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
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
the eyes of our faith As if he would haue said these words This is my body are words of the Omnipotent and effect that which they signifie we ought then to obey and beleeue that Idem hom 23. in Maâ—â—h which they say The same Doctor vpon the same subiect of Transubstantiation The things that we propose you are not workes of humane vertue it is God that sanctifieth them and changeth them we are but the instruments Saint GREGORY NISSE S. Greg. Niss in orat mag catech c. â—7 Iâ—â—â—n de S. â—apâ—â—sme We beleeue that the bread duely sanctified by the word of the Word of God is changed into the body of the Word of God And againe The bread of the Aliar in the beginning is common but after that it is sacrificed in the Masse it is called the body of Christ and it is so indeed Saint IOHN DAMASCEN S. Ioh. Damas l. 4. de Fide c. 14. The bread and the wine mingled with water is supernaturally changed into the body of Christ by the inuocation and comming of the holy Ghost and they are not two but one selfesame thing THEOPHILACT Theoph. i◠〈◊〉 This bread is transformed into the flesh of our Lord by the mysticall blessing of secret words and by the comming of the holy Ghost Behold you haue heard some Greeke Fathers with the same spirit and like stile speake also the Latine Fathers TERTVLLIAN Our Sauiour tooke the bread Tertvl l. 4. cont Mar. c. 40. and made it his body saying This is my body Saint CYPRIAN This bread S. Cyp. de Câ—n. Dom. which our Lord presented to his Disciples was made flesh by the all powerfulnesse of his Word changed not in apparance but in substance As if hee would haue said the outward formes of the clements the quantity colour and sauour remaine but the inward substance is changed into the substance of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint AMBROSE This bread S. Amb. l. 4. de Sacer c. 4. before the words of the Sacrament is bread but after Consecration the bread is made flesh and hauing shewed that this consecration and changing is made by the word of God he confirmes his conclusion saying If the word of Christ hath been so powerfull as to giue a being to that which was not how much more is it credible that it can make the things which were before to be now changed into another But heare Dauid saying He hath spoken and the things were done he hath commanded and they were created I answere thee then Thas before consecration the bread was not the body of Christ but after the same it is the body of Christ hee said it and hee bath effected it Saint AVGVSTINE almost in the same tearmes S. Avg. serm 2â— de Verb. Dom. I haue told you that before the words of Christ the bread is called bread but after they are pronounced it is no more called bread but the body of Christ Saint RHEMIGIVS of Rhemes The flesh S. Remig. in◠〈◊〉 ep 2. Cor. which the word of God the Father hath taken in the Virginall wombe and vnited vnto his Person and the bread which is consecrated vpon the Altar is one bodiy of Christ For euen as that flesh is the body of Christ so this bread is changed into the body of Christ and are not two but one body Hee meant that Transubstantiation produceth not a new body of Iesus Christ but that it makes the same body which he tooke in the wombe of the Virgin present in this Sacrament after consecration nothing remaining of those elements but the accidents PASCHASIVS Paschasius Corbiensâ—â— l. de Corp. sang 〈◊〉 c. 1. Though the forme of bread and wine be found in this Sacrament we ought to beleeue notwithstanding that after the consecration there is no other thing but the flesh and bloud of Christ From all these testimonies we collect the explication of two points which doe concerne the manner of our Sauiours being in the Sacrament of the Altar For first we vnderstand hereby that the body of our Sauiour is made present in the Sacrament by Transubstantiation that is to say by change of substance the substance of bread giuing place to the substance of his body which succeeds by vertue of his Omnipotent word And because the Soule and the Diuinity neuer leaue this body whole Iesus Christ is in the Sacrament his body by vertue of his Word his Soule and his Diuinity as necessarily following and accompanying the same Secondly we learne that so long as the species be there vncorrupted the same body remaines vnder them with its quantity beauty immortality and glory but supernaturally and in a spirituall and diuine manner without being perceiued vnlesse by the eyes of faith as we haue before declared so far forth as a thing ineffable can be declared By meanes whereof the Fathers often aduertise vs not to consult heere with the Lawes of Nature nor to regard what sense and humane iudgement tells vs but simply to beleeue the word of him who can doe all and cannot lye 9. WHERFORE OVR SAVIOVR WOVLD haue his body hid and not visible in the Sacrament HEere it shall be good to note wherefore our Sauiour gaue his body veiled vnder the shewes of bread and wine not visible in proper forme For hereby we shal come to know that he was nolesse wise then he is good not onely giuing vs an inestimable gift but also giuing it after the manner he did The principall reasons noted by the Fathers are these The first is taken from the nature of the Sacrament for since that euery Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible thing it followeth that he giuing his body in this Sacrament was to couer it vnder some visible signes as the accidents are the colour the whitenesse the sauour and such like things which obiected to our sense might put our soule in minde of some secret thing whereas if he had giuen it openly it had not been a Sacrament full of mystery but a simple gift of his body The second reason giuen by S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Cyril ep ad Coâ—osirium S. Amb. l. 4. d. sacr c. 6. l. 6. c. 1 S. August apuâ—â— grat de cons d. 2. verum See S. Iohn Damas l. 4. c. 14. de fid S. Tho. p. 3. q. 75. c. 5. c. and Saint Cyril is this to wit because this sweet manner is most conuenient and principally to our infirmity most naturall and easie for we take this diuine morsell vnder the forme of common bread familiar to our taste to wit vnder the accidents of bread and wine Whereas if wee should haue eaten them with the feeling of the naturall qualities thereof it had been an eating that could not haue been endured for two reasons For first it could not bee done but sense would naturally conceiue horrour to swallow downe humane flesh in proper forme especially being raw
Elias sleeping in the shade of the Iuniper tree for herein we see our Sauiour sleeping on the Crosse and acknowledge the memory of his passion the greatest signe of his loue and humility and the most high secret of this Sacrament of his pretious body Plin. l. 16. c. 24. Pâ—in l. 16. c. 25. The Iuniper commonly is a little shrubbe growing in sandy and barren places void of all exteriour beaute hauing for slowers and leaues nothing but sharpe prickles Elias sleepes tyred and weary in the shade of this shrub Is not this a liuely representation of our Sauiour vexed with torments crowned with thornes sleeping a dead sleepe vpon the Crosse Tree of humility shadowing his greatnesse punishment of 〈◊〉 coâ—ering his innocency â—â—ce of thornes paine and pouerty Are not these the markes of the course of the painefull life of our good King and of his dolefull sleepe Moreouer the selfe-same circumstances set forth to vs the qualities of our Sacrament being a memoriall of his life and death for if wee consider it exteorly it shewes nothing but what is little easie without fruit without flowers and without beauty to the sense and all full of thornes to humane iudgement which is backward to beleeue the things which it sindes to bee repagnant to our capacity and as it were pricked and offended therewith as long since it happened to the Capharnaâ—ts Iohn 6. and other children of darknesse which since that time â—â—â—ef â—lowed after them On the otherside the same tree is â—â—â—r greene his thornes are his leaues and beauty the wood being burnt driueth away Serpents Pliâ— l. 24. c. â— and the coale thereof haue such a liuely and burning heate that they will endâ—â—e a whole yeare vnder the ashes For which reason Daâ—â—id calleth them Coales of desolation Psal 119.4 because they bâ—â—ne scorchingly and consume forcibly These qualities doe secretly paint vnto vs the inward vertue and beauty of the Crosse of our Sauiour and of his Sacrament For all that which appeares there repugnant to sensuality is verdure and beauty to the faithful soule as also a proofe of the omnipotencie and loue of Iesus Christ towards vs. The wood of this Crosse and of this Sacrament which is it that appeareth hardest in the one and in the other being burned in meditation with the heauenly fier of which Dauid said The fier shall burne in my meditation being Psal 8.3 I say set a sier by this meditation chaseth away Sernents that is to say the wicked thoughts which the old Serpent hisseth into our soule to poyson and sting vs to death It eagendereth also in vs coales of charity which being hidden vnder the imbers of humility neuer die Thus you 〈◊〉 the Iuniper decyphered But vnder the shadow of this Iuniper Elias slept that is the Christian soule taketh his rest in meditating vpon the Sacrament of the Altar which is the shadow that is to say the memorial of the death of our Sauiour as hath been said for as the shadow represents the body so the Sacrament represents the Passion and as the body is present with the shadow so is our Sauiours body with the holy Sacrament 4. ELIAS HIS WALKE AFTER THE SHAdow of the Iuniper tree to the Mountaine Horeb and of the water that was giuen him with the bread VNder this shadow truely wee ought to repose our selues in the wearisomnesse of our persecutions as Elias slept vnder the figuring shadow of this tree when he fled from the rage of Iezabel For there is not any where a more sweete and sound rest amidst the trauailes of this painfull life then in receiuing his body to meditate vpon his death Which Dauid by the Spirit of Prophecy taught vs of olde saying to God in the person of euery afflicted Christian Psal 22.5 Thou hast preyared in my sight a Table against them that trouble me And therefore the Angell as it were interpreting the Figure awaketh Elias and exhorts him to eate the Bread figuring this Table the which he doth and there with is so well refreshed that hee takes strength and courage to walke forty dayes and forty nights enen to the Mountaine of God freeing himselfe from the persecution of the Queene Where we haue yet two other mysteries in the Figure appertaining to the truth For this space of forty dayes signifieth the painefulnesse of our mortall pilgrimage diuided into foure ages as into foure tens into Infancy Yong age Mans age and Old age consisting of dayes and nights of good and euill of consolation and persecution The walke of Elias continued euen to Horeb signifieth the progresse which is conuenient for vs to make ascending by holy desires and aspirations and by good works euen to the top of Christian perfection according to the measure of the grace of God communicated to euery one and from this toppe to zoare vp with a victorious flight aboue death and the world to the high Mountaine of our celestiall felicity But now in this pilgrimage our true Bread and sustenance is the body of our Sauiour giuen by his Angell to wit by his Priest as hath been said 5. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE pot of Water BVT what signifieth the pot of Water giuen with this bread surely nothing else but the grace of God giuen with this Sacrament for so it was figured by the Creator himselfe when he promised it by his Prophet Ezechiel saying I will powre out vpon you cleane water to wit his Grace and our Sauiour crieth in the Temple Ezech. 36 25. Iohn 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke speaking of the same Grace It is this water which is giuen vs to refresh our wearinesse which giues vs force and makes vs able to ascend with ease the Mountaine of God that we may so obtaine the possession of heauen Who would haue thought at the first show that in the shadow of this Figure these excellent mysteries were hidden And how many more be there that a contemplatiue soule might heere obserue But are not these sufficient to make vs admire the infinite wisdome of God in the delineation of his secrets His Soueraigne powerfulnesse in the greatnesse of his workes His surpassing bounty in the largenesse of his benefits Truely this was an euident testunony of his most wise prescience to draw so long before such a liuely Picture of the Sacrament of his body a goodly marke of his vertue to haue giuen to Elias Bread of sâ—ch force that it could maintaine life and furnish with strength for forty whole dayes trauell an ouer-trauelled body an euident signe of his great mercy with so fatherly care to defend one of his owne mortall creatures and to send him an immortall Spirit and one of his owne Court to serue him as his Pantler and Cup-bearer in his necessity But what is this in respect of that hee hath done leauing this Sacrament to his militant Church this pretious pledge which is both armour
be proper cleare and euident and without doubtfulnesse ambiguitie or incertainty that the Will of the Testator may bee vnderstood without difficulty and without contention Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. This is the cause why three Euangelists the Registers of this Institution and Notaries of this Testament haue vsed the selfe-same words and S. Paul after them without varying 1. Cor. 11. To the end to hold constant the light of this euidence and strongly to maintaine the ground of that faith which wee ought to haue of this mystery and to declare by a firme and sollide accord of foure diuine witnesses that the sense of the words is that which they literally signifie and that being the words of an Almighty worker to whom nothing can be impossible and the words of a supreme truth who can say nothing which is not true they must needs make that which they signifie By which meanes if any one refusing the literall sense of the Scripture will glose it from his owne head saying This is my body that is to say this is the Figure of my body This is my bloud that is the Figure of my bloud he should herein be opposite to the holy deposition of these foure witnesses not daring so to speake which notwithstanding they would haue done if such had been the sense of the words and should also too boldly change the truth of Gods word giuing a sense cleane contrary to the signification of the words and putting the Figure for the Body against the authority of the forenamed witnesses who haue neuer presumed to giue such a glosse Yea hee should doe contrary to all law of Speech and Grammer which commandeth to take the words of the text according to the ground of their proper meaning without hauing recourse to any metaphoricall and improper signification when they do not giue any absurde or contradictory sense which happeneth not here For heere the proper sense is most cominent and agreeable to the truth and the words do signifie no other thing but the presence of the body of Iesus Christ in this Sacrament which is not onely not contradictory nor absurde but full of wonders most worthy of the power wisdome and goodnesse of our Sauiour When the Scripture calleth the King a Lion the word ought to bee taken by similitude that a King is like a Lion by reason of his royall magnanimity for taking the word according to the sense of the letter the meaning should be that he were a beast which would be false and absurde But these words taken in their naturall signification containe nothing but that which is most agreeable to the Maiesty of the Creator and most heneficiall to his creature wherefore there is not any reason heere to runne to Figures and therefore also it is impiety to say that these clauses This is my body This is my bloud are improper speeches importing no more then that they are Figures of his body and bloud For such deprauation destroyes the truth of a most noble Sacrament and shewes that such Enterpreters are not onely void of faith but also depriued of vnderstanding hastily opening the gate to themselues and to all other senselesse people to reiect all sense of Scripture be it neuer so euident if it displease them and to frame the manner of it according to the vnsteadinesse of their owne braines and to the exorbitant passion of vnbridled flesh 4. TESTIMONIES OF THE FATHERS vpon the Exposition of the same words AS the Scripture is euident in these diuine words so is the Exposition of holy Fathers constant to maintaine the sense they giue in proper signification as hath bin said Saint CYRIL of Hierusalem Since that Iesus Christ S. Cyril Hieres Catech. myst 4 hauing taken the bread saith This is my body Who is he which for euer dare to doubt and he affirming the same and saying This is my bloud Who will refuse to beleeue it He changed water into wine a creature neighbour to bloud by his only will Iohn 2. and shall not we beleeue that hee hath changed the wine to his bloud Beleeue then most constantly that we receiue the body and bloud of Christ for vnder the forme of bread the body is giuen thee and the bloud vnder the forme of wine Saint BASIL hauing asked with what feare faith S. Basil in Regul breu interrog 172. and affection of the soule men ought to take the body and bloud of our Sauiour answeres himselfe saying How great the feare is S. Paul instructs vs Who so eateth this bread and drinketh this Chalice vnworthily he eateth and drinketh his owne damnation What we are to beleeue is taught by the words of Christ who said This is my body giuen for you And there this Doctor consequently sheweth how we ought to beleeue these words This is my body which the same faith with which we beleeue these words of Saint Iohn when he saith The Word was made flesh Iohn 1. and those of Saint Paul Philip. 2. when he extolled the great humility of the same Word in his Incarnation his great obedience in his Passion and his infinit charity in the one and the other as then we beleeue that God was really and truely made flesh and suffered death according as the words of the Scripture tell vs. In the same manner Saint Basil will that wee beleeue the Reall Presence of the body of our Sauiour according as these words This is my body teach vs and concludes that by faith and consideration of these things we are inflamed with a great loue to Iesus Christ which is the affection of the soule that wee ought to bring with vs to the Communion of his body and bloud accompanied with feare and beleefe as hath been said Saint CHRYSOSTOME S. Chrysos hom 83. in Matth 60 ad Pap. Antioch Hom. de prodit Iuda Gen. 1.22 8.17 Let vs beleeue God without doubt for it is he which said This is my body And elsewhere It is not man which makes the body and bloud of Christ in offered things but Christ himselfe crucified for vs Hee said This is my body by this word the offering is consecrated And euen as these words once vttered Increase and multiply and fill the earth alwayes worke their effect in Nature for generation euen so these words vttered This is my body giue certainty to the Sacrifice through all the Tables of the Church euen vnto this day and will giue it vntill the comming of the Sonne of God Saint IOHN DAMASCENE S. Ioan. Damas l. 4. c. 14. The bread and the wine mingled with water supernaturally are changed into the body and bloud of Christ by the innocation of the holy Ghost and are not two but one and the same this hallowed bread it not the Figure of the body neither the wine the Figure of the bloud but the true deified body of our Lord and his true bloud THEOPHILACT Theophil in Matth. 26. a graue
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
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
should be left in his liberty working after the nature of man as the other creatures do according to theirs Gods will is that the fier doe heate necessarily that the water moysten necessarily and so of the rest of other like creatures But that man made according to the Image and likenesse of his Maker should haue freedome and libertie in his actions like vnto him and therefore hath bestowed a free-will vpon him Eccles 15.17 and hath set before him water and fier permitting him to stretch foorth his hand to which he will with this charge that if he choose Vertue he shall haue reward if he transgresse his Lawes he shall cary his punishment This is it that God said to Caine a little before Genes 4.6.7 If thou doe well shalt thou not receiue good and if thou doe euill thy sinne shall it not be also before the doore but thy appetite shall bee in thy power and thou shalt rule it Without this liberty Man should not be man but a beast working not with election and choise but by force of nature as a horse and if God should binde the armes of the wicked men should not be able to know the good from the bad He suffered then Caine to kill his brother for to demonstrate his wisdome permitting sice working to a free creature as by the selfe-same wisdome a little before he had suffered Adam to transgresse his Commandements and to giue himself and all his race a deadly blow because he had created him with such freedome The second reason wherefore he suffered this murther as many other â—uils is drawne from his power and bounty his power can turne to good all the euill which is done by his permission and his bounty will and therefore he permits it Men ought neuer to permit euill if they can hinder it for they are not all powerfull to repaire it being done but God permits it because he can draw profit from it Vpon which â— Aug. lib. de â—iuit cap. 8. excellently saith Saint Augustine It hath bin agreeable to the omnipotencie of God to permit euils comming from free-will for his almighty bounty is so great that he can doe no ill be it in pardoning the euill done be it in the healing of it be it in turning it to the profit of the iust be it in reuenging the same by iust punishment And a little after There is none of the better or more mightie power then he which not doing any ill turnes the euillinto good and drawes profit from it In another place giuing the reason wherefore God did permit the Angels to fall S. Aug. lib. 22. de Ciuit. cap. 1. It is saith he because God iudged it to be a thing more worthy his power and bounty to draw good from an euill committed then not to permit any euill to be done At that time then for this reason he suffred Caine to doe as he did and for the same reason he permitted many others as bad as he to exercise their malice euen to the killing of his owne proper Sonne which was the greatest enormity that euer was committed nay that euer could be committed or imagined for God was put to death the Creator by his creature the Father by his children the King by his vassals a crime which surpasseth the atrocitie of all other crimes And yet notwithstanding from this death from this ignominy and enormity his power and diuine bounty hath drawne foorth not onely his owne glory and the honour of his Sonne but the life and saluation of all mankinde Which is it that Saint Augustine admireth S. Aug. in Psal 73. saying How great a good hath God giuen vs from out the euill of the Traytor Iudas and how great good haue all the Gentiles from the sentence of the Iewes condemning our Sauiour to death Euen death Euen so conuerted he the cuill which his seruants endured to their good and honour the death of Abel to the profit and honor of Abel and to the confusion of Cain the one is made an honorable Martyr the other became an infamous Murtherer Abel is honoured with glory to be the first Martyr Caine marked with the ignominy of the first Paracide and so of other persecuted Saints and their wicked Persecutors They heere exercise their fury S. Aug. lib. de Contin cap. 6. Psal 115. God making by them Martyrs saith Saint AVGVSTINE the good seeme to be neglected but their death is protious before God they haue been esteemed dead before the eyes of fooles Sap. 3. but they are in pease and the wicked which seeme to triumph shall in the end haue their change punished in the meane while euen in this life For if sinne S. Aug. lib. de Contin cap. 6. saith Saint AVGVSTINE which seemes vnpunished carry after it the paine it deserueth so that there is no person which is not grieued to haue committed it or if he feele not any griefe for it he is starke blinde in soule how then askest thou wherefore deth God permit sinne if sinne displease him and I would aske of thee againe if he punish sinne how can sinne be pleasing to him Saint Chrysostâ—me shewes in this very History the experience of the Doctrine of Saint Augustine S. Chrysost ep â—d Rom. Hom. 8. act siâ—â—m Thinke saith he vpon this CAINE hath committed a murther ABEL was murthered which of these died he that cried being dead who was ABEL the blood of whom cryed or he that feared and trembled which is a greater misery then death it selfe And towards the end of his Homily hee maketh God speake thus to CAINE Thou hast not feared ABEL liuing now then feare him dead thou hadst no feare to kill him be now in continuall feare after thou hast killed him liuing he feared thee and thou wouldest not endure him endure hurs now dead as a terrible Lord. So sheweth he that the condition of Abel was better then that of Caine and that it is much more desirable to suffer iniury Plato Seneta and others then to doe it much more great vnhappinesse to commit ill then to suffer it 4. ABEL AN IMAGE OF THE IVST AND CAINE of the wicked ABEL was the Image of the head Iesus Christ so was he the Image of the children of God members of this Head and Caine contrariwise of the wicked Abel simple meeke seruing God in sincerity of heart sighing vpon the earth without house without possession and altogether despising the vanity of this vaine life called therefore ABEL which is to say a Breath But Caine a Louer of the earth and of this present world forward to build a Citie calling it Enoch from the name of his sonne and not caring for any thing but for the earth Abel then was an Image of the Iust which inhabite the earth as strangers meditating and seeking after their heauenly Countrey After this manner Abraham walked as a Pilgrim vpon earth not purchasing any thing therein but
to be cut in peeces but spiritually of a liuely flesh which my Spirit will make present to be giuen in a spirituall manner without death or detriment as he wrought the conception of this same body in the wombe of the Virgin without carnall operation and without any hurt to her Virginity 11. THE MASSE BEGAN TO BE CELEbrated by the Apostles at Pentecost IT was then at Pentecost that the Apostles new Sacrificers did giue beginning to the practise of a new Sacrifice in the new Law offering a full and sufficient Oblation and celebrating the Messe with a pacifying Hoist of the bread from heauen and of the immortall Lambe Saint Iames was one of the first that offered in Hierusalem as all Antiquity witnesseth and after him the other Apostles both in Hierusalem and elsewhere Then began this diuine and first troupe as the first fruites of the Spirit of Grace to eate these delitious Cakes promised at the comming of the Messias and to communicat not once a yeare onely or once a month or once a weeke but euery day for it was a food they had neuer eaten of before exceeding delight full to the taste and these good foules had a continual appetite Aâ—â— 2. They were perseuerant saith the Scripture in the doctrâ—ne of the Apostles in the communion of the breaking of bread and in prayer They went to it euery day but this was after that the holy Ghost was descended For before it was said onely that they did perseuer in prayer they communicated euery day after the descent of the holy Ghost Great worker of this mystery Spirit which brought celestiall fier into their stomackes quicknesse to their tongues charity to their harts did let forth the pure water foretold by the ancient Lauarites of Salomons Temple Fountaine of Dauid Fzech 36.25 Ioel. 3 2â— Zach. 13.1 water of Grace and of the Sacrament of Baptisme of Penance and the rest appropriated to cleanse the entrals and the feete of the Hoasts to be offered and of the Offerers themselues that is to say to purifie the hearts the actions intentions and affections of them which offered the Sonne of God their good workes and themselues as whole burnt Sacrifices vpon the Altar of his Maiesty O if Moses had been at this Pentecost at this new Oblation and Sacrament of truth whereof so long before he had drawne the Picture With what reuerence would hee haue adored it O if Dauid could haue had a place at the table of this pacifique Bread and of this immortall Wine as he had in the ancient Sacrifices with what appetite would he haue fed vpon this celestial flesh and with how earnest desire would he haue said of this diuine drinke Psal 115. I will take the cup of salnation and call vpon the name of the most high If Salomon after hauing finished his magnificent Temple had had this body for to haue offred it to God after the manner of Melchisedech without effusion of bloud and without death how much more rich and honorable would he haue thought the dedicating of that Temple in respect of this Sacrifice alone then in regard of thousands of Oxen sheepe and Bulles burnt vpon the Altar of Holocausts O Christian soules lifted vp by contemplation acknowledge the gift of your Lord often celebrate this Pentecost offer this oblation take the first fruits of this deified Wheate and offer him yours to the end that one day you may haue place at the Table of felicitie where this same Lord shal be both the meate and the drinke of that banquet THE NINTH PICTVRE THE BREAD OF ELIAS The Description HAVE you not compassion of this good Elias 1. Reg. 19. â— who sleepeth vnder the shadow of this Iuniper tree more resembling one dead then a man sleeping Behold his face pale and wanne and bathed with a cold sweat his head carelessely bending towards the earth vpon the left side his eyes halfe open his armes cast heere and there and no signe of breath in his mouth and all his body stretched out as if he were yeelding vp the ghost Surely a little before being as it were beside himselfe with feare and ouercome with wearinesse hee asked of God if it were his good pleasure to take him out of this world that he might be deliuered once for all from the griefes that his soule felt by reason of the persecution of this cruell Tygresse Iezabel who had sworne by her gods that shee would put him to death within foure and twenty houres and in the feruour of his Prayer he is fallen a sleepe vnder this shrubbe where he is but euill accommodated either for shadow or any rest or repose for it is little and the leaues are like so many thornes which doe not keepe off the Sunne but pricke and pierce the flesh and the earth is sowed round about him Wherby I coniecture that the holy man without election or choise cast himselfe downe where he was finding himselfe in a manner out of breath and where the feeblenesse of his body had placed him But God who hath alwayes his eyes open to behold the paines of his seruants and his armes stretched out for their deliuerance hath sent for his comfort and succour this heauenly youth who stands hard by him with bread baked vpon the cinders â— â—â—g 19.5.6 and a pot of water It is an Angell in figure and shape of a man for so the Spirits commonly appeare vnto men The Painter hath made his visage bright in forme of lightning representing by this sudden flash his spirituall and subtill nature his lockes flying backe behinde are of a golden colour he hath also wings set on his backe according as the Scripture it selfe doth paint them forth to signifie the Swistnesse of their motion You see them vnequally spred forth in the ayre the one of them shewing the inside the other the outside wonderfully faire artificially drawne The two great feathers guides of the rest are of a bright greene colour as the wing of a Peacock the other next to them are intermingled with yellow oring-tawnie red and blew after the fashion of a Rainbow the little feathers which cloath the quills of both these and of the others that follow in diuers rankes are of diuers colours as the former the downe which couers the backe of the wing is like a heape of little small scales of diuers colours sette vpon cotten His garment is a stole of fine linnen embrodered with a curious work all about The refection which he brought for this good Prophet seemes not great at the first show consisting onely of bread and water which are the two most common and vulgar parts of the food of man but experience will shew that it is a diuine meat and drinke for Elias shall by it be sustained and fortified to walke the space of forty dayes and forty nights vntill that he come to the wonderfull Mountaine where of old God gaue the Tables of
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
ruine and procured the restauration and health of our soules and bodies by remedies directly opposite to our diseases The Father giueth all that he can to his childe engendered of his seed The mother nourisheth and brings her childe vp with her owne milke which is also a part of the substance of her body and both meate and drinke to the childe Our Sauiour who regenerated vs in his bloud by Baptisme is wholly bestowed vpon vs in giuing vs his body for by concomitance we haue together with it his soule and his Diuinity to the which it is inseparably vnited And of this dainty food he giues vs not a part onely but his whole body and his whole bloud each of which is both true meate and true drinke vnto vs. By meat he lost vs by meat he repaired vs. The first meate was forbidden vnder paine of death Matth. â—â— â—6 Iohn 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not eate of the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill for looke what day thou shalt eat of it thou shalt die The second meat is commanded with promise of life Take eate who eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud he hath life eternall The first was really eaten by disobedience and killed vs. The second is really eaten by obedience and quickens vs. The poyson was truely swallowed downe the Antidote or counter-poyson also is truely taken and not by Figure The flesh of the first Adam by geueration drew vs to death and confusion the flesh of our Sauiour second Adam receiued by manducation brings vs to life and nourisheth vs to immortalitie and eternall glory 4. TWO BAD VNIONS OF THE FLESH of Adam with our soule repaired by the flesh of our Sauiour BVT behold the maine point of opposition betweene the flesh of our Sauiour and that of Adam The flesh of Adam is the spring of all our miseries by reason of two vnions wherewith it ioynes it selfe to our soule the one is naturall and made in the wombe of our mother by necessity the other morall and made my our owne free-wil when the soule followeth the appetites of this corrupted flesh of Adam The first vnion is the blow that first wounded vs to death 〈…〉 For by it we are begotten in iniquity and conceiued in sin according to the saying of King Dauid and become defiled in the first instant of our conception branded with the marke of originall malediction enennes of our Creator separated from him and at war within our seiues for wee bring with vs the Schedule of rebellion and the fource of cruell warre which this masse of corruption incessantly stirreth vp against our soules casting darknesse of ignorance into our vnderstanding fier of concupiscence into our will and forgetfulnesse of heauen and of other future things into our memory The same vnion is also cause that the spirits of men are multiplied and at diuision amongst themselues for looke how many bodies are begotten of the flesh and seed of Adam so many soules are created to be vnited to those bodies and to giue them life and as the children of Adam disser in bodies so by meanes of this generation they are also of different spirits The second vnion of this flesh with the soule encreaseth and maketh worse the euills which came from the first For the soule by loue being vnited to her flesh and following the sensual appetites thereof forgetting heauen and liuing in the vanities and voluptuousnesse of the earth is so much more made enemie of God and banished from his friendship as shee yeelds her selfe peruerse and so much more also diuided in her selfe enduring a continuall tyranny of our flesh to whom shee is made slaue by this voluntary vnion and of whom shee is arrogantly vexed and pricked forward to commit new sinnes which are to her soule so many executioners which giue her torment at euery moment This vnion also diuideth men amongst theÌ„selues for euery one seeking the coÌ„modities of his owne flesh and giuing himselfe to vice loues none but himselfe his proper commodities his honors riches and voluptuous pleasures hating and persecuting at those that do hinder him in them whether they be good or bad And from thence doe spring dissentions warres and all excesse of enuy whoredome couetousnesse and such like sinnes which are committed in the world Behold then how the first vnion of the flesh of Adam with our soules is the spring And the second the fulnesse of all our euills diuiding vs from God from our selues in our felues and amongst our selues for an Antidote and counterpoyson of this flesh and those pernitious effects thereof the second Adam Iesus Christ affoords vs his owne flesh endued with contrary qualities and worker of contrary operations For the flesh of the first Adam is foule infected and pestilent that of the second Adam pure holy Virgin like and in one word flesh of God The flesh of Adam produced from a filthy seed and ioyned with our soule makes vs the children of Adam the flesh of our Sauiour begotten of a Virgin by the worke of the holy Ghost and giuen vs for to be vnited with vs and to vnite vs to God makes vs the children of God not by necessity of generation but by acts of deuotion ordained by meanes of this vnion not onely to cherish to nourish and beautifie our soules but also to repaire the defects of our bodies to correct their wicked inclinations to extinguish their concupiscences to purge and refine them to the likenesse of his owne and to sow in them the seed of glorious immortalicy And albeit this vnion be not naturall as the vnion of body and soule yet is it notwithstanding reall true and most intrinsecall after the manner of meate and drinke and of a holy and diuine mariage by the which wee are made one Spirit with God By the mediation of this flesh of his Sonne vnited to ours wee are also vnited in our selues our sanctified flesh obeying thereby the Law of the Spirit and finally we are voited euen one with another and made one Spirit and one body vnder our chiefe Soueraigne Iesus Christ by the vertuall knot of his pretious flesh which euery one receiueth in this Sacrament Behold you the opposite effects By the flesh of Adam wee are made sinners separated from God both in spirit and in body our bodies are multiplied and likewise our spirits in the same proportion with the bodies men are diuided amongst themselues by enmities arising from the loue of the flesh and euery man is diuided in himselfe his flesh rebelling to the spirit By the flesh of our Sauiour all these inconueniences are repaired as with admirable wisdome so with aboundant grace Of this meate then giuen as a counter-poyson against the first meat and of this sacred vnion in remedy of that which diuided vs. Did our Sauiour heere Preach This is the sense and the end of his diuine Sermon Iohn 6.48 for calling it the brend of life the lining bread that came downe
family Iesus Christ who held the vpper end of this first bed Saint Peter is next Saint Iohn the other are fiue and fiue on two other beds They are a little astonished and sorrowfull euery one examining his conscience vpon that which our Sauiour hath said euen now in eating the Lambe that there was one amongst them which would betray him Saint Iohn the nearest to him and the boldest asked him who it should be but neither he nor the rest of his companions could know any thing except Iudas who in his heart was twisting the cord of treason against his Master to his owne condemnation Euery one is afraid to fall into this foule crime except the offender And all attend the issue of some great mystery not onely by reason of the ceremony of washing which our Sauiour had neuer vsed in keeping the Passouer with them the yeares before but also because of his countenance behauiour and words for men reade in his eyes in his mouth and in all his visage the graces of a diuine loue and the grauity of Maiesty more then humane and his words full of affection and of wisdome did witnesse that he did meditate some worthy proofe of an Almighty power 〈◊〉 22.15 Hee tould them that he greatly destred to eate this Passouer with them before he suffered not the Iewes Passouer which he had long since eaten drawing the last line of the Figure but the Passouer of his body These are significatiue words of great affection and the affection of so powerfull a Lord cannot faile to effect some great thing He hath taken the bread hath blessed and broken it as before he blessed the fiue Loaues and two fishes Matth. 14. They moreouer perswade themselues that this ceremony is a preamble of some miracle neuer heard of before Being then thus attentiue he gaue to them all that which hee had taken saying 〈◊〉 6. This is my body take and eate He giues now the Cup saying This is the Chalice of my 〈◊〉 of the new Testament drinks you all of it and doe this in remembrance of me They did drinke and as they found themselues wholly transported and ranished with loue when they tooke the Sacrament of his body vnder the forme of bread So now they feele their soules set a sire with a diuine flame by drinking of the mysterious and beauenly liquor of his pretious bloud Iudas alone by his fault made no benefit of it for he hath not taken this holy flesh diuine drink with a requisite preparation The Diuell had seized on his heart long since had porswaded him to betray his Master he had his feete cleansed but 〈◊〉 soule loaden with filthinesse wherefore taking vnworthily a meate so worthy hee hath swallowed death and damnation in place whereof the others receiued life and sanctification Behold the chiefe worke of our Sauiour effected and perfected in fiue words behold the signification and protâ—â—se of a thousand Prophesies and Figures past fulfilled in one truth Behold the offered Lambe in an vnbloudy Sacrifice commemorating that of the Crosse which to morrow he ought to accomplish Behold the Masse and the magnificent â—â—â—ation of Christians which shall endure euen to the end of the world to honor the Creator of the world to celebrate the death of his Sonne and to nourish his children with his Flesh to eternall life Matth. 26.30 Marke 14. 〈◊〉 Our Sauiour rising from the Table goeth his way and hauing like a true Father giuen many documents parsing from his children and saying vn Hymne in action of thankes goeth foorth vnto the Garden of Oliues Hee went long since and is walking there O sweet Lambe whither goest thou in the snary darknesse of this dangerous night thou knowest well that this is the place noted by the Trdytor which hath sold thee for ready money thou well knowest that the wolues are already trouped and armed with crast and rage to take thee and lead thee bound to the butchery than 〈◊〉 O drinke Wâ—â—lome for nothing can scape the eyes of thy diuine prouidence thou knowest that there for our saluation an agony of horror shall fall vpon thee Luke 22.44 and a bloudy sweat shall flow from thy passioned body with extreame feare of thy grieued soule euen to the death thou knowest thou shalt be taken there and bee bound like a Lambe and bee led from thence like a theefe to Execution and notwithstanding all this thou goest thither nay thou goest thither because thou doest know it And what compels thee to these voluntary torments O Redeemer of my soule but the force of thy loue and mercy which make thee goe with ioyfulnesse of heart to present thy selfe to the combate for to pull forth the children of Adam out of the oppression of sinne and from danger of eternall damnation by the price of thy bloud O great God by what offices seruices and Sacrifices shall we be able to acknowledge this thy vnlimitted bounty O my soule what wilt thou doe for such a Redeemer with what loue canst thou sufficiently loue him by what words canst thou duely thanke him and with what honor wilt thou adore him 1. THE ENTRANCE THAT SAINT IOHN maketh by which he declareth the greatnesse of the mystery of the Eucharist which our Sauiour was to institute THis Picture represents vnto vs the Institution of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of our Lords body the noblest actioÌ„ the diuinest InstitutioÌ„ that euer he did after he was made Man the richest present that hee did euer giue to God and to men while he liued mortal vpon the earth and the highest mystery that hee was to leaue in the treasures of his deare Spouse the Church We haue formerly discoursed hereof in many precedent Figures and namely in that of Manna it will bee sufficient heere to note the circumstances of the present history which especially set forth the greatnesse of it Saint Iohn beginning his narration of the washing of feete vpon the Eue of the Pasche writeth thus Iesus knowing that his houre was come that he should passe out of this world to his Father whereas he had loued his that were in the world vnto the end hee loued them And when Supper was done whereas the Diuell now had put into the heart of Iudas Iscariot to betray him knowing that the Father had giuen all things into his hands and that hee came from God and returned to God he riseth from Supper and layeth aside his garments And that which followeth of the washing of feete by which words Saint Iohn taught vs that our Sauiour was now in the vigill of his Passion that he had loued and did constantly loue his owne that he was the Sonne of God hauing all things in his power And by these preamples hee signified vnto vs that in this Euening so neare to his departure hee was to make the conclusion of all his course by some notable acte to the honor of his Father and their good whom
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