eate and drinke vpon my table in my Kingdome and may sit vpon thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Behold a wonderful sauourable conclusion David making his Will enioyned King Salomon his sonne his sonne 3. Keg 2.7 that he should make the children of Berrellay to eate at his table in token of great honor and friendship but he made them not inheritors of his Kingdome nor sharers of his Royall honors Heere our Sauiour communicates his Table his Kingdome and his Throne to his friends his Table in which is serued for meate and for drinke his proper flesh and bloud it could not be more royall nor more exquisite neither the Heritage greater nobler nor worthyer of such a Testator The Testament was written also with the Law not in Tables of stone as the old but in the hearts of the Apostles and of all those which shall be called to this inheritance after them And this is that which was foretold by Ieremy Hier. 31.32.33 I will giue my Law within their ontrals and will write it in their hearts According to which manner of speech Saint Paul said to the Corinthians You are the Epistle of Christ 2. Cor. 3.3 ministred by vs and writen not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in tables of the heart consisting of flesh It was signed by the hand and bloud of the Testator when holding the Chalice and changing the wine to his bloud he said This is my bloud of the new Testament Matth. 26.28 Marke 14.24 The Altar which was our Sauiour himselfe was besprinkled when he tooke it the people Inheritor and the Book was also sprinkled when the Apostles did drinke and did wet their brests which were the tables wherein the Law and the Testament were written The refection of the Victim sacrificed was made betweene the Priest and the people when our Sauiour hauing offered his body to his Father tooke it himselfe and gaue it to his Apostles to eat concluding his eternall Couenant with the refection of his body and with the drinke of his bloud He left a pledge of loue by his Testament and a pretious Iewell of his remembrance when he left this self-same body and this self-same bloud for an eternall memory of his charity towards vs his heires Luke 12.18 saying Doe this in remembrance of me So our Sauiour hauing written and accomplished his Testament according to the draughts of the old Figure died the next day and his Testament shall remaine eternally confirmed by his death O diuine and powerfull work-man O sweet Iesus O great God! What shall we heere amidst so many wonders first admire thy Powerfulnesse thy Wisdome thy Goodnes thy Greatnes thy Prouidence thy sweetnesse thy Liberality altogether or all apart where all is great and admirable together all great and admirable apart What a work-man art thou O Redeemer of the world to haue so long agoe so diuinely drawne the Figure of thy Testament and to accomplish the truth vpon that Figure with so diuine tracts of improuement What a Master art thou to haue left so heauenly instructions and so faire lawes of amity grauen in such liuing tables as are the hearts of thy Disciples What a King to haue made so amiable and honorable a combination with thy poore subiects What a Father of a Family to haue written so fauourable a Testament vnto men and of thy enemies to haue made them thy children and thy heires of so great a Kingdome O Redeemer what were we without this Testament we were eaytifes and vagabonds vnworthy to be supported vpon the earth and worthy of eternall confusion but by it we haue gotten a right to heauen and to immortall glory and nothing remaineth but to take possession and there to reioyce in peace for euer so soone as we shall haue fought the good fight as thy Apostle speakes 2. Tim. 4.7 kept the faith and consummated the course of our yeares in the good workes of thy loue and charity according to thy Commandement For thy victorious death hauing made this Testament of force and irreuocable hath done vs this fauour aboue thy ancient friends and children which departed before it who albeit they did leaue this world with the hope of heauen yet they enioyed not heauen immediatly in recompence of the workes they had done in thy Grace and seruice as true children noe this was a Grace referned to the time of thy new Testament which was to be eternall by thy death and to put in full possession without delay those thy children which like true heires shall haue executed the will of their Father and what thanksgiuing shall be able or sufficient for to acknowledge worthily the least part of these so great fauours 9. IN WHAT MANNER OVR SAVIOVR hauing made his Testament left his body to his Heires OTher fathers hauing disposed of their goods and signed their testament dye and leaue their bodies to be put in the earth where they rot and their soules goe to their places so as their heires haue no other better pawne of the presence and person of their father then their ashes and bones Our Sauiour hath obserued the substance of this Ceremony but after a different maner for he gaue his body to his Apostles in an impassible manner albeit mortall also then and from that time he left it to his Church clothed indeed with the first mortall robe made of the accidents of bread and wine but vnited with his Soule and his Diuinity now a liuing body immortall and glorious For his tombe also hee hath the bodies and soules of his heires a liuing tombe and ennobled with a reasonable soule which if it be well prepared with requisite qualities doth from his harbouring receiue a wonderfull reward for whereas other tombes reape from the bodies buried in them nothing but spoiles of death and horror and are by them defiled the bodies of Christians doe receiue life immortality sanctification and celestiall ioy from the body of our Sauiour whereby it appeareth that we ought to vse exceeding great diligence in well preparing our selues to lodge worthily in vs this pretious body The principall apparell is Loue and Chastity and then after these all the other vertues of the soule which accompany the former We reade that Artemissia Câ—â—â— Tuscal Herod Liu. 8. Plut. l. 36. c. 5. Vâ—â— lib. â— Queene of Carya after shee had consumed her treasures in a magnificall and admirable Sepulcher that shee had prepared for the dead body of the King her husband in the end made them to pound his bones and tooke them in a drinke for to be her selfe the liuing Sepulcher of his dead body whom shee
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