bowed themselues and adored God and then the King Dauid adored 1. Chronic. 29. 20. Whereby it is manifest that exterior visible adoration by bowing euen to the ground may be giuen both to God and men and that nether it nor any other outward visible signe except the offering of visible Sacrifice is such a signe of diuine worship or Latria or so due vnto God alone that they may not be giuen vnto men which S. Augustin in the 4. Chapter of his 10. book of the Cittie of God further witnesseth saying There is not any man to be found who dare say that Sacrifice is due vnto any but to God alone 3. Whereas some obiect that S. Iohn fell downe The obiectiō of S. Iohn adoring aunsvvered at the feete of an Angel to adore him Reuel 19. 10. and 22. 8. And the Angel said See thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruant adore God This only prooueth that S. Iohn and the Angel were humble the one in adoring and the other in refusing to be adored and that adoration by bowing down to the ground may be giuen vnto both God and his creatures vnlesse we should say that S. Iohn being aduertised in the 19. Chapter that he was an Angel would yet notwithstandinh in the 22. Chapter adore him agayn and fell down before his feete and willingly and wittingly commit Idolatry which is absurd and contrary to the Text the Angel saying twice vnto him I am they fellow seruant one of thy Brethren yet certayn it is that Angels are not fellow-seruants and brethren to Idolaters whereby it appeareth that S. Iohn by twice falling before the feete of an Angel to adore him did no euill act nor committed any sinne 4. Neither doth the Angel say that he refused The cause vvhy the Angel refused to be adored by S. Iohn to be adored of S. Iohn because it was euill or only due vnto God which should be contrary vnto all the places of Scriptures before alleged but the cause why he would not haue S. Iohn to adore him was as there he saith For I am thy fellow seruant as contending with him in humility Neither did the Angel say vnto S. Iohn Adore God to condemne S. Iohn of ignorance or idolatry for then the Angel would not haue called him his fellow seruant and brother as he did twice but to commend the eminencie of his sanctity and greatnes which was of such excellency that out of duty or inferiority he needed not nor ought not to giue adoration to any creature but to God alone So S. Iohn humbling himself before the Angell and falling twice before his feete to adore him the Angel exalteth him and calleth him fellow seruant and brother fulfilling the words of our Sauiour saying He that humbleth himself shal be exalted Mat. 23. 12. And this text together with the rest inuincibly prooue that it is lawfull to adore creatures by falling before their feete seeing S. Iohn the Euangelist and the Patriarcks and Prophets and Children of the Church of God did vse it and that of all outward visible adorations the adoration by offring of visible Sacrifice is due vnto God alone 5. Faustus an Heretick of the sect of the Manicheans All other outvvard visible vvoorshipp due vnto the Saint except Sacrifice accused the Catholick Christians of the Primatiue Church of Idolatry and superstition for honoring Martyrs euen as the Puritans of this age do Catholicks at this day as S. Augustin in the 21. Chapter of his 20. book against him witnesseth saying Faustus doth calumniate vs for the honor we do giue vnto the memory of Martyrs saying that we haue conuerted them into Idols Where vnto he there answereth as we now may say in his words vnto our calumniators Christian people do celebrate together the memory of Martyrs with a Religious solemnitie to stirr vp imitation to be made partakers of their merits and to be assisted by their prayers yet so as that we do not offer Sacrifice vnto any Martyr but to the God of Martyrs although we erect Altars in the memory of Martyrs for what Bishop standing at the Altar which is erected in the place where the bodyes of the Martyrs are was euer heard to say we offer vnto thee Peter or Paul or Cyprian but that which is offered is offered vnto God who hath crowned the Martyrs at the memory of them whom he hath crowned That by the admonition of the place the affection of our minds may be more inflamed with charity towards those whom we ought to imitate and towards God by their assistance We honor Martyrs Hovv the Martyrs are to he vvorshipped with that worship of loue and societie wherewith holy men are worshipped in this life whose hearts are prepared to suffer the like for the truth of the Ghospell only we worship the Martyrs more deuoutly because we may worship them now securely after their victory for they being now conquerors and enioying happie life we may preach their praise with more confidence then we can the praise of those who are yet fighting in this life yet notwithstanding we do not honor them with that worship which the Grecians call Latria and in latin cannot be expressed in one word seeing it is a worship properly due vnto Diuinitie Neither do we teach that any ought to be honored with it but only God For seeing that the offering vp of Sacrifice belongeth vnto this worship in such sort as that it is called their Idolatria who exhibite it vnto Idols in no sort we offer any such thing or commaund to bee offered either vnto any Martyr or vnto any holy soule or vnto any Angel Thus S. Augustin 6. The Grecian Idolaters tooke the same exception against the honor and worship which was done to the Saints deceased which the Puritans do now and Theodoret who liued about the The honor due vnto the saints tyme of S. Augustin in his 8. book of the cure of Greeke affections asweareth them saying Our Lord God hath brought his dead into the Temples in place of your Gods whom he hath depriued of their glory and giuen their honor vnto his martirs for in lieu of the solemnityes of your Gods Pan Diana Iupiter c. are kept the feasts of Peter Paul Thomas Sergius Leontius Antonius Mauritius and other holy Martyrs and in place of that ancient pomp filthines and impudency the feasts are kept modestly chastly and with much temperance now they are not besmeared with wine nor made vain by riotous banquets nor dissolute through loud laughter but with attention and diuine Hymnes and hearing holy Sermons c. But yet ô Grecians we do not offer Hosts or any Sacrifice to the Martyrs Whereby we see that amongst all the visible honors or worships which may or can be donn by man only visible Sacrifice is due vnto God alone the rest may be exhibited or giuen vnto creatures 7. Our Sauiour said Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God
Scriptures Exod. 33. 19. Ioh. 11. 15. and the offering of visible external sacrifice being due vnto God only chieflie and aboue al things as a Sacrament of the inuisible Sacrifice of our hearts and soules vnto him and a holie signe of our acknowledging God for our Lord God as I haue proued in the precedent chapters What reasonable man can denye that God out of his prouidence towardes mankinde in directing him as a reasonable creature vnto his end and chiefest good hath also giuen vnto all mankinde a natural inclination propension and instinct to offer visible sacrifice vnto him thereby to acknowlegd him for their God honor him with the worshipp of Latria and professe the vnion of their harts with him their last end and chiefest good Vnlesse we should saie that God in the creating of man and in directing of men vnto their last end hath vsed lesse goodnes and prouidence then he hath towards trees plants and stones with is absurd seeing that his mercies towards man are aboue all his workes 2. From this instinct it did proceede that in the law of Nature whilest men liued in the beginning of the world without writings or anie other ordinarie directions or law more then the instinct of nature proceeding from reason with is called the law of Nature the faithfull in the Church of God vsed to offer visible Sacrifice vnto God as Abel Noe Melchisedec Abraham Isaac Iacob and Iob who all offered exterior visible Sacrifice vnto God before anie other law was knowne or published but the instinct of nature The lavve of nature is vvritten in the hartes of the Gentils proceeding from reason and is as S. Paul sayth Written in the harts of the Gentils Rom. 2. 15. and was as S. Hierom. vpon the 24. of Isai sayth Giuen vnto al nations before the law of Moyses was written which was not giuen by God vnto the children of Israel vntill the yeare 2544. from the beginning of the world according to the Annales of Torniellus 3. Neither could the defects in the sacrifice of Cain be displeasing vnto God as they were Gen. 4. 5. if Cain had not been obliged by some law to offer sacrifice for as S. Paul saith Rom. 4. 15. Where there is no law there is no preuarication Cains sacrifice displeasing because it vvas not conformable to the lavv of Nature or offence nor the sacrifices of Abel and Noe be gratefull and acceptable vnto God as they were Gen. 4. and 8. 21. but for that they were conformable vnto some law and right for God is not a God that will iniquitie Psal 5. 5. Yet before the law of Moses was giuen which was not vntill the yeare 2544. there was no other law as al men Cain and Abel bound to offer Sacrifice by the lavv of nature grant but the law of nature written in the harts of men Wherefore seing that for those 2544. yeares the faithfull offered visible sacrifice according to some law and there was no lawe but the instinct of nature proceeding from right reason which we call the law of nature it manifestly followeth that external visible sacrifice is due vnto God by the law and light of nature 4. From hence it is that Cain and Abel in the Cain and Abel offered Sacrifice vvithout a maister or teacher beginning of world had no need of anie maister or teacher to tell or teache them in general that they ought to offer visible sacrifice vnto God because they were taught it by the direction of theire consciences light of reason and wisdome giuen from aboue vnto all mankind as witnesseth S. Chrisostome in his 18. homilie vpon Genesis sayinge Cain of the fruites of the earth offered a Sacrifice to God Consider how the builder of nature in grafted in man the science of conscience for I pray you tell me whoe brought Cain to this knowledge no other but the knowledge which is in a conscious mind He offered saith the Scripture Sacrifice to God of the fruits of the earth for he did know and he did clearly know that it was conuenient or meete to offer something of his possession to God not that God stood in need of any thing that was his but that he who inioyed such a be-benefit from him should shew his gratitude And againe in the same homilie he saith Cain had no teacher nor Abel a prompter or councellor to teach them to offer visible Sacrifice but they were both moued to this oblation by the dictamen of their consciences and by wisdome giuen from aboue vnto mankind In like manner S. Clement in the 20. chapter of his 6. Booke of Apostolicall constitutions affirmeth that Abel Noe Abraham and others after them offered Sacrifice to God only moued thervnto by the law of nature Whervpon Eusebius Cesariensis in the 10. chapter of his first booke of Euangelicall demonstrations saith The ancient friends of God Abel Noe Abraham c. offered Sacrifice which saith hee we ought not to thinke to haue been a rash inuention or a thing begunn after a humaine manner but rather inspired from aboue sed deuino potius nutu insinuatū For which cause Tertullian in the 2. chapter of his book against the Iewes saith Leuites to offer Sacrifice before the leuiticall lavv Before the law of Moses was giuen which was written in Tables of stone ther was a Law not written which was naturally vnderstood and kept by the Fathers for from whence was Noe found iust if the naturall iustice of the Law did not goe before him from whence was Abraham esteemed the freind of God if not by the equitie or iustice of the Law of Nature How came Melchisedec to be called a Priest of the most high God if there were not Leuites before the leuiticall Law who offered Sacrifice to God Thus Tertullian wherby it appeareth that men by the law of nature and dictamen of their conscience without a Maister or Teacher or written law are in generall sufficiently instructed to offer visible Sacrifice vnto God as a meanes wherby they may attaine vnto the vnion of their hearts with him who is theire last end and chiefest good Whervpon Origen in his first book vpon Iob saith In the tyme of the Law of Noe Abraham Melchisedec and Iob Priestes by the lavv of nature nature there were Priests who were not ordained to that office by the prescript of anie written law but taught and instructed to doe it by naturall wisdom After this manner Noe executed the office of Priesthood After this manner Abraham and Melchisedec were Priests and also after them Iob himselfe had the office of Priesthood Thus Origen With whom also agreeth S. Ciprian in his treatise of the reason of Circumcision saying Though many of the nations of the earth did iudge Circumcision which the Iewes vsed to be absurd and vnreasonable yet following the law of nature they retained the instruments of expiation or clensing from sinne and doe immolate victimes burne fatt and
by the sufferings of our sauiour vpon the Crosse 10. If anie obiect and say that the Scriptures Hovv God doth desire Sacrifice and not desire it often affirme that God doth not desire Sacrifice this obiection S. Auguctine answereth in the aforesaid chapter prouing by manie examples of Scripture that when it is said God doth not require Sacrifice it is to be vnderstood of the visible signe which is commonly called the sacrifice when it is without the inuisible Sacrifice of our hearts for so it is but a false signe and hipocrisie such as was the sacrifice of Cain who offered his goods as a visible signe but not his heart in an inuisible Sacrifice and therefore his sacrifice was reiected and Abells accepted as witnesseth Rupertus in his 4. book vpon Genesis and second chapter saying By faith saith S. Paul Abel offered a greater host then Cain for in exterior worshipp and religion they both offered alike And therefore both of them offered rightlie but Cain did not rightly deuide for Cain whilest he offered his goods to God kept himself vnto himself hauing his heart fixed in earthly desires Such portions or outward gifts God doth not accept of but by himselfe saith in the 23. of the Prouerbes Sonne giue vnto me thy heart Wherefore Abel first offered vnto God his heart and then his goods and so offered by faith a greater host then Cain Who offered the outward Sacrifice which was the visible signe but kept the inward which God most esteemed vnto himselfe 11. The case standeth before God with Sacrifice The case of Prayer and Sacrifice alike as it doth with prayer God commandeth prayer Marke 14. 38. And yet saith that some kinde of prayer is hipocrisie Math. 15. 7. In like manner God so affecteth Sacrifice that vnder penaltie of death he prohibiteth it to be offered vnto anie but vnto himselfe Exod. 22. 20. and yet saith that he will not haue Sacrifice offered vnto him Isay 1. 12. The reason is for that exterior prayer which is cōmonly called prayer is a signe of the interior prayer of the heart which when it wanteth is hipocrisie as a false signe So exterior visible Sacrifice which is commonly called Sacrifice is a signe of the interior and when it is without this it is hipocrisye as a false signe So God will prayer and Sacrifice and he will not prayer nor Sacrifice He will haue prayer and Sacrifice when they are conioyned with the prayer and Sacrifice of the heart and he will not haue prayer nor Sacrifice when they are not accompanied with the heart because they are hipocrisie as making shew of that which is not Wherevpon after the Prophet in the 50. Psalme had said A Sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit a contryte and humble heart ô God thou will not dispyse c. Hee addeth Then shalt thou accept Sacrifice of iustice oblations and holocausts then shall they lay calues vpon thyne Altar When with the exterior visible Sacrifice of the Church men shall offer the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts by sorrow for the negligences of their liues past contrition for their sinnes and humiliation before God vnto whom that Sacrifice is offered thē shall they offer a true and proper Sacrifice of justice oblations and holocaustes acceptable to God and not otherwise because the outward Sacrifices with out this inward and inuisible is but hipocrysie 12. Visible Sacrifices saith Saint Augustine in the place a fore reoyted Are signes of the inuisible Visible Sacrifices are signes of the inuisible as vvords are of thinges as wordes are signes of things Wherefore when without anie iust necessitie men speake wordes and haue other intentions in their hearts then their words sound or signifie it is but dissimulation and contrarie to the institution of words which were ordeyned to expresse the intention of the heart So when we offer visible Sacrifice without the inuisible Sacrifice of our hearts it is hipocrisie or dissembled sanctitie which is double iniquitie because visible Sacrifices were instituted vnto this end that they might be a publicke sacred visible signe of the inuisible sacrifice of mēs hearts vnto God as words were ordeyned to expresse the sinceritie of mens myndes and because man should alwaies haue an intention and be euer readie to giue his heart and soule to God without dissimulation therefore he may neuer offer visible Sacrifice without the inuisible Sacrifice of his heart 13. S. Augustine expressing the excellencie of The excellencie of visible Sacrifice conioyned to the inuisible this visible sacrifice when it is accompanied with the visible Sacrifice of our hearts and how acceptable it is vnto God and vnto the Church triumphant in heauen addeth in the same chapter saying When wee offer visible Sacrifice together with the inuisible of our hearts Then all the Angells and the superior powers and the more powerfull spirits through their goodnes piety doe fauour vs and reioyce with vs and according to their power doe helpe vs to offer this visible Sacrifice Thus S. Augustine of the excellencie of this visible Sacrifice when it is vnyted vnto the inuisible of our hearts and how acceptable it is vnto God and vnto the whole triumphant church in heauen 14. The reason why the triumphant Church in VVhy th' Angells reioyce at th' offering of visible Sacrifice heauen which as S. Paule saith doth consist Of the assemblie of manie thousand Angells doth so reioyce at the offering of visible sacrifice when it is accompanied with the inuisible sacrifice of our hearts is for that they are as they themselues say fellow seruants with those who serue God vpon earth And seeing that men here vpon earth cannot continewally without intermission think of God and honor him with the honor which is only due vnto him by a perpetuall and continewall sacrifying of their hearts vnto him as they in heauen doe who Day and nyght crye holy holy Lord God omnipotent and so are eternally happie therfore they doe reioyce that yet sometymes men vpon earth will actually thinke vpon God and actually honor him with the honor of Latria worshipp due only vnto him and consecrate their hearts vnto him alone who is their end and chiefest good therby to become partakers of a little droppe of their happinesse for as S. Augustine in the 22. chapter of his 10. booke of confessions saith This is happie life to reioyce in God of God and for God this is it and other is none Now the question is whether Christians are bound to offer this 4. kynd of Sacrifice to God or no The Puritans deny that in the Christian Church there ought to be any such kind of extenall Puritans deny externall visible Sacrifice in the Christian Church visible Sacrifice offered vnto God The moderate sort of Protestants doe after a sort confesse it in words and doctrine though not in practise as his late deceased Maiestie in his answer to Cardinall Perron related by Casaubon saying The
especiallie commaunding that we should come vnto it with concord and burning Charitie Thus S. Chrisostome Whereby it doth appeare that the end why Christ our Lord instituted a visible sacrifice in the new law was not only to preserue in Christians the worshipp of Latria towards God and the commemoration of his Passion c. but also to maintaine a perfect vnion amongst them 11. Man on the one side being obliged by the debt of his creation conseruation redemption and other benefits to honor and loue God aboue all things and his neighbour for Gods sake as himselfe as the holy scriptures doe aboundantly testifie And on the other side as Sacrifice is the publick exercise of the vvorshipp of God the said Scriptures doe witnesse and experience doth daily manifest vnto vs That the cogitations of mans heart are bent vnto euill at all times and to forgett these his obligations and institute of life vnlesse he by some publique act or daily exercise be put in minde and kept to the practise thereof for this cause God of his infinite mercies hath ordeyned that a particular visible sacrifice should be daily vsed in his Church as a publicke exercise and practise of the inuisible sacrifice of our hearts vnto him a daily visible adoration of him with the worshipp of Latria a commemoration of the Passion of our Lord and a continual renewing of our loues peace and societie with him and amongst ourselues thereby to preserue in vs the honor and obligation which we owe vnto God and the loue of our neighbours as ourselues so to liue together in vnitie peace and charitie whilst An absurd thing that there should be Schooles of other things not of the vvorship due vnto God we remaine vpon earth and after death to ascend vpp into heauen to enioy the Kingdome Which was prepared for vs from the foundation of the world 12. And it were a thing verie absurd that in the Church of God which is his Kingdome here vpon earth there should be visible Schooles and publique daily exercises of things of lesser moment and that of the visible Sacrificing of our hearts to God publicke worshipp of Latria soleÌ„ne commemoration of the Passion of our Lord for vs and the sacred vnion of our hearts with him and amongst our selues wherein consisteth our teÌ„porall and eternall welfare there should be no practise more then in naked words only which either men of diuers nations who speake different languages or the vnlearned could not vnderstand Neither would words only without other visible actions be sufficient to teach the The necessitie of Sacrifice vulgar common people the practise dignity excellencie and eminencie of these sacred things as we finde by experience Whereby it doth appeare how necessarie it is that in the Church of God there should not only be instituted publicke Schooles where all men not in words only but in deeds might see the adoration due only to God the Sacrifice of mens hearts the commemoration of the passion of our Lord and vnion with God and amongst ourselues daily practised such as are or should be the sacred temples and Churches but also that these exercises should be sett fâ—â—th with great solemnitie vnder solemne visible knowne signes common to all that all in euerie Cittie towne and village might comply with these their obligations towards God and man which is the exterior visible Sacrifice I speake of whose practise as we see by experience is so appropriated vnto this vse that wheresoeuer we shall finde either amongst Christians or infidells anie company of men seriously attending to the offering of Sacrifice vpon an Altar we presently know that they are adoring some God true or false with the honor due only vnto God and colleagued in vnitie of Religion and societie amongst themselues as is manifest by experience 13. And because that the offering of a particular visible Sacrifice vnto God vpon an Altar was instituted by God vnto those ends before rehearsed therefore to communicate as Protestants To communicate and not of things offered in Sacrifice a prophane thing and Puritans now doe and not of hosts or Victimes first offered to God vpon an Altar was and is by the Scriptures accounted a worke of the Sonnes of Belial 1. Kings 2. 2. and an exceeding great sinne 1. Kings 2. 17. Because say the Scriptures they distracted men from the Sacrifice of our Lord and so hindred them not only from the publicke practise of the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts vnto God and the visible adoration of him with the worshipp of Latria which is due only to him but obliterated the memorie of his passion for vs who was slaine from the beginning of the world and infringed the solemne practise of peace and vnitie betweene men and God and of men amongst themselues For which cause S. Paul also commaundeth visible Sacrifice to be vsed in the administration of the communion saying As often as you shall eate this Bread and drinck the Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntil he come 1. Cor. 11. 26. who dyed offering vp himselfe in a visible Sacrifice as our aduersaries confesse To conclude Prayer as affirmeth S. Iohn Damascen in the 24. chapter of his 3. booke orthodoxae fidei is an eleuation of mind to God which visible Sacrifice doth not only teach and expresse as words doe things as I haue proued hertofore but also addeth to the eleuation of the mind to God a gift giuen or offered to God according to his commaund sayinge Thou shalt not appeare in my sight emptie Exod. 23. 15. and such a superexcellent gift as the body and blood of his only sonne in whome he is wel pleased and withall an inuisible sacrifice of our selues to God accordinge to the earnest exhortation of S. Paul saying I beseech you Brethren by the mercie of God that you exhibite your bodies a liuing host holy pleasing to God your reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 21. 1. wherby it cometh to passe that the due offering of visible Sacrifice doth The offering of visible Sacrifice is excellent prayer not only teach vs to pray as we ought but also is in it selfe the most coÌ„pleate prayer in the Church of God and therfore called the publick office of the Church as I shall further declare in his place In the meane space this is not only sufficient to shew the institution of visible Sacrifice but also the necessitie and cause why visible Sacrifices were instituted in the Church oft God and vsed amongst the faithfull in the Law of nature written law and law of grace and the fruite or benefit we receaue by them CHAP. III. All the Gentills and Heathen people Atheists and Epicures onely excepted offered visible Sacrifice vnto their supposed Gods 1. THe offering vp of externall visible Sacrifices Offering of Sacrifice necessary for the preseruation of vnitie and peace vnto God and communicating of the same after they were offered was esteemed a thing so necessary
liued aboue 1200. yeares past And thus the vnbloudy sacrifice or sacrifice of the bodie and bloud of Lord after an vnbloudie manner which was begun at Hierusalem by our Lord and the Apostles was after dispersed and planted all ouer the Christian world by the Apostles and Apostolicall men their Successors and hath continued vntill this daie as we may finde by experience 9. For our aduersaries to saie that all these Liturgies or publick Church-seruice bookes which All the Liturgies could not be corrupted haue been vsed by all nations countries and people who haue bin conuerted by the Apostles themselues or Apostolicall men whose names would be to tedious to reherse haue in this point of the Sacrifice and Sacrament been corrupted without assigning when or where or by what men or meanes so maine sundrie and diuers nations separated by place gouernment tongues in warrs one with another deuided manie times in other pointes of Religion could become so generally corrupted in one and the same point and that a thing which they for the most part all practised daily is as the Prophet saith but to excuse excuses in sinne Psal 140. 4. 10. Neither may our aduersaries say as they vse to doe in other thinges that the Pope hath brought vpp this as new doctrine For first it was foretould by the Prophets in the old law before there were anie Christian Popes Secondly manie of these nations who vse vnbloudie Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord are so farr distant from him as that vnlesse it were in these late-yeares that nauigation and trauelling into strange countries hath bin more in vse they did scarcely know whether there were such a man or no and manie of theÌ„ remaine yet in schisme and heresie deuided from the Pope as the Grecians Nestorians Eutychians and other heretickes in Egypt the Muscouits and Russians 11. Moreouer the afore said Proclus in the place aboue cited affirmeth that by thse praiers of the Liturgie They expected the coming of the holie Ghost that by his diuine presence he might make the bread and wine mixt with water which was prepared for the Sacrifice the self same bodie and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which religious rite is trulie obserued vntill this daie and shal be vntill the end of the world Thus Proclus Bishop of Constantinople about 1200. years agoe whereby it is manifest that this doctrine of offering vnbloudie Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord and communicating of the same is no new doctrine nor inuented by anie man but instituted by our Lord at his last supper in Hierusalem and published ouer the world by the Apostles and Apostolicke men at the conuersion of nations as was foretould by our Sauiour Act. 1. As farther witnesseth S. Hierom. in his commentaries vpon the first Chapter of Prophet Malachie saying In euerie place there is offered an oblation not an vncleane one as was offered by the people of Israel but a cleane one as is offered vp in the ceremonies of the Christians The Conclusion Though God be a spirit and according to the Scriptures is delighted with that worshippe which procedeth from our spirits yet because the foule as long as she is in this mortall bodie cannot make her inward actes oblations and Sacrifices of her selfe conueniently and perfectly except she behold the same in some sensible oblation of a gift or present offered visibly to God before her as a meanes signe or motiue to moue and stirr her vp vnto that interior and visible Sacrifice of herselfe the vnderstanding of mortall men depending vpon the senses according to that axiome There is nothing in the vnderstanding which was not first either by it selfe or by some resemblance in some one of the senses Therefore God of is infinite goodnes condiscending vnto our capacities hath instituted an exterior visible sacrifice in his Church to moue and stirr vs vpp vnto this interior and invisible wherein he so much delighteth the example whereof we may finde in prayer God vnderstandeth that praier of our hearts and that which delighteth him most is the praier of the heart and mynde yet because the operations and actes of the soule in this life depend vpon the organs of the bodie â—nd senses therefore God hath instituted vocall praier or praier with the mouth in his Church â—s a sensible signe to prouoke the heart feruently â—o pray and praise him so that those who would haue men to practise and vse the inuisible sacrifice of their hearts to God and yet denie them the exercise of exterior visible Sacrifice are like vnto those who would haue men pray in their hearts and studie to become learned and yet permitt them no bookes nor exterior meanes to learne Which our most blessed Lord considering at the institution of the new law left vs not without an exterior visible sacrifice but instituted it in his bodie and bloud vnder the curtaines of bread and wine the more powerfully to moue and stirre vpp in vs the sacrifice of our hearts to God by the excellencie and eminencie of the outward obiect as I shall shew more at large in the ensuing bookes FINIS CENSVRA TRractatus hic de Sacrificio nihil continet quod aut rectae Fidei aut bonis moribus repugnet imprimi itaque poterit divulgari Louanij 12 Febr. 1637. Antonius Louerius S. T. L Apost Regius lib. Censor OF THE VISIBLE SACRIFICE IN THE CHVRCH OF GOD. THE SECOND PART VVritten by ANONYMVS EREMITA Sacrifice ye the Sacrifice of Iustice and hope in our Lord. Psal 4. 6. AT BRVXELLES By HVBERT ANTONY Velpius Printer to his Majestie 1638. THE PREFACE REligion saith S. Thomas in 22. quest 81. Art 1. is a vertue by which men giue to God due worshipp and reuerence wherin hee agreeth with S. Augustine in his book of the nature of God saying It is the office of religion to giue due honor vnto God And the honor and worshipp which is cheefly and most properly due vnto God is the inuisible Sacrifice of the heart and the outward visible Sacrifice of some creature to expresse the inuisible Sacrifice of the soule as wordes doe things which is properly Latria or seruice due vnto God as God and Creator of all things as I haue shewed more at large in the 5. and 6. Chapters of the first part Whereupon it cometh to passe that without the offering of visible Sacrifice there cannot be any perfect Religion for though some of the more pious sort of men by a longer custome and much practise may attaine vnto a continuall or often inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts by inward anagogicall actes without the helpe of exterior visible Sacrifice yet because the myndes of men in this life depend vpon the organs of the bodie for their knowledge and operations therefore they haue need to be lead by the hand of sensible and visible things vnto God and inuisible because as S. Paule saith in the first to the Romans the