knowne to vs then bread and wine which as they are the two most noble and proper sustenances of mans life euen so the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour is the most diuine food and strength of our soules and bodies Bread and wine is very prositable and necessary in the beginning midst and end of repast and the Hebrewes vnder the word Bread comprehend all meat as being the chiefe and a companion of all other meates and the ancient Sages haue of old called wine the King of the banquet 〈◊〉 6.46 〈◊〉 25. 〈◊〉 4. Our Sauiour then hath instituted the Eucharist with these two Symboles or signes to teach vs by them that in the Law of Grace the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body holds the first ranke amongst all the presents of meate that can be set vpon the table of his Altar for to honour his Maiestie and feede our soules withall 4. THE BREAD AND WINE SIGNES of the Passion of our Sauiour in his Sacrament THe second cause wherefore our Sauiour hath instituted the mystery of his body in these elements is to set before our eyes that which he hath endured for vs making himselfe bread and drinke vnto vs. The corne is cast into the earth to come vp in eares and to encrease it dyeth to come forth it endureth winde haile frost heate and cold in the field it is threshed in the barne-floore ground in the Mill wrought in the kneading and baked with fire in the Ouen The Grape carries the markes of the same torments for after it escapeth the iniuries of the ayre as the Corne doth it is troden and trampled vnder feete it is wrung in the Presse it endures to be shut vp in the Tunne and inclosed in the caue for to become good wine These actions and passions are the draughts that paint foorth to vs the trauailes which our Sauiour hath endured that hee might be to vs the celestiall bread and wine which hee giueth vs in the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body 5. THE BREAD AND WINE IN THE Eucharist signes of the Mysticall body of our Sauiour THe third cause of this institution made in these elements is to represent the mysticall body of the Church of Iesus Christ for as the bread and wine is made of many cornes and wrought into one paste so the Church also is composed of many members vnited vnder one head therefore it is that the Greekes call this Sacrament Sinoxis that is to say collection S. Chrysost hom 24. in 1. Cor. 10. S. Aug. 26. in Ioan. and the Latines Communion as much to say as a common vnion For these reasons and likenesses our Sauiour hath instituted this mystery in bread and wine in such sort that the bare elements speaking without words doe teach vs these three godly lessons the charity of our Sauiour in nourishing vs with himselfe his patience in suffering for vs and our vnion with him Such was his diuine wisdome in this institution that it learneth also for Doctrine 6. THE BODY OF OVR SAVIOVR CALled Bread and his Blood Wine FOr the same cause aforesaid the Scripture calleth the body of our Sauiour Bread Ierem. 1. and his blood Wine Ieremie saith in the person of the Iewes Let vs cast wood vpon his bread that is to say Let vs put his body on the Crosse as the ancient Fathers haue interpreted it Againe Hee shall wash his stole in wine Gen. 49.11 and his garments in the bloud of the grape that is to say he shall shed his bloud in abundance figuring his bloud by the wine 1. Cor. 10.16 Saint Paul also calling the Sacrament bread and wine explaines it to be the body and bloud of our Sauiour 1. Cor. 11.27 Hee that shall eate saith he this bread and shall drinke this Chalice vnworthily he shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of our Lord. Ioan. 6 Our Sauiour himselfe calleth himselfe Bread and his bloud Drinke because he offered himselfe to his Father in Sacrifice and giueth himselfe to men in this Sacrament vnder the formes of bread and wine 7. WHAT THIS SACRAMENT IS THe Eucharist is a Sacrifice as was the Oblation of Abel and both a Sacrifice and Sacrament as was the Paschall Lambe and many other ancient mysteries for the body of our Sauiour as it is offered to God in the Masse is sacrificed and the self-same body as it is giuen for food to Christians is a Sacrament And heere-hence some sigures represent it onely as it is a Sacrament so did the Tree of Life others as a Sacrifice onely so did the Oblation of Abel others as both a Sacrifice and a Sacrament together and so did the Oblation of Melchisedech the Paschall Lambe and such like Well then a Sacrament is a signe and an instrument of a holy thing so Baptisme signifies the internall and holy washing of the soule and as an instrument effects it if he which receiueth it doe not hinder the same In like manner the Eucharist containes the body and bloud of our Lord inuisibly which feed the soule and is also a signe thereof by the outward materiall visible formes of bread and wine and in this respect is a perfect Sacrament 8. WHAT A SACRIFICE IS AND HOW it is offered in the Masse THe Sacrifice taken in his proper signification is an outward action of religion and soueraigne honour done to God in acknowledgement of his supreame Maiestie by a proper officer in offering some present and in making some change thereof In this manner the offerings of beastes and other bodies in the Law of Nature and of Moses were Sacrifices And in this sense the Eucharist also is a Sacrifice in the Law of Grace and that of so much more excellencie aboue the former as the bodie of the Sonne of God offered in it surpasseth all the other bodies which could be presented to the diuine Maiestie This Sacrifice is made as hereafter we shall shew more at large by the words of Consecration This is my body this is my blood by which Iesus Christ transubstantiates the bread and the wine into his body and bloud and by the same action hee offers it to his Father for his Church though he vse not any formall words of oblation as by saying I offer thee my body for it is enough that he make it present vpon the Altar with that intention for he did no more in offering the Sacrifice of the Crosse as neither did the ancient Sacrificers in their Sacrifices God vnderstands sufficiently the language of the heart The Church hauing this body from the liberality of God offers it with Iesus Christ and by it doth honor him with homage of diuine and soueraigne whorship shee also prayeth to him by the merits which were purchased in this body afterward taketh it for her food and refection And as in olde times God gaue beasts to the Iewes which the Iewes offered to him againe honouring him in them and
a priuiledge giuen to this body vnited to the Diuinitie And since God giueth the power to Angells which are spirits to take a corporall being and to cloath themselues with some humaine or other visible forme and to possesse a place after the manner of a body it is not to be doubted but he can giue contrariwise to a body especially his deified body the prerogatiue to be in this Sacrament after the manner of a spirit without possessing any place and it repugnes no more to the nature of a body not to possesse a place then to the fier not to burne wherefore as the fier ceased not to bee fier within the furnace Van. 3. though it burnt not the Hebrew children so the body of our Lord ceaseth not at all to remaine a body in this Sacrament though it occupie no place and if God hath made that the virginity remained entire with the conception and bringing forth of a childe an effect most repugnant to virginity wherefore shall it be hard to him to make that a body remaine a body without possessing place seeing that virginity and facundity are more disagreeing from accord then to be a body and not to occupie any place The Scripture makes to vs easie the faith of this miracle teaching that our Sauiour went forth of the Sepulcher it being shut and that he entred into the chamber of the Apostles the doores being shut his body then possessed no place at that time or two bodies were in one selfesame place with penetration of dimensions which is an effect as difficult and hard to Nature and onely depending of the omnipotencie of God 11. THE MARVAILOVS POWER OF GOD about the qualities of the body of our Sauiour in the blessed Sacrament THe brightnesse colour 3 and such like qualities of the body of our Sauiour are also heere by prerogatiue of his omnipoteucie inuisible to the eye and vnknowne to all the other senses The eye seeth well a whitenesse the tongue tasteth a rellish the hand toucheth a quantity but these are the qualities of bread and wine and not of the body of our Sauiour which our mouth taketh without any feeling of the proper qualities of it When he conuersed with men the Diuinity appeared not but by the body of his Humanitie heere the body is hidden not appearing but by the accidents of bread and wine hee hath his body inuisible vnder the visible accidents disposing his body at his pleasure So he made it inuisible by miracle before his resurrection so he walked without heauinesse vpon the waues so after his resurrection hee hid the splendor of his body and vanished from the sight of his Apostles so he mounted vp to heauen not hindered by any heauinesse of his body 12. THE WONDERFVLL RELATIONS OF the body of our Sauiour in the same Sacrament VVHen a body is in a naturall place 4 euery member hath diuers relations to the diuers parts of the place The head to one the feete to another the hands to a third and so of the rest For there it is extended but heere the parts of our Sauiours body haue euery of them relation not to the parts of place but to one or other The head is not where the rest of the members are and all is heere distinct and apart and yet all notwithstanding in a little Hoast and sometimes in so little a quantitie of the Sacrament that it seemes to be impossible that all should not be in confusion And indeed it is impossible to Nature to make such an experiment or but to comprehend it much lesse yet to explaine it It is thy Power O Iesus omnipotent and soueraigne Master of Nature thy knowledge and thy word can doe it There is yet another diuine relation of this Sacrament figured in Manna For as Manna gathered in vnequall quantity was alwayes found in equall measure euen so here a little Hoast applied and compared to a great one is found equall for that in both the body of our Sauiour is as great in the one as in the other and which is more admirable it is one and the same body So as the equalitie is not onely by reason of equall taking but of the selfe-same thing in number to wit the body of our Sauiour all whole receiued of euery one We also admire Exod. 13.21 as a meruailous relation in another kinde that the Cloud the Pillar and the fiery Tongues representing the holy Ghost Ioan. 3.22 Act. 2.3 were all one thing Let vs admire that the visible formes distinct in themselues referred to the body of our Sauiour make one Sacrament Let vs admire that according to diuers relations Eue was a sprout of Adam and in a manner as his daughter being extracted from his body and notwithstanding in another respect his wife and that our Sauiour was Sonne of the Virgin by reason of his Humanity and Father of the selfe-same Virgin in regard of his Diuinitie If we admire these things certainly vnderstanding the relations which are in this Sacrament of a great body to one so little of the members one to another in so little a space and of them all to the visible accidents we haue whereat to wonder and in our wonder to magnifie the power of almighty God 13. ADMIRABLE ACTIONS OF THE body of our Sauiour THe actions of the body of our Sauiour 5 is heere diuinely admirable for it nourisheth without being disgested it nourisheth not as corruptible meats for a little space of time but for euer to immortality For it soweth in the body the seed by which it shall be one day inabled merise gloriously and the presence of this body giues vertue of nourishing to the accidents which they cannot do naturally without substance This deified body mounts yet more high for it nourisheth the Spirit and workes in the Spirit a prerogatiue denied to all other bodies so that as it is heere present after the maner of a Spirit it hath the operation of a Spirit and penetrates the Soule by his action beautifieth it illuminateth it makes it chast and ingraues in it other spirituall ornaments If the tree of Life renewing the body and Manna changing the taste were admirable in their actions how much more the body of our Sauiour in respect of the action it hath in this Sacrament For they worked not but vpon the body but this body worketh vpon body and soule and that not onely to immortality but also to eternall felicitie as we haue said 14. THE BODY OF OVR SAVIOVR impassible THe body of our Sauiour in this Sacrament endures not any hurt although it may be iniured by vngodly soules that take it vnworthily or by the wickednesse of Infidels which doe iniury the outward signes where with it is cloathed as the King with his Royall roabe The impassibility of Manna resisting the fier Sap. 16.17 and the not cortupting thereof on the Sabbath which putrified on other dayes Exod. 3.3 the impassibility of
Passion so insinuated he the victory of his Resurrection by the shipwrack and comming forth of Ionas out of the Whales belly Ionas Iona. 2.2 Matth. 12.19 so the Euangelists and the Apostles vse often the witnesse of the old Testament to giue foote and credit to the faith they preached Secondly the Figures confirme our hope for seeing that which God hath so long before figured and foretold is faithfully accomplished wee are induced to hope that what is yet to come as the iudgement the Reward the glory the paine and the rest shall be likewise accomplished with the same fidelitie Finally they inflame our loue tovvards God because this contemplation of the ancient Figures reported to the present truth maketh vs see the eternall charitie vvith vvhich God hath loued vs preparing for vs by so long Prescience the Good which in the end he hath giuen vs and still promising vs more to come hereafter And because loue and benefits engender loue here-hence it is that if wee be not vnnaturall wee encrease in our loue tovvards God by this meditation These are the causes effects and vse of Figures It remaines to enter into the Temple of God there to see the holy Pictures of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of his Sonne drawne from the writings of his holy Testament explained by his owne Word and that according to the Doctrine of his Diuine Painters and Writers the Interpreters of his Word the dumbe Picture shall be for your eyes the description of them for your eares and the exposition of one and of the other shall serue for your spirits or vnderstandings The first is of the earthly Paradise and of the Tree of Life planted therein set forth as you see in the Picture follovving THE FIRST PICTVRE PARADISE AND THE TREE OF LIFE The Description CHRISTIAN Beholders Gen. 2. â— you know that this admirable Chronicler and diuine Cosmographer Moses said in the History of the Creation that God had in the beginning planted a Garden of pleasure towards the East in which he put the Man that he had formed This is that faire and spacious Region that the Painter represents to you in this Table or Picture It is high in seate rich in goodnesse rare in beautie gratious in habitation and aboundant in all forts of delights The earth in some quarters thereof is leuelled into a plaine champion field and in other places raised vp in little harrowes or hilles replenished with plants and trees of excellent goodnesse In the place where it is highest you may there marke a fountaine which rising in great bubbles is formed into a Riuer winding and watering all the Garden towards the end whereof it is diuided into foure heads and maketh foure great slouds running into diuers quarters of the earth The first of which is called Phison casting vpon the shoare her golden sands and many faire pretious stones but no person gathered them vp because there was none as yet but Adam and Eue in the world their children you may imagine will not lose them for want of gathering The ayre there is most pure and subtill and therefore we see not any token of clouds or mists the Sun shining cleare and bright alwayes As for the fire which is of elements the most supreame it holds it selfe still and quiet in its kingdome aboue the ayre yet contributing notwithstanding light and heate with a sweete temperature as it were after the manner of a Torch lighted in heauen This gay verdure wherewith the earth is still apparrelled and these odoriferous flowers which with a thousand florishing colours adorne the same and wherewith those trees in like sort are all so trimly dressed shew forth the Spring in whose company the other Seasons make heere their quarters all together And therefore Summer hath heere alreadie made yellow the Haruest in this golden field and ripened many fruits in those Meadowes and neighbour Orchards which are readie for the gathering As also Autumne shewes forth her goodly clusters of ripe Grapes in those little hilles where Noah as yet had neuer planted Vineyard And lastly the Winter giues repose without any sharpnesse of colde See Saint Bafil â— Paradis for it is mitigated partly by the light of the Sunne which at al times casts his cleare beames vpon the Horizon of this diuine Region without estranging it selfe very much towards the South partly by the moyste warme breath of those windes which blow sweetely from the South to abate the coldnesse of this Pegising ayre So that there is a perpetuall accord of all the soure Seasons whereof the Spring-time holdeth the preheminence This goodly wood of high trees and thick Cops about it are full of little birds which make the ayre resound with a thousand sorts of warblings and aboue all the Nitinghall incessantly and in many quires make melodious muficke all the yeere long But the Painter could not represent to the eare their sweete harmony as hee represents to the eye the Birds and in particular that Birde which men call the Birde of Paradise hanging heere in this Palme-tree little of body with long feathers all ouer adorned with beautifull colours her head yellow her neck enameled with a gay greene her wings spotted with a cawny purple and the rest of her body with a pale gold colour Citizen of the skye faire wits excellencie and admirable in this that shee is alwayes in the ayre without euer touching the earth for that shee hath no feete and when shee will rest her selfe shee grapples about the trees with two long feathers made in fashion of wyer threeds like as it is represented heere These Lions Elephants S. Bas Orat. de Parad. Aug. lib. 4 de Ciuit. Dâ—i 9.11 Tygers and other liuing creatures that you see in diuers places are not cruell nor furious but gentle and obedient and therefore Eue had not any feare of them no more then Adam her husband who walked neere them in coasting these woods But that which is most exquisite and admirable in this Garden is the Tree of Life or of Liues according to the Hebrew word planted in the middest of the others so called because the fruite thereof is of such vertue that it cannot onely nourish the body for a time as other fruites do but also repaire all defecteousnesse and giue it strength and vigour of life to make it perdurable and immortall And as God hath made in man an Abreuiation of all other creatures euen so hath he comprised in this Tree the vertues and perfections of all other Plants And I beleeue it to be that Nectar and Ambrosia called also Nepenthes Ambrosia and Nectar Nepenthes Moly Plin. lib. 25. cap. 4. and Moly which the ancient Poets inuoluing the truth in fables affirme to haue force to make young againe to preserue from death and to driue away all cause of griefe and discontentment The first Tree which you see on the left-hand towards the West is the Tree of Knowledg
onely a Tombe for him and his Matth. 8.20 Luc. 9.15 and the Sonne of God goes yet more forward for he had not in his life any place where to rest his head and was faine to borrow his Sepulcher when he died Courage then Christian soules redeemed from earth to inherite heauen know your condition to be the same with that of your Ancestors and of our Sauiour himselfe with holy sighes lament your miseries in this vaile of teares patiently bearing your afflictions your first brother so liued and so died your Redeemer and Head so trauailed and so left you his life lift vp your eyes to heauen which is your owne Citie this earth is not for you neither her honors nor delights for you she with her delights and honors is all for her owne children Children of the earth Inhabitants of the earth and Burgesses of the City of Caine beare not enuy to their prosperitie which is a smoake that passeth in a moment and like vnto smoake will vanish into nothing but giue immortall thankes to God who hath called you to the fruition of his immortall riches and whilest that you are in the region of death thinke on the true perdurable life and liuing as children of God fixe your hearts vpon God and place your hopes vpon the treasure and honor of his eternity THE THIRD PICTVRE THE SACRIFICE OF MELCHISEDECH The Description MELCHISEDECH King of Salem Genes 14. â— and great Priest of the most high God being aduertised that Abraham had gained a meruailous victory ouer foure victorious kings and that he came marching towards him with his troupes he goes forth of the Citie accompanied with his Clergie and Nobility the vulger people following to meete him and to entertaine him with a Sacrifice of thankesgiuing and to bestow vpon him his solemne blessing Behold he is arriued at the place where he encounters Abraham himselfe adorned with the attyre of a great King and chiefe Priest full of Maiesty in his Person and in his gesture Behold his reuerend cariage the sweetnesse of his countenance and the grauity of his visage some haue thought that he was Sern Noabs son but the Scripture makes not any mention of his beginning no nor of his natiuity and death being otherwise accustomed to note very diligently the Genealogies Houses and Pedegrees of Illustrious persons which makes vs coniecture that some high secret is hidden within the shadow of this mysticall silence concerning his discent The ornament which he weareth on his head is a Miter of twisted Cypers wouen of diuers colours high and round like a Coife lined with cloath of gold fastned with a Saphire in the forme of an Akorne in which is tyed a ribon of azure-Cypers mouing in the ayre behinde Vpon his fore-head he hath a thinne plate of fine gold bound with a band of Iacint which is in stead of a Royall Diadem and vpon the plate is ingrauen the great name of God His first Roabe next to his body reaching downe to his feete is an Albe of fine linnen cloath the Tunicle which is next aboue it shorter by a foote is all of curled Hyacinth embrodered round about with a border of nâ—edle-worke and girt to his reines with a golden girdle all embrodered Of which stuffe and fashion also is made the garment which couers his shoulders after the fashion of a gorget fastned before his breast with three Carbuncles cut into the fashion of buttons and set in gold The Altar erected and the bread and wine being set vponit the Sacrifice begunne Abraham is lighted off his horse as also the most part of his people his vpper garment is of Buffe-leather gilt and enriched with diuers figures from which kinde of garment is come the fashion of our Corcelets of iron the peeces that couer his armes thighes and legges as you see well fashioned in the ioynts with figured bosses are all of the same stuffe He weares on his head an admirable Helmet artificially grauen enriched with gold and adorned with a plume of many rare feathers His Courtle-axe hangs on his left side fastened to a belt after the manner of a skarfe He kisseth his right hand in signe of Honor with his left hand he holds his Leading-staffe one of his Squires carrieth his Target another holds his horse by the bridle in the wing of the first Squadron this Horse as you see is of a bright bay colour bearing himselfe vpon that foote which is to the side of the Mounter and lifting vp the other and shewes by the faire fashion of all his body that he is well broken and well mannaged as worthy to be ridden by so great a Captaine Behold a while his little head his Rats eares pricking vp his forehead leane and large marked with a starre right in the midst his necke of a reasonable length slender at the setting on of the head big towards the brest and sweetly bowing in the middle the brest round and large and the crouper in proportion the tayle and the mayne long behold how in champing proudly the bridle he casts a white foame opening his swelling nosthrells and shewing the vermillion within them see how he beates the earth with his right foote holding it in the ayre as if hee meant to make a little legge and obserue I pray you how excellently the Painter hath drawne his smooth hoofes well rounded and large with the garlands fine and hairie his pasternes short and some what vpright his tufted ioynts bigge and strong and well set together vpon his backe he hath nothing but a cushen fastened with little girthes and a crouper without stirrops for they were not yet in vse no more then saddles of warre The people of whom this first Squadron was composed are the three hundred and eighteene men of armes seruants borne in the house of Abraham they are diuersly armed some with Corslets like their Captaine howbeit they are not so richly wrought others with Coates of made hauing sleeues and gorgets others with Coate-armour of iron cut or lashed the peeces for the face legs and shooes are made of plated steele and all haue their Fawchions hanging at their neckes in skarfes and Gauntlets on their hands With these he miraculously defeated thearmy of the foure Assyrian Kings who a little before had ouercome in battaile fiue other Kings to wit the King of Sodome of Gomor of Adama of Seboim Genes 14.8 and of Baile allied to Abraham and they returned into their Country with their Souldiers enriched with the spoiles of the vanquished and chiefly of the two most wealthy Cities Sodom and Gomorrah which they had sacked leading away thousands of prisoners with them among whom was Lot nephew to Abraham with all his Family Thus being proud of their successe they went disbanded without order of warre thinking of nothing but of drink and sleeping Abraham pierced to the heart with the misfortune of his Nephew and his other Allyes resoluing to take reuenge went with such speed
the ancient holinesse of the first Christians in communicating deuoutly What is become of the chastitie of the first Christianity Where doe you see as of old the concourse of godly soules purely amorous of this their Spouse and soberly hungry after this banquet If there be yet any as it ought not to be doubted but there are many thousands hidden within the Oratory of the Sanctuary of the House of God the number notwithstanding is exceeding little in comparison of that which hath been and which ought and might be if we had the courage and deuotion of our Ancestors Proueâ—bs 9. Come hither then O faithfull soules but come prepared put on your nuptiall garments the more worthily to present your selues before your Spouse who is the Soueraigne and all-seeing Wisdome whet and sharpen the appetites of your hearts approach to the Table that he hath prepared for you eate the liuing Bread which he hath so well seasoned drinke the celestiall Wine which hee hath mingled for you Bread which giues eternall life Wine which maketh drunk with happinesse and felicity sill vp the Feast there are yet many empty places and encrease your glory by encreasing the number of the inuited THE EIGHT PICTVRE THE OBLATION OF THE FIRST fruits at Pentecost The Description THE better to vnderstand how this Assembly celebrates the Sacrifice of the First-fruits you are to conceiue the forme of the Temple in which it is made The Temple of the Iewes as it is commonly taken Ezech 40.41 is this inclosure of walles hauing fiue hundred cubits in square but to speake properly it is that House built within the enclosure towards the West end magnificently couered in height twenty cubits and fixtie in length diuided into two parts the first of which is twenty cubits long and is the most holy part for this is the Holy of holies place for the Arke of Couenant where no person enters sauing onely the High-Priest and that but once in the yeere The second is forty cubits in length and in it is placed the Altar of Perfumes right against the doore of the Sancta Sanctorum hauing on euery side fiue Candlestickes of gold and fiue Tables for Breads of Proposition as elsewhere we haue said On this Altar euery Prince of the Priests in the circuit of his office offers Incense to God euening and morning as Zachary did Zachary Luke 1. the father of Saint Iohn Baptist The rest of the inclosure is without roofe diuided into two great Yards or Courts each one being an hundred cubits in length and largenesse On the South side and North side were certaine houses called Gazophilaces as much to say as treasuries They were for the habitations of Priests and Leuites and to keepe the holy treasures hauing neere vnto them certaine walking-places and little walls The first Court separated from the second by a little wall hauing a portall in the midst is the place where the Priest make their Sacrifices vpon this great Alzar which is night against the Temple Where you see fiue Cesterns on the right hand and fiue on the left full of water to wash the entrals and feete of the Victimes And on the left side of the wall of separation neere to the Portall a molten Cesterne called a Sea by reason of the exceeding great capacity thereof for it is ten cubits square and fiue cubit deepe and this is the sountaine wherein the Priests washed their hands and feer when they went to offer Sacrifice The second Court is the place for Lay-people and this little raised vp seat in the forme of a seaffold in the midst of it is a Throne of brasse fiue cubits square 2. Paral. 9.13 and three cubits high where Salomon and the Kings of the Iewes after him were placed during the time of the Sacrifice Now this great multitude of men which are in the first Court are the Priests and Leuites and the other in the other Court are the people all there assembled for the solemnity of the new Oblation of the first fruits in Haruest called the Feast of Pentecost In which Oblation after many bloudy Sacrifices to wit of seuen Lambes two sheepe one Oxe offered in Holocaust and one Goate offered for sinne two Wheat-loaues with two Lambes were offered to God as Peace-offerings that is to say in action of thankes euery one hauing made an Oblation of his first fruits to the Priests according to the Law In the first partition are only Priests in the second the women are in an Oratory seperated from the men and all as well men as women see all and euery part of the Sacrifice which is done in the Court of Priests For that the Altar was raised vp ten cubits high and the walles which seperated the Court 2. Paral. 41. were but three cubits high they easily heare the voices of the Priests and of the Musicall Instruments Ioseph lib. 5. de â—â—lls lad cap. 14. and Trumpets which sound while the Sacrifice burneth The seuen Lambs the fat Calfe the two sheepe are long since wholly consumed in the fier without any part reserued saue onely their skins for this is an Holocaust that is to say a Sacrifice wherein all must bee burnt to the honor of God without reseruing any thing to Priests or Lay-people The Hee Goate also is all consumed to ashes because it is offered in common for the sinnes of the people for if it were offered for one particular person a part thereof had been kept to the Priests according to the Law of the Propitiatory Sacrifice which gineth them that prerogatiue Herehence it is that the Scripture saith that they eate the sinnes of the people that is to say the Sacrifices offered for the sinnes of the people The two Loaues which are as it were the body and heart of this Sacrifice are made of sine Wheat-flower Oser 4.8 as the Proposition Loaues but of leauened paste whereas those of Proposition are without leauen which is a mysterious shadow they are made in the forme of round cakes the High-Priest offers them now to God lifting them vp to heauen by a remarkable ceremony with the Lambes placed vnder them and turning them from the South into the North and from the East to the West prayes to God with these words Looke from thy Sanctuary Deut. 26.15 and thy highest habitation of heauen and blesse thy people of Israel the Land which thou hast giuen to vs as thou swarest to our fore-fathers a Land slowing with milke and hony after this eleuation the Loaues and the Lambes remaine to him as his right All the world is in prayers and deuotion adoring the diuine Maiesty imploring his mercy and rendering thankes for his goodnesse not without demonstration of the inward eleuation of their soules by the outward mouings and gestures of their bodies One lifts vp his eyes to heauen another striketh his breast another ioynes his hands many bow down their heads and bend their knees some
vs the truth of our Eucharist but principally three The first the Leauen the second the Time the third the Sacrifices foregoing this Oblation It hath been said that these Loaues were made of Leauen-paste and were eleuated in Oblation by the High Priest with the Lambes Leuit. 23.20 Then saith the Scripture the Sacrificers shall-eleuate the Lambes with the Loaues of the First-fruits turning them before the Lord. In such sort as the Loaues were put aboue the Lambes and all was eleuated together This is a diuine draught of Gods Pensell in the Table of the Figure teaching vs not only the presence of the body of his Sonne true Lambe without blot in the Sacrifice of the Masse but also the manner of his being there which is by transubstantiation that is to say by changing of the substance of bread into the substance of the body of our Sauiour hiddeÌ„ vnder the formes of bread The Leauen heretofore hath been a signe vnto vs of some bad thing but heere by a contrary quality it is a signe of that which is good as often in Scripture one selfesame thing hath sundry and contrary significations by reason of contrary references and respects So the Lion Gen. 49 9. Apoc. 5.5 1. Pet. 5.8 if we consider him as a Royall and strong beast is a signe of God as he is cruell and fierce a signe of the Diuell For which cause our Sauiour himselfe expresseth Vice by Leauen in one place Matth. 16.6 Luke 13.21 and in another he compares his Church to Leauen The Leauen then in the Loaues of the First-fruits figureth to vs the transubstantiation which is made in our Eucharist as already often hath been said and must bee said hereafter behold the picture The Leauen by a naturall property changeth the paste heates it puffes it vp and giues it in a certaine manner soule and life so farre forth as it is capable thereof The word of God supernaturall Leauen changeth also the bread and because it is of more force then nature it passeth also further for it chaÌ„geth not the qualities as the natural leaueÌ„ in the paste but the substaÌ„ce it leaues the visible qualities chaÌ„geth the bread within it animateth truly this bread makes it liuing bread changing the substance of it into the flesh of the Lambe of God Iesus Christ signified by the Lambes offred with the Loaues in this Sacrifice The Loaues the Lambes eleuated by the High Priest were diuers things and did make one onely oblation heere where the truth is liuely accomplished diuers elements also make one self-same Oblation for the Lambe is vnder the formes of bread and wine and when those elements are multiplied and offered in diuers places it is alwayes one selfesame Lambe and one selfesame Sacrifice So as this draught drawne in the old Figure tells vs that the Sacrifice figured by the bread of First-fruits should be one Sacrifice of flesh vnder the shewes of bread and wine to which draught our Sauiour gaue liuely colours when he instituted the Sacrament of his body vnder these elements Neither is it without mystery that the Loaues and the Lambs were of two diuers natures for they signified two natures in one Iesus Christ the Diuinity and the Humanity two things in one Sacrament the earthly which are the visible accidents and the heauenly which is the body of the Sonne of God and his Grace Finally they signified two peoples the Gentiles and Iewes vnited vnder one Head reduced into one and made one by meanes of this Sacrament and Sacrifice And so his diuine Wisdome not only teacheth vs by this figuratiue Lineament the presence of his Flesh in the Eucharist but also the quality of his Person and after what manner he makes vs his flesh and vniteth vs therein Let vs see what the Scripture and the ancient Hebrew and Christian Doctors say hereof enriching the Figure with the embroderies of their learned Expositions 6. THE SACRAMENT AND SACRIFICE of the body of our Sauiour vnder the formes of bread foretold in the Scripture and taught by the Hebrew Doctors DAVID by these eleuated Loaues foretold our Sacrament and Sacrifice Psal 71.72 There shall be saith hee a firmament in the earth in the tops of wountaines the fruit thereof shall be extolled farre aboue Libanus Or according to the Hebrew phrase There shall be a little wheat in the earth vpon the top of the mountaines and the fruit thereof shall be lifted aboue Lybanus These words cannot signifie other wheate or any other thing more liuely then our consecrated Hosts containing the body of our Sauiour true wheat on earth true bread and solid stabilitie of our soules and bodies fruit truely lifted vp not onely vpon the toppe of Libanus but aboue the highest of the celestiall powers Wherefore the Hebrew Doctors conformably hereunto Rab. Salomon in Psal 72.16 vol say that Dauid heere did sing of a certaine kinde of little Cakes or thinne delitious wafers that should bee offered in Sacrifice in the time of the Messias Psal 71.16 Our Masters saith he of happy memory vnderstood by this word a certaine kind of Cakes which shall be made in the time of the Messias of the which also all the Psalme is written And all their Hebrew Commentaries extoll extoll euen to heauen the eating and mystery of this Bread and of these Cakes which say they shall be of the bignesse of the palme of a mans hand And one amongst them Rab. Derachias â—â—â—eans illad â— Eccles quid est quod fuit id quod crit Eccles 9. named Barachias explaining these words of Ecclesiastices What is that which was the same that shall be addeth further As their first deliuerer to wit Moyses had giuen them bread of wonder which was Manna so the second Redeemer the Messias should giue them a more wonderfull bread to wit these Cakes And hereunto the same Redeemer alludeth Ioan. 6. saying It is not Moyses which gaue you the bread from heauen vnderstanding his body as it hath been declared in the Figure of Manna Rab. Ionathas in suo â—aigum Gal. l. 10. c. 4. Psal 71.17 And the Rabbins Paraphrastically interpret in the same sense the words of the Psalme before alledged There shall bee saith one of them a parcell of bread in the earth on the top of the mountaines that is to say saith hee there shall bee a Sacrifice of bread on the head of the mountaines of the Church or on the head of the Priests which shall bee in the Church For the Mountaines of the Church are the Prelats and Priests of it if they be such as are worthy of that name for so much as they are lifted vp aboue the vulgar as spirituall Mountaines aboue the earth by holinesse in manners and sublimity of Doctrine This Figure then is euery day literally fulfilled in the Church when the Priests say Masse eleuating the holy Hoast aboue their head and when the faithfull Christians eate
to his Father in an vnbloudy Sacrifice vnder the forme of these elements after the order of Melchisedech Psal 109. and distributes them to his Disciples as Father of the Family No more as bread of Angush but of Ioy no more as earthly bread of death but heauenly bread of life and true foode indeed And wine he gaue not common and materiall Iohn 6. but excellent and deified which was his proper bloud as it were powred out into the Chalice true drinke of men Ioan. 6. But before he came to this acte the crowne of his precedent actions and accomplishment of the Iewes Law being now come vnto this part of the Legall ceremony he riseth from the table putteth off his garment and hauing taken a linnen towell girdeth himselfe with it powreth out water into a bason wosherh his Disciples feete and wipeth them with the towell wherewith he was girt It was also another ceremony added to the ancient Pasche to sing an Hymne after the Mysticall Repast for there is not any mention of it in the old Testament Matth. 26.30 Marke 1â— 26 which is a signe that this was an ancient tradition the which our Sauiour obserued as he did the former for so the Euangelists do note that hauing said the Hymne he and his Apostles with him went out of the roome 2. WHAT IS SIGNIFIED BY THE washing of feete BVT what meaneth this washing of feet after the Iudaicall Supper and before the mysterious refection of the body of our Sauiour When men sit downe at table and when they rise they wash their hands and not their feet and surely what reference hath our feet to our mouths and the washing of them to eating for if the washing of feete was to auoid the defiling of the bed whereupon they were accustomed to receiue their food they should haue bin washed at the beginning and before they sate downe to the table for to eate the Lambe after the eating wherof they were to suppe But now the beds are fouled alreadie and the feete of the Apostles are not become fouler then they were when they sate downe to the table What then signifieth this extraordinary washing It sheweth that he that will haue part and fruit in the refection of our Sauiours body ought not only to be cleane in mouth and hand as in common feeding but moreouer in his feet that is to say he ought to be wholly cleansed he ought to bee pure and cleane not onely in his actions and words but also in his affections The hand may well signifie workes for it is the Instrument of instruments and the Factotum both of spirit and body The mouth is the mould of the word and signifies it The feete note to vs the affections of the soule for as the corporall feete carry the body so the affections carry the soule and are her feet So the hand and mouth cleane and the feet washed are signes vnto vs of a man iust in his actions discreet in his words and pure in his affections signes of a cleane man in euery point and worthy of the refection of the body of our Sauiour But who can attain to the perfection of this purity amidst the pollusions of this mortall life He whose feet our Sauiour will wash that which to man is impossible to the grace of God is most easie If the question be of our owne force God tells vs by IBREMY Ierem. 2.22 If thou shalt wash thy selfe with Niter and multiply to thy selfe the herbe Borith thou art spotted in thine iniquitie before me But when the question is of the diuine vertue the same God speakes thus Esay 1 1â— If your sinnes shall be as skarlet they shall bee made as white as snow and if they bee red as vermilion they shall bee white as wooll With the same spirit spake Iob to God Iob 14. â— Who can make him cleane that is conceiued of vncleane seed Is it not thou which onely art DAVID considering his sinne and his infirmitie said Behold I was conceiued in iniquities and my mother brought me forth in sinne Psal 50 considering the omnipotent mercie of our Creator he said Thou shalt wash use and I shall be made whiter then snow All the waters of the Ocean cannot make the skinne of an Aethiopian white one drop of this water of Grace shed vpon a sinful soule made by sin blacker then an Aethiopian wil make it whiter then Alabaster and more faire then the day Of this water God did speake by his Prophet saying I will powre out vpon you cleane water Ezech. 36. â—5 and you shall be cleansed from all your contaminations not materiall waters and earthly but spirituall heauenly which the same Lord calleth his Spirit Act. 8.17 I will powre my Spirit vpon all Nations Whosoeuer then hath his soule cleansed with this water his vnderstanding illuminated with this Spirit his desires washed in this liquor that man is wholly cleane euen vnto his feet and may confidently present himselfe to the table of the Lambe without blemish This is the signification of our Sauiours washing his Disciples feete THE FOVRTEENTH PICTVRE THE INSTITVTION OF THE EVCHARIST The Description O Diuine Euening O admirable Feast Christian beholders which this mystical Table representeth vnto vs An Euening expected foure thousand yeeres A Feast figured foure-fold and prophecied by a thousand Sacrifices and Sacraments The Son of God is the Feast-maker the King the Preparer the Meate and the Drinke together It is he which prepares himselfe the true Lambe of God to giue himselfe in the last course to twelue of his houshold Ioan. 1.29 and will for euer continue his liberality to his Church as long as shee shall trauell in the desart of this mortall life Lambe which by and by shall be enuironed by the Wolues which to morrow shall be slaine by them which with his bloud shall drowne the sinnes of the world and with teares the weapons of his humility shall astonish the mightinesse of the proud Tyrants of the Pharoes of the Princes of hell and of the world Who finally hauing stifled by his death the first-borne of Aegypt will swallow within the Ocean of his merits the iniquities of the captiue world setting the same at freedome He commeth from washing the feet of his Apostles and hauing taken the Symhose or festiuall Roabe againe according to the Iewes ceremonious custome setteth himselfe downe at the table and they with him disposed after the fashion of the Persians Sueton. in Neâ—â— cap. 51. Easterne people whom the Hebrewes did imitate to wit vpon beds in stead of chaires and stooles where they are leaning and lying on the one side of their body casting their feete behinde them and taking their meat with the right hand as you see Saint Iohn is in the place of the best beloued childe Supra pectus Ioan. 13.26.21.20 for he layeth his head on the bosome of the Father of the
had so extreamely loued in his life and without whom shee could not liue This was an Humane loue more worthy of compassion then of praise which neuerthelesse may serue vs for an example to make vs do better for how much more conuenient and iust is it that wee should employ all our spirituall meanes our loue our deuotion our fastings our almes our prayers that we may become a liuing Cabinet of the body of this diuine Spouse of our soules whom we shall receiue not senselesse nor dead nor reduced into powder but aliue immortall all whole with his soule and with his glory and with all the Maiesty of his Diuinity for to be one day eternally vnited with him 10. TWO GREAT WONDERS HAPPENED in the institution of this Sacrament SAint Augustine S. August in Psal 33. 2. Keg 21.13 expounding what the History of the Kings saith of Dauid that counterseiting to be out of his wits before King Achis He carried himselfe in his own hands tooke occasion to admire another wonder farre exceeding that which came to passe in the institution of this Sacrament And it is that our Sauiour carried himselfe in his proper hands A thing which he esteemed most admirable and impossible to haue been practised by Dauid according to the sence of the letter But that our Sauiour only did it when holding his body in his hand and saying This is my body hee cetried it to his mouth and gaue it to his Apostles For though it might be that Dauid playing the foole carried himselfe in his hands by going on all foure after the manner of little children or bearing himself vp vpon his armes and vsing them in stead of feet and of legges after the fashion of those who by actluity cast their body vpward in the ayre with their head downward like a tree and walke vpon their hands S. Augustine neuerthelesse had reason to say that to cary himselfe of himselfe in his owne hands belongeth only to our Sauiour for it is he which truly earieth himselfe David caried not himselfe on his hands but rather on his hands and feet together if it be to be vnderstood of the first manner or only on his armes if of the second but our Sauiour carieth himselfe properly in his hands neither more nor lesse then he caried in his band the meate which he put in his mouth or into the mouthes of others There is heere yet another thing admirable in this Institution which is that our Sauiour tooke himself for food a thing not heard of neither hapned to any man since the Creation of the world Ioseâ—h lib. 7. de â—el Iudaâ—c Histories tell vs that some mothers had fed vpon their owne children as Mary the Iew and that some person haue eaten a certaine part of their body compelled by the violence of some extraordinary sicknes but it was neuer read that a man either did or could eate himselfe all whole still remaining without hurt and such an act neuer came into the thought of man The Sonne of God alone can doe it and hath done it and hath giuen herein an illustrious testimony that hee is God doing a worke which onely God could doe by vertue vncommunicable to any other for it is God alone that liueth of himselfe and is his owne proper food the creatures do liue of other creatures and their food is from without their body and none liue of themselues the blessed Spirits in heauen doe liue of the vision of God but God alone is his owne life and his owne meat from all eternity and needeth no other thing but himselfe to sustaine himselfe eternally So that our Sauiour taking himselfe for food signeth himselfe with the signe of his owne greatnesse and sheweth as by an experiment proper to God that he was God hee being able to make food of himself euen according to the body after the likenesse of his Diuinity which is the food and nourishment of himselfe and belongeth to no other thing but to God alone And this is that which he signified by these words Iâ—â—â— 5.26.24 S. Chrysost hom 〈◊〉 in Ioan. For as the Father hath lofe in himselfe so bee hath giuen to the Sonne also to haue life in himsele for proofe then and declaration of his speech hee rooke himsele in food corporally as spiritually he himselfe is his life and his food and his felicity and likewise the life food and felicity of his Elect. 11. SAINT IONN FIRST RECEIVETH OF all the Apostles The Eucharist the true refection and the Present at the refection OVR Sauiour then doth offer his body and his bloud to God his Father in Sacrifice and hauing receiued them first himselfe he giues them to his Apostles for spirituall refection beginning at Saint Iohn and not onely because he was nearest him at the table but because he was endued with singular charity and chastity vertues altogether proper to make vs sit worthily at the table of this feast of loue and purity It is heere where the refection began which alone is true and holy and now it began to be continued afterward so long as the world should endure All the other which had of old been instituted in the House of God were but Figures of this their meats were meates of corruption and of death seruing onely to maintaine this mortall life the Victims the Offerings and all that which was set vpon the Altar or vpon the table in the Law of Nature and of Moses were but dead bodies and mortall food to nourish mortall bodies the body of our Sauiour is the body of life and food of immortality In this refection the ceremony of Alliance made betweene God and Man was celebrated by the mediation of the flesh and bloud of God signes both signifying and withall effecting a most streight and most diuine vnion of the head with his members of the members amongst themselues And the Symbols which were the meate of the table and the connexion of such as assisted the selfe-same were the Presents of the Feast It was a famous custome among the Nations of the world to giue Presenis after a great Feast the which were called of the Greeke word Apophoreta as who should say things to bee carried from the Feast of which S. Ambrose speaking S. Ambros in exhort ad Virg writ in these termes in his Exhortation to Virgins Such as are inuited to a great Feast haue a custome to bring away some conuiuiall presents Isid Some bring vesieis of gold some of sillier some gold and siluerâ— some money Sueton. Coligul Lamâ—â—d in Heliogaâ—oto some Iewels some beasts some men the Sonne of God gaue his body and his bloud for the Present of his Feast or the meat of his Feast and for the Feast it selfe surpassing the price of all other Presents as also the splendour and deliciousnesse of all other banquets 12. OF THE WORDS OF OVR SAVIOVR Doe this in my remembrance NOw this diuine refection was not
of good and euill loaden with Apples faire to behold and delitious to the taste Eue which is there standing beholds them with an ambitious and eager desire and would faine bee at them but shee is aduertised by her husband that God had forbidden them to be eaten The Enemy to mankinde mooued with enuy and lying in waite for the nonce when he perceiued her weaknesse by her curious beholding tooke occasion to seduce her and cloathed with the body of a Serpent a craftie subtill creature quaâ—ities agreeing to this Deceiuer by many compasses and windings about the Tree hauing now gotten vp began from aboue to speake with her and perswade her to take thereof the poore foole being easily perswaded falls vpon the fruite and begins to â—ate neuer doubting any deceit nor fearing death it selfe that lay hidden therein and which is worst shee will perswade her husband Adam to doe the like Alas how deare must this one bit cost him What a deadly bit will chis be How many wounds and deathes shall he swallow downe with this one morsell Ah good mother lend not your eare to this wicked Abuser who for his reuolt is newly cast downe from heauen and being now full of rage and fury seekes nothing on the earth but your confusion Keepe you for Gods sake from touching these Apples which are onely forbidden you among so much other daintie fruites set before you on the spacious table of this delightfull Garden Offend not for a little pleasure of your tongue the Maiesty of a Lord so bountifull and liberall as he hath been vnto you But if you desire to eat some fruit which is indeed most exquisite and diuine lift vp your hand to this Tree of Life and not to that of death and kill not your selfe with all your race in you by this enormous crime of foule ingratitude for the committing whereof you haue so small occasion 1. THE CHVRCH OF GOD LIVELY set foorth in earthly Paradise GOD teacheth vs celestiall things by terestriall and spirituall by those that are corporall This faire Garden which hath beene heere before represented according to the Historie of Moses by two diuers Pictures the one seruing for the eye the other for the eare is a Figure of the Church of God Cant. 4. Isay 51.61 Aâ—â—â— 2. which the Scripture calleth sometime a Garden sometime a Vineyard planted by the hand of the Almightie And truely if this faire earthly place figured some dwelling it could figure none more reasonably then that where God raignes S. Greg. 5. Cant. 4. S. Aug. lib. 8. de Genes ad lit c. â— and workes after a singular manner and where his children are diuinely nourished which is his Church A heauenly habitation of men and truely eleuated aboue the earth for so much as the desires of those Saints of whom it is cornposed dwell in heauen An abode of spirituall delights the true Pallace and proper Mansion of the children of God S. Aâ—g de Ciuitate Dei lib. 13. cap. 21. S. Augustine hauing proued that this Garden had his being in a corporall place and such a one according to the literall sense as Moses hath described he declareth of what it was the Figure and saith That Paradise is the life of good people the foure Flouds the foure Cardinall Vertues to wit Wisdome Fortitude Temperance lustice the Trees the Artes and the fruits of the Trees the workes of good men the Tree of Life Wisdome the mother of all goodnesse the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill the experience of a Commandement broken And he addes which is more remarkable a second signification That all these things may be vnderstood of the Church for to be the better receiued as signes propheticall of things to come The Church then is a Paradise so called in the booke of the Canticles the foure Flouds are the foure Euangelists Câ—nt â— the fruits of the Trees are good workes the Tree of Life is the Holy of Holies Iesus Christ the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill the free Ithertie of the will S. Aug. lib. de Ciuit. cap. 21. So Saint Augustine allegorizing vpon this Historie of the earthly Paradise 2. OF THE GIFTS AND EXCELLENT qualities of the Church described in the patterne of earthly Paradise IN the Church then may bee seene spiritually all that which corporally was contained in the Garden of Pleasure Shee is situated towards the East for shee is alwaies turned towards Iesus Christ the true Orient and so called because he is the East which shee alwayes beholds adores Zach. 9.11 contemplates loues and admires In signe whereof the materiall Temples of Christians are turned to the East whereas the Temple of the Iewes looked towards the West In her is to be seene the accord of the foure Euangelists foundations and springs of our faith as the foure Elements and the foure vniuersall Flouds of this spirituall Garden The Sunne of Iustice which is God shineth heere alwayes by the bright beame of his truth Sacrament Baptisme Confirmation Penance and the rest the Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie and other like qualities hold there the places of trees and plants the holy actions of the iust are as the greenes the flowers the fruits and the delitious odours thereof the preaching of Gods Word the Writings of the holy Fathers and their cloquence are the gold and pearles cast vpon the shoare by the foure diuine Flouds of the Euangelists the Birdes which sing in this Paradise are the deuout soules which in all times with heart word and deed sound foorth the praises of God the Bird of Paradise so called in particular is euery perfect Christian whose conuersation is alwayes in heauen whose thoughts desires and workes like vnto purple and golden feathers are all gilded and inflamed with charitie the Lions Beares Tygers and other nobleliuing creatures present the Christian Kings and Potentates who notwithstanding their greatnesse and power obey as the least to the voice of our Sauiour speaking and commanding by the Pastors and Gouernors of his Church The Church then is a Paradise on earth figured by the former and is her selfe also a figure of a future Paradise which we looke for in heauen A Figure so much more diuine as the delights of the soules which are found in her are farre more precious and more neerely resembling true felicitie then the corporall gifts contained in that earthly Garden which was prepared for the first Adam Come we now to the Tree of Life the ornament of this Paradise and the propeâ— subiect of our present discourse 3. THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE Altar figured by the Tree of Life THe Tree and the fruite of Life Paschasius lib. 1. de corp Domini cap. 7. Philo Iud. de planct Noe ex Platone planted in the midst of earthly Paradise was a Figure of Iesus Christ and of the Sacrament of his body Man is a Tree saith Philo the Iew after Plato but a celestiall Tree and
turned vp-side downe for earthly trees haue their heads fixed in the ground to wit their roote Man contrariwise hath his lifted vp to heauen he is then a diuine heauenly Tree Mat. 7.17 12 13. Marke 6.24 Our Sauiour oft compareth the good man to a good tree and the wicked to an euill and one of the blinde which were healed by him being asked if hee saw any thing answered that he saw men like trees walking vpon the earth If then this meruailous Tree were the picture of any man or meate what could it more worthily figure in the Church of God then Iesus Christ God and Man and his body the most diuine meate of all But the better to know the correspondencie of this Picture to the truth we ought to note the draughts or lines of the olde mystery and so compare them with the qualities of the new 4. RESEMBLANCES OF THE TREE of Life to the holy Sacrament of the Alter THe portraitures and lineaments of the resemblances and likenesse that is betweene our Sacrament and the Tree of Life are these that follow The Tree of Life was the Tree of Trees that is to say the collection of the vertue of all trees and plants as man of all creatures and the Sunne of all lights the body of Iesus Christ also is the most noble of all bodies the rich storehouse of all vertues and the treasure of the Diuinitie it selfe conceiued in Virgin earth by the worke of the holy Spirit and borne of a Virgin a Body wherein dwelleth truely the fulnesse of all goodnesse S. Aug. lib. 1. cont aduers legis cap. 18. The Sacrament also of this body is the collection of all the ancient Sacraments and Sacrifices and for this cause Sacrament of Sacraments and Sacrifice of Sacrifices as the Tree of Life was the Tree of Trees and the Fruite of Fruites Sacrament truely planted in the midst of the Church that is to say lifted vp to a most noble height amongst the other celestiall mysteries as the Tree of Life was planted in the midst and most eminent place of the Garden among the other Trees The Tree of Life was ordained not to nourish the body by little and little as did the other fruits but for to repaire all the defects thereof at once to render it vigorous to giue it a perfect life without end and to nourish it in the highest degree that a body can possibly be nourished Even so the body of our Sauiour is left in refection to his Church not to sustaine vs after the fashion of corruptible meates which are conuerted into the substance of our bodies but rather to conuert our bodies into it imprinting in them his diuine qualities and giuing them a liuing spring of immortalitie according to that which our Sauiour said Hee that eateth this bread shall liue eternally Ioan. 6.51.44 Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood bee hath life eternall and I will raise bins vp in the last day The tree of life was no where to bee found but onely within the inclosed earthily Paradise neither was there any more then one alone the Sacrifice also and Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour is not made but in his Church by such as are lawfully called thereunto and if it be found amongst Heretikes they haue it from the Church and it is euery where one selfesame body and not many so as there is no profitable Sacrament of this precious meate neither any Tree of Life in the assemblies of Heretikes no more then in that of the Paynims and if they carry it out of the Church with them and take it being Infidels it is to their damnation because they are foorth of the holy Church the true and onely earthly Paradise in which is planted the Tree of Life for the children of God Exod. 12. S. Aug. Serm. de Temp. 181. c. 12. The Lambe saith Saint Augustine is sacrificed in one onely house for that the true Sacrifice of the Redeemer is sacrificed in one Catholike Church the flesh of which the Law forbids to bee carried forth for so much as wee must not cast to dogges that which is holy The Tree of Life was prepared for meate vnto Adam no longer then hee remained in state of Innocencie and therefore after he had sinned hee was excluded from it which depriuing him thereof was Gods Iustice and Mercy together Iustice because that sinfull man merited by his disobedience to be depriued of the vse of that fruit which was reserued for the reward of his obedience saith Saint Chrysostome and Theodoret. S. Chrysost hom 〈◊〉 Gen. 18. Theâ—d â— 126. in Gen. Mercy for that hauing been condemned to many miseries if he had eaten he had bin made immortall and so immortally miserable vpon the earth whereas in liuing but a little time his misery is so much shortned Tren l. 3. c. 37. S. Greg. Naz. â—â— at 2. de Pasch Wherefore saith Saint Gregory Nazianzen after Saint Ireneus his punishment is turned into mercy for if he had tasted of this fruit his life had become immortall and his euils endlesse And euen so the fruit of our Sacrament is also prepared for those which haue a cleane soule so that if any one take it with conscience of mortall sinne he takes death and puts himselfe in danger to be eternally miserable This is it which Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 11.27 Whosoeuer shall eate and shall drinke the Chalice of our Lord vnworthily hee shall bee guiltie of the body and bloud of our Lord and for that cause let euery one proue himselfe and so eate of this bread and drinke of this Chalice for whosoeuer eates and drinkes vnworthily he eates and drinkes his owne condemnation not discerning the body of our Lord. He exaggerates the greatnesse of the crime and threatens the criminals by great and piercing words to make euery Christian attentiue and wary that he do his endeauour to prepare himselfe worthily to the eating of this bread and herewith he sheweth in what consisteth the meanes to make this preparation which is by cleansing the soule by an holy confession of all the sinnes which we can remember in doing penance and making satisfaction for the same for this the examining and proouing of which he speaketh S. Chrysost hom 24. in 1. Cor. hom 3. ep Ephes S. Amb. lib. 6. in Luc. c. 37. S. Cyp. l. 3. ep 14. S. Aug. tract 16. in Ioan. and that he commands is no other thing then this as Saint Chrysostome Saint Ambrose Saint Cyprian Saint Augustine and all the holy Fathers haue explaned To this purpose said Saint Iohn Blessed are those which wash their robes to the end that their strength be in the wood of life that is to say happy are those which doe penance and cleause themselues of all their sinne Apoc. 12. to the end that they may worthily participate the fruite of this diuine Sacrament the Tree planted in the
these diuine and delitious Cakes at the mysticall Table of our Sauiour The ancient Iewes could not write more clearly of the Figure of our Truth amongst the shadowes of their Law and he that seeth not this Truth brightly shining in the Sacrifice of the Law of Grace is blinde at noone-day and worse then a Iew. 7. THE TESTIMONIES OF HEBREW Doctors for Transubstantiation and the manner how the body of our Sauiour is present in the Eucharist THe manner how the body of our Lord is really present in the Eucharist hath been no lesse plainely set downe in the writings of the Hebrewes then is the Reall presence it selfe This Manner hath two respects the one to the beginning of the Presence and teacheth how the body of our Lord is first made present in the Sacrament of the Altar the other to the maner of this Presence and declares how he remaines there present Of both wee haue spoken in the Figure of Manna discoursing there of the Almighty power of our Sauiour Heere we shall onely alledge the testimonies of Hebrew and Christian Doctors to declare this Presence more fully and to shew the soundnesse of the Catholike faith concerning Transubstantiation And as for the first Conâ— Trident. sess 19. c. 4. can 2. the Catholike Faith and doctrine holds that the body of our Sauiour is made present vpon the Altar by Transubstantiation that is to say not by descent from heauen to earth neither by new production but by changing the substance of bread into the substance of the body of our Sauiour borne of the Virgin The same faith and doctrine saith that it remaines there with a diuine Presence spirituall and supernaturall in its quantity without possessing any place and in its Maiesty without any shew thereof being there immortall and glorious but inuisible to sense and incomprehensible to reason and humane iudgement as hath been said elsewhere And this in summe is that which the Doctors as well Iewes as Christians haue written The Hebrewes as we haue said before in the Table of Proposition Loaues haue taught that these Loaues were called Breads of faces because they did Figure forth a Sacrifice in the which there should be bread in the beginning and flesh in the end for the substance of bread was there to be changed into the substance of the body of the Messias the outward accidents remaining whole and that it should be a Sacrifice of two faces one outward of bread which the sense might see and the other inward of the substance of flesh which Faith only could perceiue And to this may haue reference that the Hebrew word Lehen bread and flesh Rab. Kimhi 1. Serasâ—im Gal. 10. 7. 1. Cor. 11.27 Lehen set in this place hath a double signification for sometimes it signifieth bread sometimes flesh So as where our Translation hath He offered him the breads of Proposition other translations haue He offered the flesh of thy God And Saint Paul long time after vsing the same manner of speech what he calls Bread he also names the body of our Sauiour The same Hebrew Doctors Osee 14.8 explaining the words of Osee They shall be conuerted that sit vnder his shadow they shall liue with Wheate Our Masters say they writ vpon these words that at the comming of the Redeemer there shal be change of nature in Wheat And Rabby Moyses vpon the words of the Psalme Rab. Moyses Hadarsania Psal 135. Gal. l. 10. c. 6. Rab. Iudas in Exod. cap. 25. Gal. l. 10. c. 6. Who giueth food to all flesh a for saith he the bread which bee will giue is his flesh and this shall be a great wonder The Oblation then is bread in the beginning but after the words of Consecration it is flesh the substance of bread being turned into the substance of the body of our Sauiour by the vertue of his Omnipotent word the which being able to make all the world of nothing can change one substance into another This changing is called Transubstantiation in the Catholike Church a word brought into vse fiue hundred yeares agoe Rab. Kimbi Gal. l. 10. c. 4. to stoppe the mouthes of the Heretickes which rose vp against the true Faith the thing it selfe being as ancient as the Eucharist for in the same instant that the Sacrament was instituted by our Sauiour Transubstantiation was in vse though the name was not to be borne vntill long time after As for the Manner according to which the Messias body was to remaine in the Sacrament after it is made present by Transubstantiation the same Hebrew Doctors haue tolde that it was to bee there inuisible and impalpable and in many places together which they beleeued also of the body of the Prophet Elias being in many places at the same time without being seene or touched as the Rabbins testifie in these their Expositions 8. THE TESTIMONIES OF THE CHRIstian Doctors concerning Transubstantiation and the manner how our Sauiours body is in the Eucharist THe Christians haue been so much more resolute and cleare in setting downe the Faith and Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the manner of the presence of our Sauiours body in this Sacrament by how much they haue had better Masters then the ancient Hebrews Their Masters were our Sauiour himselfe the Sonne of Truth the Reuealer of heauenly secrets and his Apostles filled with the new light of the Holy Ghost whereas the Hebrewes had none but Moyses and the Prophets which taught by shadowes and Figures Behold then what they haue said of this admirable change which wee call Transubstantiation and of the manner how the body of our Sauiour remaines in the Sacrament Saint IVSTINE Wee are taught S. Iustin Apol. 2. that the meate the bread and wine wherwith our flesh and bloud are nourished by change thereof into our substance being Consecrated by the prayer and word of God is the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ incarnate that is to say the substance of bread and wine is changed into the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint IRENEVS S. â—râ—â— l. 4. c. 3â— disputing against the Heretikes which denied that Christ was Omnipotent Hâ—w saith hee will they beleâ—ue that the consecrated bread is the body of Iesus Christ As if he should say if they beleeue not that he is Omnipotent they cannot beleeue that in the Eucharist the bread is changed into his body by his Word seeing there can be made no such change by any other word but his who can doe all by his Word as hee made the world by his Word Saint CYRIL of Hierusalem S. cyril â—ierosol â—â—tech misâ—ag 4. Hee long since in Cana turned water into wine the which hath some resemblance to bloud shall we esteeme him lesse worthy to be beleeued saying that he hath changed the wine into his bloud Saint CHRYSOSTOME S. Chrysost hom 6. ad Pap. Anâ—ioch Because the Word saith This is my body let vs obey and beleeue beholding it with