lilfe Meate helpeth nature to disgest many ill humours and this sacrament is not onely a meate but also a medicine And as Saint Cyprian saith extinguisheth sinne Meate causeth growth and whosoeuer participateth De coena Domini 5 this foode encreaseth in spirit for by receuing the life of charity and grace the soule cannot but grow in vertue and perfection as hee that commeth nearer the sunne participateth more light and heate For these resemblances of meate with the blessed sacrament we may per ceaue the reason why our blessed Sauiour instituted it vnder the formes of bread and wine thereby to teach vs by these externall signes that as bread and wine feede our bodyes so Christs fâ—lesh and bloud our soules But for all these perfections or commodities of temporall meats they haue adioyned as many imperfections and defects the which this blessed foode of life wanteth For corporall meats if they delight vs the more we eate of them our delight is lesse and at last wee come to loathe them but this meate Qui comedit adhuc esurit qui Ecde 24. bibit adhuc sitit hee that eateth of it is the more hungry and hee that drinketh the more thirsty and none we see so much desire it as those who most frequent it Corporall meates cannot cause a body that is dead to returne againe to life but this spirituall foode giueth life vnto the dead Qui manducat me ipse viuet propter me Io. 6. he that eateth me the same also shall liue by me Corporall meate although it repaire our forces lost yet the continuall alteration and disguising of it diminisheth our naturall heat because Omne in agendo repatitur euery agent in doing suffereth againe so that at last euen meat it self would extinguish our outward facultie if we had no other cause of death But he who eateth at this table of life Non gustabit Io. 6. mortem in aeternum non morietur he shal not tast of death for euer he shall not dye For as the soule can neuer dye except it leese the grace of God and that it cannot leese of necessitie but of free will so the grace of God can neuer be consumed but by a peruerse wicked will and therefore in aeternum for euer of it selfe it conserueth the soule in life because in very deed it is life Corporall meates faile in force for they alwayes cause not the body to encrease in strength or quantitie but after certaine yeares the body doth not only cease to grow but also it begins to decay and in fine declineth to death But such is the vertue of this holye Eucharist that euery time it is eaten it addeth a new degree of growth yea and for most part when a man declineth most in body and commeth nearer his death in spirit soul he encreaseth most because he then hath most heat of grace todisgest this sacred foode for which admirable effects Dauid wel say in persoÌ„ of those that receiue this Psal 22. heauenly refection Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit in loco pascuaeibi me collocauit Out Lord doth gouerne me I shall want nothing in the soile of his pasture he hath placed mee For all pastures in respect of this are barren desarts all repasts compared with this leaueth soule euer fainting These pastures are alwaies greene with grace enameld with flowers of vertues watered with the heauenly dewe of Gods assistance and finally haue the pasture continually attending his sacred flocke The twenty ninth cause to effect the resurrection of our bodies BY the vniuersall preuarication of Adam 1. Cor. 15. all his posterity incuâ—red in particular the death of soule and corruption of body whereunto they onely are subiect who discende from him by naturall generation Because that God had so decreed that as from him we were to draw our nature so by his good demeanour froÌ„ him we should receiue our grace But through his transgression by communicating vnto vs a part of his substance poisoned with the sting of originall sin hee imparted together the mortall woundes of body and soule Our Sauiour Christ whose substaÌ„ce was vnspotted with crime or offence pretending as life to destroye death communicated vnto vs his diuine substaunce to giue the soule the life of grace and the body immortality of glory For who can wonder if Christs body touching the bodies of good souls which receiue him with deuotion resuscitate them to life againe since the touche of Elizeus bones had vertue to restore the 4. Reg. 3. vitall spirit to a dead carcasse If seede sowne in the field although it die in the ground retaine vigour virtue of spring so liuely againe which was communicated vnto it by the roote why shall wee not imagine that our bodies keepe a certaine vertue a relation to this sacrament the onely roote of immortality For if the soule receiue grace the body concurreth it is an instrument and therefore if it bee compartner in paine why not in gaine And if Christs soule sanctifie our soules shall not this bodye glorifie our bodies Yea both his body and soule will immortallize both our bodies and soules and therefore hee saide Hic est panis de caelo Iohn 6. descendens vt si quis ex ipso manducauerit non moriatur this is the breade that descendeth from heauen that if anie man eate of it he die not For although hee die corporally yet by vertue of this food by the touch by the relation to the soule whose instrument it was Christ will raise it vp againe Without doubt it standeth greatly with the prouidence of God that Christs body should cause their resurrection who receiue deuoutly this sacrameÌ„t because as wee saide aboue in this hoast Christ is sacrificed and those that participate it woorthily in affection suffer and die with him therefore reason requireth that as they die with him so they shall rise with him Si compatimnr conregnabimus Rom. 8. if we suffer with Christ we shall be also glorified with Christ And more plainely Reformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae Phil. 3. configuratum corpori claritatis suae Hee will reforme the body of our humillitie configured to the body of his glory For if we mortifie our bodies to make them like his body by crosses and pains Doubtlesse he wil reuiue them with delights glory causing them to be his like his body in eternall ioy For which cause we must for a while intreate our bodies not to groane vnder the burthen of Christs commaundements not to repine at fasting not to murmure at mortification not to loathe long prayers not to grudge to liue in prisons depriued of many false pleasures the worlde affoordeth for all these will passeonce When death comes our conscience will reioyce But when our Sauiour after death shall iudge vs and see our crosses conformable to his our pains for his glory our tribulation for his confession Hiems Cantie
disdain to view these fading floures these roses with thornes these bees with stings these golden aples of Sodoms loue these Syrens sugered songs conuert thy eies to this blessed Eucharist view in thy Lord a paradise of pleasure beutie without corruption profit without displeasure ioyes without deceit continual delight without satiety and then I know thou wilt breake forth and cry Deus meus omnia my God Psal 72. and al nam gustato spiritu deficit omnis caro for the spirit tasted al flesh faileth TheÌ„ I know thou canst not but direct al thy actions vse all the creatures of God for no other end then his glory for this hart will becom like a flame of fire that burneth al it incountreth conuerteth theÌ„ into fire so thy loue wil thinke speake and worke al for God and in God and consequently loath what the world loueth not for God The thirty seuenth cause to be a confirmation of his testament IT hath bin an vsuall custome with God to confirme and seale his pacts and promises with some sensible sign that by such palpable obiects men might better conceiue remember them For if he promise Noe his posteritie neuer after to ouer flowe the vniuersall earth with a deluge he imprintes his seale in the clouds â—ehes â— for his armes leaueth the rainbow If he promise Abraham to multiply his seed as the stars of heauen and to giue him the land of Canaan he causes him to deuide his sacrifices in two partes and in confirmation Genes 15. of his pacte he sendes a lampe of fire which passeth through the midest of theÌ„ If Moses sent from God giue the law writteÌ„ in tables of stone if he promise to accept them into his peculiar people hee Exod. 24. confirmeth his couenant with a bowell of bloud wherwith he sprinkleth all the people If GOD vsed such stately seales to ratifie his promises to his people in the lawe of Nature and the lawe written questionlesse hee will not omitte them in the lawe of grace where the couenaunt concerneth a greater benefit wherein are comprehended in a more iminent degree al these fauors of God promised in times past the which he sealed so solemnly and therefore in confirmation of this newe testament he instituted this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice Hic est ealix noni testamenti this is the challice of the new testament affirme the three proclaimers of Christs law Mathew Marke and Luke with the Apostle S. Paul But what couenant maketh Christ with his people that he ratifieth with the seale of his owne body and bloud Here Hieremy speaking Hier. 31. by himselfe and by S. Paul or rather God by them both Ecce dies venient dicit dominus Hebr. 8. consummabo super domum Israell super domum Iuda testamentum nouum Behold the daies shall come saith our Lord and I will consummate vppon the house of Israel vpon the house of Iuda a new testament c. see the place In these wordes God promiseth fiue things to his church first that hee wil forgiue al them which enter into it all their offences the which he effecteth by Baptisme and this Sacrament Secondly that they should know God euery one little and great the which he performeth by powring of faith into their soules thirdly that he will write this law not in stone tables as Moses did but in fleshie heartes and consequently they shal be more mollified and pliable to obserue them and not so indurated as the Iewes the which he fulfilleth by induing theÌ„ with charitie Fourthly that he would be their God and they should be his people that he would haue a fatherly prouidence ouer them the which he accomplisheth with his owne presence Ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque ad consummationem Matth. 28. seculi behold I am with ye all dayes euen to the consummation of the world and by sending the holyghost which docebit illam omneÌ„ veritatem he shall Actes 2. 5 Iohn 16. teach her all trueth Finally that he will neuer forsake nor abandon his Church as he did the Iewes Sinagog the which we haue prooued by the continuance of the catholike church from Christs time euen till these our dayes although persecuted by emperours impugned by heretikes troubled by so many euill Catholikes Matth. 16 yet the gates of hell could nothing preuail against it the propagation also of his church was promised by God sealed with his sacrament that this vine tree planted by Christs own hands should delate the branches from sea to sea and to the worlds end the extremities thereof in Psal 79. such sort that rather lande shall faile to propagate this Church then her amplification shall finish Wherefore God shall not be knowne onely in Iudea or Siria but in all the prouinces of the world since we Psal 75. see depriued of these promises the protestants Churches eclipsed for fifteene hundred yeares and concluded in corners of the world in some few Cities of Germany in Geneua and England it is no maruaile if they haue broken the seale of the blessed sacrament where with by infallible assurance the maiestie of God confirmed them But the Catholike Church possessing all holdeth the sacred Eucharist as a perpetuall confirmation the which as 〈◊〉 it was sayde comprehendeth both the significations and signes of all the other promises made and confirmed by God in passed ages For God promised to Noe not to drowne the worlde anie more with water and Christ promiseth heere his Church shall neuer whollie bee ouerflowne with sinne hee tooke for a signe the Rainbow the which the sunne causeth by reflection of beames in watrie cloudes O what a goodly rainbowe the sunne of neuer-fading light effecteth heere what glistering beames of glorie powreth his diuinitie into that sacred humanitie what beautifull raies spring from that glorious soule and adorne with brightnesse and most liuely colours that immortall bodie if it were not for merite of our fayth wee might see through those cloudes of bread and Wine another sorte of Rainbovv then Nature in her most stately circle euer behelde God promised to Abraham to multiplie his seede as the stars of heauen and where are they multiplied but in the Catholike Church hee allotted vnto him the lande of Canaan and heere the kingdome of heauen hee commaunded Abraham to diuide his sacrifice in two partes and sent a Lampe of fire from heauen to passe betvvixt them and what coulde more expresly figure this sacrifice Are not heere diuided by vertue of Consecration the soule from the bodie and the bloud from them both and doth not both the diuinity and soule of Christ not passe but firmely stande in middest of these parts God gaue the law by Moses and promised the people to defeÌ„d protect accept theÌ„ for his but here with a more careful prouidence with a more forcible meanes with more pleÌ„ty of grace with more abundance of
fullfilled in the finall resurrection of all flesh Thirdly how can can the body and bloud of Christ being so little in comparison be resident in so many hoasts and buttes of wine which in all the world are consecrated and reserued in the tabernacle at one time Pro. Tel me how the soule of a child entring in the conception of the infant into so small and little a body without any addition can extend and dilate it selfe through the whole body of a man tel me how Gods indiuisible substance without addition mutation or alteration filleth the whole world So. Do we not proue by daily experience how a little storax or frankensence resolued into smoke keeping the same matter and quantitie only by rarefaction to bee sufficient to fill a whole church besides those that vse to worke quicksiluer proue most palpably how this mettal being set vpon a fire in a pot assendeth al in smoke and filleth a most large roome yet after with external colde being congealed the selfe same quicke-siluer falleth downe againe and is brought to a very small quantitie Euen so the body and blood of Christ although for a time they be enlarged yet when the cloude is passed the externall vailes of bread wine are consumed the body is as it was before and so shall remaine in all eternitie Fourthly how can those accidents that whitenes that quantitie that moystnes that drynesse hang in the aire without their substance as a house sustained without any foundation the rinde without the choare Pro. He that vnderstandeth the mistery of Christs incarnation effected by the omnipotent hands of God cannot call in question this difficultie in the blessed Sacrament because it is as naturall for a substance to subsist in it selfe as for an accident to be inherent in an other and yet God seperateth from the humanitie of Christ his person and manner of subsisting why then may he not seuer fro these accidents their adherence to another and somuch the more because Christs humanitie is inserted in his diuinitie which hardly can be conceiued without some mutabilitie which cannot be in God If arte or nature can make such admirable seperations as wee dayly proue this pointe cannot seeme so vnprobable Did not the Romains trie pure wines from mingled by putting them in an iuye dish through which the water dropped and left the wine behinde Doth not quicksiluer seuer golde incorporated with other mettells from them all are not the Potecaries able out of all hearbs fruits trees and flowers by fire to drawe the moisture from the terrestriall substance and shall wee say that God is not able to distill the accidents from their substance and drawe the internall substance like sweet oyle from the barke of accidents Fiftly how can there be such chopping and changing of substances of bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ and yet no externall signe appeare as we Ioh 2. see apeared in the changing of water into wine and in the rod of Moses conuerted Exod 4. into a serpent Plinie recounteth not vnlike effects of Plin. l. 2. c. 5â— thunder that it melted the mony in bags sealed with waxe and yet no signe in the world appeared either in the bagges or waxe And Scneca affirmeth that sometimes Seâ—â— l. 2 c. 31. it melted the sword not indamaging the scabbard and why may not God change the substance and leaue the scabbaâ—d of accidents since he is the Author of nature and wadeth deeper into the bowells thereof then any externall or internall agent In Christs incarnation there was a change of mans nature the which lacked his owne person and was vphelde by the person of the sonne of God and yet externally those that see his body viewed not this change by any sensible effect In iustification also a sinner is wholy renewed within and made a new creature and yet what externall shew appeareth of this internall mutation Sensible miracles and signes were granted especially by God for the conuersion of infidels and therfore were not effected so often among Christians after they had receiued the faith for as S. Greg. saith Fides non habet meritum vbi humana ratio praebet experimentum Faith hath no merite where humane reason yeeldeth proofe therefore it was expedient that this mysterie shoulde be vailed that our reason might possesse a sensible obiect surpassing al reason and onelie by faith to be beleeued Sixtly how is not the body of Christ consumed by so many who daily since the first institution for so manie yeeres haue eaten him Pro. Christ to occurre and answere this reason in the 6. chapt of Saint Iohn first wrought the wonderfull miracle by feeding 5000. men besides women and children with fiue barly loaues and two fishes with the aduantage of twelue baskets I say he wrought this myracle before hee beganne to deliuer them the mysterie of this Sacrament thereby to prepare themselues to answere this Obiection that if with so little he could feed so many and make so much remaine more then he receiued at the beginning how can he notfeed millions with his body and yet preserue it as entire as it was when he first gaue it Christs body doth no otherwise heere then oure soules doe euerye day in our bodies because as bodies continually exhale forth some partes the which wee restore againe by meate and drinke these parts dayly thus exhaled our soules cease to informe and yet they neuer consume nor deminish euen so Christs body residing in diuers hoasts ceaseth to bee in them lesing those places without any other consumtion or alteration Wee see the sunne so many yeres hath euery daye brought newe light to the world euery minut he changeth his place without defect or consumption And why shal not the Sunne of Iustice lighten the worlde in this Sacrament and yet change euery minute his place without corruption or decay Seauenthly how can he abide to passe into such vndeceÌ„t places as mens stomaks whose breaths many scarse can tolerat Pro. How doth his diuinitie fil al places how vndecent and vncleane soeuer receuing no infection by them but as the sun beames beating vppon a dunghil neither are infected nor defiled in like manner the body of Christ adorned with the beames of immortalitie and impassibility receaueth no impression of any infectious or noysome creature So. The stinch of sin much more annoied the smell of his soule when he conuersed in earth among sinners than this could molest his body and yet it was not vndecent he should suffer that but a signe of extreme loue and mercy so it is not vnseemly his body should bee where those defects be suffering nothing but onely remaining there to worke most admirable effects in his creatures to their great profit and his exceeding charitie as shall hereafter be declared Eightly what becometh of the body of Christ after the formes of bread and wine are corrupted assendeth it to heauen theÌ„ is it continually in voiage
creatures become sensible and animate substances but Christs body so feeds the soule that it giueth life vnto it Qui Ioh. â— manducat me vinet propter me He that eateth me the same also shall liue by mee And therfore as God is saide to be in the Iust by grace charitie and they in him so by this Sacrament Christ is in vs and we in him Herevpon it followeth that men are deified in two sortes by receiuing this Sacrament first by a reall communication with Christ whom they harbour in their bodies and therfore of S. Cyprian are called Baiuli Christi carriers De caena Dom. or bearers of Christ and others terme theÌ„ Christoferi secondly they are deified in soule by receiuing this grace which is a diuine coniunction and admirable participation of his deitie by which they are made diuinae naturae consortes partakers of the diuine nature The fourth cause to vnite the faithfull after a certaine reall manner CHrist our Sauiour making his praier to his Father among other graces hee Ioh. 17. Hec expositio est Cirill lib. 11. in Io. ca. 26. Hillari lib. 9. de trinit demanded he asked this for all the faithfull that as his Father was in him and hee in his Father so the faithfull should bee one thing Christ is in his Father because he really and essentially participateth the same substance with the Father and his Father is in him for that he possesseth the same nature and substance with his sonne It was vnpossible that the faithfull should in such sort participate one coÌ„mon essence because the infinite perfection of God chalengeth this as a proper dignitie to haue a nature communicable to diuers persons But since that mans nature was not capable of such fecunditie our prouident Pastor prouided a way to keepe his flocke together and to vnite them not only by affection in minde but also by a certaine reall and substantiall nature wherein they should be made all one and most excelleÌ„tly resembled vnto the blessed Trinitie which was effected by this Sacrament for by giuing them all the same body and bloud he caused them to be vnited in one substance one nature essence and that more excellent than their owne naturall substance was Wherefore al those that receiue their body may bee called one body as S. Paule doubted not to call them when he saide Vnus panis vnum â— Coria 10 corpus multi sumus omnes qui de vno pane participamus beeing many wee are one bread one body all that participate of one bread And for this cause as wee say all the three persons in Trinitie are one God euen so all the faithfull by a certain maner are one body and as the starres in the firmament though of themselues very different yet are vnited al in one indeficient fountaine of light so all the faithfull fituated in the firmament vnmooueable of the Catholike Church are vnited together and made one in this blessed Sacrament but with this difference that the starres haue not the Sunne in them but â—nely the light whereas the faithful haue the Sonne of all light continually springing within them Iosuah thought GOD Iosu â—â— shevved him a singular fauour and woorthily al admire it that God at the request of a man shoulde staye the course of the Sunne till he had ouercome his enemies But what would he haue saide if God had brought the Sunne from heauen and put it in his hand to haue vsed it at his pleasure so hee hath dealt with vs in this Sacrament by drawing his eternall Sonne from heauen to dwel in earth to be held in our hands to be receiued as foode to ioyne vs all that be in his church to fight against al visible enemies as tyrants and heretikes and inuisible foes as the Divel and his infernall ghosts The fift cause to vnite the faithfull in affection AS the bodie of man containeth diuerse parts of contrary nature and disposition the heart being hote the braine cold fleame moist melancholy drie spirits of a fiery nature bones of an earthly all the foure elementes in sundry partes holding predominion yet the soule keepeth them in peace conserueth a most sweet harmony containeth euery one in his office euen so this blessed Sacrament ioyneth Christs seruants Greekes and Egyptians Iewes and Gentiles poore and rich learned and ignorant in an admirable bond of loue and vnitie if they receiue it with that preparation and vse it as they ought the Isai 11. which vnion loue and peace I say the Prophet foretold was too slowe ouer the earth after that little cloude which Elias 3 Reg. 18. behelde had powred downe this blessed Sacrament vpon it Habitabit saith he lupus the woolfe shall dwel with the lamb the libbard shall rest with the kidde the calfe the lion and the sheepe shal lodge all together and a little childe shall leade them he meaneth fierce cruell and intractable men sauage nations and barbarous countries shall be brought to vnion peace and loue no doubt but principally by vertue of this sacred communion this common soule will cause euery one to keep himselfe in order this little childe which we fold with our breasts in this sacrament will guide pacifie and comforte them all for what inflameth men one to loue another principally but resemblance and similitude Why doe kinsemen so affect one another but in regard of resemblance of bloud and similitude of complexions And therefore they are called Consanguinei and Kinsemen And what similitude can be greater then this whereby good christians are made Verè Consanguinei Christi In very deede the kinsmen of Christ Yea rather identified or made one with the selfe-same bloud the selfe-same body and soule which no kindred euer did participate because they haue the like bloud and bodies but not the same nor the same soule The dignity and worth of those which be partakers of this sacrament may easily inuite al men to loue them For as we prise and admire all those whom we acknowledge to be of account so surely wee ought to esteeme those who are bathed with the bloud of Christ who are indued with his grace whose bodies are liuing temples pallaces to allodge this royall maiestio If the ground was holy where the Angell onely in a bush spâ—ke to Moses If the mountaine was sanctified where the celestiall Exod. 3. Exod. 19 Act. 29 spirits gaue the law If the napkins and girdles of Saint Paule wrought miracles because they serued so great a seruaÌ„t of God O in what reputation should we haue those blessed men which we know receiue so often and keepe so long the king of Angels the head of all the Apostles in their bodies The sixt cause for the exercise of faith IN the summe of all Diuinity I find 10. difficulties hardly to be conceaued and consequently not easie to be beleeued The first is howe God hath free will 2. how he knoweth those future
confirme by daily experience For vvhat els pretend those who so vehemently embrace one an other but as it were one to enter into another and vnite themselues in one for the vehement affection of loue Why did Iob say Quis mihi det vt de carnibus eius saturemur who will Iob 31 giue me that wee may bee filled with his flesh but to declare that the vehemency of loue desired this vnion How possesse the three persons in Trinitye such vehement and ardent loue but for the vnion of one substance in three persons That which men thought impossible to God was possible and that which nature affected was by the Author of nature grace in this mistery effected for herby imparting his body vnto men without destruction of either he caused an vnioÌ„ of both whereupon ensued that the loue of God could not but be singularly increased towards vs because as fathers loue most vehemently their children because in them they see a part of their owne substance disperced in their bodies though after many chaunges and alterations So God vewing his whole substance without any mutation or change in nature or qualitie his body and bloud his soule and person really remaining in vs and ioyned with vs cannot but loue vs exceedingly much more then any father his children And we for the selfe-same cause are moued to loue him for the same vnion or rather identification of substance For who is so base minded or cold in affection that lifting vp the eies of his soule to heauen admiring the infinite Maiestye of God where millions of Cherubins and Seraphines stand in his sight veiling their eyes with their golden wings lest they should be dazelled being not able to behold the infinite brightnes of his glory who I say after this consideration would not open all the vaines of his heart and resolue them into loue seeing this soueraigne Maiestie to discend from heauen to earth to dwell with a poore worme to lodge with a miserable man one that many times had offended him to couer himselfe vnder bread to be eaten of him and to enter into his body to be eternally vnited with him Zacheus thought Luc. 19. he shewed him a singular fauour to come into his house the Centurion passed a Luc. 7. litle furder and saide his house was not worthy of him But here what shall wee say he entereth not to receiue but to giue not to cure the body but to saue the soule how can that heart not be enflamed with loue which hath a burning flame of fier glowing so neere I meane the heart of our Sauiour Iesus Christ How doth not those veines swell with affection which are filled with the pretious bloud of their most affectious and zealous GOD How doth not that soule exult for ioy at Christs presence beeing so neere when Saint Iohn Luc. 1. Baptist exulted for ioy in his mothers wombe conceauing but our Ladies voice The ninth cause to be an ornament of the materiall Churches IN the olde Testament which was a modell of the new wee see that God had a speciall care to prouide the Arke the Cherubines propitiatorie with all the ornaments and furniture of the interiour Exod. 25. Tabernacle or Sanctum sanctorum into which none could enter but the high Priest and he only once a yeere this as the Apostle apertly declareth signified Hebr. 9. how Christ was to offer vp once a bloudy Sacrifice for the redemption of al the world Yet this was but the Allegorie of these ceremonies which God had not only instituted to signifie what was to come but also ordained them for the present vse and religion of the Iewes as CircumcisioÌ„ MaÌ„na the Pascal lambe with al the rest the reasoÌ„ therfore which moued the diuine wisdome of God to ordain this so maiesticall a place so reuerend and ful of ceremonies was to strike into the peoples mindes a great conceit of him a reuerence and respect a feare and humilitie in that place The like with out al doubt stood with his prouidence in instituting this Sacrament that we should haue in our temples the true Ark of his couenant whence-froÌ„ he was to giue answere to imprint in our heartes at the view of his tabernacle a reuerend feare and a fearful loue of his maiestie for if we were Angels and needed not corporall senses to pourtraite or represent the maiestie of God vnto vs little it woulde auaile vs to haue present such rites ceremonies but because our soule in this exile is drowned in the body and cannot ascend to God but by fixing the first and second step in externall sences and corporall imaginations therfore our prouident Sauiour condescending to our infirmities ordained a sensible presence for his maiestie thereby to strike into vs reuerence feare and respect and so in effect it seemes that experience teacheth For when I enter into an heretical church without light altare or image and especialy without the body of Christ me thinks I come into some vast prophane hall or at best some great schoole for it carrieth no shew nor casteth any smel of religion Whereas entring into a church of Catholikes al that I see breatheth pietie and religion the lamps and lights represent the indeficient glory of heauen and brightnes of Gods elected the Images giue mee to vnderstand the multitude of Saints and Angels who assist the maiesty of God in his eternal temple whereas day and night they neuer cease his praises the Altare leades me to that incruent sacrifice which daily is offered to the liuing God for all the faithful in Christs church and in fine the presence of Christ in the Tabernacle moâ—eth me to reuerence to look into my selfe to carry me circumspectly in that older as such a presence requireth For as wel noteth Saint Chrys When Courtiers come before the Kings presence they are careful and circumspect what they doe they roll their eyes about their garments lest any spotte or blemish in them might offend the Kings eyes they ponder theyr speeches lest any vndecent word should escape from them they forelooke al theyr gestures actions lest any of them should appeere vngrateful to the king And how doe faithfull Christians when they come before Christ in the Church they looke into their soules weigh their words consider their thoughts and in fine beware that nothing proceed from them that in any sorte may displease so diuine a maiestie for indeede as the same Authour wel aduertiseth by the presence of Christ in the Sacrament the church is conuerted into heauen For as we prooue the kings Court and Throne is not his pallace his gardens his golden galleries his â—orie beds his chaire of estate his pearled canopies but the person of the King is the essence of the Court and Throne al the rest be accessary to him euen so the court and throne of heauen is not those spheres those angels those saints they be all ornaments they be accessary
no sacrifice nor any Heb. 5. religion where there is not both Priest and sacrifice Because what is religion but a publique profession of a multitude to worship god and what publike worshippe can bee exhibited to GOD without a reall and externall Sacrifice For the better vnderstanding hereof it is to be noted that in all ages and in all nations and in all religions they euer vsed some sorte of Sacrifices for if wee looke into the lawe of nature wee shall finde Abell Abraham Iob offering vp sacrifices if wee discend to the law written there will appeare an admirable number appointed in Leuiticus If wee come to Christ in his last supper and vppon the Crosse we shall finde him sacrificing Besides wee may obserue that all their sacrifices almost consisted in killing beasts or in the destruction of some creature as in burning insence or such like Now if we demaunde for what reason did they kill bulls calues or lambes how know they that GOD would be pleased with them what needded he bulls or calues nunquid manducabo Psa 49. carnes â—aurorum aut sanguinem hircorum potabo shall I eate the flesh of bulls or drinke the blood of goates by the resolution of this doubt we shall better perceiue why Christ left this Sacrament as a perpetuall sacrifice for his church Three reasons then may bee yeelded the first because by sacrifices men acknowledge GOD the first maker conseruer and last end of all creatures the which they intend to professe by the externall action of sacrificing because in killing an oxe and burning of him to ashes they depriued themselues of all vse of all profit whereby they signified that all was due to him of whom they had receiued all The second reason was because the holy ghost moued them to vse such bloudie sacrifices to prefigurat the passion of christ once to be offerred vp on the Crosse Thirdly to shew by the death of beasts that they deserued death for their sins that they offered the one to God in lieu of the other By these three reasons wee plainly see that wee in the lawe of grace haue as great need of a reall and externall sacrifice as either the Iewes or those that liued vnder the lawe of nature For need not wee as well as they to acknowledge the dominion and right of GOD ouer this worlde is not hee our Creator our conseruer our last end as well as theirs ought not wee as well to represent the sacrifice of Christs passion passed as they to prefigurat that which was to come do not our sins as well deserue death as theirs did and are not we bound as well to craue pardon for them as they for these three causes therefore and many more our Sauiour instituted this sacrifice of the altar where by the incruent death of Christ we acknowledge the eternall dominion of God and render him infinite thankes for all his gifts as well of grace as of nature and therefore principally it is called Eucharistia that is gratiarum actio thankesgiuing besides we represent most liuely his passion according to that precept of Christ Hoc facite in â—eam Luke 22. commemorationem do this for a commemoration of me Finally we cry O Father of heauen and earth loe we deserue death and 10000 deaths but here wee present the death of thy sonne his body quod pro vobis traditur which is giuen for Luke 22. you his bloud that is shed promultis in remissionem peccatorum for many vnto remission Mat. 26. of sinnes take and accept his death for ours The ninteenth cause to be a sacrifice most like his passion Diuers ancient fathers expending those 1 Cor. 11. wordes of S. Paul Quotiescunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibitis Cip. ep 3. Chrisost the â—phi occum mortem domini annuntiabitis donec veniat As often as you shall eat this bread and drink in locuâ— Pauli the chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come affirme that this Sacrifice is the very passion of Christ that heere he suffers he is broken he is changed he is offered in a reall sacrifice after an vnbloudy manner for all the greeke texts haue it in the present tence this is my body which is giuen for you this is my bloud which is shed for you Saint Paul hath expresly this is my body 1 Cor. 11. that is broken for you The manner also how Christs body is here sacrificed to god so plainly expresseth the passion of Christ that if there were no other text to proue it the very correspondence would seeme 10. 19. to shew it sufficiently For howe did Christ die vpon the cross by the deuision seperation of the soule from his body Et inclinato capite tradidit spiritum bowing his head he gaue vp the ghost What was the cause of this seperatioÌ„ the issuing of abundaÌ„ce of bloud out of his body and there remaining no life wherefore both philosophers phisitians diuines say Anima est in sanguine the life is in the bloud Deut 12. experience teacheth that many die by venting too much blod out of their veins can shew a reall separation of the soule of Christ from his bodie and a reall separation of his bloud from his body here then we may easely infer that in this sacrament there is not onely a true real and externall sacrifice but also the very same that was vpon the Crosse though in maner as shal be declared they differ It is a receued opinion among al learned diuines that the words of consecrating Hoc est corpus meum This is my body do effect that they signifie that as God by saying Fiat lux let light be made light so by saying Hoc est corpus meum This is my body is presently put the bodie of Christ vnder the forme of bread moreouer that they effect no more imediatly than that they signifie therfore by the vertue or efficacie of consecrating imediatly there is only the body of Christ in the hoast without any soule true it is that there is no host that hath not the soul of Christ but that is not by the imediate force and vertue of consecration but by sequele by a following or as they call it per concommitantiam because the soule is ioyned with the body in heauen therfore consequently the body bringeth the soule with it but if the soule were not in the bo die as it was vpon Goodfriday then if any of the Apostles had consecrated the soule of Christ had not bin in the hoast but the dead body as it was in the graue so that by consecrating of Christes body wee haue a reall separation of soule and body and only an vnion of them by sequele and consequence I call the seperation reall for that where the action is reall that which is effected by the action must likewise be reall In like sort the words
Hic est casix sanguinis mei This is the challice of my blod make that they signifie and therefore hecause they signifie only blod consequently they put by their force and efficacy only bloud in the challice without body or soule although by sequele both the body and the soule descend into the chalice for the bloud being in the veines it draweth the veines the veines beeing fixed in the body cannot but naturally draw the body with them the body harboring the soule likewise bringeth it for company As for example the woman of Samaria that drew Io. 4 vp water with a cord from the wel she immediatly drew the cord but by sequele came the paile because it was tied to the corde and with the paile by sequele the water with the water if there had bin a fish had followed a fish the priest out of Christs side drawes first the bloud immediatly follow the vaines to the vaines the body to the body the soule for which sequel this sacrifice is called incruent and is most decent perfectly representing the maner of Christs death and passion The twentieth cause that it might be a holocaust or burnt offering THree sortes of externall sacrifices we reade in holy scripture were in vse among Louie 1. 43. the Iewes holocausts or burnt offerings pacifying hoasts hoastes for sins The first were offered to God in reuereÌ„ce of his maiesty the 2. in thankesgiuing for his benefits receaued or expected the 3. for expiation of their sins The first was al burnt vpon the altar the last were partly offered to God partly imparted to the priests the second were deuided into 3. parts one was offered to God another bestowed of the priests the third fel to the offerers share The lawe therfore of grace being most complete excellent of al others as it required a most excellent sacrifice in substance so it exacted al sorts of sacrifices included in that one which ether tended to the greater glory of god or the benefit of his worshippers Therefore in this sole solitary sacrifice he clasped theÌ„ al as most plainely shal appeare for here are many consumptions in this sacrifice which euideÌ„tly conuince that it is a burnt offering First it is burnt here as Christs sacrifice and holocaust was burnt vpoÌ„ the Crosse that is with the infinite extinguishable flames of his charity For questionlesse as he there offered himselfe and fired his sacrifice with loue to redeeme al the world euen so here his sacrifice burneth with the same affection to saue all those in particuler for whom it is offered Luke 22 Desiderio desideraui hoc pasca manducare with desire I haue desired to eate this pasche Secondly the substance of bread and wine by this sacred action of transubstantiation are not reduced to ashes as wheÌ„ the holocaustes were burnt vpon the altar but so consumed that they wholy vanishe away and leaue nothing but their skin and rinde behinde Thirdly the priest by receiuing it consumeth it wholy It is likewise a pacifying hoast because by it we acknowledge the infinit benefits we haue receued and especially that benefit of our redemption the which we do not onely represent but also most diuinely exercise by this also we respect the last benefite of all that is life euerlasting Hic est pamis pro Io. 6. mundi vita This is the bread for the life of the world finally it is an hoast for sinnes not onely in regard of the grace it conferreth as a SacrameÌ„t but also for that it worketh to the purging of our sins as a sacrifice because in the old Testament goates bloud and calues bloud did expiate them Heb. 9. from their delicts howe much more the bloud of Christ in this our Eucharist exceedeth both the pacifying hoasts and the sacrifice for sinne that it is whole offered to God whole receiued of Priests whole participated of the people whereas theirs for the imperfection of them coulde not but be dismembred Hereupon I will infer that those people are happy who can daily be present at the sacrifice of Masse to be made partakers of the admirable effects of this diuine oblatioÌ„ For if the Iews resorted to Ierusalem out of all nations at Easter to offer vp their paschall lambe to represent their deliuery out of Egypt if God accepted that shadow of this sacrifice as a gratefull obsequie and louing duty O with what deuotion ought we to resorte to Masse what assurance may wee conceaue that God will accept this sacrifice more then the bloud of a thousand lambes or calues The one and twentieth cause to be a satisfactory sacrifice for the soules in Purgatory THis blessed sacrament doth not only sanctifie the soule as all other sacraments do but also as a sacrifice it hath force to impetrate of God many graces and fauours to incite vs to vertue and to withdraw vs from vice yea the blessing hereof is so ample that it adorneth and profiteth the Church millitant and succoureth also those soules which suffer in Purgatory not vnlike the ocean sea which serueth not only for the commerce of men in forraine countries to nourish and maintaine the fishes which lodge in her wombe to fructifie the earth with riuers and raine but also it passeth throgh the lowe parts there concurreth to the generation of mettels stones other minerals In like sort the blessed Sacrament is not content to ioyne the faithfull in vnitie and concord to nourish those soules which harbour in the catholike Church to engender in them vertues and good workes but also it extendeth fauours and satisfactions to them that doe liue in Purgatory that inhabit the lower partes of the earth This effect none can deny but professed enimies of christs church for the protestants themselues generally confesse that the pâ—imitiue Fathers both caught practised such oblations for the dead howbeit impiously they cal this piety of Fathers Pastours and Doctours of Christs church superstition error But what madnes is this so arrogantly to condemne a matter not of mere speculation but of dayly practise exercised through the whole church at such time as pietie religioÌ„ was most feruent many of those authors either the apostles schollers or schollers vnto them or at least that could render euideÌ„t testimony what al the faithfull beleeued practised in those dayes Whosoeuer I say condemneth this exercise of errour consequently confesseth himselfe to be a foole and Saint Agust Lib. 6. de fâ—cerdot hom 69. ad pop Antâ—o in litt c. calleth it expresse madnes to infringe any thing obserued vniuersally in the whol church And specialy without scripture authoritie or reason Here I omit scriptures Fathers and histories and suppose the matter as an infallible truth that this holy sacrifice profiteth greatly those souls which be in Purgatory according to that saying of â—aint Chrisost Non temere sancitum est ab apostolis vs in tremendis misterijs defunctorum agatur
in processions ALthough this holy and auncient custome of carying the blessed Sacrament in procession was not in any place appointed by God nor deliuered by tradition from the Apostles but instituted by the Church yet all faithfull Christians ought to conceiue that Christ in the institution hereof by the depth of his wisedome did foresee this worthy ceremony and intended that in the peace glory of his Church it should bee put in execution No better argument we need to proue it then the practise thereof For without all doubt his prouidence and the holy ghosts assistance woulde neuer haue permitted or induced the Vniuersall Church to appoynt it and obserue it except they had intended and allowed it And truly no reasonable man in my iugement can improue this sacred and religious honor For if the Iewes to obtaine fauours of God either to ouercome their enimies or to auoide some plague or to procure some grace or to glorifie God 1. Reg 4. and 14. Iosu 3. 3. Reg. 6. â— Pâ—â— 5. solemnely publiquely and ceremonioufly did carry their Arke in procession and God in confirmation of this vniuersall deuotion vnited religion granted them almost euer that in such cases they desired with howe much more reason ought the elect people of Christ celebrat this venerable action First thereby declaring claring the triumph of Christ and his church ouer Paganisme and heresie for the triumphs of the Romans in that night of gentilitie were not onely to renowne their captaines with that glorie to incite their youths to immitate their valour and fortitude but also to make an vniuersall ioy and a common congratulation amoÌ„g the people for the ouerthrow of their enemies amplification of their Empire In like manner by this solemne procession and triumph of Christs people who concurre to professe their ioy and internal comfort they conceiue in their hearts to see the empire of his church so far propagated so well conserued and the enemies of God confounded The second reason may be to demand publikely som fauour of God either spiritual or temporal specialy when it is common to many as we see the Iewes in all their publique necessities had their ordinary refuge to recurre vnto the Arke And no doubt but these vniuersall praiers where so many soules are ioined about this sacrament as their common and indiuiduall heart shall not returne backe againe in vaine Thirdly to confound heretikes or ennemies of the church for what shame is it for them to see how they sweat toile to impugue it and these to endeuor not onely more to defend it but also to adore and worship it For which cause I cannot but commend that singular deuotion that in som countries catholiks haue euery thursday In Flanders sunday to go solemnly in procession with this hoast for be they sure thogh heretikes while they haue a little light of temporall holy ghosts assistance woulde neuer haue permitted or induced the Vniuersall Church to appoynt it and obserue it except they had intended and allowed it And truly no reasonable man in my iugement can improue this sacred and religious honor Forif the Iewes to obtaine fauours of God either to ouercome their enimies or to auoide some plague or to procure some grace or to glorifie God 1. Reg 4. and 14. Iosu 3. â— Reg. 6. 3. Pâ—r. 5. solemnely publiquely and ceremoniously did carry their Arke in procession and God in confirmation of this vniuersall deuotion vnited religion granted them almost euer that in such cases they desired with howe much more reason ought the elect people of Christ celebrat this venerable action First thereby declaring the triumph of Christ and his church ouer Pagamsme and heresie for the triumphs of the Romans in that night of gentilitie were not onely to renowne their captaines with that glorie to incite their youths to immitate their valour and fortitude but also to make an vniuersall ioy and a common cong'gratulation amoÌ„g the people for the ouerthrow of their enemies amplification of their Empire In like manner by this solemne procession and triumph of Christs people who concurte to professe their ioy and internal comfort they conceiue in their hearts to see the empire of his church so far propagated so well conserued and the enemies of God confounded The second reason may be to demand publikely som fauour of God either spiritual or temporal specialy when it is common to many as we see the Iewes in all their publique necessities had their ordinary refuge to recurre vnto the Arke And no doubt but these vniuersall praiers where so many soules are ioined about this sacrament as their common and indiuiduall heart shall not returne backe againe in vaine Thirdly to confound heretikes of ennemies of hte church for what shame is it for them to see how they sweat toile to impugne it and these to endeuor not onely more to defend it but also to adore and worship it For which cause I cannot but commend that singular deuotion that in som countries catholike haue euery thursday In Flanders sunday to go solemnly in procession with this hoast for be they sure thogh heretikes while they haue a little light of temporall fauour while some stronger froces maintaine them yet when as night comes when humaine force faileth Dagon must fall the Arke and the Idole cannot long 1. Reg. 5. continue together though mâ—col deride Dauid for daunsing yet shall she die barren 2. Reg. 6. I meane their heresie shal not spread farre The twenty eight cause to nourish our soules CAro mea saith Christ veré est cibus sanguis meus veré est potus my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drike Io. 6. indeede if then his flesh be meate and his bloud drinke and that truely in very deede hereupoÌ„ it foloweth that al those perfections which agree to meate and drinke as they nourish the body al those must appertaine to this foode as it nourisheth the soule and those imperfections that meate and drinke ordinarily cary with them that this Sacrament haue not but surpasseth them in a most eminent dgree First meate if it be not had at conuenient times causeth in vs a desire or a hunger So this Sacrament in good Christians if they liue long without it inflameth their soules to procure it For if Dauid saide Sitiuit anima mea ad te deum Psal 41. fontem viuum My soule hath thirsted after God the liuing fountaine Well may we say Sitiuit anima mea ad te deum viuum My soule hath thirsted after thee the liuing God Meate delighteth the taste and this Sacrament filleth with ioye the veines of the soule and therefore was figured by Manna that had Omne delectamentum Sap. 16. suauitatis All delight of sweetenesse Meate restoreth the forces loste and so conserueth life this sacrament by giuing grace repaireth the harms of concupiscence encreaseth feruour and augmenteth our spirituall
2. transijt imber abijt flores apparebunt in terra nostra the winter is past the showre is gone flours wil appeare in our ground then shal we know that all earthly ioyes were meere toyes and euery transitory crosse an eternall crowne The thirtieth cause to be a viaticum or prouision for our voyage THis holie Sacrament for three causes may be called Viaticum First because our Sauiour in his passage instituted receiued distributed and gaue authority to his disciples to disperse it Secondly wee are to receiue it wander as pilgrims in the desarts of this worlde where spirituall foode can hardly be had and therefore it was prefigured in the celestiall Manna which God rained vpon the Iewes whilest they wandred in their peregrination towards the land of promise Thirdly because peculiarly our Sauiour intended to prouide vs of it as of a defence when we are to depart out of this world for his deuine wisedome did most prouidently fore see that our ghostly enemies would specially imploy their forces to impugne vs in the last periode of our life according to that was foretold in Genesis that the serpent should insidiari calcaceo seminis Gen. 3. mulieris supplant the heele of the womans seed for thereupon dependeth the triumph of God the Church and the soule ouer the diuell the confusion of hell and the glory of heauen In this last conflict therefore so dangerous our Sauiour would arme vs with his owne body and bloud that the infernall fiends seeing the bloud of Christ should be inforced to let that soule passe in security medle no more with it then the distroying Angell with the children of Israell when he saw this bloud painted ouer the dores with the bloud of a lambe yea as so many grisly busaloes they should bee terrified and affrighted euen with the very sight of this vermilian colour An excellent figure of this effect wee find registered in the acts of Elias who beeing persecuted by that impious Iesabell 3. Râ—g 19. loathing his life and desiring death fledde into a deasart and there casting himselfe vnder a luniper tree desired of God to ende his dayes and with that fell a sleepe presently an angell came to him and awaked him willing him to eate for yet there remained a longway he rose vp and found set at his head an imber cake and a cup of water he eat and drunke and walked for two dayes by the strength of that food till he came to the mountain of God Oreb wheras our Lord came vnto him What can more expresly declare the manner the vertue the effect of our viaticum then this while the faithfull Phil. 1. weary of this world lie on their death beds wishing to be dissolued to liue with Christ in the sweet shade of the catholike church the Priest presenteth vnto them the bread of life willing them to eat for a long way remaines a troublesome voyage they haue to passe they receiue and then by the vertue therof proceed in their pilgrimage vnto the holy mount of heauen where they shall see God foreuer O happie soule that resteth in the desart of this miserable world vnder the shade of such a tree from whence falleth the fruit of life I meane the Catholike Church wherin is planted the crosse of Christ which beareth this fruit of saluation Well saide the spouse sub vmbra illius quem desideraui sedi Cant. 2. fructus eius dulcis gutturi meo vnder the shade of him whome I desired I haue sitten and his fruite was sweete vnto my throate If it be so sweet in this life growing in an vplanding country out of the natiue soile how sweet wil it bee in heauen when these vailes shall be broken when these parings shall be taken away when our taste shal be quickened when we shal eate it with God himselfe vpon his owne table The one and thirtieth cause to win virgins to God SOme sage Philosophers and wise phisitions counsell noble women not to commit the nursing of their children to others of base estate meane condition but that they shuld giue them suck themselues the reason say they is most euident because the rusticke milke engendred in these clownish bodies will greatly alter the delicate and noble complection of the child for although we in our stomakes alter change those meates we receiue and bring theÌ„ at last to bee of our temper and substance yet in the verie alteration our bodies feele in tract of time most notable effects of theÌ„ for hot meats inflame them cold meates refresh them moist meates dissolue theÌ„ drie meats vnite them This doctrine being true as experience pregnantly proueth euery one may see how fit a food for virgins is this blessed sacrament for if we consider Christ our sauior therin contained according to his diuinitie his father the first virgin of al others as Nazianzen Nazianz. in Carmine calleth him conceiued him alone in the wombe of his vnderstanding if we expend his humanity it was borne of a virgin without a father if wee wey Christ himself god man we shal find him al his life to haue obserued most strictly a virginall puritie This blessed bread entring into our bodies adorned with so many admirable titles of virginity how can it but alter our sensuall and base appetires by eleuating them to the complexion temper pure disposition of Christ shal corporall meats work with more efficacie their effects in our bodies than this celestiall his prerogatiues in our soules No no it is more excellent than so Dilectus meus candidus Cantic 5. rubicundus electos prae millibus hic est fios campi lilium conuallium My loue is Cantie 2. white and red chosen before thousandes this is the flower of the field and lilly of the valley His garmentes are lilly white wyth chastity and scarlet red with passions of loue and such effects he imprintes with the seale of his body in the soules of the faithfull The which effects considering and admiting one exclamed Quid bâ—â—um Zach. 9. quid pulchrum eius nisi frumentum electorum vinum germinans virgines what of his is good what of his is beautifull but the wheate of his elected wine that springeth virgines O holy Prophet dost thou meditate the maruellous workes of God and canst thou finde nothing more admirable than this View the creation of the world consider thy Fathers in Egypt Gen. 1. Exod 7. and 8 9 10 11 12. Exod. 14. what maruelous miracles Moses wrought how he passed the red sea so woÌ„derfully looke vpon God himselfe and thou shalt see an abisse of goodnesse a fountaine of wisdom an indeficient power How then saist thou Quid bonum quid pulchrum eins nisi frumentum electorum Questionlesse what of his is good and what of his beautiful but the wheat of his elected wine springing virgins He knew wel what he saide for in this
elected vnto him indue their soules with grace bring them to the ioyes of heauen O zeale of all zeales O loue of al loues most worthy of God to permit himselfe to be trode vnder the fee◠of wicked sinners to exalt his faithfull to fellowes of angels O holy Dauid thou thoughtst man was greatly extolled because that God had laide vnder his feete Oues boues pecora Sheep oxen and beasts of the field but what wouldst thou haue saide if thou hadst seene Christ in an hoaste and for thy loue permit an heretike to treade him vnder his feete but Psal ◠Magnus Dominus laudibus nimis magnitudinis eius non est finis our Lord is great most worthy of praise and there is no end of his greatnes O that wee could immitate in parte this zeale of Christ and by gratitude acknowlege this singular benefit Ah who would mone imprisonmēt for the zeale of confessing that faith which hee appointed Who would bee grieued with fetters stinch grosse fare hard beds restraint of liberty losse of life to glorifie him who is so zealous of our eternall glory Ah deere christian imagine to see the Iews or heretiks pricking this sacred angelicall and diuine hoast with pinnes and kniues in contempt of Christ his religion all for thy cause for that he instituted this sacrament for thee to receiue determine whatsoeuer shuld befall to remaine so long as those formes retaine their nature force wold not such an horible spectacle on one side make thee tremble and on thother side the patience and loue of Christ dissolue thy heart into a maine of teares yet too often such cases haue fallen and many in England God knowes haue bin present at such terrible tragedies god pardon the actors Moreouer this sacrament was instituted for many effects the which all argue the zeale of the institutor for hee did not onely ordain it as a meate or a conduct of grace to confer many celestiall fauors vnto vs but also as medicine to remoue many euils from vs for doth not this preseruatiue from prison diminish the flames of concupiscence doth not this fountaine of light expel the cloudes of ignorance doth not this life of grace abolish the death of sinne doth not the heate of this boyling bloud reuiue the remissenes and coldnes of our charitie all these euills and more our zealous Sauiour did well foresee and prouide for in the institution of the Eucharist The second sort of zeale which permitteth no consorts in amitie that preiudicate the full scope ample possession of the heart as pregnantly appeareth in this sacrament as the first because hee that commeth hither vnprepared not so disposed as this Table requireth eateth his iudgement For what reason 1. Corint ◠because he diuideth his loue for in euery transgression of Gods commaundement the sinner preferreth the loue of the creature before the Creator and consequently violateth that fidelity the spouse ought to the spouse of her soule by making the creatures riualls with God the which iniury GOD will not tolerate for he intendeth to be beloued wholie and entirely and will haue no loue preferred nor equall to his The Diuell would be content to haue halfe our loue because by theft hee stealeth that belongeth not vnto him but God who is our Father will haue it whole as those two women which sued in contention for one ◠Reg. 3. childe before Solomon the true mother would haue all or none the false mother was contented with halfe Nec mihi nec tibi sed diuidatur Neither to me nor to thee but let it be diuided sayde shee that would haue depriued the true mother of her right Likewise Pharao was at last well contented that the children of Israel should depart out of Egypt but Exod. 10. he would they should leaue behind them their heards of catel and flocks of sheepe so the diuell would iuggle those soules he cannot draw to heresie or atheisme with bestly delights sensualities that therby he might dismēber their harts diuide them with God But what said Moses we wil go al men women children cattell sheepe there shal not remaine so much as the hoofe of a beast in Egypt So ought good soules to say who prepare thēselues deuoutly to receiue this bread of life we will offer our selues wholy to God bodie soule wits and wils all we know and all we can there shal no part of vs be left vnconsecrated vnto him And indeed let vs really and with sound iudgemēt consider without any particular inordinate affection if my Sauior giue me himselfe wholy in his person his soule bodie by most intire perfect loue alas why should I diuide my affection from him why should I not sacrifice my selfe wholy to him who dooth sacrifice him selfe heere wholy for me since I know certainely my loue can neuer be perfect except it be consummated in him Besides what an extreme iniury do I offer him to prefer any before or make equal with him is not this to plaie the part of the Iewes who refused Christ Matth. 27. Marke 25 demanded Barabas is not this to spoile God of his regal crowne and dignitie and set it vppon the head of a miserable creature For if God be God then hee must be loued as God and aboue all and all for him because so eminent a maiestie the title of creation conseruation redemption iustification and glorification exact it of vs. That God in this sacrament sheweth a certain extasie of loue which is the third effect Ca. 4 THe learned diuines following that notable saying of Saint Dio Areopagita Deus passus est extastim prae amore God suffered extasie in his passion especially for loue conclude that in verie deede our sauiour Christ was after a certaine manner abstracted from himfelfe for loue the which although it seemeth something harsh and hard to be admitted yet in verie deede the effects were such that hee seemed for loue to haue forgotten himselfe his maiestie and glory to remember vs for so saint Paul insinnuateth in these Phil. 2. words exinnaniuit semetipsum formam serui accipiens hee exinnanited himselfe taking the forme of a seruant What is this exinnanition but an extasie an abstractiō from his glory maiestie and highnes he made himselfe mortall passible little subiect to hunger thirst heat and cold labour sweat and wearines who was immortall impassible immensiue who feedeth the birdes of the ayre the fishes of the sea the beasts of the land the lillyes of the field the angells in heauen hee lieth in a manger hungry and cold and he of whom was principally saide non accedet Psal ◠ad te malum flagellum non appropinquabit tabernaculo tuo No euill shall come neero thee nor no scourge approach to thy tabernacle rauished out of himselfe for loue was made vir dolorum a man of griefs Isa 53. suffering so many and so
pricke in their hearts with saying Ite à me maledicti in ignem aternum Ger Matth. 29. ye away from me ye cursed vnto fire euerlasting which once were called Famus distillans labia tua Thy lips are a distilling hony combe Ah loue then wil be changed into hatred and his cheereful lookes Cantic 4. into a frowning countenance Therefore let vs entertaine him with loue here that with the like he may entertaine vs there That God shewed in the Eucharist an extensiue loue and a tender or familiar loue Ca. 10 THe breadth of heauen and the depth of the abisse who can measure the 4. â—sdr 4. vastnesse of the sunne or the vehement brightnesse whether most excelleth if these be hard to determine what shall we say of the feruour of Gods loue whether the extension or intension the vehemencie or the amplenesse the height or the largenes thereof ought more to be esteemed first God hath limited his loue in this sacrament to no citie as he did his sacrifices to Ierusalem to no particular nation as his old Testament recites and ceremonies 3. Reg. â— â— Paâ—al 6. and 7. were contained within the narrow bonds of Iuorie But from the rifing of the sun Psal 75. vnto the setting Non est quae abscondat se à calore eius there is none can hide himself Psal 18. from his heate Ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum Maâ—â—e 1. magnum est nomen meum in gentibus From the rising of the sunne vnto the setting my name is great among Gentiles he restrained it to no definite time as all sacrifices of the Iewes like so many errant plannets were to leese their light in the appearing of the sunne whose light shall neuer faile but first the world shall leese his forme before this sacrifice shall leese 1. Cor. 11. his glorie Moreouer the priests be not determined within the straites of any pedegree as the sacrifices of Moses within the tribe of Leui neither the quantity of bread nor wine our louing sauiour prescribed for consecration but left it freely to the Priests intention to consecrate so much of that which may be preseÌ„t before him as shal seeme good vnto him neither limited he any time but left it to be the receiuers deuotion if they could prepare themselues worthily euery day he is content they should communicate euery day and so thousandes of priests as they daily liue by breathing this vitall aire to conserue their bodies so they daily sucke the bloud from Christs side to feede theyr soules Consider how many masses are said euuerie day in Italy Spaine France Germany Flanders Powland England Ireland Scotland and the East and West Indians where there be now almost as many Catholikes as in all Eupore and vppon sundaies and other feastiuall daies howe many millions coÌ„municate Imagine how these vaines of Christs sacred body like the foure maine riuers that issued out of Paradise giue sufficient refectioÌ„ to al this innumerable multitude if we had the eies of our soules open to view Christs precious body and bloud glorious and shining fixed in this sacrament shining in their breasts we should behold another sort of spangled firmament in earth then wee do see in heauen in the clearest winter night Consider moreouer the fragrant smell the spirituall odour which continually the Catholike Church dispersed through the whole world exalteth from this diuine sacrifice and sendeth vp to heauen in recognoscence of the infinite benefit of Christs passion and the manifold graces we haue receiued from his maiestie If God would declare it with a corporall shew the heauens aire earth would be couered with this sacred insence Blessed be his name for euer who so farre extended the sphere of his loue that he would haue all men at al times of all qualities in all places to be licenced to haue free accesse vnto him in such sort that the verie angels admiring the admirable sweetnesse of the Church presenting her selfe daily in these sacred oblations before the vniuersall court of heauen and wondering how such grateful smels ascend from such barreÌ„ deserts said Quae est ista quae ascendit de deserto diliciâ—s affluens Câ—â—tie 8. enixa super spoÌ„sum who is this which ascendeth from the desart flowing with delights leaning vpon her spouse His His familiar â—out tender affection yeeldeth little to any of the rest for as mothers most tenderly and familiarly deale and conuerse with theyr little infants euen so our blessed sauiour with vs in this sacrament But he farre surpasseth all mothers in the tendernesse of his affection for mothers giue their children cold milke that is indigested bloud but Christ imparteth the best bloud in his breast and besides all his substance Of diuers mothers wee reade who came to that fiercenesse and crueltie that to releeue their famine they embrued theyr hands in their childrens bloud bereauing them of that life that naturally they had once imparted to them but wee neuer read of mother that killed her selfe to feede her children O sweete sauiour thou Psal 101. art the only pellicane thou launch est thy heart to feed thy flocke thou diddest die to nourish thy children with this bloud of life Ah how sweetly dost thou coÌ„uerse with those who deuoutly conuerse with thee Thy conuersation hath no bitternes thy friendship no gall yet few doo feele I know these tender affects of Christ because Sapientia non habitat in terra suauiter viuentium Wisedome dwelleth not in the land of daintie liuers for it is an infallible veritie that the ioyes of Christ and the pleasures of the world cannot consort together The fortie two and last cause to be the ende of all the Sacraments of the olde Testament AS great and maiesticall subiects are signified with many names as God Christ the incarnation blisse this sacracrament because we cannot impose one to signifie them compleatly therefore we supplie this defect with the multitude euerie one signifying a part eueÌ„ so the prouidence of God ordained many simbolicall figures and pictures of sacrifices in the old Testament to depaint the blessed Eucharist because we could not fully coÌ„ceiue the maiestie thereof in one wherefore hee appointed a number Not vnlike to great Princes who are not contented in one card to draw their whole kingdomes but commaund for more distinction euerie prouince and Countrey euerie citie territory to be seuerally described Some sacraments God instituted to signifie the matter or external formes of the Eucharist such were the sacrifice of Melchizedech in bread and wine the bread of proposition Some represented the forme life and soule of this sacrament our blessed sauiour heere offered vnto his father and of this sort were all the lambes sheepe doues turtles and bloudie sacrifices for they both represented the passion of Christ and the incruent sacrifice of the Euch arist which in substance is all one with the passion Others did carrie on
effectes which neuer shal be but if some circumstances did occurre they would fal foorth As for example Vae tibi Bethsaida Woe Math. 11. be to thee Bethsaida for if in Tire c. 3. how God doth predestinate 4. the mistery of the Trinity 5. howe Adams sin can be transfused or communicated to his posterity 6. the mistery of Christes incarnation 7. howe that which once was corrupted shall afterwards be repaired in resurrection 8. how a spirit can be dilated in a body 9. how the corporall fire of hell can torment a spirit the 10. is this admirable Sacrament the which in my iudgement for difficulty surpasseth them all For if you can but resolue me in one or two questions about eache of them I wil make you sufficiently conceiue them all As plainely I could make it appeare discoursing ouer euery one but because al men yea very few are capable I will omit them For in this Sacrament first you haue heard difficulties about the wordes how they can effect that they signify 2. howe they effect it 3. in what time they effect it Secondly you haue inextricable difficulties about the bodye of Christ 4. by vvhat action is it produced 5. by what maner consisteth it in an indiuisible sort 6. how doth it reside there vvithout confusion 7. howe doth it not penetrate those accidents 8. or vvhat vnion hath it vvith them 9. vvhat opposition findeth it with the substance of bread 10. howe is it not by so many that feedeth vppon it consumed 11. howe can it be disperced in so many places 12. how can it be extended to such a masse of bread and such a quantity of wine 13. howe in breaking the hoast Christs body is not diuided 14. how can there bee as much in one hoast as in 10000. 15. how passeth the difficulty of transubstantiation Thirdly there are difficulties about the substance of bread 16. what becoÌ„meth of the substance of bread is it annihillated or resolued into aire 17. vvhen the formes of bread and vvine are coÌ„sumed how returneth it again Fourthly there be not a few most difficult questions about the accidents 18. how they remaine vvithout their subiect 19. how one hoast peâ—etrateth not another 20. how they concurre to the production of grace I omitte many more vvhich might be touched about the sacrifice effects and receauers of this Sacrament But these onely I haue propounded that the faithfull Christians might perceaue the singular vvisedome of God in prouiding them so present so palpable so daily an obiect to exercise their faith For questionlesse there is more merit of faith where the obiect hath greater difficulty to bee vnderstood because there principally we captiue and bridle our wittes to obey God in faith Wherefore I cannot but commend the deuotion of those faithfull christians vvho in all temptations of faith haue recourse vnto this Sacrament and say good Lord Credo adiuua incredulitatem meam I Marke 9. doe beleeue helpe my incredulity Likewise I take one of the dispositions or preparations very proportionate to the receauing hereof to bee a resolute faith to beleeue the reall presence of Christ in this Sacrament protesting to liue and die in the professing of this vndoubted truth in despight of all heresie or errour The seuenth cause for the increase of our hope TWo things by the vertue of hope we expect at Gods hands vvherfore both we are apertly assured to obtaine by the institution of this Sacrament if wee bee not faulty on our partes the former for principall though last in effect is life euerlasting the latter though as it seemes not so worthy yet first in execution are the means to atchieue life euerlasting As for them most liuely our hope we see erected by this sacrament For who is so foolish to thinke that God will deny him any thing necessary to saluation since he hath left him his body soule person bloud life for a meane for a ladder to make him to ascend into heauen If saint Paule reasoned Roman 8. wel God gaue vs his sonne how will he not giue vs all with him speaking of his incarnation so nowe I wil reason Christ bestowed his body and bloud to bring vs to life euerlasting and howe can he deny vs the lesse who hath granted the more how wil he debarre vs of al treasure in heauen who hath giuen vs the Lord of al treasure of heauen Had not the Iewes a most stedfast argument when they wandered in the vast desart of Egypt that GOD firmely pretended to conduct them vnto the land of Promise Exod. 14. when hee sent his Angel with a pillar of fire as a torch bearer to guide them in the obscuritie of the night and with a cloude like a fanne to defend them by day from the scorching beames of the Sunne when he euery day rayned Angels foode to sustaine Exod. 16. them al which were figures of this Sacrament as hereafter shal appeere And may not wee in like manner saye that Christ hath left vs an inuisible proofe that hee pretendeth neuer to faile in meanes necessary to life euerlasting hauing presented a pillar of light a cloude of raine a celestial Manna to illuminate our vnderstanding to coole the fierie flame of concupiscence to feed our soules to eternal life And therefore hee saide Manducauerunt patres vestri manna in deserto mortui sunt Your Fathers didde eate manna in the desart and they died Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeterno Hee that eateth this bread shal liue for euer Iohn the sixt chapter In like sorte we may be assured of life euerlasting for hee that prouideth such forcible and excellent meanes questionlesse intendeth to impart the end yea he that we receiue is the end himselfe Haec est vita aeterna vt cognoscant te verum Deum quem misisti Iesum Christum This is life euerlasting that they know thee the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ the seuenteenth chapter of Saint Iohn And he hath auerred most certainly that those which worthily eate this food haue euen in this life life euerlasting in them Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam ego resuscitabo enm in nouissimo die Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting and I will rayse him vppe in the last day Iohn the 6. chapter that is they haue the second person in trinity who is life euerlasting both the obiect and the giuer The eight cause to inflame our charitie ARistophanes saide that loue was of such nature that it affected so to vnite louers that they should become one thing but because this was impossible to bee done either without the destruction of one or both therfore it inforced them to procure all those vnions which were possible as the same iudgementes opinions desires habitations table apparell c. And indeede this opinion of Aristophanes we may
seruent and full of charitie as a number of stinking flies from a boyling pot vppon the fire because they know they scorch their bodyes by ceazing vppon such a preye Therefore Iob. 17◠in all temtations of Sathan which vexe vs vehemently let vs runne to this defence and say with Iob Pone me iuxta te cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me Put me next to thee and then let any hand fight against mee The twelfth cause to arme vs against the worlde BY the world here I vnderstand all the wicked men who professe themselues friends of the world and endeuoure to induce the seruants of God to sinne and wickednesse as Infidels Heretikes and wicked Christians against all which this blessed body doth singularly defend and protect vs. Who cannot but call to memory that memorable miracle wrought in the furnace of Babylon when the blasphemous Dan. 3. Nabuchadonozer affecting deitie caused Sidrac Misac Abdenago to be cast into the vehement flames of fire because they would not adore his statue but what effect had it what could he preuaile nothing What was the reason because he saw one with them walking like the sonne of man They which had Christ with them for him the Angell there present represented in the very middest of flames walke with alacritie care not for torments in the calme of their dolours they praise and glorifie God For I would demaund of any true seruant of christ what persecution what what losse of goods what imprisonments what rackes what gibbets cutting or mangling can affright him who hath receiued Christ into his heart in the blessed sacrament specially when he considereth with mature deliberation that that all these torments and many more are nothing in comparison of that the very sonne of GOD suffered for his loue Moreouer if wicked Christians deride thy fasting continencie long praiers and mortifications what consideration can better defend thee then the presence of Christ who passed ouer all the alphabet of mortification most exactly for thy sake The cause why this Sacrament so defendeth good soules against the wicked assaults of the world I take to be the great abundance of charitie and grace whch Christ offereth to those that receiue his body worthily for as after shall be declared heere our Sauiour oepneth his hand disperseth his heauenly treasures most copiously This celestiall dew or rather this supernaturall flame so kindleth the hearts of all good soules that it causeth them to loue prize and esteeme God exceedingly and consequently to desire nothing more than to haue occasion to com to that supreame and heroicall act of charitie Ponere animam pro amico suo to 10. 15. yeeld his life for his friend For thereby they assuredly know they shal be like vnto him whome they doe claspe in their breasts they wel vnderstand that loue more appeereth by suffering euil for their friend than in dooing good for him And for this cause I would councel yea and I am perswaded if the precept of receiuing the Eucharist bindeth out of Easter as commonly Diuines holde it doth that specially those who eyther are to be examined or arraigned or executed for religion ought to prepare thēselues with this Sacrament if they can do it conueniently for as Saint Cyprian saith Idonius esse non potest ad martirium qui ab Ecclesia non armatur ad praelium mens Cip. in cp 54 deficit quam non recepta Eucharistia erigit accendit He is not fit for Martirdome whome the Church hath not armed to battaile and there the minde faileth whē the Eucharist receiued erecteth not and inflameth For how can thy be better prepared to spend their blood for Christ then when they are armed with the blood of Christ or when will they answere more courageously in the defence of Christs religion then when they are replenished vvith the chiefest fruite of his passion The thirtenth cause to bridle our concupiscence THe sting of originall sinne made such a deepe wound in the inferiour partes of our soules that although they bee cured by Baptisme yet the scarres fester againe except they be continually fomented with some heauenly medecine the which our carefull pastour hath prouided in this Sacrament whose vertue better shall be perceiued by the declaration of both the sore and the salue Concupiscēce is an inordinate appetite of the soule inclining it to follow the delights of the flesh proceeding from sin and bēding the soule to sin This salue is a Sacrament eleuating soules from earth to heauen from sence to reason from carnall delights to eternall pleasures proceeding from god containing god and leading to god Whence from followeth that as dastards are terrefied only with the memory of their potēt aduersaries euen so the fury of concupiscence is greatly asswaged only by the memory of this sacrament when it perceiueth that Christ must lodge in that house where it resideth For it well knows that if the high priestes in the olde law could not offer their solemne sacrifices but prepared with continencie if none durste approache neare the mount Exod. 19. where God by his Angelles gaue but two stonye tables contayning the lawe 1. Reg. 21. Mat 12. except the abstinency from their lawefull wiues hadde armed them if Dauid coulde not eate the loaues of proposition but disposed with coniugall chastitie if 1. Cor. 7. S. Paule woulde haue married men to abstaine for a time to be more fit for praier howe then dare concupiscence debostlie breake foorth into inordinate appetites how dare she desire those delights vniustly when those are debarred which might haue vsed them lawfully Do wee not see what care the true friendes of Christ haue euer had to handle his body with all puritie If Ioseph of Aramathia take the Matt. 27. body of Christ to bury he foldeth it in a most pure sindon or fine white cloth if it be laid vpon the Altare none is ignorant how cleane the corporalls are where vpon his precious body resteth and shall wee thinke that externall creatures are so requisite and internall puritie not much more to be affected No no the soule of him who receiueth this Sacrament ought to be a corporal without staine of fleshly delights or impuritie if concupiscences are so restrained with memory of the puritie requisite to this holy Communion if the Sunne cast such a light before it appeare aboue our horizon how can darkenes abide after it be risen in what fetters and boltes shal it be cast when Christ entreth when he sheweth his face for most certaine it is that the loue and charitie of Christ heere imprinteth in the soule the supernatural comforts hee most liberally lendeth to the deuout receiuers extinguish the flames of concupiscence as the cloud in the desart hindred the scorching Psal 104. rages which parched the children of Israel Psal 77. and the fresh water which gushed out of the rocke quenched their thirst Likewise after that good
soules haue harboured this precious balme what fragrant smells of deuotion of modestie of pietie of religion issue out of those mouthes distil from those handes spring from those eyes who haue seene toucht and tasted their saluation The foureteenth cause to giue life to the Soule THis cause motiue or effect of the institution of the Eucharist our Sauiour welnie tenne times inculcateth in S. Iohn which breedeth some difficultie because al the other Sacraments communicate to the receiuers the same effect for a sacrament is a visible sign of an inuisible grace instituted for the fanctificatiō of the soul the which cannot be without grace which is the life of the soule for as the bodye without the soule is dead euen so the soul without grace lacketh life Howe then peculiarly doth Christ ascribe the life of the soule to this Sacrament since it is cōmon to all the rest Diuers causes I think may be rendred First for that in the other sacramentes God distilleth his grace by droppes in this where he disperseth it with his owne hands he powreth it forth in abundance and therefore they may be said not to giue life in respect of this Euen as we call flesh onely meate not that fish is not meate but in respect of fleshe wee scarce account it meate Secondly because in this Sacrament men participate not onely the life of grace in the soule but also the body and soule folde within them the reall and substantial life of Christ wherwith they are made one thing one bodye one life wherefore Christ said Qui manducat me viuet propter me He that eateth me shall also liue by Io. ◠mee And Sicut misit me viuens pater ego vnio propter patrem qui manducat me viuet propter me as the liuing father hath sent mee and I liue by the father And hee that eateth mee the same also shall liue by me that is as my father sent me by mine incarnation and I liue for the vnion vvhich my diuinity receaued from my father euen so those that eate mee shall liue for the vnion they haue with me Thirdly for that we here receaue the intire and compleate cause of life euerlasting both of body soule the which wee doe not in other Sacramentes and therefore Christ saide Qui manducat meam Io. 6. carnem Et bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vppe in the last day Since therefore this foode in general causeth life and for so many particular reasons yeeldeth life to the receauers wee may well call it the fruite of life And as often as we eate thereof we haue accesse to that tree of life planted in paradise by whose fruit our forefathers had kept their Gen. 3. bodies immortall As often as it entreth into our mouthes wee sucke the vaine of life drawing the incorruptible bloud out of our Sauiours side for al other meates do what you can they so restore life that they destroy life and at last by their continuall action exhaust al the forces but this Sacrament yeeldeth eternal life both to the soule and body and although the body die yet by vertue of this foode it is to rise againe The fifteenth cause to dignifie his Priests BEeing once in company with certaine Protestants yet ciuil men for conuersation one of them being a Minister asked what was the cause that Priests were so accounted in times past among the Papists and ministers so little prized now among the Protestants He himselfe answered first Truely quoth he I thinke it proceeded of confession by which they kept the people in great awe and reuerence Nay quoth the other it was the good life of those Priestes which made them esteemed and the ill life of our ministers which causeth them to be contemned I then concluded the matter and told them they had both touched good strings for we commonly reuerence them whom wee know are thorowly acquainted with our state and vnderstand our imperfections besides we respect sanctitie in whom soeuer we find it but especially in them whose state requireth different life from the rest but to make the harmony more perfect I thinke the chiefe cause was the dignitie of consecrating the bodye of Christ al these three make a good consort in Musicke to haue power ouer his reall body by consecration and ouer his mystical bodye by remission of sinnes and to leade a life continually correspondent to them both cannot but strike into the peoples hearts a great reuerence and respect Let vs omit the two latter onely speake of the former What greater authoritie can wee imagine could God giue to man than to put in his hand the vse of his infinite power to worke so many myracles to effect such a worke as surpasseth the creating both of heauen and earth when where and as often as hee woulde Simeon thought thought it so great a thing to take Christ but once in his armes that he loathed after to liue in the world and cried Nunc dimittis seruum Luc. 2. tuum in pace Heere the Priest euery day not onely handleth but also maketh present and eateth The three kinges came from forraine countries to adore him but the Priest can bring Christ from heauen and lay him vpon the altar Saint Marie Magdalen bathed Christs feet with tears Luk. 7. but what flouds would she haue shed once to haue eaten his body or dranke his blod What greater dignity coulde a man haue conceaued then to be made instrumentes of Gods Omnipotencie that their words should be more effectuall thē al the deeds in the world What more imminent glory could they haue imagined then to offer vp daily that sacrifice which our sauiour offered once vpon the Crosse These thinges bee so great that whole bookes would scarce suffice to Register them all Reade Saint Chrysost de sacerdotio and you shall see howe he extolleth their Authority The sixteenth cause to haue God vnder sensible obiect to heare our praiers ONe of the greatest impediments that the seruants of God suffer in praier is a certaine diffidence or doubting that they pray in vaine that none heareth or attendeth what they say whereupon followeth a tediousnesse and loathsomnesse in praier which impeacheth not only the merite but also the effect and impetration which often requireth continuation True it is that wise and faithfull Christians conceaue the presence of God in euery place but because it is so insensible because it proceedeth from the intellectuall faculty it causeth no great impression in the soule therefore our prouident maister foreseeing this imperfection ordained such a presence as should stande well with the merite of faith and also greatly Exod. 25. 37. further our deuotion As in the old Testament God prouided the propitiatorie where he placed two Cherubins folding the Arke with their
winges and he from thence gaue answere vnto Moses and the Priests to all that they demanded of him that thereby the people might enioye a perpetuall sensible obiect to stirre more deeply in their mindes a more liuely conceite of the presence of God then they coulde imprint without it Besides this corporall presence helpeth vs greatly in praier to recal vs when we are distracted for such is the imperfection of our meditations that we cannot prosecute theÌ„ but by corporal imaginations the which wee proue to be so wauering incoÌ„stant that if we fix not our mindes fully vpon some corporal sensible obiect our selues will be wandring in al the coasts of the world But by this presence of Christ our imagination keepeth at home as soone as it beginneth to range this Sacrament with a silent voice but a crying maiesty admonisheth him of his duty that talking with so soueraigne a king he must not but speake to the purpose attend what he answereth Thirdly it causeth vs to humble our selues the which is most necessary for â—eel 25. Luke 18. praier because oratio humiliantis se nubes penetrabit the praier of him that humbleth himselfe wil pierce the cloudes And the publicane for this cause obtained his petition wheras the Pharisie was reiected and what can enforce a man more truly profoundly to humble himselfe before God then this food where the son of god doth humble yea abase himselfe so low for maÌ„ Fourthly in the Arke as S. Paul witnesseth Heb. 9. were the tables of the law the rod of Aaron wherwith he did so many miracles in Egypt and a vessell of Manna that god rained in the desart For god would haue them to set perpetually before their eyes the memories of his admirable benefites he had bestowed vpon theÌ„ And haue we not most liuely represented al these three in the Eucharist who vieweth but the tabernacle wherin our sauiour resteth and remeÌ„breth not the new testament subrogated for the old Christ for Moses the law of grace for the law of feare the two precepts of charity like the two tables foulding the x. commaundements who seeth this sacrament presently recordeth not what woonders Christ wrought in earth how he conducteth the faithfull through the red sea of his pretious bloud wherein are drowned all infidels for their incredulity being made to the one petra scandali a Rom. 8. 1 Pet. 2. stumbling stone to the other lapis angularis the corner stone finally who beholdeth here the presence of Christ imediatly may not easily see the vessel of maÌ„na the foode of his chosen people in the desart of his life the foode of Angels discended from heauen the food that finally must conduct theÌ„ to the land of promise The seuenteenth cause to abolish veniall sinnes IF we were arriued to the hauen of eternall life and ascribed citizens of that celestiall Ierusalem whence there is neither Eph. 5. macula ruga nec spot nor wrinckle that is neither sinne nor inclination to sinne we needed no remedy to wash away our sins but since our habitation for a while must be cum habitant Cedar in a worlde subiect Psa 119. to temptatioÌ„s of SathaÌ„ euill examples of the vngodly allurements of the flesh infinite occasions of offences since we are seduced by so many extraordinary passions blinded in iudgement and feebly in affection prone to vice and slowe to vertue Lac. 3. therfore the very iust doe vtter these voices In multis offendimus omnes in manye things â— 10. 1. things we offende all and si dixerimus quod peccatum non habemus nosipsos seducimus Prou. 24. If we shall say that we haue no sinne we seduce ourselues and septies in die cadit iustus the iust falleth seuen times a day Neuerthelesse the iust are planted Psa 1. by the riuer side if some little imperfection staine them if some mudde cleaue vnto them these cristal streames wil wash it away this blessed Sacrament beeing their dayly foode will scoure their dayly defects For we know well that dayly meate supplies dayly wants and that which either sunne or labour consumeth that meate repaireth so in the Sacrament it befalleth wherewith the soule is nourished that those defects which either by worldly mallice or carnall delights were contracted by this consuming fier are released If Dauid coulde say asperges me domine Psa 50. hisopo mundabor lauabis me super niuem dealbabor Thou shalt purge â—mee O Lord with isope I shal de clensed thou shalt wash mee and I shall be made whiter then snowe If the bloud of kiddes or calues sprincled with isope could wash him so from sinnes which drew all their vertue from this Sacrament so that hee should become whiter then snow how white then shal become those soules from the spots of sinne whose heartes soules are sprincled with the blood of Christ I must confesse with Saint Augustine that Christ washed his disciples feete before he made them pertakers of his table the which did signifie the spirituall washing from veniall sinnes for none ought to powre downe this pretious liquor but Tract 56. in 10. into a challice most pure and neate Yet what if after some indifferent diligence made or for some other present occasion one come to this Sacrament with some veniall sinnes shall not wee thinke that our bountifull Sauiour will like the sunne consume those little cloudes of ignorance like an Ocean sea drowne those sparkes of concupiscence like a magnificent king taking possession of his crown and kingdome I meane the soules of his seruants forgiue those little faults committed and say as he saide to Zacheus Luke 14. Quia salus huic domui facta est This daye saluation is made to this house For if wee consider but the qualities of veniall sins and the nature of this Sacrament wee shall finde such correspondence of perfection in the one opposite to the imperfections of the other that none can deny but that this foode of life to veniall sinnes is a present death venial sins are not main but light offences of god but this sacrament yeeldeth extreame contentation to God wherein his sonne who comprehendeth all his loue is contained Veniall sins dispose to mortall and consequently tend to damnifie the soule to death but this sacrament is life bringeth life and encreaseth life Veniall sinnes coole the feruer of charitie and this Sacrament enflameth charitie Veniall sins cause some blemishes in the soule and consequently distemper the beautie therof by a little disgracing the exact figure and similitude of the Trinitie this Sacrament deifieth adioyneth new colours and repaireth the portraite againe For who can better do it then he that came of purpose to refine it The eighteenth cause to be a perpetuall Sacrifice Priest Sacrifice Religion are so linked together that it is imposible to finde one without the other for there can be no Priest that hath
God did foresee the hard encounters they should meet withal before that entered into the firme possession he thought conuenient to giue them a taste of the aboundance and fertilitie of that soile to the intent that feeling the fruit they should not grudge at the paine and therefore he mooued them to send the scowts to suruey the country and discouer the commodities They launch forth passe the principall partes auoyde sundry dangers retourne with such huge clusters of grapes it being vintage that Numb 13 they were not able to carry them in their hands but with poules to beare them vppon their shoulders Euen so our blessed Sauiour knowing that the faithfull children of his church were to be assaulted by many potent inuisible expert and ghostly enimes as the victorie was more important and the foile more daungerous so he thought with a preamble of internail ioy to encourage them to tolerate a moment of paine for which effect he being our scowt and hauing viewed the lande of euerlasting promise he brought vs the bloud of grapes this fruite of that soyle to indnce vs with the sweetnes greatnes and taste thereof to suffer with alacritie to resist with a courage to inuade with valour to expugne with glory all crosses encounters enimies temtations that either aduersitie could impose or sathan inuent or persecutor inflict or our alluring flesh stirre vppe against vs. And that is the sacred Eucharist the which is not only as aboue wee haue deliuered a portraite of all the admirable workes of God but also a most liuely image representing vnto vs the vniuersall ioys of heuen For in what consisteth life euerlasting our future felicity In the glory of our soules and bodies In what maner are our foules blessed by seeing foulding louing reioycing in God and our bodyes are glorified by the redundance distillation and influence of our soules Al which most exactly this sacrament affordeth because in very deed he that seeth this sacrament seeth God as those that saw Christs sacred humanity the vaile of his person were said to see his diuinitie and those that view her maiestie though masked are saide to see the Queene Besides in life euerlasting the blessed comprehend fould and as it were spiritually by their vnderstanding claspe God in their soules Sic currite vt comprehendatis 1. Cor. 3. so run that you may obtaine willed he that God had admitted to see these secrets and the spouse Tenui eum nec demittam Cantic 3. I held him and I wil not forgo my holde For really there wee shall holde in eternall possession that we heere expected by hope And who sees not how all those that receiue this glorious bread fould it in their breasts keepe it and quietly possesse God and all his perfections And who is so stonie hearted that loueth not him that lieth so neere his heart or who is so indurated that this bloud doth not mollifie or who is so voide of affection that this so affectious a God would and doth not moue to loue what ioye proceedeth from these spirituall imbracings from this vnion of spirits from this matching of the soule with her center from this vitall refection from this heauenly conuersation let him tell that sayde dulciora sunt vbera tuae super vinum Cantic 2. thy paps are sweeter then wine let him tell that felt quà m dulcia eloquia Dei super Psal 18. and 118. mel fanum how sweet are the words of God sweeter then honye or the honye combe let him tell that called it pinguis Genes 49. panis qui prebet delitijs regibus fat bread which yeeldeth delites to kings Finally how by eating this Sacrament our bodies shall rise and receiue immortalitie aboue was declared and moreouer in this present foode the body of Christ which shal be the example of all glorious bodyes permanently remaineth No maruaile it is therfore if feruent souls liue in a perpetuall iubilie of ioy and peace since here in earth they participate a forme of the ioyes of heauen if they desire to bee with God whose company is so sweet and gratefull The fortieth cause to bee a condigne sacrifice for Christ to offer to his father BEfore the institution of this sacrament of vnualuable value the Euangelist S. Iohn who suckt his diuinitie out of that breast whencefrom issued this Precious licour prepareth the readers for other Euangelists with a most profound diuine preface that after vnderstanding such an admirable mysterie penetrating the depth of his reasons they might be induced to beleeue it sciens Iesus Ioh. 13. c. Iesus knowing that his father had giuen him all things into his hands and that he came from God and returned to God he rose and prepared hmself to wash his Disciples feete thereby infinuating with what puritie of soule the faithfull ought to participate the dainties of this table In which compendious wordes hee yeeldeth three reasons why it concerned the office functions and dignitie of our Sauiour to institute this regall sacrifice First because he being ordained by God our high priest according to the Psal 109. order of Melchisedech and consequently hauing commission to institute a sacrifice in bread and wine after that former since Hebr. 7. therfore God hath deliuered all things into his hands that appertained to his fathers glorie his own honor his Churches saluation and dignitie of them all it was most decent that hauing receiued all his sacrifice should comprehend all and be offered to God in recognition of all the which could not bee any other thing then God who is all in all Secondly because that knowing he came from god that is he issued from his father by natural necessarie eternal generation equal in perfection vnited in the same essence it did behooue him not to offer vp any mean present or base gift no it could not stand with so soueraigne a maiestie to institute any such sacrifice as could bee contained within the limited borders of humane or angelicall capacities for if that vaine Alexander though proudly yet truely vaunted that Kings ought not so much attende to whome they giue as who they are that giue howe much more did it concerne our Sauiour Christ king of kings to offer a condigne present to his father the Monarch of the worlde wherefore as all his actions wherewith hee merited were of infinite value for the dignitie of his person euen so this sacrifice was to bee ordained of infinite prize for the substance of the same for there was no gift answerable to eyther of theyr dignities or sutable to their Maiesties but a sacrifice containing God for nothing but God can be infinite in substance for which reason wee haue God the giuer God the receiuer and God the gift the which sacred consort cannot but yeelde a most sweete harmonie Thirdly knowing hee was to returne to his father where incessantly the incense of his prayers were to ascend therefore as he accompanied
ouer the effects of loue and therby discouer the origen and fountaine of this vaine of life he shall finde them most liuely in this little world of al pure loue depaynted The fruits of loue be these vnion zeale extasie bountifulnes Foure riuers al issuing from one spring and as this Sacrament and the incarnation of Christ of al the wonderfull works of God most manifestly declare his loue so it were not amisse to declare the effects ofloue in them both that the resemblance of both might render the matter more plaine yet to auoide prolixitie I will content me with the Eucharist for by this the other may be conceiued but first of all let vs see what wee vnderstand by these effectes All perfect loue requireth a certaine Vaion vnion in substance as was declared in the eight cause but for that amongest men this was vnpossible without the destruction of one or both therefore they procured all these vnions which honesty puritie of loue affect and these are to be of the same iudgements and opinions the same wills desires and affections the same table and diet the same place and presence the like garments and attire and finally to expresse one another in all things as neere as they can Zeale after two manners proceedeth Zeale from loue First zealous friends cannot tollerate any iniuries offered to their friends but procure with greater or as great diligence to defend them their credit goods life or what else appertaineth vnto them as their owne Secondly zeale cannot suffer consorts in loue and therefore experience teacheth vs what a griefe it is for the husband to haue a conceit of a riuall Extasie likewise abstracteth or haleth Extasie a louer from himselfe and causeth him rather to liue there where he loueth then indeede where hee liueth for the force of loue transporteth excessiuely his minde cogitations and affections from his owne affaires and enforceth him to attende and procure whatsoeuer concerneth his friend sometimes also it leadeth the soule so farre that it is almost abstracted from the bodie as diuers saints were rauished so with the loue of God that they liued many daies in profound contemplation feeding vpon the food of life not taking any corporall sustenance Bountifulnes waiteth vpoÌ„ loue as a most Bountifulnâ—â— faithful seruant for friendes cannot but communicate their goods one with another who before by friendship had communicated their hearts therefore they preseÌ„t one another with gifts as signes of that good will they carrie in their minds and to remonstrate vnto theÌ„ that as they haue taken possession of their harts so also they may coÌ„mand them in their goods for amicorum omnia sunt communia among friends al things are common and he that hath giuen the greater will not sticke to impart the lesser these effectes I haue set down cursorily bicause the exact treatise requireth a whole booke onely to shew how in this sacrameÌ„t God shews them al. That in the sacred Eucharist God effecteth all those vnions which proceed from loue Ca. 3 AS I said before considering the admirable loue that God hath declared by deliuering this sacrament to the world that I was calmed in the Ocean sea in the which similitude if we persist I thinke I shal be able in part to vnfold the vnion in substance betwixt Christ and our soules in the blessed Eucharist for as the Ocean sea surcharged with an infinite multitude of waters dischargeth it self in the Mediterranean and red seas for the benefit of the inhabitants of Europe Affrike and Asia not diuiding it selfe from them but rather by their meanes becommeth vnited to those coasts wheron they border and the wombs wherin they lie by which means the treasures of the one may be transported to the other and the inhabitants of the vast Ocean may haue free passage into the red and Mediterranean Euen so the endlesse goodnesse of God swelling inwardly with an immensiue loue dischargeth himself in these two seas of loue the redde by the incarnation of Christ the Mediterranean by the institution of this sacrament yet the main Ocean of his diuinitie remaineth vnited to his humanitie and thereby bordereth vpon those soules whom he bathed with his bloud and is conioyned with the breasts of theÌ„ who receiue into them this Mediterane sea by which vnion the Citizens of heauen may passe freely among the colonies of the earth therfore as Christs diuinity was substantially vnited to his humanity euen so his diuinity and humanity are vnited in this blessed sacrameÌ„t to their bodies soules who feed at this table and as from his diuinity proceeded all those graces fauors wherwith that sacred humanity was spiritually annointed euen so froÌ„ his humanity linked with his diuinity issue all those sweete vertues graces for the which this blessed bread was ordained And therfore as betwixt the sacred humatie of Christ and his diuinitie there was a most diuine reciprocate ardent and continuall loue euen so betwixt our soules Christ there should rise a mutuall flame if we faile not he cannot be defectuous And as that sacred humanitie like the needle toucht with the adamant looketh euer towardes the pole starre was alwayes directed by his diuinitie euen so ought wee in all our actions to square our intentions according as our Sauiour teacheth vs whom we holde vnited in this sacrament because he was giuen to vs as our maister our doctor and teacher Much more might be sayd of this substantiall vnion but because it hath beene partly touched before partly because I intend not here to deliuer all I think may be said but only to touch some few points or superficiall heads leauing the rest vnto the prudent and discreet Readers of godly meditations As for all other vnions which are rooted in this coniunction of our soules and bodyes with Christ briefly they may be declared For by this Vnion of conceitswith Christ effected by the Eucharist Sacrament wee come to participate many of these conceites which heere GOD reueileth and maketh vs partakers of that were most darke and hidden from nature because the very mystery it selfe openeth the eyes of our vnderstanding to wade deeper into the secrets of nature than euer philosophy could haue induced vs as that a substaunce can be wholy spoiled of his accidents that the accidents can exist without the substance that a naturall body can consist intirely without extension or circumscription of place finally all these 20. difficulties which before were proposed to this purpose may be inserted Moreouer here our mindes are illustrated with the diuine beames which issue out of Christes humanitie as in the 34. cause hath beene deliuered And then our iudgements are right and true when they come to be conformable to the rule of all true knowledge that is the infinite wisedome of God the which we attaine to by knowing God himselfe for in him by him we shal come to perfect knowledge the which this
to men issue from an infinite power wisdome and goodnes because they cannot be effected but by God yet this consisteth rather in the manner of their production then in their substance or degree of perfection as for example Christ changed water into Iohn 2. wine in the mariage the manner of working this miacle in an instaÌ„t with a word without the helpe or concourse of any other cause required infinite power yet because the substance of wine the degree and perfection of wine was limitted and contained within the boundes of a speciall creature therfore it required no infinitie of cause or principle and therefore we see a vine can produce wine But if God could create an angel of infinit vertue perfection or grace then not only the manner but also the substance would exact the infinit power of God By this discourse we may plainly conceiue that this gift which GOD hath bestowed vppon vs requireth not only infinit power in the manner of producing it vnder the rindes of bread and wine but also in the very degree and perfection and consequently being a gift proceedeth from no limitred but infinit loue in degree and perfection because the effects being infinit in degree argueth a principle in like proportion and therfore we may wel conclude that this gift and Gods loue weyed both in a ballance haue not one dram of difference What loue can equall this what greater excesse coulde God shew Nam infinitum est vltra quod non est accipere A thing infinite is that that receiueth nothing beyond it If all the loues in the world how ardent how feruent how vehement soeuer were compared with this they would appeare as little sparkes in respect of the vast ocean fier that rouleth vnder the moone But if we adde here vnto the value of this loue the dignitie and worth the vehemencie therof would better appeare For as one droppe of Christs bloud in this sacrifice ought more to be prized then millions of worldes euen so one graine of this loue ought to be preferred before all the loues that euer were are or shal be For which cause our Sauiour saide once Qui amat patrem vel Matâ—h 1â— Luke 14. matrem plus me non est me dignus Hee that loueth father or mother more then mee is not worthy of me that is he deserueth to leese an infinit good an endlesse loue that preferreth a base and limitted loue before mine and for the same cause hee is worthy of eternall hatred who so little accounteth such excesse of friendshippe Fourth Fecâ—nditie BY glaunces of eyes and words of mouÌ„th the heart exalteth the vapours of affections And therefore our Sauiour with eyes like fire and voyce like the sound of many waters discouered to saint Iohn the conditions of his loue by the flame of his eyes the vehemencie by the noyse of his voyce the fecunditie for as the water which falleth from heauen rendeteth the earth fertill and aboundant with flowers and fruit euen so this sacrament embrothereth the soile of our soules with the flowers of vertue and leadeth them with the fruits of good workes Marke sayth S. Ciprian what they do and consider what Cipâ—iaâ—us De coena Domini they doo speake who hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse are satiated hee meaneth with the Eucharist what a holy odour that fulnes breatheth good works decent maners chaste effects quiet senses that internall sinceritie spreadeth abroad But who euer sawe water that restoreth dead trees to life the Eucharist restoreth and therefore it is called panis vitae the bread of life What water could euer preserue Ioh. 6. a tree alwayes in vigour and enable it eternally to beare both floures fruit the Eucharist inableth Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum hee that eateth of Ibidem this bread shall liue for euer What water euer did change the nature of trees and caused a crab tree bring foorth figges or a briar to beare grapes The Eucharist causeth by bridling concupiscences it changeth carnall affection into spirituall and sensualitie into virginite what heauenly dew had euer virtue to make one tree produce al sortes of fruits the Eucharist maketh for by deifying the soule with grace it is disposed by theologicall and morall vertues to effect al good works which are fruit to be presented to the table of God almightie But it is to be considered that the noyse was caused by a multitude of waters for the loue of God doth not onlie fructifie the soule as water but also it washeth it after a much more excellent manner than water and therefore pruneth the trees and trimmeth them This water conuerted into bloud mixt with wine before consecration desired Dauid when he was spotted with sinnes saying Asperges me Psal 50. Hab. 9. Domine hisopo Sprinkle me O Lord with hisope dipt in bloud What blouÌ„d Not of calues nor bulles but figured by them the bloud of Christ And what will it doe lauabis me super niuem dealbabor thou wilt wash me and I shal be whiter than snow for water of life so cleanseth sinnes that it adioyneth a new beautie as if there could be a water which washing a blacke More did not only purge the filth from his face but also added a whitenesse which he neuer had Such effects worketh the Eucharist for it cleanseth not onely the soule from sinne but also adioyneth a colour of gold a supernaturall brightnes a participation of Gods deitie and beautifieth it so exceedingly that it becommeth Diuinae â— Pet. 1. naturae consors partaker of the diuine nature Other waters by washing consume the substance of that they wash but this water is mingled with wine both conuerted into bloud and therefore nourisheth fortifieth and addeth a new vigour to Plut. in Lycurg the soule like that bath of wine Lycurgus ordained to wash yong infants withal immediately after they were borne to fortifie their ioints corroborate their sinewes and with the heate to consume superfluous moysture other waters by clensing other things defile themselues but this water remains in cristal purity rather ioyneth a new lustre of glorifying god Many spots there be in nature which water cannot wash away but there is no stain of the soule but this bloud is able to cleanse it fully Another water concurred to forme that noise which Christs voice resembled that had force to quench the thirst for he that drinketh this coÌ„uerted water shal neuer thirst againe because Christ hath so registred it in S. Iohn qui bibit ex hac aqua Iohn 4. non sitiet in aeternum he that shal drinke of this water shall not thirst for euer for as all medicines require a time for operation so this Sacrament after a small time wil extinguish al inordinate affections fil our souls ab vbertate domus domini from Psal 33. the fruitfulnes of our Lords house Fift Efficacie THe stars which he carried in
their shoulders the cognusance of the effects of this sacrament as the tree of life in Paradise the rainbow to we and his posteritie Manna in the desart the honie which opened the eies of Ionathas the Christall water which the stonie vaines of craggie rocks gushed forth at the request and stroake of Moses Others God ordained principally to insinuate vnto vs the continuance and perpetuitie of this oblation as the two sacrifices God appointed the Iews daily to offer one in the morning another in the euening others hee determined to expresse sundrie circumstances as the puritie and perfection by the sacrifice of most pure oyle finest flower Others to foretell howe gratâ—full this sacrifice was vnto God by insence themiamata and other odoriforous smelles All which figures sacrifices ceremonies and ordinances of God hee that would take the assumpt to declare and applie euerie one to the Eucharist might easily find sufficient matter to fill a whole volume Therfore I meane to omit all the rest and only betake me to two of the principall and most celebrated of all antiquitie I meane Manna and the Pascall Lambe Manna Exod. 16 ALthough we had not the testimony of all antiquitie pronouncing that manna was a figure of the blessed Eucharist yet the very conformitie proportion admirable simpathie betwixt theÌ„ would sufficieÌ„tly perswade any reasonable iudgement that the one was a picture of the other as manfestly shall appeare First manna was called food of angels paneâ— angelorum manducauit homo man hath eaten the bread of angel because either it Iob. 28. was formed by the ministerie of angels or so worthy a meat as might serue for the table of Angels And who sees not the Eucharist consecrated by the Priests the terrestrial angells sent from God to feed his flocke and that the angels in heauen feed on no other substance then the sacred body soule person and diuinitie of Christ the meat which is serued vppon these fragile platters of bread and wine Secondly manna descended from heauen panem coeli dedit eis bread from heauen he Psal 77. gaue them And what saide Christ of the Eucharist ego sum panis qui de coelo deseâ—â—à i I am the bread that descended from heuen Psal 77. Thirdly Salomon calleth manna the substance of God substantians tuam dulcedinens Iohn â— tuam quam in filios habes ostendebas Thou diddest shew thy substance and thy sweetnes which thou bearest towardes children note that manna was really the substance of God but by it hee declared his treasures the ritches of his loue In the Eucharist is the very substance of GOD indeed all his sweetnes and glory Hoc est corpus meum This is my body registered Sap. 16. by Christ declareth no lesse Fourthly manna in coulour was white in similitudineÌ„ Sap. 16. pruinae after the liknes of hore forst and by beating it in a morter it became after it was baked like a cake of bread and oile Exod. 1â— None can be ignorant how this represented Numb 11 the externall forme of our sanctified bread in the Eucharist When the people sawe manna descended from heauen they wondered at it and saide Man hu Quid est hoc what is this And did not the Iews Exod. 16. wonder at Christs promising this sacrament Quomodo potest hic nobis caruem suam Iohn 6. dare ad manducandum How can this man giue vs his flesh to eat Sixtly manna was their food for fortie yeares all the while they wandred in the desart and the Eucharist so long as wee wander in the desart of this world Seuenthly manna was not giuen them from heauen till the flower of Egypt was spent and the sweet effects of this sacrament are not communicated till we renounce by baptisme the flesh diuell and world our Egyptian enimies Eightly they gathered it vp all the weeke except the Saboth day wherein they enioyed that they had collected vppon Fryday and in the saboth of rest we shall liue of that we gathered heere on earth here wee sowe there wee reape heere we fight there we shal be crowned here we eat Christ with some difficultie with faith belieuing a most profound mysterie there wee shall take full possession without any crosse or labour Ninthly those that gathered more than that in quantitie which GOD prescribed they Exod. 1â— found nothing remaining in their vessels but wormes and putrifaction who eate this sacrament vnworthiely against the prescript of Christ shall finde no other fâ—uit left in their soules then remorse of conscieÌ„ce that stinging worme that neuer dieth and eternal corruption in hel without euer dieing Tenthly manna had all sweetnes of taste Omne delectaementum Sap. 16. saporis suauitatem All delight and sweetnes of taste The Eucharist containeth Christ who affordeth and containeth all the ioyes both in heauen and earth Eleuenthly in manna euery one had that taste he desired in the Eucharist euery passion Sap. 16. affection and sore findeth a perfect remedy and euery desire a complet sacietie because by nourishing the soule it yeeldeth spirituall force by producing grace it ministereth all varietie of vertues by ioyning our hearts to Christ the fountaine of all comforts it shaketh off all the disgusts and griefes which our enemies by sinnes or temtations canimpose vppon vs Twelfthly the ordinary taste was conuerted into that taste which euery one desired Deseruiens vniuscuinsque voluntati ad 〈◊〉 16. quod quisque volebat conuertebatur deseruing to euery ones will it was conuerted to what euery one desired What could more liuely expresse the misterie of transubstantiation as this admirable conuersion and transmutation of tastes the like we haue in conuersion of the rocke into water the substance of stone by the wonderful worke of god became transformed into the substance of water Conuertit petrum Psal 113 in stagna aquarum rupem in fontes aquarum He conuerted the stone vnto a lake of waters and the rocke vnto fountains 13. Those who gathered more and those who gathered lesse found in equall portion to eat Nec qui plus collegerat habnit Exod. 16. amplius nec qui minus paraner at reperit minus He that had much abounded not 2. Cor. 8. he that had litle wanted not In the Eucharist he that receiues both formes as the Priest or a greater hoast or many hoasts or in in fine more or little receiueth no more then they which communicate with the least parcell of this Sacrament The fourteenth when the sun did rise it consumed away when the sunne of Iustice shall appeare that is when Christ shall come to vs in his glory then the manna of his church shall vanish awaynot in substance but in forme The fifteenth Although that God hath vouchsafed to feed his children with the foode of angelles with bread sent from heauen with the substance of God yet they murmured against it they lothed it they
reiected it and what else do our aduersaries Iohn â— but murmur against this blessed sacrament did not the Iewes saye Durus est hic sermo quis potest capere eum This saying is hard who can heare it do not heritikes reiect and contemne it But what sayd Christ except you eate me you shall not liue And therefore all heretikes are dead in sinne because they liue not by him The Pascall lambe Exod. 12. ASmanna did most liuely represent the externall forme and spirituall effects of this sacrament so the Pascall lambe expressed the internall substance and disposition of those who came to feed at this holy table This sacrifice was ordained to bee a Lambe without spot that is lacking all defects and imperfections and of a yeare old that is in the prime of goodnes Who sees not that the hoast offered is without spot of imperfection or wrinckle of old age either in diuinitie or humanitie in qualities of bodie or operations of soule Secondly this Lambe was to bee sacrificed in the Citie of Ierusalem and where can this sacrifice be offered but in the Catholike church by IerusaleÌ„ represented Thirdly it was to be sacrificed in the euening at what time else appointed our sauiour this sacrament When did hee eate it with his disciples but in the euening All the whole family were to meete at this feast to be made partakers thereof by this we vnderstand the charitie that all Catholikes ought to haue wheÌ„ they come to this altar to eate the common foment of all true charitie Fiftly it was to be eaten rosted and so was our blessed sauiour vpon the crosse and in his sacrament with the fire of charity which he brought from heauen to earth and what else pretended he but that it shoulde burne Sixtly no common bread but vnleauened was to be eaten in this sacred feast Ioyne this bread and the lamb together and loe the formes of our vnleauened sacrifice our lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Besides this vnleauened bread signifieth innocencie sinceritie that none ought to feede here but such as think verily they bee in Gods grace and cloathed with the marriage garment of eternall sanctitie Seuenthly the sauce for this mysticall Matth. 2â— lambe was no other but sower bitter and wilde Lettices and in this Sacrament the bitter compassion candolence of Christs death salt and sorrowfull teares for our sinnes cause a singular good tast in those who participate this sacrifice Eightly the head the feet and the intrals were to be swallowed that is in this sacrament as was declared in the 41. cause the diuinitie of Christ fignified by his head the loue of Christ declared by his feete the secret manner of his being heere we must swallow no mortall man can sufficiently comprehend them Ninthlie their loynes were to be girded to signifie the purity of mind chastitie of body wherwith this doue bathed in virgins milke ought to be eaten Tenthly they holde stanes in their handes to foretell vs that we must walke forwarde in our iourney where wee shall suffer the encounters of diuers enemies and therefore wee ought to receiue it as a defence and a protection against them Eleuenthly they were bouÌ„d to haue shooes on their feete to teach vs that our affections must bee restrained our inordinate passions bridled our preposterous concupiscences mortified if wee will eate the vnspotted Lambe mortified till death to giue vs eternal life Twelfth their eating of it in haste declared vnto vs that his sacrament was to bee eaten as in passage to life euerlasting We were not alwaies to eat it in this forme buâ— reuelata facie with his face reueled in glory Thirteene if any thing was left God commanded them to burne it because he would haue it a full sacrifice as this Eucharist where all is cousumed all is offered vp to God all receiued of the Priest Fourteene the sprinckling of those postes with bloud which was a wall of securitie against the fury of the angell who killed the first borne of the Egyptians who is so ignorant that seeth not to be the mouthes and hearts of Catholikes sprinkled with this bloud and thereby defended from the furious tyranny and cruell inuasion of that deformed angell of hell Manie more morall and spirituall conceits deuout soules may distill from these mysticall ceremonies which God by his infinite wisedom appointed to represent the sacred Eucharist for what other thing could he pretende to what purpose so many rites and ceremonies for eating a Lambe what imported it him that they should haue shooes on their feete eate those bitter lettices vnleauened bread with their loynes girt nothing could principally moue such a maiestie but the maiestie of this sacrament for howbeit hee would haue those people to remember his benefit of deliuerance out of Egypt yet three of these ceremonies had beene sufficient for them Deo gratias An aduise for protestants and puritanes IF so it chance that these my simple discourses fall into their hands for whose tastes they were not prepared I thought good to giue them three or foure aduirtisments that they remaining without the vineyard of Christ may thrust their hands through the hedge and benefit themselues at least by the leaues of the Eucharist since they cannot be pertakers of the fruite First that I inteÌ„ded not here to proue by fathers councells scriptures theologically euery cause as in schooles they commonly are handled the which if I were to deale with heretikes I could easily performe but only briefly to represent vnto the peoples eyes for their meditations some pointes appliable to euery catholikes capacitie Neither doe I stuffe the margines with ciâ—ations because in very deed I lacked bookes but euery found diuine may wel perceiue that what soeuer the fathers haue written concerning the institution and effects of the Eucharist may be reduced into one cause or other And consequently a little reading would quickly haue filled the margines Secondly let them consider how maiestically how reuerently how reasonably Catholikes belieue téach and worshippe this sacrameÌ„t And what difference there is betwixt our venerable sacrifice their prophane bread and wine Our sacrament subsisting by Gods sonne incarnate and their meere tipicall shadowe our euerlasting fountaine springing graces and vertues for life euelasting and their naked supper vnseasoned with grace depriued of vertue spoiled of religion And in very truth I cannot see how they can saue it but that whosoeuer eateth his breakefast saying grace before and after communicateth as well and feedeth as perfectly on Christ by faith as they do Moreouer who is so blind that cannot discerne howe the pascall lambe and manna which represented Christ in the holy Eucharist were much more excellent sacraments then their communion because they more liuely represented Christ the lambe his passion and manna the fruites thereof then a gobbet of bread and a sup of wine and consequently the blood of the lambe